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1812 Captain Isaac Hull’s USS Constitution engages HMS Guerriere about 400 mile S.E. of Halifax Nova Scotia. Over the course of the battle, Captain Hull’s ship handling and the heavier broadside weight of Constitution’s guns take their toll on the British warship. Guerriere loses her fore, main, & mizzen masts, and her hull is badly damaged, leaving her in sinking condition. Captain Dacres surrenders his badly damage Guerriere to Captain Hull. Hoping to make her a prize, Hull puts a prize crew on Guerriere. They soon realized the ship could not be salvaged and return to Consitution. Hull takes the...

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have filed an amicus curiae brief to have the Supreme Court dismiss the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc., v. City of New York. The brief is an amazing example of chutzpah and comes very close to being a direct threat to the Court. A little history is in order. It has been Progressives that have blatantly politicized the Court for most of a century. It was Progressives that claimed the...

A sea of umbrellas swarmed Hong Kong streets on Aug. 18 as Hongkongers organized mass protests for the 11th consecutive week. What began as opposition to an extradition bill that would allow the Chinese regime to transfer individuals to face trial in mainland China has since expanded to include broader demands for police accountability and open democratic elections. Despite the pouring rain, scores of Hongkongers filled Victoria Park for a rally condemning police violence during previous demonstrations. The overwhelming turnout brought traffic in the dense city center to a standstill.

U.S. Coast Guard Eyes Expanded Operations in Western Pacific By: Dzirhan Mahadzir August 16, 2019 2:02 PM KULA LUMPUR – U.S Coast Guard is mulling its future in the Asia-Pacific region once the National Security Cutter USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752) completes its current deployment in end November, region commander Vice Adm. Linda Fagan told reporters on Friday. “That is very much an ongoing conversation right now, at this point, Stratton will return in late fall to Alameda, Calif. I do expect we will have some level of major U.S coast guard cutter deployment to some part of the region but that...

9-year-old killed in her Old East Dallas home Brandoniya Bennett was killed Wednesday evening when a rapper went to the Old East Dallas apartment complex where she lived looking for another rapper who had "dissed" him in a song, police said. Police believe Tyrene Simmons had the wrong address for the intended target and mistakenly killed Brandoniya while she sat inside her apartment at the Roseland Townhomes in the 3500 block of Munger Avenue. She would have started school on Monday. Simmons, 19, turned himself in Thursday. He has been charged with capital murder in the 9-year-old’s death. Brandoniya's death...

There aren’t a whole lot of Republicans in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Queens and Bronx district, but the few there are all seem to want to run against the firebrand progressive congresswoman. Seven Republicans have already filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for the seat next year, and at least one more is publicly considering a run. Any Republican nominee will face distinctly long odds to unseat one of the highest profile members of Congress in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, but that has not stopped would-be challengers from lining up for the chance to take her on. And whoever...

Furniture distributor Factory Direct Wholesale LLC has announced plans to both expand its operations and relocate its corporate headquarters to Savannah. The move will create 250 new jobs with 95 of those being jobs in the corporate headquarters and $17 million in investment. Previously headquartered in Duluth, the Savannah facility, which is currently being built out, will be located at the Morgan Lakes Center at 503 Morgan Lakes Industrial Blvd. Information about possible hiring dates was not available Thursday. “We are excited to expand our footprint in Savannah with the move of our headquarters and the creation of 250 new...

Iran Releases Four Women Arrested For Trying To Watch Men's Soccer August 17, 2019 08:22 GMT UPDATED August 17, 2019 19:45 GMT By RFE/RL Iranian women sometimes receive special permission to attend men's football matches. Authorities in Tehran have released four Iranian women from a detention center after they were arrested for allegedly dressing as men to circumvent a ban against women attending soccer matches in the Islamic republic, a Human Rights Watch researcher (HRW) says. The researcher, Tara Sepehrui Far, said on Twitter on August 17 that the four women were freed on bail after reportedly being charged with...

Afghan President Vows To 'Eliminate' Islamic State Havens After Wedding Attack August 19, 2019 04:22 GMT UPDATED August 19, 2019 07:16 GMT By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has vowed to "eliminate" all safe havens of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group after at least 63 people, including children, were killed in a Kabul bombing at a wedding hall late on August 17 claimed by a local IS affiliate. Close to 200 others were wounded. Ghani's statement came as Afghanistan on August 19 celebrates the 100th anniversary of independence from the British. "We will take revenge for...

