Free Republic

As Mexico hunkers down, 2 cases found in Kansas and 8 likely in NYC Worries that the new swine flu strain that has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico has “pandemic potential” increased with the announcement that the virus has spread to Kansas and likely to New York City. On Saturday, two new cases were confirmed in Kansas — the first U.S. cases outside of California or Texas. And New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden said tests showed that eight New York schoolchildren had a type A influenza virus that was...

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirms two cases of swine flu in Kansas. A news conference is scheduled for 4:15 Saturday afternoon at the Curtis State Office Building in Topeka.

It's been said that conservatism has different meanings for different people. It may not be textbook, but without a whole lot of navel gazing, here's what it means to me and what Free Republic is all about: In a word, Freedom! In two words, Preserving Freedom. In a handful of words as stated by our Founding Fathers, to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity! America was founded on the proposition that all men are created equal by God and that our unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are granted directly by God...

Do not believe the nattering nabobs of negativity. The Nationwide Tax Day TEA Party/Tax Revolt was a huge success!! What we need now is MORE and LOUDER!! Obama has no clue. Being confronted by millions of fed-up citizens is new to him. He never expected the otherwise docile American people to rise up against his wannabe Marxist/fascist totalitarian regime. He's now lashing out at us through the Dept of Homeland Security as if We the People are his enemy. Well, we are! And he now knows it. And he's scared witless!! And the media has been reduced to the speechless,...

Congratulations FReepers and Patriots! According to Henchster's ongoing tallies, we've surpassed 750,000 participants in our nationwide Tax Day TEA Party/Tax Revolt! Woo hoo!! All 50 states fully engaged! Over 600 cities represented and reports still coming in! Huge turnout, huge SUCCESS!! Elected officials take note: DO NOT TREAD ON ME!! Tyranny, usurpation, corruption, overreaching, big spending, high taxing will no longer be tolerated! We the people are FED-UP and we're not going to take it anymore! Ignore us at your own peril! All Congressional seats, all elected offices throughout the land at risk! Revolution is in the air!!

Residents of a northeast Kansas town are mourning the deaths just hours apart of an elderly couple who were married 67 years. Arnita Yingling died in her sleep early Saturday at the family's home in Troy. She was 93. Six hours later her 95-year-old husband, Lyle, died at a nursing home in the nearby town of Wathena.

If the Obama administration has taken flak for suggesting that conservative groups might be home to domestic terrorists, it looks like some House Democrat leaders are willing to go even further: But in an interview on Fox TV in San Francisco, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) chalked up the GOP grass-roots effort as “AstroTurf.” “This initiative is funded by the high end; we call it AstroTurf, it's not really a grass-roots movement. It's AstroTurf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class,” Pelosi said....

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Thousands of tax protesters, fed up with what they call runaway spending in Washington, gathered across Kansas City and across the country on Wednesday. Courtesy: Bev Chapman 200 people turn out for tax protest in Lee's Summit More In Lee's Summit, nearly 300 people turned out for a "tea party" on the steps at City Hall to express their frustration at how their tax dollars are being spent. About 3,000 people also attended a tax protest at Liberty Memorial Wednesday afternoon. About 10,000 people attended another protest at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park Wednesday...

After the 2010 census has been held, the number of seats held by each state in the U.S. House of Representatives will change. The National Conference of State Legislatures recently estimated what the 2010 reapportionment will mean for each state. Eight states are expected to lose one seat each, in the U.S. House and in the Electoral College. They are Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. States that will gain will be Texas (3 seats), and one each for Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Utah. If the bill now pending in Congress to expand the...

From the email I received today... "Just a quick note to remind everyone to get your taxes postmarked by Wednesday. April 15th has the dubious distinction of being the day that reminds everyone why small, limited government is the best way to go. I'm going to be spending Tax Day traveling across Kansas to attend Tea Parties in Junction City, Wichita and Topeka. These meetings will help draw attention to the irresponsible tax-and-spend policies contained in the stimulus package and the budget packages passed by the House and Senate. A bad precedent was set with the astronomical bailouts, and the...

We cheer the reddest. We corn the hardest. And, apparently, we grin the widest. Because Nebraska is the happiest state in the U.S., a new study says. The survey — conducted by personal finance Web site MainStreet.com — ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from fiscally happiest to saddest based on a few factors of economic well-being. These included foreclosure numbers, unemployment rates and the ratio of average debt to average annual income. “It reflects the attitude of this state,” said Gov. Dave Heineman. “We are a positive people with a can-do attitude who are focused on...

Are you ready for a FReepathon!!? Well, it's a new quarter and a new president and he's everything we knew he would be. In less than 90 days he's managed to take an economic downturn and turn it into an unmitigated disaster for good old American capitalism. Never let a good crisis go to waste! The government is now printing money as fast as they can run the presses. Our federal budget is doubling and tripling and the Fed is running with no controls or oversight whatsoever from the congress, pumping trillions more into the "economy." The government now spends...

