Free Republic

A federal appeals court in New Orleans upheld the constitutionality of the all-male military draft system Thursday, citing a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said “only the Supreme Court may revise its precedent.” The case was argued in March and was the result of a lawsuit by the National Coalition for Men and two men challenging the male-only draft. Their arguments had been that the the 1981 case was decided at a time when women were largely absent from combat. There was no dissent in Thursday’s ruling from a three-judge...

PARIS -- Thousands of Parisian police guarded the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees and train stations on Saturday as part of emergency measures enacted in response to text messages and Internet postings that called for "violent actions" in the capital. In Lyon, France's third largest city, police fired tear gas to disperse stone-hurling youths at the historic Place Bellecour. It was the first time in 17 days of unrest that youths clashed with police in a major city. Hours earlier, authorities had announced a weekend curfew in Lyon, barring youths under 18 from being outside without adult supervision between 10...

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The Ku Klux Klan is seeking a permit to demonstrate its support for the Augusta National Golf Club's all-male membership policy during April's Masters golf tournament, authorities said on Friday. Col. Gary Powell of the Richmond County Sheriff's Department said he received an e-mail from a branch of the white supremacist group based in Georgia requesting an application for a permit to picket during the prestigious event at Augusta, Georgia. The group's intent "is to support the right of Augusta National to choose their members regardless of race, religion, sex or creed," Powell said. Augusta National has...