Free Republic

Former CIA Director John Brennan might have perjured himself in testimony he delivered more than two years ago to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on May 23, 2017. In an exchange with then-Rep. Trey Gowdy, Brennan claimed he didn’t know who commissioned ex-British spy Christopher Steele to write what would become the infamous “Steele dossier” that alleged Russia had damaging information on Trump and that Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government to win the election. Mr. Gowdy: “Director Brennan, do you know who commissioned the Steele dossier?” Mr. Brennan: “I don’t.” Brennan’s response to the...

(CNN)Childhood cancer is draining, frightening and painful. A mother in Texas shared an unfiltered peek into how the disease impacted her family. Kaitlin Burge posted stirring photos of her 4-year-old son, Beckett, leaning over a toilet, with his 5-year-old sister, Aubrey, standing guard. Beckett was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia over a year ago. "Vomiting between play sessions. Waking up to throw up. Standing by her brother's side and rubbing his back while he gets sick," she wrote. "This is childhood cancer. Take it or leave it. Burge said she took the photos in January, but they depict a "typical...

"If it wasn't specifically in the Constitution... it would be unconstitutional." ...it's almost as if the Constitution dictates that is constitutional! Video commentary and discussion at link:

A porn site called BangBros, has made a $10 million bid for naming rights for the Miami Heat’s arena in Florida. On Thursday, American Airlines announced that it would not renew its naming right deal with the Miami Heat and that by the end of the year American Airlines Arena will be no more. The announcement spurred the porn provider to try and jump into the game, according to Yahoo Sports. The Miami-based porn provider quickly tweeted that it would like to put in a bid for the arena to be renamed the BangBros Center which would be shortened to...

Dear Diary: My friend Leslie, a retired teacher, invited me to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts one Saturday to watch a film of a Broadway musical. I told her if it was being shown at the Theater on Film and Tape Archive, it was restricted to researchers and professionals. I found the title in the online catalog, and verified that “all viewers must have a valid reason for viewing and a library card.” But Leslie insisted, and I agreed to meet. Before entering the screening room, I stopped to quietly caution her. “Volunteer no information,” I...

Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (D) confirmed in an interview with Latino USA’s Maria Hinojosa Friday that he is in favor of physically tearing down existing sections of the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. “So Beto I just want to be clear. Have you said you want to tear down the wall?” Hinojosa asked. “If I’m elected, I will tear down that wall. Then suddenly the Democrat is quoting the Republican Ronald Reagan– tear down that wall.” “Right. So the short answer is yes,” O’Rourke said. “I would include all local stakeholders.” “There are more than 600 miles of wall and...

Two major Saudi oil facilities hit by explosions and set ablaze early Saturday morning in what Iranian backed Houthi rebels are calling an attack launched by 10 drones. Reuters and Wall Street Journal are reporting with sources saying that Saudi Arabia's oil output has been reduced by half. The Houthis have been launching attacks on Saudi Arabia, which has been leading a military coalition fighting on the side of Yemen's government against the Houthi's with support from the United States and United Kingdom.... The Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says...... After leaving his job as National Security Adviser John Bolton...

[That's Alyssa Milano disccusing her recent meeting with Senator Ted Cruz. And how she wants to take some guns from some people. But my next guest] Father of killed Parkland student Andrew Pollack says lenient policies and discipline are the problem, not guns.

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is planning to visit San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco on Saturday to meet with inmates and have them lead him on a tour of the facility — a rare peek behind bars for a White House hopeful. The former Texas congressman will spend part of his time with inmates who are close to finishing their sentences, discussing ways to improve the “re-entry” process into society and to combat recidivism. He will also conduct an interview with “Ear Hustle,” a podcast produced by inmates inside the all-male prison that is California’s...

