Free Republic

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown addressed his past extramarital relationship with U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris in his weekly column Saturday, saying he may have boosted the presidential hopeful's career. "Yes, we dated. It was more than 20 years ago," Brown wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle. "Yes, I may have influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was [California] Assembly speaker. And I certainly helped with her first race for district attorney in San Francisco."

Russian companies and banks are turning to China's currency, the yuan (also known as the renminbi), as the doors to the U.S. dollar-based global financial system slam shut due to sanctions. Why it matters: The sanctions on Russia "incrementally help internationalize the renminbi," James Fok, author of the book "Financial Cold War: A View of Sino-US Relations from the Financial Markets," told Axios. "But that doesn't mean the renminbi is going to suddenly start rivaling the dollar in any meaningful way. In order for it to do so, you have a lot of other pieces that have to fall into...

Despite reassurances from the White House that it is doing nothing to discourage oil companies from opening new drill sites, President Joe Biden's allies in Congress just months ago pressured oil executives to decrease outputs because of climate change, raising questions about the Democratic Party's strategy to lower prices for consumers. In late October, for example, the House Oversight and Reform Committee called in the CEOs of Exxon, BP, Shell, and Chevron to explain what steps they are taking to produce less oil and gas, with Rep. Hank Johnson (D., Ga.) alleging that "the world can't wait" any longer. At...

With commodity costs hitting daily record highs, and food prices far surpassing levels seen in the historic 2011 as a result of the collapse of Russian and Ukrainian food exports…… and Russia’s upcoming fertilizer trade ban… … an ever louder question on the lips of geopolitical strategists is when, not if, global protests over food will re-emerge and begin toppling unstable – or perhaps stable – governments across the world in a rerun of the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011 when widespread public outrage started as a result of surging food prices.Iraqis demonstrate to denounce rising prices of basic food...

In New York, a state court ruled on Tuesday that Smartmatic could pursue its $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit alleging that Fox News Network, Rudolph Giuliani, and others falsely claimed that the maker of electronic voting systems had helped rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election in favor of Democrat Joe Biden. New York Supreme Court Justice David Cohen rejected the requests of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation (FOXA.O), anchor Maria Bartiromo, and former anchor Lou Dobbs for dismissal of Smartmatic’s claims against them. Moreover, Cohen revealed that Smartmatic could pursue some claims against Giuliani, who worked as an attorney for former Republican...

New York police have arrested a suspected hammer attacker, accused of smashing an Asian man in the head on Tuesday night after a minor row. Christian Jeffers, 48, who identifies as a woman, was caught on camera in a wig and purple lipstick attacking the 29-year-old at around 9pm at 14th Street station in Manhattan. On Wednesday, Jeffers was spotted by a transit officer shortly after 2pm, having jumped the turnstile. Jeffers was taken into custody and a hammer was found in her bag. She has been charged with second-degree assault, and faces possible hate crimes charges. The victim, who...

A deleted web article recovered by The National Pulse reveals that former President Barack Obama spearheaded an agreement leading to the construction of biolabs handling “especially dangerous pathogens” in Ukraine. The news comes on the same day that Biden regime apparatchik Victoria Nuland told the U.S. Senate that the American government is concerned about biological research facilities falling into Russian hands as a result of the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe. Originally posted on June 18th, 2010, the article “Biolab Opens in Ukraine” details how Obama, while serving as an Illinois Senator, helped negotiate a deal to build a level-3...

As Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, western governments scrambled to develop responses.That might be hard to believe since the military buildup had been underway for months. But European governments and the U.S. seemed unprepared to assist Ukraine when the war started.On the other hand, it seems like China has been preparing for this action for years.But it’s more likely that China has strategic plans for any contingency.Earlier this week, I wrote about how China was better prepared than Russia to withstand economic sanctions. The chart below shows that preparation extends to foodstuffs as well.China Is Well-StockedIn the first half of...

