Free Republic

The US has threatened to stop supplying rifles to Israel after their national security minister was seen handing them out to civilians.The diplomatic spat was prompted by images on social media of Itamar Ben-Gvir giving rifles to community security squads across the country, according to Israel’s daily Haaretz.The images appeared to show Mr Ben-Gvir distributing the arms at political events in Bnei Brak and El’ad, two towns near Tel Aviv.After several days of diplomatic exchanges, Israel committed to distributing the weapons only through its police or army, although politicians can be present when they are handed out.

Never before have we talked to so many top government officials who, in private, are so worried about so many overseas conflicts at once.Why it matters: We don't like to sound dire. But to sound a siren of clinical, clear-eyed realism: U.S. officials say this confluence of crises poses epic concern and historic danger. (snip)Former top intelligence officials tell us domestic unrest is one of their biggest fears — whether it's triggered by court rulings against former President Trump or protests over war in the Middle East. (snip) But there has been a total collapse of people's trust in the...

The White House confirmed that it had accidentally revealed the identities of several U.S. special forces members for the sake of posting a photograph on Instagram with President Joe Biden. “As soon as this was brought to our attention, we immediately deleted the photo," read a statement from the White House. "We regret the error and any issues this may have caused.” The photograph was posted Thursday as Biden visited Israel while the country conducted a military operation to root out terrorist Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. "In Israel, President Biden met with first responders to thank them for...

The founder of the government watchdog group ‘OpenTheBooks.Com’ says that for the past three years., the Biden Administration has sent hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians after the aid had been blocked during the Trump Administration. One America’s John Hines has more from Washington.

A regional effort to build out a hydrogen hub in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky will receive up to $925 million as part of the Biden Administration’s effort to decarbonize the U.S. economy. The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (Arch2), a West Virginia-led effort that combines the production of hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture and storage, is one of seven regional hubs that will be funded over the coming years. The administration projects the Arch2 effort will create 18,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs. Another winner is the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (Mach2), which envisions development...

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. is talking with Israel and Egypt about the idea of a safe passage for Gaza civilians as Israel strikes the enclave after a deadly Hamas attack over the weekend, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday. "We are focused on this question, there are consultations going on," Sullivan told reporters at the White House. "But the details of that are something that are being discussed among the operational agencies and I don't want to share too much of that publicly at this time," Sullivan said. Israel has battered Palestinians with deadly...

Agenda 30x30 Agenda 30x30 refers to President Biden’s identified goal "of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030" (the 30x30 goal) in Section 216 of Executive Order No. 14008, "Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad" (EO 14008) issued on January 27, 2021. WATO and the world are immensely grateful and would like to thank President Biden on this executive order which addressed the climate crisis, created a White House office of environmental justice and committed President Biden’s administration to this ambitious conservation goal. The U.S. is currently conserving around 26 percent of its...

It has been called the greatest grift in American history: an estimated $280 billion of taxpayer money that was supposed to help needy families and businesses through the COVID pandemic has been stolen. Only about $8 billion has been recovered through Justice Department prosecutions, according to a new congressional letter that is raising serious concern that the government is essentially yawning at a staggering amount of loss in tax dollars. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer wrote the letter to the Justice Department last week that he believes the vast majority of unrecovered money was stolen by criminal...

The Biden administration on Monday announced an additional $2.5 billion in climate resilience funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The funds include $1.8 billion through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) competitive grant program and another $642 million through the Flood Mitigation Assistance program. The Department of Homeland Security earlier in May announced $160 million in funds for the two programs.

President Joe Biden's comments that all Americans will "likely" be advised to get a new COVID vaccine as new variants spread through the country are "irresponsible," according to Stanford University Professor of Medicine Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.“I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress, a request for additional funding for a new vaccine—that is necessary, that works," Mr. Biden told reporters in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Aug. 25."And tentatively, not decided finally yet, tentatively it is recommended—it is likely to be recommended—that everybody get it, no matter whether they got it before," he...

Ceiling fans are now the latest target in the Biden administration’s green agenda, sparking pushback from Republicans and manufacturers. The Department of Energy is proposing a rule that would require ceiling fans to be more energy efficient, arguing the move would save U.S. households on energy costs. According to the Energy Department’s analysis, the new rules would save households about $39 over the lifespan of the new energy-efficient fan. However, the cost to manufacturers associated with the increased equipment will total $86.6 million per year, the department said. Republicans on the House Committee on Small Business say if the rule...

