Free Republic

OAKLAND, Calif. - Thursday is expected to be a contentious day in Sacramento, where state lawmakers are scheduled to debate – and vote on – a controversial plan to redraw California's congressional map, with the goal of adding seats for Democrats in Congress. It comes on the heels of a major vote in Texas on Wednesday to revamp that state's districts to help the Republican Party. Democratic Congresswoman speaks out on redistricting at Albany town hall Democratic U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon did not mince words at an Albany town hall Wednesday night, voicing support for a plan to redraw California's...

In May of this year the world was shocked by the Moscow City government decision to unveil a grand bas-relief of Stalin at the Taganskaya metro station in the heart of Moscow. Widely seen as a murderous dictator on a par with Hitler by westerners, Stalin is a much more complicated figure for Russians. He is responsible for the Red Terror of the 30s where millions were shot or sent to the GULAG as well as the mass deportations that still fuel hatred of Russians today in countries like Estonia that were worst affected. But for the average Russian he...

Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga discovered and named the Sacramento Valley and the Sacramento River in either 1799 or 1808; accounts vary. Moraga wrote, “Canopies of oaks and cottonwoods, many festooned with grapevines, overhung both sides of the blue current. Birds chattered in the trees and big fish darted through the pellucid depths. The air was like champagne, and (the Spaniards) drank deep of it, drank in the beauty around them. ‘Escomo el sagrado sacramento!’” (It’s like the Holy Sacrament.)

BALTIMORE — Thousands of businesses applied for assistance following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse with nearly half being rideshare and taxi services, followed by trucking companies and restaurants. But Relentless Management Group LLC, a business management firm for athletes and entertainers, received nearly $1 million in taxpayer funds - the second-highest amount among all applicants. Despite attempts to understand how the Key Bridge disaster impacted this business enough to warrant substantial taxpayer support, the managing partner did not respond...WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii traveled to Hyattsville, Maryland, about 40 miles from the Key Bridge, to the address listed on the...

Animal Farm's 80th anniversary reminds us of Orwell's enduring influence. Dive into the narratives that have shaped our understanding of power and truth.This year, Animal Farm celebrates its 80th anniversary - a remarkable milestone for a book that has remained in print and in the public imagination since 1945. And George Orwell’s influence is felt not only in literature but in politics, journalism, and culture - his clear-eyed observations of poverty, totalitarianism, and the corruption of ideals resonate today as much as they did in the mid-20th century. From his earliest reporting on life in the streets and workhouses...

A US Navy sailor in California has been convicted of espionage for selling the force's secrets to a Chinese agent who recruited him through social media. Jinchao Wei, 25, was convicted of six charges, including espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, and unlawful export of classified data about US Navy ships. "The defendant's actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the US military," US Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement after the verdict was read. "By trading military secrets to the People's Republic of China for cash, he jeopardised not only the...

Chinese scientists are in a battle to save one of the last large animal species living in the Yangtze River – and a complete ban on fishing in the region is helping them. At the Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan, just 5km (3.1 miles) from the banks of the river, the preserved bodies of the now-extinct river dolphin (baiji in Chinese) and paddle fish sit silently behind panes of glass. "Now that those have become extinct, we're going to save the Yangtze river porpoise," Professor Wang Xi tells the BBC. "It has become the most important animal here." It was...

The church's move is the most spectacular and symbolic moment of the wider relocation of buildings in Kiruna, which lies 145km (90 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. The old city centre is at risk from ground fissures after more than a century of iron ore mining. Since the mid-2010s, buildings have been moved to safer ground. Most were demolished and rebuilt, but some landmarks – including the church - were moved intact. Kiruna Church is 35m (115ft) high, 40m wide and weighs 672 tonnes. It was once voted Sweden's most beautiful pre-1950 building.

A street dog that took a particular liking to a British backpacker in Peru - following her relentlessly - has arrived at his new home in the UK after months of vaccines, tests and quarantine. Mirelle Radley, 30, felt like she was "adopted" by the stray in a village in the Sacred Valley of the Incas while travelling in April. When it became clear he was not being cared for, she named him Paddington and jumped through hoops to ensure he could safely be brought home with her. They arrived back at her home in Cambridge on Thursday and she...

The legend of Brighty the Burro of the Grand Canyon excludes the whole truth. During a winter when some tourists were stranded at the Grand Canyon and were out of food, they killed Brighty and ate him. This factual omission is typical of Park Service personnel who often try to deceive the public. They now say they did nothing wrong in letting the Dragon Bravo fire burn out of control and destroy the North Rim. Far from the truth. The Park's superintendent and every single one of the honchos who let that fire get out of control are criminally negligent...

