Free Republic

Crossings through the Strait have fallen sharply across multiple shipping datasets with renewed U.S. strikes on Iran, Tehran’s declaration of a blanket ban on maritime traffic and fresh attacks on commercial vessels has prompted operators to reassess the risks of entering the Gulf. Lloyd’s List Intelligence recorded just 53 vessel transits in the week through July 20, down 66% from 157 the previous week. Tanker and gas carrier movements, which are the ships responsible for transporting most Gulf crude oil and liquefied natural gas, dropped to 30 crossings from 90. Kpler data similarly show activity deteriorating almost immediately after the...

Summary The US has signed a landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia The US Department of Energy says the "peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement" will provide "great access" for US firms to the Saudi nuclear energy programme A "bilateral safeguards agreement" has also been signed as part of the deal, it says US media reported before the deal was announced that it could potentially allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium itself - we're yet to see the full details The fear is that if Saudi Arabia starts enriching its own uranium, hardliners in Iran could be encouraged to secretly race to...

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of an illegal caught up in a sting operation. Federico Pascual-Jimenez, from Mexico, thought he was sending sexually explicit text messages to a 14-year-old girl. It was, in fact, an ICE agent. Goodbye AC: This US invention is set to revolutionise cooling New Air Conditioner Without Outside Unit Going Viral in America Enlarged Prostate? Most Men Do Not Know About This Simple Shrinking Method In his texts, Pascual-Jimenez said he thought “age doesn’t matter.” ICE announced on X, “.@ICEgov has ARRESTED a criminal illegal PEDOPHILE.” “Federico Pascual-Jimenez, from Mexico, believed he was...

The Trump v. Barbara ruling did not destroy President Trump's ability to limit birthright citizenship for birth tourists from China or other specific countries. Upon release of the Trump v. Barbara opinion overruling the President’s Executive Order blocking automatic citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal aliens and visiting tourists, President Trump congratulated President Xi and China on their “massive Birthright Citizenship WIN,” warning the ruling hands foreign nationals a golden ticket to U.S. passports for their children. Indeed, the ruling was disappointing. It leaves wide gaps for individuals, cartels, and hostile nations to exploit our laws...

A white man who was charged with assaulting a police officer has had the case against him dropped following a row about two-tier policing. Cody Harper, 20, was arrested after being assaulted by two black men in the early hours of June 21 in Birmingham. Footage shared on social media showed Mr Harper being pushed to the ground by one man while another tried to punch him in the back of the head. A female West Midlands Police (WMP) officer then appears to push Mr Harper against a wall as he is getting up, to which he reacts by swinging...

A woman in her 50s was stabbed inside a Catholic church in Ireland on Tuesday morning while parishioners were reciting the Rosary before Mass. The attack occurred at Holy Cross Church in Tramore, County Waterford, around 9:45 a.m. The victim, a local woman who has not been publicly identified, was taken to University Hospital Waterford with serious but not life-threatening injuries. She was stabbed on the altar after a man entered the church and accosted her. An Irish man in his 30s was arrested by Gardaí police and is in custody. He is described as a stranger to the victim...

On Morning Joe's June 18th episode, Scarborough railed that the Memorandum of Understanding leaves the Iranian regime "more powerful than they've ever been."But on Wednesday's Scarborough chat-a-thon, Kim Ghattas, a contributing editor at the Financial Times, acknowledged that while Iran may appear to hold the upper hand with actions like threatening the Strait of Hormuz and inflicting casualties, the reality on the ground tells a different story. “It's very interesting to hear Richard speak about Israeli overreach and American overreach. Because I also think the Iranians are overreaching at this moment in the conflict . . . They also feel...

Video Transcript SummarySummary of the Alex Jones interview with pollster Mark Mitchell (omitting ads/promotions):Mark Mitchell, who rebuilt Rasmussen Reports' accuracy and methodology before leaving, launched HonestPoll.com after being silenced for critical commentary on Trump. He describes pressure from PACs/Trump donors after his polling and analysis warned against certain policies. He positions himself as committed to honest voter representation (in the George Gallup tradition) over pleasing clients.Key Polling Findings & WarningsIran War/Military Action: Mid-January polls (delivered to the White House) showed weak support for using U.S. military force to overthrow the Ayatollah — only 17% strongly approve, 21% somewhat approve, with...

"She's a leader in this country, and she deserves the utmost respect," Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, said at a town hall in Houston.“If you claim to be my supporter, if you claim to be a part of this movement that we are building, please keep Congresswoman Crockett’s name out of your mouth,” Talarico demanded on Sunday during a town hall in Houston. The remarks were significant as the residue of Talarico and Crockett’s primary contest had continued to stain the Democratic nominee’s campaign as he worked to win over Black voters, most of whom backed...

