Free Republic

One of the great mysteries about the January 6, 2021, events is the lack of curiosity by the FBI about who planted the pipe bombs at the DNC and RNC headquarters. Amid all of the available CCTV video and surveillance technology exploited by the justice department, their transparent unwillingness to identify the pipe bomber has always been a dog that did not bark.The Occam’s Razor explanation for why DC and federal law enforcement have been incurious, points to law enforcement actually planting the bombs. New CCTV video seems to show exactly that.Shortly after 12:51pm a DC police SUV appears next...

Both Buddhism and Stoicism emphasize self-control, ethical living, and the attainment of a passionless state. However, the Indian philosophy predated Stoicism by about 500 years. Did Buddhism influence Greek Stoicism and thought, and, if so, how did it do so a continent away? Similarities between Stoicism and Buddhism: A shared path to inner peace Practitioners of Stoicism and Buddhism deeply understand life’s impermanence and the need to overcome desires. The philosophies teach mental discipline and detachment from external circumstances as paths to inner peace. In Stoicism, “apatheia” means freedom from emotional disturbance, closely mirroring Buddhism’s “nirvana,” the liberation from suffering....

A few minutes ago, a friend of mine pointed out something that no one seems to be talking about: an apparent gunshot wound on the leg of Thomas Crooks.I saw this on bodycam footage released by local police, seen here. There are two marks, one below and to the side of Crooks’ right knee. The other is above his right knee. The marks were odd enough to draw my attention, but not enough to make me look at them more carefully, or question how they got there.At first, they might look like a digital artifact, and that was my initial...

While most political pundits are focused on the pending matchup between former President Donald Trump and (presumably) Vice President Kamala Harris, a major facet of the 2024 contest that’s not getting enough attention is the election-related policy proposals appearing on state ballots across the country. From voter ID requirements to expanding mail-in voting, these proposed statutory and constitutional changes could significantly alter the way states administer their elections. Here are the biggest ones you need to know about. Ranked-Choice VotingOften referred to as “rigged-choice voting” by its critics, ranked-choice voting (RCV) is an elections system in which voters rank candidates...

Sixty-two percent of likely voters are concerned that the 2024 election will be marred by cheating, a new survey finds.A majority of voters are concerned that the 2024 election will be marred by cheating, a new survey released by Rasmussen Reports and the Heartland Institute finds.Sixty-two percent of “Likely Voters” are “concerned that cheating will affect the outcome of the 2024 election, including 37% who are Very Concerned,” the survey found. When broken down among presidential preference, 83 percent of voters who claimed they voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020 are “at least somewhat concerned that cheating will...

Donald Trump barely survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13—a fatal headshot was missed by millimeters. The would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was perched on an unprotected rooftop less than 200 yards from the rally stage. Secret Service snipers killed him during the attack. What was his motive? We don’t know the official narrative from federal authorities, which is becoming a recurring conclusion of such investigations by the FBI. Yet, a social media clue might point us in the right direction. It's a platform that has a disreputable reputation for being a haven for neo-Nazis and...

Many people have Thansgiving traditions. One of our neighbors has the Thanksgiving tradition of getting drunk and running over our mailbox. Last summer, I cemented in our mailbox and used heavy pipe. Cut his car in half this Thanksgiving like Grandpa using the electric knife on the turkey. When the cops pulled him out of the left half of the car, he was yelling at them that he'd never win the race with a pit crew as slow as them. One of our family traditions is that I do the Thanksgiving grocery shopping. I feel it's part of the manly...

Australia. "Gas the Jews on the steps of the Sydney Opera House "... 9 October.. [X · AustralianJA Sydney, 2023 Muslim mob of 100s chants "Gas the Jews"]. On October 10, in Melbourne, a rabbi and his eight-year-old son were subjected to death threats on the street by four men in a car who yelled 'F * ck ... Jew ... pigs ... die...' at them. • On October 12 , ECAJ , based in Sydney , received an Instagram message reading,' We are coming for you soon, from western Sydney.' • On October 14th , 20-30 members of the...

Americans are demanding answers. They want to know how it was so incredibly easy for a gunman to shoot President Trump and kill one of his innocent supporters. Clearly, there was at least a communication breakdown, and right now, we can’t rule anything out until we know more. Information is still coming in slowly. For instance, Senator Hawley has just revealed some disturbing details from a whistleblower about President Trump’s security details. According to this source, most of Trump’s security team that day in Butler, PA, weren’t even official Secret Service agents. Hawley claims they were unprepared and inexperienced personnel...

The depiction of Russia as an inescapable enemy is a dangerous narrative that will only undermine the long-term interests of the United States and the West by fostering permanent strategic ties between Russia and China. Notwithstanding the challenges posed by the Ukraine War, Washington must sooner or later develop a formula to exercise the kind of three-cornered diplomacy between Moscow, Beijing, and Washington developed by President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that helped win the Cold War and bring stability between these three powers. At the same time, Washington diplomats will have to help find a solution...

