Free Republic

The legislative and judicial powers and authority exercised by agencies and officials of the executive branch are clearly a usurpation of the powers of the other branches -- and clearly illegal and unconstitutional. Purchasing Submission: Conditions, Power, and Freedom, by Philip Hamburger, 336 pp Hardcover $35 Kindle $33.25, ISBN-13 ‏‎ 978-0674258235, Harvard University Press, 2021. Professor of Law Philip Hamburger of Columbia University has been campaigning for years to measure, define and condemn the growth of a powerful administrative state in America. The late, great Angelo Codevilla rang the alarm about the excesses of centralized oligarchic statism and an army...

One of the most disturbing concepts in politics is the media elite providing the "first draft of history." You can test-drive this with a look at ABC's two-hour year-end special that aired on Dec. 27. It was mostly about celebrities and athletes and some natural disasters. But when resident Joe Biden came up, ABC was energetically playing defense. It began with Biden's inauguration and former President Donald Trump's second impeachment proceeding, over the Jan. 6 riot -- when Trump was already replaced. ABC anchorman David Muir announced: "Back at the White House -- A flurry of executive orders, plans to...

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — The USS Abraham Lincoln deployed this week from San Diego under the command of Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, the first woman to lead a nuclear carrier in U.S. Navy history. Bauernschmidt, who previously served as the Abraham Lincoln’s executive officer from 2016 to 2019, took over command from Capt. Walt Slaughter during a ceremony last August, CBS 8 in San Diego reported. The carrier deployed Monday from Naval Air Station North Island... ...Bauernschmidt previously served as the commanding officer of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 70 and the amphibious transport dock San Diego. She has completed more than...

For the last year, we've heard one commentator after another tell us that American democracy is in crisis. The source of that crisis, we are told, is a hard core of the Republican Party that believes the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump and that Joe Biden, therefore, is not a legitimate president. It's true that a significant number of Americans do not accept the results of the election. But is that something new, as the Trump-focused analyses would have us believe? No, it is not. Yes, these days, it is Republicans who doubt the results of a presidential...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Verizon and AT&T have rejected a request by the U.S. government to delay the rollout of next-generation wireless technology. A joint letter Sunday from the telecommunications giants to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Steve Dickson, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, sought to dismiss concerns brought by U.S. airlines that a new 5G wireless service could harm aviation. But Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, and John Stankey, CEO of AT&T, also wrote that they were willing to accept some temporary measures over the next six months to limit the service around certain airport runways....

With tomorrow the anniversary of the January 6, 2021 Capitol incursion, the New York Times is preparing the soil to plant seeds for a crop of hatred and repression of ordinary conservatives. The title of the unsigned editorial in The New York Times, January 2, is "Every Day Is Jan. 6 Now," but a chilling assertion in the fourth paragraph justifies the inference that The TImes means: "Every Day is Hunt Down Conservatives Day Now." The fourth paragraph of this editorial, that should be a passage in a political thriller, not bizarre, commentary on political reality opens: "It is regular...

...Normally the Yamal-Europe, which is Europe's longest gas pipeline, transports Russian natural gas overland to Germany and Western Europe. However, in the past week, it has been redirecting gas from Germany to Poland to make up for a shortfall of fuel as temperatures drop to -10C and Russia cuts gas supplies. On Sunday, German network operator Gascade claimed Russia sent the fuel back to Poland for a sixth straight day – a huge blow to the EU, where gas prices have been skyrocketing. The ownership of Gascade — part Russian, part German — suggests the issues are the result of...

When it comes to social engineering, there is more than one kind of war. We’ve been witness to the war on drugs, the war on crime, the war on obesity, and most recently, the war on COVID-19. Psyops strategies are often used in these non-traditional “wars” and some of the strategies applied are the same ones used in real warfare scenarios. From “divide and conquer” to fearmongering, mass persuasion strategies have been deployed in the campaign to make a viral pandemic with an extremely high survival rate and virtually no threat to healthy children feel like the plague. The pandemic...

