Free Republic

Was the Pentagon's exclusion of Obama foreign policy advisor Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, USAF (Ret.) from Barack Obama's planned visit with wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany the reason for Obama's cancellation of the visit?Piecing together the information being reported in various news outlets points in that direction.Der Spiegel first reported the story in a brief note on their live thread on Obama's visit to Berlin yesterday morning (EDT). Free Republic was the first to pick up the story. From there it was picked up by Hot Air, then spread through the blogosphere and into the the...

Diocese kicks off fund drive minus fanfare -- and a goal Albany -- Bishop's Appeal fell short of $6.8M target last year after clergy sex abuse charges surfaced In an apparent break from tradition, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany did not announce a goal for the 2004 Bishop's Appeal as the annual nine-week fund drive was launched at churches this weekend. The campaign, which fell short of its $6.8 million goal last year, usually kicks off with a flourish as church leaders show videos to help illustrate good works financed by donations from parishioners. This year the appeal by...

The Rev. John Minkler's death on Feb. 15 was ruled a suicide late Tuesday, bringing to a close nearly two months of fervent speculation in a Catholic diocese rocked by the clergy sex abuse scandal. Albany County Coroner Herman Thomas declined to describe what the reports specifically showed, saying only that based on them his office had concluded there was no foul play involved in Minkler's death. Based on the findings, Thomas said his office concluded that Minkler, 57, had taken his own life. By law, an autopsy report can only be distributed to the victim's family or the district...