Free Republic

The Republican National Committee has confirmed the roster for the second primary debate: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Former President Donald Trump will not attend, but will instead address striking auto workers in Michigan.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has chosen a finance director for his prospective presidential campaign, two sources close to DeSantis said on Thursday. Lauren Lofstrom, who served as finance director for Texas Senator Ted Cruz during his 2016 presidential campaign, is joining DeSantis' political operation and has begun meeting with the governor's allies to discuss fundraising strategies, said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. Others who have joined DeSantis' political operation include Jason Johnson, who served as Cruz's chief strategist in 2016, the sources said.

Climate Change: We can't stop terrorists from boarding planes with explosive undies, but the CIA has assets sufficient to monitor Arctic ice and look for signs of global warming? Is al-Qaida recruiting polar bears? One wouldn't think that the increasing polar bear population and the increasing rate of recidivism of former Guantanamo detainees released into the wild were related, but they are. At the urging of Al Gore, the administration is signing on to a plan to task vital intelligence assets to protect not the people of the United States, but the environment. The program, shot down by President Bush,...

LOS ANGELES - Special effects explosions, idling vehicles, teams of workers building monumental sets — all of it contributes to Hollywood's newly discovered role as an air polluter, a university study has found. The film and television industry and associated activities make a larger contribution to air pollution in the five-county Los Angeles region than almost all five other sectors researched, according to a two-year study released Tuesday by the University of California at Los Angeles. Although Hollywood seems environmentally conscious thanks to celebrities who lend their names to various causes, the industry created more pollution than individually produced by...

Complexity of war crimes case against ex-Yugoslav president convinced Iraqi prosecutors to condense Saddam charges THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Three years and eight months into the war crimes trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, the courtroom still crackles with explosive outbursts. ...The prosecution of Mr. Milosevic and 125 other people by the 12-year-old tribunal is creating a body of law that many legal experts say will serve as a guide for future war crimes tribunals worldwide. Iraqi judges and officials from war crimes tribunals newly established in Africa and the Balkans have consulted court officials recently.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Bleary-eyed negotiators at the World Summit were upbeat after reaching deals on climate change and trade, and worked into the early hours today to hammer out the final details of an action plan before world leaders took the stage. Delegates say they have now agreed on more than 95 percent of the 70-odd page plan for dealing with world poverty and protecting the environment. The head of the U.S. delegation, Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky, said she was "encouraged" by the progress made. "The process is not just about approving text. It's about working with developing...