Free Republic

Rep. Dusty Johnson unveiled legislation that would authorize the repurchase of the Panama Canal, giving congressional teeth to President-elect Donald Trump’s wish to take back the strategic waterway. The Panama Canal Repurchase Act of 2025 would give Mr. Trump, in coordination with the secretary of state, the authority to enter into negotiations with the Panamanian government to buy the canal. Mr. Trump recently said the U.S. should regain control of the Panama Canal to bolster national security interests, largely over concerns about China’s influence over the operations... Panama became a part of China’s Belt and Road initiative in 2018...

Iran is increasing its military presence in Venezuela, with officials and personnel, with some members of the country's elite acquiring properties in the Latin American country and being offered political asylum ... The relationship between the two countries has grown over the years, Infobae has detailed, with Iran having established a drone development base at the El Libertador air base in Venezuela, where training for Venezuelan military personnel is also carried out. That project includes the production and training in the use of a wide range of unnamed aerial vehicles (UAV) Among them are the ZAMORA V-1 (Shahed-131), used for...

As quickly as the Sunset fire started charring through Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, an AI-generated photo of the Hollywood sign ablaze was rapidly circulating on social media. It was just one example of misinformation surrounding the Los Angeles-area fires spreading on social media, and experts warn that false information during natural disaster events disrupts recovery efforts and harms community trust. ** Misinformation can emotionally exploit a situation, hijack conversations from emergency information and, in some cases, lead to financial scams, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ** Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid...

LOS ANGELES - A massive flare-up of the Palisades Fire erupted Friday night, forcing a new round of mandatory evacuations and shutting down major roads in the area Around 7 p.m. Friday, a new flare-up on the northeastern edge of the fire broke out, forcing evacuations in the Mandeville Canyon and Encino areas. The flames also forced the closure of the 405 Freeway at Sepulveda Boulevard near Bel-Air and Westwood.

Primus guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde is among the Southern California residents who have lost their homes due to devastating wildfires. In a post to Instagram, Les Claypool, Primus’ bassist and frontman, shared the tragic news. “All that is left of our good friend Ler Lalonde’s home,” Claypool wrote, his message accompanying a picture of a totally eviscerated house, with only a chimney remaining. “When Mother Nature gets up on her hind legs, it can be brutal. My heart hurts for him and his family.” LaLonde has been a member of Primus since 1989 and has contributed to each of the...

An octopus made out of snow sits in front of a home east of Indianapolis in Hancock County. Rick Horton, also known as “the snow artist” on social media, was behind the eight-armed sculpture. He says it took him 15 total hours to complete. He also says he chose an octopus because he wanted something that would cover a lot of ground and give people more to look at. The snow octopus is located on South State Street near English Avenue. Horton says he will have to cover it up Friday due to more incoming snow.

California was getting ready to fight President-elect Donald Trump. Instead, it's fighting raging wildfires and a crisis that risks tarnishing the state's image just as its leaders were positioning it to be a shining example of progressive governance. A special session of the state Legislature that Gov. Gavin Newsom called shortly after the November election to position California to counter Trump has been overshadowed by the wildfires, the speed of which seemed to catch many officials off guard. Newsom and other California Democrats have long held the state up as a national leader in addressing environmental issues, social inequality and...

The couple, though not legally divorced, reportedly had a history of frequent conflicts that led to their living separately.Bishop Shina Olaribigbe, the founder of Rapture Empowerment International in Osogbo, Osun State, was tragically stabbed to death in the early hours of Thursday while trying to mediate a domestic dispute between a couple. Although details about the couple remain unclear, sources disclosed that the wife served as an interpreter at Bishop Olaribigbe’s church, located in the BCGA area of Osogbo. The couple, though not legally divorced, reportedly had a history of frequent conflicts that led to their living separately. It...

