Free Republic

Claims by China that that it "expelled" the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain from disputed South China Seawaters are untrue, the U.S. Navy said. "On Dec. 22, USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law," a statement Tuesday by the Navy's 7th Fleet began. "This freedom of navigation operation ... upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan. "All interactions with foreign military forces were consistent with international norms and...

With news of a second strain in the UK that has shuttered London, U.S. leaders are starting to take precautions. Experts predict that the second variant of the virus is reportedly 70 percent more transmissible than the original strain. "We will have a new approach, given the new strain we're seeing there," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said in a press conference on Wednesday.

The actions of Joseph teach men how to be virtuous and women and children that they deserve to be protected, trusted, and cared for.Pope Francis, the spiritual father of the Roman Catholic world, recently declared that church body will journey through “A Year of St. Joseph” from Dec. 8, 2020, through Dec. 8, 2021. Proclaiming a year in the name of some person or theme is a method several popes have used to highlight an all-important message they believe to be critical for both the church and the entire world at that time. In 2014, Francis did something similar when...

Complaint Alleges Company Unlawfully Dispensed and Distributed Prescription OpioidsIn a civil complaint filed today, the Department of Justice has alleged that Walmart Inc. unlawfully dispensed controlled substances from pharmacies it operated across the country and unlawfully distributed controlled substances to those pharmacies throughout the height of the prescription opioid crisis. The complaint alleges that this unlawful conduct resulted in hundreds of thousands of violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The Justice Department seeks civil penalties, which could total in the billions of dollars, and injunctive relief.“It has been a priority of this administration to hold accountable those responsible for...

A Canadian citizen accused of operating a decades-long psychic mail fraud scheme was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance today in federal court in Central Islip, New York, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced.On Oct. 25, 2018, a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York indicted Patrice Runner, 54, on charges of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Runner was arrested in Ibiza, Spain, by officers of the Spanish National Police in December 2018, based on the U.S....

How Tim Bero went from making floppy disks to manufacturing semiauto .50-caliber machineguns, helping save Humvee crews' lives in the Second Gulf War and now, Multi-Caliber Survival Rifles, Pistols, and more. TNW Firearms first made a name for itself among American shooters 20 years ago in a really big way with a really big gun. That gun was a semi-automatic, full-size replica of the military M2 HB .50-caliber heavy machinegun, a weapon that's seen continuous use in all theaters of war from the 1930s to the present. That sexy belt-fed beast, known affectionately as the Ma Deuce in military circles,...

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced another wave of restrictions taking effect prior to New Year’s, including a ban on gatherings over ten, with the restriction extending to “private homes.” Baker announced the latest set of restrictions Tuesday, which will go into effect on Saturday, December 26 — the day after Christmas

Today, President Donald J. Trump granted Full Pardons to 15 individuals and commuted part or all of the sentences of an additional 5 individuals.Alfonso Costa — President Trump granted a full pardon to Alfonso Costa, a dentist from Pittsburgh. Dr. Costa’s request for clemency was supported by Dr. Ben Carson and Jerome Bettis, as well as by numerous business associates, patients, and community leaders from Pittsburgh. Dr. Costa pled guilty to one count of health care fraud related to false billing, took full responsibility for his conduct, served two years of probation, and paid nearly $300,000 in fines and restitution....

First, let’s acknowledge that today is the final day that worthless William Barr will serve as the Attorney General of the United States. Here is what the slovenly bagpipe aficionado leaves in his wake for the rest of us to deal with: Image may contain: 1 person, text that says 'BRANCO ©2020 Creators.co Americans or Limited HIPHIP HIP HIP HOORAY HIP HOORAY HIP HIP HIP HOORAY WIFA DEATH TO AMERICA! MEDIA PROJECED ELECT CHINA IRAN' To the extent China Joe really did “win” the election, much of the blame must be laid at Barr’s fat feet given his and John...

Adam and Eve walked in a garden and listened to God's voice. He said “because I love you, trust me and do not eat from this tree; it is the wrong choice”. The snake, full of jealous hate, in order to manipulate, told man “you're missing out if you don't partake”. The apple they ate; they saw their naked side, and knew they had to hide. God saw the sin and felt grief within. He had to have shedding of blood and animal skin. The man knew his wife, children were born into sin and lived in strife. They knew...

