Free Republic

Prisoner Gets More Time For Paid Writings Convicted Rapist Mostly Writes About Prison Conditions Posted: 11:42 a.m. CDT May 11, 2003 Updated: 12:08 p.m. CDT May 11, 2003 SAN ANTONIO -- From the solitude of his prison cell, convicted rapist William Bryan Sorens has been writing articles for several newspapers and magazines for most of the 19 years he's been in Texas prisons. Most times, Sorens says, he got paid for it. And that's gotten him into trouble. A prison disciplinary committee found him guilty in March of operating a business from his cell in the Wynne Unit, near...

Disney Parks Shielded With No-Fly Zones Posted: 9:27 a.m. EDT May 11, 2003 Updated: 6:23 p.m. EDT May 11, 2003 Walt Disney World and Disneyland have no-fly security zones like only a few other potential targets in the United States, according to a Local 6 News report. Federal officials permanently closed the airspace above Walt Disney Co. properties in Florida and California on the eve of the Iraq war to protect against terrorist attacks, according to a report. The 24-hour security zones put Disney on par with a select few other potential targets, including President George W. Bush's ranch...

The gap between rich and poor in Britain is at its largest in 13 years and poverty levels under Tony Blair exceed those under Margaret Thatcher, government statistics reveal. Figures from the Office for National Statistics for income inequality show that differences in disposable, post-tax income at the top and bottom of society have returned to levels last seen in 1990. The Tories and Liberal Democrats seized on the figures in a report from the department, claiming they exposed the emptiness of the Government's rhetoric on tackling so-called high-earning "fat cats". The report shows that the "Gini coefficient", an international...

Hey all! I'm new here. I go to Connecticut College and have just completed my freshman year. I'm 18 and originally from Palo Alto, California. Glad to be here!

Edward A. Dickson Alumnus of the Year: This award has been bestowed annually since 1946 upon a distinguished son or daughter of UCLA in recognition of exceptional merit. Alumnus of the Year Wall. Tim Robbins '82

<p>BOSTON EXTENDED its ban on restaurant smoking to bars less than a week ago, and already the pressure is on the Legislature to do what it has never mustered the gumption to do: ban smoking in workplaces statewide.</p> <p>Now lawmakers might finally take this step, both because Boston's brief experience has shown that night life does not end with a smoking ban and because some city bar owners want a level playing field to keep smoking pa trons from fleeing to cities that permit it in bars, such as Quincy. A state law would be a belated recognition that no Massachusetts worker should have to tolerate secondhand smoke - a risk factor in cancer and heart disease - as a condition of employment.</p>

Everyone knows that Red China is involved in forced abortions as a means of population control and perhaps some people know that American law precludes financial support for coerced abortion. But how many people know that the Democrats just voted to weaken that law? The Kemp-Kasten Human Rights Provision does not allow the United States to sponsor programs that involve “coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.” In an effort to make UN Population Fund (UNFPA) eligible for US funding, Rep. Joe Crowley (D, NY) sponsored an amendment that would make UNFPA responsible only if they directly coerced women to have abortions....

The fracturing of the world political order that occurred in the run-up to the Iraq war has finally caught up with the currency markets. Again, the Anglo-American way of doing things looks like being the winner and Old Europe the loser. For the euro is in as much disarray as French and German foreign policy and the timing has never been better for Gordon Brown to say his five economic tests have been failed. We are witnessing some of the largest currency moves for years. The pound has had its biggest devaluation since 1992 and this will give the economy...

Ya know the dems will make an issue out of it.

OTTAWA— The federal government has backed off plans to make pot possession a mere ticketing offence, the Star has learned. Instead, sources say the Liberal government will keep simple possession of marijuana on the books as a criminal offence under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The new plan came days after U.S. officials warned that any easing of Canada's marijuana laws could lead to a crackdown at border crossings. The government will provide "alternative" civil penalties — fines, not jail — upon conviction and will leave enforcement and the collection of fines to the provinces. Under the new scheme,...

Mother's Day a letdown: study Dads expect, get less Chris Lackner National Post Saturday, May 10, 2003 ADVERTISEMENT Most mothers report feeling disappointment on Mother's Day, despite receiving more attention than fathers do on Father's Day, a new study has found. "Mothers have higher expectations of how the day should go," said Nicole Gilbert, the author of a study that compares the two holidays and a graduate student at Mount Holyoke College, Mass. "Fathers don't have expectations and are less likely to be disappointed." Ms. Gilbert said mothers' high expectations are likely the result of all the advertising and media...

