Free Republic

President Biden is being transformed before our eyes, at least in how he’s portrayed in progressive circles and the media. The empathizer-in-chief and savior of democracy has become, in a matter of about two weeks, a clueless and selfish threat to all that they hold dear. Poor Joe Biden can be forgiven for not quite knowing what hit him. Just a couple of weekends ago, he and his family were at Camp David for a photo shoot with the famed Vogue photographer Annie Leibovitz — getting the favorable glossy coverage a powerful Democrat expects — and now everyone has concluded...

The Republican Party and its conservative allies are engaged in an unprecedented legal campaign targeting the American voting system. Their wide-ranging and methodical effort is laying the groundwork to contest an election that they argue, falsely, is already being rigged against former President Donald J. Trump.The campaign involves a powerful network of Republican lawyers and activist groups, working loosely in concert with the Republican National Committee. Many of the key players were active in Mr. Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.But unlike the chaotic and improvised challenge four years ago, the new drive includes a systematic...

akland politics are heating up. On July 9, the City Council voted to place a recall referendum for Mayor Sheng Thao on the November ballot. Public discussion has focused on last month’s raid on the mayor’s home by the FBI, IRS, and US Postal Service in a broad but as-yet-opaque investigation into allegations of corruption and money laundering. Yet the campaign against Thao has other motivations—and ignoring them would be a big mistake. Spearheaded by retired Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte and members of Oakland’s minority communities, the campaign gathered more than 40,000 voter signatures in favor of...

MILWAUKEE, Wis.Today the Donald J. Trump Campaign and the Republican National Convention’s Committee on Arrangements announced a list of headliners and keynote speakers who will be addressing the Republican National Convention. Speakers include:Family:Donald Trump Jr.Eric TrumpCo-Chairman Lara TrumpKimberly GuilfoyleEntertainers, Celebrities, & Industry Leaders:Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish CoalitionTucker Carlson, Television HostSavannah Chrisley, TV Personality and Criminal Justice Reform AdvocateFranklin Graham, Renowned Faith LeaderLee Greenwood, Country Music StarAlina Habba, Trump Campaign Senior AdvisorDiane Hendricks, Owner of ABC SupplyTom Homan, Former Acting ICE DirectorChris Janson, Country Music StarPerry Johnson, BusinessmanCharlie Kirk, CEO of TPUSASean O’Brien, President of TEAMSTERSVivek Ramaswamy, BusinessmanAmber...

Richard Simmons -- the legendary fitness guru -- has died at 76 ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police and fire responded to a call from his housekeeper just before 10 AM Saturday and pronounced him dead at the scene. We're told no foul play is suspected at this time, and cops are looking into it as a natural death.

House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-KY) is investigating who is really “calling the shots” under President Joe Biden’s leadership, issuing subpoenas to three little-known White House staffers while trying to determine if there has been a “shadow government” this whole time. “We’re looking to see who is actually calling the shots for Joe Biden,” Comer said during an appearance on Breitbart News Saturday. “I mean, I think it’s very evident that he isn’t able to serve as president, much less an additional four years, and we’ve all been asking the questions ‘Who is actually running the show? Who’s pulling...

This week, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act by a vote of 221 to 198. This Act requires proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. All but five Democrats voted against this legislation. Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) argued that "requiring proof of citizenship will just gum up the works and result in fewer ballots being cast. The 2020 election was the most honest and secure election in our nation's history. This shows that the honor system works. There's no need to change it." Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) asserted "in Virginia people must...

Fifty Reasons Why the Dicastery for Divine Worship Prohibited the Traditional Mass at CovadongaThe following article by Luis López Valpuesta appeared in Spanish on July 12, 2024 at Infovaticana.The Roman Dicastery of Divine Worship has ordered the Archbishopric of Oviedo to prevent the celebration of a Traditional Mass in the Sanctuary of Covadonga. And apparently the reason(s) why this Church open to “everyone, everyone” of Francis is taking a decision that will undoubtedly disappoint the hundreds of young people who will gather in that beautiful Asturian locality has not been specified.Therefore, I have allowed myself the audacity to make up...

13 July 2024 Saturday of week 14 in Ordinary Time Altar at Saint Henry's Church, Cincinnati, Ohio Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II).First readingIsaiah 6:1-8Isaiah's lips cleansed with a burning coalIn the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet, and two for flying. And they cried out to one another in this way,‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.His glory fills the whole earth.’The...

In the Nineties film, the president ends up comatose, and his chief of staff secretly hires a body double. These days, the plot feels eerily familiar. Ever since the Great Debate Debacle—and its successor event, the Stephanopoulos Sit-Down That Could Have Gone Better—Joe Biden’s most fervent supporters have chosen one of two tacks. The first is full-on denial: the president is doing fine, they say! Amazing, even! Any blips in his performance were merely the result of poor preparation, or a cold, or some secret saboteur inside CNN who installed a “ghastly pallor and verbal incoherence” filter on the camera...

