Free Republic

Sep 24, 2003 Kermit, Henson to take a seat by Stamp Union today By Julie Dietrick Staff writer   Campus Drive is temporarily renamed Sesame Street in honor of Jim Henson's birthday and statue dedication. CHRIS LAUBER-THE DIAMONDBACK There are few celebrities who can draw giant parade-style balloons, the renaming and closure of a main university road, a $217,000 bronze statue and the adoration of children and adults worldwide. One is Kermit the Frog. The celebrity puppet and spawn of famed university alumnus Jim Henson, who graduated in 1960 and would have been 67 today, is part of today's...

One hundred years ago this year, in Kitty Hawk, NC, two brothers prepared to break the constraints that held mankind to the ground. December 17, 1903 at 10:35 AM, the Wright Brothers lifted their Flyer into the air for twelve seconds, covering a distance of 121 feet. Although this event is well known, many do not know the important role that College Park played in the foundation of the aeronautical field within the United States. Although December 17, 1903 was one the most important dates in man’s attempts to master the elements, it went relatively unnoticed at the time. Only...

  Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean urged the university to negotiate with AFSCME in good faith. AUSTIN CHOW--THE DIAMONDBACK Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean hurled fiery denunciations of the war in Iraq and President Bush's policy during a rally at the Nyumburu Amphitheater last night, delighting many of the raucous crowd of 3,700. Dean, the pugnacious insurgent who has gone from the party's dark horse to front runner, exhibited his trademark torrid rhetoric in a rally that served as part for the current liberal darling and part catharsis for those opposed to the Bush administration. Dean opened his 15-minute...

Bush gives in to protests, calls for end to Iraq war By Mickey Lynwood Senior staff minion   American troops board a transport plane, making a hasty retreat from positions in Iraq yesterday after President Bush called for an end to the war. AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE President George Bush yesterday announced an end to the conflict in Iraq, citing the "valid viewpoints" of anti-war protesters. "After careful consideration of all arguments, I think we may have jumped the gun on this one," said a reluctant Bush. "We are asking all of our troops to drop what they are doing...

Doves shoot down warhawks in rally 400 converge on Route 1 as part of nationwide strike By Sam Hedenberg Staff writer   Protesters gathered on McKeldin Mall for impersonations, songs and speeches against war with Iraq before marching around campus and across Route 1. RYAN OWEN--THE DIAMONDBACK Hundreds of students amassed on McKeldin Mall yesterday in a rare midday, sober protest of war and tuition hikes. Students, faculty, staff and other protesters gathered around the sundial in the center of the mall at noon to protest a number of highly debated issues, ranging from the imminent conflict in Iraq...

A selection of the good political cartoons from the University of Maryland, College Park. Enjoy From the "Liberal Crap" daily: From the Editorial:

Master of Cylinders After 20 years of hibernation, engines that can shift on the fly from eight cylinders to four and back again are rumbling awake. On a recent ten-minute drive near a General Motors site in the stop-and-go suburbs of Pontiac, Mich., a prototype pickup truck switched from eight cylinders to four cylinders and back again--32 times. No one onboard noticed a thing. The truck held a new V-8 engine that shuts down four cylinders on the fly whenever they aren't needed. The aim: to improve fuel economy without sacrificing brawn. These engines boost gas mileage up to 25%,...

September 11: Families File Complaint Against Al-Qaeda Financers. Thursday, August 15, 2002 12:21 GMT WASHINGTON, August 15 (AFP) -- More than 500 relatives of the victims of the September 11 attacks will file a civil suit Thursday against Sudan, seven international banks, eight Islamic organizations, several financial organizations, and three Saudi Princes, accusing them of financing Al-Qaeda, a source close to the families said. This complaint of the "Families of September 11 against terrorism" also names Usama bin Laden, head of Al-Qaeda, and the fundamentalist Taliban militia. The plantiffs claim one million billion dollars of damages collectively and 1,000 billion...

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is planning to launch its fourth unmanned spacecraft by the end of the year, hurtling its space program ever closer to manned flights and moon missions, the China Daily newspaper reported on Wednesday. "We have intensified development of the Shenzhou IV and its carrier rocket, which we plan to launch sometime in the remaining months of the year," it quoted Zhang Qingwei, head of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, as saying. Another source told the newspaper the rocket might not be launched until next year, but that if the fourth Shenzhou, or Divine Vessel, were...

Child Pornography: 8 Men Arrested in U.K. Tuesday, August 13, 2002 -- 20:08 GMT LONDON, August 13 (AFP) -- Eight men were arrested Tuesday in and around London as part of an operation carried out by a British police unit specializing in child pornography, Scotland Yard said. The men were between ages 28 to 41. They are suspected of having distributed "indecent" images of children, according to the police. The police searched 18 homes throughout the U.K. Tuesday Morning, including 11 in or near London, concluding a five-month investigation. The computers of the arrested men were seized. Also, a 15...

