Free Republic

resident Joe Biden's extraordinarily broad pardon of his son may have saved Hunter from a prison sentence, but it might actually mark the beginning of worse legal troubles for the Biden clan. By pre-emptively shielding Hunter from the consequences of any alleged criminal conduct dating back eleven years, the President leaves his son open to virtually unlimited questioning in future Congressional, civil or even criminal investigations. That's because Hunter Biden can no longer claim the privilege of the Fifth Amendment – a Constitutional right that protects people from offering testimony that may incriminate them. Since Hunter is now effectively immune...

American actor Kevin Spacey made a surprise trip to Israel on Friday, and visited the Gaza border communities, spoke to lone soldiers, and held a two-hour acting masterclass in Tel Aviv. According to Ynet, Spacey was accompanied on his trip by Douglas Murray. Spacey reportedly paid a surprise visit to a lone solider named Ayla Lowenstein, who is the daughter of his manager, Evan Lowenstein. Spacey also visited the site of the Nova music festival massacre. In videos published by Ynet, Spacey can be seen touring houses in Gaza border kibbutzim targeted during the October 7 massacre. Flash90 also published...

China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on semiconductor-related exports. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications. The ratcheting up of trade restrictions comes as President-elect Donald Trump has been threatening to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries, potentially intensifying simmering...

Thousands of federal and government workers landed members a work from home deal ahead of the incoming Trump administration's efforts to force workers to return to office... The updated contract, which affects 42,000 government employees, will allow workers to stay hybrid until 2029. The deal was signed by President Biden's former SSA Commissioner, Martin O’Malley....

Good news: Your package has been delivered. Bad news: It isn’t on your porch, under the mailboxes or in a package room, if you have one. Unfortunately, your package might have been stolen by a porch pirate, like an estimated 120.5 million last year in the United States, according to a study by SafeWise. More people shopping online during the holiday season means more packages — and an increased risk of theft. This year, holiday spending is expected to reach a record high of $902 per person, with 57 percent of adults opting to shop online, according to a survey...

What is the shelf life of a freshly baked donut? Two days, tops. But when it comes to an entirely different kind of donut—one that Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom described early in the pandemic when he measured the exodus of people from city centers to city suburbs—there appears to be no expiration date.... Since the pandemic, the country's 12 largest cities have cumulatively lost 8% of their downtown dwellers. Three-fifths of the households that left moved to nearby suburbs... What does this mean, then, for the country's biggest cities? Painful choices that will likely involve cutting spending, raising taxes and...

Trump considering replacing Pete Hegseth with Gov. Ron DeSantis. US President-elect Donald Trump considering replacing current Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth, due to growing scrutiny over allegations about his personal life.

CNN contributor and Watergate figure John Dean is urging President Biden to expand his pardon list to sink any prospect of President-elect Donald Trump getting “revenge” against his political enemies. In a post on social media site Bluesky, Dean advised Biden to issue a “blanket pardon” for DOJ officials who have investigated or prosecuted Trump so he can’t punish them once he gets into office. “Biden should keep going with his pardons: Trump, Jack Smith & team, Mueller & team, and a blanket pardon for all on Trump’s enemies list for any and all political statements before December 25, 2024!...

https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/45642 While Syria is torn to pieces between Sunni and Shiite jihadists, the demon possessed and Israel obsessed organization called United Nations found the time to adopt a resolution calling on Israel to withdraw from all occupied territories to the pre-June 4, 1967, lines in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions. Voting Results: In Favor: 97 Against: 8 Abstentions: 64

Join with fellow FREEPERS across the world to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, Technology, Religious Freedom and the Media. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Religion Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

The food additive carrageenan (E 407) can be responsible for the development of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, and increased blood sugar levels in animals. However, it is not yet known what effect carrageenan has on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in humans. This question has now been investigated in a clinical study. In the study, young, healthy men with a BMI of less than 30 kg/m² (average BMI 24.5 kg/m²) were given either carrageenan in addition to their normal diet, in an amount roughly equivalent to two to three times the daily dose consumed in the U.S.,...

