Free Republic

Joseph Kennedy II dumped $2 million from his old campaign coffers into the super PAC backing his son’s bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, FEC filings show, confirming the speculation that became a major point of contention in the final weeks of the primary. The elder Kennedy, who served as a congressman from 1987 to 1999, made two contributions of $1 million each to the New Leadership PAC aiding U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, one on Aug. 5 and the other on Aug. 19, SEC records show. The money came as polls began to show the race slipping away...

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan on September 21 stated that Vietnam was pulling out effort to purchase and produce COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine availability was dependent on the manufacturer's clinical trials progress. Thuan did not detail the number of vaccine doses Vietnam ordered from abroad.

Last week, the Senate confirmed 8 judges to district courts, however I noticed that one of the judges, Franklin U. Valderrama on the Northern Illinois Court was confirmed by a 68-26 vote with the 26 NAYS as all Republicans, and every democrat voting YAY including Hirono and Gillibrand who almost always vote against Trumps judges--even the more "moderate" picks of his. Does anyone have any insight into this Franklin U. Valderrama guy and why so many Republicans would vote against him? The last time I am aware of so many R's going against a Trump nominee was Judge Mark Bennett...

I wanted to create an open, honest & nonjudgemental thread about the possibility of a future conservative female candidate for president. I wonder what most males opinions are on the subject & how it might affect the vote for our side. I would like everybody to feel comfortable being totally honest. Everybody is entitled to their own preferences & I wouldn't assume anything bad about someone based on that opinion. In fact, often wondered what my own husbands opinion truly is on the topic. Would you go so far as to say you would never vote for a female for...

Republicans have enough votes to confirm President Donald Trump’s next Supreme Court nominee, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said late Monday. “We’ve got the votes to confirm Justice Ginsburg’s replacement before the election,” Graham said during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.” “We’re going to move forward in the committee, we’re going to report the nomination out of the committee to the floor of the United States Senate so we can vote before the election. That’s the constitutional process,” he added.

<p>Despite the influence of religion in Iraqi politics, recent studies show that young people in Iraq are increasingly identifying as secularist.</p> <p>Kurdish Iraqi men and women practice yoga on Mount Azmar, which overlooks the northern city of Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, July 19, 2020. Photo by SHWAN MOHAMMED/AFP via Getty Images.</p>

TheHill.com McConnell digs in on vow to fill Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 09/21/20 04:16 PM EDT McConnell digs in on vow to fill Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat Volume 90% Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is digging in ahead of an explosive fight over the Supreme Court seat left vacant after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. McConnell, during his first remarks from the Senate floor since Ginsburg's death on Friday, argued there was "more than enough time" to confirm President Trump's forthcoming nominee before the end of the year and rebuffed charges of hypocrisy...

There is considerable cross-border traffic between Germany and France. Daily, German and French nationals cross the 450-kilometer-long (280-mile) border, as many either work or live on the other side. In everyday life, the frontier is barely noticeable. But this cannot be said for France’s coronavirus tracing efforts. In the Northern Hemisphere’s spring months, France launched an app that does not utilize Google’s or Apple’s interface, and automatically stores a user’s contacts on a state-run server. Most other EU states reject this centralized approach, deeming it inimical to users’ data privacy. France, which has the highest volume of cross-border traffic in...

Manhattan's district attorney on Monday said the 'mountainous' allegations of misconduct linked to President Donald Trump and his businesses justified enforcing a subpoena for his tax returns and other financial records. The district attorney's office also suggested for the first time Monday that Trump could be investigated for tax fraud, according to The New York Times. Lawyers for District Attorney Cyrus Vance made the argument in a filing with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, four days before it considers Trump's request to block the August 2019 subpoena to his accounting firm Mazars USA.

Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leadership hopeful Friedrich Merz came under fire on Monday for a response he gave when questioned on whether he could imagine Germany having a homosexual chancellor. Merz, a candidate in the CDU election set to take place in December to find a replacement for Angela Merkel, who is stepping down — made the comment to German media outlet Bild. On the news segment named “The Right Questions,” Merz was asked whether he would have reservations if a gay chancellor were to lead Germany. “No,” Merz replied to Bild. “Concerning the question of sexual orientation, as long...

