Free Republic

A new collection of transportation agencies and universities is taking one small step toward transforming the Rust Belt into a place associated with the future instead of the past. Eleven agencies and institutions located in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have formed the Smart Belt Coalition, which will spur joint efforts on the testing and deployment of autonomous and connected cars. The collaboration comes on the heels of a legislative overhaul of Michigan regulations last month, which have been relaxed to spur the testing of self-driving technology on the state’s public roads. Ohio and Pennsylvania do not have laws on the...

What the net-neut obsessives refuse to recognize is that anticompetitive intent isn't worth worrying about if an anticompetitive result isn't possible. If AT&T were "double-dipping," or charging sender and recipient for the same data, as some allege, its rivals would quickly copy its innovation and compete away any excess revenues. If AT&T were to degrade websites that don't pay up, its rivals would pounce and steal AT&T's dissatisfied customers.

LightSquared made it clear on Friday that it's not going down without a fight. The FCC's decision to stop it from launching its wireless network violated its constitutional rights, it said, vowing to find a way to move forward. "I want to make one thing clear: We are not going away," LightSquared regulatory affairs executive Jeff Carlisle said during a call with reporters. "We know there's too much at stake here to just walk away." After LightSquared was unable to fix major problems with GPS interference, the FCC decided last month to void LightSquared's waiver for its wholesale terrestrial-satellite LTE...

Last week, President-elect Barack Obama's call for a delay in the Digital TV transition, long scheduled for February, sent tech and telecom firms into a tizzy. Both Verizon and the Consumer Electronics Association have been pushing back hard against any postponement of the move from analog to digital broadcasting, while AT&T has joined the Consumers Union and several prominent Democratic legislators in supporting the call to give the troubled transition more time. Among those with a vested interest in the debate over a DTV delay is Clearwire, which has been racing to deploy its 4G WiMAX networks ahead of competitors...

COLOMBO, May 16 (Reuters) - A loud explosion shook a commercial quarter of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Friday, a military spokesman said. "There is an explosion near the Hilton Hotel," said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, adding there were no details of any injuries or damage.

I’ve been saddened over the past year watching my fellow Republicans let the ultra-conservative wing take the party off course. Other moderates like me want smaller government with local control and good effective solutions to the problems that confront our communities. The far right appears to be focused on establishing power and control. Chris Stevens was out campaigning at the League City SportsPlex the evening of Feb. 28 and I had the opportunity to meet him and explore some of his beliefs. Tax cuts, vouchers for stay-at-home schooling moms and forcing local schools to spend 75 percent — rather than...

Washington Post Editor-- As a military verteran, I am starting a grass-roots campaign that I plan to spread throughout the entire Washington DC metropolitan area: that is to have every single service member and veteran that currently receives the Post to UNSUBSCRIBE as a direct result of your callous, disrespectful decision to publish Mr. Toles' editorial cartoon on 29 January 2006. To place a wounded American soldier in the context of that cartoon was nothing less than a raging insult and a spit-in-the-face to every military member that has fought, is fighting or will fight for democracy. Can you even...

Saying her First Amendment free-speech rights have been violated, a Florida teacher says she plans to sue the Orange County School Board after being suspended without pay when a Spanish-language newspaper printed a letter she wrote to a U.S. congressman complaining about the impact of foreigners on the nation. WND Exclusive BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS Teacher 'demonized' over letter to politicians Says she'll sue after Spanish paper prints note complaining about foreigners Posted: September 20, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Ron Strom © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com Saying her First Amendment free-speech rights have been violated, a Florida teacher says she plans to...

We cannot express the kindness that our adopted family and neighbors of Lubbock have shown to the people of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. We appreciate all the love and kindness that you have shown us. Especially, the mayor of Lubbock, City Councilmen, senator representatives, doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, volunteers, American Red Cross officials, and all the people of Lubbock who have shown the people of New Orleans that the people of Lubbock do truthfully live as one big family. In addition, we appreciate the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock Fire Department, EMS Services, all charitable associates, ministers who...

Walter Reed 'vigils'     Your description of CodePink: Women for Peace's activities outside Walter Reed Army Medical Center is wrong ("Abusing wounded heroes," Editorial, Wednesday). We do not hold anti-war demonstrations outside Walter Reed; we hold weekly vigils that draw attention to the plight of soldiers and call for more support for veterans. We believe the vigils have helped achieve positive results for injured soldiers, such as greater Veterans Affairs funding and a rollback of attempts to make soldiers pay for their own meals and phone calls.     We often receive encouragement for the vigil from wounded soldiers, their families and Walter...

