Free Republic

12 years before Joe Biden made her the Border Czar, San Francisco DA Kamala Harris let illegal immigrant drug offender clear their records in order to protect them from deportation. Let's repeat that: Kamala Harris made a special effort to make sure that illegal immigrants who COMMITTED CRIMES in America got to stay here. Thankfully, the press can't delete newspaper front pages from 15 years ago. [Front page report at URL]

The California Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Proposition 22, the voter initiative that allows Uber, Lyft and other gig economy companies to classify drivers for their ride-hailing and delivery services as independent contractors rather than as employees. In a unanimous decision released Thursday morning, the state’s top court rejected claims brought by a group of drivers and unions that the law is unconstitutional because it interferes with lawmakers’ authority over matters dealing with worker compensation. The ruling, which was expected following a lopsided hearing in the case in May, marks the end of a years-long legal fight over Proposition 22,...

Gov. Gavin Newsom is ordering state agencies to begin sweeping homeless encampments on public property, using newfound authority after the U.S. Supreme Court’s OK last month. In an executive order expected to be issued Thursday morning, the governor directs agencies to remove encampments that pose a risk to “life, health and safety.” The order could impact tens of thousands of people living in tent encampments across California. The latest count showed roughly 180,000 people in the state were living without shelter on any given night. The Newsom administration has invested $24 billion in recent years to try to shrink that...

Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation in the House Chamber today was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States. Many of us who love Israel spent time today listening to Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings. These families are asking for a ceasefire deal that will bring the hostages home – and we hope the Prime Minister would spend his time achieving that goal.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) mounted a silent protest during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday, holding up signs that said “Guilty of Genocide” and “War Criminal” during his address. Netanyahu, who was received with a standing ovation, began his address by acknowledging the Israeli hostages and their families, and by honoring Israeli soldiers in the gallery, — including Ethiopian and Muslim soldiers, and soldiers who, though wounded, returned to the fight. He rebuked anti-Israel protesters, alluding to the thousands who had gathered outside the Capitol, noting that they stood with Hamas and with “evil,” and noting...

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuedsay that attacks claiming Vice President Harris was hired as part of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is “stupid.” “I would say, two attacks I’ve heard Republicans give that are totally stupid and dumb to do is the DEI attack, okay?” McCarthy said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press NOW.” “The other attack that I would not do is saying that the president has to resign,” he added. “That would be an advantage for Kamala.” Harris is likely to replace President Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, after the incumbent...

Conservatives have a strong case against Vice President Kamala Harris if they can avoid salaciousness and frame the issue properly. On Sunday, according to The San Francisco Standard, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown held an impromptu news conference outside a restaurant in which he endorsed Harris as President Joe Biden’s replacement at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket. To put it mildly, Harris could have done without Brown’s endorsement. The establishment media, of course, will gloss over important details of his history with the vice president. For instance, the Standard noted merely that Brown “dated Harris when she...

PA State Police Commissioner Testifies on Assassination Attempt on Fmr. Pres. TrumpColonel Christopher Paris, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Patrick Yoes, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, testified on the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler before the House Homeland Security Committee. For the relevant part, either search the text of the event for "afraid" or go to mark 1:48:04.This CA Democrat is saying that local officials, "electeds" as he called them, were whispering in his ear telling them that they are afraid to come forward with more information about what...

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) will run for governor of California in 2026 after current Gov. Gavin Newsom reaches his two-term limit. The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday: Villaraigosa, who has been out of elected office since leaving Los Angeles City Hall in 2013, joins a crowded field of high-level Democratic candidates that includes Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former state Controller Betty Yee, state Sen. Toni Atkins, and state schools Supt. Tony Thurmond. All are vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is serving his second and final term in office.

President Joe Biden's reelection campaign officially ended on Sunday, July 21 when he announced that he was dropping out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Harris has since picked up a lot of endorsements from fellow Democrats —including one from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) — and reportedly, Biden's announcement was followed by a cash haul of over $75 million in less than 24 hours. But some Republicans are accusing Democrats of not playing fair, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). On X, formerly Twitter, Johnson posted, "At this unprecedented juncture in American history,...

Three years ago, San Francisco launched an experiment to give 150 pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women $1,000 a month, no strings attached, for the duration of their pregnancy and six months after the birth. *** Now, that effort is almost certainly about to come to a screeching halt. And another guaranteed income program to assist San Francisco’s transgender residents — who are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population — already has been shut down. Participants were only given a month’s notice before being cut off. *** So, how could two successful programs, lauded by...

Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday in favor of creating a plan to provide free attorneys to low income renters facing eviction. The policy — which still needs a final vote before it is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025 — would be the first of its kind in Southern California. It comes at a time when lapsed pandemic renter protections have caused a spike in eviction filings leading to thousands losing housing. “Housing is a fundamental human right,” said Sup. Holly Mitchell, who first introduced the idea for a “Right To Counsel” program last...

When President Joe Biden began his campaign trip in Las Vegas last week, everything seemed to be running as smoothly as it could for an 81-year-old president in physical and cognitive decline. The day before he abruptly left town, Biden delivered the keynote address in front of a packed crowd of almost five thousand people at the NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay hotel. On Wednesday, Biden was scheduled to deliver the keynote at the UnidosUS annual convention at the MGM Grand, with thousands in attendance anticipating his arrival. With the venue located right off the Las Vegas Strip,...

2,214 of 1,976 delegates needed.

... Harris is the “right person at the right time” and well-positioned to “push back” against Donald Trump, according to Reid Hoffman, the tech billionaire who co-founded LinkedIn. Alexander Soros, son of financier and philanthropist George Soros, described her as the “best and most qualified candidate we have”. Hoffman and Soros had been vocal in their support of Biden in recent weeks, even as calls grew from him to exit the race. But Reed Hastings, the Netflix co-founder and Democratic mega-donor, was among those who urged the president to stand down. On Sunday, he said only that party delegates “need...

Former President Barack Obama withheld endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday because he is worried about being seen as a “back-room party” boss “engineering a Harris coronation,” Politico Playbook reported Monday. The report underscores concerns that Obama pushed Biden out and is trying to coronate Harris as the de facto nominee, nullifying about 14 million votes Biden received in the Democrat primary. A person familiar with Obama’s thinking appeared to refute those concerns to Playbook, however, claiming that Obama wants Democrats “to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded — again — that he’s a patriot of the highest order. Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts. Since taking office, President Biden has displayed that character again and again. He helped end the pandemic,...

3:17 Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reportedly gave President Joe Biden an ultimatum: bow out of the presidential race “the easy way or the hard way.” Politico reported Monday, a day after Biden’s announcement that he would step aside as the presumptive 2024 Democrat presidential nominee, that the former Speaker and still top Democrat powerbroker put her foot down after weeks of Biden publicly insisting he would plow forward with his campaign despite major fallout from his disastrous debate performance on June 27. “Nancy made clear that they could do this the easy way or the hard way,” one...

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president on Monday. Why it matters: The speaker emerita helps solidify an emerging consensus around Harris as the clear frontrunner to replace President Biden at the top of the ticket. Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information

President Joe Biden, battling a behind-the-scenes campaign led by former speaker Nancy Pelosi to abandon his reelection bid, appears to be getting unexpected support from a former rival—former first lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Biden, who famously resents being asked to step aside as the sitting vice president to make way for Clinton's losing 2016 presidential bid, is facing a full-blown revolt among party donors and elected officials in swing states and districts after a catastrophic debate performance against Donald Trump. And yet, as his campaign's cash flow begins to dry up, Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President...