Free Republic

Gee, how many meat inspectors will be laid off to pay for this? How many air traffic controllers? How many kids will go hungry? Nancy A. Youssef of the McClatchy Newspapers writes: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry promised Sunday to give Egypt $190 million to help the government pay its bills, but said more money would require that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi move quickly to resolve the country's differences with the International Monetary Fund, reform its security services and take steps to provide equal rights for women and religious minorities.

Washington - The senior Homeland Security Department official in charge of arresting and deporting illegal immigrants announced his resignation the same day the agency said that hundreds of people facing deportation had been released from immigration jails due to looming budget cuts, according to a resignation letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. The government said he had told his bosses weeks ago that he planned to retire. Gary Mead, executive associate director over enforcement and removal operations at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, disclosed his departure

Citing advanced years and infirmity, but showing characteristic tough-mindedness and unpredictability, Pope Benedict XVI shocked Roman Catholics on Monday by saying that he would resign on Feb. 28, becoming the first pope to do so in six centuries. Speaking in Latin to a small gathering of cardinals at the Vatican on Monday morning, Benedict said that after examining his conscience “before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise” of leading the world’s one billion Roman Catholics. The statement, soon translated into seven languages, ricocheted...

I'm sure the Obama administration wishes questions about the Benghazi attack and subsequent murder of our ambassador and 3 others would just go away. They successfully stonewalled the issue until after the election and then some ill-timed health issues afflicting Secretary Clinton prevented her from testifying last year. But today, the House and Senate foreign affairs committees will each get their shot at question Mrs. Clinton about what happened, why the investigation has been botched, and why the perpetrators are still at large thumbing their nose at the US government. From THE HILL: ________________________ Republicans have been clamoring for her...

In the wake of a deplorable decision by the Journal News to publish the names and addresses of law-abiding citizens with gun permits,  a home in White Plains, NY was targeted by burglars attempting to steal the gunsIf a New York victim of gun violence is to be allowed the right to sue a gun manufacturers and distributor, for argument's sake, wouldn't it seem that the victim of the White Plains crime would have a strong case for suing the Journal News? After all, in both cases, criminal third parties took the product provided by the businesses at issue and...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - College students from across North Carolina will arrive in Charlotte by the busload. Same with members of predominantly black churches in neighbouring South Carolina. Their goal: help fill a 74,000-seat outdoor stadium to capacity when President Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination Thursday night. Anything short of a full house on the final night of the Democratic Party's national convention will be instant fodder for Republicans eager to use empty seats as symbols of waning voter enthusiasm for Obama. Democrats have been fretting for months over whether the president can draw a capacity crowd at Bank of...

NEW YORK (AP) — "The Protester" has been named Time's "Person of the Year" for 2011.

Cuccinelli Seeking Supreme Court Review of Va. Health Care LawsuitUpdated: 11:56 AM Feb 3, 2011 Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli announced Thursday that the Commonwealth will file a petition to ask the United States Supreme Court to take Virginia's health care lawsuit now, as opposed to waiting for the case to first be decided by the court of appeals. The Petition for Certiorari Before Judgment in the United States Supreme Court in the case of Commonwealth v. Sebelius will be filed pursuant to Rule 11 of the Rules of the United States Supreme Court. **SNIP** Normally, appeals of decisions of...

It was the latest in a rash of shootings of police officers in recent days and the second time that police were shot in Florida while serving arrest warrants. Two police officers, a man and a woman, were shot and killed last week in Miami, Fla., while serving an arrest warrant on a man wanted for murder. An officer in Lincoln City, Ore., was critically wounded late Sunday night when he pulled over a car for speeding. A manhunt is underway after a brief highway chase disabled the suspect's car. The driver ran into a wooded area and remains at...

