Free Republic

Tom Skerritt, best known for big-screen roles in “Top Gun” and “Steel Magnolias” as well as the TV series “Picket Fences,” has died. He was 93. The actor’s family confirmed his death from natural causes on Wednesday in a statement to People, noting that they are “deeply saddened” and “heartbroken” by his passing. “While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity, and the love he brought into our lives,” his loved ones said. Skerritt is survived by his wife, Julie, and his five children — Andy, Erin, Matt, Colin...

Federal prosecutors allege the 82-year-old Senate President Pro Tempore used her political power and committee influence to shield a family-run marijuana ring operating across Virginia. Virginia state Senator Lillie Louise Lucas was indicted Thursday on five charges that include drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud and firearms charges after being accused of running a marijuana distribution enterprise, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Lucas is among seven indicted in the sprawling racketeering scheme, a group that includes her two daughters, Lisa Lucas-Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and her grandson Ryan Eichelberger, Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Thursday press conference....

John Anderson, best known for country music hits like “Swingin’” and “Straight Tequila Night,” has died. The singer-songwriter died on Wednesday, Oct. 21, his family shared in a statement on social media. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and best friend,” the statement began. “To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives. To us, he was so much more. He was the heart of our family, the one who made us laugh, loved us fiercely, and made every ordinary...

"Bombshell documentary features firsthand accounts from three men alleging paid sexual encounters with the late senator, Lindsey Graham, and examines the contrast between his alleged private conduct and public opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. The CLOSETocracy is an investigative short documentary produced by Swamp Watch Studios and Tystnaden Films. TYT is an exclusive distribution partner." Video is 30 mins.

Kamala Harris insists she hasn't decided whether she's running for president in 2028, but she accidentally gave the game away. Obviously, nobody in the Democrat Party is exactly begging her to jump in. The establishment has been pushing back hard on the idea of a third Kamala campaign. Former allies and donors grumble that she squandered her first year out of office, and they can't come up with a single reason voters should take another look at her. Even her husband, Doug Emhoff, reportedly isn't thrilled about her running again. You'd think all that would give her pause. Instead, Kamala...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday he would accept a peace deal freezing the war along current front lines, calling it the “real way” to end the conflict. Zelensky made the remarks in an interview on Fox News’s Fox & Friends when host Brian Kilmeade pressed him on whether he would agree to an arrangement that halted the fighting where the battlefield now stands. The Ukrainian leader did not hesitate when asked to commit: “Yes, right now we have to freeze, and I think this is real way to end this war,” he replied. “We call it a ceasefire or...

In an election that will decide control of both houses of Congress, every seat, every race matters. While the vast majority of seats for both parties have been carefully gerrymandered, there are 46 seats that are technically up for grabs. Democrats hold 25 of those districts, and Republicans hold 21, according to Ballotpedia. There are 21 districts currently held by a Democrat that Donald Trump won in 2024. The 21 Republican seats at risk are largely historic swing districts that are competitive every two years. There was a time early in the fall when Democrats believed they could make big...

Manuel Otto, the German creator of the mobile game Stick Run, died at age 30 in an apparent suicide on a livestream, a spokesperson for the game announced on Wednesday “It is with a heavy heart that we confirm and announce the passing of our creator, developer, and fellow Stick Runner, Marc-Manuel Alexander Otto,” read a statement shared to Facebook on Oct. 21 Otto was only 14 when he developed Stick Run, a mobile game that remained popular over the next decade and a half SNIP

Rapid charging speeds are getting faster all the time. There are already a few cars capable of 400kW, while BYD’s Flash Charging tech supplies a whopping 1,500kW. But even the latter system involves stopping, plugging in and waiting for about 10 minutes. Honda, meanwhile, is envisioning a future in which you won’t have to stop at all. The Japanese manufacturer is working with The Taisei Corporation and its Taisei Rotec subsidiary on wireless, road surface-integrated charging technology that’s capable of keeping an electric car topped up as it drives along. This isn’t a new idea, but the Honda project stands...

North Korea has released a fresh batch of apparent “proof of life” photos showing Kim Jong Un inspecting shoes and women’s clothing — after wild rumors swept social media claiming the dictator had died from a brain hemorrhage. The images, published by North Korean state media on Monday, show a seemingly animated Kim examining children’s footwear, gesturing toward officials and inspecting women’s coats at a garment and footwear exhibition. The photos surfaced just hours after sensational claims circulated online that the 42-year-old leader had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage, fallen into a coma and died after being rushed to Beijing...

