Free Republic

The Federal Reserve has reversed its decision that originally forced a small Oklahoma bank to remove from its premises and website Bible verses, crosses, and Christmas buttons. The reversal occurred after national outcry and a letter from two Oklahoma lawmakers who charged that the decision may be unconstitutional.

It's that time of year - snow on the ground, Christmas trees being decorated, shoppers angling for the best deals and the annual repeat of classic films like "Miracle on 34th Street". It's also the time of year when government grinches and ACLU attorneys are on the prowl for anything that might suggest a religious meaning to the Christmas holiday. After all, it is only the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and these all-knowing and all-caring bureaucrats and lawyers want to protect us from anything that might cause offense. Earlier this week, Federal regulators ordered a bank...

Federal authorities will consider whether to designate another delta fish for protection under the Endangered Species Act after a sharp population decline last year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday it will review the status of the longfin smelt to determine whether it is a threatened or endangered species. The 4 inch-long fish is native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Last year it registered its lowest population count in four decades of monitoring. Environmental groups had requested a review in August. The longfin's cousin, the Delta smelt, has been listed as a threatened species since 1993.

Seafood lovers who like their grouper fresh off the fishing boat could be in for some disappointment at the dinner table. A new grouper quota is prompting federal fisheries regulators to close down commercial grouper fishing in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico starting at 12:01 a.m. Monday, cutting off the Gulf supply of the Southwest Florida favorite until Jan. 1. Seafood dealers say grouper still will be available at fish markets and restaurants, but it will take longer to get it there from the Atlantic Ocean or Mexico and it might cost more. How fresh will it be?...