India plans huge detention camps for illegal migrants; Muslims are main target AUGUST 19, 2019 BY BARENAKEDISLAM LEAVE A COMMENT More than 4 million people in India, mostly Muslims, are at risk of being declared foreign migrants as the government pushes a hard-line Hindu nationalist agenda that has challenged the country’s pluralist traditions and aims to redefine what it means to be Indian. NY Times (h/t SBS) The hunt for migrants is unfolding in Assam, near the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. State authorities are rapidly expanding foreigner tribunals and planning to build huge new detention camps. Hundreds of people...

The City of Chicago wants "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett to cough up $130,000 for wasted city resources stemming from the fake hate crime he orchestrated earlier this year. Smollett had told Chicago police he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack in January. In reality, Smollett allegedly hired two brothers to pretend to attack him. The reason? He was unhappy with his pay for appearing in "Empire." “On January 29, 2019, Defendant submitted a false police report claiming that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic beating by unknown attackers," the lawsuit states. "In reality, Defendant knew...

MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace and Al Sharpton suggested that President Donald Trump is showing signs of mental decline, citing his performance at his rally in New Hampshire last night. “He repeated points he had already made earlier in the evening as if he did not remember already making them,” Wallace told her panel on Deadline: White House Friday, citing reporting from The New York Times. “David Brooks reported in 2017 that a bunch of Republicans came out of a meeting with Donald Trump explained some signs that were similar to the early stages of Alzheimer’s.” “You’ve got reporting … that in...

Subtitle: June 9th. Our Framers were not about to substitute one national tyrant with another. All had lived under the abuses of George III and his royal governors. Less well-known today is the 1776 reaction by the newly independent States. In an 18th century version of “power to the people,” the States set up overly democratic governments featuring weak governors. Although the rules varied from State to State, most legislatures appointed governors, made judicial appointments, and even served a judicial roles in some cases. Property wasn’t secure as the legislatures ran from one extreme to another according to the passions...

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If an armed conflict broke out between Beijing and Washington, China’s hi-tech ballistic missiles would likely cripple the United States’ military bases and naval fleet across the Western Pacific region within hours, a new report by Australia-based researchers has said. With China making rapid technological advancements and sharpening its hard power, the report urged the US and regional allies such as Australia and Japan to overhaul military investment and deployment plans, or face the prospect of American “military primacy” being undermined by the Asian power.

Today’s Cryptogram RLK UNR RN DFTNEF V EVU NB MHTTFMM DHR LVRWFL RN DFTNEF V EVU NB YVJHF. ---VJDFLR FAUMRFAU You can find this little fun word game, to combat early dementia and senility in us baby boomers, in several daily publications. The way it works is a letter stands for another letter. For example: AXYDLBAAXR is LONGFELLOW (does not apply to today's cryptogram). Beware, the game is very addictive. If this is your first time, don't be intimidated. PLEASE DO NOT post the answer in general comments, but DO post your time and any tips you might give the...

The expectation that Trump will win could affect how allies and adversaries approach negotiations with the U.S. Foreign diplomats are still feeling burned after assuming Donald Trump would lose in 2016 — and they don’t want to be fooled again. So many of them are quietly preparing for and predicting a Trump victory in 2020. Some are even trying to game out who will be on the president’s team in a second term. The belief that Trump will win reelection — gleaned from conversations with around 20 foreign diplomats, international officials and analysts who deal with them — appears widespread....

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. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Religion Forum threads labeled "Prayer" are closed to debate of any kind.

We regret to inform you that Jay-Z has been canceled. No, it’s not his future ­album, or his next concert, that has been canceled — but Jay-Z, the human being. He has been axed, nixed, non-personed. On Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jay-Z announced a partnership between the league and the legendary rapper’s entertainment company, Roc Nation. The partnership would be part entertainment and part activism and involve the NFL’s “Inspire Change” campaign, which will promote criminal-justice reform and better police-community relations. The online backlash came ­almost instantaneously. The ­anger at Jay-Z involved his support for Colin Kaepernick, the...

In September 2018, activist groups around New York rushed to denounce the Trump administration for considering making changes to the “public-charge” rule for immigrants. The publicly funded New York Immigration Coalition, or NYIC, staged a protest outside the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. Leaders of the organization were arrested after they sat down in the middle of Delancey Street and blocked rush-hour traffic. New York City has long been fertile ground for political protest. Civil-society groups, along with elected officials, activists and unions, typically organize these protests, which run the gamut from standard rallies to civil disobedience. What...