Free Republic

Russian airlines Rossiya and Nordwind, which regularly connect Moscow with Cuban destinations such as Havana, Varadero, and Holguín, have decided to suspend their flights to the island due to a critical shortage of aviation fuel. The decision was confirmed this Wednesday by the Russian federal aviation agency Rosaviatsia. In an official statement published on Telegram, the agency explained: "Due to the difficulties in supplying aircraft fuel in Cuba, the airlines Rossiya (part of the Aeroflot group) and Nordwind were forced to modify their flight schedules to the airports in this country." According to the agency, Rossiya will operate only repatriation...

The Department of Defense (DOD) paid $150 per gallon for alternative jet fuel made from algae, more than 64 times the current market price for standard carbon-based fuels, according to a report released on Wednesday. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted in its report that a Pentagon official reported paying “about $150 per gallon for 1,500 gallons of alternative jet fuel derived from algal oil.” GAO’s report examined the financial challenges facing increased purchases and use of alternative jet fuels by federal agencies. “Currently, the price for alternative jet fuels exceeds that of conventional jet fuel,” the report noted. The...

The Bombing of Sterling HallText and photos copyright © 2000 Leemark Communications The doors to the old part of Sterling Hall, as seen from Charter Street. Early on August 24th, 1970, a van loaded with six barrels of explosives blew up just outside the East Wing of Sterling Hall at the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. The bombing was carried out by four men in protest of America's involvement in the Vietnam War. The bombing was directed against the Mathematics Research Center, a U.S.-Army-funded facility, which was located in the East Wing of Sterling Hall along with the...