Free Republic

(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are strongly higher in afternoon trading Wednesday, with gold leading the way this time, powering to an all-time high of $5,360.60, basis April Comex futures, as of this writing, and scoring the largest daily price gains ever, in dollar terms. The precious metals are supported by safe-haven demand as the U.S. dollar wobbles on the foreign exchange market. April gold was last up $197.20 at $5,317.20. March silver prices were up $5.59 at $111.52. Gold and silver markets have shown no significant price reactions in the immediate aftermath of the Federal Reserve’s two-day...

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday voted to take a break from a recent run of interest rate cuts, as the central bank navigates questions about its independence and awaits a new leader. Meeting market expectations, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee voted to keep its key interest rate in a range between 3.5%-3.75%. The decision put a halt to three consecutive quarter percentage point reductions, billed as maintenance moves to guard against potential downturns in the labor market. In voting to hold the line, the committee raised its assessment of economic growth. It also eased its concerns about the...

@Holden_Culotta Thomas Massie just exposed that Trump is threatening to “ruin” his supporters’ businesses if they fund his campaign. “I’m not talking about IRS audits.” “It’s bigger than that.” “Here’s what happens behind the scenes … ” First, Trump allies are coercing Massie’s consultants into quitting his re-election campaign: “Three of my consultants have quit on my campaign, all three for the same reason.” “They were told: your other 30 clients will fire you if you keep working for Massie.” “They make it hard to hire people.” “I really love the consultants I got now, because they’re the ones who...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the 2026 midterm elections on the horizon amid increasing strife over problems facing the nation, Republican lawmakers issued an urgent warning that passing a national voter ID law could ruin their plan to hand Congress to the Democrats in November. While President Trump and his administration continued to apply pressure to congressional GOP leaders and stress the importance of passing voter ID legislation, Republicans expressed concern that such a move could potentially spell doom for their goal of losing both the House and the Senate to Democrats this fall. "There's a real danger that this could...

Henyard promotes 'Tha New Wave' on Facebook; ex-colleagues to change pleas The former mayor of south suburban Dolton and Thornton Township supervisor appears to have stepped away from politics, at least for the time being. Tiffany Henyard surfaced on Facebook over the weekend with a video from what she described as the soft opening of her clothing store called "Tha New Wave." "I'm back!" she told viewers. "Well, I never went anywhere, but look at what I've been doing!" For more than ten minutes, viewers saw her tending a barbecue grill during a grand opening party, and giving a tour...

Explanation: In the vast Orion Molecular Cloud complex, several bright blue nebulas are particularly apparent. Pictured here in the center are two of the most prominent reflection nebulas - dust clouds lit by the reflecting light of bright embedded stars. The more famous nebula is M78, in the image center, cataloged over 200 years ago. To its upper left is the lesser known NGC 2071. Astronomers continue to study these reflection nebulas to better understand how interior stars form. The overall red glow is from diffuse hydrogen gas that covers much of the Orion complex that spans much of the...

The FBI has reportedly taken the lead in the criminal investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., being sprayed with a liquid while she spoke at a town hall meeting. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, federal authorities assumed control of the probe after the Tuesday incident at Urban League headquarters in north Minneapolis, where Omar was interrupted mid-speech by a man who allegedly sprayed her with a substance from a syringe. Minneapolis police spokesman Trevor Folke confirmed Wednesday that the FBI is now leading the case, signaling the likelihood of federal charges. The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Anthony James Kazmierczak...

At 6.38pm CST on Saturday January 24, Indiana Pacer star Tyrese Haliburton posted on X: “Alex Pretti was murdered.” The NBA star was one of the first athletes to respond to what can only be described as the public execution by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Pretti’s death was the culmination of a weeks-long campaign of terror conducted against residents of the city, including Renee Good, who was herself killed by DHS forces just two weeks earlier. Indeed, “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis has accounted for two-thirds of homicides in the city...

Placed under breaking news to get someone's attention. Okay, it's been a few days - weeks if you include the "Sunday Morning Talk Show Thread 4 January 2026". Pretty sure there's been a lot more breaking news since then. Any chance someone can update this?

Record Label: Real America’s Music “The Somali Waltz” (Natasha Owens/ David Owens / Ian Eskelin) Co Pub Cabana (BMI) / Promotion And Relegation Music (SESAC) (all admin Music Services) All Rights Reserved. LYRICS In Mogadishu <>Minnesota You might have heard there’s Quite a load of Money missing New millionaires All the kids are “learing” In fake daycares The Somali waltz The Somali waltz It’s the same old song The Somali waltz It’s sad but true They’re screwing you Dancing to The Somali waltz Play your cards right You could be governor If you need a green card Marry your brother...

