Free Republic

On Friday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “The Hill,” Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) stated that Israel shouldn’t start another war by moving “against Hezbollah in Lebanon to dramatically escalate the conflict to the north.” Moulton said, “[W]e absolutely do not want to do anything that might escalate this into a regional war. That’s not in our national security interests to get bogged down in a war in the Middle East, potentially sending American troops. And it’s not, frankly, in Israel’s national security interests either. So, behind the scenes, we’re doing what we can to tamp this down and say enough is enough,...

A Rule by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau on 04/19/2024 Document Details, Information about this document as published in the Federal Register. Printed version: PDF https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-19/pdf/2024-07838.pdf Publication Date: 04/19/2024 Agencies: Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Dates: This rule is effective May 20, 2024. Effective Date: 05/20/2024 Document Type: Rule Document Citation: 89 FR 28968 Page: 28968-29093 (126 pages) CFR: 27 CFR 478 Agency/Docket Numbers: Docket No. ATF 2022R-17 AG Order No. 5920-2024 RIN: 1140-AA58 Document Number: 2024-07838

group of House Democrats on Friday introduced legislation to strip former President Donald Trump of his Secret Service protection should he be convicted in one of the myriad criminal cases against him. Trump is currently on trial in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case over allegedly falsifying business records. Trump has pleaded not guilty and contends that the case is part of broader political witch hunt against him. He also faces two separate federal indictments from special counsel Jack Smith and a fourth from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. "It is regrettable that it has come to this, but...

Former Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) said Monday on CNN’s “OutFront” that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had “backbone” for advancing foreign aid funding in separate bills, which did not include border security funding as many in his caucus preferred. Buck said, “I think Mike Johnson’s on the right side of history. And I think that Republicans and Democrats will rally around someone who is showing leadership on Capitol Hill. It is a rare commodity on Capitol Hill. Mike has the backbone to move forward with very important and controversial legislation. The vote should be to vote for or against this package,...

The Port of Baltimore is “closed until further notice” following the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy, sending several industries into disarray and jeopardizing national security. In 2023, the port handled a record amount of international cargo, ranked ninth for both dollar value and tonnage in the United States. Vital for both imports and exports of a variety of commodities, the Port of Baltimore has always had international significance and the impact of its closure will be wide-ranging and long-term for the supply chain in the United States and beyond. Given the seriousness of this issue, Congress must come together to...

The FBI was tipped off in April 2020 to gain-of-function virus research in China, funded by the agency formerly headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, that “would leave no signature of purposeful human manipulation,” emails from agents at the bureau show. “These smoking gun documents showed the FBI quickly understood that Fauci’s agency funded the gain-of-function research that could disguise the resulting coronavirus as ‘natural,’” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. In an email exchange from April 23, 2020, with the subject line “Follow up call,” a person whose name is redacted passes along details and analysis to...

Actress Susan Sarandon — who was dropped last year from a talent agency over her anti-Jewish rant — and Shellyne Rodriguez, the ex-professor who threatened a Post reporter with a machete, were both spotted at an anti-Israel protest at Columbia University Friday. The Oscar-winning “Thelma and Louise” star was seen strolling among demonstrators with “Free Palestine” signs while sporting a grin and an odd leather coat jacket decked out with an image of Bart Simpson on its red leather sleeve. The 77-year-old celebrity has rocked the same quirky get-up at other anti-Israel demonstrations in recent months.

Democrats want Trump dead. House Democrats on Friday moved to strip President Trump of his Secret Service protection if he is convicted. Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson introduced a resolution that would terminate Trump’s Secret Service protection. The legislation dubbed the “Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable (DISGRACED) Former Protectees Act would apply to all Secret Service protectees convicted and sentenced under felony charges. “The DISGRACED Former Protectees Act would terminate Secret Service protection for individuals who otherwise qualify for it upon sentencing following conviction for a Federal or State felony,” the announcement said. “It...

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” host Joy Reid argued that Israel’s strike on Iran on Thursday was “wag the doggish” and designed to distract from the war in Gaza and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has an “obsession with Iran” although she added that there is a “mutual” obsession between Netanyahu and Iran.