A Baltimore man was arrested Tuesday for plotting to blow up a military recruitment center, authorities said. The man was caught in a sting operation and was plotting to blow up an Armed Forces recruiting station in Catonsville with what he believed to be a vehicle bomb, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Maryland said in a statement. "There was no actual danger to the public as the explosives were inert and the suspect had been carefully monitored by law enforcement for months," the statement said. There was no evidence the plot was linked to recent shootings at military installations in...

MORENCI, Mich. (AP) - A police chief says authorities "do not anticipate a positive outcome" in the search for three Michigan brothers who have been missing since their father's attempted suicide. Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks told reporters Tuesday that searchers are continuing to look for 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton. The boys last were seen on Thanksgiving in their father's backyard. Weeks says the assessment is based on information including statements from 39-year-old John Skelton. He says no decision has been made about whether to bring charges in the disappearance. Police say John Skelton attempted suicide...

The Obama Administration plans to withdraw National Guard troops from the Texas, New Mexico and California borders by the end February under a new Southwest security plan, even as turmoil in Mexican border cities grows, according to documents obtained by The Washington Examiner. A letter sent to various members of the Texas Congressional delegation from Texas' Gov. Rick Perry's office says, "In February, 2011, the Texas, New Mexico, and California National Guard forces that were deployed to the border in September, 2010, under President's Obama's Southwest Border Augmentation Plan, will have 30 days to complete a total draw down of...

STOCKHOLM – Swedish prosecutors say they will seek an international arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a rape investigation. The announcement came after a Stockholm court approved their request to detain Assange for questioning in the case, which stems from his encounters with two Swedish women in August

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) — Police in northern Virginia say shots were fired overnight at a Coast Guard recruiting station, the latest case of someone shooting at military buildings in the DC area. Prince William County police say they're investigating multiple bullet holes at the building.

Texas Rangers Notch First World Series Win October 30, 2010 8:55 PM ARLINGTON (AP) – Mitch Moreland hit a three-run homer in the second inning, Josh Hamilton added a solo shot in the fifth and the Texas Rangers beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Saturday night to close to 2-1 in the World Series. With former President George W. Bush watching from a front-row seat, winner Colby Lewis allowed two runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. Neftali Feliz pitched the ninth for the save, completing a five-hitter. Down 4-0, San Francisco came back on solo home runs...

After Joy Behar’s “bitch” session on The Spew yesterday, Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle struck back…with flowers and a cheery note. Via Elizabeth Crum at NRO Battle ’10: No one can accuse Team Angle of not having a healthy sense of humor. In response to Joy Behar’s vicious remarks on The View, the Angle campaign sent a lovely flower arrangement with a note enclosed. “Joy, Raised $150,000 online yesterday. Thanks for your help. Sincerely, Sharron Angle”

NPR terminated the contract of Juan Williams on Wednesday after comments the veteran journalist and news analyst made about Muslims on Fox's "The O'Reilly Factor." Fox News host Bill O'Reilly stirred up controversy last week on "The View" after making the blanket statement that "Muslims killed us on 9/11," a comment that led to co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg walking off the set.

Rick Lazio withdrew today from the Conservative Party line and dropped out of the governor’s race. The former Long Island congressman, who lost to Carl Paladino in the GOP primary three weeks ago, made the announcement this afternoon, which coincides with the deadline for him to be nominated for a judgeship...

New York voters will, unusually, elect 2 United States Senators in 2010. In the Special Election to fill the final 2 years of Hillary Rodham Clinton's term, incumbent Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand and former Congressman Republican Joe DioGuardi today finish effectively even, Gillibrand's nominal 1-point lead being within the survey's theoretical margin of sampling error.

Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama's chief of staff, is likely to leave the White House before the November congressional elections to run for mayor of Chicago, people familiar with the matter said. Emanuel, who would be running to replace Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, could depart by early October, after Congress leaves for recess to campaign for the midterm elections, the people said on condition of anonymity. One person close to Emanuel said a final decision hasn't been made. The timing of Emanuel's departure would allow him to devote full attention to the Chicago race while still giving the president...