Free Republic

CHICAGO (AP) A bus driver for the Dave Matthews Band pleaded guilty Wednesday to dumping 800 pounds of human waste from the vehicle's septic tank onto a sightseeing boat on the Chicago River last summer. The driver, Stefan Wohl, was sentenced to 18 months probation, 150 hours of community service and the maximum $10,000 fine, which will be paid to Friends of the Chicago River, said Tom Stanton, a spokesman for the Cook County State's Attorney's office. Wohl, 42, of Selma, Texas, pleaded guilty to the original charges filed against him in January, reckless conduct and discharging contaminates to cause...

One year later, we see how Sept. 11 has changed us. We have gone from hope to fear. Millions of us will pray on Sept. 11, even as others will be planning for a new war--a pre-emptive war on Iraq that is driven not by a new attack on the United States but by our new sense of vulnerability. Before 9/11, hope abounded. We invested more, consumed more, risked more because of that hope and the resulting prosperity. Since 9/11, fear spreads. Our budget priorities are driven by fear--record increases in military and intelligence spending, while children are left behind,...