Free Republic

It's an El Niño winter, and the news is full of rain, sleet, and snow. If only California was as well. Precipitation so far in this wet winter that is supposed to save us from the worst drought of our lifetimes is only slightly above "normal" — and in some parts of California, including the southern Sierra, precipitation is still below normal. Think about that. The long-awaited wet weather event has, so far, just barely pushed things to around what's supposed to be "normal." This may be a hard fact to fathom this weekend, as you drive through more rain...

The Democrats who are pushing Bernie Sanders are dangerously naïve. Because Sanders has a shot at beating Hillary Clinton in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, and because some polls show him running better against the GOP candidates than she does, they imagine he could actually win the White House. He can't. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and others who predict that the Republicans would win at least 40 states against Sanders, are right. Let's remember that Bill Clinton didn't win in Iowa or New Hampshire in 1992.* And that the Republicans haven't laid a glove on Sanders (because they...

Ted Cruz, one of the great phonies to ever run for President, the great pretender of the current political season, says that he is the candidate best suited to unify the country. He can only hope to unify it the way he already has his own party, which hates him more than it hates the President. "Believe me," Rep. Pete King told me on Sunday, "there are a helluva lot of Republican congressmen and senators who, even if they agree with Cruz on issues -- can't stand him personally, and really do dislike him more than Barack Obama." This isn't...

Some of House Speaker Paul Ryan's guests for the State of the Union address were sisters from the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic religious order dedicated to caring for the elderly poor. The order is suing the federal government over the HHS Mandate, because the sisters do not want to provide contraception to their employees via their insurance plans. (The group does not qualify as a "religious employer" because they employ and serve people of all faiths.) Naturally, Planned Parenthood took offense to this. Never missing an opportunity, @SteveKingIA & @SpeakerRyan used tonight's #SOTU address to send an...

Remember Mitt Romney caught on tape and the "47%" remark? I did not think it was that terrible, but the press turned it into a huge deal. By the time the election rolled around, Mitt Romney lost because over 80% of Americans thought Mitt Romney was a cold hearted SOB who did not care for them. The press has largely held its fire on Donald Trump. But the closer he gets to the nomination, the more we will hear about this. "Eighteen years ago, Wojciech Kozak helped build Trump Tower, the skyscraper jewel in Donald J. Trump's real-estate empire. Today,...

The problem is that much of that growth was a sugar high that came from allowing a consumer credit bubble that began in the 1980s to continue growing, the passing of rules that made it easier for the markets to be hiked up via stock buybacks, as well as deregulation including the repeal of 1930s-era Glass-Steagall and passing of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act (CFMA). That law, in one fell swoop, exempted financial derivatives traded over the counter or off regulated exchanges from CFTC or SEC oversight; it was a big part of what led to the subprime meltdown of...

Donald Trump has said just recently that he’s bigger than Ronald Reagan. Talk about audacity. Well Ted Cruz was asked about it this morning and here is fantastic video of him pointing out that Ronald Reagan actually spent decades espousing conservative principles and didn’t just adopt conservative language on the campaign trail. Couldn’t have said it better myself. No matter how big Trump’s ego is, there is no comparison between Trump and Reagan. Just not even close.

The conservative apologists for Donald Trump, and sadly there are some, protest that using his 1999 interview with the late Tim Russert, in which Trump vividly and unabashedly lays out his New York City liberalism, isn't fair game given the time elapsed since then. Fair enough. Being that it was sixteen years ago, and even in another century and all, perhaps they have a point? We have to leave room for human beings to evolve, right? Do all of us believe all of the same things we believed sixteen years ago? I mean this was so long ago that Trump...

Frank Skinner once admitted that new girlfriends were always "subjected to the Laurel and Hardy test", when he would play a video of the Laurel and Hardy dance sequence from Way Out West. "If she didn't laugh, I instantly wrote her off as a future companion," said Skinner, conceding that this wasn't exactly rational behaviour. Perhaps we can all be divided by that Laurel and Hardy test. Those who love the Way Out West dance, which captures perfectly the charm and on-screen chemistry of the comedy duo, will already have been delighted by the news that the BBC1 is...

It has been a volatile few weeks between the Donald Trump and Ted Cruz campaigns as the Iowa Caucus now looms just days away. Insiders have suggested Senator Cruz purposely avoided earlier confrontations with the New York billionaire to ensure he shared in some of Mr. Trump’s considerable support but now feels his own campaign to be strong enough to not only take on Donald Trump, but then subsequently win Iowa. http://dcwhispers.com/trump-makes-temporary-peace-with-rubio-while-pummeling-ted-cruz/ more at link.