Americans could be urged by officials to drink no more than two beers a week as part of strict new alcohol guidelines. Biden's health czar told DailyMail.com the USDA could revise its alcohol advice to match Canada's, where people are advised to have just two drinks per week. Dr George Koob — who admits enjoying a couple of glasses of Chardonnay a week — said he was watching Canada's 'big experiment' with interest. 'If there's health benefits, I think people will start to re-evaluate where we're at [in the US],' he told DailyMail.com. Current US recommendations say women can have...

Following the Maui fire disaster, there have been concerns of mishandling and a lack of transparency, with claims of media restrictions on the island. The current media landscape seems determined to maintain a positive image of Joe Biden, especially evident in the coverage of the Hawaii incident. Two significant aspects underscore this narrative. Firstly, there’s President Biden’s perceived aloofness, marked by his repeated “no comment” replies to early queries and frequent vacations during this crisis. His recent visit to Maui only magnified his public relations challenges. Secondly, there are concerns about the local administration’s measures, or lack thereof, which may...

… A gallon of sustainable aviation fuel costs almost twice as much as traditional aviation fuel, according to the International Air Transport Association. Carbon recycling technology is broadly expensive, limiting how widely these kinds of systems can be embraced, which can then limit their development and adoption. The Biden administration took a step to address that chicken-and-egg problem Monday with the announcement of a $100 million grant program aimed at subsidizing carbon recycling purchases by state and local governments, as well as public utilities. Geoff Cooper, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, said that the funding will also help stimulate...

(The Center Square) – Members of the Navajo Nation in southeastern U.S. say the federal government is leaving their people behind with its energy policies, crippling their economy and leaving more people in poverty. Republicans on the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources are attempting to overturn such Biden administration policies, including the Department of Interior’s land withdrawal and ban on oil and gas leasing outside of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, where members of the Navajo tribe reside. The DOI issued a Public Land Order in June imposing a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park for...

BRUSSELS — There’s still more than a year to go before U.S. voters head to the polls, but at the heart of the European Union, officials are already racing to get as much as possible done before any potential change of leadership in the White House. “There is unprecedented close cooperation and coordination between the EU and the current U.S. administration. It goes from official levels to the highest levels,” an EU official, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the situation, told CNBC.

The White House on Thursday released its review of President Biden's fumbled withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, dropping the long-awaited report days before the Easter holiday while former President Donald Trump's indictment dominates headlines. In a 12-page outline, Biden officials defend the president's decision to withdraw, calling his decision to end the two decades-long war "the right thing for the country." The report does not appear to acknowledge any mistakes made by Biden. However, the document repeatedly criticizes the Trump administration for constraining the conditions of American evacuation, during which 13 American soldiers died in a suicide bombing while protecting...

The Biden administration is reportedly worried a 2008 spy law permitting warrantless wiretaps will not be renewed by Congress, as lawmakers on both the left and right have expressed privacy concerns. With the law set to expire at the end of 2023, the administration “is so worried” about renewing the legislation that “it has begun the push to lobby for reauthorization 10 months before the law sunsets,” the Washington Post reported. “Its value cannot be overstated,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said Tuesday at the Brookings Institution. “Without 702, we will lose indispensable intelligence for our decision-makers and warfighters, as...

If you thought that the story of Sam Brinton, the Biden official who allegedly likes to swipe luggage, was weird, it gets weirder.Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy, Sam Brinton was fired after the “non-binary” Biden official faced two felonies for luggage swiping in at least two separate incidents. Just the kind of person you want to deal with our nuclear energy.Brinton appeared in court last week on one of the charges.Non-binary former Biden admin official Sam Brinton arrives to appear in court today in Minneapolis for stealing a woman's luggage...

Missouri Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and 19 other attorneys general joined Catholic Bishops protesting religious profiling in a leaked Federal Bureau of Investigation memo. Last week, an FBI internal memorandum dated Jan. 23, was published by Undercover DC, an investigative journalism organization. It mentioned Virginia Catholics, specifically traditional Catholics, some of whom are not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, according to information from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. The attorneys general seven-page letter of complaint was addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The letter states the FBI memo “identifies ‘radical-traditionalist...