Free Republic

At a time when the Trump administration’s robust defense of Israel at the United Nations is shaking up an institution that has long been hostile to the Jewish state, the biggest bloc of developing nations at the U.N. has decided to bestow its presidency on the “State of Palestine.” The move looks likely to increase pressure on the U.S. and Israel in the U.N. General Assembly, where the U.S. already invariably loses Israel-related votes by heavily lopsided margins. There is no sovereign state of Palestine, but the self-rule Palestinian Authority chaired by Mahmoud Abbas has since 2012 enjoyed the status...

It highlights the huge gap between Obama’s promise that his progressive, big-government economic policies would jump-start the economy, and the hard reality of America’s complex society and economy. The failure of Obama-economics was highlighted March 28, when the federal government admitted that the economy grew only 2.2 percent in 2014. ... Since 2009, the U.S. population has grown from 305 million to 321 million, including 11 million illegals. ... Even as he doubles down on his high-regulation, high-immigration policies, Obama insists that his top priority is increasing wages. ... But he’s continuing to rapidly add immigrants to the nation’s flooded...

Poor countries pulled out of the United Nations climate talks during a fight over transferring wealth from richer countries to fight global warming. The G77 and China bloc led 132 poor countries in a walk out during talks about “loss and damage” compensation for the consequences of global warming that countries cannot adapt to, like Typhoon Haiyan. The countries that left claim to have the support of other coalitions of poor nations, including the Least Developed Countries, the Alliance of Small Island States and the Africa Group...

The U.S. ambassador for management and reform at the United Nations, Joseph Torsella, scolded his U.N. colleagues today for excessive drinking during delicate budget negotiations. The unusual censure reflected lingering American frustration with its counterparts' conduct in budget negotiations in December, which one U.N.-based diplomat compared to a circus. "There has always been a good and responsible tradition of a bit of alcohol improving a negotiation, but we're not talking about a delegate having a nip at the bar," said the diplomat who recalled one G-77 diplomat fell sick from too much alcohol. As the United States sought to rally...

the devastating effects of minimum wage laws ... Today's overall teenage (16-19) unemployment rate, at 25 percent, is the highest since World War II. Black teenage unemployment, at 50 percent, is also the highest since World War II. How do you think the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton would explain the unemployment difference between black and white teens? You can bet the rent money they would say: It's racial discrimination. Let's investigate. Was racial discrimination in 1948 greater or less than racial discrimination today? In 1948, the unemployment rate for white 16-17 year olds was 10.2 percent while that for blacks...

Remember when the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and International Monetary Fund were constantly making global headlines for their fierce opposition from people’s movements around the world? Well, international Finance Institutions (including the World Bank) are rearing their ugly heads again—this time with the U.N. as their vehicle. Today, more than 50 social movements, trade unions, environmental groups, and NGOs from 17 countries issued a statement at the United Nations in Bangkok, where UNFCCC climate negotiations move into their fifth day. The groups, which include several large international networks, said that rich countries should acknowledge their historical responsibility and...

When big-box retailers close, other tenants look to shift or end leases. Vacant big-box retail space in shopping centers throughout metro Denver has left many neighboring retailers combing through their leases and looking for a way out. Many retail leases contain provisions known as "co-tenancy" clauses. The clauses take many forms, with some requiring a certain percentage of a shopping center to be leased and others naming specific retailers or categories that must remain open. If the conditions aren't met, the remaining tenants in a center can demand rent reductions or leave altogether. In other cases, tenants who are preparing...

Delinquencies on commercial mortgage backed securities soared $10 billion in June, hitting a 12-month high of almost $29 billion... California led the nation with the highest amount of delinquent loans, closely followed by Texas and Florida. Late loans across the country are up an “astounding” 585 percent from a year ago when just $4 billion were delinquent... California with almost $3 billion in delinquent loans, or 10 percent of the exposure, and Texas with $2.5 billion, or 9 percent of all delinquencies, "remain a major concern." In California, the delinquent properties are spread across the state, compared to Texas where...

The Labor DepartmentÂ’s official unemployment rate hit 7.6% in January, and its jump from 4.9% a year earlier marks the largest annual increase in the unemployment rate since 1975. But the governmentÂ’s broader measure of unemployment hit a more stunning level: 13.9%, up from 13.5% in December. The figure, which largely accounts for people who have stopped looking for work or canÂ’t find full-time jobs, is the highest since the Labor Department started the data series in 1994. How does the government calculate two unemployment rates? The widely followed figure is based on people who do not have a job,...

