Free Republic

Hollywood support for Eric Swalwell, who is currently leading a crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to become California governor remains steady — at least for now — despite rumors of inappropriate behavior with female staffers that have been swirling around the 45-year-old congressman for weeks. A fundraiser scheduled for April 18 which is being held at the home of producer David Miner and his wife Jennifer is moving forward. That event costs $250 for ‘guests’ and goes up to $10,000 for anyone seeking ‘host’ status. According to an invite, the event’s host committee includes lit agent and manager Lucy...

Embattled Rep. Eric Swalwell on Friday night issued a full-throated denial of sexual misconduct and rape allegations leveled against him, calling them “absolutely false” while issuing an apology to his wife. “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false,” the Democratic candidate for California governor said in a more than minute-long video on social media. “They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything I have.” Swalwell was forced to swat down scathing allegations of sexual misconduct brought by four women this week — including a former staffer who claims...

Discover the story behind Beethoven’s revolutionary ‘Eroica’ Symphony No. 3 – an extraordinary masterpiece which changed the musical world.Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, the ‘Eroica’ Symphony, changed the musical world and is perhaps his defining work. At a stroke, orchestral music moves into another dimension with a breadth of conception and emotional freight and range beyond anything previously dreamed of. Beethoven originally dedicated his ‘Eroica’ Symphony to Napoleon –but removed his name in a rage on hearing he had made himself Emperor. The symphony’s first public performance took place on April 7, 1805 at the Theater an...

Staffers for Eric Swalwell — a Democratic favorite in the California governor’s race — are reportedly fleeing as a disturbing claims emerged he sexually assaulted a young former staffer. At least four people have “abruptly” quit the East Bay congressman’s flailing campaign as a disturbing claim emerged that he sexually assaulted a young female staffer in 2019, including when she was too intoxicated to consent, Politico reported. That includes Courtni Pugh, a top advisor in charge of Swalwell’s organized labor strategy, and multiple other staffers. The campaign departures come alongside a troubling report in the San Francisco Chronicle alleging that...

A former staffer for Rep. Eric Swalwell has reportedly accused the congressman of sexual assault and taking advantage of her over the course of several years — allegations the Democratic frontrunner for California governor is denying as false and politically motivated. The woman, who worked for Swalwell for nearly two years, said the most serious incident occurred in April 2024, when she alleges he sexually assaulted her after a charity gala in New York, according to a report published Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman, who was not named in the story, said she became heavily intoxicated while...

The Defund the Police movement lives on in the LA City Council, only now it flies under the banner of democratic control. The council’s most left-wing members seek to transfer crime-fighting authority from law enforcement experts to the council and the city controller. These would-be police overlords might want to familiarize themselves with the agency that they aspire to run. They would learn that the LAPD sets a national standard of professionalism and restraint. According to The California Post, council members Hugo Soto-Martinez, Eunisses Hernandez, and Nithya Raman want the power to override the LAPD police chief and the civilian...

In 2001, in southeastern Iran, the Halil Roud river shifted its course, revealing traces of an unknown civilization long buried beneath the sands of the Iranian plateau. The inhabitants of the Jiroft region were the first to clandestinely extract a vast number of ancient artifacts dated to the 3rd millennium BC: carved vases, symbolic figures, and ritual objects. This priceless treasure fueled international smuggling circuits before Iranian authorities launched a rescue operation. This documentary follows archaeologists in their investigation of this forgotten civilization and explores the fascinating hypothesis: could this city be Aratta, the mythical metropolis mentioned in the oldest...

...I would like to make special mention of the years of the Pax Romana, which endured through almost all of the first two centuries of the Christian era. I do so because of a personal incident which made a profound impression on me in the spring of 1919. Arriving late at night in Chaumont, the American Headquarters in France, I sought shelter for the night in the house of a group of friends. I found they were temporarily absent; so I selected an unoccupied room and looked about for a book to read as I waited for sleep to come....

He’s Zo-ing back on his word. Many of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s lofty campaign promises have already bit the dust 100 days in, as he makes a U-turn or scales them back almost beyond recognition. His improbable path from democratic socialist also-ran to victory in 2025’s election came in no small part from the sweeping, voter-pleasing pledges. While his marquee platforms of universal child care, fast and free buses and a rent freeze clearly captured voters’ imaginations, he made a slew of other promises that would quickly — and significantly — reshape New York City, including: City-owned grocery stores Mamdani’s early...