In Virginia, a 64-year-old man was charged after he taped his wife to a chair in the basement so he could watch football upstairs. Terry Ward was arrested last Sunday night in Richmond after officers responded to a domestic call. According to the criminal complaint, his wife said he used tape to restrain her to a chair in the basement. Ward admitted he tied her up and left her there. She had marks and tape residue on both arms and told police she had been restrained for up to 45 minutes. He faces felony abduction and misdemeanor assault on a...

Don’t forget to tip your robots. A recent TikTok has exposed an airport store for prompting customers to select an 18% tip at a self-checkout kiosk. Dr. Clay Moss, a longevity specialist, recently posted a TikTok where a self-service payment terminal automatically nudged him to tip. In an undisclosed airport, the doctor was stunned when he tried to purchase a bottle of water — which was already overpriced — and saw that he was automatically encouraged to tip — 18%. Dr. Moss showed the store’s kiosk, which revealed the software — that seemingly uses a preset function — prompting customers...

We’re in the final weeks of the 2026 midterms, and some say a blue wave is coming. That’s just not happening. It won’t be like 2018 — a 25+ seat flip isn’t in the cards. Those days are over. Now, some top pollsters are skeptical of the latest tranche of surveys, including Frank Luntz, who admitted he got 2016 wrong and that Trump supporters don't respond to pollsters. Now, we have New York Times reporter and Michigan native Jeremy Peters noting that the thing we knew could happen — Jewish Democrats voting Republican — is a real thing in the...

On November 5th, I will load up a bus with neighbors from my Woodlawn community on Chicago’s South Side and drive north to New Trier High School to see a documentary called “White Guilt,” being hosted by community group New Trier Neighbors. I am a pastor and community organizer. I run Project H.O.O.D., a community center in one of Chicago’s most challenged neighborhoods. I appear in the film. And I cannot wait to see it with my neighbors, and this includes the North Shore families who have been told not to go. That’s right. I have heard that there are...

Trump has so effectively closed the southern border that illegal aliens are exploring new routes. These new routes are even more dangerous. 'Coast Guard personnel provided lifesaving first aid during transport to San Diego, where all 16 individuals were transferred to awaiting emergency medical services personnel for further evaluation and treatment at local hospitals,' the agency said in the statement. Reports to the Coast Guard 'indicated that there may have been 27 people aboard,' according to the agency. The Mexican consulate in San Diego confirmed that all of the rescued were Mexican nationals. The U.S. Coast Guard doesn't get enough...

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A New Jersey woman is accused of poisoning an acquaintance's tea during a meeting at a local restaurant to discuss suspicious activity in the victim's bank accounts, authorities said. Rohweniven Bacani, 52, of Hackensack, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 15, following a weeks-long investigation into the Sept. 8 incident, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The victim had agreed to meet Bacani at the restaurant to discuss unauthorized banking activity she had discovered in financial accounts to which Bacani had shared access, Musella said. When the victim arrived, Bacani was already there with a cup of tea waiting for her, investigators...

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A Jonesboro, Georgia, woman has been arrested in connection with a phone scam in which a caller allegedly posed as a police officer and convinced a victim to send money for bail, according to the North Charleston Police Department. Police said a woman reported on Dec. 4, 2025, that she had been scammed several days earlier. The victim told investigators that on Nov. 30, while she was at a pharmacy, she received a phone call from someone identifying himself as “Sgt. Daniels” with the Charleston County Detention Center. The caller allegedly told the woman that...

Fool's Ball, Week Seven, Pigskin Pickem ThreadYour home for all things Fool's Ball! In Memoriam Danny Lee (BENDER2)

PARIS — The nation of France has thrown its support behind the American conservative movement, graciously spending the past week filming a massive campaign ad for the Republican Party. With midterms just over two weeks away, the entire nation of France took it upon itself to film a sprawling attack ad, demonstrating with incredible realism the dangers of voting Democrat. "Wow. Thanks, France," said Republican Senate candidate Jon Husted. "This must have cost billions of dollars to film. We really didn't expect this level of support from the French. Honestly, you didn't have to go so far as burning...