Ties the knot with longtime girlfriend Thea BooysenAmerican YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known online as MrBeast, has married content creator Thea Booysen. The two announced their marriage on social media on Tuesday. They were engaged in December 2024. Donaldson, 28, is YouTube’s most-followed creator, with over 500 million subscribers on his main channel alone. His six alternate accounts, including MrBeast Gaming and Beast Reacts, have nearly 200 million subscribers between them. Donaldson is also the host and co-creator of the Prime Video reality competition show Beast Games. His new wife, also 28, is a Twitch livestreamer and YouTuber who creates...

A French modelling scout with close ties to the late US financier Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead at his home outside Paris, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Under investigation in France, Daniel Siad, 69, was one of several French men accused of aiding Epstein to traffic and abuse women. Siad had not yet been questioned by investigators, but had denied the allegations, saying he wanted to be heard and give his version of events. 'An investigation to determine the cause of death was opened on Monday evening following the discovery,' the Nanterre prosecutor's office said. An autopsy will be carried...

he U.S. military's Central Command repeated an assertion on Tuesday evening that has been made by the Trump administration many times over the last two weeks, insisting that "despite Iranian aggression, the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel traffic." Despite the U.S. president and military continuing to urge vessels to use a southern route through the strait, in defiance of Iran's threats, few shippers seem willing to risk it. The Joint Maritime Information Center in Bahrain, a military partnership that includes the U.S., said commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz fell to a three-week low on Tuesday...

The Trump administration is weighing military action in the West African country of Mali to target an al-Qaeda-affiliated group known as JNIM, said current and former U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations. If approved, it would add an eighth nation to the list of countries where President Donald Trump has ordered strikes since the start of his second term — a chapter of his presidency that he initially said would be dedicated to ending global strife and redirecting U.S. resources to Americans. There is disagreement, however, among senior U.S. officials over whether to proceed with attacking the militant group. A...

Less than 24 hours after a triple homicide at a St. Paul apartment complex, prosecutors have charged a tenant with murder. Deputies arrested 30-year-old Tsegaab Binessu in the Iron Range Monday night. He was formally charged Tuesday afternoon with the murders of 25-year-old Nansi Fuentes Zambrano, 56-year-old Dena Silcox and 43-year-old Adam Wilwerding.

Sorry I thought I posted this in chat previously. What ideas and hints do you have to make life easier and even more fun? Share the wealth? I'll start. Store cat food cans upside-down and it will come out easier. Kill creepy crawlies with damp paper towel. Waggle your fingers on one side of the monster and grab it with the wet towel or tissues from the other side. It works.

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood is defending her fund's stake in SpaceX, declaring the aerospace and satellite network pioneer could become the "most important company in global history" despite the stock's recent slide and an upcoming $116 billion share unlock. During an interview on "Mornings with Maria" Wednesday, Wood explained why she remains bullish on SpaceX after funds managed by ARK Invest allocated $80 million to the position following its public debut. "[Down] from its peak, it is," Wood said, "but of course not from the IPO price. We think this could become the most important company in history, and...

Are Democrat voters in California tired of 16 years of one-party rule? Are Democrat voters in California tired of 16 years of one-party rule? The Steve Hilton campaign just published a full-page advertisement in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. ****** Here is Hilton’s simple test: _ I can’t stand Trump, but I’m not happy with the way things have been run in California lately. _ I just want California to be amazing, but we make it so hard to live here. _ I keep hearing about affordable housing, but it never seems to happen....

An experimental OpenAI model went rogue during an internal cybersecurity test, escaping its isolated testing environment and hacking rival AI developer Hugging Face in what the ChatGPT maker described as an unprecedented incident. The startling episode occurred during an internal stress test in which OpenAI intentionally switched off many of the safeguards that normally prevent its AI from helping carry out dangerous hacks, according to a company blog post. Researchers wanted to measure just how far the experimental model could go. Instead, the company says, it escaped its digital sandbox, got onto the internet and attacked a real company’s systems....

SUMMARY The US is due to sign a deal that will allow Saudi Arabia to develop a civilian nuclear programme - timeline of their talks An announcement is expected from US President Donald Trump's administration, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner The deal will reportedly allow US companies to run nuclear power for the Saudis on Saudi soil Nuclear experts and former officials in Israel - the US's top ally in the Middle East - have warned that such an agreement could lead to Saudi Arabia being able to develop a nuclear weapon The fear is that if...

The Walt Disney Company has unleashed a fresh bloodbath across its entertainment empire, with Pixar taking a major hit despite the blockbuster success of “Toy Story 5.” The “Mouse House” announced several hundred layoffs Tuesday in its third round of cuts this year, affecting Disney Entertainment Television, ESPN, corporate divisions and Disney Studios, according to SFist. Pixar’s Emeryville animation studio was hit hardest within the film division. Disney has not confirmed how many Pixar workers lost their jobs, but a source told TheWrap that roughly 116 employees were laid off. Many of the Pixar cuts were concentrated in production and...