Free Republic

A new proposal coming to the Washington Legislature for consideration next year aims to break the cycle of poverty that’s trapped families like Bereskin’s and lift future generations of low-income residents toward a path of financial independence. The Washington Future Fund would create a pool of money that every child born under the state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, could access a portion of upon adulthood to use toward homeownership, education or pursuing a small business. The trusts are intended to even the financial playing field for lower-income residents by providing a chance to catch up to their wealthier peers. Beginning...

“‘He will not quarrel, nor cry out; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out’” (Matthew 12:19–20). The Lord Jesus did not cajole or browbeat people with the gospel like some inflammatory demagogue who stirs up his listeners by pandering to their emotions and prejudices. Christ always spoke plainly, with dignity and control—His only persuasive technique was the truth. He never resorted to the lies and scheming of His enemies. As the Son of God and Messiah, He never attempted to gain...

BEIJING (AP) — Former NBA star Jeremy Lin, who plays for a Chinese team, was fined 10,000 yuan ($1,400) for criticizing quarantine facilities, China’s professional league and a news report said Friday, as the government tries to stop protests against anti-virus controls that are among the world's most stringent. Also Friday, more cities eased restrictions, allowing shopping malls, supermarkets and other businesses to reopen following protests last weekend in Shanghai and other areas in which some crowds called for President Xi Jinping to resign. Urumqi in the northwest, site of a deadly fire that triggered the protests, announced supermarkets and...

There was a time in his youth that Moses was held in high esteem. He had a stellar reputation and was respected in the halls of government. He moved with prestige among the wealthy and was one of the most famous men of his time. By the time God spoke to him out of the burning bush (see Exodus 3:5), though, Moses had hit bottom and had faded into obscurity. God couldn’t use him until he tore Moses away from his worldly attachments. Who knew Moses now? Hidden away, out of sight, silenced and without influence, he had no outlet...

Conservative radio host Mark Levin went off on the “bonehead” Congressional Republicans threatening to derail Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) bid to be the next speaker of the House. Levin used his show on Tuesday to talk about how the Republican Party’s slim majority in the House of Representatives may cause a struggle for McCarthy to get the votes he needs to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Hard-right members of the Congressional GOP have publicly opposed McCarthy’s bid for the speakership, so the House minority leader is currently trying to bring these factions in line and secure the 218 votes he needs....

I have no nice words, so I'm going to show you the video: VIDEO AT LINK.......... BREAKING: 9 Month Investigation Into @HHSGov Whistleblower Child Trafficking Evidence Reveals ‘Sponsor’ of 16 Year Old Unaccompanied Migrant Would "Pimp" Her to Men to Repay $10,000+ "Debt" for Getting Across Border HHS Whistleblower: "We don't get sued by [child] traffickers." I mean it: I have no nice words. The media tells you that a wide-open border is about compassion and tolerance. But I've seen enough dead babies in the desert and teen girls being sold as prostitutes to tell you that this "compassion" is...

A sixth letter bomb was intercepted on Thursday at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, similar to those sent earlier to Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles, the satellite center at the Torrejon de Ardoz base, the Instalaza arms company in Zaragoza, and the Ukrainian Embassy in the Spanish capital. The new letter, which contained a homemade explosive device, was detected at 12:30 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior confirmed, adding that the permanent police protocol was activated after the discovery. The package was detonated in a controlled manner after specialized bomb disposal agents from the State Security...

HELENA – Seventeen state attorneys general joined Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen today in asking major shipping companies to clarify new policies that allow them to track firearm sales with unprecedented specificity and bypass warrant requirements to share that information with federal agencies. Reports from Montana federal firearm license (FFL) holders made to Attorney General Knudsen’s office indicate that UPS and FedEx are now burdening them by requiring them to ship separately and track firearms, firearms parts, and firearm products so gun purchases can be tracked and retain documents about what specific items those shipments contain and make that information...

Senate Republicans says they’ll withhold their support for the National Defense Authorization Act if they don’t get a vote on ending the military’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for service members. Seven GOP senators made the vow Wednesday at a Capitol Hill news conference, saying they would withhold the support if leaders of the Democrat-led chamber don’t allow a floor vote on their proposal, according to NBC News. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said the group will not vote to get on the NDAA “unless we have a vote on ending this military vaccine mandate.” The libertarian-mined Paul typically votes against the act...

Iranian Empress Farah Pahlavi and her granddaughter Princess Noor Pahlavi, the eldest daughter of Prince Reza Pahlavi, were special guests of the French Senate Tuesday during special conference, “Woman, Life, Freedom! Iran, Revolt or Revolution?” which included French senators declaring their support for the Iranian national uprising against the Islamic Republic.“Empress Farah Pahlavi, Princess Nour Pahlavi, I would like to say that we are extremely honored to be your host in the Senate this afternoon,” said French Senator Bruno Retailleau in his opening remarks.“Your presence gives greater weight to the message of support that this conference aims to send to...

