Free Republic

LAPORTE — Law enforcement in LaPorte County is preparing for the possibility of an already-congested and dangerous U.S. 20 being overrun with more semi-trucks as drivers avoid the 35 percent cost increase of traveling the Indiana Toll Road. Much of that stretch of highway being down to one lane in each direction for resurfacing adds to the concerns. LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd said he’s reached out to Indiana State Police to help patrol U.S. 20 if an increase in truck traffic becomes too much for his staff to handle alone. “We’re going to prepare for it,” Boyd said. “We’re...

Agency watchdogs are up in arms over a Justice Department memo questioning the legality of turning documents they say are crucial to their investigations. The new policy protecting certain portions of sensitive documents — announced last month by the DOJ’s office of legal counsel — came under fresh fire from lawmakers during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. Lawmakers in both parties, including the top Republican and Democrat on the panel, disagree with the policy shift, saying it goes against the specific intent of the Inspector General Act of 1978. The law specifies that inspectors general have access to...

The Bureau of Meteorology says Cyclone Ita, the category-five system bearing down on the far north Queensland coast, is showing no signs of weakening. The weather bureau says Ita has slowed down as it heads towards the coast and should make landfall between Cape Flattery and Cooktown around midnight. The bureau says the cyclone has very destructive winds of up to 300 kilometres per hour near the core. Cooktown resident Ivan Juff says locals are nervous but he has decided to stay put. "I've seen what Cyclone Larry and all those did, and this is up there with them ......