Free Republic

This is not a post about being right. Politics is not just about being right and it never has been. The way things work in a representative democracy is that you not only have to BE right, you have to convince a critical mass of other people in this country that you are right, otherwise being right will do you no good. Is it right to shut down the federal Department of Education? Probably. (SNIP) Personally, I’m glad Eric Cantor lost. Personally, although I’m broadly in favor of immigration reform (depending on the particulars), I think it would be suicide...

Man's best friend came about after generations of wolves scavenged alongside humans more than 33,000 years ago in south east Asia, according to new research. Dogs became self-domesticated as they slowly evolved from wolves who joined humans in the hunt, according to the first study of dog genomes. And it shows that the first domesticated dogs came about 33,000 years ago and migrated to Europe, rather than descending from domesticated European wolves 10,000 years ago as had previously been thought.

Wolf attacks are extremely rare, less common than mountain lion or bear attacks in North America.   It is not hard to understand skepticism about a hunter’s account of a wolf attack where he used a .380 pistol to successfully defend himself, in central Wisconsin.   The pistol used was a Walther PK.The Department of Natural Resources investigated.  They believed the account, but did not list it as a wolf attack, because there was no injury to the defending human.From americanhunter.org: The first wolf came in from the right, mouth open, fangs ready to rip into Nellesen's leg. A swift kick...

Wild canine hybrids lurk in our midst. (Photo: WikiCommons/Public Domain)Have you heard any wolves howling in the northeast recently? Most likely not, since there aren’t any of them left. But if you heard one 150 years ago, this is probably the English translation of her cries: “I have literally no dating options left in my species … Any wolves out there? Anyone!” Nope.Wolves in eastern North America, whose populations steadily dwindled due to deforestation and hunting, had no choice but to settle for coyotes. Interspecies dating is a wonderful thing, but for a wolf, the larger and handsomer of the two canines, a...

By Paul Rincon 20 October 2015 Dogs may have become man's best friend in Central Asia, according to the study Today's dogs can trace their origins to Central Asia, according to one of the most comprehensive genetic surveys yet. Dogs are the most diverse animal on the planet - a legacy of thousands of years of selective breeding by humans. But they derive from wild wolves that were gradually tamed and inducted into human hunting groups - perhaps near Mongolia or Nepal. The findings come from an analysis of DNA from thousands of pooches, and are published in PNAS journal....

Leaked Audio: Hillary Clinton Calls at Private Fundraiser for Infrastructure Bank to Resemble Clinton Global Initiative Hillary Clinton told donors at a private fundraiser in New York last Thursday that she plans as president to create a “national infrastructure bank” modeled on the Clinton Global Initiative, according to a recording of her remarks obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. This was the first time that Clinton, who has long supported the formation of a government-controlled bank to invest in national infrastructure projects, cited the Clinton Global Initiative—the flagship arm of her family’s controversial foundation—as an investment model for her proposed...

On Sept. 23, Matthew Nellessen of Friendship, Wisc., an avid deer hunter and former U.S. Army sergeant who served with the 961st Engineers in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, was scouting a potential hunting area in the Colburn Wildlife Management Area of Adams County when he locked eyes with a wolf only 30 yards away. Acting on instinct he gained from military service, Nellessen immediately pulled his sidearm, a Walther PK .380, and chambered a round. That’s when things went from bad to worse. As he racked the slide, Nellessen noticed two more wolves approaching from the left. “It all...

A golden jackal (Canis anthus) from Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Based on genomic results, the researchers suggest this animal be referred to as the African golden wolf, which is distinct from the Eurasian golden jackal (Canis aureus). Credit: D. Gordon E. Robertson ======================================================================================================================= Despite their remarkably similar appearance, the "golden jackals" of East Africa and Eurasia are actually two entirely different species. The discovery, based on DNA evidence and reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on July 30, increases the overall biodiversity of the Canidae—the group including dogs, wolves, foxes, and jackals—from 35 living species to 36. "This...

House Republicans called up Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's tax-shifting plan on Monday, and the House shot it down by a unanimous vote. Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, called the vote on an amendment that contained Wolf's tax plan “a political stunt.” “It does nothing to move this process forward,” Dermody said. “I would never ask (Democrats) to vote for a stunt.” Wolf denounced the vote as “gamesmanship” and said it was an effort to “‘see if we can embarrass the administration.'”

