Free Republic

Die-hard Trump haters continue to maintain that the President of the United States is in thrall to, or maybe being blackmailed by Russia’s President Putin. As a corollary, they still push the notion that Russia will corrupt the 2020 presidential election, so that if and when Trump wins, they will deny him legitimacy. The crashing and burning of the Mueller effort to prove this thesis means nothing to the deluded dead-enders. But the stupidity of this charge is refuted by the power play President Trump’s Secretary of Energy Rick Perry carried out over the holiday weekend. Via Reuters: “We’re...

Today's Quotefall Puzzle features a quote by Winston Churchill. Click puzzle (or click here) for full size rendition, then use your browser's print command to print puzzle. Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of Great Britain during WW2, and was one of the greatest motivators in Western Civilization. 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...

It's never a good sign for a city when starts to see its population contracting. But that seems to be New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan, trashing the few little islands of good public school education in the great city, in the name of socialized outcomes. He set up a commission of cronies and those cronies recommended what he wanted them to recommend - that New York's charter and competitive schools be shut down in the name of "equality." Now, every school is set to be equally bad. But the custodians will continue to draw $100,000 salaries. Kyle Smith at...

A separate statement by the Enshi City police was originally posted on Chinese social media site Weibo but was later removed without explanation. The hashtag "school criminal case in Hubei" had gained 120 million views on Weibo as of Tuesday morning. Attacks on schoolchildren in China have happened before. In October, at least 14 children at a kindergarten in Chongqing were slashed by a woman with a kitchen knife. In April 2018, nine students were killed and others injured after a male suspect began attacking students in Shaanxi province. According to a statement from the local government, a 40-year-old man...

During the summer of 2012, I campaigned for Joe Walsh.  I manned the phones for him, I went door to door for him, and I attended his events.  That October, I witnessed the third debate between Walsh and Tammy Duckworth (who would go on to win the election), which was not so much a debate than it was a large-scale shoutdown by the latter’s supporters.  Outside the event, I wasted fifteen minutes trying to get a sentence in against some rambunctious, spittle-drenched animal who mistook his arrant girth for intimidation. I supported Joe Walsh because he had spent the previous two...

Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, moderates who project themselves as pragmatic collaborators, are taking a no-compromise approach on the overhaul of the nation’s gun laws after the latest mass shooting. Campaigning separately in eastern Iowa on Monday, the former vice president and the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, say the minimum provisions include universal background checks, a ban on military-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition, and red flag laws to allow officials to confiscate firearms from dangerous people. Biden told reporters before a Labor Day picnic in Cedar Rapids that inaction from President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans...

Ismail Ajjawi, a Palestinian student denied entry to the United States last month at the airport in Boston, was allowed to enter the country on Monday and was at Harvard in time for the beginning of classes, according to Amideast, the group that sponsored him. Amideast said in a statement that the United States Embassy in Beirut had reviewed Mr. Ajjawi’s case and reissued a visa. Harvard officials confirmed that Mr. Ajjawi was on campus. Mr. Ajjawi, 17, landed at Logan International Airport in Boston on Aug. 23 and was turned back after immigration officials objected to his friends’ social...

Here’s the complete Week 2 college football schedule with dates, matches, locations, kickoff times and TV channels.

Ten years ago, Becket Cook was a gay man in Hollywood who had achieved great success as a set designer in the fashion industry. He worked with stars and supermodels, from Natalie Portman to Claudia Schiffer, traveling the world to design photo shoots for the likes of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. He attended award shows and parties at the homes of Paris Hilton and Prince. He spent summers swimming in Drew Barrymore’s pool. A decade later, Cook has moved on from that life—and he doesn’t miss it. What changed for Cook? He met Jesus. On a momentous day in September...

Doug Ogden doesn’t know what to do. The 75-year-old retired law enforcement officer is disgusted by President Donald Trump. But he can’t imagine voting for a Democrat in 2020, either. A self-described independent in South Carolina, Ogden doesn’t recognize the modern-day Democratic Party. “The state of the Democratic Party is wild against wilder,” says Ogden, standing with his arms crossed at a recent town hall meeting for Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg. “It scares me.” At the core of Ogden’s concern is a broader question about the direction of the Democratic Party and its values in the age of Trump....

