Free Republic

When a big corporation is charged with antitrust or regulatory violations, and fined billions of dollars, have you ever wondered where that money goes? You might assume that it is deposited in the United States Treasury, for general purposes, or that it goes to victims of the companies’ misconduct. In some cases, you’d be right, but it turns out an awful lot of that money is being funneled straight into progressive non-profits, at the express direction of the Department of Justice. According to an exposé in the Wall Street Journal, the DOJ often mandates as part of settlements that the...

While Cruz is running for president in 2016 as the consummate outsider, he launched his political career as a Bush administration insider, and his relationship with the GOP establishment is far deeper and more complex than he lets on. On the trail today, Cruz bashes the "Washington cartel," jokes of being so hated in the U.S. Capitol that he needs a "food-taster," and says at nearly every stop, "If you see a candidate Washington embraces, run and hide." But 16 years ago, as a young domestic policy adviser for Bush's 2000 campaign, Cruz himself had sought Washington's embrace. He uprooted...

On a cold Tuesday evening four years ago, I drove to West Des Moines, Iowa and entered a high school gymnasium. Wearing my Rick Perry for President t-shirt, I greeted the Perry precinct captain and asked if I could speak on behalf of the Texas Governor. He graciously agreed to my request. It was the culmination of a long multi-state journey. I waited to speak, and then I addressed the ~200 Iowans that had come out to make their choices for President. I explained that I was a Tennessean and an Iraq War veteran. I wanted them to know that...

A 17-year-old girl who was physically and sexually attacked in Sønderborg will herself face charges for using pepper spray to fend off her assailant. The teenager told police that she was attacked in central Sønderborg on Wednesday at around 10pm by an English-speaking man in dark clothing. She said the man knocked her to the ground and then unbuttoned her pants and attempted to undress her. The girl was able to save herself from further assault by using pepper spray on the attacker, but now she may be the one who ends up in legal trouble. “It is illegal to...

Next month is Black History Month. We will hear stories about black Americans and their successes in this country against the barriers (slavery, Jim Crow, poll tax just to name a few) thrown in their paths. Yet for every success story, there is still the nagging fact that the median net wealth of white households is 12.2 times greater than that of black households. Because of well-documented gaps in unemployment rates, earnings, poverty and wealth, black working people are sometimes falsely seen as “bystanders” to America’s economy.  Unbelievably, there is a tendency to observe the gaps in economic success and...

National Review’s special issue, “Against Trump” was courageous and important. There is no way to do good in this world without risking making enemies. That National Review was prepared to do that — among its own readers, no less — in this day of great financial challenges to newspapers, magazines, and news and opinion websites, was an act of courage. In opposing Donald Trump for president — which, it happens, I did in a column I wrote four years ago — I face the same issue among some in my radio audience. I receive emails from listeners who say they...

India’s relationship with Israel is slowly but surely changing for the better.In recent days, India has reached out to its Middle Eastern partners in a major way. Last week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj went to Bahrain to attend the first ministerial meeting of the India-Arab League Cooperation Forum. This was an opportunity to engage with the 22 member countries of the Arab League at a time when the region is going through a major crisis and sectarian divisions are rearing their heads like never before. Further cementing the goodwill generated by the visit of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee...

Folks, my political activism is not rooted in winning elections at all cost. It is about preserving what I grew up thinking we were as a country -- my corny love for my country, belief that good triumphs over evil, and my sense of right and wrong. I know. I know. I sound like a bad Frank Capra movie. However, I will not apologize for who I am...

Returned home to find wife, lover in bedAn Indian man unexpectedly returning home from work in Kuwait found his wife in bed with her Bangladeshi lover and forced the two to stay there naked until police arrived. The man, feeling unwell, returned home in the capital Kuwait City without telling his 31-year-old wife, who was shocked to see him staring at her with the other man. The Arabic language daily 'Al Anba' said the Indian shouted to his neighbour to see the couple in bed as a witness before calling the police. “The husband forced his wife and her lover...