It remains to be seen whether or not President Biden remains the Democrats’ nominee for president, amid growing calls to replace him atop the ticket. But at this moment, the race is frozen in place. Indeed, Donald Trump’s lead in national polling — now sitting at 3 points (47 percent to 44 percent) per the RealClearPolitics polling average — has remained remarkably consistent for months. This is true even after Biden’s disastrous debate performance and the discontent it engendered among Democrats. Since last November, the race has been stubbornly rangebound, with Trump’s lead over Biden consistently within a 1 to...

Title: The Democratic Party's Leadership Dilemma: A Call for Change or Continued Decline? This morning, while chatting with a few of my neighbors, the conversation veered toward the challenges facing the Democratic Party and President Joe Biden. The consensus was clear: the recent poor debate performances, leadership mix-ups, and even mentions of Vice President Trump have left many questioning the party’s future. If the Democrats persist with Biden, it’s likely that millions of their supporters will sit out the upcoming elections. While not all may switch their allegiance to Trump, voter turnout will undoubtedly suffer—a looming concern for Democratic leadership....

Paul Ryan, one of the most prominent national Republicans in Wisconsin history, is also notable as one of leading Republicans to reject the GOP’s current standard bearer, former President Donald Trump. Ryan, of Janesville, represented Wisconsin’s First Congressional District for 20 years and served as speaker from 2015 to 2019, when, after three years of clashing with Trump, he did not seek re-election. (He currently serves in a number of corporate roles.) In a 30-minute interview with Milwaukee Magazine in late May, Ryan shared his views on Trump’s rematch with President Joe Biden, the state of the GOP, national affairs...

Yeah, it’s happening. The last half of 2024 is shaping up to be one of the most politically insane in a century and the sparks are already flying. The biggest moment of absurdity so far might be the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, in which it was made abundantly clear for all the world to see that Biden is on the fast track to crazy town. We’ve been saying for four years that the guy is gone, a dementia case propped up and protected by the DNC and the media. Now, it’s undeniable:There’s a vegetable sitting...

People also often try to simply change the topic of conversation. Image credit: zeljkodan/Shutterstock.com ================================================================== Eating too much meat is bad for you, bad for the environment, and fatal for the animals involved. Those are straight facts, indisputable and proven through years of study. But counterpoint: have you considered that vegans are annoying? If the comments section under just about any media promoting a vegetarian or vegan diet is anything to go by, the answer to that question is probably “yes”. And, in any case, what about all the poor plants, huh? You okay with murdering them, IFLScience? The blood...

DEBATE Joe the Truth Teller: Debt: Joe said Trump added more to the Debt (in a 4 year period) than any President in history. Truth: Joe Biden will be the President to add the highest Debt in History (via official projections) and Joe and Barack + Joe = roughly $17 Trillion added to the Debt. Border enclosures / cages Joe says Trump used cages at the border. Truth: the same cages / enclosures were used under Obama-Biden and there was no change. Border: Joe said that 40% less people cross the border illegally under him. Truth: Joe Biden is crazy...

Juan Merchan instructs the Jury to consider (1) a violation of the FEDERAL Election Campaign Act (FECA). Now, the FECA Federal Statute takes over completely to determine if it was violated criminally. When you look at the FECA Act right on Justice.gov website, you see immediately, for a Violation to be a crime, it must meet two criteria, the actions must have been committed willfully and KNOWINGLY. They reiterate this throughout and explain the accused must have known his/her actions were against the law and this must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Below are Judge Merchan’s full instructions...

The rooster bottle won’t get shipped anywhere until at least September.Marnie Shure is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience. For the past six years, she has been primarily focused on food publications, covering restaurant reviews, recipes, breaking news, fast food and grocery taste tests, industry trends, and more. She previously helmed The Takeout, a Midwest-based food website. Over the past few years, fans of Huy Fong Sriracha, the hot and garlicky chili pepper sauce in the iconic rooster bottle with the green cap, have experienced a roller coaster of emotions and heartbreak typically reserved for sports...

Men are abandoning the Democratic Party, and people are beginning to notice. This weekend, President Donald Trump’s super PAC Make America Great Again released an ad targeting black men in rural Georgia. It features a white, professionally dressed woman working a phone bank for President Joe Biden who talks to a male voice whose owner we never see. Here is the script: WHITE WOMAN: Hello, I’m with the Biden campaign. MALE VOICE: Yeah, yeah, I voted for Biden last time. WHITE WOMAN: That’s fantastic. MALE VOICE: Is it? Everything costs more: food, gas, rent. WHITE WOMAN: OK, but Biden’s helping...

The United Methodist Church General Conference has advanced a measure meant to allow different regions of the global denomination to determine their own standards on LGBT issues.At the Thursday plenary session of the General Conference, delegates voted 586-164 in favor of a petition for an amendment to the UMC’s constitution allowing for regionalization. The petition will now be sent to the annual conferences for possible ratification.The amendment will need to gain at least two-thirds support from the annual conference clergy and lay voters to be added to the UMC constitution, reports UM News.>At present, the UMC Book of Discipline, the...