Free Republic

ATHENS—Greece's fiscal crisis took a new turn to violence Wednesday when three people died in a firebomb attack amid a paralyzing national strike, while governments from Spain to the U.S. took steps to prevent the widening financial damage from hitting their own economies. U.S. Treasury officials have been quietly urging their European and International Monetary Fund counterparts to put together a Greek rescue plan more quickly to contain the damage, it emerged Wednesday, as U.S. policy makers worry the continent's problems could undermine a U.S. recovery much as U.S. housing woes hammered Europe in 2008. In Spain, rival political leaders...

TALK OF HILLARY EXIT ENGULFS CAMPAIGNS Mon Jan 07 2008 09:46:28 ET Facing a double-digit defeat in New Hampshire, a sudden collapse in national polls and an expected fund-raising drought, Senator Hillary Clinton is preparing for a tough decision: Does she get out of the race? And when?! "She can't take multiple double-digit losses in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada," laments one top campaign insider. "If she gets too badly embarrassed, it will really harm her. She doesn't want the Clinton brand to be damaged with back-to-back-to-back defeats." Meanwhile, Democrat hopeful John Edwards has confided to senior staff that...

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (May 4, 2006) -- What if everything that could possibly go wrong in one day did? What if victims were drowning in New River, flames were engulfing the Station flightline, unknown chemicals were floating in the air and Marines were laying in the middle of it all, injured from the various incidents? Not to mention the military police district is in a shoot out at the same time with terrorists who are holding a hostage at Station operations and making ridiculous demands. So, if all of this were to happen in one day...

VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) - A fire tore through a warehouse on Mare Island on Wednesday, threatening millions of dollars worth of vintage wines and other goods. The fire at the 240,000-square-foot facility started at about 3:40 p.m. at Wine Central Services, which stores wine for Bay Area wineries. About 80 firefighters were battling the blaze into the night and hoped to have the fire contained by Thursday morning. Three employees were safely evacuated from the building and there were no reports of injuries. "This is a classic type of fire where firefighters could really get hurt," Vallejo Fire Chief Don...

<p>On top of budget cuts, Sacramento County government now faces a "brain drain" as an unprecedented number of longtime employees decide to say goodbye to working and hello to fatter pensions.</p> <p>Changes that took effect Friday significantly increase retirement benefits for county workers, similar to raises given to state and other local public workers. A recent report on employees over age 50 with at least 25 years of service estimated as many as 900 -- roughly three times the annual average -- will leave in the fiscal year that started Tuesday.</p>