At least 16 Ukrainian naval boats attempted to attack the Black Sea Fleet ships that were evacuating the Ukrainian troops who had laid down their arms and surrendered on Snake Island,

Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter of cooking oil, will reduce exports of edible oils as a domestic shortage sparks panic hoarding among households, a sign of rising protectionism around the world as countries deal with record-high food prices, according to Bloomberg. Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi announced new rules Wednesday for palm oil exporters to increase domestic shipment volumes from 20% to 30% to ensure local consumers have access to affordable cooking oil. The move by the Indonesian government comes as dwindling cooking oil supplies has unleashed record high prices. Togar Sitanggang, vice chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki),...

A Democrat spending bill, negotiated with Republicans, uses American taxpayer money to fund “border security” measures in eight foreign countries while including no new funds to construct a border wall along the United States-Mexico border. The government funding package spends about $370 million in taxpayer money to fund “enhanced border security” in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman. At least $150 million of that funding is allocated for Jordan’s borders. AD Likewise, the package includes taxpayer money to fund border security in Libya, “border security activities” in Nepal, and “border security programs” in Pakistan. Though Republicans were able to preserve...

The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Wednesday sued the congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, seeking to block its subpoena of an RNC vendor. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, the RNC said the House Select Committee's subpoena of Salesforce, which organizes donor information for the RNC, was "overbroad" and "seeks sensitive and proprietary data." "The RNC has sued to stop the January 6th Committee from unlawfully seizing confidential information about the internal activities of the Republican Party and millions of its supporters which is completely unrelated...

An 83-year-transsexual on lifetime parole for killing two women – one in 1963 and another reportedly shortly after he got out prison in 1984 – has been charged in connection with the killing of a 68-year-old woman whose body was found dismembered in a Brooklyn neighborhood, law enforcement sources tell DailyMail.com. Harvey Marcelin, a transwoman, was arrested late last week on a charge of concealing a body and could soon face upgraded charges after she was allegedly caught on surveillance cameras dumping a body near her Cypress Hills apartment. Sources identified the victim as Susan Leyden, formerly of Teaneck, New...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, 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. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 JOHN 5:14

Mark Meadows, who as chief of staff to President Donald Trump promoted his lies of mass voter fraud, is facing increasing scrutiny about his own voter registration status. Public records show that he is registered to vote in two states, including North Carolina, where he listed a mobile home he did not own — and may never have visited — as his legal residence weeks before casting a ballot in the 2020 presidential election. Critics contend that Meadows' voter registration status suggest the former North Carolina congressman may have committed voter fraud himself. A spokesperson for Meadows did not respond...

A Democrat spending bill, negotiated with Republicans, uses American taxpayer money to fund “border security” measures in eight foreign countries while including no new funds to construct a border wall along the United States-Mexico border. The government funding package spends about $370 million in taxpayer money to fund “enhanced border security” in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman. At least $150 million of that funding is allocated for Jordan’s borders. Likewise, the package includes taxpayer money to fund border security in Libya, “border security activities” in Nepal, and “border security programs” in Pakistan. Though Republicans were able to preserve nearly...

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty...

California state regulators conducted an investigation at a San Diego preschool and privately interviewed children as young as 2 without their parents’ consent about their masking practices

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been getting trolled across social media for bragging about telling Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky that women’s tennis icon and feminist activist Billie Jean King sends her regards. “When I spoke to President Zelensky, I said, Billie Jean King sends you her regards,” Pelosi told reporters on Wednesday.

Elizabeth Campbell directed a U.N. agency using textbooks that glorified terrorism The Biden administration has hired the former director of a United Nations agency accused of promoting anti-Semitism and terrorism in Palestinian schools to help oversee refugee issues and U.N. reform at the State Department. Elizabeth Campbell was hired as deputy assistant secretary of state at the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration last month, according to reports. From 2017 to 2022, Campbell served as Washington, D.C., director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a U.N. agency that runs schools for...