CNN — In a sweeping win for climate and environmental advocates, the Biden administration on Friday finalized a rule to ban fossil fuel drilling on nearly half of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, alongside other major conservation actions. The Interior Department will block oil drilling on over 13 million acres in the Western Arctic, including about 40% of the land of the NPR-A – a remote area that is home to protected animal species including polar bears and caribou. The reserve is more than 23 million acres of public land and an underground emergency oil supply for the US...

MSNBC contributor Claire McCaskill said Friday on “Morning Joe” that former President Donald Trump does not know what the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) or the Affordable Care Act dubbed Obamacare were. McCaskill said, “I don’t think people realize. We always talk about the intelligence community like it’s some kind of big group of folks somewhere. I think people think of spy movies and stuff. The vast majority of people on the intelligence committee are either veterans or active military. They are really hardworking, smart patriots that are trying to keep our country safe. It’s just bizarre to me that...

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a final rule on Monday including abortion in the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The final rule dictates that, under the PWFA, employers with 15 or more employees must provide the same accommodations to workers who have abortions as those who have “limitations related to…pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.” The PWFA passed with bipartisan support in 2022, and did not include language about abortion. Instead, the law was created to allow reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant and postpartum mothers such as time off and flexible breaks, unless the accommodation would result in...

A spending bill backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) includes hundreds of millions of dollars in American taxpayer money for border patrol agents in Ukraine as illegal immigration at the United States-Mexico border remains at record levels. The spending bill, which 151 House Republicans helped 165 House Democrats advance on Friday, would see more than $95 billion sent to foreign countries — including about $61 billion to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.

In a brazen demonstration of who controls the border, Mexican smugglers set up a make-shift ramp to drive a car over the southern border of the US in Arizona 'That's the international boundary on the Tohono O'odham reservation,' posted union vice president Art Del Cueto. 'Those extra things you see are ramps that the smugglers utilize to drive a car over the boundary and into the United States. The Native American nation is on record opposing the 30-foot high, steel wall that US officials say is a crucial layer in helping to stem the flow of migrants. In some places...

mike showes his true colors

Utilities inflation arguably hurts restaurants more than higher food and labor costs Every time Oakland restaurateur Geoff Davis looks at his PG&E bill, he feels helpless. “I talk about it a lot with my friends. It’s a big line item for us,” the chef-owner of Burdell told SFGATE. “Last month [PG&E] was like 40% of our rent. It’s an insane amount and obviously this is my first time being an owner, but I know from other places that I’ve worked that it wasn’t this big of a number.” It’s an expensive time to run a restaurant — or to eat...

Former President Trump warned of the consequences of losing his presidential immunity argument, saying that if he loses that protection, so will "crooked" President Joe Biden. > The former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee argued that presidential immunity is essential to the proper functioning of the presidency in a Friday post to his Truth Social account. "Without presidential immunity, it would be impossible for a president to properly function, putting the United States of America in great and everlasting danger!" he posted, in all capital letters. "If they take away my presidential immunity, they take away crooked Joe Biden’s...

Key Democrats revealed new legislation Friday that would strip former President Donald Trump of his Secret Service agents if he is convicted and sentenced to prison. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said it’s about making sure Mr. Trump doesn’t get special treatment for whatever crime he might be sentenced. He is worried that having to accommodate a Secret Service protective detail could lead to accommodations for a former president. “It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthought-of scenario could become our reality,” the Mississippi lawmaker said. “Therefore,...

Which is bad news for anyone hoping to rent a place to live.What do the state's insurance and housing crises have in common? Obviously, homeowner policies have an impact on housing costs, but I'm referring to something different, namely the concept of open-ended risk. Insurers are exiting the market because state policies limit their ability to price policies to reflect the risk of a major wildfire season. They rather pull out of California than risk the destruction of their assets. I'd argue the same thing is happening in the rental market, thanks to a fusillade of pro-tenant laws that subject...

New York County, which encompasses Manhattan, voted for Biden over Trump 87 percent to 12 percent in 2020. Jury selection for 12 jurors wrapped up Thursday in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s lawfare against former President Donald Trump, with the next phase of the trial expected to begin as early as Monday. But with two selected jurors booted for potential bias and perjury and at least one juror who made clear she doesn’t like Trump’s “persona,” can he really get a fair trial? Who Are the Jurors? After two of the initial seven selected jurors were struck from the panel,...