Free Republic

The following 3 minute video explains what’s wrong with government debt. It specifically concerns the federal debt of $15.2 trillion (the number has gone up since the video). But it also applies to California’s $500 billion debt for government-worker pensions. Where’s all that money going to come from?

Billionaire George Soros gave advice and direction on how President Obama should allocate so-called “stimulus” money in a series of regular private meetings and consultations with White House senior advisers even as Soros was making investments in areas affected by the stimulus program. It’s just one more revelation featured in the blockbuster new book that continues to rock Washington, Throw Them All Out, authored by Breitbart News editor Peter Schweizer. Mr. Soros met with Mr. Obama’s top economist on February 25, 2009 and twice more with senior officials in the Old Executive Office Building on March 24th and 25th as...

The U.S. Department of State has bought more than $70,000 worth of books authored by President Obama, sending out copies as Christmas gratuities and stocking “key libraries” around the world with “Dreams from My Father” more than a decade after its release. The U.S. embassy in Egypt, for instance, spent $28,636 in August 2009 for copies of Mr. Obama’s bestselling 1995 memoir. Six weeks earlier, the embassy had placed another order with the same book seller, Kalemat Arabia, for more than $9,000 for copies of the same book, federal purchasing records show. Around the same time, halfway around the world,...

For twenty years – long before 9/11 – the danger of terrorists armed with surface to air missiles shooting at passenger planes has been the secret fear of many top political leaders. In the late 90s, a terrorist network was nabbed trying to bring them into Newark Airport, but the airline industry and the government have done nothing to equip passenger airplanes with any defense against these always deadly missiles. Now Barack Obama has committed the ultimate sin: He has let 20,000 surface-to-air missiles escape from military depots in Libya. According to ABC News “U.S. officials had once thought there...

The meteorologists at WeatherBELL Analytics believe we have an extremely dangerous situation on our hands. It is important that everyone in the potential path of this storm understand the consequences of Hurricane Irene's track. While there is still some variation in the computer models, the possibility of a devastating hurricane on Long Island and New England is very real. The European computer model has Irene north into New Jersey, New York and up the Hudson River and so even NYC is not out of the woods yet. The HWRF model is similar to the GFS model with a track over...

A suspected looter in this week’s riots and his mother are being thrown out of their council home. In the first case of its kind, Daniel Sartain-Clarke, 18, and his mother have been served with an eviction notice as council bosses seek to turf them out of their £225,000 taxpayer-subsidised flat. Sartain-Clarke is charged with violent disorder and attempting to steal electronic goods from the Currys store at Clapham Junction, South London, on Monday night.

There may have been no rioting in the Highlands, but no one has been watching the arson and looting of Britain’s cities more closely than the Queen. With fewer than six months to her Diamond Jubilee, when celebrations are planned for the length and breadth of the kingdom, the disorder has alarmed aides planning the extravaganza. Central to their concern is not just the damage to the country’s image overseas, but also how quickly the feelgood factor engendered by April’s Royal Wedding has been lost. From her summer home in Balmoral, the Queen has kept in touch with developments and...

Rolling coverage of the third night of violent disturbances in London, with arson and looting reported at several locations across the capital.

London witnessed a weekend of rioting after the shooting of Mark Duggen by police on August 4. A peaceful protest on Saturday turned violent by Sunday. London braced on Sunday for more violence after some of the worst riots seen in the British capital for years which politicians and police blamed on criminal thugs but residents attributed to local tensions and anger over hardship.

Copycat riots were taking place across north London on Sunday evening, centring on Enfield, nearby to Tottenham where major riots look place on Saturday night.

Petrol bombs were thrown, shops looted and eight officers injured during violent riots in Tottenham following a protest over the fatal shooting of a man by police. A crowd of around 300 set fire to buildings, bins and vehicles, while missiles and petrol bombs were thrown in Tottenham High Road on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. Eight police officers were taken to hospital and at least one suffered head injuries. By the early hours of Sunday, many protesters had moved to nearby Tottenham Hale retail park, where some were spotted looting PC World and JJB Sports. Sky's Simon Newton,...

