Free Republic

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Washington, D.C. Thank you all. (Applause.) Please be seated -- si ntese. Buenas tardes. Gracias por la bienevenida. For those of you not from Texas, that means, good afternoon. (Laughter.) And thank you for the welcome. I'm honored to be back again with the men and women of the Hispanic Chamber. I appreciate your hospitality. I'm pleased to report the economy of the United States is strong, and one of the reasons why is because the entrepreneurial spirit of America is strong. And the entrepreneurial spirit of America is represented in this room....

MATUCANA, Peru (AP) — Matucana's mayor is a worried man. The Shining Path rebels who terrorized Peru decades ago are back, moving across the jungle-draped slopes near his remote village and recruiting young fighters to their born-again insurgency. And unlike before, the rebels have almost unlimited financial support. Earning cash by protecting coca fields and cocaine-smuggling routes, they are able to buy powerful weapons and pay salaries to men and women who take up arms against the government. It is a nightmarish prospect for Peru, which saw nearly 70,000 people killed from 1980 to the mid-'90s in the Shining Path's...

Volcano erupts in Chile, covering area in ash By Matthew Moore and agencies Last Updated: 1:50pm GMT  02/01/2008 A volcano has erupted in southern Chile, sending a column of smoke miles into the sky.Telegraph TV:Tourists and park workershave been forced to flee ^ Lava is spurting from the mouth of the active Llaima volcano, in the Conguillio National Park, and the surrounding area is covered in ash. More than 150 tourists and park workers have been evacuated and the emergency services have been placed on "early alert" should tectonic activity increase. There are no reports of any injuries. Before...

The nineteenth day of May, 1780, began in New England like any other pretty, late-spring morning. Fruit blossoms dangled heavy in the warm, newly risen sun. The scent of nectar brought drowsy honeybees from their straw hives. The dawn chorus of songbirds chirped and echoed across the sleepy countryside as farm laborers yoked their horses to heavy wooden ploughs and carts ready for the day ahead. But by mid-morning the pastoral calm would be turned on its head. Laborers and schoolchildren would be scurrying home for shelter. By noon, birds would be roosting in the trees and bats would be...

Solar-modulated cosmic rays affect cloud cover. With fewer clouds, and therefore less rain, maximum sunspots should cause the dust level to rise. During high volcanic activity, dust levels rise even in the absence of high sunspots. With fewer clouds, and therefore less rain, sunspots should cause levels of atmospheric dust to rise. UNIVERSITY AT Buffalo scientists working with ice cores have solved a mystery surrounding sunspots and their effect on climate that has puzzled scientists since they began studying the phenomenon. The research, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, provides striking evidence that sunspots — blemishes on the...

A volcanic eruption in Villarrica, central Chile, prompted evacuations of nearby towns and cities and emergency meetings of officials, local media reported.