Gov. Tom Wolf made a visit to the Pocono Mountain West Junior High on Wednesday afternoon to talk about how the school spends its money. In a round-table discussion with Pocono Mountain school officials, as well as state representatives David Parker, Rosemary Brown and Jack Rader, and State Sen. Mario Scavello, Wolf learned how Pocono Mountain School District distributes it’s funding. (snip) Wolf said there is a need to understand the investment that is education. There is a choice, he said, of supporting public education, but it comes with the cost of the taxes and the possibility of losing a...

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Kathleen Kane's chief of staff resigned on Friday, four months into the job. Blake Rutherford, who took the position in December, follows others who left key positions under the embattled state prosecutor. Four aides quit last year as a grand jury investigated Kane for allegedly leaking secret grand jury information. She has replaced five spokespeople since 2013, including one who quit in February. Rutherford surprised staffers by emailing a notice that he had resigned. “Today is my last day at OAG. While I will miss working alongside each of you, I am excited about what this...

The CIA official who led the hunt for Osama Bin Laden is being removed from his post, it has been revealed. The head of the agency's Counter­terrorism Center, who also directed drone campaigns which killed thousands, has been in the position for nine years and is described as a 'true hero'.

This is not a post about being right. Politics is not just about being right and it never has been. The way things work in a representative democracy is that you not only have to BE right, you have to convince a critical mass of other people in this country that you are right, otherwise being right will do you no good. Is it right to shut down the federal Department of Education? Probably. (SNIP) Personally, I’m glad Eric Cantor lost. Personally, although I’m broadly in favor of immigration reform (depending on the particulars), I think it would be suicide...

Washington's wolf population grew by more than 30 percent last year and formed four new packs. ... The state also found there are now 16 wolf packs and at least five successful breeding pairs.

After much thought and careful consideration, I am deeply saddened and disturbed at the actions taken by our governor this past Friday. Gov. Tom Wolf elected to place his own personal beliefs above the law of this commonwealth. As an elected district attorney, I took an oath to uphold the constitution of our commonwealth as well as the Constitution of the United States of America. Gov. Wolf recently took a similar oath; however, he has decided to usurp the roles of our Legislature, our courts, and the will of the people of this commonwealth. What Gov. Wolf does not understand...

HARRISBURG — The president of Planned Parenthood pointed to the recent election of Gov. Tom Wolf as a good sign for advocates for women’s reproductive choice, calling Mr. Wolf “the first governor in the history of the country who was also a former Planned Parenthood clinic escort.” Speaking Friday evening in Harrisburg, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was speaking at the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit in Harrisburg, a gathering of left-leaning activists and elected officials. “It’s pretty darn exciting to see a state where you actually bucked the national trend,” she said to the crowd, referring to...

Rachel Levine, a doctor dedicated to diversity and LGBTQ health who is a transgender woman, has been appointed physician general by Pennsylvania Governor-elect Tom Wolf. If chosen to serve in the governor’s cabinet, Levine, who has worked in the fields of pediatrics, psychiatry, and behavioral health for three decades, would become the highest-ranked transgender woman ever in the Pennsylvania government. Though he couldn’t say for certain, a spokesperson from Wolf’s office told Philadelphia magazine that “he believes Levine is the first transgender woman to hold the title of physician general.” Levine is the chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine...

The 20th anniversary of a government program to bring gray wolves to Yellowstone Park marks two decades of debate over the Federal government’s role in forcing wolves on individuals, communities and states that may, or may not, want them. Sixty Canadian wolves planted in Yellowstone Park in 1995 and 1996 have turned into thousands of wolves roaming the surrounding states. For those who idolize wolves as an icon of the wilderness, this week marks the historic success of a government program to bring a species back to an area it once roamed prior to the settlement of human populations. But...

WASHINGTON -- Nine days after the federal government raided their homes and businesses, leaders of an alleged terror financing operation were given the opportunity to question the agency investigating them. The meeting on March 29, 2002, in the office of Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) is an example of the political clout of what the government calls the "Safa Group," a web of companies and nonprofits based in northern Virginia. One week later, former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill met with Muslim leaders with connections to the Safa Group to hear complaints about the raids. The leaders are suspected of running more...

Pennsylvania Republicans said Wednesday their majority in the state House will be the largest in more than half a century after a sweeping Election Day victory. The party gained at least eight seats and a western Pennsylvania race in which the incumbent Democrat was holding a narrow lead was considered too close to call.