A biker on a Harley is riding by the zoo in Washington , DC, when he sees a little girl leaning into a lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the collar of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back, letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly....

In his new book, Thank You, President Bush: Reflections on the War on Terror, Defense of the Family, and Revival of the Economy, author Rod D. Martin argues that Bush has not only made America safer and stronger, but that he will go down in history as one of our greatest presidents. At the same time Robert Bryce, author of Cronies: Oil, the Bushes, and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate, looks at President Bush as an integral part of the Texas oil machine out to enrich both him and his "cronies." The book gathers together the leading lights of...

Video: Joe Arpaio Opens For Donald Trump At Mesa Rally--12/16/15 Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is heading to Iowa to campaign on behalf of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, according toCNN and New York Times reports. The Arizona sheriff has been a vocal opponent of the Obama administration for years and is known for his tough take on tackling crime and hardline stance on illegal immigration. Arpaio will appear with Trump in Marshalltown, according to the Times, a month after appearing at a Trump rally in his home state. Trump has made ending illegal immigration a focal point of his...

Polling data taken regularly over the last several years shows a clear and steady increase in Georgian support for the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). That roughly tracks with increasing political support for anti-West and pro-Russia political factions within Georgia.

January 26, 2016Hillary Clinton's green squeeze Dan Berman (CNN)Hillary Clinton has embraced Barack Obama's legacy. Her campaign chairman is a former White House adviser credited for pushing through pro-environmental regulations. And she talks about the need to act on global warming. But in this Democratic primary, that's not enough. Her critics -- and even would-be supporters -- continue to push a message the Clinton really can't be trusted to do the green thing....blah..blah..blah

“Welcome to Europe. Now gimmie that watch.” That’s the greeting asylum seekers will get when they enter Denmark from now on thanks to a new law that will allow police to search refugees on arrival and confiscate anything worth more than 10,000 kroner.

Pope Francis held talks with Iran's president at the Vatican Tuesday, calling on Tehran to play a key role in stopping the spread of terrorism as Iran tries to improve its image in the global arena following an agreement on its nuclear program. The pontiff warmly clasped the hand of President Hassan Rouhani in the first official call paid on a pontiff by an Iranian president since 1999. They held 40 minutes of private talks before Rouhani met with other top Vatican officials. The talks "delved into the conclusion and application of the nuclear accord, and the important role that...

Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are pounding down the stretch in Iowa attacking each other on multiple fronts as they grapple for the lead with six days to go before the Republican caucuses, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University released Tuesday. Trump has the support of 31 percent of likely caucus-goers, to 29 percent for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. No other candidate breaks 7 percent, the poll found. Two percent told interviewers they were undecided, but 39 percent of those who chose a candidate say they may change their minds before the caucuses next Monday....

A group of national and Iowa-based leaders of anti-abortion groups are urging voters to support "anyone but Trump." The 10 leaders, including Jenifer Bowen, executive director of Iowa Right to Life, and Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, wrote a letter to Iowa voters ahead of Monday's caucuses, warning against Donald Trump, one of the leading candidates. "On the issue of defending unborn children and protecting women from the violence of abortion, Mr. Trump cannot be trusted and there is, thankfully, an abundance of alternative candidates with proven records of pro-life leadership whom pro-life voters can support," the...

"You have probably had a friend who started dating a woman that really made you scratch your head. She was flaky, possessive, and high-drama. Everyone could see that the gal was toxic and really bringing your buddy down…everyone, that is, except your buddy......" Short video also..

WASHINGTON - It’s not the biggest player on Wall Street in terms of political money. But Goldman Sachs is financial public enemy No. 1 in this year’s election campaign. The giant investment bank has become the symbol of the excesses of Wall Street, cited both by liberals leery of deregulated banking and conservatives opposed to big banks and “crony capitalism.” And it’s being singled out for its ties to the political establishment because of two top contenders for the presidency. Hillary Clinton, the front-running Democratic candidate, received $675,000 in speaking fees from the firm. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a...