Free Republic

Just received this from Raul. I don't know why I continue to write to him. He has his district locked up and I am unfortunate enough to live in the most Democrat district in Arizona "Dear Mr. Collins, Thank you for contacting me to express your support for Fox News. I appreciate hearing from you. While I understand your support of the news coverage by Fox, I respectfully disagree. In light of several recent reports that Fox News tailors its coverage of news to promote the Republican Party, I cosigned a letter with 31 of my colleagues and sent it...

I ordered some postage stamps on line and received this e-mail from the US Postal Service. Dear Customer, To ensure the absolute safety and security of our customers, employees and products, online ordering from The Postal Store was temporarily suspended last week when environmental testing at our fulfillment center in Kansas City, MO. detected two minor traces of anthrax. Since the closing, we have worked closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Missouri state health officials to ensure the safety of this facility. We are pleased to report that the most recent environmental testing of the ...

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) - Gov. Bill Owens ordered two post offices closed Saturday until environmental tests are conducted for anthrax. A worker whose illness prompted the action does not have the disease, tests confirmed late Saturday. The worker, a 41-year-old man, was hospitalized Tuesday with pneumonia but is improving, said Cindy Parmenter, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention performed tests on his blood and fluid taken from his lungs, and both tests were negative. Parmenter said no additional tests were planned for him. Owens ordered closed the Fort ...

THE DALLES, Ore. (AP) - In 1984, followers of the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh spiked salad bars at 10 restaurants in town with salmonella and sickened about 750 people. The cult members had hoped to incapacitate so many voters that their own candidates in the county elections would win. The scheme failed, but the episode spread fear in The Dalles and drained the town's economy. Seventeen years later, there are lots of things this quiet town would like to be known for - its lush cherry groves, its renovated downtown and its grand views of the sweeping Columbia River, ...

On Thursday,  Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High  School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House  Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national  leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. They  were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It  needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician,  every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert!  These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and  deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent ...

Sens. Edward Kennedy and John McCain want to allow people to sue HMOs for large amounts. This is a ridiculous idea that would make a fortune for the lawyers, similar to the asbestos fiasco. Those enrolled in HMOs can't afford to hire a lawyer, and if they find one who will take their case on consignment, that lawyer will rip off one-third of the settlement. A patients bill of rights should stop HMOs from making decisions that should be made by doctors. These senators should put some of the surplus back into Medicare and HMOs, because they are responsible for ...

Doctors in the United States are preparing to add an unexpected new element to their traditional bedside manner by delivering discreet lectures to their patients on the risk of gun ownership. An ad hoc coalition representing about two-thirds of the country's practising doctors has recommended the move as concerns rise about the continuing incidents of gun violence in neighbourhoods and schools. The group, Doctors Against Handgun Injury, believes doctors have a responsibility to lecture on gun safety because of the heavy death and injury toll caused by shooting incidents. Doctors are being advised to ask regular patients whether they are ...

Because a 2-year-old, acting in typical toddler fashion, ran out of the house naked chasing a cat, a social worker demanded entry into the North Carolina child's home to interview all children in the household, ultimately landing the parents in court. Jim and Mary Ann Stumbo of Kings Mountain, N.C., have four children, the youngest of whom was seen "streaking" in her front yard in search of her pet cat in September 1999. The toddler's older brother saw her and quickly brought the little girl back in the house, but someone had already complained to the authorities, prompting a same-day ...

I had not intended the following e-mail exchange between me and a University of Arizona journalism school student, who shall remain unnamed, but a line from the student's final response, a single line, was so disquieting to me that I've decided to share it. The student's initial query (apparently sent to several journalists in addition to myself): My name is ------- --------- and I am a journalism student at the University of Arizona. This semester I am covering the activity of the Tucson City Council and Mayor's office as a "beat" for an introductory journalism class. I was wondering, if ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday approved an across-the-board cut in income tax rates, the centerpiece of President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s $1.6 trillion tax cut plan. The committee voted 23-15, along party lines, for a sweeping reduction in tax rates to be phased in over five years, while creating a new lower tax bracket of 12 percent and making it retroactive to Jan. 1, 2001. Reductions for other rate brackets would begin in 2002. By 2006, the current five brackets of 39.6, 36, 31, 28 and 15 percent would be ...

The proposed strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2067 establishes a two-year driver’s license renewal cycle for drivers over 75 years of age, and establishes requirements for Traffic Survival School (TSS) attendance. In addition, HB 2067 requires an examination of driving skills based on the number of traffic violations reported to MVD within the two-year license period. Also, the strike-everything amendment expands the types of professionals who may submit a report to MVD regarding drivers who have a physical or psychological condition that may significantly impair the person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. The strike-everything amendment contains an effective ...