Free Republic

Stephen Robeson, an FBI informant who helped stage the phony kidnapping hoax of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is being hit with fraud charges. Robeson was charged last week for allegedly defrauding a couple out of an SUV by convincing them to donate it to a fake charity. His wife, Kimberly, has also been charged. They will face up to three years in prison with fines up to $10,000 if they are convicted. Court records indicate that Robeson was particularly instrumental in setting up the phony kidnapping plot of Whitmer that was used as an “October Surprise” of sorts before the...

Former President Donald Trump’s conditional endorsement of Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is pitting top Republicans against each other and complicating GOP efforts in key 2022 contests. Late Wednesday, Trump backed Dunleavy’s reelection, declaring the governor a “strong and consistent conservative.” But the former president said his “complete and total endorsement” is “null and void” if Dunleavy endorses Sen. Lisa Murkowski. The move threatens to make adversaries of Alaska’s senior elected Republicans and force party organizations to work at cross purposes, developments that risk splintering the party in a red state and frustrating its drive to recapture the Senate. "The Alaska...

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is recalling over 475,000 Model 3 and Model S electric cars, the U.S. safety regulator said. For Model 3 sedans, rearview cameras mounted on these units might malfunction, increasing the risk of a crash, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.

VIDEOPatricia Cornwall via her character of Petra in "Baywatch" comments on her Delta Karen meltdown about 30 years later.

Science has undergone a radical metamorphosis. People with M.D. or Ph.D. degrees, who have published hundreds of papers in the scientific literature, have suddenly become "anti-science" – as judged by media personalities, politicians, bureaucrats and fact-checkers. What does this mean? One clue: chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci, M.D, said that anyone who attacked him was attacking "science." Anyone skeptical of the accepted COVID narrative may be called "anti-science." The articles of faith are that it is an existential threat, and the only solution is universal vaccination and surrender of our freedom to work, assemble, worship, travel, or even...

During the holiday season candy canes are once again omnipresent with all the joy they represent to go with their yummy goodness. But the business behind the production of that candy cane is fraught with trade battles pitting nations against one another as quotas and subsidization distort any sense of an honest pricing model. That is why it is good news that earlier this year, Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL) and Dale Kildee (D-MI) introduced a new resolution to zero out the foreign subsidies that make sugar the world’s most distorted commodity market. “Time and again, the survival of American sugar...

Thursday 30 December 2021 6th day within the octave of Christmas St Mary and St Egwin Evesham, Worcestershire, UK Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White.First reading1 John 2:12-17 ©Observance of the will of GodI am writing to you, my own children,whose sins have already been forgiven through his name;I am writing to you, fathers,who have come to know the onewho has existed since the beginning;I am writing to you, young men,who have already overcome the Evil One;I have written to you, children,because you already know the Father;I have written to you, fathers,because you have come to know the onewho has existed...

Sometimes, it seems like the world is just flailing away in its concerted efforts to achieve zero carbon emissions. In the U.S. the President can’t get his grand “green” plans through a Congress controlled by his own party. In Europe, a countryside blanketed with wind turbines can’t counteract a wind drought in 2021, and emissions rise even while natural gas prices spike to nearly 10 times the U.S. level. New York may be a late-comer to Net Zero plans, but by God, our politicians and bureaucrats are so much smarter than those clowns across the country or the pond. In...

Pray For The Peace of JerusalemJohn 13Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet 13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4...

For decades, those inclined toward free markets have focused on authoritarianism coming from the political left. We have spared no energy denouncing and opposing it. We've rightfully been concerned about the push to centralize more power in the hands of federal governments and to increase the scope and size of all government. We have warned that these policies, pursued consistently, pave what the great F.A. Hayek called "the road to serfdom." This fight should continue. However, it's time to be equally harsh toward those on the Right who want to use state power to control individuals' choices and destroy those...

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We are a nation based on laws and respect for our legal system, but we are also a people steeped in individual liberty and aware that the history of mankind is replete with examples whereby systems intended to protect become the tyrant's tools. Many good patriots, especially the lawyer and judge types, have lost sight of the dichotomy which has made America great. Yes, we are a law-abiding people by nature. We teach our children to respect their elders -- we demand they obey our rules. And as adults, we have elected representatives. We cast our votes and our fellow...

I was stunned watching Ben Domenech yesterday on Fox News in the 7 PM hour, where a series of guest hosts have been rotating through. His opening monologue was brave and true, a fearlessly realistic appraisal of China’s intentions toward us and of the elites that have sold out (my term, not his) our country. I very rarely recommend readers watch a segment as long as 11+ minutes, but this is must-see TV.

The last year has pretty much been a dumpster fire, and I’m glad to see it go. God only knows what 2022 holds, but the past year has provided some invaluable lessons we can – and must – use, to wrest control of America from those who would destroy her. On many important issues, the media deliberately lies or disseminates inexcusably false information. Trump did not “collude” with Russia. COVID did not emerge in a wet market. The COVID shots do not prevent anyone from catching or transmitting the virus. Ivermectin is not just veterinary medicine. The border isn’t secure....

Former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ) said Wednesday that former President Donald Trump’s conditional endorsement in the Alaska gubernatorial race is a sign that the Republican Party is headed in a scary direction. Trump a day before endorsed Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R), but only on one condition: He must refuse to support Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in her reelection bid in 2022. Murkowski of course voted earlier this year to convict the former president on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. “Alaska needs Mike Dunleavy as Governor now more than ever,” Trump said...

The increasing controls over Hong Kong are new examples of China’s aggressive policy in projecting its power in the world. The assertion of Chinese aggressiveness and control over people in Hong Kong is increasingly disturbing now that it has imposed a new national security law on the area, giving authorities power to deal with acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, or collusion with foreign or external forces. Supposedly an action to return stability to Hong Kong, it is in essence an imposition of stricter authoritarianism. The reality is that Beijing does not want Hong Kong to be a model for any...

Washington -- I have been thinking about who my Man of the Year might be this year. And, by the way, who my Woman of the Year might be also. Of course, times are changing fast. Possibly I should be thinking about who my Transgender Person of the Year might be. It has been a complicated year. What with COVID-19 and not one but two Cuomos out of action and, finally, all the geniuses that the Biden administration has brought to Washington. Why not just lump all genders into one category? How about the Prodigy of the Year? Consider a...

It's a culture thing. The current difficulties in Afghanistan have structural causes that are more serious than cyclical ones such as sanctions. The recent measures taken by the United Nations at the suggestion of the Biden administration may not be enough for a country that has been dependent on foreign aid for decades. Since the Taliban took control of Kabul last August, their regime has reduced the already limited freedoms available to Afghan citizens. On December 26, the Taliban's Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice declared that women could not travel more than 45 miles without being...

"It's a Wonderful Life" occupies a top spot on my list of favorite Christmas movies, but "The Family Man" is not far behind. The first is about a man who, in reality, lived a full and important life, but did not realize it. The other is about a man who lived a life he thought was full and important, only to learn it was lacking. For me, I rarely if ever have moments like George Bailey. I enjoy what I do. I have been speaking and writing about issues, political and nonpolitical, for decades and am fortunate enough to get...

The car makers get new fuel standards but may not get electric-vehicle subsidies. Political theater can be more entertaining than what’s on TV. It’s hard not to get a chuckle watching auto makers get double-crossed by the Biden Administration after they worked so hard to promote its electric-vehicle agenda. In the latest comic turn, the Administration last week issued new fuel-economy standards that effectively mandate that electric cars make up 17% of auto sales in 2026, up from about 3% this year. That was the day after Sen. Joe Manchin rejected President Biden’s Build Back Better plan, which includes a...