Free Republic

House Republicans are demanding to know whether one of Russia’s wealthiest women, who paid scandal-scarred Hunter Biden’s company $3.5 million, is receiving preferential treatment from the Biden administration because she has not been targeted by Treasury Department sanctions. -snip- The GOP group, led by Rep. James Comer, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sent a letter to the Treasury Department Thursday questioning why Elena Baturina has so far escaped the sanctions levied on Russians after the attack on Ukraine. Baturina, the former wife of the late mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, wired $3.5 million in 2014...

The USA just gave Russia an excuse to seize all of Ukraine Abraham Stein Apr 25 The United States has just given Russia a valid reason to take complete control of all Ukraine. Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Diplomat Anthony Blinken paid a visit to the Ukrainian president Zelensky in Kyiv, it was their first visit with Joe Biden as American President. The visit made it clear that the United States is directly involved in the conflict with the Russians, and the comments from Secretary of Defense Austin makes it abundantly clear that only a full Russian takeover...

A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness stand during testimony, saying "I can't do this." According to the intern, who is referred to as "Jane Doe" at her request, Aaron von Ehlinger, 39, raped her at his apartment after the two had dinner at a Boise restaurant in March 2021. Von Ehlinger was a state representative from Lewiston, but later resigned. He sat calmly as the verdict was read, as he has throughout the trial. Von Ehlinger talked quietly with his attorney,...

Sam Gold directs this unorthodox — and unfortunate — take on the Bard's classic, also featuring Asia Kate Dillon of 'Billions.' Theatergoers may be understandably confused when they enter the Longacre Theatre to see the new Broadway production of Macbeth starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. The stage is devoid of scenery, with the rear wall of the theater exposed. The actors, clad in street clothing, are milling around onstage, a few cooking a meal at one end. In the wings, more of them are standing around, chatting amiably. If you look closely, you can see Craig hugging one of...

A retired federal judge appointed by former President George H.W. Bush warned in an opinion piece published by CNN on Wednesday that Republicans are “already a long way toward recapturing the White House in 2024, whether Trump or another Republican candidate wins the election or not.” In his essay, J. Michael Luttig broke down what he called the “Republican blueprint” to steal the 2024 election ― the cornerstone of which, he said, was the Supreme Court’s embrace of the “independent state legislature” doctrine. The 2020 election fraud lies peddled by former President Donald Trump and his allies are just “the...

Ohio GOP Senate candidate Josh Mandel fended off attacks from an opponent calling him a "phony, fraud and sell-out" and stumped with political supporters at a packed auditorium of the Victory Christian Church in Kettering, Ohio, Friday. Trump-endorsed candidate J.D. Vance accused Mandel of being a Republican in name only (RINO) following reports from an upcoming book that Mandel pretends to be pro-Make America Great Again on the campaign trail but sides with establishment Republicans in private. "I think people in Washington will make false attacks all the time on people like me because I'm a constitutional conservative and a...

An American family set off a bomb scare at Ben-Gurion Airport on Thursday when they brought to security inspectors an unexploded shell that they found while visiting the Golan Heights and had packed for their return trip. Video circulated on social media showed panicked passengers scattering at Ben Gurion Airport's departure hall. The Israel Airports Authority said a man was hospitalized with injuries sustained as he tried to flee over a baggage carousel. תיעוד: בהלה בנתב"ג בעקבות חשש מחפץ חשוד. לאחר בדיקות הוכרז על חזרה לשגרה@sharonidan pic.twitter.com/pOMLp3oaeC — כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 28, 2022 Israel Airports Authority said the family...

Some German Catholics Insist Reform Discussions Include Gender Identity and PolyamoryAs regular Bondings 2.0 readers know well by now, German Catholics continue to lead on LGBTQ equality in the church. Today’s post features several updates from the country.#OutInChurch Panel Seeks Discussion Beyond HomosexualityPanelists in a Diocese of Limburg event were insistent that conversations about reform in the church include questions of gender identity and polyamorous relationships. Eric Tilch, a gay church worker, criticized public discourse around LGBTQ issues as focusing “too much on homosexual men” and monogamy. He commented, per the diocesan website’s report (via Google Translate):“‘I can only feel...

