Free Republic

The Democratic Party's problem with Hispanic voters is worse than leaders think, according to a new assessment by the highly regarded strategist Ruy Teixeira. That conclusion is particularly important because Teixeira wrote the influential 2002 book "The Coming Democratic Majority," which convinced many Democrats that a growing Hispanic population -- one that heavily supported Democrats -- was the key to permanent Democratic dominance of American politics. Now, with Hispanic voters abandoning the Democratic Party in droves, it's all falling apart. "The seriousness of this problem tends to be underestimated in Democratic circles for a couple of reasons," Teixeira writes in...

Questions arose Monday about which government agency organized charter flights filled with minors that landed at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport four times this month. Jim Gallagher, president of Aviation Technologies Inc., the airport’s fixed-base operator, said Sunday the flights were listed as “ICE flights” by private charter companies. “ICE” stands for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. However, ICE spokeswoman Mary Houtmann said Monday the agency did not organize flights that landed at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Dec. 11, 17 and 25. “These are not our flights,” Houtmann wrote in an email. The flights might have been organized by the Department of...

If Republicans win the House back in 2022, they should end the Home Rule charade. The only way is for Congress to strip the Mayor and City Council of their abused authority. Stripping the city council and Mayor Bowser’s authority is well within congressional rights. The Constitution plainly states the power to govern D.C is Congress’s, and the District’s charter makes plain that Home Rule is a privilege.

Earlier this year, the U.S. military and intelligence community issued a report on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP, also called UFOs). Before the report’s release, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe stated, “we are talking about objects that have been seen by navy or air force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery, that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain, movements that are hard to replicate, that we don’t have the technology for.” The attention-grabbing part of this statement is the reference to "satellite imagery." I — and the hundreds of scientists engaged in studying...

Boston city workers were gathering together Tuesday night to discuss how they’ll fight the new coronavirus vaccine mandate, warning that “tyranny is here on our doorstep.” Mayor Michelle Wu last week announced that all city employees must be vaccinated by Jan. 15 or face termination. There will no longer be a regular COVID testing option for city workers. But those with Boston First Responders United say they’re preparing a legal challenge against the mandate. The group on Tuesday gathered in West Roxbury and invited all city employees - from police officers and firefighters to teachers and family workers. “People are...

China will set up buffer zones in border cities as part of its latest moves to battle imported cases of Covid-19 while protecting the economy. The policy comes as China works to snuff out sporadic outbreaks in different parts of the country. Clusters have broken out in recent months in Ruili, Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, and Manzhouli, near Inner Mongolia.... ...“Checkpoints will be set up in buffer zones, such as villages that are closest to the roads at the border, and residents cannot leave these zones unless necessary. Special requirements will be attached to those who have to leave...

Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah has declined to pursue criminal charges against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for allegations made by two women that he kissed them on the cheek.

(CNN)The House select committee investigating January 6 has stood down on its requests for some documents from the Trump White House, after the Biden administration convinced the panel to scale back its pursuits. As a result, the committee won't be getting hundreds of pages of National Security Council records. But the documents may not have been all that helpful, anyway. The revelation comes in a new round of letters about the status of Trump-era documents held by the National Archives. It's the first time the Biden administration appears to have pushed back significantly against the House select committee....

Ahead of the holidays, a vendor who had set up shop at a mall on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was selling figurines with an overt political message deriding the commander-in-chief. The incident has prompted officials to update their guidance to vendors on what is - and isn’t - appropriate to sell on base. The wooden figurines of a bear stylized to look like former President Donald Trump, with a shock of yellow hair and long red tie, stood about a foot tall and held small signs reading “Let’s Go Brandon.” **SNIP** The “Let’s Go Brandon” bears were being sold at JBER’s...

