Free Republic

The leftist mobs targeting public statuary are aiming -- quite successfully -- for a much bigger target. Have the Marxists won, even though the Soviet Union lost? America’s moral courage in confronting the “evil empire” was a truly heroic act; but in the aftermath of the Soviet bloc’s dissolution and America’s unrestrained bid for liberal hegemony over the world, we let our guard down. Not to external foes, but to internal ones. Over the summer and fall of 2020, America’s cities and public landscape burned and were vandalized. As Nancy Pelosi said when questioned about whether these vandals would be...

Former President George W. Bush is making it clear that he supports Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican in the House, who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump. Bush's chief of staff, Freddy Ford, told CNN on Friday that Bush plans to praise Liz Cheney during a Saturday call with his former vice president, her father, Dick Cheney. When asked if Bush is planning to support Cheney if she faces a tough primary next year, Ford said, "You're a few months ahead of us -- we aren't thinking about the next election cycle yet. But I do...

On Tuesday, six days into Joe Biden’s administration, it became clear why Susan Rice, hitherto a foreign-policy specialist, was named director of the Domestic Policy Council. Rice — unconfirmable for a Cabinet post after her unembarrassed Sunday-show lying about the Benghazi terrorist attack — ventured into the White House press room to preview Biden’s “equity” initiative. With one possible exception, the specific policies announced were less important than the word ­“equity,” invoked 19 times by Rice and nine by Biden. Ending federal private prison contracts and combating “xenophobia” against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are small potatoes as federal policies....

TORONTO - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced stricter restrictions on travelers in response to new, likely more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus — including making it mandatory for travelers to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense when they arrive in Canada and suspending airline service to Mexico and all Caribbean destinations until April 30. Trudeau said in addition to the pre-boarding test Canada already requires, the government will be introducing mandatory PCR testing at the airport for people returning to Canada. “Travelers will then have to wait for up to three days at an approved...

A New York State judge has ordered a tax firm that worked for the Trump Organization to hand over documents to New York Attorney General Letitia James related to her ongoing investigation into the business - even though the company had tried to keep them 'privileged'. The Friday supplemental order from Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron is one of the first to come since Trump's time as president officially came to a close, ending some of the legal protections he had. In the court order, Engoron said he reviewed the documents from the firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP...

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Former President George W. Bush plans to lend his support to Rep. Liz Cheney (WY-R) during a Saturday call with her father Dick Cheney, his former vice president. Freddy Ford, Bush's chief of staff, said that the former president will thank the top House Republican for her service - just weeks after her vote to impeach then-President Donald Trump. But he wouldn't be drawn on whether he would back her ahead of a tough 2022 Primary.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a sweeping order late Friday requiring the use of face masks on nearly all forms of public transportation from Tuesday as the country continues to report thousands of daily COVID-19 deaths. The order, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, requires face masks to be worn by all travelers on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares and at transportation hubs like airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations and seaports. The CDC said people violating the order could potentially face criminal penalties, but suggested civil...

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a sweeping order late Friday requiring the use of face masks on nearly all forms of public transportation Monday as the country continues to report thousands of daily COVID-19 deaths.The order, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, requires face masks to be worn by all travelers on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares and at transportation hubs like airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations and seaports.The only exceptions are for travelers younger than two and for those with certain medical conditions. People...

Thanks to technology, musical icon Elvis Presley and country star Martina McBride appear to be sharing a “Blue Christmas“ duet together. The footage of ‘The King’ comes from his 1968 Comeback Special. “Blue Christmas” was written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously recorded by Presley in 1957. This version with McBride appears on the album Elvis Presley Christmas Duets. Watch a retro-clad Martina find herself next to Elvis in the music video from 2008 below!

It is growing increasingly unlikely that California's state legislature approves Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to reopen the state's schools for in-person learning anytime soon. Under the proposal, school districts will receive additional funding if they agree to a firm timetable for reopening schools beginning in mid-February. The proposal was submitted to the state legislature as an adjustment of the state budget and offers additional funding for schools, up to $450 to $750 per student, if they commit to reopening. Districts across the state have said they will not apply to be part of the program, with some citing concerns over...

