Free Republic

The former Obama officials who manufactured a media “echo chamber” to sell the Iran deal are now working to undermine a bombshell report that revealed how former President Barack Obama’s administration derailed its own Drug Enforcement Agency’s efforts to stop Islamist terrorist group Hezbollah from developing a global narcotics syndicate. The Obama administration gave Hezbollah a pass, according to a bombshell Politico piece, in order to protect the Iran deal — one of the few remaining pillars of Barack Obama’s legacy. Two Republicans on the House oversight committee, Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan announced a congressional...

The land of funk officially has its museum. The Funk Music Hall of Fame and Exhibition Center received its final approvals from the City of Dayton and is now open for business, David R. Webb, its president, said. “I am in tears. This has been a long time coming. This is real emotional, right,” Webb said. The center, located at 113 E. Third St. in downtown Dayton’s Fire Blocks District, will have its grand opening in late January or February, Webb said. The museum is taking reservations for private tours and events. A $5 donation will be requested per person....

COLUMBUS, OH (WCMH) - Ohio Governor John Kasich has signed a bill banning abortions on an unborn child that has or may have Down Syndrome. Kasich signed House Bill 214 Friday which “Prohibits a person from performing, inducing, or attempting to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman who is seeking the abortion because an unborn child has or may have Down Syndrome.”

After exploring other options, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet released study findings Tuesday "confirming the need for a second bridge to carry Interstate 71/75 traffic across the Ohio River." A yearlong study "confirms the need for construction of a new bridge across the Ohio River to improve safety and travel on Interstate 71 and Interstate 75 between Ohio and Kentucky," a news release from the KYTC said. The news release cited the findings of the Brent Spence Strategic Corridor Study, which was led by the consulting firm Stantec. The best solution to "ease congestion and improve travel" is to build a...

Thanks to Republicans passing historic tax reform, Fifth Third Bancorp announced it will “raise its minimum hourly wage for all employees to $15, and distribute one-time bonus of $1,000 to more than 13,500 employees.” BusinessWire reports: Fifth Third Bancorp announced plans today to raise its minimum hourly wage for all employees to $15, and distribute a one-time bonus of $1,000 for more than 13,500 employees. The actions are in appreciation for the commitment employees show in supporting customers and building stronger communities. […] Approximately 75 percent of employees will receive a pay increase or bonus. “We want to invest in our most...

COLUMBUS (WCMH) - It’s being called the first program of its kind in Ohio, fighting against the opiate epidemic. The Licking County Health Department is combining the internet and medicine to potentially help save lives and reduce stigmas. With the help of a state grant, it bought 350 naloxone kits. Starting in January, you can get one delivered to your door and learn how to use it online. It’s free for Licking County residents. “We were pleased last year that the overdose deaths dropped, but unfortunately this year they’ve crept back up again,” said Licking Co. Health Commissioner Joe Ebel....

As you may already know, a Democratic IT staffer named Imran Awan was arrested this past July on charges of bank fraud. He was employed with Debbie Wasserman Shultz and other congressional members. He is also a suspect in a cybersecurity investigation, having been banned from congressional networks in February. In addition, his relatives, also government IT employees, are currently being investigated for alleged involvement in defrauding the federal government as well as compromising sensitive information from congressional servers. This event featured: Congressman Louie Gohmert, TX-01 Congressman Jim Jordan, OH-04 Congressman Scott Perry, PA-04 Congressman Ron DeSantis FL-06 Congressman Steve...

A worker at a meat processing plant in Ohio died Saturday after he got his leg caught in a waste grinder, officials said. *snip* Authorities said the Guatemalan national died at the scene. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday, according to FOX 8.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said on Sunday that the Republican Party is "losing the future" by turning off millennials. "I look at Alabama and I say people are not happy with us being small, angry and narrow," Kasich said on NBC News's "Meet the Press," referring to last week's special Senate election. "They're starting to say no. That means that most of us who believe in a positive party are beginning to win, but we have a long way to go." The Ohio governor also cited stances on various issues, such as immigration, health care and trade, that he...

Today is the anniversary of mankind's first powered flight, achieved at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on 17 December 1903 by pioneer American aviators Wilbur and Orville Wright (1867-1912 and 1871-1948, respectively). The Wrights - Dayton, Ohio bicycle mechanics - become interested in aviation as an avocation and embarked on a systematic experimental program that eventually led to their extraordinary success - of which movable wing parts and a lightweight engine were the key elements. Prior To the powered flight, the brothers completed over one thousand glides from atop Big Kill Devil Hill. These flying skills were a crucial component of...

