Free Republic

Late-night host Stephen Colbert confronted Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker with gerrymandered maps of Illinois congressional districts on Tuesday amid Texas Republicans' efforts to redraw the state's congressional map. "If you are considering doing a little more redrawing in Illinois, you already have some crazy districts in Illinois. Take a look at this. Look at [district] 17 here. It does that, then it comes up here, and it sneaks around there and goes all the way up here and then goes right over there like that," Colbert said as he gestured, describing the districts. "Is this common for all states...

Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, has been exposed by his own board for widespread misconduct and corruption, George Christensen writes.A Swiss-led internal investigation uncovered luxury expenses, misuse of funds and political manipulation of WEF reports. Whistle-blower revelations also detail workplace abuse, sexual misconduct and hypocritical elite excess at Davos.Schwab’s planned succession collapsed, and he was forced to resign amid coordinated leaks and media fallout. The WEF’s collapse signals the end of a corrupt, elitist system masked as global progressivism. Governments must cut all ties. He Said You’d Own Nothing. Now He’s Lost EverythingBy George ChristensenHe told the...

The Russian and Chinese militaries practiced destroying an "enemy" submarine during joint naval drills Wednesday, just days after President Donald Trump moved a pair of nuclear submarines toward Russia, a report said. The drills involved Il-38 planes from Russia’s Pacific Fleet and Chinese Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, according to Reuters, and came after Trump announced last Friday that he "ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions" following "highly provocative statements" made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. "As a result of effective joint actions, the 'enemy' submarine was promptly detected and mock-destroyed," Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday...

Eighty years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this analysis explores Operation Downfall, the massive Allied invasion of Japan that was averted by Tokyo’s surrender. The two-stage plan, Operations Olympic and Coronet, would have involved more than twice the forces of the Normandy landings and was expected to be unimaginably costly.

Known for the eponymous reptiles that inhabit the nearby swamps, the migrant detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" faces the possibility of being shut down over concerns about some of the area's lesser-known inhabitants -- the Everglades' bats, panthers, and storks.A federal judge on Wednesday is set to hold an evidentiary hearing over whether to block operations at the controversial facility because construction of the site allegedly bypassed federally required environmental impact studies.The hearing -- at which federal, state, and tribal officials are expected to testify -- comes amid heightened scrutiny of the facility, which was once touted as a "one-stop...

The United States' 15% tariff on EU goods could reduce the value of alcohol sales by almost $2 billion and put 25,000 U.S. jobs at risk, a group of 57 alcohol industry groups wrote in a letter sent to President Trump on Tuesday. The letter was signed by organisations representing major European producers, including Diageo and Pernod Ricard, U.S. whiskey and wine producers, as well as glass suppliers, retailers and restaurants. Washington and Brussels agreed last month to a 15% import tariff on most European Union goods after talks that halved the threatened rate and averted a bigger trade war....

It’s official! I’m running for Governor to ensure Tennessee is America’s conservative leader for this generation and the next. I would be honored to have your support. #TNGov

Apple CEO Tim Cook will join President Donald Trump on Wednesday for an event touting what the White House calls a new $100 billion investment commitment by the tech giant in the U.S. The announcement in the Oval Office, set for 4:30 p.m. ET, includes Apple’s commitment to a new “American Manufacturing Program,” a White House official confirmed to CNBC. With the new pledge, Apple’s total investment in the U.S. over the next four years now totals $600 billion, the official said. Bloomberg first reported Apple’s new investment pledge earlier Wednesday. The meeting comes as Trump has pushed Apple to...

Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight has a nice ring to it — might need to work up an executive order and make it official. Blaise Ingoglia @GovGoneWild · Aug 4 🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 We are unofficially changing the name of DOGE to….FAFO. Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight

The Kremlin has accused Britain of preparing “mass raids” to sink ships in the Russian shadow fleet. The SVR, Moscow’s foreign intelligence service, claimed that London was plotting attacks on the fleet of old tankers used to avoid sanctions on oil exports. The attacks would be designed to look like accidents, the SVR said, so that Britain and the West could claim that the ships were a danger, and move to restrict their movement. “British intelligence services are planning to use Nato allies to launch a mass raid on the ‘shadow fleet’; for this purpose, an ecological catastrophe in international...

