Free Republic

Federal officials are planning to roll out a new terror threat system in coming days, on the heels of new warnings about home-grown attacks. The new system would be the third major federal warning system in the years since Sept. 11, 2001, beginning with the original color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System, which was abandoned in 2011. The current National Terrorism Advisory System is meant to notify the public about an "imminent" or "elevated" threat to the country. However, it has never been used, in part because the bar for triggering an alert is too high, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson...

(CBS 11 News) AUSTIN -- Texas lawmakers are ready to pounce on the illegal immigrant issue when they start their next session in January. With the Democrats in charge in Washington, conservatives in Texas plan to put their imprint on a variety of issues ranging from abortion to school vouchers. Their biggest push by far, however, will be passage of a host of bills dealing with illegal immigrants, including one that just might challenge the 14th Amendment, which defines citizenship and requires states to provide civil rights to anyone born on U.S. soil. In Austin, Republicans began are heading...

An activist who successfully went over officials' heads to get senior citizens' property taxes frozen in Arlington and Tarrant County says he'll now turn his sights on illegal immigration. Dave McElwee said he will push for city ordinances that will prohibit employers and landlords from accommodating illegal immigrants with jobs and places to live. And he wants local law enforcement officials to cooperate with the federal government in a program that would authorize them to enforce immigration laws. "We're going to force these local officials one way or the other," McElwee pledged. "We're talking about every city in the county...