Free Republic

One of the Pentagon's top generals overseeing military operations in Europe has been removed from command, the Army confirmed Friday, nearly two months before his time on the job would have naturally wrapped up. Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commander of the Army’s V Corps, was removed from command in recent days, according to a service spokesperson, though the circumstances surrounding his removal remain unclear. Costanza's removal comes amid a broader shake-up of the military's senior ranks, with more than two dozen high-ranking officers removed or sidelined under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, often without public explanation. But a source familiar with...

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has sent a memo to teams that addresses ongoing discussions around transgender athletes in women’s basketball. “I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention,” Engelbert wrote in the memo, which was sent Friday afternoon and obtained by The Associated Press. “I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism.”...

WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. House Democrats preparing for a possible return to power are developing a broad investigative strategy targeting companies and financial firms surrounding President Donald Trump, instead of trying to impeach him immediately, according to four people familiar with the discussions. Senior Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives and committee aides have discussed using hearings, subpoenas and document ‌requests to obtain records from entities tied to Trump's political and business orbit, the sources said. It is a bet that investigating private companies and outside financial players will prove more fruitful than directly ‌confronting a White...

The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States met certain conditions.A top Iranian national security official delivered a sweeping set of demands on Saturday that he said the United States must meet before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen to maritime traffic, throwing the fate of the critical trade waterway into question.Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a statement carried by state media laying out multiple requirements for reopening the strait. He called for the United States to lift its naval...

Hundreds of illegal immigrants have crossed the English Channel today after weather conditions improved overnight. Over 250 migrants have arrived on British shores today on four boats, with another inbound. They are the first crossings for five days, after windy weather prevented people smugglers from launching their boats. GB News can confirm that one migrant dinghy made it across the Channel undetected this morning, until it was just a couple of miles from the Kent coast. Border force vessels and a lifeboat scrambled to reach the dinghy before it was able to land on Shakespeare beach close to Dover harbour.

Sadiq Khan has called on the government to commit to revamped climate action and to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and gas, as the UK endures a summer of drought, wildfires and heatwaves. Writing in the Guardian, the mayor of London said that Andy Burnham’s administration must reaffirm its commitment to net zero and make clear it will continue to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and gas “to get Britain back on track.” There is growing concern among Labour MPs and climate experts that the new prime minister may support renewed drilling for oil and gas in the...

Sweden’s Left Party has admitted failing to vet Palestinian prisoners who received personal letters from its politicians. Sweden’s Left Party is facing mounting criticism after several of its politicians sent personal letters of solidarity to Palestinian prisoners, including men convicted of some of Israel’s deadliest terrorist attacks. The controversy centres on a December 2025 campaign involving 24 Left Party members of the Swedish and European parliaments. According to the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the politicians displayed photographs of 24 prisoners at their parliamentary seats for two weeks, with each participant sending a personal letter to one...

Former child actress and OnlyFans model Renee Olstead is reportedly serving in a senior role on Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong’s gubernatorial campaign ahead of next week’s Democratic primary. Olstead, who also goes by Renee Faust, is serving as Hong’s deputy campaign manager, according to The Heartland Post. Hong, a Democratic socialist, is among the candidates competing in next week’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. The outlet reported that Olstead has worked as a paid campaign operative since at least January. Her X bio reads “HONG 4 GOV” and links to Hong’s get-out-the-vote page. Her social media account also features photos from...

Former NBA players are publicly announcing their plans to play in the WNBA. Enes Kanter Freedom is the first one:https://x.com/EnesFreedom/status/2085772139869696032After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines,I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect.If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.My team and I have… pic.twitter.com/msncUZUT1J— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 7, 2026 Royce White is the second one:https://rumble.com/v7dvu20-another-former-nba-player-wants-to-play-for-the-wnba.htmlI wish them both the best. I also hope that more NBA players will do this. Transwomen need to have the same rights as everyone else.

Brookfield police pulled someone over, guns drawn, after a Flock camera flagged their car for a Milwaukee homicide. It turned out to be a mix-up involving the wrong person. Flock camera error What we know: It happened at around 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6. Video from I-94 in Waukesha County shows multiple officers with guns drawn – and a passenger sticking their hands out the window. Police pulled the car over after a Flock camera flagged it for a Milwaukee homicide. But when Brookfield Police called the Milwaukee Police Department, MPD said they no longer needed the car or the...

Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles lost his primary Thursday, becoming the third House Republican to lose a renomination bid this year. Ogles was trailing former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, 53 percent to 47 percent, when The Associated Press called the race for the 5th District at 10:10 p.m. Thursday. The result represents a rare defeat for President Donald Trump, who had reiterated his support for Ogles earlier Thursday, saying on social media that the second-term congressman was doing a “fantastic job.” It’s the second loss this week for a Trump-endorsed Republican, after Navy veteran Amir Hassan came up short in...

A North Carolina elementary school is facing backlash after parents discovered a transgender music teacher was educating students while wearing a dress, causing a bitter divide. Middle Creek Elementary School in Apex, near Raleigh, went back to school on July 30, where students were met with a new music teacher, who is a 'transgender biological male, who dresses as a woman,' State Representative Erin Paré said in a statement. At a school board meeting on Tuesday, many parents said they were unaware of the new hire, with many finding out via social media, after popular creators, such as Libs of...

🚨 UPDATE: Kamala Harris has just issued a desperate warning to every American that if the SAVE America Act passes, people have to prove who they are to vote Kamala warns it will disenfranchise people. DOES SHE REALIZE WHAT SHE'S ADMITTING?! "This president is trying to push this SAVE Act, which basically requires for people to register to vote, you need PROOF of WHO YOU ARE!" 😭😭 You don't have to convince ME! Everyone should prove who they are to vote! Kamala is an incredible saleswoman for the SAVE America Act. SEN. ASHLEY MOODY NAILED IT: "The SAVE America Act,...

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has given $1.5 million to a group supporting the repeal of Alaska’s voting system, according to a report filed with the state Friday. Ballot Measure 2, which will appear on the November ballot, seeks to repeal Alaska’s ranked choice voting method, along with open primaries and campaign finance laws that were themselves adopted by ballot measure in 2020.

Jail records obtained by Fox 49 News show former Tallahassee Mayor and Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is in the Baldwin County Jail in Alabama tonight. The "TMZ" website quotes Baldwin County Assistant District Attorney John Oxford as saying the 46-year-old Gillum was jailed after reportedly failing a drug test. In July he was pulled over for erratic driving, and later charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a felony and second-degree possession of marijuana, which is a misdemeanor. He was booked into the Daphne City Jail before being transferred to the Baldwin County Correctional Facility but was released...

Sawyer Merritt:I don't think most people understand the massive scale of investment Tesla & SpaceX are making in Texas right now.Everything the two companies are/going to build across the state: • Terafab (Grimes County) • Gigasat factory (in Bastrop, currently under construction) • Optimus factory (at Giga Texas, currently under construction) • Advanced technology fab (at Giga Texas, currently under construction) • Tesla Project Crystal Sun (big solar cell plant in Fort Bend County. Late 2026 construction start date) • Expanded Starlink terminal production facility (in Bastrop, currently under construction) • Further Starbase expansion (in Starbase) • Tesla Megafactory 3...

Todd Blanche's uphill battle to be confirmed as attorney general ended on Saturday with a 50-49 vote in the Senate, after President Donald Trump's former lawyer managed to win key Republican support.

Charlie Hatcher, the former state agricultural commissioner, rode support from prominent establishment Republicans to a victory over the CONTROVERSIAL congressman backed by President Donald Trump. He is a heavy favorite in the general election for the deep-red district. While Ogles had arguably the most important endorsement in a GOP primary in the form of Trump, Hatcher had backing from current Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam and other prominent Republicans, like former Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Terafab Texas will produce chips for Optimus robots, self-driving Cybercabs and space-based data centers SpaceX announced this week that its planned semiconductor plant that is expected to become the largest building in the world at more than 100 million square feet will be built in Grimes, Texas, outside of Houston. "Terafab Texas will be the largest and most valuable building on Earth by far," owner Elon Musk wrote X Thursday. "And it will be stunningly beautiful." The factory is a joint effort with Musk’s electric car company, Tesla. "This facility will house the manufacturing, packaging and testing of advanced logic...

Weddings are a joyous occasion, and I’ve heard of at least three in my social circles in the upcoming months. But two of these weddings are diverting from the norm of a weekend celebratory affair, choosing instead to hold their nuptials on a weekday. “A weekday?!” one might well say. “How inconsiderate! I can’t take a whole day off from work just to attend a wedding!”But perhaps that’s the whole point – not to be inconsiderate, of course, but to trim costs. After all, setting a wedding for a weekday reduces the costs of venues, caterers, florists, and other services,...