Free Republic

Some of the richest people in the world gathered in Davos, Switzerland yet again this week for the World Economic Forum, but the topics under discussion quickly veered away from the normal program as representatives of many nations grappled with the Syrian refugee crisis. We shouldn’t be terribly surprised, since you can’t mention Europe these days without the subject of the mayhem being caused by the flood of migrants coming up. As you might expect, there were two distinctly different camps engaged in the debate, with some referring to the new Syrian and Iraqi settlers as an economic opportunity, while...

President Barack Obama says he wouldn't run for a third term even if he could. He says the presidency takes a toll on family life, and the office "should be continually renewed by new energy and new ideas." ...

Transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in the Olympics and other international events without undergoing sex reassignment surgery, according to new guidelines adopted by the IOC. International Olympic Committee medical officials told The Associated Press on Sunday they changed the policy to adapt to current scientific, social and legal attitudes on transgender issues. ...

Brothers and sisters of the Most High (to quote Rabbi Singer,) Come hear a short discussion on the meaning of "sabbath," and how it's translation into English Bibles leads to misguided, not-Jewish (and even not-standard-Christian) interpretations. Apologies to the host's use of the word "conspiracy" in the beginning of the discussion regarding the Christian doctrine of Lunar Sabbaths-- he's usually pretty sensitive. Rabbi Singer is always sensitive but pulls no punches, allegorically (I mean, come on-- he's a rabbi-- who's he gonna fight literally?)

Friends, it's Sunday night again and time to relax. Warm up the tubes for another 4 hours of classic radio Americana. Listen LiveInfo *tonight's show will be available at the "Info" link starting tomorrow.Official OTR blog of "The Big Broadcast" thread: http://kallmansalley.com/

Israel's former President Shimon Peres was rushed to hospital after experiencing chest pains, just a week after suffering a mild heart attack, his spokeswoman said Sunday night. The 92-year-old statesman had been discharged from hospital on Tuesday last week. Medics treated Peres at his home and detected a "light irregular heart rate" after conducting an EKG test, spokeswoman Ayelet Frisch said. "Due to the diagnosis, his doctors decided that the 9th President will spend the night in hospital for observation and testing," she said. ...

Ted Cruz says GOP senators yelled at him "at the top of their lungs" for derailing gun control

The gun control movement's latest hobby horse is the smart gun. President Barack Obama included federal support for smart gun research in his recent executive orders, delighting activists who insist that a locking mechanism capable of preventing criminals from firing stolen weapons would surely be popular with gun buyers -- if only the gun industry would drop its opposition. The bad news for anyone looking to the smart gun as a technological quick fix for gun violence is that, absent a government mandate requiring all guns to be "smart," a robust market is unlikely to materialize. And even if new...

The biggest NFL mystery this side of Nebraska has been solved. Peyton Manning’s line-of-scrimmage hollerings are a thing of legend. They serve to instruct his offense while confusing the defense — and, consequently, the fans who can hear the screaming, can hear a particular city being shouted again and again: Omaha.

The change: Implement the designated hitter rule in the National League. How it would work: The DH rule would be in effect for all professional games in every league at all levels -- with no exceptions. I spent most of my front-office career in the National League, and have always preferred the game played without the DH rule. I like the late-inning strategies, the double-switches and deciding whether to take out your best pitcher when you're tied or down a run. I also like the fact that the bench and bullpens are more important in game strategy without a DH....

In an age in which "cultural relativism" seems an unchallenged standard in academia, Larry Siedentop's Inventing the Individual -- The Origins of Western Liberalism is a pleasant deviation from that norm. A political philosopher who served as a Fellow of Keble College, Oxford, Siedentop wrote Inventing the Individual as an apologia for the West as a civilization which is caught up in a "competition of beliefs, whether we like it or not." Siedentop identifies "Islamic fundamentalism" as a primary competitor for Western civilization, but it is impossible to avoid the obvious point that the most vigorous opponents of his...

Can we start calling the Hate Israel crowd anti-Semitic yet? Because between the boycotts of Jewish businesses, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and overt justification for anti-Jewish violence, whatever distinction may have existed in the past is gone. Case in point, Rony Brauman, the former president of Doctors Without Borders suggesting that Jews wearing Kippahs, a Jewish religious garment, are bringing violence on themselves by pledging allegiance to Israel.

resident Obama's inspiring message of hope and change seven years ago is lacking in the "hope" part - especially when it comes to the issue of racial tension. If the latest Rasmussen Reports survey is any indication, it seems that when Obama stepped into office, race in America took about 10 steps back. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults now think race relations in this country are getting worse, up from 44% a year ago and 30% as recently as January 2014. Only 20% believe race relations are getting better, a new low that compares to 38% five years ago....

Ted Cruz demolishes Sierra Club president on global warming hoax

Earlier this month, Fox News released a poll showing Ted Cruz leading Donald Trump by four points. The two had a sizable lead over everyone else in the state, and the poll was confirming what others were showing: Cruz had an advantage. On Sunday, Fox released another Iowa poll, with substantially different results. Now, Trump is up by 11 points, a 15-point swing in the two weeks between surveys. This poll, too, mirrors the recent trend: Trump has regained the advantage.

Investigators don't know whether the customers or the owners started the shooting Saturday afternoon at McLemore Gun Shop near Picayune, and want to figure out just what happened before filing any charges, Pearl River County Sheriff David Allison told the Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1OFTOGr ). He identified the owner and his son as Jason McLemore, 44, and Jacob McLemore, 17, WLOX-TV ... reported Sunday. ... The McCools came to pick up a gun and got angry because there was a $25 service charge even though the gun had not been fixed, Allison told WJTV Michael McCool, 29, allegedly shot both with...

As President: I WILL HAVE YOUR BACK

Actress Stacey Dash is upping the ante after recent comments had her calling for the abolishing of Black History Month and black awards shows, slamming her former employer in a blog post entitled “BET lies to black people.” When the 49-year-old “Clueless” actress appeared on “Fox and Friends” recently, saying the #OscarsSoWhite controversy should result in the sort of total equality that would also necessitate an end for black-highlighting channels and award ceremonies — a sentiment echoed by Donald Trump — the Black Entertainment Television network playfully responded with a clip of an old TV show Dash had starred in...

This week, John looks at Europe in 2030, the issue of factions of the United Methodist Church moving away from Biblical Truth, signs of a severe worldwide downturn in the economy and the growing anti-zionism sweeping the Middle East and Europe. Spanning the Atlantic and spearheaded by American leadership, while the US has historically been a staunch ally of Israel, the recent political shift against the only Middle Eastern democracy comes at a steep price. Is God gradually removing His hand of providence from our country due to her leadership's meddling in the peace and safety of Israel? Is it...

In the spirit of that National Review pile on, here is mine to the Trump supporters. It isn't as polite as National Review. When Trent Lott, Bob Dole, John McCain, and Orrin Hatch would all prefer Trump over Cruz, you guys might want to reexamine who is the "anti-establishment" candidate. Duh. When the dude donates to the likes of Clinton, Rangle, Schumer, and Rahm Friggin' Emmanuel, and the only right side donation that comes close in dollars is to Mitch "Turtle Face" McConnel's Great White RINO Hunt against the Tea Party Fund, that might be a clue who is part...