Free Republic

An everyday fourth-grade reading class in New Jersey was interrupted on Monday by a real-life fairy tale ending. Ten-year-old Celine Gonzalez and her school-mates were working on a class assignment when her dad made a surprise visit, having just returned from a seven-month posting in Afghanistan. Celine’s eyes grew wide, her jaw dropped and she began to cry...

A kitten born with his legs back to front and abandoned by its owners has been given a new lease of life after pioneering surgery. Corky was found by little boy dragging himself along a pavement in Fargo, North Dakota, and was brought into an animal pound, where he was due to be put down. But Gail Ventzke and Carol Stefonek, co-founders and directors of CATS Cradle Shelter, heard about the brave moggy and were intent on saving his life. Seven-month-old Corky suffers from a congenital deformity called 'Bilateral Arthrogryposis', meaning his back legs were the wrong way round, and...

FULL TITLE: 'It's reprehensible': White House condemns photos of U.S. soldiers posing with bodies of suicide bombers in Afghanistan Excerpted Article: The White House says the conduct depicted in photos that purport to show U.S. troops posing with the bodies of dead insurgents in Afghanistan is 'reprehensible' ... ---- White House spokesman Jay Carney says the conduct does not represent the standards of the U.S. military and added the president believes the situation needs to be investigated and those responsible should be held accountable. --- The photographs show a number of paratroopers smiling as they pose with Afghan police next...

A special prosecutor promised "new information regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting death investigation" within 72 hours, prompting speculation that the alleged shooter, George Zimmerman, could be charged soon. The announcement that the prosecutor, State Attorney Angela Corey, would soon hold a news conference came just hours after Zimmerman's lawyers said they would no longer represent him. Corey said Monday that she will not present the case to a grand jury; she retains the power to decide herself whether to press charges against Zimmerman in the shooting. Zimmerman's lawyers Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig said today they were withdrawing from the...

If you want a true blessing on this, the most sacred of days, listen to this rendition of He's Alive. The most amazing part of the production of this song was that it was performed Live on National T.V. in 1989 during the Country Music Awards and what a blessing it was (and is). Whatever happens to us as a Nation, we must remember that this is truly what it is all about. I hope this blesses you as much as it has me. He's Alive! He's Alive! He's Alive and I'm Forgiven! (as I so desperately need His forgiveness)...

(AP) SANFORD, Fla. - An elderly couple has reached a settlement with Spike Lee after the pair said they had to leave their Florida home after the director help spread a Twitter posting listing their address as that of the man who shot an unarmed teen. The couple's attorney, Matt Morgan, announced the settlement Thursday. Morgan says Lee called them to apologize ...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- While the rest of us have to wait until June, the justices of the Supreme Court will know the likely outcome of the historic health care case by the time they go home this weekend. After months of anticipation, thousands of pages of briefs and more than six hours of arguments, the justices will vote on the fate of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in under an hour Friday morning. They will meet in...

According to sources in the Memphis, Tennessee area, local FOX 13 insider Joseph Kyles reported from Sanford, Florida that Martin was shot in the back of the head. As the anchor, Greg Coy, tweeted, “This could change invest[igation].” Who is Joseph Kyles? Kyles is a local board member of Rainbow Push, Jessie Jackson’s...

Completely blind in both eyes, Fiona was found covered in filth with her fur matted and flea infested cowering in the corner of a trash dump. The tiny terrified dog had frozen and urinated in fear as she was approached by Eldad and Audrey Hagar. Unknown to the traumatized animal the married couple had come to her rescue. They captured her tragic story and amazing transformation in a heart-wrenching video. The Hagars had scooped up the white dog who was still so frightened she urinated again, and again when they took her to the car...

The attorney counseling George Zimmerman, who shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin as he was walking home from the store with a bag of Skittles, says if charges are filed, Zimmerman will argue that he acted in self-defense and that Florida's stand-your-ground law applies. Attorney Craig Sonner said the public is only hearing part of the story, and when all the facts come out, it will be clear that Zimmerman acted in self defense. A grand jury is scheduled to begin hearing the case April 10. "George Zimmerman suffered a broken nose, and had an injury to the back of...

