Free Republic

Most people have tried it at least once. Smoking marijuana is a rite of passage almost as common as that first underage beer. Some grow out of it after high school or college. Others use it well into adulthood. There was also that first cigarette. You inhaled that first time and were pretty sure you were going to bring up a lung, but it was all about the "coolness" of it. Now, with the advent of legalized marijuana, a new poll shows that Americans have chosen what they want to light up. On Monday, a new Gallup poll showed that...

The threat of “ghost students” has become so prevalent at Minnesota’s largest community college that administrators now say nearly a third of all applications to the school are potentially fraudulent. That revelation recently came from Dara Hagen, vice president of Student Affairs at Normandale Community College in Bloomington. Enrollment fraud — using stolen identities of real people with the goal of stealing taxpayer-funded student aid — has become a nationwide problem over the last few years. “Since then, we’ve had about 29,000 fraudulent or potentially fraudulent applications that we’ve processed,” Hagen said. “We were seeing probably 42% of our applications...

SAN DIEGO — NASCAR San Diego announced today that it is re-enlisting for another tour of duty in 2027. After a successful, sold-out debut in 2026, NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril will return with the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on July 30-Aug. 1 at Naval Base Coronado. NASCAR’s finest will once again answer the call of the 16-turn, 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit at Naval Air Station North Island. The street course, nestled inside the Birthplace of Naval Aviation, became one of the most challenging and picturesque in the history of motorsports, and in 2027,...

“Though he did not offer many details about the third film, Turteltaub predicted that it would inevitably have to address modern politics,” reports the New York Post. “We have to be very careful, but I don’t feel we are allowed to ignore it,” Turteltaub said. “I think we have to include that idea in the story somehow without making someone feel put off.” Expect gay stuff, the DACA chick to show the white guy Nic Cage how it’s done, and lectures about slavery and colonialism. Yep, that’s how much they hate us.

It has been amusing to watch mainstream journalists (who’ve largely ignored the national debt crisis until it hit a nice round number of $40 trillion) try to explain how it’s all the fault of Middle East wars and tax cuts. Somehow, the fact that federal spending has increased by nearly 300% over the past 25 years never enters the picture. Instead, we get endless accounts about how President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act will add $4 trillion to the national debt, and how previous tax cuts by Trump and George W. Bush are supposedly responsible for more than...

Iran, Oman propose 'temporary navigational corridor' through Strait of Hormuz, demining operation Iran and Oman issued a joint statement announcing a proposal to open a "temporary navigational corridor" through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The statement, published by Oman's foreign ministry, said the two countries also agreed to a joint effort to clear the strait of mines. "The proposed framework includes the establishment of a joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint project to clear the Strait of mines. Technical negotiations between the two sides would continue with a view...

Drugs prescribed for diabetes and chronic obesity such as Ozempic are increasingly sought after for quick, cosmetic weight loss, a life choice pharmacists warn can lead to serious health risks. “We have seen thin people try to come in and get it,” Dr. Carrie Leske, a licensed pharmacist in Minnesota, recently told Just the News. “As pharmacists we are supposed to use our judgment and, if need be, call the physician and try to understand what's going on, because it's supposed to only be used for obese people.” Such prescription medications, known under such popular brand names as Ozempic and...

Glenda Douglas of Shungnak, in the Northwest Arctic Borough, shared this photo on social media of a gasoline purchase she made on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (Glenda Douglas photo)It’s not a typo. The price of a gallon of gasoline in the northwest Alaska village of Shungnak was $26.82 on Friday, local residents and regional officials said, likely giving the community the dubious honor of having the most expensive gasoline in the United States.“It is very much real,” said Glenda Douglas, who manages the store in Shungnak and posted a picture of the price on Facebook.Across the United States, the average...

It’s life, Jim – but very much not as we know it. In fact, when it comes to the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the life forms in question are less flesh-and-blood and more fabric-and-felt – as the series becomes the latest sci-fi show to embrace the magic of puppetry. Level-Five Transporter Accident follows in a longstanding Trek tradition that sees crew members undergo unfortunate transformations while beaming up to the ship. This time, the crew suffers an even greater indignity: thanks to a spot of boldly sewing from the legendary Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the Enterprise...

