Free Republic

George Kooymans, a cofounding member of Golden Earring whose vocals and guitar were staples of the band's sound, has died at the age of 77. News of Kooyman's death comes courtesy of an attorney associated with the group, which called it quits in 2021 following the news of Kooyman's ALS diagnosis. "We say goodbye to a great musician and composer whose work extended beyond Golden Earring," reads the short statement released to the press via Kooyman's family. "George was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, but above all, a friend." "Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the other band...

AP) — A federal judge said Wednesday that an order by President Donald Trump suspending asylum access at the southern border was unlawful, throwing into doubt one of the key pillars of the president's plan to crack down on migration at the southern border. But he put the ruling on hold for two weeks to give the government time to appeal. In an order Jan. 20, Trump declared that the situation at the southern border constitutes an invasion of America and that he was “suspending the physical entry” of migrants and their ability to seek asylum until he decides it...

A federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday further blocked the Trump administration's attempt to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students while giving those students additional legal protections. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs issued the preliminary injunction after having granted a temporary restraining order against the federal government this month. The injunction holds that the administration is blocked from yanking Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which was based on a May 22 revocation notice the Department of Homeland Security sent to Harvard administrators. In her decision, Burroughs directed the government to “immediately” prepare guidance to alert...

A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump acted illegally when he seized control of California’s National Guard during ICE-related riots in Los Angeles. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer issued the decision Thursday, siding with Governor Gavin Newsom and ordering Trump to return control of the Guard to the state "forthwith." "His actions were illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution," Breyer wrote. "He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith." "Federalism is not optional," the...

An English instructor at Glendale Community College recently sent an email encouraging the campus community to join in protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The call came as riotous demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles have included destruction of property, looting, arson incidents, and the injury of at least five police officers. On Sunday, Julie Gamberg, a faculty member at Glendale Community College, sent an email promoting anti-ICE demonstrations organized by the Democratic Socialists of America’s Los Angeles chapter, according to screenshots of the note circulated on X. “Citizens who know their rights can disrupt and slow ICE incursions,” states...

Seriously, these idiots are going down this road again? Wasting tax dollars, dividing the country. I really hope people reject this “bigley “ Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) on Tuesday started the clock for the House to vote on his seven articles of impeachment against President Trump. Why it matters: House Republicans will likely move to table — or kill — the Thanedar's motion, forcing Democrats into a tough position on a vote many of them would rather not take. Thanedar's move forces the House to take action by the end of the week, unless he withdraws his motion. Spokespeople for...

One person was killed and six injured during an overnight shooting at Elizabeth City State University, a historically Black university in North Carolina. The shooting took place in the early hours of Sunday morning at the center of campus following events for “Viking Fest,” a week of school spirit events, according to a statement from the university. A 24-year-old man, who was not an Elizabeth City State University student, was killed, according to the statement. His identity is being withheld until his next of kin can be notified. Additionally, six people were injured, four of them with gunshot wounds, the...

Per @POTUS directive, I have revoked former President Joe Biden’s security clearance, and revoked clearances and access to classified information for Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Fiona Hill, and Alexander Vindman.

A Chicago alderman told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that city officials still want to divert funding away from the police department, even though the city was once again the nation’s homicide capital in 2024. “I said this for the last two mayors, too,” said 41st Ward Alderman Anthony Napolitano. “It’s not even so much so that these last two administrations are turning a blind eye. They’re ignoring the crime rate because their objective … is to demonize the police department, make it seem like there’s not there’s not as much of a crime issue as there is, because their...

The matter of Russian energy exports is being discussed in talks with the United States, Moscow says, telling Europe they would have to be mentally ill to turn down cheap natural gas. Russia and the United States are discussing the potential resumption of energy exports through the Nord Stream pipeline in the ongoing ceasefire and peace talks, the Kremlin says. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Wednesday it would be advantageous to “restore normal energy supply” to Europe, revealing the Nord Stream pipelines are “being discussed” with the United States now. The subject is one that will not be...

Shocking expose showed ex-Jihadist paid to attack Trump.. Freedom Center Investigates has lately been covering abuses at the Voice of America including attacking the Front Page Magazine,as ‘Islamophobic’, running Taliban attacks on Trump and employing an Afghan ex-Jihadist who had fought in a Jihadist group under Osama bin Laden’s mentor to attack Trump. Now the end is near. After our reporting, all employees at the VOA have been placed on administrative leave and many of the affairs of the Agency of Global Affairs Media are being wound down. I have mixed feelings about this. There was a time when we...

