Free Republic

Paris: Renault offices in France were raided by government fraud investigators as part of a probe into vehicle emissions, sending its shares down as much as 23 percent. Renault is "cooperating fully" with the investigation, the company said in an emailed statement Thursday. Agents from the Economy Ministry's fraud office visited three Renault sites last week, the company said, confirming earlier reports. French peer PSA Peugeot Citroen said it wasn't raided. Renault dropped 17 percent to 71.94 euros at 1:32 p.m. in Paris after falling as low as 67 euros, wiping out 5.8 billion euros ($6.3 billion) in market value....

There have been debates, bluster, TV coverage, and more, but you know what's been lacking in this Presidential race...a serious discussion of the debt, deficit, and government spending. It's been skipped, and the degree to which this issue is not in vogue these days fits with what I have seen since I came back to the US Congress two and a half years ago. Unlike the issues of guns, abortion, trade, ISIS, refugees, education, and more, this one issue falls into the category of near radio silence. Yet what the next President and Congress do to affect the sustainability of...

China’s oil demand is less than it seems, as the country sucks in more oil only to export it as refined products Oil bulls continue to grimace at all the supply emanating from the Middle East and North America. They should spare a pained look for the continued weakness from the center of demand: China. China said Wednesday that it wouldn’t adjust its local diesel or gasoline prices when crude oil fetches less than $40 a barrel. Beijing is afraid of too much consumption at cheap prices causing pollution. But at today’s $30 oil, that leaves the oil market fearful...

Less than a day after 10 U.S. Navy sailors were detained in Iran when their boats drifted into Iranian waters, they and their vessels were back safely Wednesday with the American fleet. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry tapped the personal relationship he has formed with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif in the three years of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, speaking with him at least five times by telephone. Kerry credited the quick resolution to the "critical role diplomacy plays in keeping our country secure and strong."

Pat Smith, mother of State Department official Sean Smith who was murdered at the Benghazi Consulate on 9-11-3012, screamed out, “Hillary is a liar!” after watching the movie ’13 Hours.’ Pat Smith joined Megyn Kelly tonight after attending the opening of ’13 Hours’ last night in Dallas, Texas. She sobbed as she told Megyn about the movie. "I left as soon as Sean came on screen, or the person who portrayed him. I couldn’t handle it. HILLARY IS A LIAR! I know what she told me!" Smith was referring to Hillary’s bogus claims that a YouTube video was behind the...

One of the most baffling things about leftists is their willingness to excuse any brutality, as long as its perpetrators swear up and down that they "care" about the "people."(With Sean Penn's embarrassingly bad essay in Rolling Stone about Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, we must add leftists' tolerance for bad writing, as well. Rolling Stone should have titled it "El Chapo meets El Guano," because Sean Penn must be bats--- crazy. Or perhaps Penn followed El Chapo's lead and insisted upon "no changes" to his essay, and then wrote it after one too many shots of tequila.)In Penn's essay, El...

What’s the most powerful weapon in the sci-fi universe? How does a lightsaber in Star Wars compare to the energy sword of Halo? What about a Death Star vs Dr. Who’s reality bomb? And how do they match up with a real life nuclear bomb? Foundation Digital made this infographic for Fat Wallet detailing the top sci-fi weapons in history measured by their “energy of devastation in Joules.”

Over the holiday season, CoinDesk published a wide range of feature articles from experts and stakeholders in and outside of the bitcoin and blockchain industry. Billed as our 2015 Review, the series encouraged guest writers – including experts on law and finance, academics, entrepreneurs and even readers – to discuss the year past and the year ahead. Our contributors didn't always agree, but they did come up with a number of intriguing predictions, each influenced by their unique positions and experiences in the field. In this article, we've pared down that information to define seven key trends that could shape...

There is growing concern on Capitol Hill that a recent spike in the number of foreigners arrested in the United States on terrorism charges is the result of a flawed Obama administration immigration policy that will grant residence to around 170,000 individuals from Muslim-majority nations in the coming year, according to conversations with lawmakers and congressional sources. With the indictment last week of two Iraqi refugees who allegedly conspired with ISIS, a number of lawmakers are now warning that poor screening methods and an administration plan to boost immigration will endanger national security.

Attendance at Church of England services has plunged to its lowest level ever as the Archbishop of Canterbury warned it was battling to maintain its place in an increasingly “anti-Christian” culture. Official figures – based on an annual pew count – show that only 1.4 per cent of the population of England now attend Anglican services on a typical Sunday morning.

Popular Videos - Webb Pierce #WebbPierce 4200 videos

Robert Simpson Symphony No.5 Handley conducts Simpson 5th with the RPO.

Top Tracks - The Stampeders by #TheStampeders15 videos27

GOP presidential candidate and sweater ascetic Jeb Bush*s emotional register on the campaign trail hovers between ~~mildly deflated~~ to ~~moderately chagrined~~ ;but LOOK at how his eyes light up as he realizes that the expensive and impractical gadget he*s been wearing can make phone calls. Finally, a ! moment for our favorite dour Floridian scion! ~~My watch cant be talking,~~ Bush said, as recognition that our merciless world can still contain a genuine surprise spreads across his face. ~~Ive never had my bat phone turned on,~~ Jeb continued. ~~Thats the coolest thing in the world.~~ At last a fleeting moment...

The Internal Revenue Service may still be unfairly targeting conservative organizations for audit due to flaws within their interior controls, Americans for Tax Reform reported Wednesday.

Ask yourself – WWPD (what would Putin Do?) Answer, not what Barry and Kerry did.And as it turns out The Donald didn’t create the best recruiting tool for ISIS. That honor belongs to The Won, for his not-so-insignificant role in the production of the video of our Navy seaman (and, Allah forbid, seawoman!) acting like couscous eating surrender monkeys. Congratulations to our Washington production crew: every man woman and child of fighting age in the Middle East will be viewing this American embarassment forever. Even fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter can’t claim that distinction.And it took all of...

Parts of the UK were covered in snow today after the coldest night of the year so far saw several weather warnings issued. People in Birmingham and the Midlands found their cars and streets dusted in 3-6cm of the white stuff, while it also fell across central Scotland, northern England, Yorkshire and Humberside. Experts are predicting the chilly weather to continue with temperatures plummeting to -15C this weekend, with more sleet and snow expected in East Anglia.

Danish women have become the latest to report being groped by migrant men who 'simply can't handle' the sight of a girl. Officials in one town say they have experienced a harassment problem since a camp hosting 365 asylum seekers opened in November. Victims have also been targeted in nightclubs in two other towns where one local says Syrian migrants 'go nuts' if they see a woman. The reports come days after similar warnings were issued across Europe about the rising number of sex attacks by gangs of migrants.

The Air Force is indefinitely doing away with its plan to retire the A-10 jet, a move that seems both inevitable and shocking, given the aggressive steps leadership has taken to get rid of the aircraft and the fierce push back they received in response. The remarkably high demand for A-10s from commanders is almost universally cited among critics of the A-10 decommissioning process. More details will be available when the Pentagon’s 2017 budget plan to keep the bird is sent over to Congress for consideration.

Energy: There's no shortage of points to pick apart in the president's final State of the Union, as we've done above. But one deserves close scrutiny: Obama's claim that he "reinvented our energy sector."