Free Republic

NEW YORK (AP) -- Evgeni Malkin was cleared to stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins after a federal judge denied a demand by his former Russian club that he be yanked from the NHL. Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a Russian Super League team, claims that Malkin is under contract in his native country. The club sought a preliminary injunction that would have banned the forward from playing for the Penguins until the matter is resolved. But the ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska clears the way for Malkin, a star rookie with Penguins, and minor leaguers Andrei Taratukhin of the...

First, let us understand what the Terri Schiavo matter was not about: Despite ideological diatribes from David Corn at The Nation, this was not "an ugly big-government attempt to intervene in a family conflict" designed to appease "religious right crusaders." Despite ranting from Robert Scheer, also at The Nation, this was not "egregious political opportunism and shameless trafficking in human misery," and the citation of dubious polls won't validate Scheer's hope that the majority of Americans want to see a helpless woman starved to death by judicial order. And despite hysteria from the Los Angeles Times, this was not "a...

The Emperor Has No Clothes By: Brian Tracy John Kerry is neither a “war hero” nor a “patriot.” It is about time that someone pointed out that “the emperor has no clothes” and that Americans are being presented with a false choice. If you read the newspapers long enough, a series of facts emerge that appear undeniable and irrefutable. But no one seems to want to “connect the dots” for fear of offending the powers that be in the national media, such as CBS. Here is what we know. First of all, Kerry did not “volunteer” for service in Vietnam....

SACRAMENTO - A devastating flood that damaged thousands of Northern California homes and businesses nearly two decades ago is now weakening the state's already-fragile finances. The state's liability in an 18-year-old Yuba River flood stems from one of a series of court cases that could complicate Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plans when he presents his latest budget outline next month. Taken together, three court decisions put the state on the hook for at least $850 million. Three other pending cases endanger at least another $1.1 billion. All told, an amount equal to about 3 percent of the general fund budget could...

HIS OWN SIGN, HIS OWN PROPERTY Pat Barber is a lawyer who feels strongly about both the First and the Fourth Amendments. Nothing unusual there. But Barber put up a billboard to express his view. The Texas Supreme Court made him take it down. Now he's asking the U.S. Supreme Court to put it back. The facts are clear. Barber lives and practices law in the West Texas town of Colorado City (pop. 4,281). In 1997 he erected the offending billboard on vacant land he owns adjacent to Interstate 20 in Mitchell County. This was no itsy-bitsy roadside sign. It...