Free Republic

A former high-ranking FBI official has been sentenced to over four years in prison for colluding with Russian oligarchs.Charles McGonigal, once the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division in New York, faced charges for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and committing money laundering.McGonigal, 55, from New York City, was sentenced to 50 months in prison and ordered to pay a $40,000 fine on Thursday.McGonigal was arrested earlier this year for conspiring with Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch sanctioned by the U.S. government.His guilty plea in August followed a detailed investigation revealing...

CNN has announced that Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the network’s Jan. 10, 2024, Republican primary debate. As previously announced, the network will air the Iowa debate as well as one in New Hampshire later in the month. CNN did not announce who would moderate the Jan. 21, 2024, debate in New Hampshire. Tapper and Bash are co-anchors of “State of the Union,” CNN’s Sunday morning political affairs show.

Chicago spent nearly $1million to build a migrant camp on a toxic site, as the city continues to struggle with a massive surge of asylum seekers, with officials now impounding incoming buses. Official records seen by ABC 7 show the city spent more than $985,000 on the shuttered migrant camp at a Brighton Park lot - despite warnings that the site was not safe and outrage by locals, including a lawsuit. The nearly $1million bill is not much compared to the total expected cost of the camp, which was mostly financed by the state government under a $125million contract with...

On December 15, 1998, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary releases a 265-page report recommending the impeachment of President Bill Clinton for high crimes and misdemeanors. The subsequent impeachment proceedings were the culmination of a slew of specious scandals involving the president and first lady Hillary Clinton. The Clintons were suspected of arranging improper real-estate deals, fundraising violations and cronyism in involving the firing of White House travel agents. Added to the mix were stories of Clinton’s extra-marital affairs and a sexual harassment claim filed against him. An independent counsel, Kenneth Starr, was appointed to investigate the...

It may be no coincidence that colleges are abandoning SATs at the same time three university presidents were flunking questions in public about genocide. After receiving Fs for insisting that the answer to any direct question is “It depends on the context,” University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill lost her job and Harvard’s board of governors retained Claudine Gay with a limp vote of confidence—“she is the right leader to help our community heal.” Uh-huh. This may be the moment to bring back vocabulary tests. Question: What six-syllable word describes the three university presidents who testified before Congress? Answer: Pusillanimity....

The White House issued new guidance requiring federal government employees to prioritize using electric vehicles (EV), trains and public transportation options when conducting official business. The actions, which the White House said fulfilled President Biden's promise to "lead by example" on tackling climate change, seek to take advantage of the federal government's annual business travel purchasing power of $2.8 billion and status as the nation's largest employer. Overall, government employees on official business took more than 2.8 million flights, made 2.3 million vehicle rentals and took 33,000 rail trips last year. "These operational changes will accelerate the clean transportation transformation,...

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ind. – A woman who admitted she helped a mother dispose of her son’s body by dumping a suitcase in southern Indiana learned her sentence this week. Dawn Coleman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, according to court documents filed in Washington County. Coleman, 41, of Shreveport, Louisiana, had been additionally charged with aiding, inducing or causing murder; neglect of a dependent resulting in death; and obstruction of justice. Those counts were dismissed. Washington Circuit Court Judge Larry Medlock accepted the guilty plea and sentenced Coleman to 30 years, with 5 years suspended to probation. The infamous...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning health providers that there is an “urgent need” to increase vaccinations against influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In an alert published Thursday, the agency cautioned that low vaccination rates, coupled with ongoing increases in national respiratory disease activity, could lead to more severe disease and increased health care capacity strain in the coming weeks. Providers should administer influenza, COVID-19 and RSV immunizations now to patients, if recommended, CDC said. The agency estimates about 42 percent of children have gotten a flu shot, while national coverage for adults is...

A CNN host was left stunned when the network’s data analyst revealed data that highlighted the true state of the economy under Democrat President Joe Biden. During a Friday report, CNN’s Erica Hill after data reporter Harry Enten laid out the economic numbers that expose the reality of so-called “Bidenomics.” As Enten explained the figures and broke the bad news to CNN’s viewers, Hill remarked that Biden’s economy is “kind of depressing.” Enten explained that, despite other economic metrics trending in positive directions, the decline in disposable income largely explains Americans’ bleak view of the economy. “From the first year...

