Free Republic

Speaker-designate Mike Johnson, R-La., was re-elected to lead the House of Representatives on Friday. The Louisiana Republican won along party lines during the first round of voting, a stark contrast to his predecessor’s drawn-out, 15-round battle in 2023. It comes despite saber-rattling by some conservatives who threatened to withhold support from Johnson in protest of his handling of government funding and several other issues in the 118th Congress.

Did you know Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to have an armored limousine? At the height of World War II, the Secret Service decided that the president needed a safer means of transportation. And that tradition still stands today. Getting your hands on a presidential limo, though, is no easy feat—they don't just hand them out to civilians. But, if you head to the Mecum Kissimmee auction on January 18, 2025, you might be able to drive home in a rare armored Cadillac originally built for President Bill Clinton. This fully armored 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was one...

“I have a team of 90 political operatives i’m ready to put to work to take out Ralph Norman and I know every inch of the district like the back of my hand. He doesn’t support MAGA and he’s an embarrassment to South Carolina,” wrote Wesley Donehue, a veteran South Carolina GOP strategist, in an X post. That prompted Mick Mulvaney, a former chief of staff to President-elect Donald Trump who represented the district before Norman, to reply: “I might know a little about SC5. How can I help?” Norman, along with GOP Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Keith Self...

Shawn Ryan @ShawnRyan762 More on Matt Livelsberger and the cyber truck explosion at Trump hotel today.

It's dawn on Darwin Harbour and government ranger Kelly Ewin - whose job is to catch and remove crocodiles - is balancing precariously on a floating trap. Heavy rain clouds from the storm that has recently passed are overhead. The engine of the boat has been cut so now it's mostly silent – that is, apart from the intermittent splashing coming from inside the trap. "You get pretty much zero chances with these guys," says Ewin as he attempts to loop a noose around the jaw of the agitated reptile. We're in Australia's Northern Territory (NT), home to an estimated...

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was elected Speaker of the House for the 119th Congress after two GOP holdouts decided to change their votes before the second round of voting was set to begin. Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Keith Self (R-Texas) changed their votes after having initially voted for other candidates, leaving the Louisiana rep two votes short of clinching the speakership.

In reflecting on Jimmy Carter’s death, my mind skipped to the Apple TV+ streaming series “For All Mankind,” an alternate-reality drama that imagines how the world might have been if it was the Soviets, not the Americans, who walked on the moon first during the Cold War space race. The alternate reality I’d like to write is in honor of Carter: How would the world have been different had President Ronald Reagan not removed the solar panels that Carter had installed on the White House roof during his presidency with the aim of kick-starting the solar industry and inspiring Americans...

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings said Friday during the network’s special coverage of the House Speaker vote that Republicans need to stop fighting “amongst themselves.” Jennings said, “You know what strikes me about all this machination? This is all a bridge to nowhere. I mean, all these people voting no, voting present. What is — to what end is the Republican party doing this?” He continued, “And I think this is probably what Donald Trump’s frustration is and why he’s putting so much time and effort into getting Johnson elected here. There’s no alternative, you know, these no votes, present...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a formal statement, the FBI has called on Internet sleuths, particularly X users, to please stop solving crimes before they have a chance to do so. The statement comes just hours after X users discovered all suspects and motives related to the recent terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas. The statement reads in part: "It is in the public interest that all X users stop solving crimes immediately. Solving crime is the responsibility of the federal government and local law enforcement. If we do not solve crimes first, we cannot control the narrative, and...

President Joe Biden awarded Hunter Biden’s friend, Bobby Sager, with the Presidential Citizens Medal on Thursday, underscoring Hunter’s influence over the octogenarian. Sager, a photographer and philanthropist, earned the award after he allegedly created opportunity for low-income people abroad, including Palestinian women artisans. Sager is also a self-described “selfish” person who became friends with Hunter only in the last two years, NBC News reported.

Anti-inflammatory drugs taken by millions of pregnant women around the world may raise the risk of autism in their babies. A study looked at the impact on children who are exposed to glucocorticoids - a class of steroids - in the womb. Those prenatally exposed to the drugs were between 30 and 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism compared to children whose mothers did not take them. The study also linked glucocorticoids - which include prednisone and cortisone - to a higher risk of intellectual disabilities, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. Glucocorticoids mimic the hormone cortisol, which...

