Free Republic

A Justice Department inquiry launched more than two years ago to mollify conservatives clamoring for more investigations of Hillary Clinton has effectively ended with no tangible results, and current and former law enforcement officials said they never expected the effort to produce much of anything. ohn Huber, the U.S. attorney in Utah, was tapped in November 2017 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to look into concerns raised by President Trump and his allies in Congress that the FBI had not fully pursued cases of possible corruption at the Clinton Foundation and during Clinton’s time as secretary of state, when the...

---SNIP--- I’m sorry, but I lived in Australia through the past two decades of escalating fire crises and it’s not climate change that has caused today’s disaster, but the criminal negligence of governments that have tried to buy green votes by locking up vast tracts of land as national parks, yet failed to spend the money needed to control ground fuel and maintain fire trails. Instead, they bowed to an ideology that obstructs necessary hazard reduction and prevents landowners from clearing vegetation around their own properties, all in thrall to the god of “biodiversity.”

Morning "There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 2 Timothy 4:8 Doubting one! thou hast often said, "I fear I shall never enter heaven." Fear not! all the people of God shall enter there. I love the quaint saying of a dying man, who exclaimed, "I have no fear of going home; I have sent all before me; God's finger is on the latch of my door, and I am ready for him to enter." "But," said one, "are you not afraid lest you should miss your inheritance?" "Nay," said he, "nay; there is one crown in...

Every college student knows that, once they graduate, landing the job of their dreams isn’t going to just happen. Yet, students still downplay the difficulties they will face, either because they don’t understand the job market or because they put too much stock in their skills, thinking that the competition won’t stand a chance. The reality is that in a world shaped by the internet, students must learn some basic self-marketing skills to stand out in their field. Ignoring the need to have a strong professional presence—on- and offline—won’t do you any favors. So, the job for you, the enterprising...

“Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:6 KJV).

In all the reportage and commentary on the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, I haven't seen much mention of an interesting parallel between the Iranian mullah regime's attacks on America this past week and its attacks when it first came to power 40 years ago. The similarity is that both times, the Iranian regime violated diplomatic immunity. In 1979, it seized 52 American diplomats and held them hostage for 444 days, releasing them only on the day former President Ronald Reagan took office. Last week they attacked the U.S. embassy in Baghdad after launching multiple attacks on U.S. troops...

Because of the Russian natural gas project "Turkish stream", Russian-operated nuclear power plants in Bulgaria and Turkey, the United States is concerned about the increase in Russian energy monopoly in the region. Principal Deputy assistant Secretary in the Bureau of energy resources U.S. state Department Kent Logsdon in his speech at the energy conference in Texas noted that in connection with the project "Turkish stream" nuclear power plant "Belene" in Bulgaria, his country was concerned about the increase in the concentration of Russian energy sources in the region. Logsdon, stressing that no country should depend on one "energy source", said:...

Ricky Gervais, the perpetually snarky British comedian, set social media on fire after he mocked arrogant Hollywood in his opening monologue when hosting the Golden Globes. "So if you do win an award tonight, don't use it as a platform to make a political speech, right?" he said. "You're in no position to lecture the public -- about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg." Uh-oh. Gervais explained that his approach was to mock the "privileged egos in the room" as if he were "the bloke sitting at...

TGIFF! Its Fiddle Friday and we have Catfish by Leon McAuliffe & His Cimarron Boys. THE WESTERNER https://thewesterner.blogspot.com/

The next frontier in California’s battle against pollution: lawn equipment. State air regulators are laying long-term plans to phase out gasoline-powered devices like leaf blowers and lawn mowers, saying they can produce more noxious emissions than cars. Plenty of Bay Area cities are already acting: At least eight have banned gas-powered blowers, and more restrict their use during times of day or up to a certain noise level. Novato may soon join the list. “What I think we need to realize is that we have to do something different for climate change in the world,” said Novato Mayor Pro Tem...

