Free Republic

At least eight jail staffers were aware that strict instructions had been given not to leave Jeffrey Epstein alone in his cell — but the order apparently was ignored in the 24 hours before he hanged himself, according to a report. Investigators looking into the apparent failure to follow instructions were shocked that so many Federal Bureau of Prisons staffers — including supervisors and managers — were aware of the directive, people familiar with the matter told the Washington Post. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to identify the eight staffers. Investigators suspect that at least some...

Harry Reid: 'Decriminalizing border crossings is not something that should be at the top of the list' Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said in an interview published Tuesday that decriminalizing border crossings "is not something that should be at the top of the list" for 2020 Democrats. “There are so many more important things to do,” the Nevada Democrat told Vice News, saying that the decriminalization of crossing the border illegally “should be way, way down at the bottom of the list.” He added: “People want a fair immigration system. They don’t want an open-door invitation for everybody...

Greg's guest today is the founder of the Crime Prevention Research Center, John R. Lott, Jr. He is an economist and a world-recognized expert on guns and crime. They discuss recent mass shootings and the calls for stricter gun laws.

In the decade prior to President Trump taking office, the decline of America’s patent system seemed inevitable and irreversible. Years of bad public policy championed in the halls of Congress, disastrous Supreme Court decisions, and misguided administrative rulings emanating from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) had accelerated the erosion of intellectual property rights and jeopardized America’s position as the global innovation leader.The United States was the undisputed beacon of innovation until its recent, marked and alarming slip. Now, less than three years into the Trump administration, the tide is turning. With key administration positions being filled with pro-patent...

Today's Quotefall Puzzle features a quote by Kurt Schlichter. Click puzzle (or click here) for full size rendition, then use your browser's print command to print puzzle. Kurt Schlichter is a conservative opinion writer and author of several post-Constitutional America books. All hints, along with the answer, are provided in the first reply comment below, using filtered font to prevent accidental spoilers. Please refrain from disclosing the full answer in comments to prevent spoilers.To solve the puzzle: Enter the letters in the top half (letter columns) of the puzzle into the white squares on the bottom half (answer grid) belowEach letter must...

Slavery in the United States began 400 years ago. This month in 1619, Africans were sold as slaves to colonists. Tragically, our nation which was founded by many God-fearing Christians gave into the ways of the world when it came to embracing the institution of slavery and taking over the new world from the indigenous peoples.For some people, their rejection of Christianity and the Bible is a direct result of this dark history.Those who have used the Bible to promote racism or slavery have manipulated the meaning of the Scriptures for their own evil intentions and have not actually looked...

Centuries from now, when archaeologists unearth the long-buried cities of the United States of America, they may find artifacts of what by then will be the forgotten craft of journalism. Just as we look today at the medical practices of antiquity and wonder how our forebears could have been so backward, those archaeologists of the future will marvel, as they sift through a newly unearthed newsroom amid the ruins New York, Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles, that American journalists were once burdened by such quaint notions as objectivity, fairness, and devotion to the truth. “Imagine,” they will say, “being so...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem (Old Testament) 2 Kings 19 Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall 20 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. 21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him: “‘Virgin Daughter Zion     despises you and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem     tosses her head as you flee. 22 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?     Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride?     Against the Holy One of Israel!...

The latest school to officially ban mobile phones has revealed its students have been transformed and are happy they made the change. Lakes Grammar, located north of the NSW Central Coast, implemented the ban in May due to concerns about students playing video games at school. Teaching and Learning Director Michelle Smith said there had been an noticeable increase in interactions, with students far more likely to go out onto the oval or play games together, the Daily Telegraph reported. 'Board games are coming out, cards are out and they are all interacting. We're even seeing them play hopscotch and...

Atlanta became the first city in the country to install contextual markers around its Confederate monuments a month ago, but the local branch of the NAACP says the explanations on the signs aren’t good enough. In a Tuesday letter to the Atlanta City Council, Atlanta branch president Richard Rose said the markers don’t “counter the notion of white supremacy.” On Wednesday, Rose went further, accusing members of a council committee of being “complicit on compromising on racism.” “It’s such a profound disappointment,” Rose said of the language on the markers. “It doesn’t give the story of why these monuments were...

