Free Republic

With half of California's navel orange crop destroyed by a cold snap, the wholesale price of the fruit soared Tuesday as agriculture officials warned that consumers will soon be paying more for other produce such as avocados, carrots and lettuce. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday declared a state of emergency in 10 counties hardest hit — even as state officials predicted that the frigid temperatures would continue in many agriculture zones through the weekend. Forecasters predict lows 7 to 10 degrees below normal this week, raising the specter of more crop damage. In the strongest sign of that the freeze will...

Fruity headache for cafe ownersBy Samantha Williams and Karina Dunger 03jul06 Cafe workers ... Julie Hanssens and Jodie Lee / Troy Bendeich BAD weather is set to affect the price of oranges after already crippling Australia's banana industry. The worst frost in 24 years has destroyed 40,000 tonnes - about 25 per cent - of the citrus fruit produced in southern Australia. "They won't hit skyrocketing prices of bananas but there will be some price hike due to the reduction of fruit on the market," Riverina Citrus CEO Peter Morrish said. Oranges currently sell for $2.50kg, with experts predicting rises...

Belgrade, January 25, 2006 Increased electrical power restrictions went into effect this morning in northern Kosovo and Metohija due to the failure of Block A, producing 120 megawatts, in the Obilic Thermoelectrical Facility. Internet service has also been interrupted by insufficient power availability. Nebojsa Aleksic, the director of Elektrokosmet, confirmed for the International Press Center in Kosovska Mitrovica that in addition to regular restrictions in effect until yesterday in northern Kosovo and Metohija according to a schedule of four hours on, two hours off, since this morning increased power restrictions have gone into effect in northern Kosovo and Metohija. According...

VITALY has tried being drunk and disorderly, disturbing the peace, even assaulting a friend — anything to get inside a Moscow police cell. Any other week, the 42-year-old vagrant would do anything to avoid the city’s notorious police. But with a cold front from Siberia pushing temperatures towards -40C – their lowest in more than half a century — getting arrested has become a matter of life or death. “At least it’s warm in a cell,” he said. “In this weather, if you can’t find a warm place to sleep, you die.”

Veteran UK broadcaster Sir David Frost is to join Arabic-language TV station al-Jazeera, the network has confirmed. Sir David is to appear on al-Jazeera International, the pan-Arab news network's new English-language channel, due to be launched next spring. The Qatar-based channel said Sir David, who broadcast his final Breakfast with Frost programme for the BBC in May, would be among the "key on-air talent". Sir David was quoted as saying he felt "excitement" about his new role. "Most of the television I have done over the years has been aimed at British and American audiences," he said. Distinguished career "This...

How many of you North Texans have picked up on this? Lib Former Congressman has been named a paid "contributor" at FOX News. Slimy, greasy DNC Chairman wannabe gets onto the FOX payroll. Whenever someone calls FOX News a "Right Wing" network rmember these names. Frost, Clift, Estrich, Ferraro, Beckel and Juan Williams just to name a few. However, for many of us, this one is partcularly obnoxious.

American Friends? HardlyBy Gordon LambFrontPageMagazine.com | June 5, 2003 When the first Quakers arrived in America in the late 17th century, they were thought of as heretics, sometimes witches and routinely bizarre. Theirs was a religion based on the ideas the individual is supreme, that the relationship between God and man is a very private affair not to be regulated by government or society, that temperance ("all things in moderation") is a noble way to live one's life. Above all, it prized peace and stated that violence should be avoided if at all possible.The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has mastered...

South Carolinian Donnie Fowler put it simply: “A Democratic Party without the South is a little bit like greens without the cornbread.” He made the comment at a meeting of party officials who gathered last weekend in Atlanta to grill candidates for the party’s highest position — chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Fowler, 37, a political consultant and son of a prominent South Carolina Democrat, is one of seven candidates seeking the job. “I did this out of frustration,” he said, after seeing the party commit the same mistakes of past defeats. Divided and battered by the second bitter...

PASADENA, Calif. - The Mars rover Spirit found a mineral linked to water during its exploration of the Red Planet, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said Monday. Scientists identified the mineral goethite in bedrock studied in the West Spur area of the Columbia Hills. Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, were sent to Mars to look for geologic evidence of a watery past. Both rovers, especially Opportunity, have found such evidence in their nearly year-long treks over the martian surface, but the goethite find is particularly important, a mission scientist said in a JPL statement. "Goethite, like the jarosite that Opportunity found...

WASHINGTON -- Defeated Texas Congressman Martin Frost is among potential candidates for chairman of the Democratic National Committee who are telephoning members about the situation, a leading Democrat said Monday. "The following candidates are making phone calls to DNC members -- Howard Dean, Donnie Fowler, Martin Frost and Leo Hindery," said Mark Brewer, party chairman in Michigan and president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs.