U.S. — As the investigations continued into the deadly events of the new year, FBI agents were reportedly baffled that terrorist attacks could even occur as they had already imprisoned all of the January 6 attendees. Despite hunting down and incarcerating everyone who was present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, terrorist incidents still somehow happened in multiple cities, leaving federal investigators shocked and dismayed. "We're at a loss as to how this could still be possible," said FBI spokesperson Special Agent Curt Schampers. "We totally thought we had eradicated all extremism and potential threats of domestic terrorism...

Bob Dylan with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Al Kooper at the Newport Folk Festival 25/07/1965 This was the second of three songs in the famous 'Dylan goes electric' controversy at Newport, played right after 'Maggie's Farm', and before 'Phantom Engineer'. He then left the stage and came back to play two more songs on an acoustic guitar.

The FBI has remained silent on whether it will fire or discipline the agent who initially told the media and public that the shocking New Year's Day attack in New Orleans was "not a terrorist event," before the agency quickly backtracked and reported the attack was in fact under investigation as a terror incident. Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI's press office and press secretary on Thursday and Friday, inquiring whether New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan would face termination or disciplinary action over her initial claim the attack was not connected...

Criminal defense attorney Arthur Aidala ignited a debate Thursday night when he reminded former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois that Democrats pursued President-elect Donald Trump with multiple legal probes. President Joe Biden awarded former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming the Presidential Citizens’ Medal for her role in a House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol building. Walsh urged Biden to pardon Cheney in order to “protect” her from the incoming Trump administration, prompting Aidala to point out how the Biden administration targeted Trump. “Joe Biden should try to pardon as many people as...

The government's ultimate aim is "a new National Care Service, able to meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st Century", said Streeting. He rejected the suggestion the government is pushing social care reform into the long grass, saying it is "already acting" and had "done a lot in the first six months". Ms Woolnough told the Today programme the government should "get on and do a whole range of things that [it] can now" and then accelerate the timetable for further reform. "Measures to help the workforce, measures to improve quality and so on, you don't...

ooke Taylor @Brooketaylortv #BREAKING: Deputies just closed down the street in north Harris County where Shamsud-Din Jabbar was living. A source tells me HCSO bomb squad is on the way to collect evidence. This comes days later, when the door was left open and people were inside the home taking pictures and freely roaming around. Sources also say precursor chemicals were found inside the home when they first raided it, which are typically used for making home made explosives. The question now becomes why come back and collect evidence and not do this days ago?

TFAs, harmful fats linked to heart disease, can form during home cooking with sulfur-rich vegetables like garlic and onions at high temperatures. A Japanese study found this effect is minor under normal conditions but emphasized awareness of TFA risks. A new study reveals that garlic and onions contain compounds that can convert into trans fats when exposed to high cooking temperatures. Trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are a significant contributor to cardiovascular diseases. These harmful fats can build up on the walls of arteries, narrowing them and increasing the risk of heart attacks. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that TFAs are...

Republican National Committee Treasurer KC Crosbie told fellow members Sunday night that she is running for RNC co-chair to replace Lara Trump, who said Sunday night she is stepping down from that post. “This position demands leadership, communication, and the ability to unify our diverse membership while supporting President Trump and his Administration’s bold initiative to “Make America Great Again,” Crosbie, who is also the RNC national committeewoman from Kentucky, wrote in an email to RNC members, which was obtained by NBC News. “I am committed to fulfilling the responsibilities of RNC Co-Chair with the same dedication I have brought...

From what I am seeing he was unsuccessful in getting the battery fire started. According the Googles AI summary of an EV fire: "An electric vehicle (EV) fire can reach temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius), which is much hotter than a gasoline-powered car fire that typically burns at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit (815 degrees Celsius). EV fires are more difficult to extinguish than gas-powered car fires, and can require up to 10 times more water to put out. EV fires are caused by thermal runaway, which is when a battery cell short circuits and releases flammable...