Free Republic

A group of just over 100 homeless people in California's Los Angeles County and San Francisco Bay Area were given $750 per month for a year — no questions asked. The newly released results of the first six months of the study into the impact of a basic income and social support intervention reveal what the recipients spent the influx of cash. ... Those who received the $750 monthly stipend were less likely to remain unsheltered and closer to having enough money to meet all of their basic needs as compared to a control group who accessed usual homeless services,...

The camel's nose under the tent is becoming a full free ride now for DACA recipients on health care. For DACA recipients, U.S. life under Joe Biden just keeps getting better and better. Here's the latest from the Washington Examiner: President Joe Biden is reportedly set to expand the health plans available to hundreds of thousands of people who illegally immigrated to the United States as children. Biden's decision will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program to access government-funded health insurance programs such as Medicaid and Obamacare's health insurance exchanges, officials reportedly told...

In this episode of China’s Not Gonna Eat Our Lunch, Man…“Subnational incursions are afoot — China is on the hunt,” warn two former U.S. ambassadors, as Joe Biden and the Democrats continue to push unachievable “green energy” goals on America. Former U.S. Ambassadors Peter Hoekstra and Joseph Cella said Chinese companies, which are subject to strict Chinese laws, have made a concerted effort to take advantage of U.S. green energy goals.This report should come as zero surprise to those who’ve paid attention to the “climate change” madness.From Biden’s ridiculous, ill-informed goals to lunatic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s insane law that...

A secret plan drawn up by Russia’s security service, the FSB, lays out detailed options to destabilize Moldova – including supporting pro-Russian groups, utilizing the Orthodox Church and threatening to cut off supplies of natural gas. The document appears to have been drawn up to thwart Moldova’s tilt to the West, which includes closer relations with NATO and an application to join the European Union. It repeatedly refers to the importance of preventing Moldova from joining NATO. (snip)The document sets out a 10-year strategy for bringing Moldova, a former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, within Russia’s sphere of...

Masking and social distancing should be encouraged or even mandated once more in public in order to protect people from COVID-19 and from the possibility of suffering from "Long COVID," according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services. The report, commissioned by HHS and produced by research agency Coforma, calls for a broad range of government policies to help people who continue to deal with the lingering effects of COVID. Those policies include an awareness campaign, funding for long COVID support groups, financial support for students and workers, and new health benefits for COVID victims....

Eric Holder's resignation, just 40 days before the midterm elections, shows how jittery Obama is about losing control of the Senate this November. While Holder likely is getting out of Dodge before federal judges weigh in and order the release of documents showing he covered up the Fast and Furious and IRS email scandals, the timing of his resignation suggests that Obama wants to be sure that he has time for a Democratic lame duck Senate to confirm a replacement. With so much dirty laundry stacked up in the closets of the Justice Department, Obama didn't dare let in an...

Protests have erupted in Buenos Aires over the past 90 days and continue to build inside the capital as residents battle with their center-left government over sizeable amendments to social programs. Cuts to subsidies in the energy sector based on household income already began in June. Other subsidies, including the country’s notorious welfare program, are also on the chopping block, triggering thousands of angry residents to take to the streets. State-sponsored aid for civilians has soared in the past 20 years, leaving 22 million Argentinians dependent on some form of government assistance. However, for the 1.2 million members dependent on...

A top U.S. official warned the Chinese government there would be “consequences” if Beijing helps the Kremlin evade sanctions and said he believes China had at least some insight into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine before its launch. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for President Joe Biden, said on two Sunday shows that the United States would not just allow Beijing to undermine U.S. and international sanctions against Russia. While the Pentagon criticizes China for its "at least tacit approval" of Russia's invasion, China has repeatedly sought to lay blame at the feet of the U.S., calling it one of...

The Biden administration has been granted the request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by more than 20 GOP attorneys general challenging the revocation of the Keystone XL Pipeline’s permit. In his ruling, Judge Jeffrey Brown of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled that because TC Energy, the pipeline company, abandoned the project, he could not determine whether Biden’s action was constitutional. TC Energy announced on June 9 that it would permanently stop construction on the pipeline and focus on other projects. Upon taking office, Biden canceled the pipeline’s federal permit by executive order on...

A federal district court judge granted the Biden administration’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by more than 20 Republican attorneys general challenging the Keystone XL Pipeline’s permit revocation. Judge Jeffrey Brown, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, ruled that he couldn’t determine the constitutionality of President Joe Biden’s action because TC Energy, the pipeline’s developer, had abandoned the project. On June 9, TC Energy announced its intention to permanently halt construction of the pipeline, saying it would focus on other projects. Biden canceled the pipeline’s federal permit immediately after taking office on Jan. 20...

