Free Republic

For over 20 years, Americans have been questioned by a credit card catchphrase asking, “What’s in your wallet?” The more relevant question today is who is in your wallet, given the activist lawmakers in Washington eager to regulate nearly every aspect of our financial lives. And once again, we open our wallets to find Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) settling in and making himself comfortable. Aside from earning a spot on the Mt. Rushmore of Senate tax raisers over his career, Durbin has gone above and beyond, raiding Americans’ wallets – specifically their debit cards – with vigor in 2010 through...

The holidays are here, and while the decorations on Capitol Hill symbolize a season of giving, lawmakers seem more focused on getting what they want on immigration. Every member on Capitol Hill agrees the public health crisis at the southern border is untenable. Those truly committed to addressing the emergency know that it can’t be fixed overnight. They have the hard task of enacting laws to prevent migrants fleeing abhorrent conditions from entering America illegally, providing border support for their humane treatment while being processed and managing the needs of those granted temporary protected status now living in the U.S....

Hamas groomed an army of angry, insecure, wife-beating psychopaths and gave them permission to rape, mutilate and kill Israeli men, women, and children. The terror organization drugged these psychopaths, told them to videotape their atrocities, and offered them a $10,000 reward for taking hostages. Hamas savages were high on captagon, Israeli blood, and visions of martyrdom. They believed that they were heroes righting wrongs and injustices by killing and violating the “oppressors” who stole and occupy their land. The October 7th attack on Israel can be partly attributed to the red-green alliance of radical leftists and Islamists who foster a...

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced that a $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of Zachery Waldo, the man who left his DUI manslaughter trial for lunch and never returned. Waldo was on trial in connection with a DUI crash on Christmas Eve in 2019 that killed Christopher Smith, Jessica Smith and their 13-year-old daughter, according to court documents. Waldo, who was out on bond, left his trial on March 14 and has not been seen since. According to police, Waldo has fled from law enforcement in the past, and has...

Crows are considered to be some of the most intelligent birds around and some will be trained to pick up litter in exchange for food, potentially saving the Nordic country millions in street-cleaning efforts.videoA start-up in Sweden has begun recruiting crows in a pilot project to assist in cleaning up the streets of the city of Södertälje in Greater Stockholm.Crows are among the most intelligent animals in Sweden and can learn to pick things up in exchange for food, something that the local company Corvid Cleaning aims to benefit from. In particular, the birds will be taught to pick up...

Federal law enforcement agents have arrested a Florida Man and charged him with trying to organize an armed response to pro-President Donald Trump protesters expected at the state Capitol on Sunday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the FBI arrested Daniel Baker of Tallahassee on Friday. Authorities say Baker issued a “call to arms” on social media to recruit people in a plot to create an armed circle around protesters and trap them in the Capitol complex “using firearms.” “Extremists intent on violence from either end of the political and social spectrums must be stopped, and they will be stopped,”...

The U.S. government has quietly withdrawn a $5 million reward it was offering for the killing or capture of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, named by Pentagon officials as the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Mass murderers kill our kids for simple reasons. Mass murder of innocents gives the murderer a powerful reward. Yes, murder pays. In fact, the payoff is huge. The payoff is also extremely reliable. As shocking as it is when our innocent children are murdered in our schools, we are not coming anywhere close to best practice in our effort to stop these horrific events. The sad fact is that mass murderers are learning and reacting faster than we are. Murderers are learning faster than our politicians and our school officials. Murderers are certainly learning faster than our news media. It...

Years back, Microsoft began paying people to use its Bing search service via a program called Bing Rewards. Now, Microsoft will do the same with its Edge browser and other products. Microsoft announced Wednesday that over the next few weeks, Bing Rewards will become Microsoft Rewards. The concept remains the same: The more you use or buy Microsoft products, the more freebies you’ll receive in return. With the debut of Microsoft Rewards, you'll also be able to accrue points by browsing with Edge or purchasing items at brick-and-mortar Microsoft Stores. Why this matters: At the end of July, Google Chrome...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Confronted with missteps in his own administration, President Barack Obama has frequently pleaded ignorance — suggesting he could not be at fault about things he did not know.</p> <p>It's an argument with clear benefits but also inherent risks for the White House. Used too often, the tactic emboldens critics who claim the president is incompetent, detached and not fully in control.</p>

Republican lawmakers want to know why the Al Qaeda terrorists involved in the Benghazi attacks were excluded from the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program, a program which offers huge cash payments for tips leading to the capture of wanted terrorists. Fox News reported that a ranking Republican lawmaker believes this is "more evidence that the Obama White House wants to minimize the terrorism angle in that attack." In a related post on Thursday, I noted that Thomas Joscelyn of The Long War Journal reported that: The UN, on Oct. 18, added Muhammad Jamal al Kashef - who previously served...

