Free Republic

Cagayan de Oro, Philippines — Military roadblocks are not common in the Philippines. But there are two of them now on the road from the airport to this scruffy agricultural and industrial hub on the island of Mindanao. They are the first signs a visitor sees of President Rodrigo Duterte’s new campaign to stamp out an Islamist rebellion that has smoldered here for decades, deterring investors and dampening economic growth. Mr. Duterte is bringing to the fight the same brutal determination he has shown in his battle against illegal drug use – a campaign that has killed around 3,500 people...

Scroll to the bottom to see the Video. These sure aren't the Scouts I know. The start of the report is "Young boys play games, hold competitions and do good deeds, all at the behest of Hezbollah."

U.S. expands warning to cover all fresh spinach Sep 16, 2006 — By Joel Rothstein WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumers should avoid all fresh spinach, regardless of whether it is pre-packaged, a chief U.S. food safety official warned on Saturday, saying the number of E. coli illnesses had passed 100. "We need to get a clear message to consumers," said Dr. David Acheson, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's director of food safety and security. "Some consumers may not be aware that spinach that may be available to them may have been pre-packaged," he said referring to loose spinach sold in...

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - The United States rushed to the defense of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Monday after a recently declassified 1991 U.S. military intelligence report linked him to powerful drug traffickers more than a decade ago. Both the State Department and the Pentagon delivered unusually strong statements in support of Uribe, who is a strong ally of Washington in the war on drugs. "We completely disavow the allegations about Uribe. It's not credible information," State Department spokesman Robert Zimmerman said Monday, noting that Uribe has a record of strong opposition to drug trafficking. "No conclusions can be drawn from...

CARLSBAD, Calif. - When police noticed Dina Dagy's family was spending $250 to $300 a month on electricity, they suspected a marijuana farm was flourishing under high-intensity lights inside their suburban home.What they found when they showed up with a drug-sniffing dog and a search warrant was a wife and mother who does several loads of laundry a day, keeps a dishwashing machine going, has three electricity-guzzling computers and three kids who can't remember to turn the lights out when they leave a room."It's hard to believe a high utility bill would be enough to issue a state warrant," said...