U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in January, underscoring a resilient labor market that continues to defy pessimistic forecasts about the impact of President Donald Trump’s economic policies. Job openings climbed to 7.74 million in January, up from a revised 7.51 million in December, according to data released Tuesday by the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The increase surpassed economists’ expectations of 7.6 million openings. The increase in openings was driven primarily by gains in the real estate, construction, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors, suggesting continued strength in key areas of the economy. Despite widespread media speculation...

President Donald Trump “100 percent” disagrees with a federal judge’s ruling on Saturday that bars the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the Treasury Department, he said during an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier. “Nineteen states attorneys general filed a lawsuit, and early Saturday a judge agreed with them to restrict Elon Musk and his government efficiency team, DOGE, from accessing Treasury Department payment and data systems. They said there was a risk of ‘irreparable harm.’ What do you make of that? And does that slow you down and what you want to do?” Baier asked Trump in...

Jack the Ripper's murder spree claimed the lives of countless women A researcher has claimed to have definitively identified Jack the Ripper through DNA evidence, sparking calls for an official inquest into the infamous murders. Russell Edwards says he has obtained a "100 per cent DNA match" linking the killer to Aaron Kosminski, a Polish barber who emigrated to London. "It's very difficult to put into words the elation I felt when I saw the 100 per cent DNA match," Edwards said. "This brings closure and it's a form of justice for the descendants," he added. Russell Edwards says he...

The Kremlin has accused President Trump of attempting to erode Russia and China’s nuclear potential with his plan for an Iron Dome missile defence system. The programme was “yet another confirmation of the US focus on turning space into a scene of armed confrontation and deployment of weapons”, Maria Zakharova, the chief spokeswoman of the Russian foreign ministry, said. Trump issued an executive order on Monday mandating a process to develop an “Iron Dome for America”, a reference to the aerial defence shield used by Israel. Zakharova said that this implied “a sharp intensification of the US national missile defence...

“Tiger King’s” Joe Exotic is knocking President Trump and former President Biden for not issuing him a pardon, saying he’d have a better chance of a commuted sentence if he “broke in the [Capitol]” or was “related to the Bidens.” “You forgot me…again,” Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, said via an image directed to Trump and posted on his Instagram account on Tuesday. “If I was a crack dealer, maybe if I broke in the capital [sic] or even have been related to the Bidens. I might have gotten some relief on being in prison innocent,” the ex-zoo...

President Donald Trump said he was “saved by God to Make America Great Again,” making the powerful remarks during his inauguration speech right after being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Trump said during the speech that he has “been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250-year history” in the last eight years alone. “I’ve learned a lot along the way the journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one, that I can tell you,” the president said before briefly speaking about the moment he almost lost his life while...

Incoming Trump administration officials reportedly are developing a sanctions strategy that they hope will expedite a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war. -snip- Bloomberg reported that incoming Trump administration officials are considering two main options in regard to sanctions. If they believe a resolution to the Ukraine war is relatively close, good-faith measures to benefit sanctioned Russian oil producers could help bring about a peace deal, sources told the outlet. Another option would build on the current sanctions in an attempt to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to end the conflict.

Scott Bessent said the US should increase sanctions on Russian oil producers to force Moscow to negotiate with Ukraine as he criticised the Biden administration for not being tougher on Vladimir Putin’s regime. The comments on Thursday by Donald Trump’s nominee to be Treasury secretary pushed up oil prices, as traders considered the prospect of tighter global crude supply. The new administration is also expected to target Iranian and Venezuelan oil with tougher sanctions as Trump seeks to increase economic pressure on the US’s adversaries.

Russia is facing a critical challenge to its war effort in 2025: The nation is quickly running out of cash, with financial reserves potentially running out before the end of the year, according to estimates from one European economist. Anders Åslund, a Swedish economist and a former fellow at the Atlantic Council, thinks liquid reserves in Russia's National Wealth Fund could potentially be depleted by the fall of this year. That spells trouble for the nation's military efforts in 2025, he said, given how heavily Russia has relied on its wealth fund over the last several years. Liquid reserves in...