Free Republic

Ben Stein—lawyer, Nixon speechwriter, and erstwhile actor known for his turn as Ferris Bueller’s economics teacher—stopped by Fox News on Sunday with some choice words for the Obama administration. “This president is the most racist president there has ever been in America,” he told Fox News. Most racist? Plenty past presidents could challenge Obama for that title. Here are some strong contenders: you be the judge.

It was late on a June night when an intruder awoke 19-year-old Nicole Franco as she lay beneath the covers in her bed. The burglar stabbed the aspiring chef with one of her own knives and watched her call 911 before fleeing with her wallet.. Those are some of the details Broward Sheriff's detectives described Monday as part of their five-month investigation into the killing of Franco, who had worked at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.

OKEMOS, Mich. - A Michigan woman who wanted home-brewed Starbucks coffee will accept $250 to end a lawsuit over the company's decision to stop making discs for a specific single-serve coffee machine -- the one that she happened to own. Pam Montgomery of Okemos said she bought a Tassimo brewer by Kraft Foods because Starbucks supplied coffee discs for it. But Starbucks ended its deal with Kraft and came up with its own machine. It also makes discs/pods for Keurig machines.

Republican Charlie Baker has climbed to a 3-point lead over Democrat Martha Coakley in the race for governor, while a push to repeal casinos in Massachusetts appears to be headed for a lopsided defeat, a new Suffolk University-Boston Herald poll shows. Baker's 46-43 percent lead is well within the poll's margin of error but the GOP nominee holds several key advantages over his Democratic opponent heading into the campaign's final few days, according to the Suffolk-Herald poll of 500 likely voters. Just 6 percent of voters say they are undecided.

Lowe’s LOW -0.45% Cos. is introducing robotic shopping assistants at an Orchard Supply Hardware store in San Jose, Calif., in late November. Lowe’s, which acquired Orchard Supply last year, says this is the first retail robot of its kind in the U.S. The OSHbot will greet customers, ask if they need help and guide them through the store to the product. Besides natural-language-processing technology, the 5-foot tall white robot houses two large rectangular screens—front and back—for video conferences with a store expert and to display in-store specials. The head features a 3-D scanner to help customers identify items. OSHbot speaks...

woman who gave birth to a baby boy in a Salvation Army store bathroom, then placed the child in a trash can, went on trial for murder in Cook County on Tuesday.. Jessica Cruz's public defender acknowledged the woman "may have been reckless in not calling for help" but asserted in his opening statements that the baby was stillborn. "Jessica did not kill this baby, because this baby did not survive the birth," Assistant Public Defender Dan Naranjo said. Cruz is also charged with concealing a homicide.

BUDAPEST—Hungary’s government said Monday it will soften its stance on a proposed tax on Internet access after tens of thousands protested the plan that initially saw a steep levy on every gigabyte of online traffic. After protests in Budapest and other cities in Hungary over the weekend, the administration of Prime Minister Viktor Orban said it filed a new version of its tax proposal, capping the tax at 700 forints ($2.87) a month for each individual subscriber and 5,000 forints for businesses. Internet service providers rather than subscribers are to pay the tax, according to the bill.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) -- Oklahoma State University is suing New Mexico State University over the use of a pistol-packing mascot that it says is "confusingly similar" to the Cowboys' own Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State, which filed suit Monday in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma, wants NMSU to stop using the mascot, sometimes referred to in Las Cruces as "Classic Aggie."

An Elizabeth Warren White House would be a place where men in the media or in Congress wouldn’t be able to criticize her policy or political ideology or they’d risk being slapped as sexist. At least that’s the impression she left after a recent CNN appearance. In the interview, she said, “It’s hard to change these big, male dominated institutions. ... You know, others have said it before me. If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.” A few things are evident from Warren’s statement: First, she continues to push the phony War on...

Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker has a nine point lead over Democratic rival Martha Coakley in the latest Boston Globe/SocialSphere. Nine points.

A 38-year-old Milwaukee woman was charged with homicide Wednesday after she admitted killing her child's father, with whom she had a volatile relationship for at least 10 years, according to court records. The fatal stabbing occurred after the man, 41-year-old Wyland D. Thompson, jumped on the woman during an argument and she broke free, grabbing a large kitchen knife to scare him, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday against Temika S. Marker. When Thompson overpowered her and took the weapon, Marker feared he would cut her, so she ran to the kitchen for another knife. As Thompson came toward...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she's been treated differently in elected office because she's a woman. While campaigning for Democratic Sen. Mark Udall in Colorado, the Massachusetts Democrat answered with a resounding “yes” when asked on CNN if male senators have treated her differently because of her gender. When asked to elaborate, Warren replied “Nope” twice, but did oblige that she didn't find her treatment surprising.

Jennifer Garner delivered a fiery speech about sexism in Hollywood in which she noted how she and husband Ben Affleck are treated differently by the media. While being honored at Elle's 21st annual Women in Hollywood event Monday night, the "Daredevil" actress lamented the need for having an event dedicated to celebrating female actresses.

When it comes to getting news about politics and government, liberals and conservatives inhabit different worlds. There is little overlap in the news sources they turn to and trust. And whether discussing politics online or with friends, they are more likely than others to interact with like-minded individuals, according to a new Pew Research Center study.

(CNN) -- Ben Bradlee, the zestful, charismatic Washington Post editor who guided the paper through the era of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate and was immortalized on screen in "All the President's Men," has died. He was 93. Bradlee began end-of-life care at his home last month after suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia for several years. He was the executive editor of The Washington Post from 1968 to 1991, during which time the paper covered the downfall of President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal.

Two men were arrested Monday after a 22-year-old Coral Springs man was shot at a shopping center, drove himself home, was flown to a hospital and died in surgery, police said.. Robert Jean Morris, 23, of Pompano Beach, was charged with second-degree murder, possessing a firearm with the serial number removed, and engaging in a criminal offense with a weapon. Roderick Cortise Dalton, 20, of Kissimmee, was charged as an accessory to second-degree murder.

A Chicago man was shot dead by police during a Saturday robbery in Indianapolis, and two of his accomplices will face numerous charges, officials said.. Police shot Terrell Lucas, 22, during a robbery Saturday night at a GameStop store on South East Street in Indianapolis, police said.

On Wednesday, police filed a murder complaint with prosecutors against Pemberton, who allegedly checked into a motel last Saturday with Laude after meeting her in a bar. 
Police say Laude was found with her head resting on the motel room’s toilet bowl, apparently after being drowned, according to news reports. According to reports, police suspect Pemberton may have been angered when he discovered in the motel room that Laude was transgender.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- A new study suggests the New York City Police Department's stop and frisk practice may be leading to elevated levels of anxiety among young men in the city, especially young black men. The policy allows police to stop pedestrians and search them for drugs or weapons.