Ted Cruz RetweetedOur coverage tonight from Ohio ahead of Tuesday's closely watched primary. We spent part of the day with Josh Mandel and Sen. Ted Cruz - who are trying to reach undecided GOP voters. Here's our story with @BretBaier on tonight's Special Report. pic.twitter.com/ILhEX6Ln8C— Mark Meredith (@markpmeredith) April 29, 2022

Openly gay Belgian MP Gilles Verstraeten has suggested that he is fearful of holding hands with another man in the no-go Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, claiming integration of migrants has been poorly managed. Verstraeten, a member of the centre-right New Flemish Alliance, highlighted the issues of integration in areas like Molenbeek, a well-known hotspot for radical Islamist activity. The MP stated that “it must be admitted that there is a concern in some communities with a migrant background. Thus, for example, a majority of Muslims in Belgium want to make living together work and a fairly large minority, unfortunately, opposes...

Russia used a diesel submarine in the Black Sea to strike Ukrainian military targets with Kalibr cruise missiles, the first time Moscow has announced the use of its submarine fleet to hit its former Soviet neighbor. The Russian defense ministry released a video showing a volley of Kalibr missiles emerging from the sea and soaring off into the horizon - to what the ministry said were Ukrainian military targets. This is the first time Russia's military has reported using submarine strikes against Ukrainian targets, Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

ISSAQUAH, Wash — A paraglider got caught about 30 feet up a tree at Poo Poo Point Friday afternoon. Eastside Fire & Rescue reported the person was removed from the tree before units arrived and there were no injuries. However, a person could still be seen up in the tree around 4 p.m. It's unclear if it's the same person that was stuck Video at link

Former President Trump on Friday endorsed Rep. Greg Pence (R-Ind.), brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, in his reelection bid. “Congressman Greg Pence is doing a great job representing the people of Indiana’s 6th Congressional District,” Trump wrote.

The blood service asked Health Canada to allow it to scrap questions about gender or sexuality, and instead base screening on higher-risk sexual behavior such as anal sex. Starting no later than Sept. 30, potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last previous months, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. Those who say yes will be asked if they have engaged in higher-sisk sex. If they have, they will need to wait three months after such activity before donating blood.

In a conversation with the LA Times’ editorial board on Thursday, Newsom said the state might pursue federal funding the Biden administration made available in its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to keep uneconomic nuclear power plants open. The power plant, located in San Luis Obispo County and operated by utility company PG&E, is slated to cease operations by August 2025. PG&E said its priority was clean and reliable energy for California. “The people of PG&E are proud of the role that Diablo Canyon Power Plant plays in our state,” Suzanne Hosn, spokesperson for PG&E told CNBC. “We are always open to...

The unexpectedly rapid acquisition of Twitter by multi-billionaire Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk was roundly denounced by Democrat partisans. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called the transfer of ownership "dangerous for democracy. Musk's vow to open Twitter to uncensored speech will expose innocent people to the unfiltered opinions of unqualified critics of government-approved points of view. The protections previously provided by the Twitter platform will be eliminated. People won't know what to think." Commerce Committee Chair Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) wants to call Musk before her committee "to see if he is really qualified to take over what had been a reliable...

I recently advertised one of my rifles for sale on a web site in Texas. I received a reply from an individual that stated he was in Melbourne, Florida. He states he has an FFL to receive the rifle from my local FFL. On April 15, he stated he would send me a certified check. His secretary did the check wrong, but that has apparently been corrected. The check entered the USPS system on April 22 in Philadelphia, PA. Wife suggests this just may be his bank and where it is located. I still do not have a phone number...

Unvaccinated people accounted for the overwhelming majority of deaths in the United States throughout much of the coronavirus pandemic. But that has changed in recent months, according to a Washington Post analysis.... The pandemic’s toll is no longer falling almost exclusively on those who chose not to or could not get shots, with vaccine protection waning over time and the elderly and immunocompromised — who are at greatest risk of succumbing to covid-19, even if vaccinated — having a harder time dodging increasingly contagious strains. The vaccinated made up 42 percent of fatalities in January and February during the highly...

Former NFL player and Brewer Group CEO Jack Brewer says the mentorship program he founded aims to bridge an education gap, and Joy Reid’s comments about child abuse deserve a ‘direct apology’ to the children now being ridiculed by their community. See video at link

GOP officials expressed alarm over what appeared to be President Joe Biden’s failing cognitive faculties, declaring him “unfit” to be president after he suffered yet another brain freeze this week while stumbling over a phrase in a speech about Ukraine and Russia.