Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] George Weigel (!) Denounces Roman Thuggery On the evening that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope, I was with Father Gruner taping a TV show at a studio in the periphery of Rome, during which I had nothing but praise for the new pontiff.  How little I knew.  I had no idea then that this pontificate would turn out to be vastly worse than even this early dire prediction — published on the very day of Bergoglio’s election.So bad is the current pontificate that the novelty-plagued pontificate of John Paul II looks staunchly traditional by comparison.  Indeed,...

WORLD—Climate experts have solemnly warned that we only have twelve years left until they change the dates on global warming again. "If we don't take action, then in 12 years we will have to explain why the world hasn't ended and come up with a new number," one UN scientist warned. "This is a very serious threat, and we urge everyone to hand control of the economy to the government immediately before we have no more time left to change the timeline again." The scientific consensus is that roughly 10-12 years from now, the world will be flooded with new...

Mirror’s man in US enters fray at Trump rally to see why supporters love him Standing among the crowd wearing Make America Great Again caps and T-shirts while some of them screamed “Shove gun control up your a**” and “Trump Rambo”, I was nervous. Typically I’d cover Donald Trump’s rallies from either behind the penned barricades or from the safety of a live feed off a TV news channel. But this time it was different. For, after braving five hours waiting to board the Trump Train at the President’s latest 2020 re-election rally, I joined thousands of his supporters in...

Planned Parenthood joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) this week in filing a lawsuit against Missouri over the state’s law that bans abortion past the eighth week of pregnancy. “Planned Parenthood will not cower to politicians who are trying to dismantle our access to safe, legal abortion — not in Missouri, and not anywhere else,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president of Planned Parenthood. Johnson recently assumed her position after the organization’s sudden ouster of Dr. Leana Wen, its first physician president in decades. She referred to the abortion bans that have been passed in 12 states this year...

“Such a nasty woman.” “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters.” “Covfefe.” President Donald Trump’s quotes—often incendiary, sometimes nonsensical, but almost invariably memorable (or meme-able)—have become an indelible part of of the American landscape, driving the 24-hour news cycle and becoming embedded in our collective conscious. Now, they have also been immortalized in needlework by hundreds of artists. Diana Weymar’s “Tiny Pricks Project,” a community-based, constantly-growing Trump textile protest immortalizing the president’s words in stitching, is now on view in New York. The Tiny Pricks Project began as a one-off...

'The attack,' wrote Melinda Liu in Beijing Spring, 'began ignominiously, with a baffling incident after midnight on June 3. 'Five thousand young, inexperienced soldiers suddenly marched from the east, five abreast, down Changan Avenue toward Tiananmen Square.' The following afternoon, about 5,000 soldiers clashed with civilians west of Tiananmen Square, near the Great Hall of the People. At first, the soldiers fired tear gas canisters. Protesters responded with rocks and bricks and the troops beat them with batons and leather belts. As the situation deteriorated, the troops began firing live rounds. 'The killing began in earnest around 10pm, when gunfire...

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has removed the public records, showing Sen. Kamala Harris's arrest reports during her years as CA attorney general, from its website.As "part of a site redesign" the DOC has revoked public access to several key incarceration reports amid mounting allegations regarding Harris's history as California's top cop.Kamala Harris is drawing scrutiny from fellow 2020 Democrat Tulsi Gabbard and others for her arrest record while in the post.

Planned Parenthood’s firing of Dr. Leana Wen seemingly proves that the giant, tax-funded corporation continues to be about one thing: abortion. In the end, the former president’s plan to present Planned Parenthood as a place where basic health-care needs were being met for underprivileged Americans didn’t align with the organization’s history or its vision. This move also leads me to believe that the very nature of the organization is political. After all, guaranteeing pro-abortion rights politicians get elected is how Planned Parenthood stays in business. The installation of a physician as president of Planned Parenthood — a little over eight...

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick explicitly warned the left-wing group Antifa against coming to the state following Saturday's mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart. The shooting came 29 days before a scheduled visit from Antifa, which planned to conduct a "Border Resistance" militancy training tour. "Stay out of El Paso," Patrick told Antifa during an appearance Fox News. He noted that while the group wasn't usually welcome in Texas, they especially weren't welcome after the shooting. "Stay out of Texas, basically," Patrick said. "We don't need them coming in on Sept. 1. We didn't need them coming in before...

U.S.—With the Democratic primary debates in full swing, many fact-checking websites are preparing to review candidates’ statements for accuracy. Thankfully, Snopes, the most unbiased fact-checking website ever, has found a way to expedite their evaluation process. Since their original founding in 1957 by the KGB, Snopes has gained a reputation for objectively reporting what someone’s secret motivations probably were, and what they probably really meant when they said something. More recently, they have perfected the art of determining whether a satirical article is hilarious, left-leaning comedy or divisive, conservative-leaning fake news. As part of their ongoing goal of being able...

