Free Republic

The re-start of the DDG51 Arleigh Burke destroyer production line is moving forward with the launch of the first new Flight IIA vessel – John Finn (DDG 113) in March after a five-year gap. Speaking at Sea-Air-Space 2015, Cdr Seth Miller, the production manager of the DDG51 programme said that the launch took place at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard on 28 March with the next ship, Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) due to be launched on 6 November. The keels of two more ships will also be laid down this year. Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) will be laid on 10...

Although he thinks marriage should be between a man and a woman, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says he would attend a same-sex wedding of a family member or friend to show his support for someone he cares about. Rubio was interviewed Wednesday by Fusion's Jorge Ramos, who asked the Republican presidential candidate whether he would attend the wedding of a gay friend or co-worker if invited. "If there's somebody that I love that's in my life, I don't necessarily have to agree with their decisions, or the decisions they've made, to continue to love them and participate in important events,"...

Message: After nearly 25 years on the national political stage, she has discovered she cares deeply about the much-beleaguered American middle class. Reaction: Better late than never. To underscore her bourgeoisie bona fides, the Evita of Chappaqua embarked on a populist road trip from New York to Iowa, even stopping for some fast food at a Chipotle restaurant near Toledo to demonstrate she can rub great unwashed elbows with the best of ambitious politicians. Nothing says "Hail to the Chief" more than a burrito bowl. Still, Clinton better be careful during this Nighthawks diner phase of the campaign. The patrician...

"On Marriage as in everything else, no sugarcoating - Robert Spaemann: "When Jesus spoke, people were shocked and ran away."" The renowned and arguably the most famous living Catholic philosopher in Germany, Professor Robert Spaemann, gave an interview to Julia Wächter for the Diocese of Regensburg, Germany, on matters related to the upcoming Synod of Bishops. The main excerpts are translated below: Question: Marriage cannot any more be taken for granted in certain circles today. The Church's idea of marriage is questioned more and more. How should one now act? Would you say that the Church abandons her ideal of...

How should Congress address the steady stream of data breaches that often expose lax practices in handling your personal data? I'd bet you wouldn't reply: by making it easier for companies to sweep breaches under the rug, or by weakening protections for sensitive data such as your cable-TV viewing history. But that's just what a coalition of consumer, privacy, and technology groups warn would happen under a bill backed Wednesday by a House committee.

(*snip*) 1. It loved language... 2. It had an amazing rotating crew of actors... 3. It valued intelligence.... 4. It had some pretty great female characters... 5. It was about working-class characters just trying to get by.... 6. “Justified” had the best hang time.... (*snip*)

As I sat across from Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), I knew something extraordinary was happening. They were reciting the story of Charlotte Figi and countless other children. They were quoting back the data we had shared from our earlier investigations. They were extolling the potential virtues of the plant, and all of that was before the interview even started. There was an impatience about them, and they seemed in a hurry to make a large dent in marijuana reform. They want marijuana to be rescheduled. They want it now. They want doctors to be...

Christina Charles acknowledges she broke the law. Between 2011 and 2012, Charles improperly stopped at a stop sign. She drove with a missing license plate and a taillight out. Her license was suspended when she couldn’t pay for the tickets and failed to appear in court. Charles also was stopped for driving on the suspended license and without car insurance. She eventually piled up $6,000 in debt.

Mexican authorities have issued an alert for five states after the theft of potentially dangerous radioactive materials. Mexico's civil protection agency says that the material can cause death within hours or days if mishandled.

President Obama marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday, calling it a time to “forcefully condemn” anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. “Today, with heavy hearts, we remember the six million Jews and the millions of other victims of Nazi brutality who were murdered during the Holocaust,” Obama said.  ADVERTISEMENT “It is incumbent upon us to make real those timeless words, 'Never forget. Never again,’” he added.Obama’s remarks come on Yom HaShoah, the Jewish holiday commemorating the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust. It is a significant national holiday in Israel; every year air raid sirens sound around the country...

Chris Christie can be Hillary Clinton’s running mate. They’re both liberals, they’re both clueless, they’re both egocentrics. And they’re both wrong. We’ll talk about Hillary another day. Today’s subject is Christie. Specifically, his announced intent to “take on” entitlements. He rightly points out that entitlements consume some 70 percent of the federal budget and are a fiscal and social cancer that is destroying America. Entitlements – the “rights” of the welfare state – oblige the taxpayer to fund a limitless number of people receiving a limitless number of dollars over a limitless series of programs. Entitlements are automatic theft, redistribution...