Grocery delivery app Instacart abruptly began charging Big Apple residents a new “regulatory response fee” this week after sweeping changes to the city’s delivery worker laws were enacted Monday, The Post has learned. “NYC regulatory response fees appear in the order summary,” the FAQ section of Instacart’s website now reads — a marked change from archived versions of the site just one month prior. An explanation of the fee reads that it “helps cover increased operating costs in NYC due to government regulations on delivery platforms.” A Post analysis of orders prior to Monday found no such fee tacked on....

Rapper Nicki Minaj took the stage alongside President Donald Trump on Wednesday, where she called herself his “number one fan.” Minaj appeared at an event celebrating the upcoming launch of “Trump Accounts,” which intends to give $1,000 to every newborn, invest that money in the stock market and then give the child access to the funds on their 18th birthday. The famous rapper, who has become a vocal political advocate in recent months, said that the “smear campaigns” against Trump only motivate her to love him more. “Well, I don’t know what to say, but I will say that I...

Charity Pierce, who appeared on the TLC show My 600-lb Life, has died at age 50 after reportedly suffering from various health ailments. Pierce passed away with loved ones by her side at 1:20AM on Tuesday, a family source told TMZ. The source said various medical conditions had resulted in Pierce being placed in hospice care for the past month or two. symbol 00:55 02:24 Read More The health issues included lymphedema and fluid buildup in her lungs, with the source saying the fluid was a possible factor in her death. A cause of death is not yet known. Pierce,...

Tesla has landed a massive deal to expand its charging infrastructure for heavy-duty electric trucks — and not just theirs, but all manufacturers. Tesla entered an agreement with Pilot Travel Centers, the largest operator of travel centers in the United States. Tesla’s Semi Chargers, which are used to charge Class 8 electric trucks, will be responsible for providing energy to various vehicles from a variety of manufacturers. The first sites are expected to open later this Summer, and will be built at select locations along I-5 and I-10, major routes for commercial vehicles and significant logistics companies. The chargers will...

Kenneth Moreno Guzman, an illegal alien from Mexico, raped an 11 year old girl at knifepoint in Georgia while her little sister watched. Jimmy Kimmel didn’t cry for her. Obama didn’t put out a statement. Media mostly ignored her rape. Democrats didn’t demand changes to stop future rapes and ZERO celebrities wore a pin for her at awards show. They only pretend to care if it suits their political goals and their bank accounts. Illegals are their pets so they protect them at all costs. One day before this rape, if ICE had tried to deport him, Democrats would have...

@PoliticsUK NEW: The first by-election poll from Gorton and Denton shows Reform UK winning the seat ➡️ REF - 30% 🔴 LAB - 27% 🟢 GRN - 17% 🔵 CON - 6% 🔶 LD - 2% Don't knows - 18% When "don’t knows" were excluded, Reform was on 36%, Labour 33% and the Greens 21%

SNIP “Surrey is facing a serious and growing crisis of organized extortion, intimidation and targeted shootings,” Mayor Locke said. “Residents and business owners are living in constant fear. Public safety is at risk, and the social and economic impact is real. The federal government needs to act now to give authorities the additional tools we need to keep our residents safe.” Mayor Locke’s motion reiterated her call to appoint a Commissioner for Extortion Violence Against Canadians to oversee the implementation of key measures, including: Immediate deployment of additional RCMP, federal organized crime units, and intelligence resources to Surrey Federal RCMP...

Ilhan Omar has been hit by claims she faked her own attack after Donald Trump declared 'she probably had herself sprayed.' The Minnesota Democratic Representative, 43, was doused with an unknown vinegar-smelling liquid from a syringe during a town hall event in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Anthony Kazmierczak, 55 - a Trump supporter who has previously posted anti-Omar comments on social media - was charged with third-degree assault. But Omar's actions during the attack have sparked theories it was staged, with online sleuths pointing to two supposed inconsistencies. The first is that the congresswoman's immediate response to the liquid being sprayed...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued with Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul Wednesday over whether the U.S.’ capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro was an “act of war.” Paul expressed disagreement with Rubio by stating that if any country captured the U.S. president in the same kind of operation carried out in Venezuela, he would declare war. President Donald Trump’s administration, including Rubio, have repeatedly stated that Maduro’s arrest was simply a “law enforcement action” and not an act of war against Venezuela. Trump said that the move brought Maduro to “justice” and that the U.S. acted within its constitutional...

Look at those faces: They never got a billboard. Not one. Alex Pretti received a billboard. Renée Good received national coverage. Protests. Headlines. National attention. Meanwhile… Young Americans whose lives were taken by people who were in this country illegally. Most never made national news. Most never trended. Most were forgotten within days. No press conferences. No primetime coverage. No political outrage. Just families planning funerals… quietly. And this is why ICE matters. Because its mission is to protect innocent people — to prevent harm and enforce the laws that keep our communities safe.