Free Republic

CHICAGO -- New statistics out Friday show there is an average of 10 shootings in Chicago a day. There were 355 shootings and 429 shooting victims in June. There were also 72 murders last month, up from 46 in June of 2015. At the halfway point for the year, homicides citywide have jumped 49 percent, hitting levels unseen since the late 1990s. Through June 19, Chicago had more homicide than New York City or Los Angeles combined. Chicago police are blaming repeat offenders with illegal guns and ties to gangs. The CPD says it has taken more than 4,300 guns...

If you knew nothing else about President Obama other than looking at the data, you might conclude that he was insensitive to blacks, given that they have done far worse economically under his administration than Hispanics or whites. What is striking is that the president and his advisers still seem to be clueless about which economic policies work and which don’t work. Despite his (at least for this week) emphasis on the economy, he persists in being the anti-Reagan, with anti-growth policies. In his speech Wednesday in Illinois, the president came up with no new pro-growth proposals, just more of...

If you want to know why the left is wrong about income inequality, you need to watch this Margaret Thatcher video. In just a few minutes, the “Iron Lady” explains how some – perhaps most – statists would be willing to reduce income for the poor if they could impose even greater damage on the rich. This picture is another way of getting across the same point. It was sent to me by Richard Rahn (famous for the Rahn Curve), and it uses two pizzas to show how leftist policies would “solve” inequality. I like this analogy, and not just...

Abstract: Five of the world's richest hedge fund managers, including George Soros, the man who the broke the Bank of England, have been called to account by US politicians for their role in the collapse of the global financial system. The quintet – including John Paulson, who made $3.7bn (£2.49bn) last year betting against the US mortgage market – were grilled over their roles in buying unregulated derivatives products, which some politicians believe contributed to the financial markets' meltdown. The men, who each earned more than $1bn each last year, were called to account by Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman, who...

The majority of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics believe that the federal deficit should be reduced only or primarily through spending cuts. The survey out Monday found that 56 percent of the NABE members surveyed felt that way, while 37 percent said they favor equal parts spending cuts and tax increases. The remaining 7 percent believe it should be done only or mostly through tax increases. As for how to reduce the deficit, nearly 40 percent said the best way would be to contain Medicare and Medicaid costs. Nearly a quarter recommended overhauling the tax system...

CHICAGO - Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said he plans to hit Chicago's grocery stores, train stops, "bowling alleys and hot dog stands" as he prepares to run for mayor of the nation's third-largest city. Emanuel announced Sunday in a video posted on his website, ChicagoforRahm.com, that he's preparing to run. He had been careful not to launch his candidacy from Washington and headed to Chicago immediately after his resignation was announced by President Barack Obama on Friday. In the video, Emanuel said he's embarking on a "Tell It Like It Is" listening tour of Chicago. "As...