Free Republic

Members of Congress appreciate the political cover but don’t love how the White House is circumventing Capitol Hill’s power of the purse yet again.On Friday the White House sent lawmakers a five-page document detailing its argument for why the president has the power to use funding for a different purpose than Congress mandated in law. The bulleted list of talking points cites examples like then-President George Washington tapping military funding in 1794 for the militia to respond to the Whiskey Rebellion.But administration officials have not relayed how much other money they believe could be used to pay troops when the...

Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Monday rebuffed claims by US President Donald Trump that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites had been destroyed by US strikes in June. In a statement on his official website, Khamenei told Trump to “keep dreaming” over the comments on the sites’ destruction and questioned the US president’s right “to say what a country should or should not have if it possesses a nuclear industry.” For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran. The US briefly joined in,...

Researchers in Italy’s University of Padua detected plastic particles in nearly every dairy sample they tested, with the highest concentrations found in aged cheeses.-A recent study out of the University of Padua in Italy found microplastics in nearly all dairy products tested — including milk, fresh cheese, and ripened cheese. -The researchers found an average of 1,857 particles per kilogram in ripened cheese, 1,280 in fresh cheese, and about 350 in milk, likely from processing and packaging. -While the study didn’t evaluate health effects, previous research links microplastics to heart and liver issues, raising concerns about plastic contamination in the...

THE chess world has been left heartbroken after the sudden death of beloved grandmaster and commentator Daniel Naroditsky at just 29.The shocking news was confirmed earlier this morning, sending waves of grief through players and fans across the globe.Beloved chess grandmaster and commentator Daniel Naroditsky has tragically died at 29Credit: YouTube/Daniel NaroditskyNaroditsky was known not only for his skills on the board but also for his warmth, humor, and teachingCredit: YouTube/Daniel NaroditskyThe shocking news was confirmed earlier this morningCredit: X/ Daniel NaroditskyNaroditsky, who lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, had been serving as Grandmaster-in-Residence at the Charlotte Chess Center since 2020.“It...

Anthony Jackson, the session legend widely credited with pioneering the six-string bass, has died aged 73. The news has been confirmed by high-end bass manufacturer Fodera Guitars, with whom Jackson worked very closely. Jazz fusion virtuoso Al Di Meola has also paid tribute to Jackson’s inventive legacy. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Anthony Jackson – one of the most visionary and influential bassists in the history of our instrument,” Fodera Guitars wrote. “Anthony’s impact extended far beyond the notes he played,” it says. “He pioneered the concept of the six-string ‘contrabass guitar,’ revolutionizing the role...

Explanation: Barred spiral galaxy NGC 2903 is only some 20 million light-years distant. Popular among amateur astronomers, it shines in the northern spring constellation Leo, near the top of the lion's head. That part of the constellation is sometimes seen as a reversed question mark or sickle. One of the brighter galaxies visible from the northern hemisphere, NGC 2903 is surprisingly missing from Charles Messier's catalog of lustrous celestial sights. This colorful image from a small ground-based telescope shows off the galaxy's gorgeous spiral arms traced by young, blue star clusters and pinkish star forming regions. Included are intriguing details...

Rep. Chip Roy said there’s still bipartisan interest in forcing a floor vote on congressional trading.A raft of internal GOP fights are awaiting Speaker Mike Johnson when he brings the House back from its shutdown recess — including a major brawl over legislation banning congressional stock trading.Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said in an interview Monday he and fellow Republicans are ready to push GOP leaders to put their bipartisan stock trading ban bill on the floor whenever the House returns — or possibly use a discharge petition to do an end-run around Johnson.“We’re going to have a vote on...

Happening now: That suspect did reportedly get inside the airport before police quickly stopped him. Police are holding a press conference shortly after 3 p.m., which can be viewed at this link: The Atlanta mayor said the individual, 49-year-old Billy Cagle, was stopped with a Springfield AR rifle variant with 27 rounds of ammunition, and has been diagnosed with a mental illness. The man is a convicted felon, meaning he should not be in possession of firearms. Police said he is known in the Cartersville area as a drug offender. Around 9:30 a.m. EST, Cagle arrived at the airport and...

U.S. Rep. Don Davis’ northeastern district would see major shift under new map backed by TrumpNorth Carolina Republicans are quickly advancing a plan to add another Republican seat to the state’s congressional delegation. A state Senate committee on Monday adopted a plan that would likely make one more district unwinnable for a Democrat.Republicans are redrawing the northeast 1st Congressional District to be more advantageous for the GOP — a move that will likely flip control of the seat as President Donald Trump aims to maintain Republican control of the House after the midterms.“The motivation behind this redraw is simple and...

