Free Republic

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake, measuring a strong 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, struck Shimane Prefecture at 10:18 a.m. on Tuesday. There was no threat of a tsunami. The initial quake was followed by a magnitude 5.1 temblor, measuring a lower 5 on the intensity scale, at 10:28 a.m.

As the world, including Canada, tries to make sense of the U.S. capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, some Hamilton demonstrators are denouncing the military intervention. "We think the U.S. has no right under international law to invade another country to kidnap and forcibly remove the head of state," said Ken Stone, a member of the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network. Stone was joined by about two dozen protesters on Monday, standing outside the government of Canada building on Bay Street in Hamilton, chanting and holding signs that read, "Hands off Venezuela" and "No war on Venezuela." The...

Elon Musk's Starlink announced it will provide free high-speed internet service to people in Venezuela through Feb. 3, following the arrest of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. In a post on X, Starlink said the service would be offered at no cost during the transition period. "Starlink is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3, ensuring continued connectivity," the company wrote. Musk reposted the announcement, adding, "In support of the people of Venezuela," alongside a Venezuelan flag emoji. Townhall reported the move followed the Trump administration's capture of Maduro after years of U.S. criminal charges...

Tamara Keith: Now, I did talk to an official who was part of the first Trump administration with a national security role today who said this operation in Venezuela was "Extremely Maga." And I was like, OK, really? How so? And what he said is that Maga was never anti-interventionist. It was never isolationist. What it was that it needed to be in the U.S. Interests and that Iraq and Afghanistan were not clearly in the U.S. Interests in the way that this operation was, tying it to immigration, tying it to drugs and a real emphasis on this hemisphere....

Now might be the moment to get a table at Tatiana — because everyone has been stranded in paradise by the Venezuela crisis. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy closed down airspace around the South American nation Saturday night amid the jaw-dropping operation to seize president Nicolás Maduro, meaning that the commercial flights and private jets that were meant to ferry movie stars, moguls and mega-millionaires back to reality after their New Year’s celebrations were grounded. We’re told Queen Latifah, Mike Tyson, Ming Lee Simmons, Natalie Portman and party pacha Richie Akiva were among those beached in St. Barts and the...

Keir Starmer faced a growing Labour backlash on Monday night after refusing to say whether Donald Trump's raid in Venezuela broke international law. The Prime Minister, who has lectured opponents on the importance of international law for years, insisted it remained 'the benchmark against which we judge the actions of all other governments'. But he refused to be drawn on whether the seizure of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro was legal, saying it was 'for the US to justify the action it has taken'. He added: 'It is not straightforward. It is complicated, and even today, there are further developments.' Sir...

A woman was arrested live on camera in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while talking to a local newscast about protesting the U.S. government’s sudden takeover of Venezuela. Jessica Plichta helped Grand Rapids Opponents of War organize the turnout Saturday, which inspired dozens of locals to march through snowy city streets. But in a bizarre turn of events, Plichta’s decision to exercise her First Amendment rights ended when local authorities handcuffed her on the sidewalk while she was live on air. “We have to apply pressure at all points that we can, this is not just a foreign issue,” Plichta said before...

The White House on Monday accused congressional Democrats of hypocrisy for criticizing President Donald Trump's arrest and extradition of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. In a release, the White House pointed to years of prior statements in which many of the same lawmakers called for Maduro's removal, delegitimization, or arrest. "Democrats spent years howling that Maduro was a ruthless tyrant who had to be delegitimized, pressured, and removed. But the instant President Trump succeeds where they failed, they erupt in furious hypocrisy — prioritizing their unhinged hatred of President Trump over American interests and national security," the White House said in...

Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey accused senior members of the Trump administration of misleading lawmakers and not getting proper approval from Congress before the attacks. “Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn’t about regime change. I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress,” Kim said on X. New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed the purpose of the strike was for oil and regime change, not law enforcement. “It’s not about drugs,” she said. “If it was, Trump wouldn’t have pardoned one...

Following the unprecedented seizure of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump has launched a sweeping series of warnings from Air Force One. Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Iran and Mexico have all been placed on notice, with Trump signalling potential military or economic action. The White House argues national security demands firmness, while allies and rivals alike react with alarm. As tensions rise across regions, Trump’s post-Maduro strategy is rapidly reshaping global diplomacy.

High in the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands is an isolated archipelago home to just 54,000 people. Tunnel building began in the 1960s and has transformed this tiny island nation both geographically and socially. More than two dozen tunnels now link communities that were once separated by mountains or sea. The newest tunnels are engineering marvels burrowing under the sea. Recently, the longest tunnel yet opened to the southern island of Sandoy, changing the lives of its small community. The Unique Undersea Tunnels That Link the Faroe Islands | 5:15 BBC Global | 717K subscribers | 689,885 views | August...

The recent closure of a California oil refinery — and plans to shutter another in the near future — have some experts warning of potential fuel shortages and price spikes in Nevada and other Western states that depend on the Golden State. California supplies roughly 88% of Nevada’s fuel, including diesel and jet fuel. But Phillips 66 closed a refinery in the Los Angeles area in October, and earlier this year, Valero submitted a notice that it plans to close a Bay Area refinery by April 2026. Combined, the two refineries produce 284,000 barrels of oil per day, about 17%...

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funded NPR, PBS and hundreds of local radio and TV stations across the United States for more than a half-century, said on Monday that its board of directors had voted to dissolve the organization because Congress cut off its federal money.

Part 1 of "The Man with the Midas Touch" Donald Trump receives a tip from a suspicious informant (Bill Clinton) that the evil supervillain Porge Poros is plotting a sinister scheme.

A US spy gathered information on “how he moved, where he lived, where he travelled, what he ate and wore, and even his pets”. The operation that changed Latin America The largest US military operation in Latin America since the invasion of Panama 36 years ago involved 150 different types of aircraft, the Delta Force — an elite unit tasked with special operations — and multiple intelligence agencies. Yet the mission could not have succeeded without crucial intelligence provided by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which had operatives embedded in Venezuela since last summer. Information from the agency proved decisive...

In this video I sit down with David as we talk about Tim Walz Billion dollar fraud scandal

Leaders of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private agency that has steered federal funding to PBS, NPR and hundreds of public television and radio stations across the country, voted Monday to dissolve the organization that was created in 1967. CPB had been winding down since Congress acted last summer to defund its operations at the encouragement of President Donald Trump. Its board of directors chose Monday to shutter CPB completely instead of keeping it in existence as a shell. “CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving,...

China recruits top STEM talent globally through programs including the Thousand Talents Plan, focusing on AI researchers, quantum computing experts, semiconductor engineers, and biotechnology researchers. The U.S., by contyrast, issues extraordinary ability visas to TikTok creators, Instagram fitness models, OnlyFans creators, and YouTube personalities.

A friend is in a financial bind to pay for her Chemo drugs Nivolumad and Ioilimamab any suggestions can be helpful. Her and her Marine veteran husband are in a tough spot. They/ we will pray for you in thanksgiving for any help finding funding. They live in Florida.

Far-left activists in Albuquerque and New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) erupted in protests and online tirades over the weekend following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, exposing what critics describe as another public meltdown fueled by none other than what many call “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” According to reporting by KOAT-TV, demonstrations broke out in Albuquerque and other U.S. cities after U.S. officials confirmed Maduro and his wife were taken into custody during a late-night operation. Protesters in New Mexico condemned the move, despite Maduro facing long-standing U.S. indictments alleging narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and collaboration with foreign...