Free Republic

WASHINGTON — American paper money represents an unfair impediment to the blind, and the Treasury Department must come up with new U.S. currency to help the visually impaired use cash, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge James Robertson said keeping all U.S. currency the same size and texture violates the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in government programs. "Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency, only the United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all their denominations," Robertson wrote in his ruling. "More than 100...

U.S. SENATE TO TAKE UP ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ CHRIS DAUGHTRY CONTROVERSY ‘American Idol’ issue looms large before the November congressional elections Hollywood – The Senate this week will begin debate on “American Idol” contestant Chris Daughtry and allegations he ripped off his version of “I Walk the Line” from one done by the band Live in 2001. “If Mr. Daughtry is saying one thing, and then we find out that his claims were false, then he – just like anyone else in this country, no matter who they are – should be held accountable,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. “We...

Emergency officials who prepared Louisiana's plan for responding to a major hurricane never guessed that one of their duties would be to protect aid workers from gunmen, one of the state's senior disaster officials said Monday. Speaking at a symposium in New York, Arthur Jones, chief of disaster recovery for Louisiana's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said he was caught off guard by the violence in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. No disaster planner, he said, predicted that people would loot gun stores after the storm and shoot at police, rescue officials and helicopters. Jones said the flow...

<p>The next time you go to the movies/concert or buy a cd/dvd take a moment to consider if you really should just skip the middle man and hand your money straight to your favorite liberal organization. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to say enough is enough. There are some that will accuse me of blacklisting or being Un-American. They will say that everyone has the right to express their political opinions and they shouldn't be penalized because they are a celebrity. Well, I've decided that I shouldn't be penalized BECAUSE they are a celebrity.</p>