Free Republic

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a challenge to Seattle's $15-an-hour minimum wage from franchise owners who say the law discriminates against them by treating them as large businesses. Seattle was one of the first cities in the nation to adopt a law aiming for a $15 minimum wage, giving small businesses employing fewer than 500 people seven years to phase it in. Large employers must do so over three or four years, depending on whether they offer health insurance to their employees. Franchises say they are small businesses and should have more time to phase in the higher...

Bill Gates said investment gains should be taxed at the same level as ordinary income — a bold call for one of the world's largest investors. Speaking Monday on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Gates said that he's "pleased" that there is more discussion around changing the tax code. When asked what he would alter, Gates sided with his pal Warren Buffett and said he supports raising the earned income tax credit. But Gates also said he would raise the tax rate for capital gains — the largest source of income for the richest Americans. The current top tax rate on capital...

EXCERPTS "When John Boehner calls me 'Lucifer,' he's not directing that at me," the GOP presidential candidate and Florida senator said in a Fort Wayne, Indiana press conference Thursday morning. "He's directing that at you. What Boehner is angry with me for is not something I've ever said to him. What Boehner is angry with me for is standing with the American people and energizing and encouraging House conservatives to stand with the American people and actually honor the commitments we've made." (snip) "If I said 50 words in my life to John Boehner, I'd be surprised," said Cruz, nothing...

We are re-upping this post from early 2014 in light of Boehner labeling Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh" and saying, "I've never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life." Here's where their work together began, two decades ago. For what it's worth, Cruz downplayed their relationship Thursday in his comments responding to Boehner. "I've met John Boehner two or three times in my life," he assured. As we show below, that's not entirely accurate.

Former House Speaker John Boehner ripped into Sen. Ted Cruz in a memorable fashion during a Wednesday appearance, prompting Cruz to say he "doesn't know" Boehner. "I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life," Boehner said, dubbing Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh." But a closer look at their history reveals the two weren't always enemies. In fact, long before Boehner saw Cruz as Lucifer, the 2016 Republican presidential candidate was actually his lawyer.

Ted Cruz's claim on Thursday that he never knew or worked with John Boehner has been called into question following the revelation that the Texas senator once served as the former House speaker's lawyer.

The media is working hard to convince you that they caught Ted Cruz in a lie about working with John Boehner. But they are the ones lying, as usual.During an interview hosted by Stanford in Government (SIG) and the Stanford Speakers Bureau, former House Speaker John Boehner referred to presidential candidate Ted Cruz as “Lucifer in the flesh.” He continued, “I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.”But Boehner did not “work” with Ted Cruz. Boehner only worked...

Cruz also told reporters gathered in Fort Wayne, Indiana that he’d only met Boehner “two or three times.” Which, in terms of actual numbers, may or may not be true, but the depth of these meetings was far greater than Cruz’s statements suggested. That’s because he worked as Boehner’s attorney during the Ohio representative’s federal lawsuit against Washington representative Jim McDermott in 1998.

Deputies are investigating after an intruder was fatally shot in a home near Thursday night Monroe. Authorities responded after an 80-year-old woman called 911 to report she had shot an intruder in the 13700 block of Woods Lake Road before 9 p.m. Police said the intruder broke into the home and stabbed a 75-year-old man. The man’s wife then shot the intruder. According to police, the intruder died at the scene. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center and is in stable condition. The woman was not injured. Woods Lake Road between Florence Road and Old Owen Road was...

A Seattle man accused of threatening to cut out U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott's tongue now faces felony charges. King County prosecutors claim Jasper K. Bell made the threat because he was upset that McDermott, D-Seattle, was supporting Hillary Clinton for president.

A state judge threw out a portion of a Seattle ordinance requiring garbage collectors to snoop through residents’ trash in search of food waste, calling the provision unconstitutional. King County Superior Court Judge Beth M. Andrus issued an injunction against the garbage inspections but not Seattle’s residential food-waste ban, which forbids throwing away food scraps and compostable paper.

