Free Republic

Important Supreme Court Decision Rejects UN High Court over US Treaty Obligations By Piero A. Tozzi (NEW YORK — C-FAM) A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision reaffirmed the right of the United States to govern its affairs in accordance with the US Constitution rather than specific provisions of international treaties. In the process, the Court rejected a directive of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Medellín v. Texas not only reaffirmed principles of sovereignty and self-government, but also undercut arguments of international pro-abortion activists that accession to international treaties requires nations to disregard domestic constitutional protections for the unborn. In...

Fast cars were what Flaherty, 21, was all about, his family said Saturday, which is why they aren't all that surprised that's how he and two of his closest friends -- Lucas Raymond Snyder, 21, and Amber Dawn Kowalski, 23, who each shared that penchant for speed -- died early Friday when the car they were traveling in crashed at more than 100 mph into a light pole at the corner of McCaslin Boulevard and West Cherry Street in Louisville. ----- Lorie Flaherty said it "really isn't a shock to any of us" that her brother died in a high-speed...

Ballots In Box Of Teacher Not Hers Mix-up likely due to last name, but voter fraud worries arise By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News October 18, 2002 West High School teacher Jennifer Portillo found two absentee ballots in her school mailbox Thursday. One was addressed to a Mary Portillo, the other to a Frank Portillo. The instructor said she had never heard of either person and neither had anyone who worked at the school. "What if?" Jennifer Portillo said she asked herself. What if she weren't honest and filled them out and turned them in? What if Frank and Mary...

Some Voters Seeing Double Multiple absentee ballot mailings puzzle officials By Peggy Lowe, Rocky Mountain News October 19, 2002 At least 15 voters have received two absentee ballots, and the Denver Election Commission is scrambling to figure out what went wrong. Voters who call the commission are told to shred their second ballot. "This sounds like Florida!" said Bonnie Niblack, a 74-year- old voter who lives in Capitol Hill. Officials think the error could be the fault of either the printer or the company that does the mailing, said Alan McBeth, a commission spokesman. But McBeth was quick to say...

Bilingual Feud Turns Fiery Arsonists burn car of leader behind Amendment 31 By John J. Sanko, Rocky Mountain News October 19, 2002 Rita Montero, a leader of the ballot initiative to scrap bilingual education in Colorado's public schools, said Friday someone torched her car while it was parked in back of her home. Denver fire investigator Craig McCann confirmed the incident. "It did happen, it was arson," he said. McCann declined to say how the car fire started, but said a garage door across an alley from Montero's car also was damaged. Montero, a former Denver School Board member, said...

War Drums CRISIS Magazine - e-Letter October 10, 2002 ********************************************** Dear Friend, First things first: I want to thank all of you for your support over the past few days as news of the sniper in the Washington, D.C. area has been unfolding. Life here has mostly continued as usual, but there's still a feeling of helplessness in the face of this fear. How, after all, do you protect yourself from a killer who shoots from 300 yards away? I admit, it's really hard to hear my daughter, Hannah (who's in middle school herself) ask me if it's safe for...

Chaput in running to replace Law Denver archbishop strong contender for Boston post By Jean Torkelson, News Religion Writer April 12, 2002 He's considered decisive, principled and scandal-free -- now Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput is being discussed as a credible candidate to succeed the shame-tarred Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston. "In many respects he's just what the doctor ordered," said Philip Lawler, editor of Catholic World Report, an international monthly news magazine. Speculation built Thursday that Law, who has resisted resigning despite a scandal over pedophile priests in his 2 million-member archdiocese, may now succumb after the latest revelation that...

Date: 2001-07-26 Pius XII Postulator Assails "Distorted" News Leaks Jesuit Cites "Irresponsible Behavior" by Some Historians VATICAN CITY, JULY 26, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Some Jewish members of a panel probing Pius XII´s wartime activities have "repeatedly leaked distorted and tendentious news" to the media and are guilty of "irresponsible behavior," a Jesuit historian charged today. Jesuit Father Peter Gumpel, the postulator of the cause of beatification of Pius XII, made his statement in a declaration authorized by the Vatican. "From the beginning of the work, some -- not all -- of the members of the Jewish component of the group publicly ...