Free Republic

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” CNN National Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood discussed her report on transcripts of congressional testimony by State Department officials John Bass, James DeHart, and Jayne Howell where DeHart said that tactical operations to get important people to the airport were created “from scratch” and the Bass said that the evacuation “substantially exceeded…the scope and scale of what had been contemplated.” And noted that the descriptions contradict the rosier picture of the evacuation painted by the Biden administration. Atwood said, “The chaos on the ground after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, a reflection of the...

The Heritage Foundation is out with a new roadmap on how to reform the FBI as the federal law enforcement agency continues to be embroiled in controversy and civil liberties violations. "The FBI’s chilling record of politicized abuses and the executive branch’s continuing misuse of federal intelligence authorities to target the exercise of free speech and other constitutional rights of Americans gives Congress clear and compelling grounds for enacting forceful reforms, starting with the FBI," a recently released Heritage report states about the need for reform. "In fact, the time is ripe for Congress to consider a complete reconstruction of...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — A Bonita Springs man cashed in his top prize-winning scratch-off ticket worth $25 million from the Florida lottery. George Demetriades claimed his $25 million prize at the Lottery’s Fort Myers District Office on May 11. Demetriades bought his 500x THE CASH scratch-off ticket from the Circle K located at 10460 Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs. The retailer will also receive a $50,000 bonus commission for selling Demetriades the Scratch-Off ticket. This $25 million prize is the largest ever offered on a Florida scratch-off game, according to the Florida lottery.

The two divisions of the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park continue to lose starters. Originally drawn with 11 horses apiece, they have nine-horse fields as of April 30. The connections of four horses - Shooters Shoot and Wrecking Crew (first division) and Saratogian and Fast Enough (second division) - have informed the Oaklawn racing department they will be scratched. According to a news release issued by Oaklawn Park publicity, official scratch cards for Shooters Shoot and Wrecking Crew had already been submitted. Cards for Saratogian and Fast Enough are expected to be submitted Friday. **SNIP** If the...

A Russian citizen accused of being a hacker by both Russia and the U.S. has claimed U.S. officials offered to cut him a deal if he admitted to interfering in the 2016 presidential election. Yevgeniy Nikulin, 29, has found himself in the middle of an international dispute between Washington and Moscow, at the very center of which lies U.S. allegations that Russia sponsored a series of hacks targeting Democratic Party candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in favor of Republican candidate and current President Donald Trump. On October 5, 2016, days before U.S. intelligence publicly accused Russia of...

This is not intended as an advertisement or an endorsement of a product. A Harriet Carter catalog arrived today and this picture was on the front cover. I simply thought it captured a typical feline attitude, one of superiority and self-indulgent pleasure.

A new animated video by Israeli animation firm "The Scratch Group" explains the complex situation Israel is in, with regard to Arab terror from Gaza – and it does so, arguably, better than all of the official spokesmen combined. In under three minutes, the talented team conveys the frustrating dilemmas Israel faces in its asymmetric war against a terror state that has the world on its side. Commentators are divided with regard to the success of Operation Pillar of Defense, but there is general agreement that Israel's effort in the field of hasbara – or national public relations and information...

Despite a lagging economy and high unemployment rates, retailers are reporting this year is one of the best for sales, with 152 million shoppers expected to hit stores this Black Friday. Early reports suggest that bigger crowds were found at the nation's malls and stores as retailers like Macy’s and Target opened their doors at Midnight. It what seems to be a burgeoning Black Friday tradition, reports of violence erupted throughout the country....

So, it’s no secret that Herman Cain has experienced a jaw-dropping dip in the polls – and not because of the competition. We’re all familiar with the inexplicable statements and his take on controversial positions … several out of error, misinformation and/or misunderstanding of certain issues that a man running for president maybe ought to know. Political prognosticators are saying that his continuous flubs and gaffes are to blame for his falling from top spots in Republican polls more so than allegations that he sexually harassed and assaulted women in his past. For a guy presumably wanting the title of...