Israeli President invites Arab Leaders "to Come to Jerusalem" Monday, August 13, 2002 - 5:57 GMT DOHA, August 13 (AFP) - Israeli President Mosha Katzav invited Arab leaders "to come to Jerusalem" to find the means of achieving peace with Israel, in an Al-Jazera television interview Monday. "I invite the Arab leaders to come to Jerusalem and if they do not wish to come ... Israeli leaders are ready to go to any Arab Capital or city to find the means to achieve a beneficial and lasting peace with the Arabs," said Mr. Katvaz, whose role as President is honorary....

Dow 8,996.47 -113.32 (-1.24%) @ 12:04 EDT

2 NY Dems Propose Wall St. Reform Sun Jun 30, 7:16 PM ETBy MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Writer ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The two Democratic candidates for governor want to use the clout of New York state's $112 billion pension fund to reform Wall Street. Former federal Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo proposed on Sunday that firms in which the fund invests must disclose any conflict of interest. He also said the comptroller, who makes the fund's investments, should not make decisions on firms that contribute funds to the comptroller's campaign. Cuomo, the eldest son of former Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo,...

On Midway, a Delicate Balance Sun Jun 30,12:02 PM ETBy B.J. REYES, Associated Press Writer MIDWAY ATOLL (AP) - To World War II veterans, these remote islands one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo always will be known as the site where the fortunes of war in the Pacific shifted in favor of the United States. But ever since the Navy closed its air base here in 1993, more attention has been paid to the birds, turtles, seals and other wildlife that inhabited the atoll long before the military. Since March, when an environmental tour operator shut down, public...

Fire Crews Battle Fires Across Canadian PrairiesSat Jun 29, 9:06 PM ET PRINCE ALBERT, Saskatchewan (Reuters) - Firefighters in Saskatchewan battled nearly 180 wildfires across the province on Saturday, which have forced nearly 600 residents to flee their homes, officials said. In the city of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Social Services opened 300 beds at a community college for residents who have evacuated from the communities of Crutwell and Holbien, 20 kms (12.4 miles) west of the city, where two fires in the area merged into a single blaze. Firefighters and air force crews have been battling the blaze since Friday...

U.S. Agrees to Extend Bosnia Mission Sun Jun 30, 7:26 PM ETBy EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States agreed Sunday to keep the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Bosnia going for three more days, shortly after vetoing a six-month extension because American peacekeepers did not get immunity from the new International Criminal Court. Photos AP Photo U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte joined in the unanimous vote approving the brief extension to work out the dispute, after earlier going against almost all 14 other members of the powerful council. The 1,500-strong U.N. police training mission in...

Thursday June 27, 4:44 pm Eastern TimeReuters Business ReportStocks Rise; Data Soothe Raw Nerves By Haitham Haddadin NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks raced to their biggest gains in almost two weeks on Thursday, as raw nerves about the WorldCom accounting scandal were soothed by a government report that the U.S. economy grew faster than previously thought. Investors snatched up beaten-down shares after weeks of selling had put stocks at multi-year lows, and this gave the bulls firm control of the market late in the session after a tug of war with worries of more accounting chicanery in Corporate America in...

Thursday June 27, 9:28 am Eastern TimeReuters Business ReportGE's NBC Sees Pre-Tax Earnings Up 15 Pct. BOSTON (Reuters) - NBC Television, owned by General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE - News), on Thursday said it expects pre-tax earnings to surge 15 percent to $1.6 billion this year as the network capitalizes on top-ranked shows such as "Friends," which are driving ad sales at its stations. NBC executives gave the outlook during a presentation to analysts. They also said they expected pre-tax earnings of up to $1.9 billion in 2003. Conglomerate GE was expected to tell analysts during the presentation its second-quarter earnings...

Thursday June 27, 6:08 am Eastern TimeReuters Company NewsStudy says Omni cigarette causes fewer tumors in mice NEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - Tobacco holding company Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR - News) said on Thursday a study showed that its reduced carcinogen cigarette Omni caused "significantly" fewer tumors in laboratory mice than the leading national brand. Preliminary results were obtained from a study on 40 mice, which were treated with the smoke condensate of Omni, and 40 mice with the condensate of the leading national brand. Philip Morris Cos. Inc.'s (NYSE:MO - News) Marlboro is the leading cigarette brand in...

Staff Column: Kap's Commentary While we were sleeping Have you been following this? Last week, the campus shut down for spring break. Students celebrated their time off while vacationing, dreaming about bringing home the national championship title. But it was dangerous around the United States while we were sleeping (or doing whatever) over spring break. Our longstanding conflict with Canada became public, tossing aside comedic parodies of such a scenario, such as John Candy's movie, Canadian Bacon, and the song from South Park, "Blame Canada." The Canadians have apparently been sparring with the United States over who should have...