Free Republic

A financial consultant who performed contract work for the IRS pleaded guilty Thursday to leaking reams of confidential tax returns filed by the wealthiest Americans, including those of then-President Donald Trump. Charles Edward Littlejohn, 38, admitted in D.C. federal court that he obtained thousands of individuals’ tax returns by accessing an IRS database, and then leaked the materials to the New York Times and ProPublica beginning in 2019. The news organizations published blockbuster reports based on the trove of data, showing how Trump and the wealthiest Americans employed financial strategies to slash their federal tax bills, in some cases down...

“The closest genetic neighbors to most Jewish groups were the Palestinians, Israeli Bedouins, and Druze in addition to the Southern Europeans, including Cypriots,” as Ostrer and Skorecki wrote in a review of their findings that they co-authored in the journal Human Genetics in October 2012.

A Stanford University lecturer has been suspended for allegedly making Jewish students stand in a corner while branding them “colonizers” — while also downplaying the Holocaust and defending murderous Hamas terrorists as “freedom fighters.” Students said the lecturer, who was not identified, opened two freshman classes Tuesday by saying the lesson would be on colonialism, the co-presidents of Stanford’s Israeli Student Association told the San Francisco Chronicle. He then blamed the war raging between Israel and Hamas on “Zionists” — supporters of a movement for the protection of an independent Jewish state. The lecturer also reportedly justified the slaughter of...

Happy Friday! What has just happened, I don't have the words to fully convey my excitement about this. This morning the biography written by Richard Frothingham, Jr. about General Joseph Warren has been completed and published! Life and Times of Joseph Warren The summary is as follows:Joseph Warren was one of the popular leaders of Boston during the early stage of the American Revolution. He grasped its basis idea of civil freedom, and aimed to impress on the public mind its dignity and glory. By ten years of devotion to the patriot cause, he rose to be the head of...

That’s why only Central Banks can create digital currenciesThe Fed recently put out a white paper, Data Privacy for Digital Asset Systems, which contends that the expectation of privacy in digital currencies (read: CBDCs) stems from misunderstanding how digital systems work. “Concepts such as the desire for ‘cash-like anonymity’ are based on false underlying assumptions.”, is the crux of it (quick, somebody tell the Monero team, and everybody else already deploying anonymizing protocols and applications for digital assets). The subtext is that there can be some privacy and confidentiality safeguards built into CBDCs, but at the end of the day...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday an effort to rescue Floridians who are trying to leave Israel amid its war with Hamas terrorists.The announcement by DeSantis, a Republican, is part of an executive order he signed to respond to Hamas terrorists’ surprise attack Saturday on Israel, which left hundreds killed, maimed, or kidnapped, according to a copy of the governor’s order....DeSantis signed a document called Executive Order 23-208 (Emergency Management–Impacts of War in Israel).“There are more than 20,000 Americans, including Floridians, in Israel who wish to return home but are unable to do so,” DeSantis said in a written statement.

[Catholic Caucus] Synod on Synodality now discussing female deacons, married priests, and lay governanceSynod participants will now spend the next few days discussing controversial topics, after officials refused to commit that members had to uphold Church teaching in discussions.Pope Francis and Synod on Synodality leaders, October 13, 2023.Participants of the Synod on Synodality are currently discussing topics of married priests, female deacons, and increased lay ministry as part of the third of five modules held during the event.Opening the proceedings on Friday morning, relator general Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich gave an address highlighting the chief themes that will form the subject...

Israeli special forces have been inside Gaza over the last few days trying to locate hostages, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson. "Infantry and armored forces searched and gathered in the area for findings that may help in the effort to locate the missing and thwarted terrorist infrastructure and terrorist cells found in the area, among which a cell of the terrorist organization Hamas fired anti-tank fire at Israeli territory," the IDF said. Israel's air force is continuing its attacks onHamas in Gaza, the IDF said. Israel said its alerted 120 families that their loved ones are held in...