According to Politico, after the Robert Mueller’s testimony in 2 televised hearings 37% of Americans still wanted impeachment proceedings to begin, while 46% still wanted the inquiry to stop and their legislators to refocus on the critical issues of the day: immigration, crime, health care, drug addiction, cyberterrorism and global trade. Still, Committee Chairmen Jerry Nadler and Adam Schiff were undeterred. They insisted that Mueller’s halting testimony was a triumph of substance over style but assured us that they’ll have something even better -- a real game-changer -- if we can just hold on until after their six-week vacation is...

There's a new battle brewing between the White House and a hard-nosed member of the media. Brian Karem, a regular at the White House who writes for Playboy magazine, received a letter on Friday saying his "hard pass" will be suspended for 30 days starting Monday. The letter from press secretary Stephanie Grisham cited his conduct at President Trump's event with social media allies on July 11, when Karem had a heated exchange with pro-Trump radio host Sebastian Gorka. Grisham intended to keep the letter private, according to a source, but Karem chose to make it public in a tweet...

President Donald Trump reacted to the mass shooting at a Texas Walmart on Aug. 3 that left at least 20 people dead or wounded. “Terrible shootings in ElPaso, Texas. Reports are very bad, many killed,” Trump said. “Working with State and Local authorities, and Law Enforcement. Spoke to Governor to pledge total support of Federal Government. God be with you all!”

Mauritania: Man held for two extra years in prison on blasphemy charges as Muslims call for his execution AUG 3, 2019 3:00 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER This is a great injustice, but they could have put him to death, as the mob wishes to do. There is much support in the Qur’an and Sunnah for the death penalty for blasphemy. It can arguably be found in this verse: “Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their...

I am skeptical that our efforts as conservative parents to produce conservative offspring will materialize. Even with the best of intentions, the odds are not in our favor to successfully counter the Democrat-Media Complex, the educational system, and pop culture. That doesn’t mean there aren’t success stories (some in my own family), but I hear more about the failure and the disaffection it engenders in conservative families. Conservative parents have learned the hard way that how your kids turn out depends on a host of factors that, at some point during the maturation process, are way beyond our control --...

Hong Kong Protesters Build Barricades, Block Streets, Cross-Harbour Tunnel – 16:58 03.08.2019(updated 16:59 03.08.2019) BEIJING (Sputnik) – Protesters built on Saturday barricades on the streets of Hong Kong, thus blocking traffic in the city, including in the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, which connects Hong Kong with mainland China, local police said. "Some protesters blocked the entrances of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, causing serious obstruction to the traffic. Some other protesters have removed railings from roads and set barricades at various junctions of Nathan Road, seriously obstructing traffic. Their behaviours have already paralyzed the traffic and seriously affected emergency services", police said in a...

Multi-Billionaire Financier Soros Spotted Among Extinction Rebellion Funders - 22:25 03.08.2019 Tim Korso Extinction Rebellion is known for its awareness-raising protest events and for making demands aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change, although some fellow green organisations see their methodology as unrealistic. An anonymous person has allegedly acquired Extinction Rebellion (XR) working files that, among other things, contain information on the organisation's donors, Wordpress blogger Paul Homewood reported. The person who uploaded these files claims that they were not obtained via hacking, but due to poor privacy settings set on shared documents. According to the purported Extinction Rebellion...

Houthis Claim ‘Dozens’ Killed in Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Military in Najran - Report Hasan Jamali 14:08 03.08.2019(updated 14:51 03.08.2019) Get short URL5320 The military wing of Yemeni movement, Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, has launched several drone attacks on Najran Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Najran and its civilian facilities have been regular targets of Houthi attacks. "Missile forces launched a Badr-class ballistic missile at the Saudi barracks in Najran", spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier-General Yahya Saree said in a statement. According to the spokesman, the missile certainly reached its goal, resulting in dozens killed...

A new poll revealed that college students believe that Barack Obama was the best president in United States history. The 22 percent of Students choosing Obama doubled the votes for George Washington.

El Paso Walmart Shooting: What is Known So FarCC BY 2.0 / Tony Webster / Police Line / Police Tape US 23:57 03.08.2019(updated 00:12 04.08.2019) Get short URL120 A mass shooting took place on Saturday in El Paso’s Cielo Vista shopping mall, described as “El Paso’s main shopping destination.” At least 20 people are said to have been confirmed dead at the site but reports vary. AT 11:03 local time, the El Paso Police Department tweeted that officers were responding to an active shooter situation. The massacre is said to have taken place inside the mall’s Walmart store. Police confirmed...