Free Republic

David Allan Coe, the outlaw country music legend and pioneer songwriter behind hits such as “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” and “Take This Job and Shove It,” has died. He was at 86. David died Wednesday in a hospital, his rep told the New York Times without elaborating further. “David is a musical treasure,” the representative said. “Even in his years of declining health, David appreciated all of the fans.” A cause of death has not yet been confirmed. “One of the best singers, songwriters, and performers of our time [and] never to be forgotten,” his wife,...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jerome Powell said Wednesday he plans to remain on the board of the Federal Reserve after his term as chair ends next month “for a period of time, to be determined,” saying the “unprecedented” legal attacks by the Trump administration have put the independence of the nation’s central bank at risk. “I worry these attacks are battering this institution and putting at risk the things that really matter to the public,” Powell said in remarks at a press conference after the Fed announced its decision to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged. Powell’s decision to stay —...

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch tells BBC Radio London's Eddie Nestor: "The community don't think that they [the government] are doing enough. I was there yesterday and you could feel the fear that was on the streets." Earlier, the Home Office confirmed it was investing a further £25m in extra policing and security for Jewish communities. On the funding, Badenoch says: "So we do need to see an increased police presence. The government has said it's giving money - I don't know exactly what the money is for, I don't know if that money is enough. "But I do know that...

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The 45-year-old suspect arrested yesterday came to the UK "lawfully as a child" from Somalia, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood tells BBC Breakfast. Yesterday police said he was born in Somalia but did not indicate how he arrived in the country. Mahmood says she can't give further details while the investigation continues.

A snake crawled into the German tourist's pants and bit him, according to police.WASHINGTON — A German tourist on vacation in Egypt died this month after he was bitten during a snake-charming show, according to German police. Bavarian Police said this week that a family of three from the Unterallgäu region of Germany went to the snake-charming show in early April in the Hurghada resort area of Egypt, along the Red Sea coast. The show was entertainment provided by the hotel complex, police said.Two snakes that police said were "presumably" cobras were used in the performance and placed around the...

I really don't know how to feel about this one. I'm 100% totally anti-theft and I think stealing needs to be dealt with harshly. But maybe not THIS harshly. D'Mari Jy'Quan Patterson, 20, was arrested Monday and accused of snapping at the trio (of young female thieves) while on-the-clock at a Taco Bell in West Palm Beach ... One video obtained by police showed Patterson berating the woman who lingered near the soda fountain, CBS 12 reported. Police said they could hear a firearm being racked in the video mere seconds before the first round went off. One woman was...

A white conservative content creator who goes by the name Sasha sparked widespread outrage online after she posted a TikTok claiming that “hood prom” — a term used to describe elaborate, over-the-top prom looks celebrated by Black teens — exists solely because Black girls have little chance of ever getting married. More show notes from the transcripts: "...Lies is hood prom and baby mama culture are like this. The reason why the dresses are so extravagant in the cars, in the show, in the presentation, is because this is the closest these girls will ever get to being a bride...

In a situation that has become all too familiar, a leftist has lost her job at a healthcare company for making a video in which she sarcastically claims to be sad that the WHCD shooter missed his target, President Trump. The irony here is that this woman was the social media manager. You would think a person in this position would know better. And to add to the irony, she worked for United Health Care, the same company that lost its CEO to alleged shooter Luigi Mangione. It’s a shame that this keeps happening but people on the left just...

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[From Grok, after my prompts] Here is a simple, ready-to-use formula for your "Work Life Hours" metric, expressed directly in average taxpayer lifetimes: Taxpayer Lifetimes = (D × 1.104) / 2,960,000 Where: D = dollars funded to the project 1.104 = overall multiplier for government overhead/efficiency (IRS collection cost ≈ 0.36% + typical agency/program administrative overhead ≈ 8–10%) 2,960,000 = dollars of tax revenue that one average U.S. taxpayer generates over a full 40-year working lifetime (based on current data) Why this formula works. It first calculates the total taxes that must be collected to deliver D after overhead: D...

** DRUDGE POLL** WILL JIMMY KIMMEL BE FIRED BY ABC? •NO•YES

The Federal Communications Commission is moving toward a review of Disney’s broadcast licenses as the ABC owner faces backlash from the Trump administration over Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial monologue, according to a report. The FCC, which is led by chairman Brendan Carr, may choose not to trigger the process, known as early license review, according to Semafor, citing anonymous sources. Carr noted recently that the FCC has a number of investigations into a host of broadcasters, including NBC, ABC, PBS and National Public Radio.

The U.S. conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of MT Tifani (IMO: 9273337) late Monday, according to a Pentagon post on X. Tifani sails a Botswana flag, while Majestic X sails a false Guyanan flag. The International Maritime Organization considers both ships to be stateless.On Tuesday, following the Monday interdiction of Tifani, Iran said it fired upon and seized two ships – MV Epaminondas (IMO: 9153862) and MV MSC Francesca (IMO: 9401116). MV Euphoria (IMO: 9235828) was also damaged on Wednesday near Iran, although it is unclear whether Iran also targeted the ship for seizure.The U.S. has right-to-visit stateless...

U.S. — On the heels of yet another attempted act of political violence being used for laughs by late-night talk show hosts, Americans expressed a deep longing for the good old days when comedians were funny and didn't wish death on people. President Donald Trump survived another attempt on his life over the weekend, with the would-be assassin being taken down by law enforcement. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel, meanwhile, gave a parody White House Correspondents' Dinner speech complimenting Melania Trump on having "the glow of an expectant widow," leaving viewers yearning for days gone by when comedians would make people laugh...

Why White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter Cole Tomas Allen’s reported link to a group known as “The Wide Awakes” receiving such little scrutiny from the media? The name is associated with an arts-and-music-adjacent activist collective that describes itself as a creative, pro-democracy movement inspired by the original Civil War-era Wide Awakes. That’s what the media wants you to believe. But that cultural collective is not the only relevant use of the term: a mainstream progressive group’s own materials repeatedly reference “Wide Awakes” as a direct-action protest tactic. Including specifically targeting the tactic towards Hilton hotels, where the WHCD took place,...

Rep. Mary Peltola is leading two-term GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan by 49.1% to 42.5%. Further behind in the survey are another Republican, James Ryan, with 5.2% and perennial independent candidate Sid Hill with 3.2%.Peltola raised a whopping $8.9 million in the first quarter of the year.

Greetings from America’s psych ward waiting room, aka The 27th State, aka Florida. In the midst of assassination attempts, war coverage, media distemper, and a general sense of national anxiety, it seems appropriate, nay, needed to deliver a dose of mirth to the mayhem. Thus, serving as a diversion is this collection of news items from the country’s bastard stepchild, the one with a populace in a perpetual plight of pandemonium?! What better way to feel better about things than to see what it is we have to grapple with here in the heated tropics of sub-Dixie? FLORIDA MANIC Maybe...

18-year-old Janek Szkaradek, and yes, on Saturday, he drove a lawnmower straight through the entrance of a Target store in Ocala, took a spin around the dollar bin area, and left. He damaged the door in the process. The day before, Szkaradek walked into a nearby Culver's with a leaf blower and apparently turned it on and used it, disturbing all of the guests who were simply trying to enjoy their burgers, curds, and custard. Janek's buddy, Luke Charske, was there to film both stunts for social media. Aaaaaand, they've both been arrested. Aaaaaand, they've both been arrested. From Click...

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