Free Republic

It was only a few weeks ago when outgoing Ohio Governor John Kasich said he was seriously considering a 2020 primary challenge to President Trump, if only to “send a message.” (Who that message was intended for remains unclear.) But hey… the guy is going to be unemployed come January so he needs something to keep himself busy.But now, with Christmas fast approaching, something seems to have changed. During an interview with the Associated Press, Kasich was striking a decidedly different tone. Clearly, if you’re going to mount a primary challenge, you need to believe that you at least have...

Classy: Nothing good that POTUS Donald Trump does will ever placate the perpetually triggered and angry American Left, but what he did for a 10-year-old girl battling stage four brain cancer this Christmas is worthy of high praise indeed. Cleveland resident Oliviah Hall has been battling a brain tumor since 2017 after being diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade IV. She was able to meet POTUS Trump during his midterm swing through Ohio and had a picture taken with him and her family.

Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich's chief political strategist has a message for President Donald Trump: "Be careful what you wish for." Earlier, a Fox News interviewer asked the president about the possibility of Kasich or retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., running against him in 2020, and Trump responded, "I hope so." John Weaver, the Kasich strategist, responded to the remark with a warning. "Be careful what you wish for," Weaver said in a message to CNBC.

Well, if Democratic bloodsports over the House speakership race was on your Christmas list, cross it off. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) now has a lock on it, with a deal struck with the anti-Pelosi wing on the Democratic Party, who vowed to oppose her bid. Some 16 House Democratsdeclared their opposition to her candidacy. Yet, their potential candidate to oppose Pelosi, Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), decided to bow out. Some other anti-Pelosi Democrats jumped ship as well. Still, there was a chance that this small band of rebels could cause Pelosi heartburn on the House floor. Now, such fears can...

Citing audience input, CBC has reversed its decision to remove the holiday track Baby, It's Cold Outside from seasonal playlists. "Last week, we decided to press pause to consider the different points of view on playing Baby, It's Cold Outside. Because we value our audience input, which was overwhelmingly to include the song, we have put it back on the two playlists where it had been removed," Chuck Thompson, CBC's head of public affairs, said in a statement Tuesday. "Appreciating not everyone interprets lyrics the same way, listeners may wish to skip the song as we understand not everyone will...

I think what we’re learning here is that NBA players are huge fans of conspiracy theories. Nearly two years after Kyrie Irving said the Earth is flat on a podcast with then-Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye, fellow All-Star point guard Stephen Curry informed us that man never landed on the moon during an appearance with Golden State Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala on a new podcast featuring Atlanta Hawks players Vince Carter and Kent Bazemore. Curry even tipped his cap to Irving, suggesting, “They’re gonna come get us,” an ode to the social media firestorm that followed Irving’s...

An Ohio woman, one of two people accused on Monday of planning mass murders, was in contact with the racist gunman who shot up a South Carolina church and killed nine people in 2015, authorities said. Elizabeth Lecron, 23, of Toledo, was one of two people arrested in domestic terrorism-related cases, the FBI announced. Lecron was arrested with 21-year-old Damon Joseph, of Holland... The FBI said investigators found an AK-47, shotgun, handguns, ammunition and hand-caps, which are used to make pipe bombs, in her apartment. Authorities said she planned to attack a bar in Toledo and meet up with other...

A man who is accused of planning to attack a synagogue in Toledo, Ohio was inspired by the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting suspect, police said. Damon Joseph, 21, is charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. According to court documents, Joseph spoke with an undercover agent regarding the Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh, saying, “I admire what the guy did with the shooting actually.” He added: “I can see myself carrying out this type of operation inshallah. They wouldn’t even [an attack] expect in my area...”

Former GOP Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) on Sunday said he believes the Democratic Party could win in 2020 if they pick someone "unexpected" as their party's presidential nominee. Santorum, asked if there were any potential Democratic candidates he was afraid of, pointed to previous presidential contests, saying all of the Democratic candidates who won were "not the favorite" at the time. "When the Democrats win, they pick someone unexpected or someone who’s not the favorite," Santorum, a CNN analyst, said on CNN's "State of the Union." "[Former Presidents] Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter," he listed. "When they pick [failed...

A group of Ohio religious leaders criticized lawmakersÂ’ efforts to pass protections for unborn babies Thursday during a pro-abortion protest at a church in downtown Columbus. The event at Trinity Episcopal Church, coordinated by the Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, included Christian and Jewish leaders who oppose a bill to prohibit abortions after unborn babies have a detectable heartbeat, about six weeks of pregnancy.The state House passed the bill in November, and the Senate is considering it this week. It is expected to pass the Republican-controlled legislature. HAPPENING NOW: Faith leaders organized by @OhioRCRC are speaking against bans on...

