Free Republic

Here is video from Fox News' tongue-in-cheek program "Red Eye," discussing news that Brazil has started providing "Obese Chairs" in train stations for those who are overweight. . . . (Watch Video)

BELLEVUE, Neb. | At the end of a day of performing one abortion after the next after the next, LeRoy Carhart phrases the question himself. “Do I think I’ll get shot? I hope not,” the physician says. “Is it a possibility? I think it’s a very, very good possibility.” Meantime, the potbellied military retiree, grandfather and horse lover carries on the same steady abortion business that has defined, dominated and directed his life for the last two decades. Now he stands at the most thinly manned front line in America’s abortion wars — almost daring the opposition to stop him...

Hojjatoleslam Sadegh Larijani, the new chief of the judiciary, has fired Saeed Mortazavi, the notorious Prosecutor General of Tehran and of the Revolutionary Court. Larijani has appointed Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi to replace him. Mortazavi was responsible for the arrest and torture of many journalists, young bloggers, human rights advocates, political activists and reformist leaders. He was behind the closure of more than 200 newspapers, weeklies, and monthlies. Mortazavi has been implicated in the death of Dr. Zahra Kazemi, the Iranian-Canadian photojournalist who was killed while in custody. She was taking photos of the notorious Evin prison when arrested. The attorneys...

Scammers pumping out emails that try to trick recipients into parting with large sums of cash are getting a helping hand from the Democratic National Committee. According to a researcher with anti-spam company Cloudmark, 419 fraudsters have been relaying a "significant" amount of messages through the democrats.org domain name. The abuse, which dates back at least to the beginning of this month, helps evade filters that internet service providers employ to block the messages. "Unfortunately, because they're able to relay mail through the Democratic Party server, it does affect the Democratic Party's IP reputation, as well as their domain sending...

His legislative achievements have been rightly celebrated. But perhaps his most enduring legacy is that he kept reminding us of how great we could be if we chose compassion over complacency...

Schmuck Republican: John McCain "Convinced" Obama Respects the Constitution I almost fell off my seat when I heard about this. The U.K. Guardian reports: John McCain stands up for Barack Obama during town hall meeting Obama’s former rival heckled by audience for saying the president respects the US constitutionJohn S. McCain, you are a schmuck! You are convinced that Barack Obama respects the Constitution? Why? What convinced you of this, Mr. McCain? Barack Obama doesn’t respect the Constitution, John McCain, and you—unlike your much more courageous running-mate Sarah Palin—didn’t have the balls to say it. What a disgrace.

Subtle connections between the 11-year solar cycle, the stratosphere, and the tropical Pacific Ocean work in sync to generate periodic weather patterns that affect much of the globe, according to research appearing this week in the journal Science. The study can help scientists get an edge on eventually predicting the intensity of certain climate phenomena, such as the Indian monsoon and tropical Pacific rainfall, years in advance. An international team of scientists led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) used more than a century of weather observations and three powerful computer models to tackle one of the more...

Gun control organizations claim that shall-issue concealed carry laws are a menace to society. For example, in License to Kill IV: More Guns, More Crime, Violence Policy Center (VPC) cited Texas Concealed Handgun Licensee (CHL) arrest data to insinuate that CHLs were violent criminals, and that these laws are a failure. However, such reports ignore the fact that our justice system is based upon the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” because arrests do not prove that a crime was committed. Also, the VPC report made no attempt to compare CHL arrest rates to corresponding rates for the non-CHL population....

APPLICATION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER Plaintiff Captain Dr. Connie Rhodes has received what appear to be facially valid orders mobilizing her to active duty with the United States Army in Iraq on September 5th, 2009 (Exhibit A). Captain Rhodes is both a US army officer and a medical doctor, a flight surgeon. On May 15th of this year 501 brigade out of Fort Campbell, KY, currently stationed in Iraq, has requested a support of medical personal in Iraq. Two days ago, August the 23rd, an order was given through the chain of command via e-mail for Captain Rhodes to arrive...

Over the past few years I have collected a lot of tools. With each move, my dad brings tools just in case things need to be fixed around the house. When he leaves, the tools stay behind, so I end up with a new saw, screwdriver or wrench. Then there are the tools that fix the sprinkler system, the tools that come with ‘some assembly required’ furniture, bolts that hang heavy pictures, bolts to hang light fixtures, and then just plain old regular bolts. Oh, and don’t forget the nails… tiny nails all the way up to the amazingly huge...

