Free Republic

AULNAY-SOUS-BOIS, France, Nov. 4 - France's worst urban violence in a decade exploded for a ninth night on Friday as bands of youths roamed the immigrant-heavy, working-class suburbs of Paris, setting fire to dozens of cars and buildings while the government struggled over the violence and the underlying frustrations fueling it. The unrest, which has also spread to other parts of France with large North African and Arab populations, prompted the American and Russian governments to warn citizens visiting Paris to avoid its poor, outlying neighborhoods. France reduced train service to Charles de Gaulle Airport after two trains became targets...

Should Donald Rumsfeld Resign? Currently at 84% Yes. Go to it Freepers!

The most vile act ever! Sportal Controversial Wests Tigers winger John Hopoate has been suspended for 12 weeks after being found guilty by the NRL Judiciary of poking his fingers up the anuses of three North Queensland players. Accused of one of the most bizarre charges in the history of rugby league, or sport in general for that matter of fact, Hopoate was officially found guilty of 'unsportsmanlike interference'. NRL judiciary commissioner Jim Hall described Hopoate's case as the worst he had experienced in his 45-year involvement in rugby league. "I've never come across a more disgusting allegation than...

<p>CORONA, Calif. (AP) - A family who angered a waiter at a Norco Sizzler restaurant later was served a few dishes they didn't order: a gallon of maple syrup, raw eggs, and rolls of toilet paper across their lawn and shrubs. Wayne Keller, 37, wife Darlene, 40, and their two children, had their home and mailbox saturated Saturday with smashed eggs and maple syrup. Their yard was decorated with toilet paper, duct tape and plastic wrap.</p>

<p>SAN FRANCISCO - Investigators searching for a link between the bodies of a woman and an infant boy that washed ashore separately on the Richmond waterfront may find clues in an unusual medical phenomenon called "coffin birth."</p> <p>Coffin birth is a term used by coroners for a spontaneous birth by a dead pregnant woman.It occurs when the gas that naturally builds up in the abdomen and pelvic area of a decomposing body produces enough pressure to push the unborn baby through the birth canal and out the corpse.</p>

Can anyone hear the Iraqis talking and trying to dismantle the CBS Webcam? Faces appeared right in fron t of the camera. The sound just died. IT's laid on the ground! Stay tuned!

<p>MERCED -- Detective Curt Gorman is used to dealing with people who run afoul of the law. But not necessarily the law of gravity.</p> <p>Gorman figured the city had another murder early Sunday, when dispatchers called him at home and said someone had been shot in the back of the head.</p>

ESLIE H. GELB, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, watches international news obsessively, skipping from channel to channel. "I never watch a commercial," he said. He now considers Fox News Channel often to be a more reliable news source for international reporting than CNN or the nightly network news. Fox, he said, provides a "fairer picture, a fuller version of the different parts of the arguments" over world affairs. Mr. Gelb said he makes a distinction between Fox's news coverage and its opinion programs, like "The O'Reilly Factor," which he considers biased. But even here, he finds himself...

Letterman just took apart the democrats with his opening monologue. Some highlights from memory: "You know your party's in trouble when your rising young star is Frank Lautenberg." "It wasn't a total disaster for the Democrats; they retained control of 'The West Wing'." "Call me nostalgic, but wasn't it nice to see Walter Mondale come out for one last ass-whipping?" "People say the Republican candidates benefitted from the Bush bounce. That's not to be confused with the Clinton Bounce, which will get you landed in jail."

Shep Smith just reported sources say they are "positive" they have the sniper. Please delete this if this is redundant. It didn't look like it was. Thanks!

Clinton to be on Letterman tonight. For all those who like inflicting pain on themselves, or are hoping he'll make a complete fool of himself or go down in flames....come on board!

NEW YORK (AP) -- With a purposeful stride across her new studio toward the camera, Connie Chung opened a new era for CNN on Monday night with the debut of her prime-time news program. Chung was hired from ABC as part of CNN's strategy to develop news stars that can compete with cable news leader Fox News Channel. She's in the same time slot as Fox's biggest gun, Bill O'Reilly. ``I can promise you I'm not going to yell at you,'' Chung said. CNN built a new studio for Chung in midtown Manhattan, and she wore a burnt-orange suit to...

Is the National review web site down? I haven't been able to bring it up all day. Everything else seems okay. Just one person who confirms they can still get it would be helpful.

Smoke is rolling over Manhattan from a fire somewhere (I'm currently in Rock Center). We think New Jersey across the river. We get nothing on the news or web sites. Anyone know what it's about?

comprehensive review of the uncounted Florida ballots from last year's presidential election reveals that George W. Bush would have won even if the United States Supreme Court had allowed the statewide manual recount of the votes that the Florida Supreme Court had ordered to go forward. Contrary to what many partisans of former Vice President Al Gore have charged, the United States Supreme Court did not award an election to Mr. Bush that otherwise would have been won by Mr. Gore. A close examination of the ballots found that Mr. Bush would have retained a slender margin over Mr. ...

I'm at the top of Rockefeller Center and for about ten minutes there's been lots and lots of sirens outside. We are looking down and can see flashing lights on stationary vehicles on the surrounding streets. Anyone know what's going on?

I just hung up the phone after listening to George W. Bush. New York City Residents are getting a taped message from him endorsing Michael Bloomberg. I have to say this is a total surprise to me. I only hope he is doing the same thing for Schundler and Earley.

New Yorkers now believe that both Michael R. Bloomberg and Mark Green are qualified to be the next mayor of New York, amid signs that Mr. Green's contention that Mr. Bloomberg does not have the skills or experience to run the city has not taken hold, according to the latest New York Times poll. By a slight margin, more New Yorkers saw Mr. Green as having "the right kind of experience" to be mayor of New York than felt that way about Mr. Bloomberg, who is making his first run for public office. Mr. Green is also more heavily favored ...

Three of the Sept. 11 hijackers, Nawaf Alhazmi, Khalid Al-Midhar and Hani Hanjoor, lived in San Diego and had many contacts among persons active at a mosque in suburban La Mesa; others mingled with Muslim communities in Arizona and elsewhere in the U.S. However, if one American attorney has his way, law enforcement may not get the kind of free and spontaneous cooperation they might like from U.S. Muslims who may have information relating to the three's activities in this country. Attorney Randall Hamud has left slips of paper for La Mesa mosque-goers which "instruct the reader, in both English ...

Anyone know anything about a big explosion or tremor in Astoria, Queens, NYC a few minutes ago? I guess a number of buildings are being evacuated and the FDNY/NYPD are around. I just heard this on a friend from his cell phone.