Free Republic

People who think Joe Biden is the most likely contender to win the Democrats’ presidential nomination must believe that the mainstream media will remain silent about the way his son Hunter scored lucrative business deals with foreign governments after accompanying his dad on overseas missions during his vice presidency. (They also must believe that his stupid gaffes will somehow end, but that’s a separate issue.) But as I predicted more than a month ago, neither of these is going to happen. ABC News is pressing the issue of Hunter Biden’s remarkable luck with foreign governments. Smell something bad? (ABC...

Former Democrat congressional aide Jackson Cosko is sentenced for posting the private information of five Republican senators on Wikipedia during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings; Griff Jenkins reports.

The Cleveland Clinic has announced its first in utero surgery to repair a spina bifida birth defect in a nearly 23-week-old fetus just as other states are passing expansive abortion laws allowing the legal killing of unborn children up to birth. “A multispecialty team of clinicians performed the surgery in February, and the baby, a girl, was later delivered by caesarean section near full term June 3, making it northern Ohio’s first surgery of its kind,” the clinic reported. “By successfully repairing the defect before birth, we’re allowing this child to have the best possible outcome and significantly improve her...

We're live-blogging as the Supreme Court releases opinions in one or more argued cases. SCOTUSblog is sponsored by Casetext: A more intelligent way to search the law.

“‘Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces’” (Matthew 7:6). It is clear from this verse that Jesus doesn’t exclude every kind of judgment—here He commands a specific type. But to obey His command, you need to know who the dogs and swine represent. In biblical times dogs were largely half-wild mongrels that acted as scavengers. They were dirty, greedy, snarling, and often vicious and diseased. No responsible Jew would ever throw to a dog a piece...

There is a difference between understanding and action. Most people understand that it is cheaper to brew coffee at home than to stop by Starbucks and spend $3 on a cup of coffee, but millions of people buy Starbucks coffee. Some buy it every once in a while; some buy it several times a day. They all justify the expense to themselves in one way or another. It's more convenient. It's a place to gather with friends. It tastes so good. It's only $3. The one excuse I have never heard is "I would rather spend money now and not...

House Democrats thought they had an easy issue for rallying the Black vote: Bringing up reparations for slavery as an election issue and holding congressional hearings. What better way to rally coveted Black voters than to hold out a big pile of reparations money along with lot of talk about victimization derived from evils committed in the past? It didn't work out the way they thought it would. A large number of Black intellectuals and pundits weighed in, not just at the hearing, but on Twitter and beyond, making a hash of the Democrat "narrative": Quillette columnist Coleman Hughes, who's a Black Democrat, argued in testimony that the whole thing...

The Shin Bet revealed an attempt by Iranian intelligence to set up an espionage infrastructure in Israel and arrested Taar Shafoot, a Jordanian citizen born in Hebron. During the Shin Bet interrogation, it was revealed that Shafoot, a Jordanian businessman, had entered Israel on behalf of Iranian intelligence to carry out missions intended to promote the establishment of infrastructure in Israel and in Judea and Samaria that would serve secret activities of the Iranians. The connection between Shafoot and Iranian intelligence began in Lebanon, where he met two Arabic-speaking handlers from Iranian intelligence, who called themselves Abu Sadek and Abu...

Apple is considering moving some of its production outside of China amid rising trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The company is looking into the feasibility of shifting up to one-third of the production for some devices out of China, sources told the Journal. Destinations under consideration reportedly include Southeast Asia. Any major shift would take years to implement, given the company relies on hundreds of thousands of workers available in China to manufacture the iPhone, the Journal noted. Foxconn Technology Group, Apple's biggest assembler, is starting preparations to ramp up production for the...

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham had some tough advice for President Donald Trump on Wednesday should the Iranians make good on new threats to begin large-scale uranium enrichment and attack more tankers in the Persian Gulf — strike back against Tehran’s economic and military assets. “My ‘red line’ is if there’s any more disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz that’s linked to Iran,” the South Carolina Republican said. “Take out their navy, bomb their refineries if there’s any more attacks on American interests. “Go after Iran so that they’ll…feel pain,” he continued. “I’m not talking about invading Iran, I’m...

Drivers will be forced off the roads in Ireland and the population packed into “higher density” cities under a long-awaited climate plan which will ‘revolutionise’ people’s lifestyle and behaviours, according to local media. “Nudge” policies such as huge tax hikes, as well as bans and red tape outlined in the plan, will pave the way to a “vibrant” Ireland of zero carbon emissions by 2050 according to the government, which last year committed to boost the country’s 4.7 million-strong population by a further million with mass migration. In order to avert a “climate apocalypse”, the government plans to force people...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem (Old Testament) 1 Kings 15 Nadab King of Israel 25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit. 27 Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab...

Recent polls show President Donald Trump in big trouble, likely to lose in a landslide to many of the 20-plus Democrat contenders. Once again, the media tell their dwindling audience how "the walls are closing in" on Trump and how no one likes him. Should Trump-supporters be worried? Or is this just the latest edition of the Fake News Gazette, courtesy of the Trump-loathing media? A June 11 Quinnipiac University poll, a year and a half before the election, shows that it's all over for Trump. He might as well be preparing his Trump Tower apartment for his return in...

The New York state assembly has gifted Uber, DoorDash, Amazon, and business groups a huge new supply of 250,000 illegal immigrant drivers, so depressing wages for the many Americans and legal immigrants who earn their wages by delivering people, cargo, and food to their destinations.

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP/VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE and AMERICA: Government, Family, Military, Business, Education, Churches, and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 JOHN 5:14 Religion Forum threads labeled "Prayer" are closed to debate of any kind.

During an MSNBC town hall in Ohio with Chris Matthews last night, one voter explains why she supports President Trump, noting that “he’s showing results, I run a small business now and my numbers are growing.”

VIDEO: Australian detective interrupts own news conference, tackles suspect Dramatic video shows a police officer in Australia spectacularly interrupting his news conference by tackling a suspect. Det. Senior Sgt. Daren Edwards made the tackle. Police say the suspect actually interrupted the news conference earlier, expressing his disapproval of police. And later, after his alleged comments to a 19-year-old woman, the woman's father started to chase him. The suspect was arrested.

OPINION: BY JEFFREY A FRIEDBERG PICTURE “You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world You tell me that it’s evolution Well, you know We all want to change the world….” —The Beatles, Lennon-Macartney, REVOLUTION, 1969 As I’ve asked before, “Where do you go to have a revolution?” Is there a special rally point on a map? What does one do when they get there; if they make it there? What are the rules of engagement? Who and what is the target. When and where is lunch? Where’s the water truck? Who’s in...

(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are sharply higher in early morning U.S. trading Thursday. Gold powered to a five-year high, while silver prices hit a five-week high. Major central banks that are leaning easy on their monetary policies are boosting the metals and the raw commodity sector, in general. Gold is also seeing increased safe-haven buying interest as tensions in the Persian Gulf are on the rise. August gold futures were last up $37.50 an ounce at 1,386.50. July Comex silver prices were last up $0.417 at $15.385 an ounce. Traders and investors are still digesting Wednesday’s conclusion...

"The more things change, the more they stay the same" is the best way to describe the lack of original thinking that is prevalent in politics. Take the recent resurgence of calls from politicians on both sides of the aisle to implement industrial policy. These calls are motivated to address the (mythical) decline in American manufacturing — and because other countries are doing it. These policies are tired, utterly uninspiring schemes that governments around the world have tried and, invariably, failed at. The latest example is a proposal by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., to create a new federal agency called...