Free Republic

Republicans are demanding accountability over the Minnesota fraud scandal, accusing state Democrats of failing to prevent billions of dollars in taxpayer funds from being stolen. A Florida lawmaker is now calling for aggressive federal action, comparing the alleged fraud to "organized crime." "This is what the mafia does. They steal, they lie, they cheat," Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., said on "Fox News Live" Thursday. "The federal government has to use the full powers that we used to destroy the mafia back in the 1960s. Nothing short of it," he added. Federal authorities have launched an operation in Minnesota to "identify,...

Hiya kids! Hiya, Hiya!Good Morning Crypto-FReepers.I see some of the same old faces out there.But that's OK - I like you anyway.Here's today's quote. I think it's timely.Some of you will complain about the language.But I tell you, it's the way it was written.If anybody needs help, just ask me.Have fun!!! Ha Ha Ha!I'll be good - I will, (like heck) I will. Ha ha ha. QSX GYNEN'H Q YQSX, FI GEBHGI VNKEN, QSX LKN'H Q YQSX P' GYKSN; QSX TN'RR GQJ Q EKLYG LBXN-TKRRKN TQBLYG, VPE QBRX RQSL HISN.- EPONEG OBESHWhere'd I put my magic twanger? Oh, here it...

In recent months, however, Jones had multiple encounters with law enforcement. Records obtained by The Post show she was arrested at least three times earlier this year in California.In April, Jones was arrested in Napa County on charges that included obstructing a peace officer, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of a narcotic controlled substance, according to court documents.The following month, she was arrested in Santa Cruz County. In June, she was taken into custody again on charges of domestic battery and domestic violence or elder abuse. She was later released on bail in that case.

President Donald Trump says he believes the 2026 midterm elections will center on “pricing” as Republicans head into a critical period with control of Congress on the line. Trump’s comments follow a string of favorable economic reports over the last two weeks showing inflation is cooling and the economy is hotter than expected. The White House is keen to tout the latest data as it confronts cost-of-living concerns that have underpinned a string of Democratic overperformances across the country. Still, polls show Americans are struggling. Nearly half of respondents said they find groceries, utility bills, health care, housing and transportation...

Tony Robinson and the rest of the Time Team embark on an expedition to Fetlar, a remote Shetland Island. The Time Team are hoping to unravel the ancient local legend surrounding the enigmatic 'Giant's Grave'. As they delve into its secrets, investigating the connection to Viking pottery discovered nearby, the team uncovers a potentially legendary discovery that could redefine the island's history. Welcome to Unearthed History -- the home for all things archeological! From ancient Roman ruins to buried medieval mysteries, we'll be bringing you award-winning documentaries that explore the remnants of long lost civilizations. The Hunt For Ancient Viking...

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:2). True peace is God’s gift to those who love and obey Him. Throughout history mankind has sought peace through military alliances, balances of power, and leagues of nations. Yet lasting peace still remains an elusive dream. Even during times of relative peace, nations struggle with internal strife and crime. The Bible says that man on his own cannot know peace because he is alienated from its source. But we need not despair. True peace is immediately available from God our Father (the God of...

Zohran Mamdani used his first day in office Thursday to hit the ground running with new executive orders targeting city landlords and housing development. And he said the city will take what he called "precedent-setting action" to intervene in a private landlord bankruptcy case he said was tied to 93 buildings. "It is inauguration day. It is also the day that the rent is due." Speaking at a Brooklyn apartment building, Mamdani framed the moves as an early test of whether city government will directly confront landlords over housing conditions and step into court cases that could determine whether tenants...

My latest song. Happy New Year!

Venezuelan security forces have detained at least five Americans in recent months as the US has built a pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN. The circumstances of the individual cases vary, and some could have been involved in drug smuggling, the official said. US officials are still collecting information about what the Americans were doing in Venezuela and at the time of their detention, the official added. Trump administration officials believe that the Maduro regime is detaining the Americans to build leverage against the US, the official said, as the...

A week ago, Alabama Crimson Tide fans were ecstatic.They had come back from a huge hole against Oklahoma on the road to win their opening round game in the College Football Playoff.Head coach Kalen DeBoer was staying in Tuscaloosa and not talking to Michigan about their opening, and they had all the momentum in the world heading into the Rose Bowl against an unproven top seed, Indiana.Before the New Year’s Day game in Pasadena, teams with a first-round bye in the new CFP format were 0-6. Indiana, like the other teams before them, could come in rusty against an experienced,...

