Free Republic

Jussie Smollett is already desperately trying to revive his showbiz career even as he waits for a verdict on charges that he staged his race-hate attack for publicity. In the nearly two years since his scandal broke, the 39-year-old actor was dumped from TV hit “Empire,” dropped by his talent agency and has failed to get any other acting gigs, The Hollywood Reporter noted. But he still managed to finance his directorial debut, “B-Boy Blues,” which was shot over 12 days last year in the Big Apple — but has yet to be bought, the industry outlet noted. Key backer...

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has changed a policy that denied sex reassignment surgery to people who did not legally change their names, the company confirmed Thursday. The change came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund raised the issue on behalf of Charley Osman, a transgender man, who was rejected after he sought pre-authorization in June for two surgeries. “I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to go through this, but I want to be sure I’m the last,” Osman said in a news release issued by...

The U.S. is poised to enter Year Three of the pandemic with both a booming economy and a still-mutating virus. But for Washington and Wall Street, one Covid aftershock is starting to eclipse almost everything else. Already-hot inflation is forecast to climb even further when November data comes out on Friday, to 6.8%. That would be the highest rate since Jimmy Carter was president in the early 1980s — and in the lifetimes of most Americans. And the CPI change since last year, according to the Federal Reserve of St Louis FRED is a staggering 16.262%. And with U.S. Jobless...

Because they don't mention the party affiliation you can bet he's a dimocrat. An aide in the House of Representatives was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly carrying a gun inside of Congress. The individual has been detained, and Capitol Police stated that there is no threat. "This morning at approximately 7:40 a.m., our officers in the Longworth Building spotted the image of a handgun in a bag on the x-ray screen," said the Capitol Police in a statement. "The man was tracked down four minutes later and arrested." The alleged owner of the bag and firearm was identified as Jeffrey...

Time magazine revealed a controversial pick for its “athlete of the year” award on Thursday handing the crown to U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, not because she did well, but because she pulled out of events during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Biles had a relatively poor showing, winning only a silver and bronze medal in two events, compared to the handful of golds she won during the 2016 Olympics. However, Time did not laud her for winning the two lesser medals as much as it did for her decision to pull out of several events in 2020 for her “mental health.”...

This guy is negotiating with Vladimir Putin. Joe Biden on Thursday paid tribute to Senator Bob Dole in the Capitol Rotunda. Bob Dole passed away over the weekend at the age of 98 after a battle with cancer. Joe Biden and congressional leaders honored the late Senator at the US Capitol as Bob Dole lay in state. “We meet here in the very heart of American democracy… the Capitol of the United States of America to receive a hero of that democracy for a final time,” Biden said. “We’ve always found ways to come together. We could find that unity...

State police say they cited a juvenile after catching him driving 160 mph on Interstate 94 in Lake County over the weekend. An Illinois State Police District 15 trooper observed a gray Audi traveling at a high rate of speed around 9:55 p.m. Sunday, according to Illinois State Police Trooper Genelle Jones Jones said the driver was a male juvenile from Mount Prospect. He was cited for speeding 35 mph over the limit, a Class A misdemeanor. The juvenile was released on a $2,500 I-Bond and was not taken to jail for confinement, Jones said.

A teammate of Lia Thomas on the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team has spoken out as the transgender swimmer has shattered school records. SNIP “Pretty much everyone individually has spoken to our coaches about not liking this. Our coach [Mike Schnur] just really likes winning. He’s like most coaches. I think secretly everyone just knows it’s the wrong thing to do,” the female Penn swimmer said. “When the whole team is together, we have to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, go Lia, that’s great, you’re amazing.’ It’s very fake.”

Chicago police are considering closing streets in the city's downtown area, along with other potential strategies, in an effort to avoid a repeat of weekend mayhem that resulted in the arrests of more than 20 people last Saturday, ABC Chicago reported on Tuesday. Citing an internal police memo that was given to police commanders on Tuesday and obtained by the ABC affiliate's investigative team, the affiliate reported that downtown streets near Michigan Ave. and lakefront parks could be closed. Police sources told the affiliate, however, that no plans had been announced and that such closures were meant to be used...

Roy Hazelwood was one of the original profilers at the Behavioral Science Unit when it was first developed at Quantico. He served with the FBI for twenty-two years, taught courses at the Academy, the University of Virginia, the University of Pennsylvania, the U. S. Military Police CID, and Southern Police Institute. As well he was a board-certified forensic examiner and commentator who appeared as an expert on criminal investigations on numerous radio and television shows.Hazelwood studied Augustine’s writings where he discusses the five, mainly spiritual, steps that men and women take to act in sinful ways. First, sin originates in...

