Free Republic

China’s trade with the United States sank again in November as negotiators worked on the first stage of a possible deal to end a tariff war. Exports to the United States fell 23% from a year earlier to $35.6 billion, customs data showed Sunday. Imports of American goods were off 2.8% at $11 billion, giving China a surplus with the United States of $24.6 billion. Exports to some other countries including France rose, helping to offset the loss. China’s global exports were off 1.1% from a year earlier at $221.7 billion despite weakening worldwide demand. Imports were up 0.3% at...

... Joe Biden is not just Mr. Trump’s present-day “political rival.” He is a former vice president who, when tasked to help clean up corruption in Ukraine, allowed his unqualified, drug-addict son to receive a lucrative board seat at a Ukrainian company under investigation for corruption. These are subjects whose illegitimacy must be proved, not just assumed. And yet missing from the final report is any evidence that broaching them with the Ukrainians amounted to the crimes of bribery, extortion or campaign-law violation that Mr. Schiff once told us it did. Instead, Mr. Schiff insinuates a motive he’s not prepared...

And we thought Christmas only came once a year. The first full-length trailer for No Time To Die has been released, giving fans a flavour of what to expect from Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond. The promo, which launched on Wednesday and can be seen below, shows Rami Malek in character as the latest villain for the first time, as well as a new female agent with a licence to kill.

If House speaker Nancy Pelosi is a "practicing Catholic," then Sen. Elizabeth Warren is an American Indian. If she is a practicing Catholic, then one hopes that one day, she gets it right. You cannot be in fundamental disagreement with a fundamental doctrine of the Catholic Church and then wrap yourself in its vestments to proclaim you don't hate anybody. Funny: Cafeteria Catholic Pelosi doesn't invoke her Christian conscience when she supports her caucus's abortion-until-birth infanticide policy, the ultimate separation of mother from child.

For years, Kim Cobb was the Indiana Jones of climate science. The Georgia Tech professor flew to the caves of Borneo to study ancient and current climate conditions. She jetted to a remote South Pacific island to see the effects of warming on coral. […] Now she is about to ground herself, and she is not alone. Some climate scientists and activists are limiting their flying, their consumption of meat and their overall carbon footprints to avoid adding to the global warming they study. Cobb will fly just once next year, to attend a massive international science meeting in Chile....

Today's Quotefall Puzzle features a quote by Sophia Loren. Click puzzle (or click here) for full size rendition, then use your browser's print command to print puzzle. Sophia Loren is an Italian actress, and is the only living member of the American Film Institute's list of greatest actors in history. 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...

A majority of Germans say they would consider scaling down their Christmas lights to protect the climate, a survey released on Sunday said. A total of 57% of those surveyed said they would reduce Christmas lighting or even do without it in the future, according to the survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of the German news agency DPA. Of the respondents, 11% said they would make do without any lights this year due to climate concerns, while 10% said they would do so in the future. But 35% said turning off the lights was not an option for them....

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) on Sunday said a pair of his Republican colleagues who took issue with President Trump's July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president were wrong to suggest there was anything improper in the communication. CNN's Dana Bash asked Meadows on "State of the Union" to respond to Republican Reps. Mac Thornberry (Texas) and Mike Turner (Ohio) calling the phone call at the center of the impeachment inquiry “inappropriate” and “alarming,” respectively. “They are wrong,” Meadows said. “With all do respect for my colleague I was in the depositions,” he said, adding he was one of only...

“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold” (Proverbs 8:10 KJV).

The singer had a blood alcohol level that was more than three times the legal limit and was driving 102 mph when her vehicle collided with two other cars on September 4, the Taos County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release, citing an investigation. Harris was driving while impaired on a highway when her vehicle struck another car, according to the statement. Harris’ vehicle then crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic and struck a second car, killing 16-year-old Maria Cruz, police said. The teenage victim’s father, Pedro Cruz, was among the first responders at the scene, according to...

The Democrat position in their impeachment of President Trump is that although the President did nothing wrong, he meant to, and therefore they must impeach! Breitbart reported that the Democrat position on impeachment is absurd and have become the Salem Witch Trials. The House Judiciary Report is stating that the President can be impeached for motives without breaking the law –

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem (Music in The Bible) Psalm 50 Psalm 50 A psalm of Asaph. 1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,     speaks and summons the earth     from the rising of the sun to where it sets. 2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,     God shines forth. 3 Our God comes     and will not be silent; a fire devours before him,     and around him a tempest rages. 4 He summons the heavens above,     and the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,     who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” 6 And the heavens proclaim his...

Republicans are dramatically outspending Democrats on impeachment-related ads on Facebook and television, illustrating how fully the GOP has embraced the issue as a political winner as public opinion remains split on the House effort to remove the president.

This week marks the premiere of Clint Eastwood's latest directorial outing: Richard Jewell claims to tell the truth about the lowly security guard who was wrongly overhauled — in the span of a few deadlines and headlines — from hero to terrorist following the Atlanta Summer Olympics bombing. "Claims" because we should be wary of "based on a true story" cinema, even if the director is a national treasure and the story bolsters our justifiable prejudices — in this case, against the manipulative elite media. Because while Richard Jewell was blameless, Richard Jewell may not be — but more on...

We all know some individuals who are so obviously good and kind that we are certain if anyone were to dislike them, that’s all we would need to know about the person. We would immediately assume he or she is a bad person. To hate the manifestly good is a sure sign of being bad. Such is the case regarding the Left’s hatred of the Salvation Army. You don’t have to be a Christian — I am not — to appreciate the goodness of the people who run and work for the Salvation Army. They devote their lives to helping...

Did we learn literally no lessons at all from 9/11? – Mark Steyn often rhetorically asks whether America is too stupid to survive. It’s a valid question after this week’s terrorist attack in Pensacola, Florida by a Saudi Arabian pilot who was receiving training at the U.S. Naval station there. It is frankly stunning to many that a pilot from Saudi Arabia, of all places, was actually being trained by the U.S. Navy 18 years after the events of 9/11/2018. Let’s all remember that 15 of the 19 Al Qaeda terrorists who, according to the official government story, perpetrated the...

President Macron is pushing for a single, points-based system. At the moment, there are 42 different pension plans that vary according to profession and region, meaning some workers are entitled to a full pension before the general minimum retirement age of 62. The new system would mean that pensioners that contributed the same amount would have equal rights. France sees biggest strike in decades as workers protest pension reforms France is experiencing one of its biggest strikes in decades as public sector workers protest against changes to the pension system. The main impact of the strike is being felt on...

Leading Democratic Party presidential candidate took the stage in Cedar Rapids on Saturday and started muttering something about spaghetti sauce during his speech to the Teamsters. This is just bizarre. John Cardillo is right – At this point it’s just cruel to pretend he’s all there.

Georgian-born American artist David Datuna has eaten a banana used in an art work by Maurizio Cattelan, which had sold for $120,000 (£91,000). The artwork, titled Comedian, was on display at Art Basel in Miami, one of the world's most high-profile art fairs.

Prince Andrew has sparked an unprecedented crisis in Britain's royal family since his disastrous TV interview about his friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. This week the focus has turned to the British socialite and ex-girlfriend of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is facing new allegations that she recruited and trafficked underage girls for the disgraced US financier who died by apparent suicide in August. An American woman, Virginia Giuffre -- previously known as Virginia Roberts -- has accused Maxwell of being the person who introduced her to Epstein and allegedly forced her to have sexual relations with Prince Andrew when...