Free Republic

The State of California is attempting to blame former President Donald Trump for the fact that fraudsters stole $30 billion in coronavirus relief payments from the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD). As Breitbart News reported in 2021, the California State Auditor flagged the EDD for gross mismanagement: The EDD is the agency through which Californians are supposed to obtain unemployment payments and compensation for maternity leave. However, fraud and mismanagement have led to billions of dollars in losses. The EDD system has sent unemployment checks to prison inmates, while truly deserving Californians wait months for money that they need. The...

The man charged with having a deceased female body in his vehicle after leading police on a 37-mile pursuit along Interstate 75 is now set for a preliminary hearing. David Maurice Reed, 54, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was arraigned Friday in Laurel District Court on charges of murder - domestic violence, tampering with physical evidence, first-degree fleeing and evading police in a motor vehicle, second-degree criminal abuse, second-degree wanton endangerment with police officer as victim, careless driving, resisting arrest, and no operator's/moped license. Reed was spotted in Madison County on Wednesday, Jan. 18, weaving in traffic along I-75. The vehicle's...

As many have eloquently said before, politics is a circle of money. The politicians provide taxpayer funds to selected private sector businesses, and those corporations fund the political efforts of the politicians. It’s a circle of interests disconnected from the American electorate.In the latest example, the pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer, a multinational who received billions in taxpayer funds for their COVID-19 vaccination and other efforts, now gives a generous $1 million contribution to the Republican Party of Kentucky to expand a new building for the state party. Kentucky is the home state of Senate Leader Mitch McConnell.Nothing to see here, move...

The morning after the city of Louisville endured its ninth and 10th homicide victims of 2023's first 10 days, Mayor Craig Greenberg brought community leaders together at Metro Hall to call for change and reiterate his commitment to solve the growing crisis. "That is simply unacceptable. It's tragic," Greenberg said in a news conference Wednesday morning in downtown Louisville. "These are not just numbers. These are people. Ten lives lost. Ten families who have lost a loved one forever. Hundreds of neighbors who have lost a friend. And we are here today because we are one city, plagued by a...

Pfizer donated $1 million to the Kentucky Republican Party in 2021 in what is being called the highest donation to a political party in state history. The donation will be used to expand the Frankfort Mitch McConnell Building in the state capital. The donation seems like a perfect fit. Mitch McConnell has been a staunch supporter of the COVID vaccine and COVID legislation.

DUNDEE, Ky. (WFIE) - Kentucky State Police recently arrested three family members who ran a boarding school called Pilgrims Rest Ministry and Reconciliation in Ohio County. Kelly, Jonathan and Amanda Vanderkooi are each facing abuse charges. After their arrest, former Pilgrims Rest students are speaking out about the abuse they say they endured in their time at the school. Ezekiel Umali spent more than a year at the private boarding school. He says the school’s founder Kelly Vanderkooi regularly got physical. “He grabbed him by the neck from the front, then he picked him up and he slammed him,” Umali...

OHIO CO., Ky. (WFIE) - We’re learning more about the case involving three people in Ohio County who Kentucky State Police say ran a boarding school in Dundee and were arrested on child abuse charges. As we’ve reported, 52-year-old Kelly Vaderkooi and 28-year-old Johnathan Vanderkooi are facing charges including Criminal Abuse of a Child and Assault of a Child. 27-year-old Amanda Vanderkooi is charged with Sexual Abuse. Kentucky State Police say they’ve been running Pilgrim’s Rest Ministry, which has been in operation for about 15 years, with the help of about eight other people. Troopers tell us this case involves...

Three people are facing abuse charges after an investigation into a western Kentucky boarding school. Kentucky State Police said they opened an investigation at Pilgrim’s Rest School in Ohio County in October, after social services investigated allegations of abuse. An Ohio County grand jury indicted Kelly R. Vanderkooi, 52; Johnathan V. Vanderkooi, 28, and Amanda Vanderkooi, 27, all of Dundee, Dec. 16, court records show. Kelly Vanderkooi is facing 21 counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child 12 or under and 10 counts of fourth-degree assault (child abuse), state police said in a news release. Johnathan Vanderkooi is facing...

Former President Trump has a significantly higher favorable rating than Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll found.The survey provided a list of high profile figures across the board in politics and found Trump standing at the top in terms of favorability, garnering 46 percent.That is higher than every other figure featured on the list, which includes President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and more. McConnell’s favorable figures are toward the bottom half of the list, garnering a 25 percent favorable rating — 21 points lower...