Two cities in northern California learned last Friday that they may have omicron in their communities, even before any residents’ clinical tests showed an omicron infection. At the same time, eight other cities found out omicron likely hasn’t arrived yet, and every other community in the United States could have that knowledge as well. That kind of public health radar is found in wastewater COVID-19 virus markers can show up in sewage even before an infected person shows symptoms (and even though the wastewater itself isn’t infectious). Analyzing wastewater for the virus can detect a rise in COVID cases days...

When people show you who they are, believe them. Jesse Sullivan is running as a Republican for Governor of Illinois. Jesse is a venture capitalist who ran a San Francisco non-profit before announcing his run for governor of Illinois. The Washington Free Beacon reported today that Jesse Sullivan has a hardcore leftist background. We reached out to the Jesse Sullivan campaign for comment.

[H/T Melian] Glenn Beck on Tucker “A Must Watch” - YouTube ransomnote: Computer generated transcript - I added a lot of formatting, punctuation and corrections, but never finished updating it completely. Tucker Carlson: appropriate responses glenn beck our oldfriends the host of glenn beck radioprogram of course he joins us tonight onthe storyglenn thanks so much forcoming on so you're a parent how do youhow would you respond to something likethis? Glenn Beck: um i file a lawsuit with the uh theteachers union myselfi can't believe what's going on tuckerit is completely out of control and youhave to ask yourself...

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Wednesday suggested that a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine might be necessary as the Omicron variant spreads. “The best way to see it is the virus is the enemy. We want to protect ourselves. We build a wall. The first dose builds a wall, but it’s not very high,” Bourla explained on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

Foodies go to great lengths to get their lips on the world’s finest ham. But if you wouldn’t transport prize boar sperm from Portugal, invest $200,000 to import your own pigs, raise litters free range on organic grains and imported acorns, and dry age their hind legs by hand for years—well, then you’re not as obsessed as Rodrigo Duarte, owner and butcher at Caseiro e Bom. The son of pig farmers in Portugal, Duarte grew up raising and butchering hogs, but didn’t have the opportunity to open his own place until he emigrated to Newark, New Jersey’s Portuguese enclave, the...

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order (EO) to spend taxpayer money to make the vast fleet of government vehicles and thousands of federal buildings nationwide carbon-emission free by 2050. “The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities,” the White House said of the executive order.

The Mark Twain House and Museum will present Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” featured in conversation about her cookbook tonight, from 7-8 p.m. This is a free, virtual event. Grimes will be joined by her co-author, Franklin Doyanyo, to discuss their work, “It’s a Wonderful Life Cookbook.” Joining the conversation will be playwright Joe Landry and Hartford Stage Artistic Producer Rachel Alderman, co-director of “It’s a Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play,” at Hartford Stage through Dec. 26. The panel will discuss the film, the play, the book, and the...

NEW: Polling for @MirrorPolitics has Labour lead up to 6 points. Westminster Voting Intention: LAB 40% (+1) CON 34% (-2) LD 10% (+1) SNP 4% (-1) GRN 4% (+1) REF UK 3% (-) OTH 4% (-1) 1178, online, UK adults aged 18+, 8-9 Dec 21. Changes w/ 1 Dec 21

A right-wing activist who helped organize the “Stop the Steal” rallies is reportedly cooperating with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Ali Alexander, a right-wing provocateur and longtime Republican operative, is cooperating with the House panel’s probe following a subpoena in October. He appeared for a deposition Congressional investigators subpoenaed Alexander, who was born Ali Abdul Akbar, on Oct. 7. He was listed on a permit application for the “One Nation Under God” event, which was meant to be a rally for “the election fraud in...

Professor Melina Abdullah and co-founder of BLM tweets terrible Jew-Hatred! Newsrael News Desk 21:30 16 minutes ago The Canary Mission has tweeted: "Professor Melina Abdullah is specific in her antisemitic bigotry: "we must dismantle patriarchy! specifically jewish patriarchy offending muslims &controlling our economy & campuses!" From the Canary Mission web site, we learn more about the writer of this tweet: Melina Abdullah has spread an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, promoted bigotry and idolized a domestic terrorist. She has also honored violent activists, demonized Israel and spread hatred of America. Abdullah is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter (BLM) in Los Angeles...