At 71, former Vice President Dick Cheney was older than average for a heart transplant, but doctors said on Sunday that advances in care have made it possible for older patients to still be good transplant candidates. And not only was he older than the typical patient, but he waited longer than average as well -- 20 months vs six months to a year. Doctors said Cheney must have been...

The Obama administration has approved guidelines that allow counterterrorism officials to lengthen the period of time they retain information about U.S. residents, even if they have no known connection to terrorism. The changes allow the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), the intelligence community’s clearinghouse for terrorism data, to keep information for up to five years. Previously, the center was required to promptly destroy — generally within 180 days — any information about U.S. citizens or residents unless a connection to terrorism was evident. The new guidelines, which were approved Thursday by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.,...

David Brock is so outraged at Rush Limbaugh’s words of three weeks ago that he started organizing a protest — almost 3 years ago. It was planned ahead and activated at the first moment Brock could manipulate a media frenzy. Make no mistake, Brock’s “marketplace of ideas” offers only one brand: Brand Brock. All others will be forced off the shelves with intimidation and lies. Media Matters for America stands for censorship, and nothing more than that. Their ginned-up election year anger is directed at the words of their media political opposition — similar expressions are ignored when used by...

Two radio stations have dropped The Rush Limbaugh Show from their schedules following the firestorm surrounding his offensive attack on law student Sandra Fluke on his show last week. KPUA in Hilo, Hawaii, and WBEC in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, announced today that they would no longer carry the show after the right-wing radio host called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a ‘slut’ and ‘prostitute’ over her support of President Barack Obama’s new contraception plan. Limbaugh made a rare public apology on Saturday in the wake of the uproar caused by his comments, which led to several advertisers pulling out of the...

The Tea Party hit its stride in the summer of 2009 when concerned citizens showed up to town halls across the United States to protest the healthcare takeover law being considered in Congress. The people rightly felt that the bill’s labyrinthine and onerous regulations were corrupt and designed to increase the power of the government, line the pockets of shortsighted insurance companies, and squeeze as much blood from the country’s taxpayer turnip as possible. --------------- President Obama’s new medical proposal seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget and $12.9 billion by 2017,...

A furious mob has desecrated dozens of Commonwealth War Graves in a Libyan cemetery amid continuing fury in the Middle East over the burning of the Koran by U.S. soldiers. Headstones commemorating British and Allied servicemen, killed during World War II campaigns in the Western Desert, lay smashed and strewn across Benghazi Military Cemetery. Protesters rampaged through site on Friday, despite efforts by America to calm tensions sparked when it emerged U.S. soldiers had burned Muslim holy books in a pile of rubbish at a military base in Afghanistan. President Obama has apologised to President Karzai...

The Obama Vacation List – President’s Day 2012, Michelle and the first daughters in Aspen, Colorado to ski. ... – Christmas 2011, the first family in Hawaii for an extended vacation. – Summer 2011, in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., for the annual beach break. – June 2011, the first lady, her mother and daughters traveled to South Africa and Botswana. – President’s Day 2011, the first lady and first daughters travel to Vail to ski. – Christmas 2010, in Hawaii. – August 2010, the first family traveled to Panama City Beach, Fla., for some sun and fun at the beach. –...

For Whitney Houston and her family, God was always paramount. That's likely why her mother, Cissy Houston, eschewed a big, public memorial at New Jersey's Prudential Center for a private, invitation-only funeral on Saturday in the Newark church that launched her daughter's career. Newark Mayor Cory Booker confirmed Tuesday that the family has no "plans to set up a public viewing at the Prudential Center this Friday" despite reports to the contrary. He also said that the city won't be...

With hundreds of women brandishing deadly weapons while performing back flips and gravity-defying stunts, these incredible images look like a scene out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But this is not the latest martial art film but in fact footage of female pupils practicing their moves at a tiny Ninjutsu club in Iran where the specialist form of martial art has become increasingly popular. The school opened in 1989 but now has 3,500 women in training to become kunoichi - female ninjas.

Perry hits it out of the park and will hit it out of the park if elected.