Free Republic

Wisconsin State Rep. Dave Considine (D) told his colleagues on the state house floor Thursday that he thinks girls who lose to male-born transgender athletes just need to “work harder” if they don’t like losing in sports. Considine made the outrageous claim by insisting that his college-age “granddaughter” voiced this quip to him during a recent conversation the two had. “And my granddaughter who is playing college sports, I asked her about this when we had this two years ago, and she said you know what, if a trans woman was competing against me in the sport then that just...

Sam Nunberg, former aide to President Trump, said the former president is “certainly, certainly considering” a presidential run and said he personally believes he will, telling Breitbart News Saturday that Trump must “look forward” despite everything that occurred in the last presidential election.

Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, said on Sunday top US health officials were discussing whether to revise mask guidance for Americans vaccinated against Covid-19. “This is under active consideration,” Fauci told CNN’s State of the Union, though he also emphasized that local governments can issue their own rules under current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) is reportedly weighing another bid for higher office – this time for Texas governor. That the former Senate candidate and 2020 presidential contender is thinking about launching a challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was first reported on Monday by The Associated Press. There’s currently no timeline for a decision, and he has only begun to think about it recently, according to the news outlet. If he does end up challenging Abbott, it would mark O’Rourke’s third consecutive election cycle seeking statewide or national elected office

he White House is considering dramatically expanding its much-litigated travel ban to additional countries amid a renewed election-year focus on immigration by President Donald Trump, according to six people familiar with the deliberations. A document outlining the plans — timed to coincide with the third anniversary of Trump’s January 2017 executive order — has been circulating the White House. But the countries that would be affected are blacked out, according to two of the people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the measure has yet to be finalized.

In light of this story, it should come as no surprise that two thirds of French Jews are considering leaving. Israel’s Immigration and Absorption Ministry presented its findings to the Knesset this week that more than two thirds of French Jews are considering leaving the country. The findings were presented in the context of an Israeli government effort to increase immigration from France; however they raise serious concerns that a prolonged exposure to increasingly virulent forms of anti-Semitism are taking their toll on the sense of security felt by Jewish communities in France and across Europe. ... Of the...

Many publications, such as The Huffington Post, have falsely asserted that Pope Francis indicated he is open to homosexual civil unions. Elizabeth Dias correctly notes this is false. She writes, "First, it is important to be clear about what Pope Francis did and did not just say. He did not affirm gay marriage. He did not announce Holy See support for civil unions. He reiterated, yet again, the traditional and non-changing Catholic teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman..." Read her full Blog post for Time here. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its...

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Tuesday that he is considering running for another term in 2016, when he would be 80 years old. "I'm seriously thinking about maybe giving another opportunity for you to vote for or against me in a few years from now," McCain said on KFYI-AM in Phoenix. "I'm seriously giving that a lot of thought."

President Obama is considering a strike on Syrian military targets involving sea-launched cruise missiles or possibly long-range bombers that would last no more than two days, according to senior administration officials and reported by Karen DeYoung and Anne Gearan of The Washington Post. Reuters reports that the West has told the opposition to expect a strike "within days." The limited strike would seemingly be a response to allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people before dawn on August 21. Hundreds were killed and thousands suffered "neurotoxic symptoms." The design of the potential attack implies sending...

Palestinian Authority Cabinet Minister Hassan Alawi said that the PA is examining looking into introducing Palestinian passports following their successful UN bid to upgrade their status to observer state. Allawi spoke to the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds, and said, "...we must examine these measures."

Sarah Palin says she is still considering a run for president because she says it’s time for this country be put back on the right track. That being said she welcomes Rick Perry into the race as she believes that voters deserve a good debate and, as she always says, the more the merrier. On the debate last night, she said she was proud of Newt for standing his ground and calling out the moderators on what she said was a question about superficial issues that don’t really matter, especially given the difficult times we are in. She was also...

The Environmental Protection Agency informed Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) in a recent letter that it considers itself “prohibited” by law from considering costs when setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). “I received this week a letter from the EPA regarding a letter I’ve written them about some of their rules and they wrote here, quote, ‘Thus, the agency is prohibited from considering costs in setting these standards,'" Hartzler said last week. "Now in business we do a cost benefit analysis before we make policy changes. Washington should as well

Preparations for independence include national bank. The Palestinian Authority is considering introducing its own currency called the 'Palestinian pound,' Palestinian Monetary Authority governor Jihad al-Wazir said in an interview with The Washington Post on Sunday. "All options are open, as far as we're concerned - issuing our own currency is one," Wazir was quoted as saying, adding that the Palestinians were weighing linking the currency to the dollar or the euro.

This morning in Riyadh, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he spoke to Saudi Assistant Minister of the Interior Muhammed bin Nayaf about sending the roughly 100 Yemeni detainees currently in the detainee center at Guantanamo Bay to Saudi Arabia to the Saudi government's rehabilitation program for jihadis.

SACRAMENTO — Republicans are rethinking the unthinkable: saying yes, though begrudgingly so, to taxes. It would be a hard break from dogma and would require their members to back down from pledges they've steadfastly upheld for years to avoid tax increases at all costs. But as state lawmakers stare into an abyss that is a $42 billion 18-month budget deficit, previous ideological markers appear to be softening. But it won't simply be a matter of yielding to the realities of an economic crisis. Republicans are the minority party in both legislative chambers, but they hold huge sway over budget negotiations...

SACRAMENTO Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger filled a dormant state commission with four Democrats on Friday before asking them to approve a $1-an-hour minimum wage increase without the annual cost-of-living adjustments pushed by Democratic lawmakers. Two of the four were originally appointed to the Industrial Welfare Commission by former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and served until their terms expired last year. The two others were new appointments by the Republican governor, one of them representing the state manufacturer's association. A fifth commissioner's term expires in January. Schwarzenegger, who vetoed two previous minimum wage increases, is asking the commission to increase the minimum...

Tonight [Thursday] during Governor Schwarzenegger’s state-of-the-state address, it is widely expected the governor will call for up to $27 billion of bonds to be issued over five years as part of a 10-year, $100 billion public works program. The bonds would pay to build roads, schools, jails, courthouses, levees and retrofit hospitals. If approved by two-thirds of the legislature, they would go on the June ballot for approval by the voters. If issued, the bonds would add about $2 billion per year in principle and interest payments to California’s budget burden, adding pressure to increase taxes. It’s this last issue...

NICEVILLE, Fla. (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) said on Tuesday that abolishing the U.S. income tax system and replacing it with a national sales tax was an idea worth considering. "It's an interesting idea," Bush told an "Ask President Bush" campaign forum here. "You know, I'm not exactly sure how big the national sales tax is going to have to be, but it's the kind of interesting idea that we ought to explore seriously." Republican economists who speak regularly to the White House have said that the Bush campaign has been mulling the idea of an overhaul...

Mugabe 'considering retirement' By Christopher Munnion in Johannesburg (Filed: 19/06/2003) Robert Mugabe is considering stepping down as Zimbabwe's president within a year under "certain conditions", South African government sources said yesterday. President Mugabe His demands include the right to nominate his successor and international and local recognition that he remains the country's properly elected founding president to enable him to enjoy "honourable retirement", they said. The 79-year-old autocrat, whose obsession with clinging to power has brought his once-prosperous nation to the edge of economic collapse and political chaos, is said to have assured President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa of...