Free Republic

It turns out President-elect Trump was more instrumental in securing House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) position than simply giving some endorsements on social media. During the first round of voting, three GOP lawmakers refused to vote for Johnson to remain as Speaker and instead backed other candidates. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Keith Self (R-TX) had refused to support the Speaker during the first round.Massie had already declared that he would not vote for Johnson, referring to him as “the next Paul Ryan.”This meant that Self and Norman were the only holdouts that could possibly be swayed....

Official figures reveal that infections cause by flu, Covid, RSV (a respiratory illness that causes the cold) and norovirus (sometimes called the stomach flu) all started to surge over the Christmas period, when families gathered to celebrate. And experts say figures will only continue to rise over the coming weeks as the US heads into the peak period of its annual flu season. Data shows that norovirus cases are at their highest level for this time of year since 2012, while RSV hospitalizations are up nearly 40 percent in two weeks. An estimated 3.1million people have been sickened by the...

Yet another disturbing incident involving one of America’s federally elected officials happened today after Mike Johnson was elected House Speaker on Friday. 81-year-old Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) had just finished voting to help elect Johnson when disaster struck. Fox News revealed that she fell on the grand staircases on the GOP side of the Capitol. PBS Newshour Correspondent Lisa Desjardins revealed Capitol Police soon swarmed the scene to attend to the elderly member of Congress.

Kevin Hermening, a Marine Security Guard when the U.S. Embassy in Tehran fell, says Carter’s bungling made America look like a ‘paper tiger.’Kevin Hermening was a 20-year-old sergeant with the Marine Security Guard protecting the U.S. Embassy in Tehran when all hell broke loose. On Nov. 4, 1979, Iranian students serving the Islamic Revolution stormed the compound and held more than 50 American citizens — including Hermening — hostage. “We had 12-gauge shotguns and .38 caliber revolvers, and that was it,” Hermening told me this week during an interview on the “Vicki McKenna Show.” “We were way outnumbered.” The U.S....

The battle over the Speaker vote was actually resolved perhaps more quickly than people anticipated, with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) winning on the first vote, despite the reservations of some Republicans. But the remarks by the House Democratic Leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), also got some attention — of the "whoops, what did he just say" variety. "We will fart hard...fight hard...for the freedom to vote," Jeffries said. Um, okay. That was pretty funny. That's one that's likely going to get memed all over the place. But on the full statement, what the heck is he talking about? Who is...

When President Joe Biden gave former GOP U.S. Representative Liz Cheney and Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi the Presidential Citizens Medal yesterday, he omitted a few salient items about their pasts, recent and distant.The two hate-Trumpers received the award for their work on the select committee that “investigated” the mostly peaceful protest at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, the so-called J6 Committee.Cheney tampered with a witness and must be investigated for suborning perjury from that witness, a report from the House Oversight Committee concluded. Thompson is an unrepentant insurrectionist who defended cop killers and terrorists who planned...

WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump complained on Friday that American flags would still be lowered to half-staff in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter during Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. President Joe Biden ordered flags lowered to half-staff for 30 days from the day of Carter's death on Dec. 29, as is custom when a U.S. president dies. Trump, who has announced plans to attend Carter's memorial service in Washington on Jan. 9, took issue in a Truth Social post on Friday with the flags remaining in the mourning position during his swearing-in ceremony. "The Democrats are...

What, you didn’t really think The Swamp would slither away on its own, did you? In what was described by journalists as “an extraordinary turn,” New York Judge Juan M. Merchan announced today that he will move forward with the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 10 — a scant 10 days before he’s inaugurated as our next president. In a highly controversial, politically charged court case that dramatically deviated from standard precedent, Trump was convicted of falsifying his business records to hide a 2016 payment to “adult actress” Stormy Daniels. Trump has adamantly denied these allegations, asserted his...

A shocking incident unfolded at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day when a car bomb exploded at the property, sparking concerns of a deeper conspiracy. As federal authorities scramble to piece together the details, an alleged email from Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, a U.S. Army Green Beret, has brought the incident into sharper focus. The email, purportedly sent just days before the explosion, claims to expose hidden military operations and warns of escalating threats to national security. “I knew taking this public would insert me into the “glowy boi” conspiracy cycle, especially since I’m an intelligence...

