Free Republic

A proposed one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires could raise $100 billion for healthcare while threatening to drive wealth out of state.The measure has divided powerful Democrats: Sen. Bernie Sanders supports it while Gov. Newsom warns a state-by-state approachcould damage innovation and entrepreneurship.Initiative backers must gather the signatures of nearly 875,000 registered voters by June 24 to qualify for November’s ballot. The fiery debate about a proposed ballot measure to tax California’s billionaires has sparked some soul-searching across the state.While the idea of a one-time tax on more than 200 people has a long way to go before getting onto...

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Investigators said Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fatal fire at a Swiss ski resort when they came too close to the ceiling of a bar crowded with New Year’s Eve revelers.Authorities planned to look into whether the sound-dampening material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether sparklers were permitted for use in the bar.The candles, which give off a stream of upward-shooting sparks, were the same type that is commonly available for parties, officials said.Forty people were killed and another 119 injured in the blaze early Thursday as it...

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett claimed on Tuesday that the suspects in the Qatargate scandal deserve a life sentence for having “maliciously sabotaged” Israel’s ties with Egypt while promoting the image of Qatar, which Bennett branded an “enemy.” The comments, made in a social media video, were Bennett’s latest volley of harsh rhetoric about the scandal, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior aide Jonathan Urich and former spokesperson Eli Feldstein are accused of working as paid lobbyists on behalf of Doha while in the premier’s employ. In a subsequent post, Bennett shared the text of the law in question,...

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles revealed that about 325,000 people will be required to obtain a new REAL ID driver’s license due to a software issue dating back more than 20 years. The REAL ID, a federally accepted driver’s license, was officially implemented nationwide in May 2025 after Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005. With travelers now required to show either a REAL ID or a passport when flying, the DMV released a statement Wednesday saying an estimated 325,000 people will receive notices instructing them to correct their licenses. “We proactively reviewed our records, identified a legacy system...

A Somalian convicted double murderer who took a prison officer hostage WON £240,000 in taxpayer-funded compensation and legal costs in the UK. They are just giving free money away to murderous Somalians in the UK.

Independent journalist Nick Shirley on Thursday teased a second installment of his investigation into alleged Minnesota fraud, suggesting it will make critics in the mainstream media "go insane." Shirley upended the news cycle last week with a 42-minute video investigating Minnesota daycare centers that appeared inactive despite receiving millions of dollars in government funding. The shocking video that has been viewed over 134 million times on X alone prompted investigations by federal officials, leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to freeze all childcare payments in Minnesota. In the wake of his investigation’s success, CNN and other legacy...

🇺🇸 ICE CRACKDOWN IN MINNESOTA: OVER 500 ARRESTS TO START 2026 A sweeping immigration enforcement campaign is underway in Minnesota as part of "Operation Metro Surge," with ICE arresting hundreds of undocumented individuals across the state. More than 500 arrests have already been made in early January, targeting people with prior deportation orders, fraud ties, or criminal records. Arrests have been confirmed at sites including a Hennepin County building in Minnetonka and a construction site in Chanhassen, with particular focus on Somali communities. Analysts say 2026 could break last year’s record for deportations under Trump’s immigration policies. Sources: @EricLDaugh

A Texas judge…ordered the release of court documents detailing the divorce of U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, months after she filed citing “biblical grounds.” The disclosures are likely to fuel attacks against Paxton in one of the nation’s most heated Republican primaries as he seeks to unseat Sen. John Cornyn. Whether the divorce details resonate with voters remains to be seen, with the Senate primary set for March 3 next year… which includes Rep. Wesley Hunt. The divorce comes after 38 years of marriage, during which Angela Paxton had...

