Free Republic

What the L? Gov. Cuomo rocked the regional transportation world this week when he cheered a report suggesting that the existing cross-Hudson tunnels between New Jersey and New York don’t need a full shutdown to rebuild them, potentially throwing yet another wrench into the plan to build a new pair of tunnels to boost interstate rail capacity, a $13-billion piece of the Gateway Project. It’s the latest baffling twist in the decade-plus-long saga. On Sunday, the governor suggested that a report done for the Port Authority by consultants London Bridge Associates showed that the existing century-old tunnels could be fixed...

Anna Kooiman reported this morning on new concerns over electronic cigarettes after kids were poisoned by drinking the liquid nicotine that comes with the devices. Teens have reportedly been drinking the nicotine on purpose in some instances, mixing it with energy drinks to get a quick high. […] Just one teaspoon of the liquid nicotine is the equivalent of three packs of cigarettes. In addition, dogs are also at risk if they get a hold of one of the devices and chew on it. …

No quick-fix peace job in Liberia, says UN official By Tim Butcher in Freetown (Filed: 18/08/2003) A robust peacekeeping mission with troops able to defend themselves is needed in Liberia if it is to avoid the problems that faced British troops in Sierra Leone, the country's top UN official said yesterday. Speaking as planners prepared details of the UN mission which will take over from west African peacekeepers currently deployed in Liberia, Alan Doss said the new mission would need a tough mandate lasting many years. A pile of discarded weapons at a checkpoint in Monrovia "The lesson of Sierra...