WASHINGTON—Russian oil imports have set a new record in the United States despite the strained relationship between Washington and Moscow. Industry experts believe the Biden administration’s climate policies will make the country more dependent on foreign oil producers. The United States imported record levels of crude oil from Russia in March and is expected to continue importing at high levels in coming months, according to the Western Energy Alliance, a trade association that represents 200 independent natural gas and oil producers in the United States. Imports of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia reached 22.9 million barrels in March,...

“Put him in a body bag.” Did that really happen at a Biden State Department press conference? Did the media push back on an attempt by this administration to take credit for a Trump-era policy? Yes, it happened. And the spokesperson was not too pleased for being called out for this attempted gaslighting of Trump’s Russia policy. The Associated Press’s Matt Lee was not going to allow Biden State Department spokesperson Ned Price to take credit for it, as it was clearly outlined and executed under the Trump administration. Lee is aggressive noting that this is a bit disingenuous, as...

The lead character in the Pixar film “WALL-E” is both an acronym (Waste Allocation Load Lifter—Earth class) and a lonely robot with a personality. While Pixar has mastered the art of animation, it is the implicit message this film conveys which makes it much more than a mere cartoon. Some conservatives have written the film off as anti-capitalist propaganda. If the intent of capitalism is to cater to the basest instincts of the human heart, requiring us to indulge our every whim and desire, leading to a dependence on government, then I guess I, too, am an anti-capitalist. However, capitalism...

A wise man once said, “In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.” That man was Benjamin Franklin. He further said, “I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but...

With empty shelves at grocery stores and businesses and schools closing, it’s understandable that Americans are worried about what the future holds. As someone who worked alongside the professionals and civil servants who are helping manage this crisis, I hope to offer some small comfort to Americans hunkered down in their homes. You may have seen an extraordinary woman named Ambassador Deborah Birx front and center at the president’s recent press conferences. I had the privilege to work with her for over two years and travel with her around the world implementing America’s global HIV program called PEPFR. At President...

Tourism is down in the ancient city of Lopburi, and the local monkeys are going ape. Rival gangs of macaques brawl in the streets of Thailand. In one of the more unusual incidents being attributed to the new coronavirus outbreak, a turf war between dozens of street monkeys and temple monkeys broke out in Thailand's historic city of Lopburi on Thursday (March 12). According to city residents, the furry fracas likely resulted from a sharp dip in tourism to the 800-year-old city — and thus a dip in free food offerings to thousands of local monkeys."It’s the summer so usually we see...

The Trump Administration plan to put 700,000 able-bodied recipients between the ages of 18 and 49 enrolled in the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to work drew strenuous objections from Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). The planned work requirement is projected to save taxpayers $5 billion over 10 years. "It's hard to see this as anything but the President being cruel for cruelty's sake," Murray complained. "The people targeted may be able-bodied, but why should they be forced to sacrifice the leisure they became accustomed to when they got the food with no strings attached? Eating is a human right....

At the charming Hudson train station in New York, volunteers sell small cups of coffee for $1. The idea is to raise money for the children’s charity in town. They only accept cash. Not everyone carries cash. “Do you ever just let people have coffee on the promise that they will pay you later?” I ask. “Yes, and most do, but some people do not,” says the cashier. “We figure out who is who. When someone is taking advantage of our generosity, we say, ‘You may not have a cup of coffee. Next time bring cash.’ They figure it out...

The Trump administration Opens a New Window. proposed new rules to limit access to food stamps on Tuesday – a move that officials said would end benefits for about 3.1 million people – by closing a loophole that allows states to automatically enroll residents already receiving other welfare benefits. “This proposal will save money and preserve the integrity of the program,” Sonny Perdue, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, said in a conference call. “SNAP should be a temporary safety net.” According to data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Opens a New Window. , about 40 million low-income people...

Entrepreneur, Ivy-Leaguer, New Yorker, and prospective 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang hopes to win his way into the White House on a promise of a $1,000 per month “freedom dividend” to every American family. “Critics will say my idea is impractical,” Yang predicted. “But I’ve just initiated a pilot test of the concept with the Fassi family of Goffstown, New Hampshire. I gave them their first check on New Year’s Eve. The checks will continue for the entire year. I predict that their lives will be enriched and their anxieties relieved. If elected president in 2020 I will extend...