Having been smacked around by Cruz over the so-called 'birther' issue on last week's debate stage, Donald Trump is turning to his Feuding 101 playbook: Personal insults. He previewed his character assault against Cruz last month ("maniac"), quickly calling off the rhetorical dogs when the Texas Senator assiduously adhered to his strategic nonaggression pact. But now that Cruz has thrown multiple punches in defense of his own constitutional eligibility to seek the presidency, Trump is unleashed: Trump - Cruz Is A Very Nasty Guy - Nobody Likes Him The fracas between the Republican presidential front-runners escalated Sunday as Donald Trump went after Ted Cruz's...

Taxpayers could be losing up to $6000 of they don't apply for a certain tax credit, Channel 9's Steve Barrett reported. Volunteers from Heart of Florida United Way's (HFUW) "Financially Fit" are going door to door to some homes in Central Florida to make sure taxpayers are aware of the Earned Income Tax Credit. The group said it is also making sure low-income taxpayers know that they qualify for free tax assistance. "It's around $6,000 that they can get for the Earned Income Tax Credit. It's based on your income and the number of people in your household. Then, getting...

The European Union (EU) passed on Monday evening a resolution stipulating that all agreements between Israel and the EU not apply to any areas over the 1949 Armistice borders. In the convoluted wording of the resolution, it states, "The EU expresses its commitment to ensure that - in line with international law - all agreements between the State of Israel and the EU must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to territories occupied by Israel in 1967." "This does not constitute a boycott of Israel which the EU strongly opposes," it added. The moves comes several hours after reports of...

These fascinating photographs from Afghanistan in the 1960s are a far cry from the war-torn images in the news today. The eye-opening collection was captured by university professor Dr Bill Podlich from Arizona, who swapped life in America to travel to Kabul with his wife, Margaret, and two teenage daughters, Jan and Peg. Using his Kodachrome film, his images show a peaceful Afghanistan making strides towards a more liberal and Westernised lifestyle - a stark contrast to harrowing sights seen during Taliban regime.

For a party which purports to have the best interests of African-Americans at heart, and which lobbies tirelessly for their votes-when it’s convenient, it should be noted-the Democrats have a shocking lack of empathy for black Americans. At least, those in the working class who are seeking gainful employment while competing against millions of low-wage immigrants. During last night’s Democratic presidential debate, every candidate studiously avoided tackling the elephant in the room. Namely, the continued decline in wages-and prolonged unemployment-for one of their party’s most loyal constituencies. Even as the men and woman on stage boasted of the amenities and...

HONOLULU (AP) — Authorities searching the area where two Marine helicopters crashed off Hawaii have found some life rafts that were carried aboard the aircraft, but still no sign of the 12 crew members who were on board. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Sara Mooers said Monday she believes three life rafts have been recovered so far. Some were inflated, but it was unclear how they came to be inflated, she said. The search for the Marines entered its fourth day Monday. Mooers said at this point, it is still a search for survivors. Rescuers from various agencies have been...

Why Did Iran Take Captive and Release U.S. Sailors So Quickly? The capture of American sailors in Persian Gulf waters by Iran should have provided the regime in Tehran a desperately needed opportunity to flex its muscles. However, the entire incident ended in the utmost humiliation for the regime. The times have changed, and Iran can no longer take on such adventures, such as the capture of over a dozen British sailors and hold them for long periods. Iran has suffered strategic defeats in many different aspects, from the nuclear dossier, to Syria , Yemen , Iraq .While Iran...

A great white shark reported to be “the size of Jaws” was spotted by a helicopter crew on patrol Monday off Adelaide, Australia, prompting lifeguards to clear the water and creating quite a stir on social media. The shark spotted 100 yards offshore at Marino Rocks was said to measure 7 meters, or nearly 23 feet, making it about the size of the fictional shark in the 1975 thriller, Jaws.

About 70 Indian students walked barefoot over broken glass in an apparent bid to overcome exam phobia and stage fright, sparking a probe into the unusual character-building exercise.Children as young as 12 took part in the ceremony on Wednesday intended to boost their mental health at a private coaching centre in the western state of Gujarat.Video footage, picked up by TV channels, shows students slowly stepping along about a metre-long line of thick, broken glass. There were no injuries reported from the incident."We have ordered a probe into the incident where a private tutor is instructing students to walk on...