The news item here can be summed up in a limerick: There once was a prez on Nantucket, and he couldn’t get ‘round in a bucket. He rented some cars, and drove under the stars, until each one, a car fire struck it. Okay, so I ain’t Shakespeare. But this really happened. As Fox News reported more prosaically Tuesday, “President Biden’s rented Secret Service vehicles burst into flames in a parking lot Monday, just one day after he left his Nantucket vacation.” Yes, they really called him, whimsically enough, “President Biden,” not the more accurate “Alleged President Biden” or “Ostensible...

Top China hawks aren't sold on Canadian company Lithium Americas' move to distance itself from top Chinese investor.. A Canadian company hopes to use Biden administration loans to open the largest lithium mine in North America. But first, it must convince government officials and prospective partners that it's adequately decoupled from its top shareholder: a Chinese enterprise led by known Chinese Communist Party members. Lithium Americas—whose largest shareholder is Chinese mineral giant Ganfeng Lithium—earlier this month announced its intention to split the company into two separate entities, a move that comes as it works to obtain a Biden administration loan...

Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin has called for Europe to build its own defence capabilities in the wake of the war in Ukraine, saying that without US help it is not resilient enough. Marin said that when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the priority of most Finns changed “overnight” to security. The country is also concerned about large-scale illegal crossings as Russian men flee the mobilisation drive. About 40,000 Russians have entered Finland since the start of the war, according to foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto. Finland, which has a population of 5.5 million, still has military conscription for men,...

Unlike yesterday’s ADP jobs report (only 127k jobs added), the official Federal government report shows 263k jobs added. I like the ADP report, but The Fed pays attention to the BLS numbers. So, … U.S. employers added 263,000 jobs in November, and the nation’s unemployment rate stayed the same at 3.7 percent, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. Meanwhile, average hourly pay for workers rose 5.1 percent from a year earlier, to $32.82 from $31.23. But the US headline inflation rate at the last reading was 7.7% YoY that equates to -2.2% REAL Average Hourly Earnings YoY....

While voter turnout remained strong, absentee voting in Georgia dropped off drastically in this year’s midterm election, the first major test of an expansive 2021 voting law that added restrictions for casting ballots by mail. Data released by the Georgia secretary of state showed that mail voting in the state’s November general election plunged by 81% from the level of the 2020 contest. [The 2021 law]..significantly limited drop boxes, added voter identification requirements and prevented election officials from proactively mailing out absentee ballot applications.

KYIV, Ukraine — War and winter have brought new misery to Kyiv after a long summer lull. Russia’s missile campaign to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has revived fears that had abated after Ukrainian forces drove Russian troops away from the capital in the spring. The first snowfall of the season has brought subzero temperatures to a city plunged into darkness and cold by the attacks. But if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goal is to demoralize the population to the point of accepting compromises with Russia, he isn’t succeeding. The danger and discomfort appear only to be hardening attitudes, deepening the...

I run my husband's business as a sole proprietorship/LLC using a TIN. The TIN cross references to my SS# (the biz is in my name) Been using Quickbooks online for almost 7 years now with NO tax issues. Out of the blue I get an email stating: QB Needs your taxpayer info The taxpayer identification info on your QuickBooks Payments account does not match the info on file with the IRS. To ensure our records are accurate, update your account within 14 days. To update your account, visit the Online Service Center to change your business info. Keep in mind...

Four other tourists “sustained non-life-threatening injuries” and were treated onboard. The ship suffered minor damage and was anchored off Ushuaia, 3,200 kilometers (nearly 2,000 miles) from the capital Buenos Aires, with several windows smashed on the side, AFP journalists reported. Viking said it was “investigating the facts surrounding this incident.” Scientists often refer to rogue waves as extreme storm waves that surge out of nowhere, often in an unpredictable direction, and can look like a steep wall of water, up to twice the size of surrounding waves. These rare killer waves were once seen as a myth reported by mariners...

Tesla’s Semi will have a Tesla estimated range of 500 miles on a single charge, and that range can be achieved hauling a max payload of 82,000 lbs of freight (Tesla says federal regulations allow electric trucks to go 2,000 lbs above limit). When just using the Semi without an attached trailer, Tesla says the Semi drives like a regular car, and is quite fast given its electric powertrain. "It looks like an elephant running around like cheetah,” Musk joked.

Canadian TikTok influencer Megha Thakur has “suddenly” died at the age of 21, her family revealed on social media.