2020 Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris went on record last year saying she might support adding additional seats to the Supreme Court, in an effort to swing the ideological balance of the judicial branch back to the left. Beginning with Robert Bork's failed nomination by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s -- and continuing up until the most recent nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh -- Senate confirmation fights have turned into political do-or-dies for both sides of the aisle, as reflected by Harris' past comments to Politico. “We are on the verge of a crisis of confidence in the Supreme...

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo offered a rare admission on Monday night that President Trump will be victorious in his battle to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court. During their nightly primetime handoff, Cuomo's colleague Don Lemon began by conceding that Democrats "don't really have options except for the court of public opinion" in blocking the Trump's eventual SCOTUS nominee. Cuomo, however, saw a rosy outcome for the president.

The Justice Department on Monday refused a request from Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, for top officials to testify on several issues, citing a recent appearance by Attorney General William Barr that the letter called an attempt by committee members to “air grievances.” The letter, which was signed by Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd, said that committee members spent most of Barr’s July 28 appearance at an oversight hearing to scold and insult the country’s top prosecutor. The letter even pointed to how an article in the New York Times described the hearing. “Democrat after Democrat...

President Donald Trump, who seems intent on announcing a Covid-19 vaccine before Election Day, could legally authorize a vaccine over the objections of experts, officials at the Food and Drug Administration and even vaccine manufacturers, who have pledged not to release any vaccine unless it’s proved safe and effective. In podcasts, public forums, social media and medical journals, a growing number of prominent health leaders say they fear that Trump — who has repeatedly signaled his desire for the swift approval of a vaccine and his displeasure with perceived delays at the FDA — will take matters into his own...

Tucker Carlson reflected on the fragility of life Monday following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, reminding viewers that "life is bigger than politics, even this year." The "Tucker Carlson Tonight" host opened his show by commenting on reports that Ginsburg's final wish was to not be replaced until a new president was sworn into office, a sentiment he described as "pathetic" if true. "Keep in mind, we don't know actually what Ruth Bader Ginsburg's final words were," Carlson said. "Did she really leave this world fretting about a presidential election?

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke like a fascist when he vowed that "nothing is off the table" if President Trump goes forward with a nomination to replace late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to "Life, Liberty & Levin" host Mark Levin. "What the president is doing is traditional and constitutional," Levin, a former Reagan Justice Department official, said at the opening of Monday's edition of "The Mark Levin Show". "Chuck Schumer said that if Donald Trump -- who is the president for four years -- nominates someone to the Supreme Court while he's the sitting president,...

Lufthansa said Monday it will slash more jobs on top of 22,000 previously announced cuts, as well as put more planes out of service, because it is currently losing some €500 million a month. With demand set to be lower than expected through winter as the coronavirus pandemic continues to severely curtail travel, the airline said it now plans to reduce its fleet by 150 planes by 2025. It had previously estimated it would have to scrap 100 aircraft in response to the unprecedented crisis in the aviation sector. Lufthansa, which received a government bailout worth €9 billion in June,...

Family Court Judge Michael Hanuszczak kissed two employees against their will, asked them out for secret dates, discussed his marital problems and tried to convince one to serve on a political campaign, a judicial watchdog has found. He then lied about some of his behavior to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, destroying his credibility, the commission found. Hanuszczak’s response to the allegations did not deny misconduct, but instead argued that his actions weren’t as bad as the employees were making them, the commission noted. An Onondaga County judge for two decades, Hanuszczak, 64, of Camillus, retired suddenly, effective Monday,...

Picture a female jurist who has consistently defied social expectations imposed on women and whose legal thinking is closely bound up with her faith. No, I’m not talking about Amy Coney Barrett, reported to top President Trump’s list of candidates to fill the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat. I’m talking about Ginsburg herself. Ginsburg believed fervently that conventional expectations shouldn’t hinder women as they seek their full, fair share of public life. Nor was she shy about how her Jewish faith shaped her judicial mind. In an essay for the American Jewish Committee published in 1993, she wrote: “Laws as...

It took longer than they had hoped, but the A’s officially clinched their first AL West title since 2013 when the Houston Astros lost to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday night. I The A’s (33-20) will head to the playoffs with a different, yet familiar feel. The expanded playoff format should benefit the A's, who haven't been able to get past the single-elimination Wild Card game. This year, they will play in the best-of-three Wild Card round at the Oakland Coliseum. If the A's are able to advance out of the Wild Card round, they will enter...