Free Republic

The revelation that the U.S. Department of Justice has been paying exorbitant prices for food and drink ($16 apiece for muffins and $8 a cup for coffee) at official functions sparked a heated exchange between Congressional critics and Administration officials. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) labeled the outlays “extravagant and wasteful. We’re in a recession. The budget is in a big hole. Families have to scrimp and save. What kind of a message does this sort of ‘lord of the manor’ attitude toward federal spending send?” Representative Frank Wolf (R-Va), who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Justice Department,...

Michael Richards exploded in anger as he performed at a famous L.A. comedy club last Friday, hurling racial epithets that left the crowd gasping, and TMZ has obtained exclusive video of the ugly incident.

Bagel Index Is Showing Inflation's Bite By Jim Jubak MSN Money Markets Editor 11/22/2006 Inflation isn't dead, despite the recent official government numbers. In fact, it's a bigger problem than the Federal Reserve admits publicly. Stagflation -- high inflation and low growth -- is still very much a possibility for 2007. How do I know? My bagel inflation index tells me so. Here's what happened to me one recent morning. As usual, I stopped off for a bagel and schmear after I dropped off my daughter at school. As usual, I handed over $2 and waited for my change. But...