Free Republic

A former Obama campaign official is claiming that Facebook knowingly allowed them to mine massive amounts of Facebook data — more than they would’ve allowed someone else to do — because they were supportive of the campaign. In a Sunday tweet thread, Carol Davidson, former director of integration and media analytics for Obama for America, said the 2012 campaign led Facebook to “suck out the whole social graph” and target potential voters. They would then use that data to do things like append their email lists. When Facebook found out what they were doing, they were “surprised,” she said. But...

When one observes President Obama’s unwillingness to accommodate America’s four-century long religious conscience protection through his attempts to require Catholics to go against their own doctrines and beliefs, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Catholic. But that characterization would not be correct. Although he has recently singled out Catholics, he has equally targeted traditional Protestant beliefs over the past four years. So since he has attacked Catholics and Protestants, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Christian. But that, too, would be inaccurate. He has been equally disrespectful in his appalling treatment of religious Jews in general...

In 2014, the Obama administration promulgated a “guidance” to America’s public schools that threatened federal investigations and litigation against schools where black students are disciplined (e.g., by suspension) more often, on a pro rata basis, than white students, on the ground that such numerical discrepancy is evidence of discrimination. Many schools responded by adopting discipline quotas, which meant in practice that after a certain number of students of a particular race had been suspended, teachers and administrators were helpless to enforce any kind of discipline in classrooms. The Obama administration is gone, thankfully, but its “guidance” has not been revoked....

Celebrated leading visionary bridge engineer Atorod Azizinamini, whose ABC (Accelerated Bridge Construction) technology was used to build the bridge that collapsed yesterday on Florida International University’s campus, was named an Obama era Department of Transportation ‘Champion of Change’ in 2015. The event in which Azizinamini was awarded ‘Champion of Change’ status was webcast live at whitehouse.gov/live, no longer online. Much will be made in coming days that FIGG Bridge Group designed the bridge and that it was constructed by MCM Construction, in the aftermath of the bridge’s collapse. But it was Azizinamini bridge technology all the way: “This project is...

Okay this is from Dec. 15, 2015 but it sure is relevant. President Obama on Tuesday signed a long-awaited executive order on strengthening the Senior Executive Service that streamlines recruiting and hiring while raising the aggregate spending cap on executive performance awards from the current 4.8 percent cap to 7.5 percent.**snip**The impetus for the hike, the order said, is to “retain and reward more top performers” among SES and senior level/scientific or professional employees. “The heads of agencies with SES positions that supervise General Schedule employees will implement policies for initial pay setting and pay adjustments, as appropriate, for career...

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have taught their daughter, Blue Ivy, the importance of investing in art. On Saturday night, the 6-year-old made several bids on art while sitting between her mega-star parents at the Wearable Art Gala in Los Angeles. The second annual event, put on by Tina Knowles and husband Richard Lawson, benefits the WACO Theater Center. During the swanky event, little Blue Ivy, who was wearing a matching gold dress like her mother, bid $17,000 on an acyclic painting of Sidney Poitier, reports Vanity Fair. Excited to make another bid, she lifted her paddle again raising the bar to...

US President Donald Trump’s “Taiwan Travel Act” continues to draw ire from Chinese authorities. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Saturday the bill “severely violates” the “one China” principle and sends “very wrong signals to the ‘pro-independence’ separatist forces in Taiwan.” “China is strongly opposed to [the bill],” Lu said in a statement. “We urge the US side to correct its mistake, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way,” he added. In a separate statement, Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said the act “interferes in China’s internal...

Survival tips for a world in which it seems only the sanctimonious survive: 1. When you’re caught and fired for Lying and Leaking, first throw your own hissy fit. 2.  Have your friends and possible co-conspirators join in your indignation by upping the amperage to full-throated distemper:Just don’t be surprised if people make fun of you: I thought it odd that nowhere in McCabe’s very wordy screed of how he’s just a victim of the Trump Train did he bother to deny the allegations. Instead he just deflects them by claiming victimhood and shifting responsibility to his former boss, James...

The Establishment Media is working double-time to try and make something of the sordid Stormy Daniel allegations that she had a brief affair with Donald Trump ten years ago. The porn star actress is being represented by Michael Avenatti, an attorney who once worked for Barack Obama’s White House Chief of Staff and current Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.Yup – you read that right. Via Orlando Political Observer:Exclusive Stormy Daniels Attorney Has Deep Ties To The Democratic Party Joe Biden and Rahm Emanuel   The Stormy Daniel Affair has received a ton of press this week, her attorney has had multiple...

