Free Republic

Washington (CNN)The Democratic National Committee "rebuffed" a request from the FBI to examine its computer services after it was allegedly hacked by Russia during the 2016 election, a senior law enforcement official told CNN Thursday. "The FBI repeatedly stressed to DNC officials the necessity of obtaining direct access to servers and data, only to be rebuffed until well after the initial compromise had been mitigated," a senior law enforcement official told CNN. "This left the FBI no choice but to rely upon a third party for information. These actions caused significant delays and inhibited the FBI from addressing the intrusion...

   � After losing her second Presidential election, Hillary Clinton was, reportedly, set to retire from politics and use her time for more industrious pursuits, such as haunting the woods near her Chappaqua estate like some sort of pantsuitted Yeti. But it turns out that while her Presidential aspirations may have passed, she may be considering other political offices, including New York City mayor. Sources told Newsmax that Clinton has been discussing the possibility with close friends and strategists, and that her prospects look good—much better than if she were to take a third crack at a Democratic...

President-elect Donald Trump has fired,effective Inauguration Day January 20, every U.S. ambassador politically appointed by President Barack Obama, according to a report published Thursday night by the New York Times. The Times reports the State Department sent out a notice on December 23 informing the ambassadors of Trump’s order. The move sent shock waves through the diplomatic corps as some ambassadors in previous transitions had been given time to leave their post for personal convenience.

President Obama did not need any "additional evidence" that Moscow somehow interfered with the US elections prompting him to impose additional sanctions and expel a group of Russian diplomats, the White House has said. Last month, the outgoing president asked US intelligence agencies to conduct a full review of the alleged “Russian hacking”.....

MANILA, Philippines — President-elect Donald Trump would be well-advised to make a trip here early in his administration to shore up Washington’s troubled alliance with one of the linchpins of its regional security network, says former President Fidel V. Ramos, an elder statesman among the Philippines‘ political and military elite. “I just hope, and please suggest it to him, that he makes an early visit,” Mr. Ramos told The Washington Times. He suggested a Trump visit may be needed to neutralize President Rodrigo Duterte’s threats to downgrade the alliance in favor of deeper ties with China and Russia. “This is...

Filming his run for mayor didn’t work out so well for Anthony Weiner, but New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich is hoping for better luck. Mr. Ulrich, a Queens Republican who is considering challenging Mayor Bill de Blasio, began filming Wednesday for a possible reality show featuring his would-be run for mayor. Surrounded by a bevy of cameras, Mr. Ulrich said he wanted to avoid the fate of Mr. Weiner, a former New York City congressman, whose failed bid for mayor in 2013 was painstakingly chronicled in a feature-length documentary.

Back in October, Covergirl welcomed James Charles, makeup artist and social media star, as its first-ever male face. Now, Maybelline has followed suit by signing on another one of the wildly popular "beauty boys" of the vlogger world: Manny Gutierrez, aka @mannymua733. Gutierrez boasts three million followers on Instagram. He posts tutorials on Youtube, where two million people have subscribed to his channel (and given him 91 million views) since he started in July 2014.

When you first hit the road from Seattle on your way to Mason County there are lots of signs that the economy is buzzing, like construction cranes, shiny new buildings and hybrid cars. But when you wind around past Olympia into Mason County, you're more likely to see a pickup truck with a gun rack than a Prius. And the average wage in Mason in 2015 was about half as much as in King County. The political contrast is also dramatic. Whereas Seattle is Hillary Country, in Mason County voters bolted on a 13-point swing from Barack Obama in 2012...

... How did NBC get “an exclusive look into the top secret report he (Obama) was presented?” Who gave them this report and why? Politics! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017 ... The Democratic National Committee would not allow the FBI to study or see its computer info after it was supposedly hacked by Russia…… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017 ....

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — For the first time, the Marine Corps has put three enlisted female Marines in a ground combat unit once open only to men, officials said Thursday. They will serve as a rifleman, machine gunner and mortar Marine, said 1st Lt. John McCombs, spokesman for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejuene. They report Thursday to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, which has had three female officers in its ranks for several months to help integrate the enlisted females into the unit, McCombs said. The women's names and ranks were not released. "This process...