Mike Vanderboegh at Sipsey Street Irregulars has put out a call for help. It's important, so I'm doing what I can to help amplify his voice. Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America needs to find an expert witness for "a pending legal case." Here's what Larry sent Mike: Do you know of a reference to the Camp Perry matches where they have gunsmiths to handle malfunctions? Or any other such venue where they are used to shooters having guns that malfunction by firing a burst and then jamming? Time is of the essence on this. Mike asks us to...

The Cowboys and Tony Romo came out gunning in the first quarter. Mixing up running and passing plays, they made their way down field almost at will. The 49er defense had no answers for the dominating play of the offensive line. That was the key for Romo and company throughout the entire first half. On a few pass plays Romo dropped back and took some long looks before he decided where to execute. On one play Austin was so wide open for so long it looked like the defense did'nt even know he was there untill he made a sliding...

A drunk driver who greeted police at the door of her Ottawa home naked after leaving the scene of a crash should spend up to 60 days in jail, the Crown argued yesterday. Assistant Crown attorney John Ramsay asked that Anik Bertrand, 34, be jailed for the November 2006 crash on Highway 174 that trapped two people in their car and left debris -- including her minivan's bumper and licence plate -- strewn across the road. Court heard that Bertrand, who had been drinking at a bar, left the scene and drove to a pub near her home where she...

In a speech delivered under the blazing sun in a half-empty soccer field, former U.S. President Bill Clinton reminded his Canadian audience the developing world still needs our help organizing functioning systems to alleviate poverty. But some of the nearly 12,000 sunglasses-sporting and beer- and water-swilling spectators left the controversial event feeling the Canadian National Exhibition organizers are the ones in need of help with systems. Like hundreds of other hopeful-spectators in the snaking event lines, Sinead Kennedy, 28, of Ireland, waited more than an hour under the hot sun only to be told over loud-speaker that tickets were sold...

Open letter to Mitt Romney; Please do us all a favor and try to take Kennedy's seat. As a sitting Senator you can still run for President and keep the libs form another vote in the Senate.Mr. Romney expressed no desire to run, I would like more of an explanation than this. Click here.

In the middle of the night, at 1:30 in the morning of Friday, August 14th, there was a large explosion at the monster petrochemical facility of the Iranian Pars Petrochemical Company in Bandar Assaluyeh. It is the biggest such plant in Iran, and the second largest in the whole Middle East (second only to one in Saudi Arabia). The explosion, which took place in pipes carrying Liquid Petroleum Gas (which is mostly propane), caused fires throughout the facility. It took at least three hours before the fires were brought under control. At least two persons died (fortunately, at that hour...

<p>Getty image removed by ModNewer wife dressed in black behind older model dressed in white.</p>

When he served as deputy attorney general, now Attorney General Eric Holder gave a "neutral leaning positive" recommendation that led to President Bill Clinton's pardoning of gazillionaire fugitive Marc Rich, who was on the lam in Switzerland hiding from federal charges of fraud, evading more than $48 million in taxes, racketeering and trading oil with Iran in violation of a U.S. embargo. Holder also had a role in the 1999 Clinton pardons of 16 Puerto Rico independence terrorists -- members of the bomb-happy FALN or the splinter group Los Macheteros -- who had been convicted on such charges as bank...

This newspaper traces its roots to before Las Vegas was Las Vegas. We've seen cattle ranches give way to railroads. We chronicled the construction of Hoover Dam. We reported on the first day of legalized gambling. The first hospital. The first school. The first church. We survived the mob, Howard Hughes, the Great Depression, several recessions, two world wars, dozens of news competitors and any number of two-bit politicians who couldn't stand scrutiny, much less criticism. We're still here doing what we do for the people of Las Vegas and Nevada. So, let me assure you, if we weathered all...

The most revealing moment in Edward "Ted" Kennedy's political life came Nov. 4, 1979, just three days before he would officially launch his challenge to a sitting president of his own party, Jimmy Carter. In a televised interview, CBS News correspondent Roger Mudd asked the already stout Massachusetts senator a "giveaway" question, a question about as tough as a quiz show host trying to help break the ice with a nervous contestant by asking, "What color is grass?" Roger Mudd asked: "Why do you want to be president?" Ted Kennedy, 47, was about to challenge an incumbent president of his...