A few weeks ago, I saw a petition that invited people to support the rights of those who are concealed carry permit holders to carry their concealed firearm on campus. Recently, there have been several mass shootings — all in gun-free zones. Obviously, some murderers do not care about the law and seem attracted to areas where citizens are stripped of the right to defend themselves, like colleges. This issue is a hot-button topic for the government, as well as individual citizens. The Texas legislature voted Monday on an updated campus carry law. The amendment, which would allow universities to...

Senate confirmation of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head the Department of Health and Human Services probably won’t take place until after the coming two-week recess because at least one senator has objected to an expedited procedure to move the nomination. “I’m afraid there’s a senator who will not grant consent so that means it has to be delayed until after the recess,” Finance Chairman Max Baucus , D-Mont., said Thursday. Baucus would not name the senator other than to say he or she is a Republican. -snip- The Obama administration appears to have dodged a Senate battle over abortion...

Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes after finding "unintentional errors" -- the latest tax troubles for an Obama administration nominee. The Kansas governor explained the changes to senators in a letter dated Tuesday that the administration released. She said they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses. Sebelius said she filed the amended returns as soon as the errors were discovered by an accountant she hired to scrub her taxes in preparation for her confirmation hearings. She and her husband,...

Preston will most probably be the state record holder for the weekend's snowfall with 30 inches reported, says state climatologist Mary Knapp. But it won't be official until the end of April. Knapp is still checking her numbers and is busy conferring with the National Weather Service, as well as searching through weather data to aid in the confirmation. "We still are waiting for reports from stations that might not have gotten through yet," she said. However, by the end of April, they should have it settled. When it comes to snowfall, "people will be arguing forever on what the...

"Our initial reaction was that the reprint illustrated the reliance on force-fed rote memorization of yesteryear. On further reflection, most of the questions are still appropriate. They stress a broadness of education, which seems largely lacking today. Enjoy testing yourself; the questions are tough for 8th graders or adults!"

[Full Title:] Kansas Governor Signs Bill Ensuring Those Seeking Abortions Can See Ultrasound First Friday, March 27, 2009 TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signs a bill ensuring that women and girls seeking abortions can see ultrasound images before the procedure.

Wichita, KS -- Infamous late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller has been found not guilty of violating Kansas laws requiring a second physician to independently verify that the abortions are supposedly medically necessary. Tiller had relied on an employee to justify the late-term abortions.

TOPEKA - A proposed state constitutional amendment favored by gun rights advocates Tuesday targets a century-old court case originating out of Salina. The Kansas Senate voted 39-1 in favor of a resolution that would clarify that individuals have a right to keep and bear firearms under the Kansas Constitution. The House is scheduled to debate the proposal today. Should that chamber also pass the proposed amendment with at least a two-thirds majority, a simple majority of Kansas voters could approve the change in the November 2010 general election. The proposal springs from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that...

Corporate Credit Unions taken over by regulator - YIKES. I cannot get through to the URL right now, just announced on TV

Differences between Moran and Tiahrt Several readers have been wondering about how the current race for U.S. Senate will shake out. What separates these candidates? There are few policy differences between Congressmen Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt - both of whom are fiscal and social conservatives. After listening to several GOP operatives across Kansas, this is what SRK is hearing about the differences between Moran and Tiahrt. Tiahrt - More of a Fighter Todd Tiahrt is labeling himself as a proven fighter against Obama, Sebelius and Pelosi. His official office has released numerous press releases highlighting his firm opposition to...

Saying the federal government has taken too much control over Kansas affairs, some key state senators and a minor political party are supporting a resolution to affirm the state's sovereignty.Senate Concurrent Resolution 1609 by Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook, R-Shawnee, calls on the federal government to "cease and desist" from withholding federal funds or otherwise penalizing states that don't comply with federal mandates.The resolution cites the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reserves to the states powers that aren't specifically granted to the federal government.Pilcher Cook said she was not yet ready to discuss the resolution with the media.But the...

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius yesterday accepted President Obama's request to become his secretary of health and human services, stepping into a central role in the new administration's ambitious effort to overhaul the nation's health-care system.

WASHINGTON – Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is President Barack Obama's choice for secretary of health and human services, a White House source said Saturday. The source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said Obama will formally announce the nomination on Monday. Sebelius, 60, was an early Obama supporter. She picked his presidential campaign over that of Hillary Rodham Clinton, now the secretary of state. Sebelius worked tirelessly for Obama's bid and was a top surrogate to women's groups.

