Free Republic

Lighters to be banned on airline flights 2 hours, 38 minutes ago By Kimberly Morrison, Knight Ridder Newspapers WASHINGTON - Airline passengers will have to ditch their lighters or lose them to airport security screeners when a new ban on lighters takes effect in April. The ban reflects Congress' fear that lighters could be used to ignite bombs on planes or otherwise damage or destroy them. The Transportation Security Administration until now had banned all but butane lighters and said each passenger could carry no more than two. TSA's new ruling extends the ban to all butane lighters, effective April...

The mortification of Iraqi prisoners by American military personnel at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad has been discomfiting far beyond the impact of the now-infamous images. Coupled with other reports about harsh post-9/11 tactics to garner information from captured terrorists, and with ongoing investigations into deaths alleged to have occurred in connection with interrogations, Abu Ghraib and the reaction to it have forced front and center a profound national evasion: the propriety of torture.

Congressman Waxman Urges Gov. Ridge, Sec. Of State Powell Take Immediate Action to Protect Americans—Letter in Response to VPC Report Warning of Tools of Terror Obtained by Osama Bin Laden Al Qaeda Terror Network Bought 25 Barrett 50 Caliber Sniper Rifles "Super Guns" Can Down Helicopters, Defeat Armored Limousines, Destroy Aircraft at Terminals, Ignite Fuel Tanks, From Over a Mile Violence Policy Center Report Documents Sale, Details Terror Potential WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Government Reform Committee, sent letters this week to the two ranking officials charged with keeping the United States safe from ...

Excluding overseas ballots for lack of a postmark violates federal law under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Federal law requires balloting materials to be carried FREE OF POSTAGE (see below). This means postmarks may not be required to move this mail and/or said postmarks may not contain a date. Florida officials excluding ballots carried free of postage are thus denying persons their right to vote under the above act. Such denial is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison. Either allow the overseas votes or summarily arrest Florida election canvassing board members who ...