The Air Force base in Tampa is on lockdown while law enforcement officers respond to reports of an active shooter. TAMPA, Fla. — Law enforcement members are responding to MacDill Air Force Base after reports of an active shooter. MacDill confirmed the base in Tampa was on lockdown Friday morning, but the lockdown has since been lifted. The base confirmed it is still investigating the possibility of an active shooter. No further information was immediately available. Traffic is at a standstill on numerous roads around the base near downtown Tampa.

Does President Trump’s policies of putting America’s interests first cause Trump Derangement Syndrome, or does Trump Derangement Syndrome cause liberals to abhor the concept of putting America’s interests first? It’s a causality dilemma to rival the ‘chicken and the egg.' Which came first, Trump Derangement Syndrome or the Democrats’ America last approach? Regardless of the order of origin, both have been on full display these past three years, and both present a problem for Democrats who hope to capture the White House in 2020. This election year got off to a roaring start for Democrats suffering from TDS, and...

Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Beilein made an emotional apology to his players Thursday morning, insisting he regrets referring to the team as "a bunch of thugs" in a Wednesday film session, league sources told ESPN.

Iran has used bulldozers to move around pieces of debris from a crashed Ukrainian passenger jet, potentially destroying evidence which could help determine exactly what happened to it. Images and reports from the crash site, just outside Tehran, show at least one bulldozer working in the debris at the site, where the Boeing 737-800 crash-landed on Tuesday, killing all 176 people on board.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was slammed by the animal rights organization PETA on Thursday for not being a good role model. The New York Democrat could have influenced her millions of social media followers by adopting a rescue mutt from a shelter, PETA argued, but instead the congresswoman took home a purebred French bulldog. “AOC had a chance to set a compassionate, responsible example in the face of the homeless-animal crisis, but instead, she apparently inadvertently contributed to the problem,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a letter. “PETA is urging her supporters not to follow her lead in this case...

"Sometimes, when I reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I did not drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. I think, it is better to drink this beer & let dreams come true, than be selfish & worry about my liver.” Babe Ruth "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” Paul Horning "24 hours in a day and 24 beers in...

Are you possibly getting a wee little bit tired of all this WINNING yet? No? – Yeah, you know what’s coming: All major U.S. stock indexes – the NASDAQ, the S&P 500 and the Dow – closed at all-time record high levels on Thursday as the markets recognized the soundness of the Trump Administration’s strategy vis a vis Iran even as the Democrats and their corrupt media toadies raged on about it. And it’s only going to get better today, as pre-market trading futures indicate the markets will open at new record levels later this morning. Truly, it never gets...

A pub with no beer is the last thing people need in the bushfire-stricken Victorian town of Mallacoota. Locals have made thirsty work of securing more of the amber fluid amid fears the town's watering hole would run dry in a week's time. Mallacoota Hotel Motel arranged a last-minute delivery of 3,000 litres of beer with Carlton & United Breweries, to be delivered on HMAS Choules. Mallacoota hotel owner Lou Battel confirmed they are expecting the beer run to refresh the town by Friday. The beers will be sold at the bottle shop and at the hotel. "We were running...

Is it possible President Donald Trump may have perfectly played the Iran conflict? He's been criticized for different and various reasons by people on the left and on the right. There's been a real concern that the president could get us into a war with Iran. It's early but it seems like Trump has effectively fired a warning shot at Iran to ramp down their continuing escalations -- without risking more American lives. If that's how it plays out, it will be hard not to credit the president for his handling of this matter. To those critical of the...

Another news cycle brings with it the news of yet another anti-Semitic attack targeting America's Jewish community, as well as a fresh attack on Christian worshippers at a church in Texas. The scourge of bigoted hatred is not just alive and well; it is actually enjoying an uptick in this country. We need to be asking some very tough questions about the causes of this hatred. At the same time, it will be curious to see whether or not those who play a role in fomenting this terrible atmosphere of intolerance are willing to step forward and condemn it. Just...