Free Republic

“It used to be that only locals knew all the cut-through routes, but Google Maps and Waze are letting everyone know,” When population growth began to overwhelm a set of major intersections in his district, there was an increase of 45,000 cars a day on some residential streets, as app-armed commuters fought their way to nearby Interstate 85. In response, the city is posting signs to restrict left or right turns at key intersections. ____________________________ When the traffic on Timothy Connor’s quiet Maryland street suddenly jumped by several hundred cars an hour, he knew who was partly to blame: the...

Patricia M. Vroom is the top attorney for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in Arizona. When the Obama administration initiated its unilateral policy of “prosecutorial discretion”, allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. as long they have not yet been convicted of a serious felony crime, they found attorney Vroom too slow in authorizing the release of illegal aliens who had committed crimes in the U.S. but did not yet meet the administration’s high threshold for seeking deportation of such undocumented aliens. U.S. immigration law, as enacted by Congress pursuant to the Constitution, provides that any...

OS ANGELES (AP) — Some silken-haired beauties are eager sidekicks to motorcycle riders, wind whipping their thick locks as passers-by watch the wild ride with envy. That is until the slobber starts. These passengers are pooches — mastiffs, Labradors and Chihuahuas often clad in goggles and tiny leather jackets that fly along in blimp-shaped buckets attached to the side of motorcycles. They are set apart from other pets by speed instead of breed.

For decades, automakers have been on a quest to make cars quieter: an auto that purrs, and glides almost silently in traffic. They have finally succeeded. Plug-in hybrid and electric cars, it turns out, not only reduce air pollution, they cut noise pollution as well with their whisper-quiet motors. But that has created a different problem. They aren’t noisy enough.

LONDON - Environmentally minded British motorcycle engineers have produced a zero-emission bike that ticks all the right boxes except one - it's too quiet.So quiet in fact that its designers are looking to introduce artificial vroom to keep potential customers happy. Powered by a high pressure hydrogen fuel cell, the Emissions Neutral Vehicle (ENV) produces the equivalent noise of a personal computer fan belt. Not only is that distinctly wimpish in the eyes of many bikers, it could also be dangerous. Makers Intelligent Energy are looking at ways to produce an artificial engine noise that will alert people to its...

<p>HIGH POINT, N.C. – Furniture makers are hoping that NASCAR fans, with their passion for car numbers and sponsor logos, will transfer some of that brand loyalty to their living rooms.</p> <p>For $2,295, you can buy a black leather Jeff Gordon sofa, emblazoned with a big No. 24 - and shooting flames. That's from a High Point company called, appropriately, Racing Furniture, which offers a variety of NASCAR-inspired sofas and chairs.</p>