Free Republic

The Agriculture Improvement Act, known as the farm bill, is up for renewal this year and lawmakers will soon debate whether to extend key provisions that currently help 34 million people suffering from food insecurity in America. But in today’s divisive political environment, where 15 voting rounds are needed to elect a Speaker of the U.S. House, the likelihood that our leaders will reach a consensus on this important legislation, sadly, seems entirely unthinkable. The bill, which requires reauthorization every five years, historically provides funding for nutritional and anti-hunger programs for income-challenged Americans. The bill’s current term, which expires later...

Officials with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are prolonging mask rules for public transportation until April 18 even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said most citizens may ditch face coverings. According to a White House official, the CDC will collaborate with additional agencies regarding an updated “policy framework” as to when the rules may be lifted, NBC News reported Thursday. “The requirement was set to expire on March 18 after having been extended twice before,” the outlet said.

New Zealand’s government has extended its nationwide lockdown as COVID-19 cases grow around the world. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday said the nation's lockdown will continue until the end of August, adding that new data model shows the current outbreak in the country will peak within the next few days, the Associated Press reported. “We do need more information. We need more certainty. We don’t want to take any risks with delta,” Ardern said, referring to the highly-contagious variant. “If the world has taught us anything, it is to be cautious with this variant of COVID-19.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) picked two dates on the calendar — June 1 and July 1 — to repeal the remaining coronavirus restrictions, but she appeared to be leaving the door open on whether she will stick to the final one. On Tuesday, Whitmer was asked if she will potentially alter her order lifting remaining orders on masks, crowds, and restaurant capacity limits July 1, and she left the door open, WOOD TV reported.

Highlights of $205 billion Senate Finance panel measure extending tax breaks for individuals and businesses: _Alternative minimum tax: Extends for 2012 and 2013 relief from the alternative minimum tax for middle- and upper-income taxpayers. Cost: $132 billion. _Sales tax deduction: Extends through 2013 the deduction for state and local sales taxes in states without an income tax. Cost: $4 billion. _Tuition tax deduction: Extends a tax deduction of up to $4,000 for college tuition and related expenses. Cost: $4 billion. _Wind production tax credit: Extends and broadens to other renewable energy sources a 2.2 cent-per-kilowatt hour tax credit for wind...

Christine O'Donnell on Tuesday compared the "tragedy" of extending unemployment benefits to Pearl Harbor and the death of Elizabeth Edwards. "Today marks a lot of tragedy," O'Donnell, (Snip) "Tragedy comes in threes," O'Donnell said. "Pearl Harbor, Elizabeth Edwards's passing and Barack Obama's announcement of extending the tax cuts, which is good, but also extending the unemployment benefits."

“I’m going to stay open minded to it,” Landrieu said in an interview with FOX Business. “A one-year tax extension in this economy probably would be good. But we may not be able to afford it and there might not be enough concessions on the other side to make that happen, so we’ll see.” Four other moderate Senate Democrats and one Independent, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), have publicly called for extending the all of the Bush tax cuts into next year or longer. Senate Republicans, who favor keeping all of them permanent, said this week that other Democratic senators have...

RUSH: Sarah Palin was not finished. On Fox News Sunday, she said it was "idiotic" to let the Bush tax cuts expire. An interesting piece today in Newsweek magazine. Fareed Zakaria has a piece and E.J. Dionne -- no, it's not E.J. Dionne. Well, it might have been last week, but you know, the subject of whether the Bush tax cuts should sunset -- should expire in December or be extended for everybody -- is now the topic de jour. And it's fascinating to read both sides of this. I mean, there is literally no argument, no debate if you're...

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration supports extending three key provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire at the end of the year, the Justice Department told Congress in a letter made public Tuesday. Lawmakers and civil rights groups had been pressing the Democratic administration to say whether it wants to preserve the post-Sept. 11 law's authority to access business records, as well as monitor so-called "lone wolf" terrorists and conduct roving wiretaps. ... As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama said he would take a close look at the law, based on his past expertise in constitutional law....

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is leaning toward approving a proposal to temporarily hold two Army brigade combat teams in Europe rather than move them to the United States, a defense official said today. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, commander of U.S. European Command, has proposed a short-term solution that would keep a greater force presence in Europe to accomplish theater security engagement missions. “It’s not a request for an indefinite period,” Whitman said. Four brigades are currently based in Europe: 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, in Grafenwoehr, Germany; 173rd...

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A Senate committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would require drivers and all passengers to wear seat belts in trucks, SUVs and cars. After hearing emotional testimony from family members of those killed in crashes, the Senate's public policy committee voted 10-0 to endorse the bill. It now moves to the full Senate, which approved similar legislation last year before it was blocked in a House committee. The bill requires people in front and back seats to buckle up in all vehicles with seat belts, with exceptions for trucks used on farms. People who cannot wear seat...