Free Republic

A Cal Expo police officer was arrested by the FBI Friday on charges of falsely claiming he earned a Silver Star for gallantry in combat 18 years ago during Operation Desert Storm and then lying to FBI agents when confronted eight weeks ago. Eric Gene Piotrowski, who is charged under the so-called Stolen Valor Act, made an initial appearance Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dale A. Drozd, who ordered him released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. Piotrowski, 41, bought the medal and certificate via the Internet in 2007, and created a citation on a personal computer, according to a sworn...

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, reacting to a nationally famous make-shift tent city for the homeless spouting up in Sacramento, is ordering that it be shut down and its residents transferred to the state fairgrounds. The tent city, which has long existed along the banks of the America River, gained national attention last month when some of its recently homeless residents were featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. But it is only one of dozens, perhaps hundreds, which are now being erected around the country, according to The New York Times. Shanty towns and tent cities are not only popping up...