A one-off tax on Argentina's richest people comes into effect to help pay for medical supplies and relief for businesses struggling due to Covid-19. Those with assets of more than 200 million pesos ($2.3m; £1.67m) will have to pay about 3% on assets declared within the country and over 5% on assets held abroad. It will apply to around 12,000 people. The government hopes to raise around $3bn. The money will also help fund scholarships and social aid. Oxfam's annual report on economic inequality said Argentina was showing the way towards progressive taxation of the rich as the key to...

UPDATE #2: Officials with Fort Bliss and the William Beaumont Army Medical Center said at a briefing late Friday afternoon that eleven hospitalized Fort Bliss soldiers were poisoned from drinking automotive antifreeze that they mistook for alcohol. All of the soldiers remained hospitalized, but the two critically injured showed significant improvement and were upgraded to serious condition in the hospital's ICU. One of the soldiers had to be intubated but no longer needs breathing assistance, officials said. Up to four of the soldiers were anticipated to be released from the hospital soon. The soldiers were diagnosed with ethylene glycol poisoning....

An 8-year-old student was kicked out of a Christian elementary school, after she told another female student she had a crush on her, the mother says. The incident occurred last week, when Chloe Shelton, a second grader at Rejoice Christian School in Owasso, Oklahoma, told another female student she had a crush on her, mother Delanie Shelton told CNN. Chloe was immediately removed from the playground and spent the next few hours in the principal's office, missing class time as a result, Shelton said. "Before I was even called, the vice principal told Chloe that the Bible says that women...

January 30 2021 Memorial of St. Aldegunais Franciscan hermitage, Sanok, Poland Lectionary 322Liturgical Colour: Green.First readingHebrews 11:1-2,8-19 ©Abraham looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by GodOnly faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going. By faith he arrived, as...

**SNIP** Frank Montoya, Jr., a recently retired FBI special agent, told Insider that the Capitiol siege indicates far-right extremism is a "fundamental" threat to national security, even more so than foreign terror groups. Indeed, many of these extremists are white, male US citizens, some with backgrounds in the military, and are less likely to be profiled as a terror threat than those of Middle Eastern descent in the post-9/11 era. "The threat we're facing right now is not only real but deeply embedded - and cult-like - in our society," Montoya said. "Look at how many military and law enforcement...

South Africa’s drug regulator has approved “controlled” access to a controversial parasite drug to treat surging coronavirus infections in the country, saying it will be administered on “compassionate” grounds. Doctors and advocacy groups had urged the government and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) to legalise ivermectin to treat Covid-19 patients, claiming international studies showed it was effective against the virus. The drug, co-developed by Irish Nobel Prize winner William C Campbell, is used globally to treat parasitic diseases in livestock and humans. But it was registered to treat animals only in South Africa. However, a campaign to...

Some House lawmakers are privately refusing to work with each other. Others are afraid to be in the same room. Two members almost got into a fist fight on the floor. And the speaker of the House is warning that “the enemy is within.” Forget Joe Biden’s calls for unity. Members of Congress couldn't be further divided. Just weeks into the 117th Congress, the bedrock of relationships hasn't been on such shaky ground in more than a generation, with a sense of deep distrust and betrayal that lawmakers worry will linger for years. And those strains could carry long-term effects...

The Biden administration has been blasted after it was revealed that COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to Guantanamo Bay detainees, including Al Qaeda terrorists and 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, as early as next week. Prosecutor Clayton Trivett Jr, who is leading the case against five terrorists behind the September 11 attacks, made the disclosure in a letter to defense lawyers Thursday. '[A]n official in the Pentagon has just signed a memo approving the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine to the detainee population Guantánamo,' he wrote, according to the New York Times.

Republican Claudia Tenney increased her lead over Democrat Anthony Brindisi in New York’s 22nd Congressional District race when more than 300 votes were salvaged after a mistake by Oneida County elections staff. Tenney is now ahead by 122 votes, up from 29 votes, in the race over Brindisi of 312,066 cast for the two candidates in the race. The 22nd Congressional race is the only undecided House race in the country, nearly three months after Election Day. It’s been beleaguered by errors that have caused delays and is an exceptionally close race, so both candidates are fighting for every ballot...