From his campaign fist bump to his theatrical mic drop at the last White House correspondents’ dinner, Barack Obama ruled as America’s pop culture president. […] And, months before the end of his term, he delivered what could be his with-it farewell line as he ended his remarks at the correspondents’ dinner by embracing a gesture popularized by rappers and comedians. “Obama out,” he deadpanned, as he dropped his microphone and left the lectern. […] For all the fascination with Obama’s pop culture finesse, there was a downside. Eric Dezenhall, a Washington crisis management consultant and former Reagan administration official,...

President-elect Donald Trump plans to pick former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats to head the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, overseeing 17 intelligence agencies, according to a transition official. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Coats would face a daunting task as the bridge between Trump and the intelligence community. Trump has begun openly feuding with intelligence agencies over their conclusion that Russia hacked into Democratic computers to influence the election. Coats recently concluded a term in the Senate, after also serving there from 1989 through 1999. He has also served as the U.S. ambassador to Germany. Coats, who served on the Senate intelligence...

We only have one president at a time. We all get that and until January 20th 2017 that is still BHO. Long ago and far away, back in an America before Hope and Change changed our hope to dread, we used to have peaceful and dignified transfers of power when one party replaced the other in the Oval Office. When Bill Clinton and Ross Perot defeated George the First he left Bubba the following note:

The Royal Navy at Sea

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), along with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Ben Sasse (R-NE), today re-introduced Sarah’s Law – legislation to honor Sarah Root, an Iowan who was killed nearly one year ago by a drunk driver in the country illegally – in the 115th Congress. Since first introduced in June 2016, support for Sarah’s Law has grown with the addition of new original cosponsors: Jerry Moran (R-KS), Pat Roberts (R-KS), John Thune (R-SD), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Jim Inhofe (R-OK). Congressman David Young (R-IA) will lead a House companion bill. “It is...

A top White House national security adviser and key proponent of the Obama administration’s diplomacy with Iran is the focus of a congressional inquiry following disclosures the FBI may have denied him top-level security clearances, according to communications exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser who led the administration’s efforts to mislead Congress about the terms of the Iran nuclear agreement, is under scrutiny in the wake of disclosures he was declined interim clearance status by the FBI in 2008, when the administration was moving into the White House. Since that...

Former CIA Director James Woolsey has left the Trump transition team, a spokesman confirmed in a statement Thursday evening. “Effective immediately, Ambassador Woolsey is no longer a Senior Advisor to President-Elect Trump or the Transition. He wishes the President-Elect and his Administration great success in their time in office," spokesman Jonathan Franks said in an email. Woolsey, who served as CIA director under President Bill Clinton, joined President-elect Donald Trump's campaign as a senior adviser in September. Aides to Trump did not immediately return a request for comment.

Former CIA director R. James Woolsey Jr., a veteran of four presidential administrations and one of the nation’s leading intelligence experts, resigned Thursday from President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team because of growing tensions over Trump’s vision for intelligence agencies.

Meet the REAL Housewives of ISIS BBC 2 spoof

“Arise, Shine, for Your Light Has Come” (Isaiah 60:1-6) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” “Arise and shine”? Are you kidding me? On a Friday night? In January? On a dark and cold night, with snow on the ground? “Arise and shine”? Heck, it was hard enough to arrive on time, much less “arise and shine”! “Arise and shine.” After the week I’ve had? Yeah, Pastor, why are you dragging us out here on a Friday night in January anyway? I don’t know of many other churches that are...

The Republican-led House on Thursday approved a bill that would require congressional approval before any major regulation can take effect, a reflection of GOP frustration with what they consider onerous rules from eight years of the Obama administration. The House passed the measure overwhelmingly along party lines, 237-187. The vote is just one of several that GOP leaders are planning in the early days of the 115th Congress to overhaul how regulations are made and to repeal specific rules enacted during President Barack Obama’s final months in office. Supporters argued that excessive government regulations have led to higher prices for...

