Free Republic

Congressman Ro Khanna raged at billions in alleged fraud in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California when he called for a full audit of state spending seemingly aimed at the governor’s leadership. The Silicon Valley Democrat boosted claims on X of billions in fraud in California and vowed to hold congressional hearings on waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars in the state — sparking a spat with Newsom’s sassy spokesperson Izzy Gardon, who defended California’s exorbitant High-Speed Rail project that’s widely considered a boondoggle. Khanna is apparently mulling a presidential run, like Newsom, who said he is “considering” a run in 2028....

Am I the only person disgusted by the constant, breathtaking stories by the Associated Press on this incident at a Wal-Mart in New Jersey. It boils down to someone getting on the P.A. system to announce, "Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now." Now I'm not trying to defend the statement, but it was obviously some jackass' idiotic stunt...hardly worthy of the attention of the entire country and constant media updates. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a 16 year old. You'd think he shot someone or burned a cross in front of Wal-Mart with this type...

BAGHDAD (AP) -- U.S. and Iranian envoys exchanged direct talks Saturday on efforts to end Iraq's violence and bolster its government, opening limited but potentially significant contacts that could ease their nearly 28-year diplomatic freeze. The discussions were confined to one session during a conference on Iraq stability, but they appeared to offer room for further interaction between the two nations _ which find themselves increasingly drawn toward common issues in Iraq as the nation's most influential allies. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said he exchanged views with Iranian delegates "directly and in the presence of others" at...