Free Republic

Much more important than Hershel’s numerous individual campaigns was his uncanny understanding of the American public’s endless fascination with old-fashioned “biblical archaeology.” And that was at the very time when many of us professionals were trying to separate the two disciplines of archaeology and biblical studies. Our purpose, of course, was to create a more serious dialogue, to move beyond the old amateur and sterile monologue. In time, we professionals accomplished our agenda, at least in part. But Hershel also accomplished his agenda. And he did it brilliantly, popularizing our complex excavations and esoteric research for a mass audience that...

The Biden administration says it will start gradually allowing into the US tens of thousands of asylum seekers currently forced to wait in Mexico. It says it will begin next week processing about 25,000 people with active cases. Asylum seekers will first be required to register and pass a Covid-19 test, before being allowed in via one of three border crossings. The move reverses the much-criticised policies of ex-President Donald Trump. The Migrant Protection Protocols programme was enacted in 2019, deterring would-be asylum seekers from coming to the US. It required migrants entering through the southern border to wait in...

I originally applauded the decision by President Biden to nominate Ambassador Bill Burns to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The idea that an outsider would bring a new perspective to the agency is definitely a goal worthy of support. Burns, a 33-year career foreign service officer, has been a consumer of the CIA’s products long enough to know what is useful for policymakers. His status as someone who hasn’t spent their career inside the intelligence agencies should be the model for Intelligence Community (IC) nominees. But the new revelations about Ambassador Burns' post-diplomatic career are too troubling to ignore....

“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured” (Proverbs 13:18).

Leaders of several major U.S. airlines met online Friday with White House officials to press their case against requiring coronavirus tests for passengers on domestic flights, saying it would undermine the already fragile industry. White House press secretary Jen Psaki downplayed speculation that the Biden administration could soon impose a requirement that passengers on domestic flights first pass a COVID-19 test. But she stopped short of taking the idea off the table. “Reports that there is an intention to put in place new requirements such as testing are not accurate,” Psaki said. She described the meeting with CEOs as “brief.”...

NORWICH, Conn. – American millennials with budget constraints are breaking out of their pandemic coops to find affordable dream homes in far-flung places. For funeral home director Kate Reinhart, from Utah, that dream is an octagonal Victorian that recalls the macabre Addams Family mansion seen in cartoons, films and a TV series. Her scientist husband Cameron found his first job near Norwich, Connecticut, a town with one of the largest concentrations of 18th- and early 19th-century houses in New England. For just $85,000 couple bought the 1885 house replete with stained glass, artisanal light fixtures and winding banisters. They plan...

Dr. Anthony Fauci once praised New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 response as the model for the nation as he was killing the elderly by housing COVID patients at nursing homes while lying about the number of fatalities to federal authorities. Fauci, who has made hundreds of false and hypocritical pronouncements throughout the pandemic, talked up Cuomo’s genocidal COVID policies in July 2020. “We’ve got to do the things that are very clear that we need to do to turn this around,” Fauci said during an appearance on PBS NewsHour. “Remember, we can do it. We know that when you...

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – A Louisiana native has a message for anyone who wants to try the Gorilla Glue Challenge, “Don’t do it!” In an exclusive interview, Martin said he did the challenge to prove that the viral video seen with Tessica Brown, who sprayed gorilla glue adhesive in her hair, was not as serious as she made it seem. Martin was seen on the Dr. Oz show in 2020 discussing his experience engaging in the ice cream challenge and consequences he faced, but he said he does not want to send out a bad message by doing these...

How modernists use ‘weaponized orthodoxy’ to silence conservative CatholicsSome recent words from Pope Francis cast this mode of gaslighting in stark relief.February 11, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — “Weaponized ambiguity” has become a common term in recent discussions about the crisis in the Church. It refers to ambiguous terms that were supposedly inserted into Vatican II as preparation for the chaos we now see around us. Leaving aside the question of whether ambiguity is the main problem of Vatican II (as opposed to contradiction of Church teaching), let us look at another concept, “weaponized orthodoxy,” which been used against sincere Catholics for...

