Free Republic

An ex-convict who posted anti-Islamic rants online pleaded no contest Monday to setting fire to a mosque that the Orlando nightclub shooter occasionally attended was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Joseph Schreiber, dressed in a burnt orange jumpsuit, his wrists and ankles shackled, pleaded no contest during Monday's hearing before Circuit Judge Steven Levin. Schreiber answered Levin's questions in a clear, unwavering voice before sentencing. A no contest plea is treated the same as a guilty plea. He had confessed to detectives that he set fire to the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce last Sept. 11, the 15th anniversary...

"(Abdelkhaliq said) he was an Arab and he was going to kill all officers," the police report said. Abdelkhaliq "screamed that the Orlando massacre was going to be nothing compared to what he was getting ready to do" and that he had access to AK-47s and all types of weapons, the report said. Police said Abdelkhaliq was arrested and "kept making threats" to kill the officers as he was being taken to jail.

The Democratic Party used to embrace homosexuals. Now, its Florida leaders are inviting enemies of the gay community to speak at their functions, and only one week following one of the worst episodes of violence against gays in American history. That was the case earlier this month, when anti-gay imam Maulana Shafayat Mohamed was allowed to speak at the Leadership Blue Gala, the annual banquet of the Florida Democratic Party. On June 19th, the Florida Democratic Party held its annual Leadership Blue Gala event. US Senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker, was the keynote speaker. However, one of the other...

An al Qaeda franchise is praising Orlando gunman Omar Mateen — but chiding him for targeting gay Latinos instead of straight whites. A snarky public statement purportedly released by Inspire, the online magazine of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, says that by mowing down 49 people at a gay nightclub full of Latinos instead of setting his sights on a crowd of "Anglo-Saxons," Mateen muddled his message. As a result, media coverage focused on whether Mateen was driven by hatred of gays — even though he professed allegiance to ISIS, and not its rival al Qaeda, in a 911...

With all the zeal of a Joey-come-lately, gun-control convert Joe Scarborough clashed on today’s Morning Joe with Second Amendment defender Tom Cole, Republican congressman from Oklahoma. When Scarborough lectured Cole about terrorists “who want to kill people in your district,” Cole shot back “Joe, I know something about terrorism. I lived through an incident in Oklahoma City.” And when Scarborough patronizingly instructed Cole to “read the Constitution,” Cole retorted “I think I’ve read the Constitution as often as you have.” Mike Barnicle waited until after the interview to take a cheap shot at Cole, claiming that he is “handcuffed to...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Attorney General Loretta Lynch is visiting Orlando to meet with prosecutors, first responders and families of the victims of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The trip Tuesday comes as the Justice Department continues investigating the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub, in which 49 people died and dozens were wounded.

It is a fairly simple question, is it not? Either he knew or he didn’t. He knew. The family always knows. Especially in Muslim families. Omar Mateen was religious and violent for a long time. He threatened co-workers and classmates. He gave his family his house. You mean no one in the family stopped to ask why. By g-d these devout Muslim families think we are stupid. And if you check media accounts and Obama’s post Orlando statements, they’re right. EXCLUSIVE: Omar Mateen’s brother-in-law REFUSES to say if he knew about terror plot as it is revealed gunman sold...

Seddique Mateen, father of the Orlando killer and outspoken supporter of the Taliban, has also been a guest at Obama’s White House and Hillary’s State Department. I wonder what they were talking about? The senior Mateen has described Omar as a “good son.” Of course he also describes the Taliban as a good government so that should give you a frame of reference for what he considers good. Did he meet directly with President Obama? That’s unclear. It’s unclear who he met with and no one has returned calls for a comment. The photos come from Mateen’s Facebook Page where...

It was not an "if" but "when". The handwriting was on everyone's walls, for all to see. I have for the past few weeks stayed quietly away, gently watching the Trump-Clinton feud coming of age as election time draws closer. Many Americans, I assure you, are not the slightest bit aware of the enormity of what is at stake in these elections and the ensuing consequences to the nation, depending on who we elect to be our next president. The Orlando massacre has now earned its uninvited place as the worst mass shooting ever in U.S. history of the nation...

There was a stunning moment on today’s Morning Joe, when Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson was stumped when asked a simple question. With all the brouhaha over gun control in the wake of the Orlando massacre, what law could have stopped Omar Mateern? It was, of all people, Sam Stein of the Huffington Post who asked the killer question. Stein pointed out that Mateen was not on the no-fly or terrorist watch list, and had passed a background check. “So what is the actual legislative response” that would have stopped the Orlando attack? Johnson resorted to claiming that Congress...

The man police say killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning had visited the club at least a dozen times before carrying out his attack, a witness told the Orlando Sentinel on Monday. The suspected shooter, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, may have also used several different gay dating apps, according to reports from MSNBC and the Los Angeles Times.... An Orlando man told MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Monday that he had seen photos of Mateen on the gay dating apps Grindr, Adam4Adam, and Jack'd over the last several years. At least two of the man's friends...

Chick Fil A has made national news for it’s owners’ stance on gay marriage. Anytime they do something even remotely non-PC, their supposed slip up goes viral. Hash tags pop up all over the place. So why is that what they have done in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting hasn’t received a single mention on the mainstream new outlets? It’s probably because people like New York City Mayor, Bill DeBlasio might have to eat crow instead of chicken. DeBlasio has said that Chick Fil A spreads a message of hate. Not so yesterday. In a shocking move,...

Trump at Saint Anselm College. 1 hr · DONALD J. TRUMP ADDRESSES TERRORISM, IMMIGRATION, AND NATIONAL SECURITY Thank you for joining me today. This was going to be a speech on Hillary Clinton and how bad a President, especially in these times of Radical Islamic Terrorism, she would be. Even her former Secret Service Agent, who has seen her under pressure and in times of stress, has stated that she lacks the temperament and integrity to be president. There will be plenty of opportunity to discuss these important issues at a later time, and I will deliver that speech soon....