The 44-year-old son of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is in Indiana State Police custody after a hit and run accident. Police say Nasir H. Farrakhan of Chicago is being held at the Porter County Jail for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Farrakhan was driving his Hummer on the Indiana Toll Road in LaPorte County when the accident happened.

President Bush wrapped up his weekend personal trip to New Mexico today and will begin the week by pushing for his economic plan in rallies around the country. The Presdient also announced today that he would visit some of the disaster areas from tornados in the past few days. Enjoy your daily dose of Dubya!

Nicholson gets court rage Nicholson rarely misses a home Los Angeles Lakers game Actor Jack Nicholson was almost evicted from an NBA basketball game after stepping onto the court and shouting at a referee. The Oscar-winning star and Los Angeles Lakers fan was watching the drama of his team's playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs. He got out of his seat and yelled at referee Mark Wunderlich during a break in the action after Lakers player Shaquille O'Neal was called for his third foul in the second quarter. Officials said Nicholson - who plays an anger management therapist in...

<p>ISTANBUL -- Fallout from Turkey's refusal to assist the United States in the Iraq war is fueling tension between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's liberal pro-Islamist government and the country's staunchly secular establishment, government officials and analysts say.</p> <p>Allegations have been flying between the two traditional foes, with secularists saying the government is incompetent and moving the country away from pro-Western values. Pro-Islamists counter that the establishment is trying to undermine the democratically elected government.</p>

Miguel Angel Maratinos is, since 1996, the European Union's special representative for the Middle East peace process. Between 1984 and 1987, he was political advisor to the Spanish Embassy in Rabat before becoming adjunct director general in Madrid for North Africa (1987-1991). Later, he became general director for the Institute for the Cooperation with the Arab World (1991-1993), general director of foreign policy on North Africa and the Middle-East and finally Spanish Ambassador to Israel from June to December 1996. Jérémy De Vidas    What is the European Union's position today on Syria, notably concerning the Syrian troops stationed in...

The following is an interview between Israel's Channel Two TV and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell QUESTION: Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell, Shalom and thank you for this interview. SECRETARY POWELL: Shalom, thank you. QUESTION: You have just returned from a meeting with the new Palestinian Prime Minister, Abu Mazen. In your opinion, is he able to deliver? Can he really crack down on terrorists? SECRETARY POWELL: He intends to deliver. He intends to serve effectively as the Prime Minister of the Palestinian people. I was impressed by his commitment to moving forward with the peace process. He...

Al-Qaeda's Nuclear Contact? Monday, May. 19, 2003Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the No. 3 leader of al-Qaeda, who was captured in Pakistan on March 1, has been questioned extensively about his relationship with Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 hijackers. But his U.S. interrogators have also grilled him about another figure of much concern to Washington: Abdul Qadeer Khan, the maverick Pakistani scientist who has been called the father of the Islamic Bomb. U.S. intelligence, according to one official, has information that the al-Qaeda man and the nuclear scientist had connections with the same safe-house operator and may have crossed paths. They...

NICOSIA, Cyprus, May 11 — For the past three weeks, the Greeks and Turks of this long divided island have known the strange and exhilarating experience of mingling, an abrupt change after glowering at each other across a cease-fire line for almost 30 years. But politicians and diplomats say that the more difficult part of finding a permanent settlement lies ahead. For the moment, emotions are still running high. With more border checkpoints opening up, crossing has become easier and people keep visiting each other's side of the line. Both sides are now re-establishing telephone communications and allowing some trade....

CLEVELAND -- Pediatricians are now routinely asking parents whether or not they own a gun. "I really didn't expect to be asked such a question with a little baby," said parent Joe Falat who brought in his six-month-old son for a check-up. But Falat says the question doesn't bother him. "We just started asking about guns the last few years," said pediatrician Dr. Ruthanne Muniak. "Part of the reason is for incidents like Columbine, Colorado where children went into their grandfathers' homes to get guns Muniak says she doesn't mean to pry into a parent's personal life, but instead uses...