Former Gov. George Pataki unloaded on Gov. Andrew Cuomo, calling the COVID-19 nursing home death reporting “cover-up” scandal “one of the worst things I have seen in state government.” During an interview on AM 570 WMCA radio, Pataki called Cuomo’s nursing home policies and actions “inhumane,” “reprehensible,” “outrageous,” “despicable” and “beyond the pale.” He called for a criminal probe by the Biden Justice Department, state Attorney General Letitia James and independent investigation conducted by the state Legislature. “This is one of the worst things I have seen in New York State government, and I’ve been following this for a long...

Ex-United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is slamming former President Donald Trump, saying that “we shouldn’t have followed him.” Her comments came in an interview with Politico conducted after the Capitol riot, but before impeachment proceedings. “We need to acknowledge he let us down,” she said. “He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again.” She believes Trump will find “himself further and further isolated. “I think his business is suffering at this point,” she said. “I think he’s lost any...

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed legislation Friday to abolish the requirement that law-abiding citizens acquire a concealed carry permit in order to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense.

"A Friday report from Bloomberg News revealed China was able to spy on American computer systems for a decade by supplying compromised chips to Super Micro Computer Inc. (Supermicro), one of America’s leading motherboard providers. According to the report, U.S. intelligence agencies were aware of this wide-reaching Chinese espionage program but did not warn either Supermicro or its customers, because they prioritized monitoring China’s surveillance techniques and developing countermeasures against them........

A member of the right-wing paramilitary group the Oath Keepers in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot proposed a plan to transport “heavy weapons” in a boat across the Potomac River, prosecutors said in a Thursday court filing. Federal prosecutors made the allegation in a memo opposing a motion for release from the attorneys of Thomas Edward Caldwell, who along with fellow Oath Keeper members Jessica Marie Watkins and Donovan Crowl faces conspiracy charges in connection with alleged plans to lead a coup ahead of the deadly pro-Trump mob attack. Days before the attack, prosecutors in...

The same 21st century that brought us the mass proliferation of Internet usage, is now potentially giving billions of people free market options for money. Naturally, the political class wants to ruin the fun. On January 19, 2021, Treasury Secretary, right before she was confirmed as Treasury Secretary, floated the idea of cracking down on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in the wake of Bitcoin’s meteoric price increase. Yellen argued last month that lawmakers could potentially “curtail” the use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin because they could potentially be used in illegal activities.

Sen. Lindsey Graham said he’ll be meeting with former President Donald Trump in the coming weeks to talk about the future of the Republican Party. The South Carolina Republican said Friday evening that he plans to encourage Trump to work with Republicans to ensure that they take back the House and the Senate in 2022. “I'm going to try and convince him that we can't get there without you, but you can't keep the Trump movement going without the GOP united,” Graham said. “If we come back in 2022, then, it's an affirmation of your policies. But if we lose...

Jurisdictional precedent. There is a reason Trump is enjoying some golf

Places with highest daily reported cases per capita Seven-day average of daily new reported cases per 100,000 residents

One day, President Donald Trump told Americans that he bore no share of the blame for testing missteps that have increased the devastation wrought by coronavirus. "I don't take responsibility at all," he said. A few days later, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo welcomed accountability for the extraordinary measures his state has put in place to stop the spread of the virus, ---snip--- "The daily press briefings out of Washington and Albany over the last week have provided a split screen in leadership. Whereas Governor Cuomo has been ruthlessly direct, faithful to the facts, and in command at all times,...

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday lifted the state’s mask mandate, fulfilling a campaign promise he made last month. The move, announced on Wednesday, comes in the form of a new directive that rescinds and replaces all previous directives implementing Executive Order 2-2021 (pdf), which the Republican governor issued on Jan. 13. The new directive (pdf) allows Montana’s statewide mask mandate to expire, but still allows local governments to have their own mask mandates to reduce the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. Gianforte said in a statement that his criteria were met for ending...