When former President Barack Obama said he was “heartened” by anti-Trump protests, he was sending a message of approval to his troops. Troops? Yes, Obama has an army of agitators — numbering more than 30,000 — who will fight his Republican successor at every turn of his historic presidency. And Obama will command them from a bunker less than two miles from the White House. In what’s shaping up to be a highly unusual post-presidency, Obama isn’t just staying behind in Washington. He’s working behind the scenes to set up what will effectively be a shadow government to not only protect his...

Acting FBI deputy director David Bowdich confirmed that it was a decision made under the direction of the Obama administration that led to more than half a million fugitives with outstanding arrest warrants to have their names removed from a national database.

RUSH: When we left the program yesterday, the bridge at Florida International University had collapsed only moments ago. There was still some confusion being reported. The way it was being reported, I thought the bridge was open. The bridge wasn’t open. The span had been put in place on Saturday. The bridge not supposed to open ’til early next year. At any rate, the left has already found a way to politicize this. The left has already found a way to incorporate the name Donald Trump into the assignation or the assignment of blame. When, in fact, the culprit here...

The bridge was supposed to last for more than 100 years and withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Instead it came crashing down on people occupied cars within days of its construction. Celebrated leading visionary bridge engineer Atorod Azizinamini, whose ABC (Accelerated Bridge Construction) technology was used to build the bridge that collapsed yesterday on Florida International University’s campus, was named an Obama era Department of Transportation ‘Champion of Change’ in 2015. The event in which Azizinaminif was awarded ‘Champion of Change’ status was webcast live at whitehouse.gov/live, no longer online.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department under Barack Obama directed the FBI to drop more than 500,000 names of fugitives with outstanding arrest warrants from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, acting FBI deputy director David Bowdich testified Wednesday. Fugitives from justice are barred from buying a firearm under federal law. But what is a fugitive from justice? That definition has been under debate by the FBI and the ATF. According to The Washington Post, the FBI considered any person with an outstanding arrest warrant to be a fugitive. On the other hand, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and...

It's not easy living life in the public eye. With all the pressure that comes with leading a public life, from the Senate to the White House, Michelle Obama *must* know a thing or two about work-life balance. And in finding that balance comes happiness. In a recent interview with Refinery 29 for International Women's Day, Obama sat down to speak with a number of girls from around the world to talk about the importance of girls' education and empowerment. When asked by 20-year-old Pearl Quarmyne, from Ghana, about her "most effective daily habit," Obama responded in the sincerest way....

Some things just don't add up. It is well known that the largely discredited Steele dossier was paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democrat National Committee. We know that Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr was funneling information from his wife- who was working for Fusion- to the FBI. Ohr failed to disclose his wife's involvement and compensation and was demoted. Bruce Ohr, the Department of Justice official who brought opposition research on President Donald Trump to the FBI, did not disclose that Fusion GPS, which performed that research at the Democratic National Committee’s behest, was paying...

A California couple died in a car crash Tuesday after fleeing from immigration officials, police said. Santo Garcia, 35, and Marcelina Profecto, 33, died at the scene in rural Kern County after their speeding SUV crashed into a power pole and overturned , Delano police said. Police determined the couple was fleeing from Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, who tried to stop their vehicle. The driver pulled over, but then began speeding after the agents flashed their emergency lights and got out of their vehicle, police said. The couple, who has six children, was out looking for work when they...

President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign hired controversial research group Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on then-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, a new book claims -- raising questions about Democrats’ possible long-standing ties to the group. Fusion GPS is the opposition research firm behind the “Trump dossier,” which contained what former FBI Director James Comey described as "salacious" and "unverified" allegations about then-candidate Donald Trump. The dossier cited Russian sources who said Russia had information that compromised Trump. The firm was retained by Marc Elias, an attorney representing both the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee. It...

Why do those who criticize Donald Trump for not being a "traditional" president fawn over President Obama not being a "traditional" post-presidential citizen? I would say Michelle and Barack Obama are back in the news, but they've never left the news since the 22nd Amendment mercifully exiled them from the Oval Office last year. When President Clinton took the oath of office in 1992, President George H.W. Bush went away. When President George W. Bush assumed power in 2000, President Clinton went away (until the prospect of being the first gentleman came a-knockin'). When President Obama placed his hand on...

President Donald Trump has now spent almost one-third of his time in office at his own properties and has played more golf than President Obama over the same period. The president has visited one of his properties on 112 days of his presidency, according to a count NBC News updated Wednesday in the midst of Trump's 10-day Christmas vacation at Mar-a-Lago—his private club in Palm Beach. U.S. taxpayers paid $6.6 million in airfare alone this year for Trump’s frequent trips to Mar-a-Lago, according to U.S. Air Force records. Trump also spent part or all of about 40 days at his...