Free Republic

You wouldn't think that the date that determines when a child will enter kindergarten could possible make a social-economic difference to a state such as Missouri. I now know from first hand experience it can and will. Missouri is the only state requires your child to be five years old prior to August 1st. All of the other states are set either at August 31st or later. The only exception I can find is Alaska and they are set at August 15th. Why is this a big deal? Put yourself in the place of a parent who wishes to come...

A tornado headed east down I70 towards the Kansas City speedway causing motorists to jump out of their cars and head for the ditch.

OBAMA: Constitution 'reflected fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day'

Well someone had to do it. I laughed.

OBAMA 'TRUTH QUADS': Campaign asks Missouri law enforcement to target anyone who lies or runs misleading TV ads...

A quick little vanity because we have a need to know. In Missouri, the lack of yard signs compared to Bush-Kerry race in simply amazing. We see them here and there but I would say here it is at least 80% less than previous races. Bumper stickers are probably 70% less than before. Is it fear of vandalism, apathy? I apologize in advance for this vanity but it would be an asset to hear what it is like in other states right now. Some of my neighbors who usually are big Dim supporters and always have signs... do not have...

<p>RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - John McCain's campaign has asked Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor for personal documents as the Republican presidential candidate steps up his search for a running mate, The Associated Press has learned.</p> <p>Cantor, 45, the chief deputy minority whip in the House, has been mentioned among several Republicans as a possible running mate for McCain. A Republican familiar with the conversations between Cantor and the McCain campaign said Cantor has been asked to turn over documents, but did not know specifically what records were sought. Cantor is Jewish and is among Israel's most avid congressional supporters. His addition to the ticket could help the GOP win over Jewish votes this year. If McCain wins, Cantor would become the first Jewish vice president.</p>

Video clip from msnbc

Live streaming videos of what may be a busy night in Kansas and Missouri

The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak approved changes Friday, to the city’s vehicle idling ordinance that aims to reduce air pollution. The ordinance limits most vehicle idling to three minutes, except in traffic. "Most of the air pollution in Minneapolis comes from vehicles and cutting down in idling is one easy thing we can all do for our environment, our health, and the health of our neighbors," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. Vehicle motors release particulate matter, dirt, nitrous oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the air. These chemicals are linked to increased rates of cancer, heart...

LONDON – Defense analysts for the British intelligence service MI6 believe China is preparing for the "eventuality of a nuclear war." The conclusion follows evidence that Beijing has built secretly a major naval base deep inside caverns which even sophisticated satellites cannot penetrate, says a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. In an unusual development, the analysts have provided details to the specialist defense periodical, Jane's Intelligence Review, which published satellite images of the base location which is hidden beneath millions of tons of rock on the South China Sea island of Hainan. The MI6 analysts have confirmed the submarine...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California motorists will risk fines of up to $100 next year if they are caught smoking in cars with minors, making their state the third to protect children in vehicles from secondhand smoke. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday signed a bill that will make it an infraction to smoke in a vehicle if someone under age 18 is present. But the traffic stop would have to be made for another offense, such as speeding or an illegal turn, before the driver could be cited for smoking. The ban, which takes effect Jan. 1, joins a string of...

Army records first UAV kills. When Army scouts in Iraq spotted two men planting a roadside bomb Sept. 1, they called in a nearby Hunter unmanned aircraft, which dropped a laser-guided bomb and killed the two men. "We had the first confirmed use of an Army weaponized UAV," said Col. Don Hazelwood, project manager for Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. The Army is mounting precision-guided weapons on hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hazelwood said. The MQ-5B Hunter will carry the laser-guided GBU-44/B Viper Strike, a 42-pound glide bomb with a one-yard wingspan that...

BAGHDAD (AP) - A fatal attack launched two days ago against the sprawling headquarters base of the American military in Iraq was carried out with a 240 mm rocket—a type of weapon provided to Shiite extremists by Iran, a U.S. general said Thursday. One person was killed and 11 were wounded during the "indirect fire" attack Tuesday against Camp Victory, which includes the headquarters of Multinational Forces-Iraq. The attack was overshadowed by congressional appearances by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker in Washington. But such an attack with a sophisticated weapon against a nearly impregnable compound—far less vulnerable than...

News Crew Catch Attempted Burning of American Flag

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - A new al-Qaida videotape posted Sunday on a militant Web site featured a short, undated clip of a weary-looking Osama bin Laden praising martyrdom. The bin Laden clip, which lasted less than a minute, was part of a 40- minute video featuring purported al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan paying tribute to fellow militants who have been killed in the country. It was posted by the group's media production wing. Bin Laden glorified those who die in the name of jihad, or holy war, saying even the Prophet Muhammad "had been wishing to be a martyr." "The happy...

6/21/07 -- OKC, OK - If you were expecting a delivery from Lowe's last night and it didn't show up, we may know why. It seems "Joe the delivery guy" was caught on tape procuring a street prostitute and then engaging in a lewd act in the back of his delivery van. And, as usual, a call to OCPD can often result in the caller being made to feel like the criminal - A responding police supervisor (an obvious subscriber to Bill Clinton's definition of 'sex') questioned the video evidence and made false statements regarding the law (it's pretty bad...

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - A man seen on surveillance video leaving a store shortly before a teenager was abducted in the parking lot has been arrested, hours after her body was found in a park, authorities said. Edwin R. Hall, 26, was expected to be charged Thursday morning with premeditated first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, Overland Park Police Chief John Douglass said. Kelsey Smith, 18, had been missing since Saturday night, when she went to a Target store in this Kansas City suburb to buy a gift for her boyfriend. Surveillance video showed her being forced into her car...

Video speaks for itself

DHS Wants Cell Phones to Detect Chemical, Radioactive Material By Rob Margetta, CQ Staff American cell phones can already check e-mail, surf the Internet and store music, but they could have a new set of features in coming years: the Department of Homeland Security wants them to sense biological, chemical and radioactive material. Putting hazardous material sensors in commercial cell phones has been discussed in scientific circles for years, according to researchers in the field. More recently, the idea gained support among government agencies, and DHS said publicly in May that it wants businesses to start coming up with proposals....