"From what I've seen thus far, much of the reporting in the U.S. and abroad has exaggerated the situation, according to General Casey. The number of attacks on mosques, as he pointed out, had been exaggerated. The number of Iraqi deaths had been exaggerated. The behavior of the Iraqi security forces had been mischaracterized in some instances. And I guess that is to say nothing of the apparently inaccurate and harmful reports of U.S. military conduct in connection with a bus filled with passengers in Iraq. Interestingly, all of the exaggerations seem to be on one side. It isn't as...

827 Seattle students informed they will be freshmen again... Nearly one in four Seattle Public Schools sophomores is missing required credits and has been reclassified as a freshman, potentially delaying graduation. The move, effective this semester, was part of a package of changes the district announced in October to help better prepare high school students to pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and graduate. Under district policy, high school students have to complete five credits a year to advance to the next grade. At some schools, the rate was far higher than one in four students. At Rainier Beach...

Forces cut French out of new armoured vehicle as a cost-saving measure... The Canadian Force's new armoured vehicle will be operated by an English-only unit with the army planning to save time and money by not translating documents and equipment manuals related to the $700-million purchase, according to a military report. The unusual arrangement with the Mobile Gun System (MGS) comes as the Defence Department is already under fire for shirking its responsibilities to official bilingualism... Military equipment in Canada is usually supplied with manuals and support material in both official languages. In total, the Canadian Forces will purchase 66...

One of the reasons for friction among liberals and conservatives is that we often don't even speak the same language. Words can take on a very different meaning when used by the other side, and so to help everyone sort it out, here is a quick list of words and their leftist meanings: Freedom Fighter = jihadist holding aloft Danny Pearl's head. Terrorist = anyone working in the Bush administration. Freedom of Speech = liberals uttering nonsense. Hate Speech = pointing out liberal nonsense. Racist = fallback position when you have nothing else to argue. Economic Justice = gimme gimme...

From 2000 through 2004, a net 1.3 million people moved out of states with taxes on ordinary income and into those without such taxes... Quietly, without banners or raised fists, they are packing up their families and belongings and moving from high-tax states like California and New York to lower-tax locales like Florida, Nevada and Texas. While climate clearly has played a role in the moves -- fed up with giving an ever-growing share of their riches to the state tax man. Many are upset at moves by New York, New Jersey and a number of other states to squeeze...

German unemployment has unexpectedly risen above the five million mark again ... equivalent to 12.1% of the working age population. the data was skewed by the unusually cold winter ... data also released on Tuesday showed a 1.4% fall in retail sales in December. The figures reinforced recent concerns that Germany's fledgling economic recovery could be held back by weak domestic demand. The headline rise in unemployment came as a surprise with most commentators expecting a modest rise. up to 30,000 people registered as unemployed this month ahead of the introduction of new benefit rules.

German public sector workers fighting plans to extend their working hours have widened their strike action to cover most of the country. An estimated 20,000 local and regional authority staff including nurses, cooks and cleaners have joined the largest public sector strike in 14 years. They are protesting against plans to extend weekly working hours by 90 minutes, from 38.5 to 40 hours a week. The industrial action...has now spread to 10 of Germany's 16 states... Leaders at Verdi - Germany's biggest union with 2.4 million members - have warned that the strikes could last for up to six weeks.

With budgets getting tighter every year, the U.S. Forest Service plans to raise up to $800 million in much-needed cash by selling off 200,000 acres of land across the country... The proposed land sale would be authorized under a Congressional amendment to the 2,000 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The law is intended to help rural communities that have seen National Forest logging-based revenue drop as timber cutting dwindled across the country. The list is based in part on land ownership adjustment analyses that designate lands suitable for disposal. Most of the lands to be sold are parcels...

Muslims who want to live under the Islamic Sharia law were told Wednesday to get out of Australia as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state and...

Denmark may cancel soccer match with Israel Danish fears over potential attempts to hurt its soccer players in wake of publication of Muhammad cartoons may prompt cancellation of match scheduled for March Tomer Ganor Muslim fury may lead to cancellation of soccer match: The Danish soccer association is considering canceling a friendly match between Israel and Denmark scheduled to take place at the start of March in Israel, according to Danish newspaper BT. The game was supposed to be Israel's first match under new manager Dror Kashtan. The reason for the possible cancellation is the hostility to Denmark over cartoons...

Swedish girls Malin and Amanda were on their way to a party on New Year's Eve when they were assaulted, raped and beaten half to death by four Somali immigrants. Sweden's largest newspaper has presented the perpetrators as "two men from Sweden, one from Finland and one from Somalia", a testimony as to how bad the informal censorship is in stories related to immigration in Sweden. Similar incidents are reported with shocking frequency, to the point where some observers fear that law and order is completely breaking down in the country. The number of rape charges in Sweden has tripled...