Free Republic

Travis Pastrana honored legendary daredevil Evel Knievel Sunday night in attempting three of Knievel’s most dangerous jumps in a row on Evel Live. Pastrana wasn’t just setting out to complete the stunts, however, but to break Knievel’s records. Pastrana’s epic act started with the 50 Car Jump, followed by the Wembley Bus Jump. It ended with the infamous Caesars Palace Fountain Jump — a stunt that almost killed Knievel 50 years ago. “This is the most iconic jump in stunt lore,” Pastrana said. “In the history of stunts, this is the one. It’s the one because Evel never landed it.”

The U.S. government eagerly reached out to Venezuelan presidential candidate Hugo Chavez in 1998 and moved quickly to denounce a rumored coup plot against the man who's become one of the Bush administration's archenemies, newly declassified State Department documents obtained by McClatchy Newspapers reveal. State Department officials initially appeared dazzled by Chavez's oversized persona and his promise for sweeping reforms, and seemed sincere in their efforts to help him, the documents show. Some of those overtures drew positive responses from Chavez, who said he wanted U.S. help in fighting corruption and drug trafficking.... ...A Jan. 20, 1999, cable setting the...

Bogota, Jun 19, 2002 (EFE via COMTEX) -- Colombian President Andres Pastrana has invited the man elected to succeed him, Alvaro Uribe, to participate in an economic forum in Cartagena that former U.S. President Bill Clinton is also scheduled to attend, officials here said Wednesday. The invitation to Uribe was made public by the president's press secretary. The forum will take place June 28-29 in the Caribbean resort city and aims to bring together leaders of Colombia's private sector and a number of distinguished invitees from abroad. "The role of the private sector in a nation in crisis" is...