Free Republic

Topline: The Environmental Protection Agency isn’t traditionally associated with ranged weaponry, but the federal government has spent almost $620,000 since 2018 to buy guns, ammunition, and more for EPA employees. Key facts: Auditors at OpenTheBooks.com found that between 2018 and 2022, the EPA spent close to $400,000 of federal funds just on ammunition. That came after the EPA purchased 500,000 rounds of ammo and 600 guns from 2010-2017. Over $100,000 went to buying armor for EPA employees. Funds were also used for “optical sighting and ranging equipment,” for “night vision equipment” and “security vehicles.” Background: The EPA has a Criminal...

On Friday evening outside the Tate Modern in London, activists flooded a feminist art event in protest against Hamas’ alleged use of sexual violence. The women wore bloodied pants in honor of 19-year-old Naama Levy who was taken hostage by the militant group in Gaza during the October 7 attacks on Israel. They also carried signs with the names and faces of hostages and tied themselves to one another with rope, chanting “Bring her home” and “Rape is a war crime”, the Jewish Chronicle reported. The activists were stationed outside a Tate event for the art collective Guerrilla Girls and...

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 'But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." *** 1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was...

In the ongoing clash between Texas and the Biden administration over border security, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick remains resolute in his stance, asserting that the situation at the border constitutes an “invasion.” This dispute has triggered a broader rebellion, with 26 states expressing opposition to the administration’s immigration policies. The tension escalated when the Biden administration ordered Texas to remove barbed wire at the border. Lt. Governor Patrick, representing Texas, doubled down on the need for strong border security measures, emphasizing the urgency of addressing what he perceives as an “invasion” of the United States.

Trump claimed that investors are betting he will win the 2024 presidential election...Trump cited no evidence to back up the claim..."THIS IS THE TRUMP STOCK MARKET," Trump claimed in an all-caps Truth social post, "BECAUSE MY POLLS AGAINST BIDEN ARE SO GOOD THAT INVESTORS ARE PROJECTING THAT I WILL WIN..."

An Associated Press analysis of nearly 70 years of civil cases under the law showed that such a penalty has only been imposed a dozen previous times, and Trump’s case stands apart in a significant way: It’s the only big business found that was threatened with a shutdown without a showing of obvious victims and major losses. Lawyers for the state in Trump’s monthslong civil trial have argued that the principles of fair play in business alone are enough to justify a harsh penalty, but even they aren’t calling for the prospect of liquidation of his businesses and properties raised...

The pair entered the Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district while Sunday services were being held. Two masked assailants attacked a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul during Sunday services, killing one person, Turkish officials have announced. According to a statement posted on X - formerly Twitter - by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the armed assailants attacked the Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district at 1140 am local time. He did not specify what kind of weapons were used or whether anyone else was wounded. Yerlikaya also condemned the attack and said authorities are working on capturing the assailants...

The anti-acne drug isotretinoin is known to cause birth defects in infants exposed during pregnancy. More than 170 pregnancies in Germany may have been at risk after being exposed to the anti-acne drug isotretinoin between the years 2004 and 2019, according to a new estimate. Isotretinoin, which is better known under its former brand name Accutane among others, is a drug prescribed for severe acne that hasn’t been responsive to other treatments like antibiotics. But the drug has a long list of side effects, among them the potential to cause birth defects, a risk called teratogenicity. This is why the...

Down 17 Points at Half, Niners QB Brock Purdy Asked God to Take it From There

Mark 5:1–20Friends, today’s Gospel shows Jesus driving the unclean spirit from the Gerasene demoniac. What we see here on vivid display is Jesus the miracle worker.Modern thinkers tend to be wary of this dimension. For instance, Thomas Jefferson took a straight razor to the pages of the Gospels and cut out everything that smacked of the supernatural—miracles, exorcisms, and so on. The problem, of course, is that he had to make an absolute mess of Mark’s Gospel, which is positively chock-a-block with such things.Jefferson’s contemporary, the great modern philosopher David Hume, wrote a powerfully influential text against miracles. He claimed...

