Free Republic

Two “foreign speaking” men set off alarms after they entered the local Walmart store in Lebanon, Missouri and purchased 60 cellphones. The purchase was made around 4 AM last Saturday morning. Police were called but released the men saying they didn’t have a legal reason to detain them.

A trade group representing the fast-growing electronic cigarette industry is contesting a new government study that claims the largely unregulated products lead teens on a path to tobacco cigarette smoking. 
 The American Vaping Association blasted this week’s study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), describing the assertion as “plain deceptive” and calling for the paper’s retraction. The industry posits that e-cigarettes can actually help smokers quit, though they are prohibited from marketing the devices as a cessation tool. “There is no evidence e-cigarettes are gateways to smoking, and in fact, for millions of Americans they are...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Nov. 2, 2005) -- With the current improvised explosive device threat in Al Anbar province, and throughout Iraq, the U.S. military has added armor on its vehicles to ensure the safety of service members serving here. Now, with the Iraqi Security Force growing in size by the day, adding armor to their vehicles has become a top priority. According to Chief Warrant Officer James Pappas, transportation officer, Iraqi Security Force, II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD), the Iraqi Security Force was issued commercial vehicles for day-to-day operations. These vehicles provided no type of personal protection. In August 2005,...