Free Republic

@RonWyden As the longest serving member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I can say with confidence that this bill is the biggest expansion of the government's warrantless surveillance power since the PATRIOT Act. I'm still doing everything in my power to stop it passing the Senate.

A former congressional candidate was charged over allegations that he threatened to dispatch a hit squad to murder his political opponent while he was running against Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) William Braddock, 41, of St. Petersburg, Fla. is accused of making the alleged threats on June 8, 2021 — including one where he threatened to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” to take out his rival. Prosecutors did not outright name the victim, but at the time, he was vying against fellow Republican Luna and he was allegedly caught on audio calling the lawmaker a “dead squirrel” and “a...

The Associated Press (AP) found itself embroiled in controversy this weekend over its portrayal of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The news agency's biographical article, seemingly prepared in anticipation of Nasrallah's potential demise, initially bore the headline: "Charismatic and shrewd: A look at longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah." The characterization drew immediate criticism on social media platforms. By Saturday morning, AP had amended the headline to a more neutral "Who is longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah?" The rapid edit appeared to be a direct response to the flood of criticism on X (formerly Twitter). Notable figures across the political spectrum weighed...

Reports are coming in of a helicopter crash in western Iran, carrying Iranian leaders and Houthis. Also to go along with this headline is the one below.No official word on casualties yet as investigations continue.Source: Al Jazeera

Introducing the first song the singer is celebrating her 78th birthday today... Your host back with you across the fruited plain and beyond. El Rushbo's 'fruited plain' I actually realized with my own eyes looking eastwards from Colorado Springs in 2016... Your self-righteous, justice-seeking hypocrite host grateful for the finished work of Jesus... Was it only yesterday that Russell Brand was saying pornographic things on BBC Radio 2 every Saturday morning... Every day I go out there and keep my eyes on the... October 7th means Benjamin Netanyahu has freedom to act to do whatever he wants in fact he...

Russia strongly condemns Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in the Lebanese capital Beirut, the foreign ministry said on Saturday, calling it "yet another political assassination". "This forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East," the ministry said in a statement. "The Israeli side could not fail to recognise this danger, but took the step of killing Lebanese citizens, which would almost inevitably provoke a new outburst of violence. Thus, it bears full responsibility for the subsequent escalation."

MOSCOW, Russia — Russia strongly condemns Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, its Foreign Ministry says, calling on Israel to stop hostilities in Lebanon. “This forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East,” the ministry says in a statement.

Embattled Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson-whose gubernatorial bid has been rattled by allegations that he previously posted racist and sexually explicit comments online--was hospitalized with burns Friday, his campaign said. Mike Lonergan, a campaign spokesperson, told CBS News in a statement late Friday night that the 56-year-old Robinson was "currently being treated for burns following an incident at a campaign event in Mt. Airy"...

Two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries from an explosion at the Santa Maria Courthouse in California, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. One person of interest -- an adult male -- was detained, Santa Barbara County Sheriff public information officer Raquel Zick wrote on social media. Authorities believe the explosion was the result of an "intentionally set improvised explosive device," Zick said.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 25, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury instead found the Syria-born man, guilty in Boulder District Court on 10 counts of first-degree murder. In Colorado, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Had Alissa been found not guilty by reason of insanity, he would have been sent to the state psychiatric hospital, with any release from that facility requiring a judge's approval. It was never in dispute that Alissa carried out the rampage .... Authorities said Alissa was armed with a legally...

Senior US officials say that a ceasefire-hostage deal in Gaza is unlikely.... The Sheriff of Letcher County, Kentucky arrested after he allegedly shot and killed a judge... "outrageous lies" "high-tech lynching" US politics a CNN report with a list of allegations against the Republican candidate for Governor of North Carolina... In Portugal 14 arrests of arson suspects in the wave of wildfires... The Israeli military striking dozens of targets in southern Lebanon... One person killed in a stabbing attack at the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam... US politics three national polls today the NY Times Sienna Poll puts Donald Trump and...