AMERICAN Airlines passengers were left stunned after noticing a miniature HORSE had joined their flight. Evan Nowak said he noticed the animal, which had been brought onboard by a fellow traveller, while flying on an a service from Chicago to Omaha. He posted the footage to Twitter, which showed the horse calmly sitting near the front of the plane in an aisle seat. He added: "At this time we would like to begin boarding with any active duty military, families travelling with children under the age of 3, and horses..." Another passenger, Amberley Babbage, also spotted the animal at check...

“Impeachment August” is officially over, but with progressive groups reaching few of the goals they hoped to reach towards the impeachment of President Trump. Twelve groups had banded together in hopes of convincing lawmakers — particularly from swing districts — to back the impeachment of Trump during the August break, when members of Congress were back home and in front of constituents. However, during August, only one Democrat from a district rated a “toss up” by the Cook Political Report came out in favor of impeachment — Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), from Illinois’ 14th district.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez promoted a fundraiser for bail money for a group of counter-protesters that included Antifa members after a “Straight Pride” parade in Boston, Massachusetts, this weekend. “One way to support the local LGBTQ community impacted by Boston’s white supremacist parade? Contribute to the Bail Fund for the activists who put themselves on the line protecting the Boston community,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said in a social media post Saturday

Rep. Ilhan Omar dodged questions on Thursday about her alleged affair with a DC political consultant who’s on her payroll. The freshman Democratic congresswoman appeared ahead of a scheduled event at the University of Minnesota when a Post reporter asked her about claims she broke up the marriage of Tim and Beth Mynett. But instead of answering, Omar nervously made a beeline to make small talk with a police officer ... Omar has paid Tim Mynett’s E Street Group consulting firm $230,000 since 2018 — raising concerns of potential ethics violations.

LOS ANGELES - The 75-foot dive boat Conception was considered one of the best of its kind in the region, and both it and its operator, Truth Aquatics Inc., were in compliance with U.S. Coast Guard regulations. That all changed Monday in the flash of a predawn fire near Santa Cruz Island, when the Conception sank in flames, taking with it more than 30 people who were below deck in bunk beds, apparently unable to get out.

A teen in the UK who has eaten nothing but french fries, potato chips and white bread since elementary school is now blind because of vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition damage. The boy was taken to his doctor at 14 because he felt tired. He was diagnosed with macrocytic anemia and a vitamin B12 deficiency and prescribed supplements, according to a study published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. He neither stuck with the vitamins nor changed his diet, however, and his condition worsened.Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital with reported vision loss.According to the...

Today’s Cryptogram ALG KHT HKY YL KEHTFP HTV KLTYULD ALGU DXRP, HTV YEP MULKPVGUP, YEP MULKPBB XB XYB LQT UPQHUV. –HJPDXH PHUEHUY 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...

In July 2017, the Department of Justice’s inspector general (IG) began an investigation into whether former FBI Director James Comey improperly handled and shared government memos, including some containing classified information. The IG’s now-issued report found Comey guilty of multiple violations and referred him for possible prosecution. The Justice Department declined to prosecute. After the IG report was issued, Comey declared exoneration and asked for apologies via Twitter: “I don’t need a public apology from those who defamed me, but a quick message with a ‘sorry we lied about you’ would be nice.” However, almost the entirety of the IG’s...

he Duke of Sussex today insisted he flew by private jet four times in 11 days to keep his family safe as he launched a new sustainable travel initiative. Prince Harry said he hopes the new 'Travalyst' scheme will better protect tourist destinations and their local communities for generations to come. The Duke flew to Amsterdam by a commercial flight yesterday to launch the project this morning, and told an audience: 'We could all do better.'

NFL Live Thread: Week 1 Thursday, September 5, 2019 (All Times Eastern) Green Bay at Chicago 8:20 pm NBC Soldier Field Sunday, September 8, 2019 Buffalo at N.Y. Jets 1:00 pm CBS MetLife Stadium Baltimore at Miami 1:00 pm CBS Hard Rock Stadium Kansas City at Jacksonville 1:00 pm CBS TIAA Bank Field Tennessee at Cleveland 1:00 pm CBS FirstEnergy Stadium Washington at Philadelphia 1:00 pm FOX Lincoln Financial Field Atlanta at Minnesota 1:00 pm FOX U.S. Bank Stadium L.A. Rams at Carolina 1:00 pm FOX Bank of America Stadium Indianapolis at L.A. Chargers 4:05 pm CBS Dignity Health Sports...