Kentucky State Police responded to a first-degree criminal abuse complaint Oct. 24 at the Pilgrims Rest Ministry of Reconciliation, an Ohio County boys boarding school affiliated with the fundamentalist Baptist faith. Details of the incident are unclear. Both KSP and the state’s Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) have declined to provide information about the case — citing an ongoing investigation into the facility. “Premature disclosure of records generated in the course of this active investigation of alleged physical and sexual abuse of juveniles, at this early stage, would do irreparable harm to the investigation,” said KSP’s official custodian of...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Too many Americans are missing out on a cure for hepatitis C, and a study underway in a hard-hit corner of Kentucky is exploring a simple way to start changing that. The key: On-the-spot diagnosis to replace today’s multiple-step testing.... ...Testing isn’t the only hurdle. A full course of hepatitis C pills costs about $24,000 -- much less than when they first hit the market but enough that many states still restrict which Medicaid patients are treated...

Sen. Thom Tillis’ (R-NC) amnesty push is dead. That might be the best political Christmas gift in years—it’s undoubtedly the best news coming from the Hill in a long time. Tillis was working with Democrat defector Krysten Sinema (I-AZ) to get millions of illegal aliens on the citizenship track. You all know the details of the poison pill stipulation in the bill. The first 2 million Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients would be able to sponsor their extended family members when they’ve completed the process. It didn’t secure the border or remove the issue from the table. It just...

For all the opposition to Kevin McCarthy becoming Speaker of the House, he sure is doing the kinds of things to gain support from those with a skeptical eye.Initially, I wasn’t a fan of McCarthy following up a subpar election performance with a promotion, but it quickly became apparent that there is no alternate path. No other viable Republican who could gain enough support stepped up to the plate, and continuing to hold things up would only benefit Democrats at this point, who have floated the idea of electing a “unity candidate.”With that said, even though it appears McCarthy has...

Republican leadership in the House is barreling ahead with efforts to prevent Democrats from passing a lame-duck omnibus spending bill this year.“We’re 20 days before the new members are being sworn in. We’ve got two members leading appropriations in the Senate who will no longer be here or be able to be held accountable to the constituents,” Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said at a press conference on Wednesday. He was referring to Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., negotiating what will be in the omnibus, despite the fact that they will be leaving office next month.“We’ve got an...

A small but vocal group of Republican senators is furious with GOP leadership over the agreement with Democrats to approve a massive year-end spending bill that will fund the federal government through next September. The bipartisan deal has created a schism between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican colleagues in both chambers — including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy — who accuse Mr. McConnell and his leadership of rolling over to help Democrats pass a major budget on the brink of a government shutdown and the holidays without knowing what’s in it. “I don’t see any reason why Republicans...

Incoming Oversight Committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) announced the launch of the committee’s investigation into the origins of the Chinese coronavirus Tuesday by requesting interviews from Dr. Anthony Fauci and dozens of other virologists and government officials. Comer and committee member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who will also serve on the Judiciary Committee next year as chairman, launched their investigation by sending nine separate letters to various top officials, including Fauci and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, naming other individuals within those letters as well. 🚨BREAKING🚨@RepJamesComer & @Jim_Jordan are pressing senior Biden admin officials, EcoHealth, &...

Republican voters did their part. When one accumulates the popular vote for House races across the country, Republicans won by three percentage points—a margin that was once just under five points but narrowed as votes from deep-blue districts trickled in over weeks after Election Day. That kind of turnout for Republicans “would normally translate into GOP gains of 20-30 seats,” according to the Cook Political Report. But Republicans have as of early December netted only eight seats, bringing their total in the House to 220. At most, Republicans will hold 222. In races that seemed to be easy flips, Republicans...

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday lashed out at President Trump and blamed 2022 losses on support of the former president. Recall, Mitch McConnell held up funds for Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters and other solid MAGA candidates. McConnell funded RINOs like Murkowski from Alaska and dissed Trump-endorsed candidates. McConnell on Tuesday told reporters that the GOP didn’t do well in 2022 because of Trump. Not a word about the brazen Democrat voter fraud and disenfranchisement in Maricopa County. The GOP just needs more RINO/establishment candidates, according to McConnell.

@scotthortonshow YEMEN YEMEN YEMEN. I know I'm trying yall's patience with this, BUT The Senate is supposed to vote on the War Powers Act resolution SJ Res 56 TOMORROW TUESDAY. Sanders says he has the votes. We have to make sure. Please please please call your senators today. (202) 224-3121 We have a chance -- you and me, regular people -- have a chance to end a war. A terrible, disgusting, no-good, very-bad war. Genocide and Treason. And that's not hyperbole.* Please do what you can to drum up support today and tomorrow. Get you partner and co-workers to call....

The U.S. Senate is set to vote on the Yemen War Powers Resolution Tuesday, December 13! Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and demand your Senators support it today!Right now there is a huge opportunity for the Congress to force President Joe Biden to force the Saudis and United Arab Emirates to end their war against Yemen. This intervention has been totally unauthorized by Congress and does not serve American interests. The only enemies of the American people in Yemen are the members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). They are real bin Ladenite, anti-American terrorists. They...