Free Republic

Enlarge Image Deadly powder. New technology could help bomb-sniffing devices spot black powder. Credit: Lord Mountbatten/Wikimedia Commons The Boston marathon bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev reportedly purchased several pounds of black powder explosive before the bombing. Used in fireworks and bullets, the explosive substance is both deadly and widely available. It's also very hard to detect. Now, researchers have modified one bomb-sniffing device to accurately spot very small amounts of black powder, an advance that could make us safer from future attacks. Invented in China as early as the 7th century, black powder is a mixture of charcoal, sulfur,...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new bipartisan plan to reduce government borrowing would target some of the most cherished tax breaks enjoyed by millions of families — those promoting health insurance, home ownership, charitable giving and retirement savings — in exchange for lowering overall tax rates for everyone. Many taxpayers would face higher taxes — a total of at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade, and perhaps more. The details and impact of the plan, released this week by the bipartisan "Gang of Six" senators, emerged as President Barack Obama called congressional leaders to the White House on Wednesday to...

President Obama on Thursday will announce fewer budget cuts and for a lesser dollar amount than President George W. Bush did in his final budget - and is counting on being able to eliminate some programs that his predecessor repeatedly tried, but failed, to slash

SAN DIEGO – The Navy has scaled back plans to build an innovative but unexpectedly costly warship set to undergo testing in San Diego this year. In the budget proposed this month, President Bush called for acquiring two Littoral Combat Ships instead of the six previously forecast. Navy officials said they want to delay construction of more littoral ships so they have enough time to test the prototypes, the Freedom and the Independence. They plan to examine the prototypes for design advantages, versatility and high-tech features. The information they gather will be incorporated into any future model of the ship....

OAKLAND, CALIF. - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Year of Reform" is fast becoming a year of retreat. What began in January as an outsized agenda - encompassing a range of issues as arcane as redistricting and as controversial as merit pay for teachers - has steadily shrunk as a chastened governor is set back on his heels, stung by his own missteps and an increasingly emboldened opposition. Already, he has abandoned an initiative to privatize the state's pension system, as well as promises to drastically cut the bureaucracy in Sacramento. Now, he appears to be considering a plan to drop...