Free Republic

House Republicans are moving to effectively strip security clearances from any intelligence or defense official who signed on to an October 2020 statement that raised the question of whether the release of Hunter Biden's emails was part of a Russian disinformation campaign.As part of a much-larger bill funding US defense, Republicans on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense proposed prohibiting any funding to grant, renew, or maintain a security clearance for any official who signed the statement.More than 50 former intelligence officials, including former CIA Directors Mike Hayden, Leon Panetta, and John Brennan, signed the letter raising questions about the...

A Virginia Antifa chapter has released a hit list of several conservative figures and journalists who will make an appearance at the 2nd Amendment rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday. The chapter, called Antifa Seven Hills, created a list of what they call “known fascists and sympathizers,” which includes conservatives affiliated with Infowars like Owen Shroyer, journalists Mike Adams and Jacob Engels, veteran Joe Biggs, and even Trump insider Roger Stone.

President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are drawing up plans to take on the government bureaucracy they have long railed against, by eroding job protections and grinding down benefits that federal workers have received for a generation. Hiring freezes, an end to automatic raises, a green light to fire poor performers, a ban on union business on the government’s dime and less generous pensions — these are the contours of the blueprint emerging under Republican control of Washington in January. These changes were once unthinkable to federal employees, their unions and their supporters in Congress. But Trump’s election as an outsider promising to...

WASHINGTON -- The Securities and Exchange Commission has brought civil fraud charges against six former top executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying they misled the government and taxpayers about risky subprime mortgages the mortgage giants held during the housing bust. Those charged include the agencies' two former CEOs, Fannie's Daniel Mudd and Freddie's Richard Syron. They are the highest-profile individuals to be charged in connection with the 2008 financial crisis. Mudd, 53, and Syron, 68, led the mortgage giants when the housing bubble burst in late 2006 and 2007. The four other top executives also worked for the...

Defense Minister Ehud Barak alluded to the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza Sunday as he warned that Israel would strike back at terrorists there. "Since Friday, about 36 missiles have been fired from Gaza at Israeli communities," he said in a speech at the World Policy Conference in Vienna. "Israel will know how to defend itself and will not let this situation continue. [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon evacuated the Gaza Strip and took out every last soldier and civilian, gave instructions to tear down all buildings, even synagogues, so as not to supply any excuse to the Palestinians. And what happened?...

Oh, no! Another Democratic senator in possible election trouble for 2012. And from California already? A new Field Poll just released this morning brings news that California's Sen. Dianne Feinstein is -- how can we put this in a liberal kind of way? -- approved by 41% of voters who want to see her reelected next year. Unfortunately for her, more voters (fully 44%) disapprove of her continued employment in the U.S. Senate after 2012. In blue California that makes for about a magnitude 5.2 quake. The same poll finds that only 41% approve of Feinstein's job in Washington, while...

<p>To prepare for potential confrontation against armed gunmen, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department recently purchased about 100 AR-15 assault rifles to be carried by deputies in their patrol cars.</p> <p>“We are all here on the border, and as we all know the cartels have some of these type of weapons,” Sheriff Omar Lucio said.</p>

Specter says that President Obama, his old friend Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have all agreed to campaign and raise cash for him -- and that he will welcome the fundraising help of Penn. Gov. Ed Rendell, another old friend. An unspecified group of national leaders will huddle together tomorrow to discuss those plans, he said.

BREAKING NEWS NBC, MSNBC and news services Updated: 10:50 a.m. ET Dec. 30, 2005 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation to see who disclosed details about a secret domestic eavesdropping operation, department officials said Friday. “We are opening an investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified materials related to the NSA,” one official said, referring to the National Security Agency

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday narrowly approved the first cuts since 1997 to benefit programs such as Medicare (search), Medicaid (search) and farm subsidies, giving Republicans a symbolic victory against ever-rising government spending. The bill, passed by a 52-47 vote, would make modest cuts to the health care programs for the elderly, poor and disabled, but leave the food stamp program untouched. The measure also would permit exploratory oil drilling in an Alaskan wilderness (search) area. The spending battle now heads to the House, where Republicans are divided over whether to cut more deeply across a broader range of...

It is with great pride that I, RightOnline, and The Lovely Wife (aka "RightOnlinesWife") announce the commissioning of our eldest son (oldest of our seven children), known to fellow FReepers as "Future Snake Eater", as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. F.S.E. was commissioned on Friday afternoon, then received his B.A. degree the following day from NC State University. Combined with his recent marriage to his lovely new bride at the end of February, this has been quite the past few months for the RightOnline household and Future Snake Eater. He will soon leave for Infantry Officer Training...