Politics Alaska man charged with threatening to assassinate 6 Supreme Court justices By Melissa Quinn September 19, 2024 / 11:37 AM EDT / CBS News Washington — An Alaska man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly threatening to assassinate six members of the Supreme Court and harm two family members, the Justice Department said. Panos Anastasiou, 76, is accused of sending more than 465 messages to the Supreme Court through an online portal, which included violent, racist, and homophobic rhetoric, according to court filings. Anastasiou allegedly threatened to assassinate, kidnap, torture, hang, behead and execute the justices, and encouraged other people...

Britain’s top diplomat has claimed that climate change represents a greater threat than terrorism or Russia to the national security of the United Kingdom. In his first major address since the left-wing Labour Party won the general election in July, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Tuesday that the supposed climate crisis will be “central” to his remit, despite holders of his office traditionally focussing on international relations and foreign affairs. “While I am foreign secretary, action on the climate and nature crisis will be central to all the Foreign Office does. This is critical given the scale of the threat,...

In the wake of yet another foiled ISIS-inspired terrorist plot, this one by a Canada-based Pakistani seeking to kill Jews in New York on the anniversary of last year’s Hamas attack in Israel, everyone is loudly proclaiming: “ISIS is back.”And yet, this analysis is wrong.For someone or something to “be back,” it has to have left in the first place. This return can be surprising or expected, but in the end it is of note. With respect to the ISIS terrorist group, it has not “resurged” because it never went away in the first place.The group has been around since...

CNN´s "State of the Union" host Candy Crowley asked House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers whether it makes any difference that Vladimir Putin and Russia got the upper hand over the U.S. in the deal struck on Syria´s chemical weapons.

Eygi was not a "human rights activist", because the organization she was a member of is not a human rights organization. Eygi came here as part of the activities of the 'International Solidarity Movement' (hereinafter ISM). The ISM organization claims that it advocates "non-violent resistance", but the exact opposite is true. Over the past 20 years, the organization and its members have published messages of support for actions such as violent riots on the border fence in Gaza; Throwing stones and shooting attacks against Israeli civilians; and recognition of the Palestinians' right to "resist in any way they choose", including...

Pro-Palestinian students rejoiced on August 29, 2024, when San Francisco State University (SFSU) announced it would divest from three arms manufacturers because they allegedly fail to meet "human rights standards."NBC Bay Area reported that the three companies are Lockheed Martin, Palantir Technologies, and Leonardo.The divestment decision followed weeks of protest from pro-Palestinian students. The students "camped out and protested for three weeks in a nationwide call for universities to disclose and divest from what they categorized as companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and the war in Gaza.Caterpillar — a heavy equipment manufacturer, not an arms manufacturer —...

North Korea floated hundreds of balloons across the border with South Korea on Thursday, Seoul's military said, continuing its latest campaign for the second day in a row. "Our military confirmed that North Korea had launched more than 420 garbage balloons from last night to early this morning," Lt. Col. Lee Chang-hyun, spokesman for Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a press briefing. "Since around 9 a.m. [Thursday], balloons have been launched again, so I emphasized to the public that they should be careful of falling loads, and if they see a fallen balloon, do not come into contact...

For Immediate Release Defendants Are Senior Leaders of Hamas Responsible for Planning, Supporting, and Perpetrating Hamas’s October 7 Terrorist Attacks in Israel Resulting in the Brutal Murders of More Than a Thousand Innocent Civilians, Including Over 40 American CitizensNote: The complaint was unsealed on Sept. 3 and can be viewed here. The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges against six senior leaders of Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. The charges relate to the defendants’ central roles in planning, supporting, and perpetrating the terrorist atrocities that Hamas committed in Israel on Oct....

n oil tanker loaded with roughly a million barrels of crude was on fire and in danger of leaking after it was attacked by Houthi rebels while crossing through the Red Sea. The 900-foot Sounion was hit over the weekend, part of a campaign by the Yemen-based group to target vessels passing through the Suez Canal. The crew was evacuated from the ship, which is now anchored in a busy maritime channel. The Suezmax tanker—the largest size that can transit the canal when laden—had taken on cargo in Iraq, and its final destination was Europe, brokers said. It is one...