The Economic Collapse blog reports that Robert Kiyosaki is warning of an impending economic collapse—and advises on preparations that include buying guns. By way of credentials, Kiyosaki is the author of the successful “Rich Dad Poor Dad” books, reportedly having sold over 26 million copies, and runs the Rich Dad financial education website. He co-authored “Why We Want You to be Rich” with Donald Trump. The Economic Collapse lists 11 “sound bites” from a Kiyosaki video (see sidebar media player) that include predictions of collapse where supermarket food supplies are reduced to less than three days—presumably with no restocking in...

DOZENS OF West Philly boys - ranging in age from 11 to 19 - stormed a Sears store in Upper Darby on Thursday as part of a "flash mob" and made off with thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise, police said. Upper Darby police released this surveillance image that they said was recorded during the invasion of the store by dozens of youths. Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said he believed that the group organized the mass theft through social networking, although the exact networking site was not yet clear. He said that the kids traveled together on public...

Angry Canucks fans are on a rampage, smashing windows, looting and torching cars and dumpsters on the streets of downtown Vancouver. More than three hours after the Stanley Cup final loss, police are moving up Howe St. toward the crowd massed at the Chapters book store on Howe and Robson. They are very gradually pushing the crowd North up Howe. Police spokeswoman Jana McGuiness warned earlier that police are about to escalate their response. She said they will be igniting flash-bangs, which make loud noises and spray. "What we're doing right now is bringing in hundreds of police officers." The...

Unhappy Vancouver Canucks fans are rioting in downtown Vancouver, and people are looting merchandise from The Bay and London Drugs. Young people unhappy about the Canucks' loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final broke windows at The Bay on Georgia Street and rioters were looting merchandise from the store from the Seymour Street side. Huge crowds gathered around the London Drugs location on Granville Street as people trashed the inside of the store and made off with stolen goods. Rioters danced around a burning van outside the store, tossing bottles into the blaze to...

OUAGADOUGOU — Authorities imposed a curfew in Burkina Faso's second-largest city on Thursday after angry troops went on another rampage, firing shots into the air and looting businesses, residents said. In a repeat of events Tuesday night in Bobo Dioulasso, soldiers left the country's second-largest base after midnight heading for the centre of town, said witnesses. Through the night, troops looted shops, angering tradesmen who took to the streets in retaliation, before being dispersed by paramilitary police, sources said. ... Tradesmen have targetted government buildings, in retaliation for the damage to their businesses, the city's mayor, Salia Sanou said. "Business...

Soon after a tornado ripped through North Minneapolis pm Sunday afternoon, an estimated 20 looters ripped off Broadway Liquor Outlet. The high winds that downed trees and tore off roofs in the area also smashed the glass storefront of the liquor store at 2201 W. Broadway Ave., which was closed. The looters stole liquor, cigarettes and cash, said owner Dean Rose. The store had plywood boards nailed to its exterior by 7:30 p.m., but broken glass and cases of beer could be seen scattered on the floor inside. Rose said Sunday night he didn't know the extent of the theft....

To add to all the devastation we've seen across North Alabama some thieves are hard at work taking advantage of those who've already lost so much. Since April 27th, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department has arrested 6 people for looting. Several theft cases are still under investigation. Earlier this week, someone broke into the Chalybeate Fire Department and stole items donated for tornado victims. “It totaled everything. It totaled my home and blew everything away. It totaled my 3 vehicles. Everything was a total loss,” said William Hayes. Tornado victims, like William Hayes, continue to pick through the rubble looking...

Two adults and two juveniles have been charged with stealing from a storm-damaged business in Bradley County, according to a news release. The sheriff’s office release says Tennessee Wildlife Resources officers patrolling an area on Dalton Pike where a small store was demolished found three people preparing to move beer and other beverages stacked at the rear of the building. After further investigation, Bradley deputies found a backpack-type sprayer from the store at the home of Larry Dean Gibson Jr., 22, the release stated. Gibson, of Blythe Avenue, has been charged with theft under $500, two counts of contributing to...

GRANITE CITY • Two suspected looters were arrested Monday in a tornado-ravaged area of Madison County, Sheriff Robert Hertz said. The suspects were charged with misdemeanor theft. They are Vince M. Dey, 18, of the 2500 block of Nameoki Road in Granite City and Steven W. Hawkins, 39, of St. Louis. Both were held in lieu of $1,000 bail. Sheriff's Capt. Brad Wells said a homeowner called the sheriff's department at 8:51 a.m. and said she saw the men load metal that had blown off her house onto their truck.