Free Republic

Illinois is on the verge of becoming the first state to create a private college scholarship fund for the children of undocumented immigrants. The Illinois House, which on Thursday passed a state version of the DREAM Act by a 61-53 vote, sent a bill to Gov. Pat Quinn that would set up a state fund that would route privately funded college scholarships to as many as 95,000 children of undocumented immigrants. The children would be able to obtain private college scholarships and enroll in state savings programs. The measure, which Quinn, a Democrat, has said he plans to sign, had...

Durham, N.C. — Healthier food might soon be coming to a corner store near you, thanks to an initiative by local, state and federal governments to bring better eating options to areas without grocery stores. Those who live along Angier Avenue in east Durham can buy food, but most of it is not very healthy. A mini mart sells candy and snacks, and a diner features a one-pound hot dog. The federal government calls places like this "food deserts." "All the grocery stores have left, and all that people have access to is what's in a convenience store," said Sheree...

Eight young illegal immigrants were arrested for sitting in the middle of a busy street in front of the Georgia Capitol, protesting their lack of access to higher education.

The Obama administration is trying to jump-start its sputtering plan to tackle the foreclosure crisis with an effort to assist up to 1.5 million homeowners who owe more on their properties than their homes are worth. The Federal Housing Administration will allow lenders to give these "under water" borrowers refinanced loans if the lender agrees to forgive at least 10 percent of the original mortgage amount. The plan, which was announced in March, is being made available starting Tuesday. The FHA said in a document published last month that between 500,000 and 1.5 million homeowners are projected to be helped....

WASHINGTON — Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how — and when — the sweeping measure will affect them. Questions reflecting confusion have flooded insurance companies, doctors' offices, human resources departments and business groups. "They're saying, 'Where do we get the free Obama care, and how do I sign up for that?' " said Carrie McLean, a licensed agent for eHealthInsurance.com. The California-based company sells coverage from 185 health insurance carriers in 50 states. McLean said the call center had been inundated by uninsured consumers who were...

WASHINGTON — Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how — and when — the sweeping measure will affect them. Questions reflecting confusion have flooded insurance companies, doctors' offices, human resources departments and business groups. "They're saying, 'Where do we get the free Obama care, and how do I sign up for that?' " said Carrie McLean, a licensed agent for eHealthInsurance.com. The California-based company sells coverage from 185 health insurance carriers in 50 states. McLean said the call center had been inundated by uninsured consumers who were...

Four of every five adults believe access to the Internet is a fundamental right, and more than half believe it should never be regulated, according to a new survey. In a BBC World Service poll of 27,000 adults in 26 countries, 78 percent of Internet users believed the Internet is a fundamental right--with particularly strong response in South Korea and China. Nine in 10 adults said the Internet was a good place to learn.

Thirty-seven children have been killed in a stampede at a temple in India. The youngsters' bodies, together with those of 27 women, have been recovered by police in Kunda, Uttar Pradesh. A stampede broke out as thousands of people jostled each other to get free clothes and utensils being distributed during a religious ceremony. An under-construction gate collapsed on the crowd as people surged forward towards a local holy man, police said.

SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers. I received a notice from a local tea party group here in CT about this new government giveaway. This a is a free cell phone along with 64 minutes (varies from state to state) that the government gives recipients to certian programs. Here is an excerpt from their website:Lifeline Assistance is part of a program that was created by the government to provide discounted or free telephone service to income-eligible consumers. To help bring you this important benefit, SafeLink Wireless...

"This is Ludacris, and I'm giving away 20 free cars. ..." The famous rapper was pulling an Oprah in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. In the parking lot, the crowd was dancing. But the bass of Ludacris' latest single blasting from the dealership's loudspeakers was secondary inspiration for one Atlanta grandmother. "Lord Jesus. ... He brought this car to me, baby!" she shouted, arms raised. "This is God's work!"

Yes, I am thankful for God, and America and those who defend us, but I'm also thankful for free computer stuff. You don't need to buy an anti-virus program, spyware remover, or other useful utilities. You can get them all free, and legally. My computer's performance was straining under the detritus and remains of various compilers, database engines and SQL servers and other toys I had played with at one time or another. You can get rid of a program, but some of it always sticks to your computer's innards. My computer had indigestion; it needed a purge. So I...