The University of Washington removed an infographic Tuesday that gave prospective cheerleaders tips on how to do their hair and makeup for tryouts after strong social media backlash. The graphic advised women to wear their hair “straight or curled” along with “false eyelashes” and “flattering eye shadow.” It discouraged women from wearing “distracting fingernail polish” or “tops that cover the midriff.” The Seattle Times reported the advice along with a photo of a white woman in blond hair posing in a black sports bra was posted on the cheerleading team’s Facebook page. The post was removed before 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The Convention of 1818 between Britain and America following the War of 1812 had a tough job to take on: determining the border between Canada and the United States. In an effort to avoid controversy and confusion caused by drawing the boundary based on watershed, the two countries agreed on a simpler solution: the 49th parallel. There were, of course, multiple problems that arose with this solution, including the fact that Vancouver Island was split in two by the imaginary line. The debate over whether the line of latitude should split the island in two or if it should be ignored,...

The 28 pages of a Congressional report detailing where the 9/11 hijackers got their financing have been classified for years, but what they contain is an open secret. Former Senator Bob Graham explained: “The 28 pages primarily relate to who financed 9/11, and they point a very strong finger at Saudi Arabia as being the principal financier.” So why keep this information secret? Because the Saudis wield undue influence in Washington, among both parties – an influence that has deformed our response to the global jihad threat, and continues to do so. Responding to a bill that would allow 9/11...

To refresh your memory: Washington State has 44 delegates, winner-take-most (majority takes all) proportional primary (20% threshold), with statewide and CD delegates. Closed primary (deadline to switch is next week; deadline for first-time voters is next month), but it’s all mail-in. …And, just think! Five months ago, I would have had to write another three or four sentences to explain all of that. Now I can just assume that most of you folks will be able to follow along. It’s an ill wind, huh? Anyway, it turns out that Ted Cruz has already done the work – before the deadline...

State Department spokesman won't say whether the United States will support anti-Israeli resolution, but also rules nothing out. The United States refused to say on Thursday whether or not it would support a Palestinian Authority (PA) proposal for a United Nations resolution to condemn Israeli "settlement building" -- but ruled nothing out. "We understand that there is an early draft that the Palestinians have shared informally in New York," State Department spokesman John Kirby said, according to the AFP news agency. "I'm not going to comment on an informal draft resolution. Nothing has been formally introduced or circulated at the...

Washington State University scientists... say the region saw three other cultural transitions over the preceding five centuries. The researchers also document recurring narratives in which the Pueblo people agreed on canons of ritual, behavior and belief that quickly dissolved as climate change hurt crops and precipitated social turmoil and violence... Bocinsky, WSU Regents Professor Tim Kohler and colleagues analyzed data from just over 1,000 southwest archaeological sites and nearly 30,000 tree-ring dates that served as indicators of rainfall, heat and time. Their data-intensive approach, facilitated by climate reconstructions run at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of...

Donald Trump's team is encouraging its supporters in Washington state to sign up to be a potential Trump delegate. The only problem: The campaign's local crew sent its email on Friday -- two days after the filing deadline to appear on the printed ballot in Saturday's conventions and caucuses. The email, headlined "invitation," encouraged supporters to submit their Declaration of Candidacy for Delegate form. But the very next sentence says the filing deadline was Wednesday. "You can still be elected as a Trump Delegate at your GOP County Convention this Saturday!" the April 8 email, which was obtained by POLITICO,...

A commercial ambulance crew told the Department of Health they were swarmed by about 30 ATV and motorcycle riders on March 23 on Michigan Avenue near North Capitol Street. The incident description said the group blocked the ambulance, which was carrying an intensive care patient being transported to a children's unit, and forced it to stop even though the ambulance used its lights and sirens in an attempt to get by. The crew reported one of the drivers opened the ambulance door and accused the ambulance driver of cutting the group off.

California and New York — where almost 1 in 5 Americans live — are on their way to raising their minimum wage to $15 an hour, and the activists who spearheaded those efforts are now setting their sights on other similarly liberal, Democratic-led states. Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington are among the states with active “Fight for $15” efforts, and even economic experts who oppose the increased rate see it gaining momentum. “There is lots of pressure to do this,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office director who is now president of...