Robert Mueller, former FBI Director who was tapped as special counsel to investigate President Trump’s 2016 ‘collusion’ with Russia is reportedly in a memory-care facility. The news of Mueller’s health decline comes as House Oversight Chairman James Comer issued subpoenas for those involved in the Russiagate hoax. On Monday Comer announced the Committee issued subpoenas to a who’s who of political elites and deep state operatives. The sweeping list includes former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller, and multiple former Attorneys General. Comer said Mueller was subpoenaed to appear...

Fight happened outside Regal Cinema. Below is link to story for those who don't want the Hodge Twins commentary on this.

FBI's squeezing Supervisory Intel Analyst Brian Auten, now on paid suspension, to cooperate in conspiracy probe. Auten, who worked Midyear, Crossfire, FISAs, Hunter laptop, Mar-a-Lago, and ICA, "knows were all the bodies are buried" at the Hoover Building, a source says

U.S. Census Bureau in 2020 unfairly tilted the political landscape, costing Republicans critical congressional seats.. The U.S. Census Bureau admitted in 2022 that it significantly miscounted the population in over a quarter of U.S. states during the 2020 census, affecting the allocation of House seats and Electoral College votes. ... certain states — despite Republican and independent populations outnumbering Democrats — remain heavily controlled by left-wing lawmakers due to gerrymandering and the Census Bureau’s admitted miscalculations. ... In California, they have 43 Democrat representatives and nine Republicans. In Illinois, they have 14 Democrats and three Republicans,” Levin said. “In Maryland,...

President Trump took executive action Wednesday to hammer India with an additional 25% tariff due to its continued purchases of Russian oil. The move, which will take effect Aug. 27, will increase the total US tariff rate on India to 50% and comes ahead of Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia to make peace with Ukraine or face secondary tariffs or sanctions — penalties on countries that continue purchasing energy from Moscow. “The actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United...

Doctors will often tell you to avoid processed foods or foods that contain high amounts of sugar or saturated fat. Their advice is sound, since consuming these foods frequently can increase your risk of developing chronic diseases, including neurological conditions like stroke and dementia. However, as a neurologist, I can tell you that there are some other surprising and lesser-known foods you should avoid in order to prevent serious neurological issues. I never eat these four foods: 1. Canned foods that appear damaged If a can is bulging, cracked, or severely dented, it should raise an alarm. It might be...

You may have heard all the buzz about "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida, but that's so last month. The newest, hippest detention facility for illegal aliens is now the "Speedway Slammer," as announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. As reported by Newsweek, the new partnership between DHS and the state of Indiana will provide the Miami Correctional Facility as another option for housing illegal alien criminals. Noem said the Miami Correctional Facility in the Hoosier State's Bunker Hill is poised to expand capacity by 1,000 beds and house 'the worst of the worst.' The announcement came just a month after...

New York City has officially opened its first shelter for transgender and gender-nonconforming people who are homeless. Officials say it’s the only city-funded shelter of its kind in the country and will help 150 transgender New Yorkers as the Trump administration has rolled back rights for the trans community, barring access to medical care, military service and federal documents that reflect their gender identity. The city is fully funding the facility in Long Island City, which will cost $65 million to operate through 2030. “ We've watched so many other corporations and foundations and businesses just like completely turn their...

The SAT has been called many things. Too consequential. Too stressful. Too long. But in its 100-year history, no one ever called it easy. But lately, a claim that the SAT has been “dumbed down” has ricocheted across social media and lit up education blogs. It’s a hot take that makes for an irresistible retweet but ignores a more important truth: The SAT—in its paper-and-pencil past and in its digital present—remains the gold standard for reliable and rigorous measurement of college readiness. The SAT was created by College Board a century ago to give college admissions officers a consistent standard...

The state of Florida is looking to expand its immigration crackdown and build another “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility, as deportations continue to mount. A second detention center known as the “North Detention Facility” is being planned for Camp Blanding, a Florida National Guard training site in Clay County, in the northeastern part of the state, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. The site once served as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. The Florida Department of Emergency Management is reportedly purchasing weather monitoring equipment and two lightning sirens for the facility for almost $40,000, according to a state contract. CBS News...