Free Republic

The House approved its version of the fiscal 2003 defense appropriations bill June 27 after voting to shift $30 million from the Missile Defense Agency's space-based interceptor program to the agency's Airborne Laser (ABL). Also on June 27, the Senate passed its version of the FY '03 defense authorization bill after approving an amendment requiring the Defense Department to give Congress a report within 120 days of each flight test of the Ground- based Midcourse missile defense system. The Senate also voted late June 26 to ban research, development and deployment of nuclear-tipped interceptors for missile defense. The House...

A Pacoima elementary school principal who angered Latino parents by requesting that only English be spoken on campus has requested a transfer, school distric officials said. Stannis Steinbeck will serve her last day as principal of Telfair Elementary School on July 5, when the academic year ends, and then will be reassigned, possibly as a principal, said Judy Burton, the Los Angeles Unified School District's superintendent for the northeast San Fernando Valley. Telfair, one of the district's lowest performing schools, has had three principals in the last four years. Steinbeck got into a spat with parents last month after she...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Mets pitcher Mark Corey admitted he smoked marijuana shortly before he had a seizure and collapsed on a street near Shea Stadium after a game Wednesday night, according to a newspaper report. The New York reliever said he was to meet Friday with Mets psychiatrist Allan Lans, coordinator of the Employee Assistance Program, Newsday reported Friday. ``I guess I'll have to deal with those things starting tomorrow,'' Corey said. Corey said doctors told him he'd been affected by an ``anxiety attack.'' Corey underwent tests Thursday to determine what caused the seizure. Mets general manager Steve Phillips...

In September 1942, ten months into America's involvement in World War II, things did not look promising. German forces were near their high-water marks in Russia and North Africa, and American beaches were black with oil from ships sunk by U-boats. The Japanese had been defeated at Midway and the Coral Sea, and Marines were holding Guadalcanal, but the enemy occupied Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and much of Melanesia. The United States was mobilizing to put its war plans into effect, and soon the tide of war would turn, but at the time, this was only a hope. Final...

<p>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) --  Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin joined more than 1,000 Palestinians at a rally Friday, his first time venturing out since Palestinian security officials said six days ago he had been placed under house arrest.</p>

What, you didn´t expect this? That a U.S. federal appeals court would rule that the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States is unconstitutional because it contains the phrase ‘under G-d´…? Then just where have you been for the past thirty years? I wanted to call this essay ‘Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain, ´ because of all the misdirection and duplicity that has been on display since the 9th Court of Appeals made their ruling on Wednesday. That same afternoon, members of our Senate stood on the Capitol steps and bravely recited the Pledge. It´s enough...

LINKAmericans unanimously believe another deadly terrorist attack within U.S. borders is imminent, latest Zogby America poll results reveal. At the same time, a majority of Americans do not believe private citizens need to take action, such as citizen patrols in Brooklyn, to protect themselves. The latest Zogby America poll of 1,008 likely voters nationwide reveals that nine in ten (90%) Americans believe a terrorist attack in the near future resulting in the loss of U.S. lives is likely. Only 7% believe that such an attack is unlikely, while 2% are unsure. The poll, conducted June 17-19 has a margin of...

TEANECK, N.J. (AP) While most people are fuming over a former New Jersey man's challenge to the Pledge of Allegiance, his family could not be prouder to see him take a stand. Michael Newdow, a 1970 graduate of Teaneck High School, has drawn sharp criticism since a federal appeals court ruled in his favor on Wednesday. The panel said students cannot recite the pledge because the phrase ''one nation under God'' amounts to a government endorsement of religion in violation of the separation of church and state. That ruling, though, is now on hold. Judge Alfred T. Goodwin, who wrote...

Legislation would force voters to show ID at polling places By Amy Worden Inquirer Harrisburg BureauHARRISBURG - House Republicans have approved a bill that would require residents to present identification before voting, infuriating Democrats and civil rights activists who describe it as a "poll tax" that would disenfranchise voters.The measure's sponsor, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R., Butler), said it was aimed at curbing voter fraud, not preventing legitimate citizens from voting."We were concerned about the fraud that is alleged to have taken place in areas of Pennsylvania," Metcalfe said. "We don't want to harm anybody's ability to vote."The measure, which requires...

It's been a disappointing spring for those optimists who hoped political correctness in American classrooms was finally on the decline. A series of recent reports have campus PC denizens moving beyond their usual tactics - social pressure and grade manipulation - to fashion outright bans on "objectionable" speech. Whatever happened to the spirit of free inquiry? Most recently, the New York State Education Department was discovered to have been sanitizing the prose of famous authors - without permission - for use in standardized tests. All references to race, religion, politics, gender, sex, and even alcohol were omitted from well-known...