Businesses are already shutting down over the new law. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state celebrated the passage of a massive minimum-wage hike in the city of Seattle, but many on social media responded with ridicule and mockery. The far-left government in Seattle jacked up the minimum wage on all businesses beginning the first of January. Some businesses are already shutting down after calculating that the law would force them into insolvency. 'Leftists are blocking opportunity. Again. It's what you authoritarian thugs do best.' "Yesterday, Seattle’s minimum wage officially rose to $20.76 per hour — one of the highest...

Honduras has threatened to shut down rent-free United States military bases in the country if President-elect Donald Trump carries out his mass deportation policy. President Xiomara Castro said officials would consider "a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena," in the face of "unnecessary reprisals against our migrants." Honduran President Xiomara Castro has cautioned that she could consider ending military cooperation with the United States if President-elect Trump follows through on his proposals for mass deportations, rejecting asylum claims, and separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border. Castro issued the warning in a...

A California woman is suing Liberty Mutual for cancelling her home insurance after it claimed to have spotted mold on her roof using 'unreliable' aerial photography. Maria Badin, 69, accused the provider of trying to 'maximize profits' with the decision to revoke coverage on her $1.8 million Poway home. She filed a class action lawsuit in which she included the photo taken by Liberty, which it claimed showed evidence of 'algae/mildew/mold/moss'. However, she also included a close up image she obtained herself following an independent inspection, which stated that her roof was in perfect condition, the filings state. 'Driven by...

There is something so delicious about a single, tight joke in one headline that captures the political moment, or even just the banality of our lives. Here are some examples: “Drugs Win Drug Wars,” “Nation Throws Off Tyrannical Yoke of Moderate Respect for Women,” “I Have Decision Fatigue, Says Woman Whose Only Decision in the Last 7 Years Was Not Going to Law School.” These headlines are from satirical news sites The Onion and Reductress. Both are on the political left. In fact, for the last few decades, all of the big political comedy came from the left. Until The...

Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi facing multiple charges after forcing major highway closure near GreenvilleICE has issued detainer for suspect, whose origin and immigration status remain unclear Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a detainer for a truck driver who was arrested after allegedly making a bomb threat while pulled over on I-85 in South Carolina this week, indicating he may be in the country illegally.The busy interstate was shut down for hours on Thursday afternoon after South Carolina State Transport Police pulled over an 18-wheeler with a missing license plate in Greenville County.During the stop, the driver reportedly claimed...

Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson 🚨 BREAKING: On the Shawn Ryan Show, Sam Shoemate revealed the Las Vegas Cybertruck Bomber emailed him before the attack. The bomber claimed the U.S. and China had “gravitic propulsion systems” and alleged FBI surveillance. From Autism Capital 🧩 2:52 PM · Jan 3, 2025 ·

Elon Musk's attack on the government's handling of grooming gangs is "misjudged and certainly misinformed", Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said. Tech multi-billionaire Musk has posted a series of messages on his social media site X, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute gangs that systematically groomed and raped young girls, and calling for safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to be jailed. Asked about his comments, Streeting said "this government takes the issue of child sexual exploitation incredibly seriously". He invited Musk to "roll up his sleeves and work with us" against rape gangs. The Tories have also criticised Musk...

California police officers stopped Black and Latino drivers and pedestrians at much higher rates than white people in 2023, repeating a trend that has been documented every year since law enforcement officers began collecting data.

Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation is probing a brigade specially trained to use French weapons after reports that hundreds of soldiers deserted the unit. Tetyana Sapian, a spokesperson for the investigative agency, told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday that authorities had launched a criminal investigation into abuse of power and desertion at the 155th Mechanized Brigade. "The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to talk about any preliminary results," she said. The infantry brigade, named "Anne of Kyiv" after an 11th-century Kyiv princess who became a queen of France, has about 5,800 soldiers. Around 2,000 of them underwent months of training...

https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-must-be-sentenced-hush-money-criminal-case-jan-10-judge-rules-2025-01-03/ Judge Mershon orders Trump to report January 10 to be sentenced in criminal case.

China is reportedly being ravaged by a mysterious viral outbreak that is overwhelming some hospitals. Videos on social media appear to show hospital units overrun with patients in face masks, and parents holding sick children in long lines in pediatric units. There have also been unverified reports that crematoriums and funeral homes are being overwhelmed. The alarming scenes and lack of official commentary have led some to draw similarities to the early days of the Covid outbreak in China. Local news reports have blamed a little-known virus called human metapneumovirus (HMPV) — which normally causes a mild cold-like illness —...