Free Republic

On Fox News Friday night, Michigan State Representative Karen Whitsett told Tucker Carlson that text messages she's been receiving from Governor Whitmer have not been pleasant ever since the Democratic state lawmaker credited President Trump for her personal recovery from the Wuhan coronavirus. The lawmaker now faces a censure from her Democratic colleagues for crediting the president for her recovery. Tucker Carlson asked Whitsett if the governor ever called the representative to simply say, "I'm so glad you didn't die?" "Actually, it was not as pleasant as that," Rep. Whitsett began, "and the text messages that we have had since...

The Postal Service is a joke because they’re handing out packages for Amazon and other internet companies, and every time they put out a package, they lose money on it,” Trump said. The president commented on the postal service after reporters asked him at the White House about a possible bailout. He argued that the postal service should raise their prices to help get them out of debt. “The Post Office – if they raise the price of the package by approximately four times – it’d be a whole new ballgame,” Trump said. “But they don’t want to raise because...

Jacob Eason seemed to slump lower and lower on the family couch on Friday night as the second and third rounds of the NFL draft were conducted without anyone choosing him. Once projected as a first-rounder before he was given a mid-second-round grade, the former University of Washington quarterback watched as 74 names were called out on the draft's second day -- and none were his. ESPN had a camera trained on the Eason family at regular intervals of the four-hour draft proceedings. Jacob, casually dressed in a light blue T-shirt and black shorts, looked stunned, disappointed or angry, or...

LAKEWOOD, NJ – Friday was the third day of an ongoing FBI investigation in Lakewood Township related to medical equipment, but officials are still not even confirming the existence of the action. It started Wednesday when over one dozen agents showed up at Lakewood Industrial Park warehouse. WEDNESDAY Agents showed up at a warehouse at approximately 4:30 pm located at 1980 Swarthmore Avenue. The warehouse of Deco-Tile was where the agents were entering and exiting, later some were seen bringing out boxes of medical supplies. No visible arrests were made. We contact the FBI Newark office who declined to comment...

“Joe Biden isn’t sheltering in place in his basement bunker because of the pandemic, he’s hiding from Tara Reade.” – Don Trump, Jr. tweeted that particular bit of truth Friday night after a new video and accompanying media reports had surfaced providing additional contemporaneous substantiation for the allegation by Tara Reade, a staffer for then-Senator Joe Biden in the early 1990s, that China Joe not only sexually harassed her repeatedly, but at one point also penetrated her with one of his long, spindly fingers. Corrupt media outlets like the Washington Post and the New York Times have done their best...

Recently, Brit Hume, the sober and understated Fox News commentator, voiced the thoughts of millions when he said, “I think its time to consider the possibility… that this lockdown, as opposed to the more moderate mitigation efforts… is a colossal public policy calamity.” The financial extent of the calamity was quantified by economist Scott Grannis when he observed that “almost overnight, we have wiped out all the net job gains of the past 14 years.” He made that comment on April 12 and the losses aren’t over yet. Grannis bluntly concluded that, “The shutdown of the U.S. economy will prove...

Edna St. Vincent-Millay is reported to have once said that “History isn’t one damn thing after another—it’s the same damn thing over and over again.” That certainly describes the day-to-day news cycle right now, and the challenge of doing the weekly picture gallery. Have you heard? There’s a pandemic! And Orange Man Bad. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the pandemic of predatory politicians and the mindless media is going away soon. But cheer up. We can start the weekend with this:

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. - The limited reopening of San Diego beaches is expected to begin on Monday, but protests against the stay-at-home order are still planned for this weekend. Organizers for weekend rallies said their "freedoms are under attack, and it's unfair businesses are still closed." "There isn't a reason anymore to keep people locked down and locked out of these public spaces. This is our beach. These are our rights, and we are going to exercise those rights,” said Crista Curtis, the former organizer of last Sunday’s Encinitas protest calls the lockdown restrictions unreasonable. Last weekend's protest drew...

I don't know what daily life is like during our Great National Shutdown in states like Pennsylvania, where I hear golfing is verboten, all liquor stores are closed and masks must be worn into retail stores. But out here in sprawling Los Angeles, where half of the state's 1,512 COVID-19 deaths have occurred, things are getting goofier and scarier all the time. It's not the coronavirus I'm sacred of. It's power-mad politicians like Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, both of whom have been making it sound like we're going to be in strict lockdown mode until Thanksgiving....

PING LIST - Please contact me as needed... COVID-19 Update As of 04/24/2020 23:59 PDST Thank you for stopping by to check out the COVID-19 Update. Here you'll find... Section: 01     Commentary, Special Reports, COVID-19 Update InfoSection: 02     the Mortality ReportSection: 03     the United States SituationSection: 04     the Global Community Situation Outside ChinaSection: 05     the Global Community Situation Including China with reservationsSection: 06     Miscelanious Reports of InterestSection: 07     the United States, Counties (alphabetical / case no descending)Section: 08     the United States, States Ranked with...

“The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue” (Proverbs 25:23).

On Thursday, Congress approved another wave of small business relief. An additional $310 billion has been appropriated to replenish the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)—which provides forgivable loans to America’s small business community. These entrepreneurs have been on the frontlines of the pandemic and keeping them primed will be the key to restarting the economy as the country begins to reopen. The initial $349 billion allocated for the PPP under the CARES Act was a blockbuster hit among the country’s entrepreneurs. Within 14 days of launching, the funding limit was reached and over 1.6 million businesses were approved for loans—which...

Some highlights of rescue kittens being bottle-fed. Video, 3 minutes, 55 seconds

VIDEO There have been several allegations recently of inappropriate behavior by Joe Biden. However, this video reveals that there is absolutely no basis for this belief. After watching, the viewer will realize just how absurd the charges are. So please, LEAVE JOE BIDEN ALONE!!!

The owner of a North Dallas salon says she’s in a fight to save her business and will continue to defy local and state COVID-19 orders to remain closed for now. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins’ office sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to Shelley Luther on Friday afternoon after Salon A La Mode opened for business Friday morning, she confirmed to NBC 5. She also confirms she was cited by the city of Dallas for opening despite local orders

Editor's Note: This piece was coauthored by Mario Diaz.The genius of the U.S Constitution is that it was designed to withstand the pressures of crises. It was a document born of conflict, and the Founders wrote it intending to curtail the human excesses and abuses that tend to come to the surface in times like the one we are living right now. Fear, insecurity, and perceived need shake us to the core as human beings and, if we are not careful, these times may push us to be willing to enter into oppressive agreements that will ultimately enslave us. It’s...

The Republican-led Michigan legislature on Friday approved measures to limit Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive authority to declare a state of emergency and to create a panel to investigate the state’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. After roughly an hour of passionate debate, the Michigan Senate voted 22-15 along partisan lines to pass Senate Bills 857 and 858, which, respectively, would repeal the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 and limit the number of days the governor can unilaterally declare a state of emergency under a separate law from 28 days to 14. Whitmer’s office ahead of Friday’s session...

New Thrtead, starting 4/25/2020

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There is a great debate going on in America about the power of big tech over our lives. One issue is whether they are going too far when they sell personal data collected by the company. Another issue is when they moderate content in a way that is perceived as discriminatory against conservatives. These are important issues and recent events show that these companies’ hands are not clean when it comes to privacy and censorship. Social media companies like Twitter and Facebook fill a networking and communications need felt by Americans, and because of their success, they have been handsomely...