In response to growing allegations of fraud in Somali daycares in the Seattle area and beyond, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson condemned independent journalists investigating the fraud, calling them “extremist influencers.” In a social media post, Wilson wrote, “I stand with the Somali childcare providers who have experienced targeted harassment, and condemn the surveillance campaign promoted by extremist influencers.” She then encouraged people who believe themselves to be “the victim of a hate crime” to contact Washington’s Hate Crimes and Bias Incident Hotline. She wrote in an official statement, “In Seattle, we believe in solidarity, and our city will not tolerate...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church“I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John 1:26–28Though John the Baptist prepared the people of Israel for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he also prepares us to receive the fruit of that ministry and mission. One way he does this is by revealing the identity of...

When you voted for Mamdani and wanted to celebrate his inauguration the right way: Yes, as you can see, a massive crowd gathered near the Brooklyn Bridge on Wednesday night in anticipation of a fireworks show that never happened. And when midnight rolled around it got very awkward. Essentially, TikTok rumors caused the confusion. Also, as an excuse, people said a lack of communication from authorities was part of the confusion -- authorities never said there were fireworks there because there weren't going to be fireworks there. To be fair, there are fireworks on display at the Brooklyn Bridge on...

Somali TikToker threatens Elon Musk’s life: "I wouldn't worry too much about him. He about to die."

A victim of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein said Tuesday the partial release of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) files on the disgraced financier and the lack of naming those accused of wrongdoing were “incredibly frustrating.” The DOJ still has 5.2 million files to undergo review, according to a Reuters report Wednesday. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on the social platform X that lawyers from the DOJ, FBI, Southern District of Florida and Southern District of New York “are working around the clock through the holidays” to review the files. The DOJ had 30 days to release its files...

Left-wing activist attempts to protest in front of Danish Royal Guards; gets instantly shoved to the ground.

CNN can’t believe that Trump is the ONLY President EVER to have higher net approval ratings in his 2nd term than his first term!! How EPIC is her reaction?😂 Happy New Year y’all!!😎🇺🇸

Over the last week, SBA has reviewed thousands of potentially fraudulent pandemic-era PPP and EIDL loans approved in Minnesota. Today, our agency took action to suspend 6,900 Minnesota borrowers amid suspected fraudulent activity. In total, these borrowers were approved for 7,900 PPP and EIDL loans worth approximately $400M. These individuals will be banned from all SBA loan programs, including disaster loans, going forward. We will also refer every case, where appropriate, to federal law enforcement for prosecution and repayment. After years, the American people will finally begin to see the criminals who stole from law-abiding taxpayers held accountable - and...

Meanwhile, similar incidents of the police being targeted by fireworks were reported in Belgium and two youngsters died in an accident involving home-made explosives in Germany. At least two people were killed in the Netherlands in a string of violent incidents on New Year’s Eve that Dutch police are calling "unprecedented". In the southeastern city of Nijmegen, a 17-year-old was killed in an incident involving fireworks shortly after midnight but police have given no further details. And in the town of Aalsmeer south of the capital Amsterdam, a 38-year-old was killed in another incident involving fireworks which is still being...

In July, President Donald Trump signed into law new legislation that will overhaul the federal student loan system. Among the changes brought by the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act are the elimination of loans that allowed graduate students to borrow up to the cost of attendance and differing caps on student loans for those pursuing graduate versus professional degree programs — a classification that the Department of Education has proposed to include graduate studies in 11 fields, including medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry. Notably missing from that list, however, are myriad allied health professions like physical and occupational therapy, audiology,...

Bill Glahn, policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, discusses the SBA's efforts to crack down on fraud in Minnesota and concerns that the state's new paid leave legislation could set up new fraud opportunities.

A female streamer from Germany was attacked during a New Year’s Eve celebration in the streets of Cologne, according to German media. Newsweek reached out to the streamer, Kunshikitty, and the police in Cologne, Germany, for comment via email. Why It Matters Video of the attack received millions of views on the social media platform X on Monday. The video underscores ongoing public safety concerns for women across the globe and comes on the 10th anniversary of a wave of assaults against women across Germany during New Year’s Eve celebrations. What to Know Kunshikitty, a streamer who has more than...