Free Republic

The protest of the national anthem by NFL players took on added intensity last month when Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett was briefly detained outside a Las Vegas casino. The player was high critical of how he was treated, blasting across social media that he was targeted “simply being a black man” and the officers used excessive force that was “unbearable.” …this coming from a 6′ 4″ 274 lb. professional football player. Bennett’s inflammatory words included the claim that an officer threatened to “blow my f**king head off.” But, as is often the case of late when it comes...

Saints' Kenny Vaccaro explains choice to sit during anthem, says half his foundation's members left BY NICK UNDERHILL | nunderhill@theadvocate.com Sep 29, 2017 - 10:42 am (3) SUNBURY-ON-THAMES, England — The Saints plan to take a knee before the national anthem of Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, and then stand during the playing of the song, in what they want to be a show of unity. New Orleans had 10 players remain seated on the bench during the playing of the anthem last week against the Carolina Panthers, which came after President Donald Trump said any player who kneeled...

I thought I would avoid having anything to say about Hillary Clinton’s latest book. I thought the book, “What Happened,” was meant to be some sort of cathartic Hillary Clinton 3.0 end of the story. I thought it would be accompanied by a graceful farewell tour. I forgot: The Clintons don’t do graceful, and they certainly don’t do farewells. Instead, Clinton is thrashing around in front of the faithful, having pity parties and making news that has caught the attention of Republicans everywhere. Incredibly, Clinton herself declares that she is anything but done. She isn’t on a farewell tour or...

Denmark’s government will give 315 million kroner (€42 million) to support women in conflict and war zones, with US president Donald Trump having withdrawn American support in the area. Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen confirmed to broadcaster DR that the government would pledge more money to women at risk of rape, human trafficking and being married against their will. Funds are particularly needed in those areas in the current political climate, Rasmussen said. “We have a president sitting in the White House who has withdrawn from all international collaboration related to family planning,” the PM told DR. Earlier this year,...

Trump tweets this morning: "The WALL, which is already under construction in the form of new renovation of old and existing fences and walls, will continue to be built." And, "Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!....." "...They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age. Plus BIG border security"

Former President Obama lashed out at President Trump for ending the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) amnesty program, which was thought to be on shaky legal ground. Obama ripped Trump as “cruel,” lacking ” basic decency” and acting “contrary to our spirit, and to common sense.” “To target these young people is wrong – because they have done nothing wrong. It is self-defeating – because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel,” Obama wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. “What...

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton casts Bernie Sanders as an unrealistic over-promiser in her new book, according to excerpts posted by a group of Clinton supporters. She said that his attacks against her during the primary caused "lasting damage" and paved the way for "(Donald) Trump's 'Crooked Hillary' campaign." Clinton, in a book that will be released September 12 entitled "What Happened," said Sanders "had to resort to innuendo and impugning my character" because the two Democrats "agreed on so much." The excerpts represent a small number of the roughly 500-page book in which Clinton reflects on her stunning loss to...

Man who claimed neo-Nazi haircut led to stabbing in Colorado actually stabbed himself, police say By: Blair Miller SHERIDAN, Colo. – A man who claimed he’d been stabbed outside a Sheridan restaurant on Aug. 16 because his haircut made him look like a neo-Nazi actually stabbed himself, police say. Joshua Lee Witt, 26, was booked late last week on a false reporting to authorities criminal summons, which could land him a fine of $2,650 and up to a year in jail if he’s convicted. Witt posted his allegations on Facebook after the incident, which he alleged happened on Aug. 16...

Former MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, described by many as the chief architect of Obamacare who famously explained how the health-care law was adopted because of the “stupidity” of American voters, has been “fired for fraud.” It was the Wall Street Journal that earlier reported there were 20,000 pages of emails sent by Gruber between January 2009 and March 2010 regarding his consultation for the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services. He later was found to have said, “Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voters or...

As a candidate, US president Donald Trump insisted he’d make Mexico pay for a wall on its border. As president, he’s trying to strong-arm lawmakers into funding it. “If we have to close down our government, we’re building that wall,” he said (paywall) at a rally in Phoenix on Aug. 22. Even in normal circumstances passing a spending package is steeped in complexity, and when Congress returns from summer recess on Sept. 5 it will have less than a month to do it. Simultaneously, it must agree to lift the federal debt ceiling by Sept 29 to stop the country...