On April 6th, 5-term Arizona Senator John McCain announced on NBC that he will be running for a 6th-term to the US Senate in 2016, and said he was “just getting started” when it comes to his Senate career. This didn’t come as much of a surprise to the conservative areas of the state who have been dreading the announcement for months. Arizona State Senator Kelli Ward has become a quick favorite to retire the 78 year old Senior Senator who was first elected to the Hill in the early ’80s. Ward officially launched a Senate Exploratory Committee last week,...

WASHINGTON — The campaign manager for Ted Cruz’s successful 2012 U.S. Senate bid won’t be working directly for the senator’s 2016 presidential campaign, but his new job means that he will still have an active role in supporting his former boss.John Drogin, who joined Cruz's Senate office as state director early in the junior senator's first term, will now be the executive director of Make DC Listen, a new political action committee that endorsed Cruz's presidential bid on its first day in operation Thursday. Drogin left his Senate office post on Wednesday.  “Our goal is to raise grassroots contributions for [Cruz’s] campaign...

A resolution enlisting Nebraska in a call for a convention of the states to propose constitutional limits on the power of the federal government remained stuck in committee Wednesday. An effort to dislodge LR35, introduced by Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete, failed on a 3-1 vote, with three members of the Government, Military and Affairs Committee who participated in the executive session declining to vote. Five votes are required to send the proposal to the floor of the Legislature for debate. The convention of the states would be limited to proposing constitutional amendments to impose fiscal restraints, limit the power...

National Public Radio recently discussed medical training in the 21st century: “Spurred by the need to train a different type of doctor, some top medical schools around the U.S. are tearing up the textbooks and starting from scratch.” The new doctor is system-focused. A University of Michigan Medical School instructor told NPR, “ We haven’t taught people how to be specific about working in teams, how to communicate with peers and colleagues and how to communicate to the general public about what’s going on in health care and medicine.” The new doctor is team-focused. A University of Michigan Medical School...

There was very little if any surprise Sunday when Hillary Clinton threw her name into the race. Nearly as unsurprising was the media’s fury in the days leading up to the announcement and the overwhelming attention her announcement has been given since. However, what is a surprise is how professional and industrial the Hillary2016 campaign has come off from the beginning. A slick new campaign commercial that touches the majority of demographics of the voting electorate. A logo with a red arrow pointing to the right with some hoping this shows her movement to the center. Even a Twitter account...

Snip As part of the plea deal, 38-year-old Jessica McCord will avoid prison time and was sentenced to three years' probation under a suspended sentence issued by Judge Jody Bishop. McCord had faced a manslaughter charge in connection with the May 12, 2014, death of her 11-month-old son. The plea agreement occurred moments before Bishop was set to convene jurors for the beginning of a trial that potentially included testimony from McCord's surviving 5-year-old son. It also occurred before her husband, John McCord, also 38, was set to testify against his wife. John McCord, on Monday, pleaded guilty to a...

What Is the State of the U.S. Gun Business? By Marcelo Prince and Carlos A. Tovar After several years of strong sales to civilians worried about new regulations, big U.S. firearms makers have recently reported lower sales. The overall number of American households with guns is declining..

Hillary is "the one." She is our gift from God. Mana from Heaven. The gift that keeps on giving. Conservatives should get down on their knees and thank God for Hillary. Okay, enough thanking and praying. Now let's destroy her. I speak at business conferences all over the world about my expertise- branding. The GOP has the greatest branding opportunity in modern history. Hillary is easier to brand than even Mitt Romney was for Democrats. Destroy Hillary now and it leaves Democrats between a rock and a hard place. Here's how to brand Hillary. This will be fun. It's like...

Comedian Sarah Silverman has apologized to comedy club owner Al Martin for accusing him of paying her less than men. The apology came after Mr. Martin wrote a blistering response to the allegation on his social media page.The New York women’s organization uploaded a PSA April 6 in which Ms. Silverman accused Mr. Martin of paying her much less than a male friend.