Free Republic

Before I set the stage and lay out the most prominent dimensions of our current crisis, let me answer the question I ask in the title of this article, namely, can America survive this perfect storm? The answer is simple and obvious: without divine intervention, we are in big trouble. Really big trouble. Massively big trouble. We need God, desperately and urgently. Otherwise . . . well, you can fill in the blanks. Things do not look good right now. To recap the main events of 2020, we entered the year deeply divided in the midst of the impeachment hearings,...

With the Colorado Cornhole Connection, Brooke and Don Newvahner strive to provide a cornhole company like few others By BOBBY FERNANDEZ PUBLISHED: December 11, 2020 Brooke and Don Newvahner pride their company in Greeley — the Colorado Cornhole Connection — as being the only full-service cornhole company in Colorado. Other shops may offer some cornhole equipment. But the game’s growing population of avid players will have to do some searching — or take the more impersonal, and unpredictable, route of going online — to find the assortment of cornhole equipment the husband-wife entrepreneurial tandem offer at their shop in west...

Meet Aoife. She was born with damaged back legs, but it hasn't dampened her determination to be an active kitten. Video, 8 minutes & 29 seconds

All the campaign talk about packing the Supreme Court, if not term limits on justices, was by design in the Democrats' election playbook to "intimidate," ... the Supreme Court was sent a message by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the Democrat Party during the election. "And the message was: 'If you overturn this election, we will pack you, and make your Court basically meaningless." ... for why the SCOTUS refused to hear an "original jurisdiction" case put forth by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas v. Pennsylvania. The Court rejected the case on "standing," but there is no...

“Many years ago, there was an Emperor who was so very fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on them. He did not trouble about his soldiers... He only went out when he had the chance to show off his new clothes. He had a different suit for each hour of the day. Most kings could be found sitting in council. It was said of the Emperor, ‘He is sitting in his wardrobe.’” So begins the 1837 children's fable, The Emperor's New Clothes, by Hans Christian Andersen. “One day, two fellows calling themselves weavers came to town....

For this year’s Hanukkah, Amir is lighting menorah candles and reciting blessings to celebrate the holiday’s eight nights, as many Jews are around the world. But he does so in secret, worried that Chinese officials will come around – as they often do on religious occasions – to enforce a ban against Judaism, pressuring him to renounce his faith. Sometimes, he’s even called in for interrogations. “Every time we celebrate, we are scared,” said Amir, not his real name as he asked not to be identified over worries of retaliation. "Whatever we do, we’re always very careful to make sure...

Source: Credit: Myra Adams: Archaeological findings thought to be Mary’s house in Nazareth, Israel.The verses we study today preface “the reason for the season” — the birth of Jesus Christ. However, months before Christmas Eve, there occurred two fascinating conversations with world-changing implications. The first is called “The Annunciation,” and the second conversation is known as “The Visitation.”The Annunciation, better known in secular culture, is recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Luke. The Christmas story begins when the angel Gabriel visits Mary — an unmarried Jewish teenager at her home in Nazareth, Israel — saying, “Greetings, you who are...

Loyal members of Chinese Communist Party are working in British consulates, universities and for some of the UK's leading companies, The Mail on Sunday can revealLeaked database of 1.95m registered party members reveals how Beijing's malign influence now stretches into almost every corner of British life, including defence firms, banks and pharmaceutical giantsSome members, who swear oath to 'guard Party secrets, be loyal to the Party, work hard, fight for communism throughout my life...and never betray the Party', are understood to have jobs in British consulates Loyal members of the Chinese Communist Party are working in British consulates, universities and...

WASHINGTON - A subpoena seeking documents from Hunter Biden asked for information related to more than two dozen entities, including Ukraine gas company Burisma, according to a person familiar with a Justice Department tax investigation of President-elect Joe Biden’s son. The breadth of the subpoena, issued Tuesday, underscores the wide-angle lens prosecutors are taking as they examine the younger Biden’s finances and international business ventures. In addition to the Burisma-related request, the subpoena issued last week also seeks information on Hunter Biden’s Chinese business dealings and other financial transactions. The probe was launched in 2018, the year before his father...

