Free Republic

Obama Admin Reworked Solyndra Loan To Favor Donor By MATTHEW DALY The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Obama administration restructured a half-billion dollar federal loan to a troubled solar energy company in such a way that private investors — including a fundraiser for President Barack Obama — moved ahead of taxpayers for repayment in case of a default, government records show. Newly released emails show that the Obama administration was worried about the financial health of a troubled solar energy company even as officials publicly declared the company in good shape. An email from a White House budget official to...

A little girl who has been blind since birth has seen her mother and father for the first time - at the age of four. Izabelle Evans can now see up to three feet in front of her after groundbreaking stem cell treatment in China costing £50,000. Parents James Evans and Hollie McHugh said nothing could beat the feeling of the first time their daughter looked into their eyes and said: 'mummy' and 'daddy'.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – US automaker Tesla Motors unveiled its state-of-the-art five-seat sedan here Thursday, billed as the world's first mass-produced, highway-capable electric car. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said the company, which last year released a breakthrough two-seater roadster, aims to have its sleek "Model S" sedan rolling off assembly lines by 2011. The futuristic zero-emission vehicle will be powered by lithium-ion battery packs capable of between 160 and 300 miles (257 and 482 kilometers) per charge. The car has an anticipated base price of 57,400 dollars but will cost less than 50,000 after a federal tax credit of...

A Belgian Shepherd dog called Storm has become the world's first pet to be fitted with a prosthetic paw.It is believed to be the first time that such an operation has been carried out and could provide hope for many humans. What makes the false limb special is that the dog's skin can grow into the metal. Storm, who lives in Oxshott, Surrey, had a leg removed when it became infected with an aggressive tumour earlier this year. The operation was carried out by Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Farnham, Surrey, who specialises in repairing the damaged limbs...

Release Date: Aug. 31, 2005 Contact: Will Dube (585) 475-4954 or wjduns@rit.edu Groundbreaking Research Sheds Light on Ancient Mystery RIT researcher creates new population model to help predict and prevent societal collapse A researcher at Rochester Institute of Technology is unraveling a mystery surrounding Easter Island. William Basener, assistant professor of mathematics, has created the first mathematical formula to accurately model the island’s monumental societal collapse. Between 1200 and 1500 A.D., the small, remote island, 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile, was inhabited by over 10,000 people and had a relatively sophisticated and technologically advanced society. During this time,...

SAN FRANCISCO – Oil refineries will have to cut the air pollution they generate while burning gases under a groundbreaking rule approved by smog regulators. The rule, which the Bay Area Air Quality Management District adopted Wednesday, is the first of its kind in the nation. Air quality officials throughout the country are closely monitoring it, and regulators in Southern California aim to impose similar restrictions later this year. Community groups in Richmond had long complained about flares, which occur when refineries burn excess gases. Air quality officials found that flaring spewed out eight tons of pollution a day, including...

NEW YORK — Developers of the Freedom Tower (search) will break ground on the 1,776-foot skyscraper at the World Trade Center site on July 4, The Associated Press learned Wednesday. "On July 4, as we commemorate the founding of our nation, we lay the foundation for our resurgence," Gov. George E. Pataki said in prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. "On July 4, as fireworks burst in the sky, ephemeral reminders of our liberty, we will begin to reclaim our skyline with a permanent symbol of our freedom."

President Bush helped break ground March 11 for a memorial honoring victims of the World Trade Center attacks, after reminding America to remain vigilant against terrorism and condemning yet another horrific terrorist incident earlier in the day in Madrid. The president made no official speech at the solemn groundbreaking ceremony for the new Sept. 11 memorial in East Meadow, N.Y., a Manhattan suburb on Long Island. The memorial will feature two semitransparent 30-foot aluminum towers, representing the twin towers of the World Trade Center, rising from a reflecting pool. It also will include a wall with the names of 281...