Incumbents who lost their bid for re-election: Georgia House 12. Republican Congressman Max Burns defeated by Democrat John Barrow Illinois House 8. Republican Congressman Philip Crane defeated by Democrat Melissa Bean Indiana Governor. Democratic Governor Joe Kernan defeated by Republican Mitch Daniels Indiana House 9. Democratic Congressman Baron Hill defeated by Republican Mike Sodrel New Hampshire Governor. Republican Governor Craig Benson defeated by Democrat John Lynch South Dakota Senate Class 3. Democratic Senator Tom Daschle defeated by Republican John Thune Texas House 1. Democratic Congressman Max Sandlin defeated by Republican Louis Gohmert Texas House 2. Democratic Congressman Nick Lampson defeated...

Ultra-left wing, liberal-up-the-wazoo, Texas Congressman Martin Frost has been caught cheating on his real estate property taxes. Once caught, Frost has said ALL TOGETHER NOW, "It was simply an oversight." Yep, that's what he said!! Oh, and of course, he'll pay back everything he owes, now that he has been caught!American patriot and brave but sensitive fighter of all things slimey, liberal and pro-Clinton, Texas Congressman Tom DeLay was able to help right a terrible inequity in Texas politics and redistrict the state's Congressional district. That forced leftie Frost to run against a normal American, Pete Sessions.It turns out that...

A momentous event occured last week and while it was mentioned here, I didn't see the analysis that it warranted.Ultra-left wing, leftie Congressman Martin Frost is running for reelection from Texas in a new district, one created by the corrective redistricting urged by American patriot and bipartisan champion, Texas Congressman Tom DeLay. Frost had been in a district, mostly black, that delivered him left wing votes every two years. He chose to move to a new district and is now running where blacks votes will be few and honest Republicans are many. He is desperate!! He is trying to look...

Disagreement over yard signs turns to full-scale battle between men vying for Dallas-area congressional seat By Chuck Lindell AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, August 18, 2004 The post-redistricting showdown between Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions and Democratic U.S. Rep. Martin Frost collapsed into a fit of name-calling and vitriol Tuesday, with Sessions' campaign labeled "immature" and Frost's tagged as "bizarre." What started as a snarky disagreement over campaign yard signs erupted into accusations of political dirty tricks and attempted intimidation, then erupted again when Frost's campaign revealed a 2-year-old police report indicating that Sessions had pulled up an opponent's yard signs during...

Martin Frost trying to shut down free discussion of public opposition to amnesty for illegal aliens This is a special request being sent to those of you who live in and around Dallas. You have an opportunity to help prevent Rep. Martin Frost (D-TX) from shutting down free discussion of public opposition to amnesty for illegal aliens. We need you to call Dallas TV stations to support them in their decision thus far to run ads decrying amnesties for illegal aliens. The stations are under great pressure to silence the ads. Your phone calls can keep this free speech...

Tom DeLay's redistricting may do in a 13-term Democrat.TEXAS REPUBLICANS wanted to accomplish several things last year, when they began redrawing the state's congressional districts. They wanted to increase the number of safe Republican seats to give them a majority. And they wanted to take revenge on, among others, 13-term Democrat Martin Frost. This they did by divvying up his shoo-in, 61 percent Democratic district. Now Frost is challenging incumbent Republican Pete Sessions for the newly redrawn District 32.Knocking off the wily former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman would be especially gratifying for Republicans. Frost was the chief architect behind...

Report: Criminal investigation of Rep. Frost launched 06/16/2004 By JIM VERTUNO / Associated Press Democratic U.S. Rep. Martin Frost is under investigation in Travis County for possibly using illegal corporate donations to help finance Texas legislative candidates. State Sen. Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, filed a criminal complaint against Frost, of Dallas, last month. He alleged Frost was engaged in activities similar to those Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has been investigating involving U.S. House majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land. Frost campaign spokesman Jess Fassler said Frost has done nothing wrong. The complaint alleged Frost raised corporate money in the...

The Congressional District 32 race between 13-term Democratic Congressman Martin Frost and four-term Republican Pete Congressman Pete Sessions will be the most competitive race in the nation, according to Congress Daily, a publication of National Journal. In its annual report on the top House races, Congress daily noted: "Thirteen-term Democratic Rep. Martin Frost and four-term Republican Rep. Pete Sessions are already slugging their way to the general. This battle symbolizes the culmination of partisan hatred over the redistricting battle and will be the most competitive in the nation. The publication also offered its thoughts on a number of other Texas...

Redistricting doesn't stop Democrats Thursday, January 22, 2004 The re-redistricting bomb that U.S. Majority Leader Tom DeLay dropped on white Texas Democrats in Congress was huge. However, all but two have filed for re-election anyway. Wouldn't it be ironic if several won? Ralph Hall of Rockwall switched to the Republicans, whom he'd been with for years in all but the initial after his name, anyway. And Jim Turner of Crockett decided not to run again. With $1 million in his campaign bank, he says he might run for governor or the U.S. Senate in 2006. But the main Democrats targeted...

<p>DALLAS — Democratic Rep. Martin Frost, gerrymandered out of his "safe" district by Texas Republicans in a recent redistricting, declared yesterday that he would move back to Dallas to oppose Republican incumbent Pete Sessions in the state's 32nd District.</p> <p>Mr. Frost, dean of the Texas congressional delegation — winding down his 13th term — predicted he would beat Mr. Sessions.</p>