Free Republic

The city of Racine, Wisconsin, failed to meet the state’s parity requirement for election inspectors, the Republican National Committee alleged in a lawsuit, claiming the city hired a disproportionate number of Democrats in the primary election last month. Attorneys for the RNC say the Racine city clerk allowed unaffiliated poll workers to be election inspectors rather than selecting individuals nominated by the GOP. Only nine of the 56 Republican election inspectors approved to work the Aug. 13 primary were hired by the city. And even though there were fewer Democrats approved, the city hired more Democrats than Republicans, according to...

The city Buildings Department has eliminated a quarter of its budgeted workforce since 2022 — and many of the jobs were held by inspectors who are supposed to identify issues with structures before a potential collapse. The troubling revelation surfaced Tuesday during a meeting of the City Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings — and panel Chairwoman Pierina Ana Sanchez said data shows that the DOB is falling behind in identifying problematic buildings as the number of inspectors falls. “We see the impact,’’ she said. In the first four months of this year, the DOB issued 2,225 stop-work orders —...

We are all familiar with the pending supply chain shortages and price increases. Not to pile on, but recently I was in contact with an insider whose family is in key positions in several poultry plants. We’ll call him “Elliott” to protect his identity. He would not let me name the plants his family worked for but did share that there were several, mostly in the midwest/upper south. Elliott laid out some of his evidence in a lengthy Twitter thread where he said the “current situation is more dire than most people think.” He even went so far as to...

The Allegheny County Health Department cited Al’s Cafe in Bethel Park and David’s Diner in Harmar late last week for serving meals indoors in defiance of the governor’s shut down order. The statewide restrictions, which expire Jan. 4, are aimed at stemming the current surge in COVID-19 cases. Inspectors visited both restaurants Thursday in response to complaints, according to the inspection reports. Both were ordered closed that day. Inspectors followed up Friday, when both restaurants were found operating and ordered closed again. Both also were cited for removing the county’s “closed” signs, inspection reports show. In addition, Al’s Cafe, on...

Washington - Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, is calling on internal watchdogs from across the federal government to investigate "any and all instances of retaliation" against federal whistleblowers who have reported alleged misconduct by President Trump. Schumer's request to the nation's 74 inspectors general, who serve as the internal watchdogs of federal agencies, follows the removal of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman from his job with the National Security Council. Vindman testified during the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump and participated in the July 25 phone call between the president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr...

Uber, the ride-hailing company, founded in 2009, began operations in San Francisco in 2011, and now has a presence in 449 cities worldwide. From its beginning with just a vision, the firm's market value, by recent estimates, now exceeds $60 billion dollars. Uber is just one of many new emerging businesses that are the result of applying new technology to the routine affairs of living. In this case, rather than needing to hail a cab or order one from a central office, you just connect with drivers through an app on your smartphone. When existing businesses find themselves threatened by...

Environmental samples have been taken at a sensitive military site in Iran, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday, citing "significant progress" in its investigation of Tehran's past activities. Such sampling is usually done by experts of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency. But IAEA chief Yukiya Amano says that Iranians carried out that part of the probe at Parchin. The transfer appeared to be part of a confidential draft agreement with the agency that allows Iran to gather its own samples. Inspecting the Parchin military site is a crucial part of the International Atomic Energy Agency's...

An apparent draft of one of the secret side agreements to the Iran nuclear deal indicates that Tehran will be permitted to use its own experts to inspect the Parchin nuclear site believed to have housed nuclear arms development. The Associated Press obtained the document, which an anonymous official described as a draft of an agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that does not differ much from the final version. The IAEA is the U.N. agency responsible for ensuring that Tehran abides by the stipulations in the finalized deal. The secret agreements between Iran and the...