Friday September 2, 2005 Alberta Christian Pastor Hauled Before Human Rights Tribunal For Letter to Editor on Homosexuality Will not pay fines or write apology should decision go against him RED DEER, Alberta, September 2, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Currently Reverend Stephen Boissoin, a young Albertan pastor who spearheads a youth ministry that makes hundreds of weekly contacts with at-risk youth, is in the process of learning Arabic so he can better minister to the many Muslim youth who he says come to his centers. And with a wife and two children of his own, in addition to his full-time ministry,...

The myth of the heterosexual family August 15, 2005 DONOVAN SLACK'S Aug. 12 news story ''Thou Art No Romeo" reveals a great deal about our culture's commitment to sustaining the myth that the heterosexual nuclear family is the only acceptable unit for adult couples, despite evidence to the contrary. The story discloses that the beloved and deeply partnered swans at the Public Garden are (gasp!) both female. Although homosexual behavior is well documented among animals, a person in the story describes these two swans' behavior as ''lunacy." Which is crazier, accepting basic facts or attempting to deny evidence that the...

It will be interesting to see how Sen. Hillary Clinton votes..........My guess is that she will vote to confirm because she wants to act so sickeningly presidential. Of course, she will offend the leftists, but they will go along with her because they figure she's the only one who has a chance to beat a conservative. Richard Proud Parachute, Colo. **** Last week, Sen. Chuck Schumer boasted that he was ready to go war against USSC nominee John Roberts. Apparently he is against the war with terrorists, but for the war on conservatives. Bill Yermal Oxford, N.J. **** Roberts brings...

In a barrage of recent letters to editors across the country, ordinary Americans are rejecting the PC talk of "moderate" Muslims and Islam being a "religion of peace." Cracks in the dam are spreading and widening. A massive terror attack will blow it wide open. And then, the deluge. Here's hoping "moderate" Muslims will help us keep it from happening. Letters to the Editor (various publications): ------ CA: Muslims Have Forfeited Rights as Citizens Contra Costa Times, 7/21/05 http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/ In my view, adherents of the Muslim religion have forfeited their right to be accepted as loyal citizens of the United...

THE ISSUE: A law banning inquiries about the immigration status of New York City street vendors. ***** Mayor Bloomberg has betrayed all the legal residents of New York City — citizens and legal immigrants alike — by signing a bill allowing illegal aliens to obtain street-vending licenses ("Council OKs Cindy's Pet Project, June 24). Too many politicians act as if New York City is obliged to make it easier for foreigners to violate America's immigration laws. This misguided bill spares would-be vendors the inconvenience of being asked whether they actually have a legal right to work in the U.S. We...

From The NYT Letters to the Editors page, Saturday, July 16, 2005: Sharp Elbows and Karl Rove (3 Letters) To the Editor: By now we all know that American politics is a contact sport and that Karl Rove is no Boy Scout. However, it is also equally obvious to me that the Democratic machine is using his alleged involvement in the leaking of Valerie Plame's identity for pure political gain. The feigned outrage and pseudo-moralizing are just too much. Let's get one thing straight: neither Democrats nor Republicans are more virtuous than the other. To insinuate otherwise is to stretch...

As a widow on a very tight budget, I am utterly appalled by your callous editorial, "Put PBS Out to Pasture" (June 26). After my husband died last year, cable TV became a luxury I could no longer afford, so I said a reluctant farewell to MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News et al. Now PBS picks up the slack — and for once I can honestly say that my tax dollars are well spent. Sharon Rutman Far Rockaway ***** If conservative Republicans had their way, there would be no "public" anything. Everything would be privatized to benefit the greedy at the...

I am confused by the rhetoric of the president and his conservative Christian supporters regarding support of our military personnel, how brave they are, and what cowards are the Iraq insurgents (whatever that means). It seems to me that people who volunteer to learn to become indiscriminate killers on command, who wear body armor and hide in armored vehicles, who use Star Wars-type weapons against anything, cannot be compared in bravery and valor to individual people strapped with explosives who want to kill foreigners who want to change and control their way of life. Something like the U.S./Indian wars of...

The recent incident in Bent Tree, a Sarasota subdivision, shows that the words and policies of President Bush are driving our young people to the brink of insanity. One of the boys who burned American flags was quoted as saying he did it because he hated America. I doubt that he meant he hated Bent Tree. More likely, he hated a country that tortures its prisoners, stubbornly resists efforts to slow global warming and saddles each of our newborn grandchildren with a $150,000 debt to the Chinese. For years, we taught our children that they were lucky to be Americans...