Overnight (Thursday), the IDF conducted a wave of strikes targeting the Nukhba elite forces of the Hamas terrorist organization, by striking operational command centers used by operatives who infiltrated the communities surrounding Gaza last Saturday. The Nukhba elite forces consist of terrorists selected by senior Hamas operatives, designated to carry out terrorist attacks such as ambushes, raids, assaults, infiltration through terror tunnels, as well as anti-tank missile, rocket, and sniper fire. The Nukhba elite forces were one of the leading forces that infiltrated the State of Israel in order to carry out murderous acts of terror against its civilians. Furthermore,...

Nearly four years after Covid’s emergence, plenty of people have tested positive at least twice. But an unlucky group has been hit with reinfection after reinfection. “I’ve seen a few patients with five infections,” said Dr. Grace McComsey, vice dean for clinical and translational research at Case Western University. “Sadly, they were immunized and they still got Covid five times.” Three people said their later infections were all less severe than the first — though there wasn’t necessarily a clear pattern of milder symptoms with each new illness. Even so, having Covid was still mentally and emotionally exhausting each time,...

@JakeSherman 🚨NEWS -- REP. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia has filed to run for the GOP nomination for speaker. It will be SCOTT vs. JORDAN.

Two transgender female cyclists dominated the podium at the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series last weekend after finishing first and second in a women’s event. Tessa Johnson, 25, took home gold in the CX Women SingleSpeed event in the Jackson Park race on Oct. 8, after finishing with a time of 38:48, according to race results from USA Cycling. Evelyn Williamson, 30, came in second with a time of 40:20.

Hezbollah's chief has said it is 'fully prepared' to join Hamas in its war against Israel, with the Jewish state today calling the two terror groups and Iran an 'axis of evil'. Sheikh Naim Qassem addressed a large crowd of cheering supporters in Beirut waving Hezbollah and Palestinian flags and holding pictures of burning Israeli ones. He said major powers, Arab countries and the UN had 'directly and indirectly' told Hezbollah 'not to interfere' in ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas. Despite the warnings, the leader of the powerful Iran-backed Lebanese group - which has already clashed with Israeli forces...

Amir Tsarfati Chicago. Not released yet. Palestinian walked into Jewish center and shot receptionist. t.me/beholdisraelchannel /19220 55.9Kviews Amir , Oct 13 at 11:10

Gay lifestyle magazine Attitude is facing backlash after naming transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as its 'Woman of the Year.' The US TikTok star, who documented her transition on the video sharing platform last year, accepted the title this week at the Virgin Atlantic sponsored awards bash in London. But critics slammed the decision, accusing the awards of 'gaslighting women everywhere' with prominent feminist campaigner Maya Forstater calling it an 'insult.' In her acceptance speech Mulvaney said being honoured with the gong 'from a queer publication' 'means so much more to me.' She said: 'Some see me as the woman of...

SACRAMENTO, CA — As part of a new initiative to provide public services to minority groups in need, California Governor Gavin Newsom has promised the state's new "Ebony Alert" system for black people will be "separate but equal." "We've designed this to separate them from the rest of the populace," Newsom said in his announcement. "While we want to have a way to send out urgent alerts to everyone when a child is in danger or abducted, we thought it would be best to keep the alerts separate based on the color of the child's skin. This new ‘Ebony Alert'...

The Israel Defense Forces says it intercepted an “unknown object” flying into Israeli territory from Lebanon, setting off alarms in the border town of Misgav Am.

[Catholic Caucus] Understanding Why Most Catholics Reject the Faith of their Fathers“Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith! We will be true to thee till death.” (Faith of Our Fathers, Fr. Frederick William Faber) Although he was neither a theologian nor a saint, Evelyn Waugh certainly understood the logical appeal of Catholicism. As he wrote in his essay about his conversion, in The Road to Damascus, either the Catholic Church is right and all heresies are wrong, or else the entire Christian religion is an imposture:"It was self-evident to me that no heresy or schism could be right and the Church...

Israel said on Monday it has scrapped a plan to deport African migrants to Africa and reached an agreement with the UN refugee agency to send more than 16,000 to Western countries instead. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Canada, Italy and Germany as some of the nations that will take in the migrants – although they appeared not to have been informed of the plan yet.

Israeli Air Force @IAFsite Initial report – An IAF RPAV is currently striking terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon. Details to follow.