For the first time since 2001, a majority of Americans favor less immigration. Last year, 41% of Americans wanted less immigration. This year a Gallup poll shows that the number soared to 55%. It's not surprising. According to the Customs and Border Patrol, 8.5 million illegal immigrants have entered the country since February 2021. "This is the first time since 2005 that a majority of Americans have wanted there to be less immigration, and today’s figure is the largest percentage holding that view since a 58% reading in 2001. The record high was 65%, recorded in 1993 and 1995," reports...

Why do I Hate Onions? Onions are one of the most commonly used ingredients in cooking, but for some people, they are the bane of their existence. The question of why certain individuals hate onions is a complex one and can be attributed to a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons why people hate onions is their strong and pungent taste and smell. For individuals with heightened senses, the aroma and flavor of onions can be overwhelming and unpleasant, leading to a strong aversion. Additionally, some people may have a genetic predisposition to dislike the taste of onions,...

Away from Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to broaden support for U.S. military aid by telling state governors Friday that the world’s leaders should see for themselves the carnage wrought since Russia invaded his country more than two years ago. Zelenskyy’s plea at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Salt Lake City came days after NATO leaders met in the U.S. capital and pledged more help for Ukraine. “The only thing we ask for is sufficient support - air defense systems for our cities, weapons for our men and women on the frontline, support in protecting normal life...

Barron Trump looked born for the role. Which, of course, he was. Earlier this week he made his first appearance at one of his father’s political rallies. And he looked anything but an 18-year-old novice. Barron was sitting at the front of the crowd but as soon as Donald Trump pointed at him and began to introduce him, the 18-year-old moved like a practiced veteran. He raised his 6-foot-7-inch frame upwards, waved his right hand to all sides and acknowledged the applause. This looked easy. Towering over those around him he then held a clenched left fist above his head...

Last week, delegates from the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) including Paul Fisher, Ruth Crowell, David Gornall, and Edel Tully, joined Mike Oswin of the World Gold Council (WGC) in Basel for a meeting with the Bank of International Settlements (BIS). The delegation met with Neil Esho, Secretary General of the Basel Committee, and Noel Reynolds, Head of Basel III Implementation, to discuss the future of gold as a High-Quality Liquid Asset (HQLA). The reclassification of gold, from its current status as a Tier 1 asset, as an HQLA would bring about enhanced market stability, improved liquidity, regulatory compliance benefits,...

FOLSOM, Calif. — K.C. Alvey treads carefully when she and her dog, Stuart, walk the dappled trail behind their apartment in Folsom, California. Since the pandemic, her neighbors have included homeless campers along a brook known as Humbug Creek.There’s the man who periodically emerges from the brush, yelling in fear and tearing at tree limbs. There’s the hoarder who fled with his dog as a cleanup crew again cleared his massive campsite — shopping carts, three beds, throw pillows, art, books, mirrors on trees, rugs, torch fuel. Rogue campfires have been frequent.Until recently, federal appellate courts limited how far cities...

Explanation: In 1990, cruising four billion miles from the Sun, the Voyager 1 spacecraft looked back to make this first ever Solar System family portrait. The complete portrait is a 60 frame mosaic made from a vantage point 32 degrees above the ecliptic plane. In it, Voyager's wide-angle camera frames sweep through the inner Solar System at the left, linking up with ice giant Neptune, the Solar System's outermost planet, at the far right. Positions for Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are indicated by letters, while the Sun is the bright spot near the center of the circle...

Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed legislation on July 12 blocking credit card companies from tracking firearm and firearm-related sales in New Hampshire. By signing the legislation, HB 1186, Sununu secured New Hampshire as the 17th state in which credit cards cannot track such sales. The NRA-ILA reported: firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories, and provides a civil penalty for violations. This critical legislation protects gun-owners privacy and ensures that bad actors cannot use credit and debit card transactions to create a gun-registry or block cardholders from making gun-related purchase.

Speculation is swirling around President Biden’s political fate — and over who might replace him on the Democratic ticket this fall should he decide to drop out of the race. Biden has insisted he’s in it to win it, and Vice President Harris would have the inside track on becoming the party’s standard-bearer, but Democratic concerns are growing that his candidacy could cost them the White House and House majority this fall. Though a highly anticipated Thursday evening press conference after the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., was seen as a better performance for Biden than in recent weeks, the...

Emphasizing the evolving regional and global security landscape, Allies at the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington D.C. adopted an action plan for a stronger, more strategic and result-oriented approach towards its southern neighbourhood. The plan clearly demonstrates NATO’s commitment to reinforcing engagement and cooperation with its partners in the Middle East and North Africa, including through the establishment of its first-ever liaison office in the region, in Amman, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.