A president steeped in constitutional lore might have been offended by claims he’s acting as a king. But Donald Trump and his entourage responded with mockery to weekend “No Kings” protests by millions of Americans — embracing the narrative in a way that explains his growing hubris and belief that he has unchecked power. The president and Vice President JD Vance this weekend both posted AI memes to social media depicting Trump in a crown. The one Trump shared was a mocked-up vision of the president flying a fighter jet emblazoned with “KING TRUMP” appearing to dump raw sewage on...

On the upcoming November general election ballot, 17 constitutional amendments will be placed before voters for their consideration. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, True Texas Project, Texas Policy Research, and Texas Eagle Forum have each released vote recommendations for the amendments. While not including recommendations, the Texas Public Policy Foundation has released a full analysis of the amendments’ details. According to the Texas Secretary of State, early voting will begin on Monday, October 20, 2025. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Proposition 1 (SJR 59): Creating funds to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State...

Billy Halloran's peaceful trail run in Japan turned into a fight for survivalWhen Billy Halloran set out on a training run in the forest surrounding Myoko, a mountain town in central Japan, one morning in early October, he was expecting little more than a quiet workout among the trees. That changed when he noticed movement in the undergrowth—two Asiatic black bears staring back at him from less than 30 metres away. Bear encounters in Japan have surged this year, with more than a hundred people injured and at least seven killed, the highest toll since tracking began in 2006, as...

Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales allegedly had an affair with a senior aide who later died after dousing herself with gasoline and setting herself on fire, multiple sources have told the Daily Mail. Regina Aviles, 35, poured gasoline over herself before becoming engulfed in flames at her home on September 13 in Uvalde, Texas – about two hours west of San Antonio. The married mother-of-one, who was separated from her husband, had served as Gonzales's regional district director in Uvalde since 2021. Sources who spoke with the Daily Mail on the condition of anonymity said that Aviles and the married congressman...

"We're going to be signing an agreement that's been negotiated over a period of four or five months."WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump on Monday signed a critical minerals and rare earths deal with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling the leader a trusted friend and steadfast ally.Under the deal, the U.S. and Australian governments will invest more than $3 billion in critical mineral projects over the next six months, “with recoverable resources in the projects estimated to be worth $53 billion,” according to the White House. The Department of War will also invest in constructing a “100 metric ton-per-year advanced gallium...

The diagnostic categorisation for autism is so broad that families of profoundly autistic children are being left behind, says the mother of a 7-year-old nonverbal daughter. When I tell strangers that my daughter is autistic, their questions are often so far from my reality, it’s painful. Does she have a unique talent? Special interests? They picture a child who excels at puzzles. But my daughter hasn’t shown an interest in toys since she was 20 months old and is unable to tell me what she wants to be for Halloween or when she grows up. I fear illnesses like strep...

The notion that the weekend’s “grassroots” protests were organic is a joke. Try to follow the reasoning that an average, uninitiated individual might cycle through to understand the so-called No Kings movement that took center stage over the weekend. The person might say something like: Excuse me, but I already understand that the US has never been a monarchy, that we are a constitutional republic that elects rather than selects or anoints its leaders, so we do not have kings in this country. Why, then, are we supposed to be all hot and bothered about a subject that was...

Senior members of President Donald Trump’s diplomatic team arrived in Israel on Monday as the United States seeks to hold together the fragile Gaza ceasefire and intensify efforts to implement phase two of the peace agreement. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Vice President JD Vance, who is set to arrive in Israel on Tuesday. The move marks Washington’s efforts to bring momentum to Trump’s peace plan and move into the second phase of the landmark agreement brokered earlier this month, which will focus on fully disarming Hamas...

🚨 Abigail Spanberger in 2024:“The question related to ‘why doesn’t Biden just shut down the border?’ It’s because there’s actually no legal authority to do so.” pic.twitter.com/18jOMDD56x— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 20, 2025

Unicorns are supposed to be rare and mythical. But at Saturday’s No Kings protests I saw the largest outbreak in America outside a Lisa Frank store. They were everywhere, but I was surprised to see almost a dozen of them down in New Braunfels, Texas. As at many of the No Kings protests across the country, attendees embraced the example set by the taunting frog outside Portland’s ICE facility and came in outfits that you could find threatening in only the most silly and specific of contexts: Cookie Monster was there.But you don’t pass up a chance to meet a...