Free Republic

"I honestly didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. I was letting him go play,” she told the station. As Dominic was passing by a public pool, lifeguards asked him where his mother was. “They asked me a couple questions, and I got scared so I ran off to the park and then they called the cops,” Dominic said. Police found the boy in the park playground playing with other children. He had a cellphone around his neck that was given to him by his mother, a police affidavit said. Police took the boy home and the mother was arrested...

I was in another thread and somehow my brain decided to come up with a new apt term to describe liberal control freak policies... The 3lbs of grey matter between my ears came up with the term "Feel Good Fascism". I think it encapsulates their ideology quite well. Fat People are bad and drink too much soda, so ban people from buying soda = Feel Good Fascism. Poor People Exist, so you Steal using government power to give help to people who are unable to or unwilling to work = Feel Good Fascism. Liberal policies have two components, One is...

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) - A $3 cup of shave ice is at the center of a dispute in this beach town between street vendors trying to stay in business and town officials who say the vendors cause traffic congestion and increase the potential for accidents. George Manko sells Hawaiian shave ice in a private parking lot for beachgoers in Westerly, where celebrities including Taylor Swift and Conan O'Brien have summer homes. The town recently banned street vendors, except for at festivals and one-time events. Town councilors who supported the ban said they did so because the police chief expressed safety...

HUMANSVILLE, Mo. - If you've ever tried to concentrate on an empty stomach, you know how much of a relief a new federal school lunch program may be for some families. In some low income areas, every student may be able to eat free breakfast and lunch. In Humansville, about 90% of the kids that go through the lunch line are already on free or reduced lunches. But the Community Eligibility Provision may now allow all Humansville students to get free breakfast and lunch. For many in the small town, it's likely a challenge to cover the grocery bill. "A...

The updated standards released by the United States Department of Agriculture, which most schools put in effect over the 2012-13 school year, meant larger, faster changes to lunches nearly across the board. With the changes came news media reports of student complaints and food waste. A USA Today article in September 2012 described protests and boycotts from Kansas to Massachusetts. Those objections to the phase-in of the new standards are supported by the findings of two recent studies. Researchers asked school administrators and food-service providers whether students complained “at first” about the new lunches. Many did (56 percent of elementary...

PICO UNION DISTRICT (CBSLA.com) — As concerns grow over brain injuries in teenagers and their relation to team sports, a landmark program aims to increase sport safety. About 1,200 students at Loyola High School, including non-athlete students, are being given a series of tests, known as baseline concussion tests, designed to measure brain function. The tests involve number tracking, memory and balance. “We just decided that it would be better off to have all of our students have a baseline, so that if they should ever have a concussion, we’ll have something to work with,” head athletic trainer Tim Moscicki...

Sacramento -- Schools in California that have football programs will be forced to limit the number of days and hours young athletes can practice tackling and other full-contact collisions as a way to prevent head injuries, according to a bill signed Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The new law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, restricts full-contact practices to two 90-minute sessions per week during the regular and pre- season, and prohibits tackling during the off-season. "Football is a great sport, but parents want to know if their kids are going to be safe," said Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova),...

After having made her mark on school lunches, you know, replacing mac n’ cheese for quinoa salad thereby leaving kids across the nation hungry and unhappy, first lady Michelle Obama is moving on to bigger and better things, it seems. Via The Washington Free Beacon: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is suggesting major changes to grocery stores to “nudge” Americans to purchase healthier foods when they shop. The agency commissioned an “expert panel” to make recommendations on how to guide the more than 47 million Americans on food stamps into spending their benefits on fruits and vegetables. The group...

American millennials, ages 18-29, are one of the largest, most diverse cohorts in the nation’s history. Fifty-six percent self-identify as Caucasian, 19 percent as Hispanic, 15 percent as African-American or black, six percent as Asian, and four percent as another race. In contrast, 73 percent of their parents’ generation, the Baby Boomers, are white, 10 percent are Hispanic, 11 percent are black, and four percent are Asian. Millennials are also more likely to be members of families who have more recently come to the United States. The Pew Research Center reports that 14 percent of millennials were born outside of...

The First Lady of these United States has declared war on Chick-fil-A. It seems the home of plump juicy breasts and hot buttered buns has run afoul of the new Smart Snacks in School program. The program is a component of Mrs. Obama’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The new government regulations require snack items served in public schools to have less than two hundred calories. That includes vending machines, lunch rooms and other campus food venues. And that’s really bad news for kids at South Carolina’s Socastee High School. They’ve just learned they will no longer be allowed...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is suggesting major changes to grocery stores to “nudge” Americans to purchase healthier foods when they shop.The agency commissioned an “expert panel” to make recommendations on how to guide the more than 47 million Americans on food stamps into spending their benefits on fruits and vegetables.The group released an 80-page report this month presenting their ideas, which include talking shopping carts and a marketing strategy for grocery chains that would feature better store lighting for healthier items.“Most Americans, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants, do not purchase enough whole grains, dark green and...

