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An estimated 80% of older adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure. A study found that adding a relatively minimal amount of movement, about 3,000 steps per day, can significantly reduce high blood pressure in older adults. This study sought to determine if older adults with hypertension could receive these benefits by moderately increasing their daily walking, which is one of the easiest and most popular forms of physical activity for this population. The study focused on a group of sedentary older adults between ages 68 and 78 who walked an average of about 4,000 steps per day before...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pushing a campaign to act without Congress, President Barack Obama moved unilaterally Friday to boost private business. He signed executive orders aimed at spurring economic growth, capping a week in which Obama sought to employ the power of his office as he struggles to make headway on his jobs bill on Capitol Hill. Obama's orders direct government agencies to shorten the time it takes for federal research to turn into commercial products in the marketplace. The goal is to help startup companies and small businesses create jobs and expand their operations more quickly. On the other front,...

The Democrats’ upset victory in a special House election this week has stimulated hopes the party can retake the chamber and triggered speculation about what kind of role Pelosi will play in the 2012 elections. During a press conference on Thursday, a beaming and re-energized Pelosi said, “We had a spectacular election in New York-26.” Pelosi was frequently cited as one of the most powerful Speakers until the historic GOP wave of 2010 stripped her of her gavel. As she withdrew from the media’s eye, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) political stock rose.

After years of debate, a health overhaul is finally becoming a reality. Now what? Many big provisions don't kick in until 2014, including the mandate for most folks to have health insurance and many new requirements for health-plan designs. Before then, you'll see a mishmash of other things go into effect at various times—and of course some of the changes depend on the Senate passing the House's so-called sidecar, or reconciliation, bill of changes. [0321consum] Doug DeMark Taylor Wilhite and her mom, Amy, visited Capitol Hill in May 2009 with American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteers. Here are some...

1.Rewrite the Constitution and break down its firewalls through Judicial and Bureaucratic fiat. 2.Concentrate all meaningful power in the Federal Government. 3.Suppress and Repress the Individual by attacking his Unalienable Rights through laws and constant torment. 4.Eliminate Private Property through Confiscatory Taxation and Regulation and wage constant war against Business Enterprises and Entrepreneurs.

The White House expressed disappointment in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent visit to Washington, with officials saying that they had hoped that the prime minister would present a concrete plan to scale back Israeli construction in West Bank settlements, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Speaking at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America in Washington on Monday, Netanyahu urged the Palestinians to resume peace talks with Israel, but failed to offer any new commitment regarding the settlements, which the Palestinians have demanded be halted as a precondition for talks, nor did he present any new terms...

(IsraelNN.com) According to the U.S. Commerce Department, the number of requests received by American companies from Saudi Arabia to boycott Israel has increased by more than 75% in the past two years, rising from 42 in 2006 to 65 in 2007 to 74 in 2008.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is announcing new efforts to freeze pirate booty, part of a series of diplomatic steps by the Obama administration to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. Clinton said Wednesday the administration would call for immediate meetings of an international counter-piracy task force to expand current naval coordination against pirates. The administration also will send an envoy to a Somali donors conference scheduled for next week in Brussels, and will attempt to organize meetings with officials of Somali's transitional government as well as regional leaders in Somali's semiautonomous Puntland.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2007 – Iraqi security forces have taken “huge steps forward” in growing and moving toward independent operations, a senior commander in Iraq said today. And they’ve made this progress despite fighting a war on their own soil and working through an immature bureaucracy, said British Army Brigadier S. M. Gledhill, deputy commanding general for the Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq. The command is charged with helping the Iraqis to organize, man and equip their force and to develop the ministries of Defense and Interior. “Fundamentally, Iraqis are now taking ownership of the battle space themselves. I think...

Fort Lewis, Wash., native Spc. Dennis Speek, explosive ordnance disposal technician, 789th Ordnance Company (EOD), explains how EOD personnel use the robot known as the “Talon” to handle explosives by remote control while standing in front of the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicle (JERRV) at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Sept. 18. The JERRV is similar to the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles that are being phased into service replacing the Humvee. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tony Lindback. FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians have seen a change in the enemy’s tactics, techniques...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2006 – As coalition and Iraqi forces continue security operations in Baghdad, the Iraqi government and security forces are making significant progress and moving closer to an independent future, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said today. More than 60,000 Iraqi and coalition forces are in Baghdad as part of Operation Together Forward, which is designed to reduce sectarian violence in the city, Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a news conference. Iraqi security forces outnumber coalition forces three to one inside the city and are leading most of the operations, Caldwell...

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2006 – It's time for the U.N. Security Council to take action against Iran following its announcement yesterday that it has enriched uranium, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today. "The Security Council will need to take into consideration this move by Iran and that it will be time when it reconvenes on this case for strong steps to make certain that we maintain the credibility of the international community on this issue," Rice said before a meeting with Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo here. The enrichment of uranium is in direct violation of the...

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2006 – Swearing to defend the U. S. Constitution, 40 Army Reservists re-enlisted yesterday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building here. Army Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, speaks at a re-enlistment ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, April 6. Photo by Steven Donald Smith  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "These great American heroes swear and affirm that they will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic," Army Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, chief of the...

Al-Qa'eda steps up propaganda war with bloodthirsty DVDs By Isambard Wilkinson and Imtiaz Ali in Miran Shah (Filed: 11/03/2006) Al-Qa'eda is flooding the unruly border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan with propaganda DVDs, in a media campaign designed to win recruits and sympathy. The films, sold for 40p each in local markets and distributed throughout Pakistan and across the Afghan frontier, depict Taliban forces attacking American, Pakistani and Afghan soldiers. Punishment killings and damage inflicted by American and Pakistani forces on both Islamic fighters and local civilians are also portrayed. The cover of 'Holy War and Nothing Else' To the...

Merkel's 'small steps' bring giant leap in popularity By Tony Paterson in Berlin (Filed: 22/01/2006) Angela Merkel, Germany's Chancellor, has confounded her critics by emerging as the country's most popular leader for more than a decade - only two months after being elected. Dismissed only six months ago as a humourless and dowdy East German, Mrs Merkel is riding a wave of unprecedented public approval that last week placed her at the top of Germany's key opinion poll rating for politicians. Angela Merkel's image has changed for good The monthly survey conducted by the ZDF television channel found voters rated...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2005 – In 1957, Jack Taylor, a decorated World War II fighter pilot, founded a car rental company and named it after the USS Enterprise, one of the carriers off which he flew. Today, Enterprise Rent-a-Car maintains its rich military history by providing unique support to its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Enterprise was one of 15 employers to receive the 2005 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in October for its policies and programs that assist National Guard and Reserve employees and their families. The company has about 500 employees who...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (AP) - Southern California air quality regulators took the first steps Friday toward regulating pollution from refinery flares - plumes of flame seen at the top of tall stacks in refineries and other facilities. The South Coast Air Quality Management District's governing board ordered its staff to develop a proposed rule for reducing emissions from the flames used to relieve pressure and prevent fires or explosions. The governing board intends to vote on the proposal once it is complete. Refineries have voluntarily worked to reduce emissions from flares for several years, district executive officer Barry Wallerstein said...

Mahdi army flees shrine as US steps up offensive Luke Harding in NajafWednesday August 25, 2004 The Guardian (UK) Mahdi army fighters loyal to the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had largely abandoned Najaf's Imam Ali shrine yesterday before American forces launched a massive offensive, which was under way last night. Sources inside the resistance movement said the majority of the militiamen slipped out of the complex after a secret order by Mr Sadr five days ago. The cleric was no longer in the area immediately around the shrine, which was encircled by American tanks, they said. "He is 100% not...