A well-regarded commentator observed not long ago that it is "getting harder every day to be an informed and compassionate opponent of vouchers." It just got even harder. Today, in a 5-4 ruling authored by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, the Supreme Court confirmed what most First Amendment scholars and Court watchers already suspected, and held that the Constitution permits communities to experiment with meaningful, choice-based education reforms. (Full disclosure: I clerked for the chief justice during the 1996-1997 term). In so doing, the Court made it clear that while the Establishment Clause forbids, well, "establishments" of religion, it does...

Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - Just days before Hong Kong marks the fifth anniversary of its reversion to Chinese rule, its government is adopting mainland-like measures against dissidents and restricting freedom of movement and expression in the semi-autonomous territory. Six members of the Falun Gong sect - which is outlawed in China - have been barred from entering Hong Kong, even though the group is legal in Hong Kong. A Falun Gong spokeswoman said three were Australians, one was an American woman and two were from Macao, another Chinese territory. The U.S. citizen, Bihan Dan, 68, was detained for...

A judge ruled Thursday that a Muslim woman can pursue her legal fight to wear a veil for a driver's license photo, despite objections from the state that it jeopardizes public safety. Judge Ted Coleman denied a state motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Sultaana Freeman, whose driver's license was revoked when she refused to replace her photograph with one showing her face unveiled. Freeman, 34, is suing to get her license back with a photo that hides most of her face, except her eyes, behind a veil known as a niqab. Freeman wears the veil for religious reasons....

<p>The House last night barely approved a Senate-passed bill that would raise the federal debt limit, sending the proposal to the president's desk despite loud objections from House Democrats.</p> <p>The proposal, approved 215-214, would provide a $450 billion increase in the current $5.95 trillion cap on federal borrowing. The Democratic-led Senate passed it, 68-29, on June 11.</p>

Belgian scientists have found Prozac can help cure aggressive dogs.The drug is believed to work in the same way as it does in humans by altering the uptake of the brain chemical serotonin.Scientists hope the drug will cut the number of dog attacks and lead to fewer animals being destroyed.Katlijne Peremans, of the University of Gent, said: "It has to do with the way brain signals are transferred from one brain cell to another."When the link between the cells is missing, due to a failure caused by a lack of serotonin, the dog shows a sudden and inexplicable aggressive behaviour."Peremans...

I know that this has come up in various forums before, but since the 9th Circuit's decision on the 26th, much of the liberal media's discussion has centered around the supposed "separation of church and state" clause in the ConstitutionI am sick and tired of all of the leftist commentary recently regarding this supposed "separation of church and state." There is NO SUCH comment in the Constitution!!! When are they going to get that through their thick skulls? Since when is outside commentary by someone who did NOT help frame the Constitution allowed to be constued as being relevant to...

Photo of Palestinian Baby 'Bomber' Raises RowFri Jun 28, 8:25 AM ET JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli army has released a photograph of a toddler dressed as a suicide bomber that it says was discovered in a Palestinian militant's house in the West Bank city of Hebron. The authenticity of the photograph could not be verified, but its publication in Israeli newspapers on Friday triggered a new war of words between Israel and the Palestinian Authority ( news - web sites). The army said troops found the photograph in a family album while searching the house of a wanted Palestinian...

In what has to be the most ego driven act since an alcoholic said "I want what I want when I want it" John McCain says if I don't get what I want, (HIS choice for members of the FEC) I'll piss all over the government until I doNews Flash: you ain't the president, you ain't God, and you are making yourself look like a bigger clymer than Dasshole, which is a considerable accomplishment.

Court refuses to throw out judge's N.C. district maps By SCOTT MOONEYHAM, Associated Press Writer June 28, 2002   1:37 am RALEIGH, N.C. -- Legislative Democrats have lost another round in the redistricting wars, but still aren't giving up.A U.S. District Court panel refused Thursday to stop North Carolina's legislative elections under districts created by a state court judge.The three-member panel in the District of Columbia said there is no compelling reason to issue an injunction stopping the approval process of the district map that is now under way.Democratic House and Senate leaders sought the emergency injunction after state...

What Went Wrong at Enron: Everyone’s Guide to the Largest Bankruptcy in U.S. History, by Peter C. Fusaro and Ross M. Miller. John Wiley & Sons, 256 pages, $14.95. In the faraway burg of Houston, Tex., a once-modest utility, in the process of going bankrupt, sent $63 billion in shareholder value up to money heaven. In the history of squandering other people’s wealth, this is an unprecedented milestone; to achieve it, Houston Natural Gas first had to evolve from an industrial to a post-industrial to a thoroughly postmodern company; finally, high finance kissed up against metaphysics, and Enron, as it...