Free Republic

OK, Mississippi. We give. You win. It's not often we in Alabama defer to anyone on anything when it comes to college football, but we have to hand it to you. At the moment and subject to change, you now own the best rivalry in the SEC. And by best, we mean the dirtiest, nastiest, most intense blood feud in the dirtiest, nastiest, bloodiest, most intense conference in all the world.

For several years, in his capacity as House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor helped lead the charge on repealing “Obamacare.” Put Republicans in charge, the Virginian told voters, and they’d dismantle the Affordable Care Act. [SNIP] The former GOP leader in the House talked to the Washingtonian’s Elaina Plott and conceded that his Republican Party is in a tough spot – parts of the conservative base expect the party to repeal the ACA, because that’s what they were promised – in part because of promises he and his colleagues made that they never intended to keep. Asked if he feels partly...

A new electromagnetic launch system for aircraft carriers that has faltered when attempting to launch heavier planes is now sound thanks to a software fix, Navy officials announced this week. However, it won’t reach the Navy’s new carrier for more than a year. The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, is one of several brand-new technologies installed aboard the first-of-class supercarrier Gerald R. Ford, which was commissioned July 22. The system has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, who said in a memorable May 11 interview with Time Magazine that he wanted the Navy to return to “goddamned steam”...

(Newser) – Move over, Mars: Titan could be the best place for a human colony. As far as extraterrestrial bodies go, Saturn's largest moon is surprisingly like Earth, with a dense atmosphere that could shield delicate earthlings from radiation, reports New Scientist. Titan's candidacy as a settlement isn't new, but a fresh analysis shows the yellow moon has valuable energy sources that could power a settlement. Per Science Alert, Amanda Hendrix and Yuk Yung write that once propulsion issues of getting there are tackled, Titan is the "optimal location in the solar system for an off-Earth human settlement." Some 808...

President Trump has declared that he rolling back Obama’s policy of allowing transgendered people to serve “in any capacity” in the US military. The usual suspects have come out of the woodwork stating how “discriminatory” this policy reversal is and that it is fuelled by bigotry. I don’t know the President well enough to determine if his decision is based on bigotry or not; but looking at some basic information regarding transgendered people gives enough of a reason to accept that this ban is the right course of action. In the US, more than 20 veterans commit suicide every day...

White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci called into CNN New Day on Thursday, which led to a wild, 30 minute marathon of a conversation between himself and Chris Cuomo. The segment began when network contributor Ryan Lizza called in to discuss how Scaramucci deleted a tweet where he appeared to accuse White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus of being a leaker. Lizza was discussing his reporting about how Scaramucci wants the FBI to investigate Priebus, but Cuomo interrupted him in order to take a call from Scaramucci live. Scaramucci began by monologuing about how he and President Trump have...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem The Ark of the Covenant, The Tabernacle, and The Temple Numbers 7 84 These were the offerings of the Israelite leaders for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver plates, twelve silver sprinkling bowls and twelve gold dishes. 85 Each silver plate weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each sprinkling bowl seventy shekels. Altogether, the silver dishes weighed two thousand four hundred shekels,[e] according to the sanctuary shekel. 86 The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. Altogether, the gold dishes weighed a...

A family have been left terrified after fearing one the world's deadliest spiders has taken residence in their home after entering Britain in a bunch of bananas. Michaela Egan, 24, from Rainham, Essex, noticed a suspicious white spider cocoon on a bunch she bought had from her local Tesco four days earlier and took a picture of it. She posted the image on her Facebook page and friends suggested it could be a Brazilian wandering spider, whose venom gives male victims a painful four-hour erection before killing them. The mother-of-two immediately put it in a sealed bag and returned it...

PAWHUSKA, Okla. – A former substitute teacher in Oklahoma who exposed herself to students when she did a cartwheel while wearing a long skirt but no underwear has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge. Lacey Sponsler pleaded guilty Monday to assault after the charge was reduced from indecent exposure. She was given a two year suspended sentence and can't teach for two years. She will not have to register as a sex offender. Sponsler declined comment. Defense attorney Nathan Milner told KTUL TV that Sponsler believes the incident was "blown out of proportion" and is glad the case is over....

Sperm was frozen after Liu was killed in the line of duty (Newser) – A New York City police officer has become a father more than two years after he was killed in the line of duty. Wenjian Liu was 32 years old and had been married for less than three months when he was shot and killed alongside fellow officer Rafael Ramos on Dec. 20, 2014, by a man who had made anti-police postings online. Sperm from the fallen officer was retrieved and frozen the same night at the request of widow Sanny Liu. The NYPD says that through...

