Free Republic

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has just three months left in office, is quietly banishing a statue of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson from City Hall’s council chambers — where it has resided for the past 187 years, The Post has learned. The city’s Public Design Commission — comprised of mayoral appointees — has listed “the long term loan” of the 1833 bronze cast of the Declaration of Independence author to the New-York Historical Society on its “consent” agenda for Monday. The consent designation means the historic statue’s removal is not scheduled for public debate. The 11-member design commission will vote...

Australia was a divided nation last night as its troops prepared to join a United States-led invasion of Iraq and Federal Parliament descended into a bitter debate over waging war without specific United Nations backing. The Prime Minister came under heavy flak for committing the country to war after the US President, George Bush, gave Saddam Hussein and his sons until tomorrow to leave Iraq or face attack. John Howard said the coalition of US, British and Australian troops did not need further UN approval to launch the invasion. "The Government strongly believes that the decision it's taken is right,...