A trillion here. A trillion there. A trillion-dollar deficit as far as the eye can see.But don't worry. You're not talking about real money. This is Trump money, where reality can be manipulated to reflect anything.So Trump can simply claim the latest CBO report showing deficits beginning in 2020 to hit more than a trillion dollars through 2029, to be fake news. Or a Democratic lie.It's certainly more appetizing to ignore reality than to accept it.CNBC: The U.S. budget deficit is expected to hit $960 billion in 2019, and average a whopping $1.2 trillion per year between 2020 and...

The teasing is apparently over for former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. Even before his presidential bid crashed and burned in spectacular fashion, Democrats had been pleading with him to drop out and take a run at Cory Gardner’s Senate seat. Apparently, Hickenlooper is taking the Vox populi, vox Dei approach because he announced this morning that he will be doing precisely that. (Associated Press)

Gov. Ron DeSantis has agreed to allow Florida to join a national electronic center to exchange voter registration data with other states, an effort long-sought by county supervisors of elections. DeSantis said Wednesday Florida will become the 29th state to participate in the Electronic Voter Registration Information Center, known as "ERIC," a consortium of states known that share voter registration information. DeSantis announced the move during an appearance with county election officials at the Orange County supervisor of elections office in Orlando, saying the effort will ensure the integrity of voter-registration lists. “It’s my judgment it makes the most sense,...

Just over a week ago, market signals and several analysts suggested that the odds were increasing for a recession in 2020. Given that 73% of voters consider the economy a very important voting issue, it's no surprise that the new economic assessment quickly generated an intense political debate. President Donald Trump and chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow both made public statements about the strength of the economy. The political dynamics are pretty straightforward. If the country enters a recession prior to the next election, Trump is unlikely to get reelected, and congressional Democrats could have another big year. On the...

Desperately searching for scraps of bad economic news that could help push the economy into recession, Yahoo News finds one homebuilder in one state, while ignoring the surging market everywhere for previously-owned housing. I read the headline below and almost started to weep because the economy is in such dire straits that luxury home builders are struggling, especially in California. Luxury Homebuilder's Woes Show Mounting U.S. Slowdown Fears Maybe California should raise taxes and increase regulations some more. That will help. Maybe we need a GoFundMe page to raise money for the luxury home builders. Toll Brothers stock is...

A little after 6 p.m., the state of Texas will execute Larry Swearingen for a crime experts believe he was unable to commit. Journalist Andrew Purcell detailed the events leading to Swearingen's impending death in a thorough investigation. A 19-year-old college student named Melissa Trotter disappeared from her Montgomery College campus, north of Houston, in December 1998. Police set their sights on Swearingen, an electrician who was witnessed having a conversation with Trotter in the college library. Montgomery County law enforcement also found a scrap of paper with the name "Larry" and his phone number in one of Trotter's books....

During the course of his remaining five and a half years in office, President Trump will come to an understanding with China. Trade will be only a part of it. There will be established a concord, or state of agreement, between the two most powerful nations in the world. It will result in a peaceful 21st century. Trump will cut the part on trade sometime between now and the election fifteen months from now. He'll time it so he receives the maximum political benefit. It will ignite the markets, and the economy will assure him of re-election. The sticking point...

Today we feature The Singing Ranger, Hank Snow, and his 1955 recording of Would You Mind? THE WESTERNER https://thewesterner.blogspot.com

Planned Parenthood routinely claims that abortion makes up only three percent of its services. But its actions say otherwise: abortion is 100 percent its focus. What’s more, it’s a focus that the 2020 Democrats are applauding.On Monday, Planned Parenthood announced that it would rather refuse millions of dollars in federal family-planning funding than stop performing or referring abortions. The decision came after the Trump administration released new regulations prohibiting Title X funding from organizations connected to abortion. According to a New York Times report, Planned Parenthood receives an estimated $60 million annually through Title X. But the nation’s largest abortion provider isn’t hurting...

“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips” (Proverbs 22:17-18).