Free Republic

This is wild. ... A new report from Washington, D.C., finds "64% of bus riders still do not pay fares," which is threatening the sustainability of the city's public transportation. D.C.'s solution? An 11 percent fare hike for those who do pay. ... WMATA (serving DC, Maryland, and Virginia) wants to raise the bus fare even more than a previously proposed 11% hike. Officials blame rising costs and inflation, but they're not so quick to point out the part where roughly two-thirds of Metrobus riders don't pay the fare when they ride. ... Don't worry, service cuts are also on...

Clinton-nominated judge inexplicably characterized Silver Spring Jewish Center's request as a "facial" challenge subject to higher standards, despite the fact she called it an "as-applied" challenge earlier, synagogue tells 4th Circuit. Maryland Orthodox Jewish synagogue challenging Montgomery County's ban on guns within 100 feet of any "place of public assembly," such as schools, parks, and other houses of worship, asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to block the ordinance after a federal judge, who otherwise sided with the synagogue, denied that relief based on "legal error." Silver Spring Jewish Center members and Rabbi J. Menashe Shapiro must walk...

….Fear’s notorious appearance Saturday Night Live on Halloween, 1981. These five scant minutes of hardcore burlesque—combined with some ill-timed profanities from the peanut gallery—got Lee Ving’s band of goofball provocateurs permanently banned from the show, but not before doing the holy work of giving millions of people their first taste of hardcore music. Surprisingly, the segment still manages to come off almost like a legit punk gig, albeit probably the only one to ever take place at 30 Rock. Fear fan John Belushi greased the wheels to get the band on Saturday Night Live…In the interest of making their national...

As of Wednesday afternoon, state Sen. Danny Britt (R) led his Democratic challenger by 0.4 percentage points, which is within the range for a recount. (Hannah Schoenbaum/AP)Only a couple hundred votes separated the two candidates in North Carolina’s last uncalled race for its state Senate, a seat that will determine whether Democrats take full control of the state government as part of a stunning sweep.As of Wednesday afternoon, state Sen. Danny Britt (R) led Catina Hamm (D) by 228 votes, or 0.4 percentage points, which is within the range for a recount. Britt’s margin has thinned this week as election...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~On Veteran's Day Can You See Me Now?” Sgt. Trevor Nicholas Tate, 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, provides roadside security during exercise Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Alaska 23-02 in the Yukon Training Area, Alaska. (Army photo/John Pennell) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. This is how you handle terrorists! Students with the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program from Tolleson High...

Vintage cars re-imagined. Thought the car lovers would like to see Interesting custom builds. Apparently still full of the electronics o e doesn't want. Pricey. I didn't see any 4 wd. Not sue what their platform is.

Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., wants Elon Musk to move Tesla's headquarters from Texas to Florida after Democrats swept the Lone Star State in last week's midterm elections, according to a letter obtained by the Washington Reporter. "While socialist politicians in Texas threaten to punish success, Florida is rolling out the red carpet for innovation, investment, and job creation," Giménez told the outlet. In the letter, Giménez asked Musk to "consider relocating its corporate headquarters and expanding its operations from Texas to the free state of Florida, where innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic freedom are celebrated." Texas voters ousted Gov. Greg Abbott,...

Regime plots against top U.S. officials and air bases proliferate. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s move from his home to a U.S. military base, reportedly following Iranian threats on his life, is part of a much larger story. Iran’s regime has been hunting top U.S. officials. It was true before the current war and nobody should expect that a deal to end the war will make it go away.On Tuesday the FBI added Shahram Poursafi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operative accused of plotting to murder John Bolton, to its most-wanted list. Reward: $20 million. Mr. Poursafi was first charged...

Matthew 'Whiz' Buckley@WhizBuckleyGrp·10hToday I’m honored and humbled to call myself a veteran.Fifteen years in uniform. Combat sorties off the decks of the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Kitty Hawk. Landing Signals Officer (LS). 2 Marine squadrons. TOPGUN adversary. Reserves. Traps on 10 different boats. I served next to men and women I trusted with my life. That was the greatest privilege I’ve ever had.Even more honored to continue to serve.When God, my bride, and a few brothers pulled me back from the edge, I made a promise: put the ladder down for the next one. That’s why we built...

We've all been there, men. You're waiting in line outside GameStop, minding your own business, when a gorgeous Chinese woman walks up and asks you to dinner. You start dating, but the question lingers — could she actually be a spy? Here are a few simple signs that your new girlfriend might actually be a Chinese spy: She's a gorgeous Chinese woman who wants to go on a date with you: This is your first clue. A babe, a smoking hot babe from the Orient, wants to see you romantically: You don't have that kind of game. Get it...