A large population study of men over 45 indicates insulin resistance may be an important risk factor for the development of the world's most common heart valve disease—aortic stenosis (AS). Aortic stenosis is a debilitating heart condition. It causes a narrowing of the aortic valve, restricting blood flow out of the heart. If not addressed, this can gradually cause damage that can lead to life-threatening complications, such as heart failure. People living with AS can take years to develop symptoms, which include chest pain, tiredness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Insulin resistance, which often develops years before the onset...

Editor’s Note: In November 1979, Senator Edward Kennedy seemed poised to seize the Democratic nomination for president from incumbent Jimmy Carter. But the aura of inevitability was dispelled when questions were once again raised about the fatal car crash at Chappaquiddick ten years before that left long-time Kennedy-clan campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne dead in a submerged car off a one-lane bridge near Martha’s Vineyard. Kennedy, who had been behind the wheel of the car, escaped to safety and, for reasons never convincingly explained, waited ten hours to report the incident.

One of the most annoying things we see play out during political contests is when singers and bands get their knickers in a twist over a candidate they don't like using their music, whether it be during a campaign stop, in an ad, or what have you. For instance, I remember in 2008 when Heart had a near-complete meltdown over then-GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin using their wildly popular 1977 hit "Barracuda" (which was Palin's nickname in Alaska) as her theme song at McCain-Palin events. One of the band's lead singers, Nancy Wilson, wigged out when talking about the...

The US and the United Arab Emirates have discussed with each other the possibility of lifting sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Assad if he peels himself away from Iran and cuts off weapons routes to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, five people familiar with the matter tell Reuters. The conversations intensified in recent months, the sources say, driven by the possible expiry on Dec. 20 of sweeping US sanctions on Syria and by Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s regional network, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and Iranian assets in Syria. The discussions took place before anti-Assad rebels swept into Aleppo last week...

Trump considered replacing Pete Hegseth with Ron Desnatos as Defense Secretary: President-elect Donald Trump is considering replacing Pete Hegseth, his controversial pick to lead the Pentagon, with one-time 2024 rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, people familiar with the discussions told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday. The move comes as Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army veteran and former Fox News personality, faces increasing scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement. Trump is reportedly weighing Ron DeSantis as secretary of defense. REUTERS Trump is reportedly weighing Ron DeSantis as secretary of defense. REUTERS Pete Hegseth has become embattled with controversy and...

The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data...

Monday on Stephen Gardner’s “Taming Wall Street” YouTube show, Breitbart editor-in-chief and “Alex Marlow Show” host Alex Marlow discussed a claim about Hunter Biden’s art. Gardner said, “I don’t know if you know this story or not, but I guess Hunter Biden was $380,000 behind in rent to hedge fund manager Shaun Maguire. And he kept asking him, you’ve got to pay me, you’ve got to pay me. Um, Hunter Biden paints this painting and says, because of my name and my superior painting and artistic ability, you can sell this and get caught up on the rent that I...

"American military personnel launched missiles into mainland Russia and killed..."...That's journalist Tucker Carlson... The US Justice Department charging a Chinese man living in California with sending weapons and ammunition... "Putin emphasized the need to put an end to the terrorist aggression against the Syrian state as soon as possible..." That's part of the Kremlin... Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister removing his name from consideration... China banning exports of critical minerals to the United States in retaliation for the latest restrictions... Fighting in Syria said to be taking place in and around the city of Hama... The US military in...

LLast week, apparently catching the world by surprise, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels launched a surprise offensive against government-controlled positions in northwestern Syria. Within 72 hours, incredibly, they had expelled Assad’s troops from large swathes of Aleppo. HTS’s triumph restored a rebel presence to Aleppo for the first time in eight years and paved the way for the unfreezing of the Syrian Civil War. Predictably, Russian fighter jets – supporting their ally, Assad – responded by bombing rebel-held areas of Aleppo and Idlib. Iran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah and Fatemiyoun militias also joined the fight on the dictator’s behalf. Regardless of what...