Donald Trump was convicted and found liable for sexual assault. Ask yourself if supporting a rapist for President reflects your family values. The Lincoln Project is a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States — dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy. Our fight against Trumpism is only beginning. We must combat these forces everywhere and at all times — our democracy depends on it.

The infamous Josef Fritzl, who kept his daughter locked in a cellar for 24 years and forced her to endure unimaginable abuse, may soon walk free. Fritzl was sentenced to ‘life’ in prison in 2009 after admitting that he had held his daughter Elisabeth prisoner under his house for over two decades and forcibly fathered seven children with her. He was only caught after staff at a hospital became suspicious when attending to his and Elisabeth’s eldest daughter during an emergency visit. His sentence is currently being carried out at Stein Prison in Austria, a high-security facility for mentally ill...

Dutch health technology company Philips will not sell new devices to treat sleep apnea in the U.S. in the coming years as it works to comply with a settlement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday. The agreement followed the recall of millions of breathing devices and ventilators used to treat sleep apnea in 2021 because of concerns that foam used to reduce noise from the devices could degrade and become toxic, carrying potential cancer risks. Philips said it had reached what is known as a consent decree that spells out the improvements it needs to make...

One of the most famous ‘proofs’ of Nessie Credit: Marmaduke Arundel "Duke" Wetherell/Creative Commons The latest sighting of the famously illusive Loch Ness Monster was recorded on January 24, 2024, and the tourist who saw it claims he was most surprised by the colour. Jarod Strong was close to Urquhart Castle on the banks of the loch, near Inverness, Scotland when he says he spotted the mysterious monster. However, although being surprised at the sight of old Nessie, he reveals the thing that shocked him most was that it wasn’t green! Jarod said: “I was near the castle with my...

Terror group appears to pour cold water on mediators’ latest offer after Qatari PM says ‘good progress’ made; Israel said open to lengthy truce but refuses to end war Hamas on Monday evening appeared to reject a new framework for a hostage deal that had been agreed to by Israel, saying it would not accept any agreement that did not include an end to the war and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza. The terror group issued a statement alongside a smaller terror group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, insisting Israel must halt its “aggression”...

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The three US soldiers killed in the drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan were identified Monday as Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Specialist Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Georgia, according to the Defense Department. They were all assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a US Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Moore, Georgia, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said at a briefing. ...

A hearing officer assigned to hear a challenge to President Joe Biden’s qualification to appear on the Illinois Democratic presidential primary ballot says the state’s elections board should dismiss the matter. The objection petition, filed by four Illinois voters, argued that President Biden does not qualify for the presidency under the terms of the 14th Amendment. The law disqualifies certain former public office holders from holding any subsequent federal or state office if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the United States or “given aid or comfort” to the nation’s enemies. President Biden, the objectors argued, is guilty...

News Live No new trial: Judge rules on Murdaugh jury tampering allegations Click to Unmute Video By Anisa Snipes and Amanda Shaw Published: Jan. 26, 2024 at 8:57 AM EST|Updated: moments ago COLUMBIA, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill and jurors testified in court on Monday in a hearing to determine if former Lowcountry attorney and convicted killer Alex Murdaugh will get a new trial. In Columbia, Judge Jean Toal led the proceedings with the jurors and Hill. Alex Murdaugh’s defense team claims the jury was tampered with by Hill, who denies the allegations.

TEXAS — Bubba "Boomstick" Johnson, a proud Texan and self-proclaimed protector of all things Lone Star, has declared that he's been waiting for this moment his entire life: the opportunity to finally dust off his arsenal and defend Texas if a civil war or invasion ever breaks out. For years, Bubba has meticulously curated his collection of firearms, affectionately referring to them as his "freedom dispensers." From his trusty six-shooters to his state-of-the-art assault rifles, Bubba's arsenal rivals that of a small militia - or at least a moderately armed neighborhood watch. "Oh Lord, how blessed am I," said Bubba...