Free Republic

President Trump has locked down the defense team that will be representing him during his impeachment trial, as House Democrats move Wednesday to send the articles of impeachment against him to the Senate. The four-person legal team is made up of several top White House attorneys, with an administration official telling Fox News that other lawyers could cycle through or be on the floor in a support capacity during the Senate trial. Here are the four main attorneys that will make up Trump’s defense team: Pat Cipollone Cipollone, the White House counsel, will take the helm in commanding Trump’s defense....

Iran has announced the arrest of a person who recorded a video last week showing missiles striking the Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed outside of Tehran – but it may be a case of mistaken identity. The person, who was detained by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, is expected to face charges related to national security following the military mishap that downed the plane, according to Iranian media reports. Yet the London-based journalist who first posted that person’s footage on Twitter, the BBC says, is claiming that authorities have arrested the wrong individual. The plane was headed to Kiev and was shot...

The daughter of a Democrat county commissioner in Ohio was among three people arrested on disorderly conduct charges outside President Trump's rally in Toledo on Thursday night, police say. Laura Gerken, 36, engaged in a physical fight with another person outside the Huntington Center, said Toledo police, adding that she was yelling obscenities and resisted when officers placed her under arrest. Lindsey Rowland, 29, of Oregon, also was arrested outside the rally. Police said she was reportedly unsteady on her feet and punched an officer. She was charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication, according to the outlet. Police said...

Democrats, in describing their intensity for their scam impeachment, keep stating that nobody is above the law (except Democrats of course). Disgraced former FBI head James Comey said publicly that Hillary Clinton committed a felony yet no charges are filed. She's just one of many Democrats who are apparently above the law. What other Democrats are on the "Above The Law" list?

A homeless man is fighting his case by invoking New York’s “castle doctrine,” which gives people the right to defend their dwellings. Each night, Joseph Matos builds his home on the East Side by placing several cardboard boxes on the ground for cushioning and then linking together a half dozen others so he can fit inside to sleep. One night in October 2018, he said, he was jolted from his slumber by a thud, followed by another. Startled, he leapt outside and grabbed a knife. A college student, walking by with a friend, had kicked Mr. Matos’s box because he...

Could a South Carolina great white shark help the Highway Patrol solve a crime? Hilton Head Island’s great white shark whisperer is giving it his best shot. Chip Michalove, a famous fisherman who has hooked and released 27 great white sharks off the coast of Hilton Head Island, caught a gigantic 2,800-pound, 15-foot great white shark on Wednesday. SNIP... After reeling in the big girl, Michalove and his crew placed a tag on the great white shark so scientists at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries can track her movements in the Atlantic. SNIP... Then he gave the shark a...

LONDON - Climate change and environmental destruction top the risks highlighted by world decision-makers in a survey ahead of the 2020 gathering of the global elite in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. For the first time the annual risk report, compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF), found the top five concerns were all environmental, from extreme weather to biodiversity loss and events like oil spills and radioactive contamination. This year’s Davos takes place against the backdrop of some of Australia’s worst ever bushfires. While the government there has avoided making a link to climate change, the fires have...

CNN’s bias was in full force Tuesday evening during the seventh Democratic debate, particularly in the way the moderators clearly favored Sen. Elizabeth Warren over Sen. Bernie Sanders. Moderator Abby Phillip asked Sanders about the private meeting he had with Warren in which he allegedly told her (according to the network's reporting) that he didn't think a woman could win the election. The Vermont senator said the idea he would believe that is “incomprehensible” and pointed to footage of him from 30 years ago talking about how a woman could become president of the United States.

If climate change continues unabated, the United States should prepare for an increase in deaths from injuries, a new study claims. Looking at data on injury deaths and temperature over 38 years, researchers found a correlation between unusually high temperatures and increased rates of death from a range of causes -- traffic accidents, drownings, assault and suicide. There are various reasons that global warming would affect injury death rates, according to the researchers. During warm weather, people tend to be out on the roads more, drink more alcohol, and be less skilled in their driving -- all of which increase...

Happy New Year, everyone!! Here's hoping 2020 is the best year yet!! President Trump should take the win in the Senate trial without dragging it out, then concentrate on winning the 2020 election with wide coattails, then bide his time as the cases against the various coup plotters wind their way through the justice system. Win the election, hold the senate, take back the house!! And then continue the work of making America great again: Build the wall, enforce the law, deport them all!! End DACA!! End sanctuary cities!! End anchor babies!! Continue cutting regulations, cutting government, cutting spending and...