(CNN)A second time capsule recently found buried beneath the pedestal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, was opened Tuesday. Items inside included an 1865 edition of Harper's Weekly magazine with an clear image of a figure weeping over Abraham Lincoln's grave; a Bible with a coin stuck to it; and a Richmond directory. Also found were more newspapers, books, coins, and letters. A minié ball, a type of bullet commonly used in the American Civil War, was also discovered. Conservators from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) carefully opened the box and worked with caution. Water...

There are nearly four dozen 40 FBS bowl games this season, including the College Football Playoff National Championship. NCAA.com is keeping track of every conference's record during bowl season. This article will be updated after each bowl game this season.

LONDON — A battle to find space powering the ultrafast grocery delivery boom is pushing up rents in parts of London’s commercial property sector. Companies like Getir, Gorillas and Zapp, which promise to ship essential goods to people’s doors in a matter of minutes, have swept across the U.K. capital this year. Such services rely on so-called “dark stores,” small warehouses used to prepare online grocery orders for delivery. Similar to dark kitchens in the world of food delivery, these facilities don’t serve customers in-store.... ...In West London, prime rents for small industrial units of about 20,000 square feet rose...

video posted on social media shows a mother and her child being kicked out of a Queens Applebee’s by a contingent of NYPD cops. The officers from the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group can be seen surrounding the table during a protest at the Queens Centre Mall on Dec 15

Assad Regime trumpets sell that the Iranian weapons (which IDF blew up) were "milk." Last time it was "coffee" Roi Kais Tweeted Dec 28, 2021: The trumpets of the Assad regime are already echoing on social media that the containers contained "milk powder," small tanks of engine oil, reels of glue, "materials for service purposes" and car tires. Last time it was "coffee."

HARRISON, Ark. (KY3) - A Stockton, Mo doctor who has had a warrant out for his arrest was captured Tuesday night in Harrison, Arkansas. David Smock, 57, was booked into the Boone County Jail just before 8:30 on Tuesday night. He is currently being held on out of state charges. He has a court appearance for Wednesday morning in Greene County. KY3 News learned of eight new charges filed by a special prosecutor, including one count of sexual misconduct, five counts of statutory sodomy, one count of child molestation, and a count of child enticement. Smock also faces charges of...

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China, under fire for approving new coal power stations as other countries try to curb greenhouse gases, has completed the first 1,000-megawatt unit of the Shanghaimiao plant, the biggest of its kind under construction in the country. Its operator, the Guodian Power Shanghaimiao Corporation, a subsidiary of the central government-run China Energy Investment Corporation, said on Tuesday that the plant's technology was the world's most efficient, with the lowest rates of coal and water consumption.... ...China is responsible for more than half of global coal-fired power generation and is expected to see a 9% year-on-year increase in...

Former President Trump on Tuesday endorsed Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s (R) reelection bid, but only on the condition that Dunleavy doesn’t back Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in 2022. “Alaska needs Mike Dunleavy as Governor now more than ever,” Trump said in a statement. “He has my Complete and Total Endorsement but, this endorsement is subject to his non-endorsement of Senator Lisa Murkowski who has been very bad for Alaska.” “In other words, if Mike endorses her, which is his prerogative, my endorsement of him is null and void, and of no further force or effect!” Trump added. ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday significantly revised downward the estimate of the percentage of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S. caused by the omicron variant of the virus. According to agency data, omicron accounted for about 59 percent of all U.S. infections as of Dec. 25. Previously, the CDC said the omicron variant comprised 73 percent of all cases for the week ending Dec. 18. But that number has now been revised to 22.5 percent of all cases....

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1).

Just when you thought the pandemic could hold no more surprises, the Omicron grinch has brought America something new for the holidays: the festive panic. In New York City especially, the number of people, and energy level, in stores and restaurants and on the streets is remarkable given our supposed death rattle. It isn’t that people aren’t afraid. Of course they are. But they’re not as afraid as they were a year ago. Count me, triple-vaccinated, among the brave: I’ve been out and around town, repeatedly testing negative — but tested again as I write this after learning a relative...