Financelot@FinanceLancelotScott Bessent is choosing to fight the WW3 currency battle now because the 2020 lockdowns forced the entire world to enter the same 5 year debt cycle.Global debt is financed in Dollars.Every home, business and nation loan that was taken out in 2021-2022 now must be rolled over at significantly higher rates.This will compound the Dollar shortage at the precise moment Scott Bessent is threatening to cut off financial institutions and nations from the supply of Dollars.Starving a nation of Dollars forces them to liquidate their forex reserves, including U.S. treasuries significantly below the face value as they face sovereign...

On August 25, 1976, Boston released its self-titled debut album. The band’s founding members who toured to support Boston were Tom Scholz, Brad Delp, John ‘Sib’ Hashian, Barry Goudreau, and Fran Sheehan. However, the legendary album was mostly recorded in a home studio by musical mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Scholz and lead vocalist Delp. The record featured several hit songs that became radio staples, including “More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” “Foreplay/Long Time,” and “Rock & Roll Band.” Still, Boston is often highlighted as an album that is fantastic from start to finish for good reason. Brad Delp’s powerful voice,...

Summary Company Announcement Date: August 22, 2026 FDA Publish Date: August 22, 2026 Product Type: Food & Beverages Reason for Announcement: Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) Company Name: Everything Sprouts, LLC Brand Name: Everything Sprouts, Calco Product Description: Alfalfa Sprouts Company Announcement Everything Sprouts, LLC, based in Minneapolis, MN is recalling certain lots of Alfalfa Sprouts because it has the potential to be contaminated with Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) or Salmonella bacteria. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are organisms that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly...

More than half (58%) of Generation Z and Millennial participants with 401(k) plans expect their personal retirement accounts to be their main source of income in retirement.

The NYPD on Monday said no busts have yet been made involving the “mole people’’ who climbed from a manhole just feet from the main entrance to Penn Station last week — terrifying the public. “I just immediately thought, reconnaissance, 9/11,” said an Arizona tourist named Mark to The Post in packed Herald Square in Manhattan. “If you’re an Iranian soldier, you need to cripple New York City? Under Penn Station? Under Madison Square Garden? Aren’t all the train lines crisscrossing here?” A trio of underground scofflaws was caught on video around 4:20 a.m. Aug. 18 wearing headlamps and overalls...

President Trump floated the possibility of rebranding Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” in a shot across the bow against Canada’s most populous province — whose premier threatened to cut off electricity and minerals to the US. “The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer,” Trump declared on Truth Social Tuesday. On his very first day back in the Oval Office last year, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,...

"Appellant and some amici argue that the woman's right is absolute and that she is entitled to terminate her pregnancy at whatever time, in whatever way, and for whatever reason she alone chooses. With this we do not agree." — Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215 (2022), there has been much discussion about "codifying Roe" in state law. But the Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act, signed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Aug. 12, goes far beyond what the Supreme Court...

Anyone following my career knows that whether writing for newspapers or commenting in other forums, I have consistently expressed the same views about climate change and energy issues that I express in my columns for The Empowerment Alliance. But as a longtime journalist, I know that wherever this column is published, or if I appear on a media outlet to discuss climate or environment issues, my association with TEA should be noted so readers can be aware of the formal relationship. Increasingly, readers also have a right to ask similar questions regarding a growing number of news organizations that were...

Tom Scholz, chief songwriter and composer.

At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I often feel I should start my articles with a warning. I should clarify that I am not a prophecy buff, or a casual observer of prophetic events. I should also warn that I’m not a prophecy expert, although there are good ones who’ve spent many years studying eschatological doctrines. I am a prophet. I am not a self-appointed or self-absorbed prophet. I didn’t dream myself into this place. I was called, and I am answering. Doubt, objections and arguments to the contrary are noted, but they will change nothing. “Any resemblance to actual...

How fitting that the federal case against the performative former FBI Director is surrounded by drama and deception. Just like his corrupt stint at the FBI. Regardless of what one thinks about the Department of Justice’s prosecution of disgraced former FBI Director James Comey over posting a threatening seashell formation in May 2025—gotta admit, this case is pretty wild so far. And it’s fitting for Comey, who has a flair for the dramatic. From hiding in a set of blue curtains in the White House to try to “avoid” President Trump and producing cheesy videos professing his love of Taylor...