In a deja vu moment, the Federal Reserve’s swift rate cuts raise unsettling parallels with the inflationary misstep of the 1970s. Back then, premature optimism led to soaring inflation after initial rate reductions. Today, historical cues point to rising unemployment during rate-cut cycles, contradicting the Fed’s sanguine predictions. The specter of a challenging economic future looms large, emphasizing the importance of cautious policy navigation.

This week, Kate Cox got an abortion. She joined more than 9.3 million Americans who got a legal abortion in the past 10 years, of which 83,000 (0.9%) got one after 20 weeks of gestation. I’ve seen many on social media wonder: What’s the big deal? She found the healthcare she needed after all, right? And this cross-state journey is rare, right? Forced abortion travel has doubled following Dobbs. And if you’re one of the lucky few who can travel, this journey isn’t without very real challenges that may not be apparent to the unseen eye. The journey The journey...

Over the course of a single week, 17 convenience stores were robbed at gunpoint in the Democrat-run city of San Diego, which sits in the Democrat-run state of California. “San Diego Police said that over the past six weeks, several armed ‘take-over style’ robberies have occurred around the county,” reports San Diego 7. “Police believe that at least 10 of those robberies are committed by the same group and say the same group may be responsible for other robberies.” hat group is a gang of five thugs who flood the store in ski masks brandishing guns. “Police describe the suspects...

A new type of gold fever has hit the retail market as Costco can’t keep enough of the precious metal on its digital shelves. Costco started selling gold bars to its North American customers earlier this year, and according to the retailer’s third quarter earnings, the move is paying off. In the company’s earnings call on Thursday, CFO Richard Galanti said that Costco sold $100 million in one-ounce gold bars between July and September. According to media reports, during the call Galanti was asked what consumer trends Costco was seeing this holiday season; he answered: "They're buying gold." In 2020,...

The Empire (State) Strikes Out! Contraction (or economic slowdown) is hitting New York State! After three strong ‘beats’ in a row, the Empire State Manufacturing Survey crashed back into contraction, well below expectations in December (from +9.1 to -14.5, +2.0 exp). The drop takes the measure from ‘expansion’ at 7-month-highs to ‘contraction’ at 4-month-lows… Source: Bloomberg The new orders fell six points to -11.3, pointing to a decline in orders for a third consecutive month, and the shipments index fell sixteen points to -6.4, indicating that shipments fell. The unfilled orders index held steady at -24.0, a sign that unfilled...

"I double-DOG-dare ya!"

While some leaders peddle empty words, Mothers for Democracy are harnessing #MomPower to demand results on a livable climate, equitable schools and an end to gun violence. We are awakening civic participation across this land, from school boards to halls of Congress. Where leaders have faltered, we mothers will strive to fill the void. But our fight is not just for our own families – it is for freedom and equality for one another. United as an unstoppable force, this movement of maternal activism will shake the roots of injustice until all people in America can thrive. The time has...

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Cargo facility discovered more than $10 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine hidden in a shipment of jalapeño paste Wednesday morning. According to CBP, officers encountered a 28-year-old male driving a commercial tractor-trailer claiming he was hauling barrels filled with jalapeño paste. The driver, who had a valid border crossing, was referred to secondary inspection along with his rig and contents in the trailer. A CBP K-9 unit screened the shipment and reportedly alerted officers.

VIDEOThere are three (count 'em, THREE) new COVID vaccines coming out so be sure to get all of them. Unfortunately supply appears to be limited during the early rollout so I recommend that YouTube executives, especially the censors, be given first priority at getting those shots. Why? Because I love those guys for all that they do. So YOU first, YouTube. You deserve first shot at the shots.

Israeli soldiers destroyed the Hamas command and control center of Shejaiya Battalion, killed numerous terrorists and destroyed a terror tunnel, the IDF reported. Hamas leaders are on the run, with many leaving Qatar for Hamas-supporting Turkey, technically a NATO member.Over the last day, IDF troops conducted a targeted raid on terror infrastructure in the city of Khan Yunis, Arutz Sheva reports. “The complex was struck by IAF aircraft, tanks, and engineering forces. In addition, IDF troops from the 414 Battalion used the “Maoz” drone for the first time, using it to locate and strike terrorist cells in the area. “...

U.S. officials are now warning Border Patrol agents to watch out for IEDs — improvised explosive devices — according to an internal memo. "Agents should exercise extreme caution."