Guest(s): Steve Hanke Professor of Applied Economics, Johns Hopkins University President Donald Trump is not facing stiff competition for the presidential elections in November, and a low chance of a recession should further help his odds, this according to Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins university. “If you look at the challengers, there’s not much to write home about. They’re pretty pathetic,” Hanke told Kitco News. “The economy might not make Trump a shoe-in, but it’ll be in pretty good shape and he’ll be pretty tough to challenge. (Video at link)

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Michael Avenatti’s bid to dismiss criminal charges accusing him of trying to extort Nike Inc (NKE.N), after the celebrity lawyer claimed he was targeted in a “vindictive” prosecution because of his feud with U.S. President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan ruled the morning after Avenatti was arrested in California for potential violations of his bail conditions, in a separate case there accusing him of defrauding other clients. Avenatti has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges he faces. Lawyers for Avenatti told Gardephe on Wednesday their client is in custody,...

Two GOP Senate chairmen are asking for the Treasury Department to hand over any documents related to Hunter Biden and a Ukrainian energy company amid an ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Trump. In a letter dated Nov. 15, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (Repub-Iowa) and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (Repub-Wis.) asked for “suspicious activity reports” involving former Vice President Joe Biden's son. The documents do not include findings about any illegal activity itself but are filed by financial institutions when money laundering or fraud is suspected. It is unknown if any such reports exist...

San Pedro Sula (Honduras) (AFP) - Close to 1,000 people have gathered in Honduras' second city forming a migrant caravan that will soon head for the United States, a human rights activist told AFP. Thousands of Central American migrants have been braving the risk of extortion, kidnap and even murder as they flee poverty and gang violence in their homelands in a bid to reach the American dream, much to the annoyance of US President Donald Trump. "Right now we're close to 1,000 people but there are buses arriving from different parts of the country," Bartolo Fuentes, a journalist, human...

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tapped seven impeachment managers on Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation over who in the House will step into the political spotlight and make the case to impeach President Trump before the Senate. Some members who the Speaker tapped were considered shoo-ins, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who both had leadership roles during the impeachment inquiry into Trump’s contacts with Ukraine. Others picked for the high-profile role of managers include Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Val Demings (Fla.), Sylvia Garcia (Texas), and Jason Crow (Colo.)....

Berlin - Environmental groups announced Wednesday they had filed lawsuits at Germany's highest court accusing Chancellor Angela Merkel's government of failing to protect basic rights through its weak climate protection law. Greenpeace together with German groups BUND and Deutsche Umwelthilfe filed the legal actions, which are also backed by Luisa Neubauer, a prominent activist of the Fridays for Future climate strike movement. A dozen Bangladeshis and Nepalis, whose countries have been hard hit by global warming, also joined the initiative. "Climate protection is the protection of fundamental rights, particularly those of younger generations and inhabitants of most affected countries," said...

The end of the 2019 season has finally arrived and now SEC teams must look around and evaluate how they did. Lucky for them, their teacher is providing them with end of the season report cards and she's not pulling any punches. It goes without saying that some teams are not looking forward to this moment.

Tringas said she and her daughter tried reporting the abuse for years, but she said authorities did not believe them. That's when the teen installed a Nest camera to capture the actions of 47-year-old Damon Becnel. “Nothing was done. Nothing has ever been done to help my daughter," said Tringas. “She absolutely knew that something bad was going to happen and nobody would believe her unless she had that on film," added Tringas. In the videos, you can watch Becnel scream, point and headbutt the girl. The video also shows Becnel hitting the dog, holding an object to its neck...

Bobby Petrino is back in the news as Missouri State announced the former Louisville coach has been named the 21st coach in program history on Wednesday. Interestingly, Missouri State is scheduled to travel to Arkansas on Sept. 17, 2022. While there’s a slim chance Petrino is still at Missouri State at that time, we can dream!

Following up on a story PBRTV has been following for nearly two years. WTYM (1380 Kittanning) owner, David John Croyle was found guilty of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and other related charges last week. The jury deliberated for a total of 4 1/2 hours over two days before announcing the guilty verdict. Croyle could face at least a four-year sentence on one of the charges. At the time of the assault, Croyle was editor and publisher of the Kittanning Paper, he was a town council vice president (and remains on council despite the case), a pastor...