Free Republic

Beto O’Rourke’s “hell yes” moment at the Democrats’ presidential debate is scrambling his party’s message on guns. The Democrats have long contended their support of gun control laws does not mean they want to take away law-abiding citizens’ firearms. But on Friday, they struggled to square that message with their presidential contender’s full-throated call on national TV for confiscating assault rifles. “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47, and we’re not going to allow it to be used against your fellow Americans anymore,” the former Texas congressman declared during Thursday night’s debate. O’Rourke’s hometown of El Paso...

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the international community to join him Saturday in condemning Iran for drone attacks on two Saudi oil facilities, which he described as "an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply."

More than 2,200 preserved fetal remains were found on the property of a dead abortion doctor, the Will County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.The remains were found on the property of Dr. Ulrich Klopfer, who was described by the South Bend Tribune in 2016 as “likely Indiana’s most prolific abortion doctor.” Court records show Klopfer lived on Pine Court in Crete Township.An attorney for Klopfer’s family contacted the Will County Coroner’s Office on Thursday about the discovery of what appeared to be fetal remains, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.Klopfer died Sept. 3.Sheriff’s detectives and representatives from the coroner’s...

September 15 2019 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ex 32:7-11, 13-14 The LORD said to Moses,"Go down at once to your people,whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,sacrificing to it and crying out,'This is your God, O Israel,who brought you out of the land of Egypt!'"I see how stiff-necked this people is, " continued the LORD to Moses.Let me alone, then,that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP/VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE and AMERICA: Government, Family, Military, Business, Education, Churches, Farmers and the Media. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17Religion Forum threads labeled “Prayer” are closed to debate of any kind.

With the U.S, Russia, and China all jostling for position in Iraq’s oil and gas industry both north and south, Iraq’s oil ministry last week reiterated its desire to have one or more foreign partners in the Mansuriya gas field. Situated in Diyala province, close to the Iran border, Mansuriya is estimated to hold around 4.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with plateau production projected at about 325 million standard cubic feet per day. For the U.S., encouraging Iraq to optimise its gas flows so that it reduces its dependency for power from Iran is the key consideration. For...

The Costs of Muslim Cousin-Marriage SEP 4, 2019 10:00 AM BY HUGH FITZGERALD The Daily Mail reported yesterday that “scientists believe that more than 13,000 people in the UK have DNA which indicates they are the result of ‘extreme inbreeding.'” This is linked to mass Muslim migration into the UK and Europe. All over Europe, Muslim migrants have taken full advantage of what the generous welfare states of the Unbelievers offer them: free or highly subsidized housing, free education, free medical care, family allowances that increase with each child, welfare payments for the unemployed. And while many European states offer...

Visual timeline project traces 'underlying Islamophobia' in war on terror Sep 11, 2019 by Aysha Khan, Religion News Service Justice On the 18-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that set off the ongoing global war on terror, a new visual timeline seeks to document the U.S. policies and programs that Muslim and civil rights activists say have resulted in major encroachments on human rights. "The goal is to really underscore how the war on terror is so rooted in Islamophobia and to really lift up the story of the ways that Muslims have been impacted," said Maha Hilal, a...

President Trump on Saturday confirmed the death of Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden who had emerged as a high-profile member of al Qaeda. Trump said in a statement released by the White House that bin Laden was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, though he did not provide an exact date for the death. “The loss of Hamza bin Ladin not only deprives al-Qa’ida of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but undermines important operational activities of the group. Hamza bin Ladin was responsible for planning and dealing...

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.