“The Wizard of Oz” was released over 85 years ago, but the timeless classic remains one of the most influential films ever. From Judy Garland as Dorothy to her performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” the film has remained a go-to for generations. Visually, there’s the beautiful shift from black and white to technicolor, which has viewers enthralled to this day. Film critic Leonard Maltin described why the film has and continues to draw in audiences. “You have to know you’re facing utter perfection.” Maltin told the crowd, upon its release in 1939, the film was a flop. “It was...

On July 2, Amazon launched “Heads of State,” an action-comedy film starring Idris Elba and John Cena as the respective leaders of the United Kingdom and the United States. But the viewership data indicated that this was no traditional two-hander. Representatives for Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who plays a senior MI6 agent and the film’s third lead, used AI tools including Grok and ChatGPT to measure and analyze viewer sentiment; they found that their client was the main driver of the success of the movie — the fourth-most-watched Amazon MGM Studios film of all time on the platform — on the...

Voight's partners are hopeful a federal film incentive will be introduced in Congress this year.Jon Voight made a splash in May when he pitched President Trump on a plan to save Hollywood, warning that the industry was at risk of going “down the drain like Detroit.” But in the months since then, not much has happened. Trump prompted an outcry when he threatened to tariff foreign-made films, and then quickly moved on. But conversations are still taking place. Steven Paul and Scott Karol, independent film producers who have worked with Voight to “Make Hollywood Great Again,” are hopeful that a...

Shenghua Wen, 42, received around $2 million (€1.7 million) from North Korean officials to ship firearms and ammunition from California. A Chinese national in California has been sentenced to eight years in prison for shipping firearms and ammunition to North Korea. North Korean officials paid Shenghua Wen around $2 million (€1.7 million) to ship two containers of weapons and other items from Long Beach in California to North Korea via Hong Kong in 2023, according to the US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. The 42-year-old pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic...

Democrats are tortured by what they should stand for now and heading into the 2028 elections. But a number of current trends suggest a likely answer: their own version of a populist, anti-establishment, MAGA-like makeover.Why it matters: The debate is usually framed as liberal vs. centrist, Rahm versus AOC. But big, fast changes in AI, media habits and general public angst point to a more sweeping shift in ideas and attitude.Four megatrends that are already shaping Democrats' efforts to remake their image and rewrite their agenda:Media: MSM is fading in its mesmerizing hold over liberals. At the same time, the...

What we know: The Redmond Police Department was dispatched to the Microsoft courtyard at approximately 12:15 p.m. in response to a large gathering of protesters. According to the police, officers first attempted to issue trespass orders to the protesters, but they became "aggressive" and resisted. Protesters reportedly poured paint on the Microsoft sign and on the ground. Other demonstrators blocked a pedestrian bridge, creating a barrier with stolen tables and chairs from vendors. No injuries were reported. Those arrested face multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. The police department's investigation is ongoing. The Washington State Patrol,...

Lithuania has revealed plans to dig a 30-mile-wide ribbon of defences on its borders with Russia and Belarus that will include minefields and bridges set to blow up in case Russia invades. The plans are part of a Baltic-wide push for more defence, amid increasing aggression from Russia and its allies. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, alongside Poland, have been fortifying their borders, adding obstacles and redoubts to existing fences. All four are also looking for EU funding for these projects. When complete, having been in the works since early last year, the Baltic defence line is estimated to be more...

Ford’s $30,000 electric pickup aims to reinvent its future, but its past may weigh it down. Last week, under the blistering heat of an August day at a Ford plant in Louisville, Ky., Ford CEO Jim Farley, a self-proclaimed lifelong petrol head, announced a $30,000 electric pickup truck slated for release in 2027. Farley pitched it as a new “Model T moment,” a breakthrough meant to reinvent how cars and trucks are assembled. The company hopes the move will help Ford remain a profitable U.S. automaker despite rising tariffs, softening EV demand, higher labor costs, and a political climate that...

On August 13, 2025, Israeli forces eliminated the terrorist Mohammed Naif Abu Shamla, the commander of the Nukhba platoon in the Hamas terror organization, in southern Khan Younis. Abu Shamla infiltrated Israel’s territory and took part in the attempted infiltration of the IDF’s (Israel Defense Forces) Mars outpost during the October 7 massacre. During the war, he promoted numerous terror plans against IDF forces and the State of Israel as part of his role in the Hamas terror organization.(ANI/TPS)

Gates is calling on global innovators to harness A.I. against the growing Alzheimer’s crisis.More than 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease—a figure expected to rise as life expectancies increase. To help accelerate progress, Bill Gates and a coalition of partners are backing a new A.I. competition designed to spur breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s and related dementia research. Unveiled today (Aug. 19) by the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (AD Data Initiative), the competition will award a $1 million prize to a team that successfully utilizes agentic A.I. to develop innovative solutions. The resulting tools will be made publicly available...