Most of us carry folding knives for every day carry (EDC), a question was asked. How good are they for defensive use? Michael Janich of Martial Blade Concepts goes over the basics of personal defense with a blade. The idea is to give you an understanding of what a 3 inch blade capabilities. How deep will it cut or penetrate? Just viewing this objectively as a tool itself is an eye opener. Pork Man In order to visually understand the blade capability without having to cut your own training partner. A piece of 5 pound pork tender loin is wrapped...

NORWALK, Conn. (WTNH)– A Norwalk mom is grateful to be waking up with her family Thursday morning. Nury Chavarria won her first battle against deportation but the fight is not over yet. A mom who lives in Norwalk is back home and a court says that’s where she can stay for the near future. 43-year-old Nury Chavarria spent that past week living in a New Haven church. That’s because when she came to the United States from Guatemala at 19-years-old, she did so without the proper documentation. She spent 24 years living here without a problem – working, paying taxes,...

Chelsea Clinton must have been paying zero attention when her parents were in office. As a CLINTON, she seriously seems to think she has any room to bash Trump for ‘failing to support LGBT’ equal rights (snip) Her mom said marriage was only between a man and a woman. Her dad passed DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act). Neither were exactly supportive of the LGBT community, but tell us more about Trump, Chelsea. (snip) Oh wait, what did they call it when Obama suddenly decided he supported gay marriage? He EVOLVED. Hillary EVOLVED. That’s it. *eye roll* Not to mention...

After almost two years, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General released its report on the Gold King Mine disaster that dumped over a million pounds of metals into the Animas River, turning dozens of miles of the river orange. While inspectors general are tasked with finding out the truth and holding agencies accountable, this recently released report sheds no more light on the disaster than previous misleading reports. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has inherited not only an environmental mess, but also the mess created by an agency more interested in its narrow self-interests than truth. Pruitt now has...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". BumfuzzleVerb, [buhm-fuhz-uh l] To confuse or fluster. Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence. The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day. Amuse me or enlighten me to earn extra credit. Get busy!

According to WMAL radio host Chris Plante, Senator Bernie Sanders has been stealing editions of the ‘Washington Post’ from his neighbor. Clearly the washed-up socialist has no principles.  Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane when they are in Washington DC, live in this house on Capitol Hill, ok? Part of their vast real estate empire. They’re like wannabe Trumps with their real estate holdings. The next-door neighbor…their neighbor on Capitol Hill called the Washington Post and told the Washington Post that they were cancelling their Washington Post subscription because their very expensive Sunday Post stopped showing up. The Washington Post...

Durable goods orders for June 2017 Prior was -0.8% Ex transport +0.2% vs +0.4% expected Prior ex transport +0.3% (revised to +0.6%) Capital goods orders non-defense ex air -0.1% vs +0.3% expected Prior capital goods orders non-defense ex air +0.2% (revised to +0.7%) Capital goods shipments non-defense ex air +0.2% vs +0.3% expected

Before he was defeated by unknown economist Dave Brat, then Minority Whip Eric Cantor led the charge to repeal Obamacare. Day in and day out, the GOP Rep. railed against the disastrous healthcare plan, using the hot button issue as ammo to drum up political support and boost fundraising efforts. In a stunning admission, Cantor now admits the GOP was never serious about repealing the healthcare bill. It was all a charade. The Washingtonian reports: Cantor helped create that perception. Earlier that summer—after many failed attempts over the years to shred the law piecemeal—Cantor promised colleagues that the House would...

The American political system has never quite seen anything like the current opposition to President Trump and his unusual reaction to it. We are no longer in the customary political landscapes. Usually, the out-of-power opposition -- in this case, the Democratic Party -- offers most of the criticism and all of the alternative policies in order to win in the next election. Instead, Trump has an entire circle of diverse critics shooting at him. But they just as often end up hitting each other -- and themselves. So far, Trump's most furious Democratic opponents have not been able to...

Say "disruptive start-up," and most people will think of Uber or Airbnb. Anthony Scaramucci thinks of the United States of America. The White House's newly installed communications director likened the U.S. to some of the world's most formidable corporates Wednesday, saying it's a nation intent on treading its own path. "This nation is a disruptive start-up," Scaramucci told the BBC's "Newsnight" program on Wednesday evening. "It was a group of rich guys that got together and said, you know what, we're going to break away from the other country and start our own country," Scaramucci said in Washington, referencing the...