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is under fire for statements he made before Congress that suggested he had no knowledge about federal government programs that collected data on millions of Americans’ phone calls and Internet activities. In March, Clapper said at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that he was not aware that the National Security Agency was involved in such large-scale efforts. The questioning of Clapper’s statements follow blockbuster news last week that the federal government has since 9/11 been logging millions, perhaps billions, of calls and Internet activities and as the NSA’s top official goes before the same...

Vermont’s Attorney General has settled the state’s claims of fraud against Jonathan Gruber, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who served as a technical consultant for President Barack Obama and as one of the chief architects of Obamacare. Under the terms of the settlement, Gruber will no longer work as a taxpayer-funded economic consultant for the state’s health care system and he won’t seek to be paid any money he might be owed, reports the Rutland Herald, a Vermont newspaper. For its part under the agreement, the Vermont’s attorney general will not pursue legal action under the Vermont Civil False...

“People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love … For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite," he added in two subsequent tweets.

North Korea’s substantial nuclear arsenal and improving intercontinental ballistic missile capacity pose a growing threat to America’s security. But we need not face an immediate crisis if we play our hand carefully. Given the bluster emanating from Pyongyang and Bedminster, N.J., Americans can be forgiven for feeling anxious. Shortly after adoption of new United Nations sanctions last weekend, North Korea threatened retaliation against the United States “thousands of times” over. Those sanctions were especially potent, closing loopholes and cutting off important funding for the North. August is also when the United States and South Korea conduct major joint military exercises,...

A TEXAS teen who ran into a church half-naked saying she was raped was indicted for what turned out to be an elaborate hoax. Breana Harmon, 19, was charged on Wednesday with two counts of tampering with physical evidence and two counts of tampering with a government record, which are felonies, according to the Herald Democrat. Officials said that teen, who also uses the last name Talbott, made a false report to police on March 8 claiming to have been abducted and gang-raped behind a church in Denison, Texas. The teen turned up at the local church covered in blood...

Hillary Clinton took to social media on Thursday to tell fans that it 'wasn't easy' to write her new memoir What Happened as she shared the link for fans to preorder it on Amazon for $22. 'I'll be honest: Writing “What Happened” wasn’t easy. Neither is witnessing what we see in the news every day. It’s never been more important to fight back and stand up for what we believe. I hope this book inspires you to keep going,' she said.

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on voting “no” on the so-called “skinny repeal” of Obamacare: “From the beginning, I have believed that Obamacare should be repealed and replaced with a solution that increases competition, lowers costs, and improves care for the American people. The so-called ‘skinny repeal’ amendment the Senate voted on today would not accomplish those goals. While the amendment would have repealed some of Obamacare’s most burdensome regulations, it offered no replacement to actually reform our health care system and deliver affordable, quality health care to our citizens. The Speaker's statement that the...

CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza was furious with Donald Trump on Tuesday when the President stated that the media has been releasing fake news. Cillizza demanded that some specific cases of fake news and ended up getting owned by hundreds of conservatives. “Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories?” Trump tweeted. “Name a story that is ‘fake’ or ‘incorrect.’ You can’t just make a blanket assertion without ANY specifics,” Cillizza fired back. .. Within the next few hours, Cillizza, CNN, and the overall mainstream media got owned by...

While speaking in Peru for an international summit, President Obama bragged that his administration has been, allegedly, scandal-free during his presidency. "I'm extremely proud of the fact that over 8 years we have not had the kinds of scandals that have plagued other administrations." He's actually serious about this. And it appears that it's a goal of the Obama administration to push this claim in an attempt to frame the outgoing president's legacy. During an interview with CNN which aired on Sunday, President Obama's top aide, Valerie Jarrett, claimed that Obama is proud of himself because his administration has been "scandal-free."...

Former FBI Director James Comey will say Thursday that President Donald Trump asked him about the former national security adviser Michael Flynn and to "see your way clear to letting this go," according to a copy of his opening remarks posted online.