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EAST POINT, Ga. - Video showed chaos unfolding in the city of East Point on Wednesday morning as hundreds of people waited for their chance to get federal housing assistance. Aerials from above the East Point Housing Authority showed a large group of people congregating around police cars and causing a scene as several people handed out applications. Mobs of people surrounded police cars, and FOX 5 has learned workers were handing out applications to the crowd, but they would only do so with police presence. Those in the crowd would receive an application, then fill it out and wait...

Well knock me down with a feather! On tonight's broadcast of the CBS Evening News, Katie Couric covered the controversy over Michelle Obama's luxurious 60 room Spain vacation during the continuing economic crisis.The report, which clocked in at a lengthy 2 minutes and 29 seconds, was made by Sharyl Atkisson from the White House and included graphics showing the cost of Michelle Obama's round-trip airfare to Spain on a government plane and the per diem cost for the estimated 70 Secret Service agents on the trip:• Transport on the Air Force version of a 757. That's $146,000 for the round...

This Thanksgiving weekend, the First Family did the same thing many Americans families did – catch a game. For the Obamas, the game of choice was basketball. The Beavers of Oregon State, where Michelle Obama’s brother Craig Robinson is the head coach, were in town to play the George Washington University Colonials last night. The game was a family affair with Barack, Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama as well as grandmother Miriam Robinson, arriving at the Smith Center shortly before the game began. Fans were required to go through airport-like security before entering the arena. While there was no official...

A thread with this title was posted about 10 years ago. The top choices were JohnHuang2 and kattracks (who sadly died of cancer a couple of years ago). My current favorites are governsleastgovernsbest for posting his great commentaries from newsbusters here (this is NOT an ad). I also like RobinMasters, he finds great articles to post. Also, kudos to Cindy for her relentless research. And of course, Jim Robinson who makes this all possible. This thread is dedicated to kattracks, a true friend of FR. May she rest in peace.

Transcripts of a tape made from an FBI wiretap shows Sen. Roland Burris promised to "personally do something" in response to an appeal for money for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign fund. The promise came in a phone conversation with Blagojevich's brother, Robert Blagojevich, who is head of the campaign fund. Burris repeatedly says how much he wants to be appointed to President Barack Obama's former Senate seat. In response to an appeal for money from the governor's brother Burris says: "I will personally do something." The transcript was released Tuesday as part of a motion by the U.S. attorney's...

