Free Republic

Even though inflation is still higher than ideal, many things are actually getting cheaper. But perhaps not the ones most Americans want. The prices of durable goods, meaning long-lasting items such as used cars or appliances, have fallen year-over-year for each of the past five months. Data released Thursday by the Commerce Department showed prices for such goods were down 2.2% in October compared with the year prior. Some economists estimate the fall in goods prices could bring inflation back to the Federal Reserve's 2% target by as early as the second half of 2024. One inflation gauge, the personal...

As a committee of city government called Thursday for taking down four controversial statues that celebrate Confederate officials and a white supremacist group’s violent fight against a biracial state government during Reconstruction, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office said it is looking into whether he can use the power of his office to keep the monuments in place. The monuments, including the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee atop the column at a St. Charles Avenue traffic circle, should be taken down under an ordinance that allows the City Council to remove public statues that celebrate racist ideologies or are likely to...

Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer reiterated her support for Arizona’s senior Sen. John McCain yesterday. Brewer, who in February endorsed McCain in his primary battle against Rep. J.D. Hayworth, told Fox’ Greta Van Susteren that the race is tough. “It's interesting. Sen. McCain, of course, has represented the state of Arizona for a long time. And J.D. Hayworth has served in Congress for eight years,” the governor said. “I believe philosophically, they're different breeds of politicians. And people will just have to make that decision. I've known Sen. McCain for a long time, and I think he's served Arizona well.”

Here is video of a short part of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, which he delivered in Oslo, Norway today. In this clip, Obama defended the necessity of war at times, and even came right out and said "a non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies." President Obama should be commended for making the case for "just war" in front of a European audience that may have been shocked (as shocked as we are) to hear him make that case, and even defend the role of the United States in underpinning post- World War II stability with...