A group of senior and up-and-coming Hispanic conservatives with close ties to leaders of the Republican Party will meet in the coming weeks to work out how to salvage the GOP’s electoral chances with a voting bloc that deserted them on Nov. 4. Like many Republican groups in the aftermath of a crushing election cycle, the Hispanic conservatives plan a political post-mortem to lay bare what the party did wrong and how to fix it.

NPR's Morning Edition featured a very interesting interview with Chairman Barney Frank this morning. In it he asserted that the $25 billion that the Big 3 is now seeking is definitely not enough to keep the companies going, and it will be followed by tens of billions more if the companies come up with a 'plan' that seems promising. Although if you listen to the interview, he gets awfully agitated at the NPR host for trying to hone in on this point: ****************** Steve Inskeep: I want to ask you about something mentioned in that report from an economist from...

This coming Monday, September 29, homeschool parents will be able to pick up a complimentary tall size (12 fl. oz.) cup of Pike Place Roast from Starbucks. This promotion is part of Starbucks “Great Start for Great Teachers” promotion, and is now open to all teachers. HSLDA intervened when we were alerted that homeschool parents were not included in the promotion. We are pleased that Starbucks is recognizing the contribution of homeschool parents by extending their program to us. In order to pick up your free cup of Pike Place Roast you will need to present evidence that you are...

Reader A.F. e-mails the chart of the day. He writes: “Michelle, I work peripherally for the insurance industry and get the industry’s magazine National Underwriter. The May 8 issue contains a cover story titled: “Workers Comp for Illegal Aliens Sparks Debate Among the States.” A box within the text describes which states already provide WC for illegal aliens: “CA, FL, NV, NY, TX and UT expressly include illegal aliens in the WC coverage” —- UTAH??? So you can come to the US, work illegally, complain of headaches caused by a little slip and fall and you can go on drinking...

What did Chamberlain do? What is appeasement? And what happened to John McCain's arms? One of the little election year mini-dramas making the Internet rounds is of MSNBC's Chris Matthews' insistent questioning of talk show host Kevin James over the issue of appeasement. "What did Chamberlain do?" Matthews asks his Hardball guest repeatedly. Mr. James was unable to answer with historical specifics. As it happens, I've met Mr. Matthews, spending an afternoon with him several years ago at his MSNBC office in the company of a friend who was interviewing him for a profile in the Financial Times. The article...

John McCain's Navy Flight Instructor Weighs In International Politics [This is a DumpMcCain.com/SiaNews.com EXCLUSIVE] May 19, 2008 Greetings! I was John McCain's Navy Flight Instructor --- in formation tactics and air-to-air-gunnery. I could write a book about this man. Suffice to state, I shudder (and I'm fearless) at the nightmare thought of this man becoming our next President and Commander in Chief. I am not alone as to this man's former shipmates, instructors and senior officers --- as to who and what this man is really all about. Although politics is really theater and the best performing actor gets to...

A Dallas man died early Wednesday morning when he accidentally jumped to his death off an overpass following a traffic accident, police said. Chalk Hill Road and West Davis Street Richard Mauricio Jr., 19, crashed into another car at Chalk Hill Road and West Davis Street around 2:30 a.m., said Dallas police Senior Cpl. Jerry Monreal. The other driver told police that Mr. Mauricio then got out of the car and ran west on Davis Street. He jumped over a railing and plummeted to his death. Senior Cpl. Monreal said it’s hard to tell that there is such a drop...

Federal immigration officials raided an Iowa meatpacking plant this month... Nearly 400 of the plant's 900 employees were arrested on immigration charges. Do you feel safer? Ever since immigration reform died in Congress last year, the Bush Administration has made a show of stepping up enforcement. But do homeland security officials really have nothing better to do than raid businesses that hire willing workers – especially in states like Iowa, where the jobless rate is 3.5%? These immigrants are obviously responding to a labor shortage for certain jobs. Giving them a legal way to enter the country would free up...