LOS ANGELES - Want a skybox perch to see John McCain speak at the Republican National Convention, passes to hot GOP parties that week, pampering from the concierge and private wheels to tool around town? Want a chance to mingle with celebrities like Warren Beatty and Al Franken at the Democratic National Convention, and maybe even get face time with Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton? It's yours, for a price. Committees raising money for California delegations to the national conventions are asking wealthy donors to make six-figure donations in exchange for VIP-level treatment and seats to witness history. The...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". prolix \pro-LIKS; PRO-liks\, adjective1. Extending to a great length; unnecessarily long; wordy.2. Tending to speak or write at excessive length. Example sentences: It was a cumbersome book, widely criticized for being prolix in style and maddeningly circular in argument.-- Simon Winchester, "Word Imperfect", The Atlantic, May 2001 Greenspan, on the other hand, is given to prolix comments whose sentences are hung like Christmas trees with dependent clauses.-- John M. Berry, "Greenspan: A Man...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". refractory \rih-FRAK-tuh-ree\, adjective1. Stubbornly disobedient; unmanageable. 2. Resisting ordinary treatment or cure.3. Difficult to melt or work; capable of enduring high temperature. Example sentences: It's a head shot of Lucien Bouchard peering out of the dark, openmouthed, teeth showing, eyes glittering and appearing not to have shaved in a week. In another age, the shot might have been held up to a refractory kid with the warning, "The boogeyman will get you if...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". diablerie • \dee-AH-bluh-ree\ • noun 1. black magic : sorcery 2. a : a representation in words or pictures of black magic or of dealings with the devil b : demon lore 3. : mischievous conduct or manner Example sentence: "Gekic can be a dazzling pianist full of diablerie when he's in the mood...." James Roos, The Miami Herald, March 24, 2002 Etymology: Feeling devilish? Then you might be guilty of at least...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". enjoin \en-JOIN\, transitive verb1. To direct or impose with authority; to order.2. To prohibit; to forbid. Example sentences: While the Qur'an contains a number of references, some direct and some oblique, to the other four pillars, in only one place does it specifically enjoin fasting during the month of Ramadan: "O you faithful, fasting is ordained for you in the same way that it was ordained for those who came before you, so...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". impregnable \im-PREG-nuh-buhl\, adjective1. Not capable of being stormed or taken by assault; unconquerable; as, an impregnable fortress.2. Difficult or impossible to overcome or refute successfully; beyond question or criticism; as, an impregnable argument. Example sentences: During this destruction the villagers . . . relied on their ancient instinct for survival and retreated to the impregnable fortress of the mountain.-- Suheil Bushrui and Joe Jenkins, Kahlil Gibran: Man and Poet What Spinoza says of...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". slaver \SLAV-uhr; SLAY-vuhr\, intransitive verb1. To slobber; to drool.2. Saliva drooling from the mouth. Example sentences: The tiger was slavering. It was thirsty. Or maybe hungry.-- Eliseo Alberto, Caracol Beach Two ancient, lopsided wooden signs declared NO TRESPASSERS! and BEWARE OF GUARD DOGS! The latter featured a slavering Doberman frothing at the mouth.-- Meera Syal, Anita and Me Etymology: Slaver is probably of Scandinavian origin, perhaps ultimately from Old Norse slafra. The sentence...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". glabrous \GLAY-bruhs\, adjectiveSmooth; having a surface without hairs, projections, or any unevenness. Example sentences: How much more powerful then will be the effect -- next week? next month? soon enough -- when Gore, resplendent, clean-shaven, glabrous in his glory, returns from the dead! Radiant! Reborn!-- Lance Morrow, "Al Gore, and Other Famous Bearded Men", Time, August 16, 2001 We offered to the rebarbative Senator Patrick Leahy's demands on us amused resistance and the...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". pellucid \puh-LOO-sid\, adjective1. Transparent; clear; not opaque.2. Easily understandable. Example sentences: The prevailing atmosphere as one cruises Kukulcan Boulevard, the busy strip where most of Cancun's 122 hotels are clustered, remains that of an Orlando or a Las Vegas dropped intact next to pellucid Caribbean waters.-- Larry Rohter, "What's Doing in Cancun.", New York Times, March 8, 1998 In her scrupulous and pellucid prose, she appears to distance herself from the optimistic Californian...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". recusant • \REK-yuh-zunt\ • adjective refusing to submit to authority Example sentence: Several recusant senators refused to vote along party lines. Etymology: In 1534, Henry VIII of England declared himself the head of the Church of England, separating it from the Roman Catholic Church, and the resultant furor led to increased attention focused on people's religious observances. A "recusant" was someone who (from about 1570-1791) refused to attend services of the Church of...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". imprecation \im-prih-KAY-shuhn\, noun1. The act of imprecating, or invoking evil upon someone.2. A curse. Example sentences: After a while, he stopped hurling imprecations . . . and, as he often did after such an outburst, became quite remorseful.-- Wayne Johnston, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams Would he criticize an erring colleague? "I shall," Dirksen would promise, in a voice like the finest whiskey aged in fog, "invoke upon him every condign imprecation."-- Lance...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". inkhorn \INK-horn\, adjective1. Affectedly or ostentatiously learned; pedantic.2. A small bottle of horn or other material formerly used for holding ink. Example sentences: . . .the widespread use of what were called (dismissively, by truly learned folk) "inkhorn terms."-- Simon Winchester, "Word Imperfect", The Atlantic Monthly, May 2001 In prison he wrote the De Consolatione Philosophiae, his most celebrated work and one of the most translated works in history; it was translated ....

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". neologism \nee-OLL-uh-jiz-um\, noun1. A new word or expression.2. A new use of a word or expression.3. The use or creation of new words or expressions.4. (Psychiatry) An invented, meaningless word used by a person with a psychiatric disorder. 5. (Theology) A new view or interpretation of a scripture. Example sentences: If the work is really a holding operation, this will show in a closed or flat quality in the prose and in the...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". inculcate • \in-KUL-kayt\ • verb to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions Example sentence: More than anything, Don and Gloria try to inculcate in their children the importance of treating others the way they wish to be treated themselves. Etymology: "Inculcate" derives from the past participle of the Latin verb "inculcare," meaning "to tread on." In Latin, "inculcare" possesses both literal and figurative meanings, referring to either the act of walking...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". prescind • \pri-SIND\ • verb 1 intransitive verb : to withdraw one's attention2 transitive verb : to detach for purposes of thought Example sentence: If we prescind from the main issue for a moment, there is much to be gained by studying some corollary questions Etymology: "Prescind" derives from the Latin verb "praescindere," which means "to cut off in front." "Praescindere," in turn, was formed by combining "prae-" ("before") and "scindere" ("to cut"...