Free Republic

The Maine State House has removed a portrait of former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell following renewed scrutiny over his reported ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Maine House Republicans posted video of the portrait being taken down on social media Friday afternoon. The move comes after the release of roughly 3 million additional documents related to Epstein, in which Mitchell’s name reportedly appears more than 300 times. Mitchell was a prominent American politician and diplomat. He also served as Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate from 1989 to 1995. For years, he has denied any knowledge...

---SNIP-- It was in the process of making Elvis that Luhrmann discovered dozens of long-rumored concert footage tapes in a Kansas salt mine, where Warner Bros. stores some of their film archives. Working with Peter Jackson's team at the post-production facility Park Road Post, who did the miraculous restoration of Beatles rehearsal footage for Jackson's 2021 Disney+ series, Get Back, they burnished 50-plus hours of 55-year-old celluloid into an eye-popping sheen with enough visual fidelity to fill an IMAX screen. In doing so, they resurrected a woolly mammoth. The film — which is a creative amalgamation of takes from rehearsals...

Former women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe argued that the U.S. men’s hockey team ruined its gold medal moment by including the Trump administration. Following the team’s overtime win over Canada in the gold medal game, FBI Director Kash Patel was invited into the locker room for the post-game celebration. Patel then got President Donald Trump on the phone to congratulate the players. During that call, Trump invited the men’s team to the State of the Union address. After they enthusiastically accepted, Trump added that he’d “have to” also invite the women’s team, joking that he’d face the threat of impeachment...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s blanket fiasco may not have been about a blanket at all. The so-called ICE Barbie allegedly had her rumored beau, expired-special-employee Corey Lewandowski, fire a Coast Guard pilot last May after Noem neglected to bring her favorite weighted blanket onto the second flight of one of her trips. But three DHS insiders that spoke with the Daily Mail indicate that the spectacle may not have been about an abandoned blanket, but rather a mysterious bag with potentially embarrassing contents. . . .

Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna believed that the disgraced financier was not merely a predator, but the epicenter of a foreign intelligence-gathering “honey pot” operation, and that key women connected to his network should be questioned as co-conspirators in child sex trafficking.Based on fresh testimony and files uncovered in the House Oversight Committee’s probe, Luna declared that the notorious sex trafficker was operating a sophisticated “honey pot” intelligence-gathering scheme, likely designed to blackmail powerful politicians and business leaders for economic and political leverage.Luna, who has been at the forefront of this investigation as part of her role leading a task...

The majority approved language that would replace the elected Controller’s role with an appointed CFO, potentially stripping away independent oversightIn a move that has ignited fierce backlash, the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission voted 9-2 on Thursday to advance a proposal that would effectively eliminate the independent City Controller’s office, shifting its core functions—including audits, accounting, payments, revenue forecasting, and fraud investigations—to a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) appointed by Mayor Karen Bass and accountable to the City Council. This reform, framed by supporters as a consolidation of financial operations to address the city’s ongoing budget crisis, comes just weeks...

Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka was taken to the hospital early Friday and later died, according to reports. Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, popular for hits like "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and "Calendar Girl," “Laughter in the Rain,” and many others has died. He was 86. “Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” the family told Variety. “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be...

In three recent posts (one w/ video), Dr. Andrew Paquette lays out evidence of apparent current election rigging in the still-ongoing March 3 Republican Primary Election in Bexar County (San Antonio) TX. Links to posts: https://zarkfiles.substack.com/p/ghosts-of-the-alamo-busted-in-texas https://zarkfiles.substack.com/p/the-weston-alamo-algorithm-naked https://zarkfiles.substack.com/p/a-tiny-texas-addition

RICHMOND, Va. (7News) — Legislators in Virginia could see a nearly 300% pay increase if an amendment added to the budget by Democrats in the state Senate makes it to Gov. Abigail Spanberger's desk. The Democrat controlled Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have both passed their versions of the commonwealth's budget, largely along party lines.