The election’s over – but Hillary Clinton’s emails are still coming to light. And they help illustrate why the FBI declared she was “extremely careless” with the information flowing across her secret server. A new batch of messages released by the State Department on Tuesday shows the former secretary of state and her team routinely shared her upcoming schedules, talking points and sensitive items – such as her iPad password – via the homebrewed system. Other newly revealed emails, which were posted as the result of litigation, show Clinton’s top advisers griping about her during her time as secretary of...

The term “Brittany Herring life in prison” was trending on Facebook on Wednesday, January 4. By Thursday, January 5, a petition on the White House’s website that is asking for life in prison for Tanishia Covington, Brittany Herring-Covington, Tesfaye Cooper, and Jordan Hill — who can been seen in some of their Facebook photos online — gained buzz...

Larry Elder reads from a 2006 article in The American Spectator entitled, "Race to the Top" (http://tinyurl.com/gn88j7m). In the article we find out some interesting sides to the new Senate Minority Leader. And I am sure this info will become much more public now that the words of Sen. Schumer (D-NY) are in the troposphere.

Top intelligence official says Russia undoubtedly meddled in election US intelligence agencies have reportedly identified the entities responsible for transferring the hacked DNC documents from the Russians to Wikileaks. A classified intelligence review was provided to President Obama that revealed the information about how the Russians disseminated the materials, according to CNN. The information comes to light after Julian Assange denied that Russia was the source of the stolen documents during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. Intelligence agencies have determined that Russian intelligence agencies were behind the hack of both the Democratic National Committee and Clinton aide John...

A giant wire spool fell off the back of a truck on a Pennsylvania highway and started to roll down the highway. Luckily, no cars were hit. See what it looks like in real-time, at 10x speed and slo-mo. YouTube Link

FULL TITLE: Black teens are charged with a HATE CRIME after live-streaming torture of white disabled man who they held prisoner for days before he escaped - as cops reveal they have shown NO remorse The four black friends believed to be behind the disturbing torture of a white special needs man in a Facebook live video have been identified and charged with committing a hate crime. Jordan Hill, 18; Tesfaye Cooper, 18; and sisters Birttany, 18, and Tanisha Covington, 24, were charged Thursday morning with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery and a hate crime, according to the...

Bishop Athanasius Schneider, a collaborator with Cardinal Burke and an auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, have given a lecture on “Mary, conqueror of all heresies�, in which he warned that Freemasonry is an “instrument of Satan�. Bishop Schneider made this observation in the context of 2017 being the 300th anniversary of the foundation of Freemasonry with the establishment of the first Grand Lodge in London.Bishop Schneider described the past 300 years of Freemasonry as turbulent and hidden, in pursuit of a revolutionary and subversive ambition. He described Freemasonry as a “tool of Satan� that has largely shied away from daylight since its foundation.Bishop...

After viewing footage of a speech by US President-elect Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is less confident about his acumen as a statesman, and anticipates difficult relations between Europe and the United States in coming years.Merkel watched an hour-long video of Trump on a stop in Pennsylvania during his Thank You Tour, a kind of victory lap the billionaire is taking around the country after his unexpected November win. She advised the national executive committee of her center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Party to watch the speech as well, remarking that, "It is interesting to see the thought environment...

WASHINGTON — Two House Democrats are planning to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration to protest insulting comments Trump made during the campaign about women, minorities and other groups. Reps. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Luis Gutierrez of Illinois said they are skipping the Jan. 20 ceremony at the Capitol as a matter of conscience.

A refugee newly arrived from Somalia has been tried and convicted for attempting to sexually assault a special-needs woman while she was sitting outside of a home for the disabled in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Liban Mohamed, 39, was in the United States for only about a week when he tried to force himself on a 31-year-old woman with severe disabilities. He is not a U.S. citizen, but whether he will be deported in the wake of his conviction remains unclear.