On Tuesday night President Trump tweeted out an OANN report on a Gateway Pundit investigation of the Atlanta suitcase voter fraud scandal. The Gateway Pundit was first to identify Ruby Freeman, her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, and their boss Ralph Jones, Sr. in the infamous suitcase ballot hoist. We later reported on Ruby Freeman running the same batch of ballots through the counting machines at least three times after these Democrat operatives cleared the room of observers! On Tuesday night President Trump tweeted this OANN and Gateway Pundit video. Shaye Moss is the same person who called out for observers...

While this year’s Cromwell Family Tree may be dry, scraggly, under-lighted, and not that impressive in its current form, it is going to be something to behold when it goes up in flames2020 hasn’t offered much to celebrate, to put it mildly. Sure, we’ve all found our escapes, things that offer respite from Zoom meetings, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to transition to life through Zoom. People slowed down, spent more time together, cooked more. But sources of joy have been a bit farther between this year. This is particularly true as we head into a...

Listen to My Congressman's Ridiculous Excuses for voting on the Pork Bill. https://www.facebook.com/WMAYNewsfeed/videos/404538337568846

Alphabet Inc.'s Google this year moved to tighten control over its scientists' papers by launching a "sensitive topics" review, and in at least three cases requested authors refrain from casting its technology in a negative light, according to internal communications and interviews with researchers involved in the work. Google's new review procedure asks that researchers consult with legal, policy and public relations teams before pursuing topics such as face and sentiment analysis and categorizations of race, gender or political affiliation, according to internal webpages explaining the policy. "Advances in technology and the growing complexity of our external environment are increasingly...

So it turns out that, like clean elections, mass vaccination campaigns is just another thing America can no longer do. Across the pond, my old editor Boris Johnson is a complete arse busily destroying those few remnants of British Conservatism that managed to escape Theresa May and David Cameron. But, granted all that, he knew enough to ensure that the first person on the planet to receive the vaccine was an actual member of the public - an appealing nonagenarian lady ("Patient 1A") - and that the second or thereabouts was some old coot from Warwickshire who chanced to bear...

"Our Constitution created a republic designed to protect the “natural rights” of individuals. The rights precede even the will of majorities. The Progressive movement, old and new, harnesses majoritarianism to expert administration to achieve its positivist goals. Individual rights are often a hindrance. The difference is essential. The gridlock we see today does not reflect a failing Constitution but one performing as designed. The Progressive agenda is grinding against inalienable rights. We hear the rumbling in the pillars of our system; why should North Dakota get two senators? Why shouldn’t the District of Columbia be a state? The Electoral College...

After 50 years of submerged at the bottom of a reservoir, a 5,000-year-old monument has reappeared in Spain. The megalithic site has 144 granite blocks, which are stand over six feet tall and are known as ‘Spanish Stonehenge.’ Its similarity to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Wiltshire is striking, but the Iberian version is made of smaller rocks. In the 1960s, it was thought to be condemned to the history books when a Spanish general ordered the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Peraleda de la Mata, near Cáceres in Extremadura.

Hawaii Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has submitted legislation (HR 1267) that would force corporations such as Amazon, Facebook, Walmart, and Google that have seen their profits soar during the pandemic pay a tax that would fund aid to their small business competitors that were economically harmed by government lockdown orders. Since the start of the pandemic an estimated 50% of the nation’s small businesses have been forced to close. Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has increased his wealth by more than $70 billion and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has increased his by more than $25 billion. Big box retailers like...

This latest “stimulus” bill coming out of Congress is a total POS. This country has waited nine damn months so Pakistan could get $10 million for gender programs. The list is nauseating$169,739,000 to Vietnam, including $19 million to remediate dioxins (page 1476).Unspecified funds to “continue support for not-for-profit institutions of higher education in Kabul, Afghanistan that are accessible to both women and men in a coeducational environment” (page 1477).$198,323,000 to Bangladesh, including $23.5 million to support Burmese refugees and $23.3 million for “democracy programs” (page 1485).$130,265,000 to Nepal for “development and democracy programs” (page 1485).Pakistan: $15 million for “democracy programs”...

A new report by Barclays cites the expanding market around the alternative protein source and predicts the edible bug industry could be worth $8 billion by 2030, up from a little under $1 billion last year. The product is already found in experimental cuisines and boasts an “eco-friendly” reputation. But it has yet to go mainstream as Americans still prefer meat over bugs. Well, our government seems to be in doubt about that as they spend $1,327,781.72 of your tax dollars to see if you’ll eat ground-up bugs. Below you can see a partial list of where your taxpayer money...