Free Republic

Shocking, isn’t it? But good on the Washington Times for exposing the money grab behind the “public safety” campaign to mandate the devices for first-time DUI offenders. A bill that would withhold up to 5 percent of each state’s highway funding unless that state requires such as device in the cars of all convicted drunken drivers was introduced in the Senate in February by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, New Jersey Democrat, and last month in the House by Rep. Eliot L. Engel, New York Democrat. For the past 18 months, lobbyists for “ignition interlocks,” as they are called, have jockeyed...

At 285 pounds and 5 feet 7 inches, I may not be the tallest, but I am almost always one of the biggest passengers on a plane. That’s “one of”: as anyone with even the most tangential relationship with news headlines over the last several years knows, Americans are getting fatter and fatter. .. “How many kilos you weigh?” asked a customs officer at Ho Chi Minh Airport when I visited Vietnam a few years ago. “Is that a question on the form?” I responded, slightly unnerved. Smiling, she told me no. She was apparently just curious. After giving me...

Contemporary parents are dazed and confused, and their children are suffering, writes Miranda Devine. It is clear from the extraordinary success of Channel Nine's Monday-night program Supernanny that Australian parents are suffering a crisis of confidence in their child-rearing skills. And judging by a study released this week by the Australian Childhood Foundation, insecure mums and dads are crying out for guidance on how to control the brats who rule their lives. The study revealed that 38 per cent of parents surveyed say parenting does not come naturally and 63 per cent are "concerned about their level of confidence as...

Fur flies over flier: PETA targets ‘Nutcracker’ kids By David Weber Wednesday, December 17, 2003 Animal rights advocates will single out small children at performances of ``The Nutcracker'' in the next few weeks by handing out fliers saying ``Your Mommy Kills Animals'' to youngsters whose mothers are wearing fur. ``Children can't look up to a mom in a battered-raccoon hat or a crushed coyote collar,'' said Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. ``Maybe when they're confronted by their own children's hurt looks, fur-wearers' cold hearts will melt.'' The fliers include a color drawing of a...

<p>AUGUSTA, Maine -- After months of delay, legislative leaders have given the green light to a privately funded study of Maine's obesity problem.</p> <p>The study, funded by $7,280 raised by the Maine Cardiovascular Health Council, will examine why Mainers -- especially children -- are growing fatter than ever and what can be done to reverse that trend.</p>

Cigarette maker sponsors races in Delaware, where soon indoor smoking will be illegal Staff photo/John King John Wunder Jr., left, and his father, John, were visiting Dover International Speedway Saturday from Philadelphia. The smokers said Delaware's recently passed antismoking law will not deter them from at-tending races in Dover. By Joe Rogalsky, Staff writer DOVER - During the NASCAR events this weekend at Dover International Speedway, the presence of Winston brand cigarettes cannot be missed. Winston, owned by R.J. Reynolds, sponsors NASCAR's top series - the Winston Cup. Around the outside of the facility, workers invite smokers to take a...