So – O.K., – we took a tumble on the mat. The Supreme Court knocked down our Texas lawsuit. Making matters worse – a real stab in the back -- all three Trump appointees declined to hear the case. Only Justices Sam Alito and Clarence Thomas “manned up.” It tells us a lot about what has happened to this nation. But it does not tell us the most important things about our national identity. John Paul Jones did not say, “I have not yet begun to quit!!” Patrick Henry did not say, “Give me liberty – or give me a...

Major leak containing a register of nearly 2 MILLION CCP operatives has occurred – exposing members who are now working all over the world (Australia, UK, USA) in key positions in business & government. Believed to be the 1st leak of its kind in the world. https://twitter.com/TheSharpEdge1/status/1338079246762168321

Source: Official White House Photo by Shealah CraigheadMr. President, presidential pardons are reserved for great Americans who made a mistake and have paid their dues to society. Here are two great patriots who fit the bill perfectly. I'm proud to say they are both my friends. And I'm proud to be fighting for them. Both men have done great things for America and the American people. They deserve a pardon so they can move on with their lives and legacies. Let's start with my friend Pete Rose. Pete is one of the greatest baseball players in history. He is beloved...

Beijing (AFP) - The European Union has urged China to release all journalists and citizens held in connection with their reporting, following the detention of a Bloomberg News employee. Haze Fan, a Chinese citizen, was taken from her home by plain-clothes security officials last Monday, Bloomberg said, and Beijing said she had been detained on suspicion of endangering national security. "All those arrested and detained in connection with their reporting activity should be immediately released," an EU spokesperson said in a statement Saturday. The statement mentioned that "other Chinese journalists or citizens have disappeared this year, or been detained or...

Low-hanging fruit. When enemies of our country look to infiltrate and/or compromise someone to their side, that’s exactly what they reach for. No point in going to the top -- the likelihood of getting to them, let alone turning them, is minimal. But the easy targets, the ambitious or troubled, far enough away from the goal so as to not be noticed, but possibly on their way, are ripe for the pickings. Those wishing this country ill need only an opportunity; an in. With the same goals, only different tactics, the Chinese Communists went fishing for and caught Eric Swalwell...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced a national lockdown from Wednesday to combat a growing number of coronavirus cases. Non-essential shops and schools are to close under the measure which will last until 10 January. Chancellor Merkel, announcing the move after meeting leaders of the country's 16 states, said there was "an urgent need to take action". Restaurants and bars have already been closed for the past six weeks, and some areas of the country had imposed their own lockdowns. Under the national lockdown, essential shops, such as those selling food, will stay open, as can banks. Care homes will...

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December 13 2020 Third Sunday of Advent Altar of St. Anthony's shrine, Boston, USA Lectionary 8Reading 1 IS 61:1-2A, 10-11The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God.I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of...

The Portland family at the center of the “Red House” controversy reportedly has a second home located only 2 miles away, according to property records. The house, located on Mississippi Avenue and owned by the Kinney family since the 1950s, has been the focus of protests after the family was evicted following a protracted legal battle over foreclosure. The Kinney family has continued legal challenges to their eviction, and they have stayed at a second home during the protests that's located less than 2 miles from the “Red House,” OPB reported. When OPB reporters visited the home, the Kinneys’ son...

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, oversaw the infamous coronavirus nursing home scandal in the Empire State, resulting from an executive order he issued during the height of the pandemic. The directive resulted in thousands of nursing home patients dying because such facilities were prohibited from turning away COVID-positive people. Cuomo has not taken responsibility for the scandal, instead choosing to blame Republicans for an order that had his name on it. Now Joe Biden, the media-declared president-elect, is reportedly considering Cuomo for a top government post in his administration. According to the Associated Press, Cuomo is one of...

Marvel fans are surely still reeling from the onslaught of superhero-sized announcements from Disney’s jam-packed investor day. To kick off the four-hour presentation, Disney’s distribution chief Kareem Daniel announced on Thursday that 10 new Marvel series would be coming to Disney Plus in the next few years, along with previously announced shows like “WandaVision” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” that are debuting in just a few months. New series like “Armor Wars” and “Secret Invasion” are also joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, bringing big-screen favorites like Don Cheadle’s War Machine and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury to the...