Millions of dollars worth of federal contracts transformed Anita Talwar from a government accounting clerk into a wealthy woman — one who can afford a $2.8 million home in the Washington suburbs with its own elevator, wine cellar and Swarovski crystal chandeliers. Talwar, a 59-year-old immigrant from India, had no idea that she and her husband would amass a small fortune when she launched a company providing tech support to the federal government in 1987. But she shrewdly took advantage of programs for minority-owned small businesses and rode a boom in federal contracting. Talwar’s success — and that of hundreds...

K Street appears to have cashed in on the lengthy battle over healthcare reform. About 1,750 businesses and organizations spent at least $1.2 billion in 2009 to lobby on health reform and other issues, according to a study from the Center for Public Integrity released Friday. A precise figure isn’t available because lobbying disclosure forms don’t require companies or other groups to itemize how much they spend to lobby on a particular issue. The largest lobbying firm in terms of revenue, Patton Boggs, set the pace in healthcare lobbying too, according to the Center. Fifty-three clients paid Patton Boggs $7.68...

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 9, 2009 – A new program backed by Afghan national security forces and Combined Joint Task Force 82 empowers Afghan citizens to take a stand against improvised explosive devices. Afghan National Army Maj. Gen. Abdul Khaliq, left, speaks about a program that rewards civilians for providing information about enemy activities during a news conference at Forward Operating Base Thunder in Afghanistan’s Paktia province, Dec. 7, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Operation Jaeza,” or “reward,” protects Afghans from enemy actions targeting innocent people, said Maj. Gen....

We go through life missing many a wonderful blessing and as the old-timers say, Stop and Smell the Roses. This song sung be Squire Parsons will bless your heart and with scenic pictures increase your faith in God and the good things we have every day. Revski

A. Yes, and in many ways. Hobbies can enhance your creativity, help you think more clearly and sharpen your focus, said Carol Kauffman, an assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School. “When you’re really engaged in a hobby you love, you lose your sense of time and enter what’s called a flow state, and that restores your mind and energy,” she said. In a flow state, you are completely submerged in an experience, requiring a high level of concentration. Research shows strong correlations between flow states and peak performance, said Ms. Kauffman.

DALLAS, Feb. 6, 2007 – Good grades in school can yield more than a sense of satisfaction for children of military families, as students can cash in on the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's "You Made the Grade" program. Begun in February 2000, AAFES' education rewards effort is designed to recognize above-average academic achievement, officials said. Qualifying students receive a coupon booklet that includes free admission to an AAFES Reel Time Theater, a complimentary slice of Anthony's pizza with drink and a free magazine, as well as other coupons. "It is important to recognize our military families' superior...

What The Bible Teaches About Rewards For & Judgment Of Believers "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." [Genesis 15:1] Introduction So, just what exactly does the Bible teach about rewards for believers in heaven? There are two major schools of thought on this subject. One teaches that believers will receive some kind of physical rewards (literal crowns) in heaven based on their works done as Christians. The second school of thought teaches that the heavenly reward of believers is...

Ship operators who reduce pollution by observing a speed limit while entering the Port of Long Beach will be rewarded with lower dockage rates. The reduced dockage rates are part of the port's Green Flag Incentive Program, an annual $2.2 million clean air initiative that provides financial incentives and recognition to those who voluntarily reduce their speeds. The tariff reduction plan was approved Monday by the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Under the program, carriers will qualify for a 15 percent discounted Green Flag dockage rate during the following year if 90 percent of their vessels comply with a 12-knot speed...

Coalition Forces handing out toys BAQUBAH, Iraq – Soldiers from Task Force 1-10 handed out donated toys and stuffed animals August 31 to the children that live around the mayor’s office here. The soldiers and the children enjoyed the interaction with one another and the children left with smiles on their faces. Iraqi police basic marksmanship training FORWARD OPERATING BASE Normandy, Iraq – A group of 20 Iraqi police officers gathered to further hone their skills during an intense marksmanship class August 31. Coalition Forces stood by as seven Iraqi instructors trained the police with intense one on one personalized...