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) revealed to Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro Saturday evening that the House Judiciary Committee will subpoena FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok, lawyer Lisa Page, and demoted Justice Department official Bruce Ohr along with his wife and former Fusion GPS employee Nellie Ohr “in their ongoing inquiry into claims of bias against President Donald Trump.”

A female Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday reportedly said women who wear revealing clothing often create an “invitation” to sexual harassment. “I saw a member yesterday with her cleavage so deep it was down to the floor,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), 71, told fellow Democrats during a caucus private meeting meant to discuss sexual harassment issues, according to Politico. “And what I’ve seen … it’s really an invitation.” Politico’s unnamed sources said, “the comments left many others in the room stunned.” “Maybe I’ll get booed for saying this, but many companies and the military [have] a dress code,” Kaptur reportedly said....

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WKRC) - Middletown Police have signed warrants for the arrests of two men believed to have been with a mother of nine when she overdosed, and left. Jim Boyer, 63, and Keith Boyer, 32, face charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, nine counts of child endangering and petty theft when they are arrested. Police took them into custody Friday afternoon. Police were called to the home of Jamita Sanders, her husband and children Wednesday evening. She had died from a heroin overdose with her children in the home. Their ages range from 14-years-old to just...

I love piano, it’s my favorite instrument. I was lucky enough to spend my formative years with a beautiful piano in our small Los Angeles apartment. I took lessons for a while. Although I had the ear and eye for music, I didn’t have the pinkies. To this day, skillfully crafted and executed piano solos bring me to tears. I have four separate Pandora stations featuring piano. Like I said, I love piano. While the household piano was fairly commonplace in middleclass homes decades ago, few modern homes house the magnificent instrument. Weighing hundreds of pounds — if not tons...

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A Middletown mother of nine has died of a heroin overdose, and police want to give her young children a better Christmas. Police were called to a house on Yankee Road on Wednesday and found Jimeta Sanders, 31, unresponsive on the kitchen floor. Authorities said she was shooting heroin with her “supposed ‘friends,’ who then in turn left her to die in front of her nine kids.” Police said the “friends” – described as two males -- then stole her money and left the home, telling the children they were leaving to buy a 2-liter of soda....

Superintendent Adrian E. Allison says man on paid administrative leave pending investigation of ‘disturbing and unprofessional’ behavior. A McKinley High School teacher is under investigation after a video surfaced that shows him tackling a student to the ground. The roughly 15-second video, obtained by The Canton Repository on Tuesday, shows a student standing with his backpack near another student’s desk in a classroom when the teacher and two other adult men approach. The teacher places his hand on the student’s left arm to pull him away from the desk, and the student jerks his arm away. The teacher then grabs...

COLUMBUS, Ohio Legislation making it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion if the fetus might have Down syndrome has cleared its final legislative hurdle in Ohio and is headed to the governor. Several other states have considered similar measures, triggering emotional debate over women's rights, parental love and the trust between doctor and patient. The bill cleared the Senate in a 20-12 vote Wednesday. It was a priority for the state's largest anti-abortion group, Ohio Right to Life.

The American Meteor Society (AMS) took to Twitter on December 7 to confirm that what he saw was in fact, a meteor. AMS received reports from 146 people about the fireball event. The society noted it was primarily visible from Pennsylvania, but eyewitness accounts were also reported from twelve other states: New York, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Washington, DC.

What is going on at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? It’s a clown show, or it’s rapidly becoming one. Richard Cordray, the former director of the agency, resigned at the end of November. There’s speculation that he’s mulling a gubernatorial bid in Ohio. Alas, comes the showdown. President Trump tapped Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to run the agency, whereas Cordray had selected Leandra English, his deputy, to take the reins. The fact is the president has the power to appoint a new director, but as Guy noted, liberals saw the CFPB, the temple of of Liz...

Students at Oberlin College have long enjoyed pastries, bagels and chocolates from Gibson's Bakery, a century-old, family-owned business near campus. That sweet relationship has turned bitter amid hotly disputed accusations of racism, roiling a school and town long known for their liberal politics. The dispute, which began in November 2016 with the arrest of three black Oberlin students who tried stealing wine from Gibson's