Free Republic

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Attorney General Eric Holder delivered a stark reminder to Wisconsin Democrats on Thursday about the importance the battleground state plays in the presidential election less than 11 weeks away. “No pressure, it’s all riding on Wisconsin,” Pelosi told more than 100 Democrats during a virtual meeting tied to the final day of the Democratic National Convention. “No pressure.” Democrats, as well as President Donald Trump, have made no secret how essential winning Wisconsin is to the race this year. Wisconsin did not get the national attention it hoped for when...

I am usually adverse to vanity posts, but I am posting in the personal/blogs so I figure it's OK. My main (motorcycle) riding buddy is having some physical issues that are making it hard for him to do some of the longer rides I'd like to do. The other guys I ride with (if you're a woman rider, that's cool too) just can't seem to plan anything beyond a few miles somewhere for a beer. That's not important to me. I want to ride and see things. I want to find some folks in central Kentucky that want to share...

Live Updates: U.K. Votes in General Election Britain’s voters head to the polls to choose their next government on Thursday in a deeply divided moment for the country that has left the outcome unpredictable. RIGHT NOW Voting has begun in the British general election, the second since the country’s landmark Brexit referendum.

And we’ll ride out together, up that road to skedaddle I bought me a saddle on which to skedaddle, But I hadn’t a horse to put under. I could hear the herd comin’ and see the herd goin’ And their hooves were a beatin’ like thunder. And, that sound seemed to say “Cowboy, step away, ‘Cause if you stand in this road, you’ll go under.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Can we talk? Donald Trump would like to chat. And, boy, is he ever. Riding high after Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s successful confirmation, the president has been on a rollicking press tour of late. He’s inviting reporters up to his private cabin on Air Force One. He’s calling in to his favorite shows. And he’s turning closed White House events into major media moments. On Thursday alone, Trump held four separate press availabilities, including one that featured a profanity-laced Oval Office performance by Kanye West, the rapper and producer who has emerged as Trump’s top Hollywood...

Beam-Riding and Sail Stability by Paul Gilster on June 23, 2017 Breakthrough Starshot, the ambitious 30-year plan for launching small interstellar craft to a nearby star, depends critically on the sails that will ride a laser beam to 20 percent of lightspeed. In the essay below, James Benford takes a hard look at where we are now in the matter of sail stability, a subject he and brother Gregory have analyzed in their laboratory work. But as Jim points out, there is a great deal we still don’t know, emphasizing the need for a dedicated test facility in which deep...

Poor, poor Pronto.Seattle’s beleaguered bike-share system is not long for this world. Its last day of operation will be Friday. After a weekend in purgatory, work crews will begin taking down and packing up the program’s 54 stations and 500 bikes on Monday. That process will last about two weeks, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) said.

KTRK reported that Walmart issued a response following the incident: "We in no way condone yesterday's reckless stunt inside our store and are thankful no one was hurt by these actions." The Facebook video has gone viral with over 31,500 shares and 8,300 comments as of time of publication. The Oklahoma native said on Facebook that the post has reached people across the country and many people have commented in different languages.

Fresh figures on the US jobs market come out Friday, with a lot more than usual riding on them: new stimulus from Federal Reserve, and the poll numbers for President Barack Obama as he fights to keep his job. With the employment situation stagnant this year -- the jobless rate is stuck at a high 8.3 percent -- the new data for August could say a lot about the strength of the economy, as it weathers a global downturn and a domestic stalemate on economic policy. Chances are, economists say, the numbers will fall in the tepid range of July....

Cowboy Mounted Shooting has a style of its own. Unlike any other Western equestrian sport, this one combines, fashion, leather and guns. No gender in the sport shows it off better than the girls. Meet some of the Girls of Mounted Shooting. Photos by Ken Amorosano, Lucinda Wood, James Cook and John Beckett Growing up, I was frequently told that I could do or be anything. I never heard there was a ceiling beyond which I could not reach. The American Dream was an open door to me, as it was to all Americans. We foster an ideal in this...

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." — Abraham LincolnBarb Wire Johnny and I had a great adventure planned; we would ride East to the Alaska Highway, turn South and ride through Fort St John to Dawson Creek. There was a lady who had ridden in the Olympics or something who was going to do a riding exhibition. We knew this for a fact; a flyer had come to the main ranch and we had studied it for hours. Now this was a big deal in the Peace River...

Just a little levity for a momentRidin' Dirty!

Riding horses is part of the wild west charm of Southern Arizona. But, for some local veterans, it's a way to get back in the saddle of life. It's been a long, hard ride for retired Navy Airman, Rene Suarez. "I have arthritis in every joint in my body pretty much." This time last year, he needed a cane just to walk. Now, thanks to weekly visits to Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, he no longer needs that cane. Rene credits rides on Bisbee (the horse) for helping him gain strength, by stretching his legs and using muscles he wouldn't normally...

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2006 – Inspired by a severely injured veteran of the war in Iraq, three men set out on a nearly 1,600-mile motorcycle ride today that will raise awareness and money to help injured servicemembers. Bob Loy (left), Joe Kurnos (center), and Tom Donegan get ready to hit the road on a nearly 1,600-mile trek May 15. The journey, meant to raise awareness of servicemembers' sacrifices as well as money for the troop support organization Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, will take the trio from Fairfax, Va., to San Antonio in five days. Photo by Samantha L....

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (AP) -- A 17-year-old likely will face misdemeanor charges after allegedly losing control of his car while text messaging and hitting a bicyclist. The bicyclist, Jim R. Price of Highlands Ranch, died Friday, two days after the accident. "We do not believe it was an intentional act, but it was inattentiveness to the roadway," said Lt. Alan Stanton, spokesman for Douglas County Sheriff's Office. "The investigation showed that he was text-messaging on his cell phone" at the time of the accident, said Stanton. The driver could face a charge of careless driving resulting in death, Stanton said....

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2005) -- When Sgt. James Wright's unit came under intense fire April 7, 2004, the last thing on his mind was bouncing over waves during a nautical adventure. Twenty-six enemy dead, one bronze star and a year later, a speedboat is exactly what that battle got him. To show gratitude to the Marine for his tremendous sacrifices, Ultra Boats, producers of custom-made boats, presented Wright with the boat of all boats Sept. 15 at the Del Mar Boat Basin here. During the fight, a round from a rocket-propelled grenade struck his humvee...

Here is today's installation of the "Redneck Scrapbook"

<p>One of the most powerful campaign mailings against Gov. Gray Davis is now being sent out by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.</p> <p>About 600,000 license renewal notices a week are arriving in homes with fees nearly triple last year's - and many recipients are blaming Davis.</p>

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A day after dozens of peace activists boarded double-decker buses and a taxi to travel from London to Baghdad in hopes of preventing bombing by the U.S. and its allies, the Bush administration criticized their efforts. "We would not recommend that people allow themselves to be used by a tyrant and a dictator who has a history of doing horrible things to even his own people as well as his neighbors," White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card told Fox News Sunday. "So this is not the time for people to call themselves human shields." On Saturday,...