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Ashley Arentz is a political unicorn. The 28-year-old Marine from Jacksonville, North Carolina, didn’t vote in 2016, and she wasn’t even registered to vote in the state. But there she was on Monday, standing in line for hours in the 90-degree heat waiting to enter President Donald Trump’s rally in Fayetteville. That made her a golden target for the volunteers in day-glow yellow T-shirts working to register new voters. Arentz said she likes the president because he’s “just being straightforward.” She filled out a registration form on the spot.

At highly rated Maspeth High School in Queens, students know they can play hooky, skip course work, flunk tests — and still pass. They call it the “Maspeth Minimum,” meaning everyone gets at least the minimum grade or score needed to pass or graduate, no matter what.

The highlight of the Dems’ debate this week must have been the 30-second advertisement run by Elizabeth Heng’s New Faces GOP PAC (video below). In the ad Ms. Heng explains the true meaning of socialism to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her followers. Gary Saul Morson gives a longer account of the phenomenon in “How the truth dawned.”

Long, long ago… in the early middle ages in fact… the English monarchy established the concept of sanctuary in English law. In those days, if an accused criminal was being chased down by the police, he could run into the first church he could find, grab hold of one corner of the altar, and claim sanctuary, gaining protection from the law for an extensive period of time. Other countries have had variations on the concept, but this English method is the best known. For over a thousand years, up until the English Civil War in fact, this was the law...

Finance ministers of the 28 European Union countries met in Helsinki on Friday to discuss measures to finance and encourage environmentally sustainable growth. The meeting took place on the same day the governing coalition parties in Germany met to decide on climate measures targeting the transportation sector to ensure the country meets its 2030 goals to combat the climate crisis. Spending toward that end could approach a reported €75 billion ($83.6 billion). […] The EU, says German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, must find a way to put a sensible price on carbon dioxide emissions, optimally on an international level. “I...

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he had spoken to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a possible mutual defense treaty between the two nations, just days before Israelis go to the polls.

It’s one thing that Trump advocates and Trump opponents apparently agree on: Trump will win again in 2020. That’s according to the results of our unscientific poll at SharylAttkisson.com. Most of those who chose to weigh on this poll say they like Trump. But 12% who dislike Trump also responded. All together, 95% of respondents said that– as of today– they believe Trump will win. Eighty-five percent (85%) said they like Trump and believe he’ll win. Twelve percent (12%) who answered the poll dislike Trump but most think he’ll win anyway. Ten percent (10%) said they dislike Trump but believe...

The Australian federal police have raided the Canberra home of intelligence officer Cameron Gill... Cameron Gill was also listed as an adviser to then defence materiel minister, Mal Brough, in defence documents recording a meeting with former US ambassador John Berry in 2015. It is unclear whether Wednesday’s raid is connected to the Smethurst story, which reported that the heads of the defence and home affairs ministries had discussed draconian new powers to allow the Australian Signals Directorate to spy on Australian citizens for the first time.

Sarah was 26 years old when she got the shock of a poorly-timed, positive pregnancy test. Already a mother of three, she was concerned about the course of her life. Her boyfriend insisted she have an abortion, so she scheduled the appointment, fearing being a single mother of four and feeling she needed to “save face,” succumbing to the father’s pressure to “take care of this.” Sarah was given two pills to complete the abortion. But after she took the first pill, she dissolved into tears. “It was awful,” she told The Catholic Telegraph. When she looked at her other...

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is facing a new sexual misconduct allegation that appears to echo a previous accusation lobbed against him.

MONACA, Pennsylvania — All Darrin Kelly wanted for the energy workers in Western Pennsylvania was that the Democratic presidential hopefuls would talk to them before going to war against shale. That opportunity slipped away last Friday when Elizabeth Warren joined Bernie Sanders in calling for a total fracking ban. “On my first day as president, I will sign an executive order that puts a total moratorium on all new fossil-fuel leases for drilling offshore and on public lands. And I will ban fracking — everywhere,” Warren tweeted. They may look like ordinary construction cranes to someone unfamiliar with the history...