California fire prevention took a hit the year before the fires, but the Newsom administration claims it boosted overall funding since assuming office in 2019 ... A review of last year's California state budget shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom cut funding for wildfire and forest resilience by more than $100 million. The budget, signed in June and covering the 2024-25 fiscal year, eliminated $101 million from seven "wildfire and forest resilience" programs ... The California fires, responsible for destroying more than 10,000 buildings in the Los Angeles area, are still not contained.

Why are they doing this?

It has been announced that President Biden will.make a farewell speech to the nation on Wednesday, January 15 at 8pm Eastern Time.He will.speak from the Oval Office at the White House.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley was summoned to Mayor Karen Bass' office for a closed-door meeting hours after she slammed the city's leadership over its handling of the fire department's budget as deadly wildfires continue to rip through Southern California, according to reports. The meeting started at 4 p.m., NBC reported, citing sources. SNIP The mayor's office denied media reports that Crowley was fired. "This is false," it said in a statement to ABC7.

Fort the first time ever, Israel and the U.S. coordinated major airstrikes today against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, following yet another Houthi drone attack against Israel. Will Donald Trump’s return to office lead to the downfall of the Houthi menace? Plus, thousands of Iranian paramilitary foot soldiers marched in the streets of Tehran today, vowing that their Ring of Fire is stronger than ever despite suffering heavy blows. But is Iran’s regime, in reality, on borrowed time? Watch now!

Quinshon Judkins ran for two touchdowns before Jack Sawyer forced a fumble by his former roommate that he returned 83 yards for a score with 2:13 left as Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night to advance to a shot for their sixth national title. The Buckeyes (13-2) got the semifinal victory in the same stadium where 10 years ago they were champions in the debut of the College Football Playoff as a four-team format. Now they have the opportunity to be the winner again in the debut of the expanded 12-team field.

Alberta, Canada...sentences of 120 and 90 days...truckers blockade...COVID... South Korea police field commanders meeting ahead...second attempt to arrest...impeached President... US CIA Director William Burns says "quite serious" hostage negotiations...Hamas in Gaza... Injuries reported in Kotovsk, Russia after Ukrainian drones crashed... Federal prosecutors want a 15-year prison sentence...former US Senator Bob Menendez... Thousands protesting on the streets of Slovakia against government...Robert Fico... in another nation close to Russia, Serbia, a 'student-led' street protest... US intelligence estimates that the "Havana Syndrome" illnesses experienced by US diplomats and... Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin... California Governor Gavin Newsom... Ukraine's cutoff of natural gas supplies...

"...Spirit Airlines is apologizing after workers who were working under a vendor contract were caught on camera taking things out of a passenger's bag and throwing away the contents of that bag..."

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday insisted that the bureau must sidestep "partisanship and politics" in the future in order to maintain "independence" and "objectivity" during a farewell speech at the FBI headquarters. Pause Unmute Remaining Time -1:14 Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen By Misty Severi Published: January 10, 2025 9:16pm Article Dig Deeper FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday insisted that the bureau must sidestep "partisanship and politics" in the future in order to maintain "independence" and "objectivity" during a farewell speech at the FBI headquarters. Recommended for you BlueChew is all about having fun with your partner. Try it for free...

A visual glimpse inside the sheer scale of luxury and opulence of some of the homes touched by the wildfires. The video title says $83 Million but it had since upped in value to $125 Million in 2023, and was by this year listed for a whopping $450 Million as of the start of this year according to realtor.com. It is/was known as The San Onofre Estate and was featured on Season 4 of the show Succession.

Southern California is about to be blasted by one of its most powerful Santa Ana windstorm in recorded history. It may not be #1, but the combination of high population, drought conditions, abundant fuel, and mountain wave strength may create world-record high fire danger.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As the fire fight continues against the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, new brush fires continue to crop up, the latest in the West Hills area. Red flag warnings are in effect and will remain in place until 6 p.m. Friday for the Malibu coast, the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, the San Gabriel Valley, the San Fernando Valley, Calabasas, the Santa Clarita Valley, the San Gabriel Mountains, and the 5 Freeway and 14 Freeway corridors.