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A former Indiana mayor who won four terms in the 1930s and 1950s is proving less popular with modern-day city leaders, who say they probably won't name a new government center for him because of the jokes his moniker could inspire. Harry Baals is the runaway favorite in online voting to name the new building in Fort Wayne, about 120 miles northeast of Indianapolis. But Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy said that probably won't be enough to put the name of the city's longest-tenured mayor on the center. The issue is pronunciation. The former mayor pronounced his...

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Scratch 'n Sniff Mailers: Loretta Sanchez Smells BadOct 25 2010, 1:40 PM ET The Hotline reports that, in the ethnically charged race for California's 47th congressional district, scratch 'n sniff mailers are being deployed to insinuate that incumbent Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) is smelly: Assemb. Van Tran (R) "is sending out a scratch-and-sniff direct mail piece attacking" Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) "that features a hideous odor emanating from it." The mailer: "Open for a fragrance sample of 'Loretta, The Scent Of Washington.'" The mailer, on the inside: "Something smells rotten about Loretta. It's the stench of Washington." "Below that is...

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If you can make a flea cooperate with you, you're probably good at politics I have to say, this is probably the strangest subject we ever talked about on Dark Roasted Blend. However, it is such a rich showcase of miniature art and craftmanship, and the "wow" factor is there as well: A flea, with legs finer than a human hair, can pull up to 700 times its own weight! A flea can lift up to 60 times its own weight! A flea can jump over 150 times its own height! When we build circuses on Mars, or asteroids one...

Conservative author Ann Coulter is firing back at Sen. Hillary Clinton, after the former first lady attacked her for being "vicious [and] mean-spirited" towards a group of politically active 9/11 widows. "I think if she's worried about people being mean to women she should have a talk with her husband," Coulter told radio host Sean Hannity, who was hosting a book signing for the conservative firebrand on Long Island. "This is, I remind you, Bill Clinton's wife," Coulter added. "[And I'm the one who's] mean to women?" Earlier in the day, Mrs. Clinton complained about Coulter's attacks on the Jersey...

/begin my translation China: A Large Riot Broke Out In Anhui Province [Epoch Times, 2005/06/28]  In the afternoon of June 26, 2005, a large riot broke out in Chi-zhou, Anhui Province, China, in which about 10,000 people attacked a police substation and set fire on police vehicles.  However, crowds at the scene disagreed with the Chinese media report, and explained the situation as follows:  "At 2 pm, Liu Liang, a middle school pupil was a riding a bicycle, and it happened to graze a car which the owner of Ren-he Clinic, a private hospital, is riding, resulting in a scratch. The argument from both...

I have a DVD I need to salvage if possible. My kids have managed to scratch it (but it doesn't look horribly scratched, just superficial scuffs). I have heard there is programs that allow one to extract the infomation so I can record it (or just view it on my computer). I can watch about 2/3rds of the disk without problems then it starts lagging and eventually stops (and locks up). I have tried numerous players from my home tv dvd player to my two dvd players (one is a recorder) on my computer. All sources lock up about the...

First of all, thanks to the five people who have each pledged $100 a piece in addition to my $10,000 offering. Therefore, anyone who can reasonably recreate the CBS memos on equipment available in early 1972 will be receiving at least $10,500.

DEXTER, Mich. (May 7) - Russell Tanner better stay inside during a thunderstorm, because if somebody has a chance of being struck by lightning, it's him. The 78-year-old Dexter resident won his second $1 million scratch-off lottery game last week - the only known two-time winner of the game in Michigan. The retired custodian and factory worker who still lived in a manufactured home following his June 2002 winning ticket, said he was stunned to win again. "I couldn't believe that I could be so blessed. It just feels great to win," he said. The odds to win the game...

MIDI - BAND ON THE RUN (fairly long intro) We were on our swift boat...rolling down the river Kerry had been dreaming of a Purple Heart...his first Purple Heart Oh, yeah...first Purple Heart...that would...have been quite a start He was planning a future career...everything he did went to that end Everybody knew that it was true...there was no need to even pretend He would follow John Kennedy He thought he's the next John Kennedy...he was planning it out very well If his comrades would get in his way...then they all could go right straight to hell He would follow...