Good crowd at Wichita Kansas Tea Party

Natural causes ruling in KC changed to homicide Eds: APNewsNow. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Kansas City police and medical examiners who first believed a man died of natural causes now say he's a homicide victim, after three bullet holes were discovered in his body. The Kansas City Star reported Thursday that the wounds -- two of them in Anthony Crockett's head -- were noticed by funeral home workers after the man's body was embalmed Friday. After the 49-year-old's body was sent to the medical examiner, the death was ruled a homicide. Detectives and Jackson County medical examiners never visited...

The case against Wichita abortion provider George Tiller will go to trial, a Sedgwick County judge ruled today. District Court Judge Clark Owens denied a motion from Tiller’s lawyers to dismiss the charges against him based on the actions of prosecutors Phill Kline and Paul Morrison.

Holding signs reading "Stimulate Business, Not Government," "Families Against Porkulus" and "Say No To Generational Theft," protesters opposed to the $787 billion stimulus package have been mobilizing across the country. It started last Monday in Seattle, then moved Tuesday to Denver, where President Obama signed the stimulus bill into law. That was followed by another one in Mesa, Ariz., where Obama unveiled a mortgage rescue plan. Another protest was planned for Saturday outside the office of Rep. Dennis Moore in Overland Park, Kan. The Democrat voted for the stimulus. His office didn't return calls seeking comment. A New Populism? As...

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius called a news conference for this afternoon to address the financial gridlock of state government. State employee paychecks and state tax returns have been placed in jeopardy by an unprecedented showdown between the Democratic governor and Republican leaders of the House and Senate.

Politically speaking, I find that Republicans are far more likable when they behave like Republicans.And when they actually take principled stands on issues that will almost certainly prove unpopular with large segments of the population, they’re downright adorable.There aren’t a whole hell of a lot of Republicans here in New York – and I am including those who actually have “R”s after their names – which is why it behooves many of us Empire Staters who wish to find principled Republicans to look southward and westward into the vast expanse of “flyover” country – where the soul of America...

Banks got lambasted for their corporate jets after receiving government money. Congress and the public scourged auto executives for flying their private planes to Washington to beg for cash. Now, Wichita, Kan.-based planemakers Cessna Aircraft Co. and Hawker Beechcraft Corp. are launching marketing campaigns to convince executives not to let their wings be clipped. "Timidity didn't get you this far," the Cessna ad reads, adding that "true visionaries will continue to fly." Support needs to be given to businesses that have the "good judgment and courage" to use corporate planes not only to survive the recession but also to find...

State tax refunds, Medicaid reimbursements and payments to local schools are all on hold because of a political showdown between Kansas legislative leaders and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. The Kansas Finance Council was to meet at 1 p.m. today to vote on whether to borrow $225 million from healthy state funds to cover expected payments to schools, state workers and taxpayers. The state did the same thing last December when it ran into a cash-flow problem.

Abortion clinics would be required to let women see a free sonogram of their fetus under legislation pending before Kansas lawmakers. The measure is one of at least four abortion-related bills now before the Kansas House. While it may be overshadowed by state budget deficits this year, abortion remains a potent and perennial subject in the Statehouse. The proposed Woman’s Right to Know and See Act would require abortion clinics to offer more information — in pamphlets and videos — regarding stages of fetal development. It also would force abortion providers to offer women the option of viewing a free...

TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas is suspending income tax refunds and may not be able to pay its employees on time. The state is strapped for cash in its main bank account. Republican legislative leaders blocked an effort by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to transfer funds into the account.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposed ban on smoking in most public places will be debated Monday in the Senate, and the chamber's top two leaders said Friday that the bill's chances for passage are good. "If there are no substantive amendments, I would assume it would pass," said Senate President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican. Senate Vice President John Vratil agreed, but cautioned that opponents will try to load it up with amendments.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ALL AMERICANS - THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Good information to pass on to the sleeping public. It is preaching to the choir for most of you. Redistribute to the sleepers. 9+ States have now declared sovereignty... Add Washington to the list. In case you didn’t hear about it on the mainstream media (which you haven’t because they want to keep us asleep), numerous states are currently declaring or have already declared sovereignty, including: Washington http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2009&bill=4009 New Hampshire http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2009/HCR0006.html Arizona http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/1r/bills/hcr2024p.htm Montana http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billhtml/HB0246.htm Michigan http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2009-HCR-0004 Missouri http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills091/bills/HR212.HTM Oklahoma http://axiomamuse.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/state-legislator-charles-key-wants-to-limit-federal-power California http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/93-94/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sjr_44_bill_940829_chaptered Georgia http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/1995_96/leg/fulltext/sr308.htm Possibly: Colorado, Hawaii, Pennsylvania,...