El Salvador's efforts to combat gangs in Haiti brought a rebuke from a U.S. diplomat despite President Trump openly supporting El Salvador. According to Axios, a diplomatic note was sent to El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, criticizing El Salvador's military efforts in Haiti and said they needed to coordinate with the United Nations-supported Gang Suppression Force (GSF). "His attitude was, 'What the f*ck? I checked with Trump. He said do what we have to do, and some bureaucrat is fighting this?'" a source who spoke with Bukele told Axios. Haiti has a weak government and has been battling with gangs...

Jensen Huang, the leader of Nvidia who is under investigation for an affair with a woman who U.S. intelligence determined is a Chinese spy, also had an extramarital relationship with an executive who reports to him, according to five people who worked at the company. The relationship, which has not been previously reported, was with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of health care, said the people, who spoke under the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive information. Under Nvidia’s code of conduct, employees are told to “avoid situations where our actions create conflict” including “personal relationships,” and the company states...

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley rules out another presidential bid, but vows to remain politically active, promote conservative policies, and support candidates who will strengthen America. Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced Wednesday that she will not run for president in the 2028 election, ending speculation about another potential bid for the White House. Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Haley made clear that although she has decided against seeking the presidency, she intends to remain involved in American political life. "I am not running in 2028, but I will continue to...

WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Democrat Scott Colom won a stunning upset in Mississippi's US Senate race on Wednesday after days of counting, US media projected, defeating ​Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith to become the Southern state's first Black ‌senator since the Reconstruction era that followed the US Civil War. It was one of the final outstanding races to be called since Tuesday's elections, in which Democrats overwhelmed Republicans ​to win control of both chambers of the US Congress. Mississippi ​officials took days to count ballots in a race that was ⁠so tight that Colom at times led by only a...

Three men have been arrested after protesters pelted objects at former President Joe Biden outside a university in Dublin, police in Ireland said Wednesday. Videos showed protesters, some waving Palestinian flags, chanting “Blood on your hands” and scuffling with police officers outside Trinity College Dublin on Tuesday, as he attended a ceremony honoring his son Hunter Biden, alongside former first lady Jill Biden. White liquid, believed to be milk, could also be seen flying through the air toward the group. Hunter Biden was being honored by its traditional Hist debating society, which dates back to 1770. Previous recipients of the...

Most Israelis were born and raised in the country, and marriages between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews have increasingly blurred boundaries inherited from their grandparents’ countries of birth. Yet, ethnic identity remains a potent campaign weapon... Yinon Magal, a host on the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14, called Gadi Eisenkot a “monkey”, portraying the son of Moroccan immigrants as a figurehead controlled by Ashkenazi elites. “They put a monkey; behind him are all the elitist Ashkenazim who manage him,” Magal said... Among traditional Likud voters wary of Israel’s established elites, Eisenkot’s Mizrahi background and working-class roots are important selling points. Magal’s attack sought...

FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A partial building collapse in Flatbush, Brooklyn has left at least one person dead, and at least 10 others injured as firefighters continue efforts to search and remove anyone who may still be trapped in the rubble, according to officials. The FDNY says it happened just after 4 p.m. after a three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Ave. collapsed into an open construction site at 2625 Bedford Ave. In addition, a portion of the building on the corner, 1323 Flatbush Ave., also appeared to be sheared away, completely exposing apartments inside. That building is still standing. Officials...

Nvidia’s board of directors is moving to “oust” embattled CEO Jensen Huang after he had two alleged affairs, one with an executive in the company and another with a suspected Chinese spy. The Wall Street Journal broke the news on Wednesday evening after Nvidia’s stock closed slightly up for the day. “The board is preparing to meet as soon as today to determine his future, people familiar with the matter said,” reported the WSJ. The New York Times appeared to put the final nail in Huang’s coffin on Wednesday when it reported that he had a second affair, amid the...

Garcia’s ‘Lawyer Up’ campaign ran straight into the Supreme Court’s rule against retributive investigations White House Counsel William O. Scharf sent a scathing letter (see below) this week to Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, reminding him that the Constitution, and the Supreme Court, limit congressional investigations to legitimate legislative purposes. Scharf warned that the Democrats’ public vows to weaponize subpoenas against the Trump administration, its officials, and even private citizens “may cross the line into blatant criminality.” The letter, dated November 9, cites Watkins v. United States (354 U.S. 178, 187 (1957)), in...

The city chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America will consider formally pushing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for US president in 2028 — with plans for her campaign to grow their lefty ranks. The DSA will vote on a resolution at the group’s convention Saturday that asks member AOC to run with gushing language calling her one of the “most widely beloved members of the Democratic Party.” DSA co-chairs Gustavo Gordillo and Grace Mausser signed the proposed resolution for Ocasio-Cortez, who is fresh off a reelection win in a deeply blue New York House district. “AOC is one of...