California's drought is creating a deluge of tattletales, after government officials encouraged residents to snitch on their neighbors for wasting water. The state declared a drought emergency five months ago, but residents have only cut their water usage by about 5 percent, reports The New York Times, cutting back much less than the 20 percent Gov. Jerry Brown asked for in January. And since people aren't heeding the warnings from the state, cities in the state are asking residents to report their neighbors for wasting water, and are finding that people are all too willing to tell on each other....

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Neighbors are tattling on neighbors for wasting water and some are taking their drought shaming to social media. If you’ve ever had the feeling you’re being watched while you water your lawn, there’s a good chance you are during this historic drought. In Sacramento, water wasters can face fines, and the enforcer may be someone who lives right next door. Terrance Davis with the city department of utilities says he’s seeing a trend of drought shaming. “Our water use complaint calls have gone up exponentially from the last 2 years,” he said. Karen Halbo lives in River...

The former Georgetown University law student who gained national attention for being denied a chance to testify in Congress for health plan contraception coverage—and then was subjected to degrading comments by radio host Rush Limbaugh—is hoping to make public policy of her own. Sandra Fluke is running as a first-time candidate for a seat in California’s state Senate to represent some of the most affluent communities of Los Angeles County, a district that stretches from the Hollywood Hills to the Palos Verdes peninsula. In a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, Fluke is campaigning on an agenda that includes subsidized...

In spite of the recent tragedies of toddlers being killed or seriously hurt from being locked in a car, I guess it really isn't all that surprising that police are being extra-vigilant to protect kids from hot cars. Some cases, however, like that of a woman in Connecticut being criminally charged for leaving her daughter in a car, are downright ridiculous. (emphasis added) Officers were sent to 60 Middle Street on Tuesday where they said Christina Williams, 30, allegedly left her 11-year-old child inside a vehicle. Police said the interior temperature of the car was about 85 degrees at the...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is protecting consumer rights in a bold new way–by policing companies’ Facebook pages.Zarbee’s Naturals, a producer of “safe and effective natural [cough] remedies” for children, was sent a warning letter by the FDA for liking comments on its Facebook page implying that its products “are intended for use as drugs.”Zarbee’s products were designed specifically for children too young for FDA-approved medications and have not been reviewed by the FDA. Happy customers posted their approval on the company’s Facebook page, saying things like “Love Zarbee’s this is the only medicine we use for our 2...

With students running a higher risk of obesity and hunger during their summer break, Prince George’s County schools have joined an effort to provide the youngsters with free breakfast and lunch. More than 60 schools throughout the county will serve the meals until Aug. 1. “Providing continuous meals throughout the summer helps children receive the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow,” Kevin M. Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer for Prince George’s County Public Schools said in a statement.

July 05--Anyone who wants a job next year at Anne Arundel Medical Center -- whether as a surgeon or security guard -- will have to prove they don't smoke or use tobacco. The Annapolis hospital's new hiring policy might be controversial, but it is legal in Maryland and more than half of the United States. And it's a type of job screening that is gaining favor with employers -- from hospitals to companies such as Alaska Airlines -- trying to control rising health costs and cultivate a healthier, more productive workforce. Anne Arundel Medical Center, like a growing number of...

It looks like California chefs, bartenders and deli workers might be able to take off those hated rubber gloves. Gov. Jerry Brown was presented Thursday with AB2130 -- a "do-over" bill would repeal a law requiring those handling food that goes directly to diners wear gloves and mandating that they change those gloves with every new plate or fruit garnish on a drink. The law took effect in January, but following a backlash from the public and the foodservice industry, the state legislature voted to repeal the ban. "We're grateful the assemblyman was willing to roll (the bill) back, hit...

A blue-cheese burger with lettuce, tomato and garlic aioli, accompanied by Parmesan-sprinkled fries. Chocolate fudge cake. Pasta shells stuffed with four cheeses, topped with meat sauce and shredded mozzarella, and served with a garlic breadstick. Cake infused with limoncello. Buffalo wings with celery, carrots and homemade ranch dip. Such was the fare served to passengers aboard Air Force One during a particularly grueling three-state day on the campaign trail just before the 2012 election. Not much has changed since. “It’s American fare, in that it’s not going all arugula on people,” said Arun Chaudhary, who was President Obama’s videographer from...