It flew fast like a jet, made a whirling sound and left an odd glow. That's how an amateur photographer described a flying machine he spotted in the skies near Rose Hill on Friday. The UFO world is now paying attention to his photograph. On Monday, the photo appeared under the headline "Weird Object in Wichita," on UFO Digest, a Canadian Web site. The object looks like some kind of new-technology fighter jet, possibly a prototype, said UFO Digest editor and publisher Dirk Vander Ploeg. Jarrod Bartlett, spokesman for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems-Wichita, said in an e-mail that he checked...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Kathleen Sebelius, the pro-abortion governor of Kansas who has been criticized for supporting late-term abortions, is now seen as the most likely pick for Health Secretary. Should President Barack Obama select her, it would add to his growing pro-abortion record as president. Obama must find a new Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department because his previous selection, pro-abortion former Sen. Tom Daschle, removed his name from consideration after a scandal over his not paying taxes properly. Pro-life groups complained about the Daschle nomination because the senator backed abortion and could craft a federal health...

In this show I interview Jim McBride, executive producer of the #1 inspirational movie in the nation, "Fireproof". Next, we play an excerpt from the Sgt. Freedom Campaign. Lasty, we interview Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen Project. We also play "letters to liberals". We invite you to listen and comment on the show.

Manhattan Kansas - Center of Hoof and Mouth Research? Should This Dangerous Disease Stay Where it Is? By W Thomas Payne

A small-town mayor who shot two dogs dead after months of complaints about aggressive dogs turned himself in Wednesday to face criminal charges but said he was just protecting his community.

He rolls into the parking lot of Leon’s Thriftway in an old, maroon Impala with a trunk full of frozen meat. Raccoon — the other dark meat. In five minutes, Montrose, Mo., trapper Larry Brownsberger is sold out in the lot at 39th Street and Kensington Avenue. Word has gotten around about how clean his frozen raccoon carcasses are. How nicely they’re tucked up in their brown butcher paper. How they almost look like a trussed turkey … or something. His loyal customers beam as they leave, thinking about the meal they’ll soon be eating. That is, as soon as...

WASHINGTON – The government has recommended a site in Kansas for a new $450 million laboratory to study biological threats such as anthrax and foot-and-mouth disease, officials said Wednesday.

MONDAY & TUESDAY:  RALLIES SUPPORTING McCAIN/PALIN CAMPAIGN TAKE PLACE IN KANSAS & MISSOURIThe national cross-country "Stop Obama Tour" will blitz through Kansas & Missouri with rallies supporting the McCain/Palin campaign and opposing the Obama/Biden ticket.We need supporters to turn out - spread the word - and help us rally support for the McCain/Palin ticket in these critical days leading up to the election.Times of rallies are listed below.  Again - please help us get the word out, and also feel free to caravan along with our tour bus from event to event, we'd love to have you come along...

Please join us at an open house for Cheryl Reynolds Candidate for the House of Representatives District 57 Sunday, October 19th 6:30-8:30 (come anytime) Come for an informal gathering of neighbors and supporters with the intent of visiting with Cheryl about concerns that you have for the district and the state. Coffee, tea, and an assortment of desserts will be served. Home of Doug and Dorothy Iliff 2201 NE 31st Questions? Dorothy Iliff 357-1854

GREAT BEND, Kan. — A Kansas man whose girlfriend was physically stuck to the toilet in their home wins $20,000 in the state Lottery — for the second time this year.

WICHITA, Kansas, September 31, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A life-threatening abortion complication landed a patient of late-term abortionist George R. Tiller in the hospital last Thursday. The woman has come forward to tell of her harrowing, near-death experience at Tiller's Women's Health Care Services (WHCS). Patient S. has alleged that on Tuesday, September 23, abortionist Shelley Sella may have botched an injection into her abdomen, causing sepsis, a systemic infection that rapidly spreads throughout the body and can cause rapid death. She also accuses Sella of misdiagnosing her pregnancy at 19 weeks, even though previous medical examinations placed her pregnancy at...

. Camping World RV 400 Sunday 2:00 pm on ABC from Kansas Speedway SPEED Pre-race show at 11:00 EasternABC Pre-race show at 1:00 Eastern Green Flag 2:15 Please give your support to the FR Canteen - Dedicated to our troops, veterans, and their families: The FR Canteen God Bless Our Troops Please pray on this day, and every day, for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world in defense of our liberty, and for the families awaiting their safe return.

Members and alumni of The Young Conservatives of Texas were pleased to read in today’s Daily Kansan that students at Kansas University are forming The Young Conservatives of Kansas. {Jack Hutsey, Wichita junior, officially founded the Young Conservatives of the University of Kansas on Sept. 4, a week before the group’s first public outreach effort. “Right now, the conservative voice is just a whisper on campus,” Hutsey said. “We just want the liberals to know that we’re going to raise our voice. They can have demonstrations and rallies, and so can we. It’ll take time, obviously, but we’ll have small...