~Favorite Songs about "Good Lookin Girls"~ Hank Williams - Hey Good Lookin' *Video* Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman (from Black & White Night) *Video*

A transgender man sued a Roman Catholic hospital on Thursday, saying it cited religion in refusing to allow his surgeon to perform a hysterectomy as part of his sex transition.

US Middle Class Still Suffering from Rockefeller-Kissinger Industrial Transfer Scheme to China DECEMBER 31, 2016 BY 21WIRE The Truth Hound When Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller met with Zhou Enlai in China in 1973—just after President Richard Nixon had visited China establishing official relations—an understanding was reached whereby the U.S. would supply industrial capital and know-how to China. In return Kissinger-connected corporations would gain the monopolistic advantage of low-cost labor production which could outcompete all U.S. domestic industry. The comparative advantage gained was being able to hire Chinese laborers who were ready to work hard at exceedingly low cost—with no...

The First Lady is Adopting a New, Highly-Ideological Anti-Hunger Campaign with Left-Wing Activist Group Jeff Stier of the National Center for Public Policy Research Says First Lady's Planned Ad Campaign for Left-Wing Food Activist Group Will Divide Americans Rather Than Feed Hungry Michelle Obama's Partnership With Activist Celebrity Chef Tom Colicchio Puts Minimum Wage and Organic Farming Issues Ahead of Fighting Hunger New York, NY / Washington, D.C. - First Lady Michelle Obama this week gave a major clue to her post-White House approach to public service. She's decided to partner with the far left-wing Food Policy Action Education Fund,...

<p>Higher education teaches them a hate-filled Feminist dogma that heterosexuality is a "social construct," males are violent predators, and sex with a man is rape. Millions of gullible girls are falling into a diabolical trap intended to make them pursue careers instead of families. As I have said, the purpose is to depopulate and destabilize society by destroying its fundamental building block, the family.</p>

American intelligence agencies intercepted communications that show senior officials in the Russian government celebrating Donald Trump’s election victory and congratulating themselves for helping him win. It was this reaction, in part, that allowed the intelligence community to come to the conclusion that the Russian government was involved in efforts to influence the election to assist Trump. Other information in the intelligence report includes Russia’s use of actors to provide hacked information to WikiLeaks. It was noted that this report was delivered to President Barack Obama today and will be presented to President-elect Donald Trump in his meeting with intelligence leaders...

Washington (CNN)US intelligence has identified the go-betweens the Russians used to provide stolen emails to WikiLeaks, according to US officials familiar with the classified intelligence review that was presented to President Barack Obama on Thursday. In a Fox News interview earlier this week, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange denied that Russia was the source of leaked Democratic emails that roiled the 2016 election to the detriment of President-elect Donald Trump's rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Tucker Carlson Vs Richard Fowler Chicago Facebook Live... 1/5/17. On Thursday January 5, 2016 edition of "Tucker Carlson Tonight", host Tucker Carlson takes on ..... himself. I don't think Tucker Carlson was ready for Richard Fowler to agree with his stance on the Chicago Facebook live thing. SHOW MORE

The first lady seems bitter that the voters, like rebellious teens, aren’t taking the Obamas’ advice anymore. Last month, Michelle Obama sat down with Oprah Winfrey for what many assumed would be one of those feel-good, lighthearted interviews. Past first ladies have provided similar end-of-term interviews, in which they tend to display both astonishment and relief that it’s all over, coupled with the proper magnanimity and graciousness toward the next family to reside in the White House. Yet, this time was different. Far from feel-good, Mrs. Obama seemed more like a frustrated mother lamenting the rebelliousness of her growing child....

FOR THE most part, Tuesday’s opening session of the 115th Congress was about pomp and circumstance. Still, the prepared speeches and swearing-in ceremonies reminded everyone that — for all the ferment over an impending Donald Trump presidency — there is also a legislative branch of government in the United States. Republicans control the Senate and the House as well as the presidency and are all but salivating over the power to enact dramatic changes to the course President Obama charted during the past eight years. But some wiser GOP leaders are at least questioning whether exploiting their majority to maximum...

