Free Republic

The highflying hedge fund run by Leopold Aschenbrenner is in crisis mode after AI-related bets sank Situational Awareness, the once-highflying AI-focused hedge fund, sold the bulk of its stock portfolio to Ken Griffin’s investment firm Citadel after suffering deep losses, according to people familiar with the matter. It marks a sudden downfall for Situational, led by former OpenAI employee Leopold Aschenbrenner. It had amassed well over $20 billion in assets under management since its founding just around two years ago, making it one of the fastest-growing firms in years. Aschenbrenner, who is in his mid-20s, was seen by some as...

Explanation: This could be the view from an exoplanet orbiting around a red dwarf star, but it is our own Sun. This image was taken on July 22, 2026, in the Okanagan region in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest acted as a solar filter, allowing the photographer to take this photo of the Sun directly. Several sunspots are also visible in this eerie image; just below and right of the center is AR 4493, a fast evolving, giant active solar region and sunspot group. The smoke is made of tiny particles that help...

The Moon is about to get a new crater courtesy of Elon Musk, and astronomers are ready to watch it happen. ============================================================= A topographical map of the Einstein crater on the Moon, near where the rocket stage is expected to hit. Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) ===================================================================== VIDEOS AT LINK.............. Astronomers are poised to watch an artificial impact on the Moon, in a collision that is expected to leave a 20-30-meter (66–98-foot) crater on the lunar surface. As well as professional astronomers wishing to study the impact and resulting debris, amateur astronomers may be able...

New York City’s mayor may not be welcome at events honoring the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, according to a new petition, but the mayor vows to be there anyway.With 50,000 signatures as of Thursday morning, the petition lays out concerns with Mamdani’s statements and associates, though some of them are disputed. Mamdani has been staunchly supportive of Palestinians, who he says have been unfairly bombarded by Israel in its war against Hamas, but critics argue Hamas gave Israel little choice. Though Mamdani has repeatedly called 9/11 a terrorist attack and reiterated that on Wednesday, his critics say they...

The Walt Disney Company has dramatically escalated its showdown with the Federal Communications Commission, accusing the agency of carrying out a politically motivated campaign on behalf of President Donald Trump that could strip broadcast licenses from some of Disney-owned network ABC’s biggest television stations. In a 109-page filing, Disney argued the federal agency’s actions amount to retaliation over the entertainment company’s programming, including criticism of the president by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and scrutiny surrounding Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the Administration’s view of...

Thursday’s Morning Joe spent little time on Anthony Fauci’s actual refusal to answer questions at yesterday's Senate committee hearing, and far more time insisting the real COVID villains were Donald Trump and his “spineless minions.” Joe Scarborough opened with a puerile stunt, pretending he hadn't seen the hearing, but was sure the Republicans had finally admitted that the president had lied to the American people about the seriousness of the pandemic.Jonathan Lemire and Mika Brzezinski played along with Scarborough's charade, facetiously informing him that “that’s not quite how yesterday played out,” and accusing Joe of poor show prep. The screencap...

(LEX NEWS) — Former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis is facing new allegations in federal court that she provided false sworn answers while creditors attempted to collect on a judgment exceeding $565,000 stemming from the high-profile same-sex marriage case that drew national attention nearly a decade ago. In a motion filed July 28, attorneys for plaintiffs David Ermold and David Moore allege Davis falsely stated under oath that she owned no property and had not made significant transfers of personal assets. The filing contends public records show Davis inherited interests in multiple parcels of real estate and later transferred those...

The biblical account of Daniel in the lions’ den is so well known that even those with differing religious beliefs or none are likely familiar with it. [SNIP] Daniel Grand is a devout Orthodox Jew who has lived in University Heights, Ohio, a small suburb east of Cleveland, since 2019. He bought his home to raise his family and live out his faith. For Daniel, those things are inseparable. Orthodox Jewish practice calls for prayer in a group of at least ten men three times every weekday and four times on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. [SNIP] A neighbor saw...

Unleashed on Wednesday was a literal tidal wave of anger against Anthony Fauci, once the chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Joe Biden's top COVID-19 adviser, over his refusal to answer questions from Congress. "The fact that he knew he was lying to the American people — he should be held in contempt, he should be prosecuted for perjury, and he should go to jail," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Those questions arose because of his multiple statements in personal diaries that clashed, sometimes stunningly, with the talking points he was delivering in public, those...

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) made some of his first public comments this week about the ongoing scandal rocking the Republican Party in his state: the domestic violence allegations against Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) brought by his ex-wife, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH). Miller is in a tough reelection fight as Democrats in the state are calling for his resignation following allegations made in divorce documents from Emily Moreno, who accused Miller of physical and emotional abuse. Emily Moreno has accused Miller of having “scalded her chest and stomach by throwing hot water from a skillet at her...

