Free Republic

The same writers who proclaimed Joe Biden “sharp as a tack” are now busy denying that Joe appointed Kamala Harris his “border czar.” While giving that failure the attention it deserves, recall the new span of the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland. The original double-deck span had served well since the 1930s and was quickly repaired after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The structure could have been retrofitted for an estimated $250 million but Bay Area Democrats wanted a new bridge they said would cost $1 billion. California boasts some of the best bridge builders in the world...

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez was found guilty Tuesday of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes — including 1-kilogram gold bars — in exchange for using his powerful post to enrich and protect three businessmen and the Egyptian and Qatari governments. Menendez, 70, wearing a blue suit and pink tie, sat with his head bowed at the defense table and kept a poker face while the jury forewoman read the word “guilty” 18 times, for each count that he and his two co-defendants faced. The bombshell verdict was delivered in Manhattan federal court after about 12½ hours of...

After five decades of inaction, the Food and Drug Administration revoked the authorization of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food on July 3, 2024. The additive bromine, used to stabilize fruit flavorings in beverages and sodas, has toxic effects and has already been banned in many places, including California, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. What was the agency’s excuse for its 50 years in limbo? The FDA insisted it was “waiting for more safety data.” Right. Consumer advocates called the FDA’s ban on brominated vegetable oil in food “a victory for public health.” Still, digging deeper, it is indisputable...

The main suspect in an ongoing fraud investigation in Germany has incriminated several local politicians from the mainstream parties in the town of Düren, accusing key players in the district administration of taking bribes to approve bogus residence permits for wealthy Chinese nationals.Claus B., a lawyer suspected of leading a criminal enterprise that advertised its services to foreign nationals and registered fake companies in Germany to assist with work permits, says local politicians were complicit in the scheme and received incentives to look the other way.Former CDU district administrator Werner Stump was accused of having knowledge of the racket and...

A Minnesota jury found 5 of the 7 Somali defendants guilty of stealing millions of dollars in Covid funds intended to feed children. 70 members of the Somali community in Minnesota stole about $250 million in Covid funds. The seven defendants on trial related to the scheme were accused of stealing more than $40 million in taxpayer money. Millions of dollars went overseas to Somalia. 80% of the stolen Covid money was never recovered. “The verdict confirms what we’ve known all along, which is that defendants falsified documents, they lied and they fraudulently claimed to be feeding millions of...

In the lead up to the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) operation to destroy Hamas and secure the release of over 100 hostages – including 8 Americas – believed to be in and around Rafah, leaders around the world from Joe Biden to the collective leftist leaders of the European Union to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi panicked and ordered Israel to forestall its necessary means to end the war.Why did world leaders clamor for Israel to do nothing?What are they hiding?It turns out they are hiding a lot.Over one million Gazans were said to be sheltering in humanitarian safe areas...

A now-retired top U.S. admiral was arrested Friday on federal bribery charges for allegedly steering contracts to a company in exchange for future employment while he was the commander of Navy forces in Europe, according to the Justice Department. Robert Burke allegedly directed the lucrative Navy contracts to the company in 2021 while serving as a four-star admiral, and it later hired him in 2022 for a starting salary of $500,000 per year. Two New York executives with the company were also arrested Friday for alleged roles in the bribery scheme.

NEW YORK — In May 2018, a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer asked a State Department official how many Americans were “posted” in the American embassy in Egypt, but with a cryptic condition: “Don’t ask why I’m asking.” The official, Tiernen Miller, emailed the staffer back saying that they would have to ask for the information — and that “someone is going to ask why.” “Menendez is asking,” the committee staffer replied, referring to New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez — then the top Democrat on the powerful Senate panel. The email exchange was just one slice of hundreds of...

This raises some serious questions. . World-famous cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough recently revealed startling figures about the immense earnings doctors received for pushing the COVID-19 injections. On the Tommy T Podcast, Dr. McCullough claimed that a typical doctor could make an extra $250,000 if they injected a substantial portion of their patients. More specifically, if a doctor injected 75% of his or her patients at $250 per newly-injected person, that would end up being around $250,000. This revelation was discovered through a leaked Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield document. ... Dr. McCullough explained that a full-time primary care physician typically...

Judge Aileen Cannon unsealed a trove of documents Monday that appear to reveal a coordinated effort within the Biden administration to target Donald Trump with political prosecution after he left office. Special Counsel Jack Smith and other federal prosecutors in President Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted Trump in June 2023 for allegedly mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home. The indictment followed an unprecedented raid on a former president’s home the prior summer. President Biden also retained classified documents after leaving the vice presidency. Yet he was not charged because prosecutors say they believed he would “present himself to...

Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife were indicted Friday on charges of conspiracy and accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities, the Justice Department announced. Prosecutors allege Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, began accepting the roughly $600,000 in bribes beginning as early as December of 2014 from an oil and gas company owned by Azerbaijan's government as well as a bank headquartered in Mexico City. While Cuellar's wife allegedly propped up sham front companies on the promise of providing consulting services to the two companies in order to launder the payments, she "performed little to no...

Judge Aileen Cannon on Wednesday unsealed more records related to Jack Smith’s classified documents case against Trump. The newly unsealed documents detail allegations that Jack Smith’s prosecutor Jay Bratt threatened Stanley Woodward, an attorney for Trump’s valet driver Walt Nauta. Jay Bratt tried to bribe Stanley Woodward and threatened him with a sinking judicial nomination if he didn’t get Walt Nauta to testify against Trump. “Upon Mr. Woodward’s arrival at Main Justice, he was led to a conference room where Mr. Bratt awaited with what appeared to be a folder containing information about Mr. Woodward. Mr. Bratt thereupon told Mr....

Representative Matt Gaetz explains why he cannot support the effort by Marjorie Taylor Greene to vacate the chair and remove Speaker Mike Johnson. {Direct Rumble Link} As outlined by Gaetz, there are two or three specific republicans, former democrats, who will vote to support Hakeem Jeffries if the opportunity arises. With all of the exits from the GOP House team noted, it will be a struggle to keep the house in republican control in 2025 even with a resounding victory by President Trump. WATCH:

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it is giving Native American tribes across the country a total of $120 million to fight climate change.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is federally accused of accepting gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for his influence as a senator, is reportedly mulling an independent reelection bid. Citing a pair of sources “who spoke with him directly,” NBC News’s Julie Tsirkin, Carol E. Lee, and Kate Santaliz reported Thursday that Menendez is considering an independent run: He is now making calls to allies about his record and career and is preparing to collect petitions to run in November as an independent, the sources said. If Menendez were to run as a Democrat,...

Ukraine needs $3 bln in financial aid per month to survive the war in 2024. This was shared by the Ukrainian Finance Minister. Till now, Ukraine has received more than $73 billion in financial aid from its western partners but now the inflow of funds and weapons has slowed down. What are Ukraine's options? Are European nations in danger as Russia gains ground in Ukraine? Watch WION's Shivan Chanana have an in-depth discussion with Dr. Gilbert Doctorow, international affairs analyst, author, and historian from Brussels.

Hunter Biden was deposed yesterday before the Oversight and House Judiciary committees behind closed doors.. He made several nuanced statements: In an opening statement distributed to the media, Hunter accused House Republicans of spreading “baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies” about his father’s role in an array of foreign business relationships and insisted he “never” involved President Biden “in my business” — despite what Republican investigators say is substantial evidence to the contrary. Hunter's denials have continuously evolved over time as the GOP exposes evidence contrary to them. Within an hour House democrats were outside lying about the testimony. The top Democrat...

When fast food restaurants across California have to start paying workers $20 per hour on April 1, one major chain will be exempted from the mandate—and it just so happens to have a connection to a longtime friend and donor to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Panera Bread is poised to get a boost from a bizarre clause in the fast-food minimum wage law that exempts "chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item," Bloomberg reports, adding that "Newsom pushed for that break, according to people familiar with the matter." That exemption stands to benefit Greg Flynn, owner and...

The former FBI informant charged with lying about a $10 million-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden´s family is set to appear in a California federal court on Monday. A judge will determine whether Alexander Smirnov, 43, must remain behind bars while he awaits trial. Special counsel David Weiss' office is pressing U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II to keep Smirnov in jail, arguing the man who claims to have ties to Russian intelligence is likely to flee the country. A different judge last week released Smirnov from jail on electronic GPS monitoring, but Wright ordered the man to be...

President Joe Biden’s brother James said during the House impeachment inquiry on Wednesday that he threw away Hunter’s Biden first diamond received from CEFC China Energy Co, a source familiar with the interview told Breitbart News. Hunter received a second, $80,000 diamond from CEFC chairman Ye Jianming in February 2017. Hunter received the first diamond when Joe Biden was vice president to entice him to do business with CEFC, the source said. Hunter gave it to James to have it appraised, according to the source, but James said he threw it away.