Widening demonstrations sparked by Iran’s ailing economy spread Thursday into the Islamic Republic’s rural provinces, with at least seven people being killed in the first fatalities reported among security forces and protesters, authorities said. The deaths may mark the start of a heavier-handed response by Iran’s theocracy over the demonstrations, which have slowed in the capital, Tehran, but expanded elsewhere. The fatalities, two on Wednesday and five on Thursday, occurred in four cities, largely home to Iran’s Lur ethnic group. The protests have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody...

NEW ORLEANS -- Lucas Carneiro kicked a 47-yard field goal in the closing seconds, and the Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Georgia Bulldogs, 39-34, in the Sugar Bowl, securing a berth in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Ole Miss advances to play the 12-2 Miami Hurricanes in a CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8. Miami, the No. 10 seed in the playoff, secured its final four berth with a win over No. 2 seed Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve, and has won two games in the CFP this season.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler said Thursday night that her agency has suspended “6,900 Minnesota borrowers” over suspected fraudulent activity regarding COVID-era lending programs. Loeffler said the SBA over the last week reviewed “thousands” of potentially “fraudulent” Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) payouts that were approved in Minnesota. “Today, our agency took action to suspend 6,900 Minnesota borrowers amid suspected fraudulent activity. In total, these borrowers were approved for 7,900 PPP and EIDL loans worth approximately $400M,” Loeffler said on social platform X. She said the implicated individuals would be banned from all...

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2006834169637384470

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to "defeat the decline and division offered by others" in his new year message, as he insisted 2026 would see people feel "positive change" in their lives. He acknowledged "things have been tough in Britain for a while" but said the public should now start to see improvements including lower bills, more police on the streets and new health hubs. It has been a difficult year for the PM, who has been battling slowing economic growth, poor poll ratings and speculation he could face a leadership challenge. In her own new year message,...

Once Shanghai opens up again on Sunday night Jan 4 2026, More Fireworks I used to sell brick pavers in El Paso for American Eagle Brick Company, back when the heat could cook a man twice in one afternoon. We sold for .60 a unit....... ....Same story today. Silver’s $71 on paper, $130 in Japan. Numbers without metal. Just another ACME special—free bricks from an empty yard. The game hasn’t changed, only the commodity. The old brick hustle is now traded in ounces and clicks instead of pallets and handshakes. But the moral holds: when supply runs dry and promises...

The incoherence of the Charlotte diocese’s ban on altar railsBishop Michael Martin has issued new diocesan guidance banning the use of altar rails during Holy Communion in the Diocese of Charlotte.In a pastoral letter dated 17 December, Bishop Michael Martin affirmed that the “normative posture” for receiving Holy Communion in the United States is standing, following a bow of the head as a sign of reverence. The letter instructs parishes that currently use altar rails, kneelers, or prie-dieus for the distribution of Communion to discontinue the practice, with any temporary or movable fixtures to be removed by 16 January 2026.“The...

This year began with a deadly New Year's Day car-ramming terrorist attack in New Orleans and is finishing with a flurry of horrific shootings, including a mass shooting at Brown University, but 2025 is also poised to end with the largest one-year drop in U.S. homicides ever recorded, according to data from cities both large and small. Based on a sampling of preliminary crime statistics from 550 U.S. law enforcement agencies, the year is expected to end with a roughly 20% decrease in homicides nationwide, Jeff Asher, a national crime analyst, told ABC News. "So, even taking a conservative view,...

After a bruising presidential election loss in 2024, this year proved decisive for a Democratic Party looking to recover from its defeats and regain momentum. Heading into 2026, all 435 districts in the House of Representatives and 33 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for election in the midterms. Republicans currently have a three-seat majority in the Senate, while they hold 219 seats to Democrats’ 213 in the House. - Rep. Thomas Massie’s Primary Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican, has made an enemy of President Trump by leading the campaign for the release of the files relating to...

[Catholic Caucus] The Traditional Mass a Topic at the January Consistory?Nicola Spuntoni, in an article published in Il Giornale on December 16, reveals that the Pope, who has convened an extraordinary consistory for January 7 and 8, will be sending the cardinals a letter before Christmas outlining the three-point agenda for this consistory: their participation in the governance of the Church, synodality, and the liturgical question.It goes without saying that, on this last point, the status of the Traditional Latin Mass after Traditionis Custodes will not be the only topic of discussion, but it is clear that it will be...