Senator Murray: “I continue to have serious concerns about her long record of working to privatize and defund public education, expand taxpayer-funded private school vouchers, and block accountability for charter schools” (Washington, D.C.) — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after meeting with President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.  “I appreciate Ms. DeVos taking the time to meet with me to discuss her record and her vision for the Department of Education. Following this initial conversation, I continue to have serious concerns about...

MOUNT HOPE, WV - A man who was responsible for supervising juveniles at the Gene Spadaro Detention Center in Mount Hope is now facing felony charges. Stephen Basham, 37, of Scarbro was arrested on charges of Use of a Minor Child to Produce Obscene Matter, Criminal Invasion of Privacy and Possession of Child Erotica. Basham is a correctional officer at the Gene Spadaro Center. Deputies in Raleigh County began investigating the case on Dec. 31, 2016 when they received a tip about child pornography on a cell phone at home in Scarbro. Detectives said they found video of a minor...

Details are emerging about the four Chicago teens who were arrested in connection with the beating of a man after broadcasting the act via Facebook Live on Tuesday. The parents of the victim, an 18-year-old special needs student, reported him missing Monday, telling police they had not heard from their son since dropping him off Saturday at a McDonald’s to meet with a friend in the Chicago suburb of Streamwood, according to the Chicago Tribune. After the man was reported missing, his parents began getting text messages from someone “claiming to be holding him captive,” the outlet reported.

House Democrats are backing away from a last-ditch effort to muddy President-elect Donald Trump's win by raising objections when Congress meets to count the electoral votes Friday after failing to get a senator to go along. Several House members have been considering raising objections to the official vote certification – an act that wouldn't have halted Trump's win but could have forced debates in each chamber that would have kept the spotlight on the intelligence community's claims of Russian interference in the elections. Without a senator, the objections will go nowhere, since a member of each chamber must sign a...

Washington Post journalist Dana Milbank on Thursday, Barack Obama is comparable to George Washington and a fictional Disney Demigod. Lamenting the fact that the outgoing President isn’t getting enough credit, the columnist referenced the 2016 film Moana and quoted from song lyrics where the deity Maui bragged about how amazing he is: “What can I say, except you’re welcome for the tides, the sun, the sky? Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay. You’re welcome.”

Two sisters said they were kicked off an Allegiant Air flight after authorities deemed them a threat, and it cost them the chance to see their dying father. Debbie Hartman and Trisha Baker of DeLand, Florida, said they were on the plane Monday in Orlando, waiting to take off for Asheville, North Carolina, to see their father, who was in hospice care. When Baker got a text message saying her father only had hours to live, she wanted to tell her sister, who was sitting further back in the plane. She told Orlando television station WKMG that a flight attendant...

When you walk into school in the morning, you want the climate to be happy, welcoming and supportive. But what if you are unable to feel any of those things? In some schools, hostilities seethe under the surface and boil over into bullying and fights. Rather than connection there’s a sense of alienation that hangs over the school like a storm cloud. In schools with negative school climates, achievement and attendance drop,and teacher churn begins to rise.Following the tumultuous events of 2016,our schools and our young people are determined more than ever to create positive school climates. Indeed, events from...

A Charlotte pastor was arrested Wednesday in connection with nine armed robberies of businesses. John Thomas Lindsey, 47, pastor of True Love Church of Refuge on Nations Ford Road, was charged with nine counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon “We, the leadership and membership of True Love Church of Refuge, are deeply saddened and disappointed that our leader and brother, John Thomas Lindsey, is facing charges associated with criminal activity,” the church posted on Facebook. “Though we denounce...

Congressional Republicans and Donald Trump's transition team are exploring whether they can make good on Trump's promise of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border without passing a new bill on the topic, officials said Thursday. Under the evolving plan, the Trump administration would rely on existing legislation authorizing fencing and other technology along the southern border. Congress would be asked to ensure that enough money is appropriated to take additional new steps — but would not pass a stand-alone bill authorizing a big new wall. The potential approach was confirmed by two congressional officials and a senior transition official with...