Alex Jones, the former owner of InfoWars, on Tuesday said President Trump must be impeached over the Iran conflict, describing the situation as “absolutely out of control” and warning that the administration is preparing for a national draft. “The big issue is how to stop Trump. And we have to have Congress go for the war powers. They’ve tried three times to vote on war powers — they’re supposed to authorize a war. This is a war; they’re getting the draft ready. If this isn’t a war, nothing’s a war. I mean, this is absolutely out of control,” Jones said...

President Donald Trump is back flying on the traditional blue-and-white Air Force One, while his plane gifted from the Qatari royal family is in the shop. It's easy to forget that two other planes are still on the way. Boeing announced in its Q2 financial statement on Tuesday that the Air Force One program will cost an additional $280 million. The program is now $3.1 billion over budget. Unlike the Qatari jet, Boeing is footing the bill for cost overruns, not the taxpayer. The first VC-25B was initially slated for delivery in 2024, the final year of Trump's second term...

You may have recently realized that prominent figures can easily slide off the hook by pleading the Fifth Amendment, but did you know it's possible to plead the Fifth at home as well? Husbands, stop incriminating yourselves by simply pleading the Fifth when faced when any of these eight questions: "If I die first, how long until you remarry?": There is no answer here that does not lead to your untimely death. "Am I becoming like my mother?": Brother, this is why the Fifth Amendment was invented. "Are you sad you married me and not my sister Rachel?": Keep...

WC21 (UK) Productions Ltd explores the village of Hincaster, historically rumored to have Roman origins despite lack of evidence. By analyzing historical maps, LiDAR data, and local archaeology, they investigate a potential site for the long-lost settlement. Lost Roman Castrum Found by COMPLETE AMATEUR | 28:24 WC21 (UK) Productions Ltd | 33.4K subscribers | 56,455 views | July 20, 2025YouTube transcript reformatted at textformatter.ai *may* follow.

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo will not overturn Francis’ Latin Mass restrictions: Cardinal RocheThe Vatican’s liturgy head said Pope Leo XIV will maintain the provisions of ‘Traditionis Custodes’ and will not return to the broader Latin Mass permissions established by Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Arthur Roche said in a new interview that Pope Leo will not restore freedoms for the Traditional Latin Mass extended under Pope Benedict XVI.On July 29, British Catholic weekly The Tablet published an interview with Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who stated that Pope Leo XIV will maintain...

Amazon's Zoox unit won U.S. approval on Wednesday for limited commercial deployment of its novel steering-wheel-free robotaxis, a first for the autonomous ride industry, the U.S. auto safety agency said Thursday. The exemption from ‌National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rules requiring human controls, first reported by Reuters, marks a milestone for companies developing robotaxis from ‌the ground up, rather than modifying conventional cars under safety regulations written long before self-driving technology emerged. Along with Zoox, whose electric carriage-style vehicle has two rows of inward-facing seats and ​a top speed of 75 miles per hour, others such as Tesla and Alphabet's...

From politics to 'a very exciting event' As March Madness heats up we are more than likely going to encounter a peculiar word that is much beloved by sports writers and political pundits alike: barn burner. barn burner The 'Barnburners' were one of two competing factions in the New York State Democratic Party in the middle of the 19th century. The name was “in allusion to the story of an old Dutchman who relieved himself of rats by burning his barns which they infested.” In the modern parlance a barn burner is defined as "a very exciting game, event, etc."...

The difference between liberals and conservatives. "Liberals want free stuff". "Conservatives want FREEDOM.

A Russian missile crashed in Poland on Thursday during an overnight assault on neighboring Ukraine, NATO said, an event that could risk bringing Russia closer to direct confrontation with the Western military alliance, to which Poland belongs. Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, said the incident was a “violation of Poland’s airspace by a Russian missile” and vowed to strengthen alliance defenses. The missile — which the Polish authorities originally called an “unidentified object” — struck a field in southeastern Poland, causing no injuries. On Thursday morning, Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland told an emergency meeting that the missile...

Investigators have extensive wiretap evidence and may soon charge several individuals in a sprawling corruption probe involving Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer Newsom. It was reported earlier this month that the FBI used a Democrat insider as an informant to infiltrate Governor Gavin Newsom’s inner circle before the corruption probe expanded into the governor and his wife Jennifer Newsom. Recall that Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, was indicted on federal wire fraud charges last year. Last month, Newsom fumed as he announced the corruption probe had expanded, and he and his wife are now under investigation. Newsom...