As the Congressional Select Committee winds its way to its pre-ordained conclusion that what happened at the Capitol last year was an attempt by former President Trump, every elected Republican, anyone who has ever worn a red hat (MAGA-emblazoned or not), and everyone who has ever stayed at a hotel to overthrow the government, it should be noted -- quite clearly and succinctly -- that seven hours in January was not Seven Days in May. Despite the endless, tedious and inaccurate anniversary media coverage -- all delivered with a joyously smirking “kid in a candy store” tenor -- has been...

NASCAR has officially rejected Brandon Brown’s “Let’s Go Brandon” sponsorship deal. According to multiple news reports, the auto-racing giant told Mr. Brown’s team that cryptocurrency firm LGBCoin cannot sponsor his car. The company’s first three letters are an allusion to “Let’s Go, Brandon,” the coded form of a vulgar insult of President Biden. Mr. Brown’s team publicly trumpeted on Thursday the news that LGBcoin - the self-styled “America’s Coin” - will be its full-season primary partner for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series. The company released a photo of Mr. Brown standing next to his #68 Chevrolet Camaro in a red-white-and-blue...

A Ryanair flight from Manchester to Faro in Portugal was forced to plunge 35,000ft in seven minutes to make an emergency landing in France following reports of a "fire on board". The Ryanair flight, (FR4052) took off from Manchester airport shortly after 6.30pm on Monday but mid journey, it was forced to make an emergency landing in Brest, in western France, reported the Manchester Evening News. It was pictured on the runway with fire crews in attendance, and reports have been made of a "fire" on board however this has not yet been confirmed.... ...The aircraft could be seen to...

Join with fellow FREEPERS across the world to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, Technology, and the Media. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Religion Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind. "Finally, brothers, rejoice. Set things in order. Be encouraged. Agree with one another. Be at peace. And the God of love...

After a long day at work, the modern goldfish no longer has to take public transportation home—it can drive via a fish-operated vehicle (FOV), according to new research published in Behavioural Brain Research. Documented in a report published in the February 2022 issue of the peer-reviewed journal, researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, Israel, set out to unpack how well goldfish can navigate terrestrial environments when tasked with the right tools. They created a small camera-equipped fish tank on wheels, which they call an FOV, and put six goldfish in it, one at a time. Over a...

Welcome to The Bicycle Thread. A monthly PING List for bicycle enthusiasts to share experiences, information and ideas.

nce a rarity, cows with light blue or dark ultramarine hides may again be glimpsed grazing on the Latvian countryside among the regular brown, black or white spotted cattle. The unique and hardy breed, driven to near extinction during the Soviet era, has made a comeback over the last few decades as an unlikely symbol of Latvian national identity.... In 2000 there were only 18 blue cows in Latvia, but today they number around 1,500 -- thoroughbreds as well as hybrids. Originally found only on the Baltic coast in the Kurzeme region...

Michigan Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D) on Tuesday said she would not seek another term after serving eight years in Congress, making her the 25th House Democrat this year to announce plans to retire. "This year marks my 30th year in elected public service, and I've had the good fortune of serving Michiganders on the local and national level," Lawrence wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, along with a video announcement. "After reflecting on my journey & having conversations with my family, I'm announcing that I will not be seeking re-election to Congress," she wrote.

Hong Kong (CNN)Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Chow Hang-tung was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Tuesday for her part in organizing an unauthorized vigil to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.... ...Chow, a barrister, represented herself in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, arguing that appealing to the public to light candles did not constitute "incitement." She also challenged the police prohibition order on the grounds it undermined her right to freedom of assembly and argued that she appealed for candles to be lit "anywhere" across Hong Kong, and was not encouraging a rally....

More than 600,000 people have signed a petition calling for former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair to have his knighthood removed. The ex-Labour leader, who was in power from 1997 to 2007, was given the title as the New Year's Honours were awarded. But the petition complains that his role in the Iraq war makes him "personally responsible" for many deaths and accuses him of "war crimes". Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Sir Tony had "earned" a knighthood. And a government minister said it was "only right" to reward the former prime minister, who had done "many good things"...

January 5th, 2021 Memorial of St. John Neuman St. John Neumann Church, Sunbury, Ohio Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White The readings shown here are for places where the Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday 2 January.Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst reading1 John 4:11-18 ©As long as we love one another God's love will be complete in usMy dear people,since God has loved us so much,we too should love one another.No one has ever seen God;but as long as we love one anotherGod will live in usand his love will be complete in us.We...