Scouting America, the organization previously known as the Boy Scouts of America, has agreed to make several changes, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The group is under pressure from the U.S. Department of War, which has threatened to yank its support. In a video message issued Friday, Hegseth said he had been "very seriously considering ending our support of scouting altogether," accusing the group of adopting "radical, woke ideology." But he said the organization has agreed to implement changes, mentioning five, while indicating there were more. First, Scouting America has agreed to comply immediately with the provisions of...

The Department of War has officially put Scouting America on notice. It’s time to get back to basics — and DoW is leading the charge.

Today is the 10th day of Ramadan 2026 and the 2nd Friday Muslim communal day of worship.Taraweeh refers to special Sunnah (a type of optional or non-obligatory ritual prayer performed by Muslims in addition to the 5 daily obligatory prayers. These prayers are associated with the practices of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and are considered commendable.) prayers performed exclusively during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The prayers involve the recitation of long portions of the Quran, consist of any number of even rak'a (cycles of prostration in an Islamic prayer), however most of the time either 8 or 20, and...

...Leading the grim ranking is Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County, which recorded 80 fatal crashes over three years, more than any other highway in the nation. Stretching from San Diego to the Nevada border, I-15 serves as a critical connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, carrying a relentless stream of tourists, commuters, and freight trucks.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he was directing every federal agency to immediately cease all use of Anthropic's technology, adding there would be a six-month phase out for agencies such as the Defense Department who use the company's products. "I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

China has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran and urged those already there to leave as soon as possible, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. The advisory comes amid rising regional tensions and security risks. China’s foreign ministry and embassy in Iran have called on Chinese nationals to strengthen safety precautions and depart while commercial routes remain available, according to the report.

The House of Representatives passed a bill that would limit the Department of Energy’s authority to set energy conservation standards for household appliances, a measure Republicans argue would prevent the agency from imposing unrealistic standards that raise costs for families. The House voted 217-190 on Tuesday to pass a bill written by Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) that would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which requires the DOE to set minimum efficiency standards for consumer appliances and commercial equipment. The bill would “prevent future administrations from prioritizing a radical rush-to-green agenda over the affordability and availability of reliable household...

A Somali driver caught barreling an “80-ton truck” the wrong way down a Missouri highway failed an English proficiency test — and wasn’t able to read road signs, authorities said. The trucker was filmed driving south in the northbound lanes on Highway 61 near Troy, about 55 miles outside of St. Louis, at 8 a.m. Wednesday before finally crossing over and heading the right way, terrifying video shared by US Transportation Security Sean Duffy on X shows. “We have learned that a truck driver with a Minnesota CDL who couldn’t read basic road signs spent MILES driving the wrong way...

A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 25 years after being found guilty of murdering a nine-year-old girl as she played with a hula hoop. Deividas Skebas, 26, stabbed Lilia Valutyte to death in a random attack outside the shop where her mother worked in Boston, Lincolnshire, on 28 July 2022. He admitted killing Lilia but denied her murder, claiming his responsibility was diminished by his mental state. However, a jury at Lincoln Crown Court convicted him following an eight-day trial earlier this month. Sentencing, Mr Justice Akhlaq Choudhury told Skebas, who showed little emotion,...

A family of foreigners visiting California were kicked out of the famed La Jolla Cove in San Diego after they were caught allegedly harassing the sea lions. Visitors and tourists to the cove are warned to avoid the sea lions, but unruly behavior has led some activists to call on the state to shut down access to human beings in order to protect the animals. The video shows the mother interacting in broken English with the ranger. "Where are you guys from?" the ranger asks. "China," the mother says. "China? In China, do you guys throw dirt at the animals...

The COMEX Inventory: Silver is published by the Commodity Exchange Inc. (COMEX). This indicator is used to track the amount of silver held in COMEX-approved warehouses. It serves as a key benchmark for assessing supply levels and potential market movements in the silver market. A high inventory level may indicate a surplus, potentially leading to lower prices, while a low inventory level may suggest a shortage, potentially driving prices higher. The inventory data is calculated based on the total amount of silver held in COMEX-approved warehouses. This includes both registered and eligible stocks. Registered stocks are those that are available...