  More insanity– UN IAEA inspectors will be forced to rely on nuclear samples provided by Iran. What a great nuclear deal. Great job, Lurch. Via Allahpundit: Jackson Diehl ✔ @JacksonDiehl Most interesting news of #Iran hearing: IAEA will have to rely on #Iran to take samples at Parchin and other sites for its PMD investigation

BLAND, Va. — Virginians who try to sell homemade food from their kitchens are feeling the heat from state and local inspectors.“I have to turn down my neighbors when they ask if they can buy pesto I make from my own basil plants,” says Bernadette Barber, a farmer in Lancaster, Va.And this isn’t just a rural phenomenon.In Arlington, government inspectors shut down a home-based soup maker, even though no customer complaints had been registered. Others have encountered similar fates, stripping them of needed income.Legislation served up for the 2015 General Assembly would turn the tables.HB 1290, sponsored by Delegate Rob...

An informant from the Planned Parenthood Keystone affiliate in Pennsylvania has slipped me some fascinating new documents. Recall Pennsylvania is the home of infanticide abortionist Kermit Gosnell, convicted in May 2013 of first degree murder in the deaths of three babies and involuntary manslaughter of a patient. In reality, Gosnell likely “snipped” the spinal cords of hundreds if not thousands of babies he aborted alive over three decades but was never caught. The state simply stopped inspecting abortion clinics “for political reasons,” according to the Gosnell Grand Jury Report. Gosnell’s heinous crimes were only discovered by accident when the FBI...

CAIRO, August 28 (Itar-Tass) - Evidence provided by eyewitnesses and people who suffered from a poisonous gas attack in the Eastern Ghouta region near Damascus obviously points to the fact that the neuro-paralytic gas sarin was used there by the paramilitaries of Syria’s irreconcilable opposition, Carla del Ponte, the former chief prosecutor of UN international criminal tribunals said in an interview with Swiss television Wednesday. Her words were cited by Surya al-Aan news portal.

EXCERPT "They are working very hard, under very, very dangerous circumstances," (U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon) told a news conference in The Hague where he was attending centenary celebrations for the Peace Palace. "Let them conclude their work for four days, and then we will have to analyse scientifically with experts and then I think we will have to report to the Security Council for any actions."

(Reuters) - United Nations inspectors should be given time to determine whether forces have used chemical weapons in Syria's civil war, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in The Hague on Wednesday.

UN experts are to destroy four plastic containers filled with mustard gas registered by previous UN disarmament inspectors and recently found north of Baghdad. Spokesman Hiro Ueki said chemical experts had visited the Al-Muthanna military site today to prepare for the destruction of the containers. Ten 155 millimetre artillery shells will also be destroyed. "The destruction process will begin tomorrow and is expected to (take) four to five days to complete," he said.

Western countries have long suspected Iran of misleading international inspectors over the extent of its nuclear program – and now a top Iranian official has admitted as much. In an interview with the London-based Arabic Al-Hayat daily, Fereydoun Abbasi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, said that Tehran had on occasion “misled” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors on a number of issues. “At times we submitted false information (to inspectors) in order to defend the nuclear facilities and our achievements, “Abbasi told the paper.” “We had no choice but to mislead the IAEA and other spies.” Abbasi also described...

When the recession squeezed Miami's budget in recent years, officials reached into funds raised for road repairs and other projects to plug the shortfall. Now, the city is paying a price. The moves triggered lawsuits and a federal investigation, in a brouhaha that holds ramifications for how municipalities nationwide maneuver around unprecedented money problems. Cash Flow View Interactive ..Cities and states across the country are using money designated for specific purposes—such as fixing roads or sewers—in order to fill financial holes elsewhere, according to public officials and records. The moves are exposing municipalities to controversy, as federal regulators and local...

To All My Valued Employees: There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your j What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests. First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against...

A uniform goal, no binding party alignment and no focus is lost from the main causes below. Focus on moving the conversation forward and bring in the 99 percent into the fold.

Need advice regarding home inspections. We will be purchasing a new build and are talking to a few sources for home inspection and I'm not sure what I should be doing. In previous buys, we got a final inspection but those homes were pre-existing. For a new build, we will have several opportunities to "preview" certain stages of the build primarily the foundation laying, pre-drywall, and pre-closing. This is a reputable builder in Norther Virginia that is providing a ten year warranty on structural/roofing, plumbing and electric. Should we have a structural engineer inspection, independent of the final home inspection...