If the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) stuck to its stated mission statement and only did civil rights work protecting Muslim Americans from discrimination and bigotry, you likely would never see it mentioned on this site.But CAIR has a second, perhaps more paramount objective that it never directly acknowledges: To oppose Israel and promote Palestinian nationalism.CAIR’s mission statement makes no mention of Palestine. Instead, it says it aims to “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.” It describes its lobbying arm as focusing “on issues related to Islam and Muslims. The department monitors legislation and government activities and responds...

The holidays are here, which means it’s time to debate whether or not the lyrics to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” are creepy or just crappy and annoying. According to CNN, Star 102, WDOK-FM, a Cleveland Christmas radio station has decided it won’t be playing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” this year. The 74-year-old song by “Guys and Dolls” writer Frank Loesser is also known on Urban Dictionary as the “Christmas Date Rape Song.”On the station’s website, radio host Glenn Anderson explained that the song is no longer appropriate for #MeToo era: “Now, I do realize that when the song was written...

In yet another shocking failure in a long line of interfaith outreach by Western governments since 9/11, The Daily Telegraph reports today that the American-born Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has been recently promoting a program associated with the notorious Al-Manaar mosque not far from Kensington Palace. The mosque has produced as many as nineteen terrorists -- including "Jihadi John" and his Islamic State "Beatles" who tortured and beheaded Western captives in Syria. The duchess has helped raise more than $250,000 for the Hubb Community Kitchen operated out of the mosque by promoting a cookbook that royal press agents have...

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Monday seconded French President Emmanuel Macron's sentiments against nationalism, tweeting, "Macron is right" on what he said on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Macron heavily criticized "nationalism" in an apparent jab at President Trump during his Armistice Day remarks in Paris on Sunday.

Hundreds of General Motors workers and their families have gathered in Ohio for an emotional prayer vigil over the closure of their plant and the loss of 15,000 jobs across the company. The solemn prayer vigil took place outside the General Motors plant in Lordstown on Thursday. It is among the five GM plants across North America that are set to close next year. Emotional co-workers hugged each other and wiped away tears as they prayed together.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) abruptly stepped aside on Thursday to allow his House Freedom Caucus ally, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), to run uncontested for the ranking member role on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee -- a position that he won. Jordan, who won the race with no other competitors to challenge him, is expected to be a fierce defender of President Trump when Democrats take control of the panel next Congress. They are expected to become involved in a series of investigations into the Trump administration. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and two GOP lawmakers on the...

WASHINGTON — Nancy Pelosi is facing a renewed threat to her leadership of House Democrats from a group of moderates, creating a standoff that is highlighting emerging tensions between the emboldened left flank of her caucus and its expanded ranks of those in the middle. Nine Democrats in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, an offshoot of the moderate think tank No Labels, are warning they could vote against Pelosi for House Speaker unless she agrees to rule changes that they say will help "break the gridlock" in Congress. Pelosi is expected to cruise through an internal Democratic caucus meeting on...

General Motors will end production of six sedans by the end of 2019. North American customers want SUVs, crossovers, hatchbacks and trucks. Sedans have fallen out of favor. As GM (GM) adjusts to changing customer behavior it is also planning ahead for the future. The company announced massive layoffs and is closing five North American facilities as it transitions to self-driving, electric cars of the future. The soon-to-be closed plants mean GM will no longer make these cars: Buick LaCrosse January - September sales: 13,409, down 14.2% The LaCrosse is a large car built by a brand that was a...

Amid flagging sales, General Motors confirmed on Monday that it will no longer make the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt, ceasing production on March 1st, 2019. The news comes as part of a wider plan by GM to slash car production in North America and halt production of several low-selling brands. Trading on GM shares was briefly halted on the stock exchange early on Monday in anticipation of “major operational changes,” according to CNBC. GM plans to “unallocate” three assembly plants — in Oshawa, Ontario; Detroit, Michigan; and Warren, Ohio — putting the future of those plants in doubt, Reuters reports....

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors will lay off up to 14,000 factory and white-collar workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it restructures to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles. The reduction includes 8,100 white-collar workers, some of whom will take buyouts and others who will be laid off. Some U.S. factory workers could transfer to truck or SUV factories that are increasing production.