MS NOW host Reverend Al Sharpton said the United States' upcoming 250th anniversary is not a "celebration" for Black people and that it's "crazy" to expect them to celebrate it. "They're going to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country July 4th, but that's not our celebration," Sharpton said at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary National Convention on Wednesday. He continued, "We were slaves then, and they celebrate signing the Declaration of Independence 1776. We were not even emancipated until 1863. So I don't know what everybody getting ready for a celebration [for]. You know that it seems crazy...

The United States Postal Service is suspending employer pension contributions for workers beginning Friday, citing a looming cash shortfall, the agency announced Thursday. The move, which affects the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), comes just weeks after the Postal Service warned Congress it could run out of cash in under a year without significant reforms, including changes to pension funding and stamp prices. USPS emphasized that the pause will have no immediate impact on current or future retirees. "There will not be any immediate detrimental impact to our current or future retirees if normal FERS cost payments are temporarily withheld,"...

Democrats are united in their opposition to President Donald Trump and his unprecedented second-term agenda. But as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) huddles in New Orleans for its spring meeting, the party is once again coping with deep internal divisions over Israel's military actions and a powerful pro-Israel lobbying group's recent meddling in Democratic Party primaries. The DNC's Resolutions Committee debated and held test votes Thursday on resolutions recognizing a Palestinian state, putting limits on military aid to Israel and taking aim at what one resolution calls the "growing influence" of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is best...

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a self-described "progressive" candidate’s bid to enter Ohio’s Republican primary, leaving in place a decision by state election officials to disqualify him for misrepresenting his party affiliation. Samuel Ronan, a former Democratic state and national candidate, attempted to run as a Republican in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District against GOP incumbent Rep. Mike Carey. To do so, he signed a declaration of candidacy — under penalty of election falsification — swearing he was a member of the Republican Party. However, court documents filed in U.S. District Court note Ronan was caught publicly admitting that his...

Famous space quotes One small step for man , one giant leap for mankind. Neil Armstrong Shitters broke Artemis crew

In 1938, a statue was discovered at Pompeii, subsequently known as "The Pompeii Lakshmi". It is a sycretistic statue, combining elements of the Roman Venus, and the Hindu Lakshmi, and is our main evidence for aspects of Hinduism, or at least Hindu deities, in the Roman world. Hinduism in the Roman Empire: A Quick Overview | 2:41 The Historian's Craft | 132K subscribers | 10,254 views | April 6, 2026

A millionaire New York Democrat running for Congress dropped his bid Thursday as he faced a firestorm of criticism for resurfaced social media posts about kiddie porn and sex with a 17-year-old — but he claimed he made his decision for altruistic reasons. Peter Chatzky was running in a crowded Democratic Party primary for the 17th House District in the northern suburbs to challenge Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. “Today, I am suspending my campaign,” said Chatzky, a software executive and deputy mayor in the Westchester County village of Briarcliff Manor. He dropped out just hours before he was expected to...

The Obama Presidential Center is facing a wave of backlash ahead of its opening, with critics blasting its admission policies and raising broader concerns about the project’s cost and management. Conservative commentators on social media are taking aim at the center’s requirement that Illinois residents show valid identification to receive free admission on certain days, arguing it contrasts with Democratic opposition to voter ID laws. "They’re making you show ID… to visit the Obama Library… in Chicago. You can’t make this stuff up!" one social media user wrote. "The Obama Presidential Library is making people show an ID for proof...

Competitors for California’s governorship are ramping up their attacks on leading Democratic candidate Eric Swalwell after claims this week that the congressman had inappropriate conduct with younger women in his office and working on his campaigns. Lower-polling candidates are hoping to use the allegations to gain traction. One of them, former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, reportedly sought out a media outlet to elaborate on his new attacks against Swalwell. On social media last night, Villaraigosa, a Democrat, accused Swalwell of ducking an event by the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce to avoid answering questions about the allegations. “If you want...

This week marks the 161st anniversaries of Surrender and Freedom Day at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, marking the beginning of the end of the Civil War. The park will host many events throughout the week to celebrate the anniversary and America’s 250th birthday. The grounds of the Appomattox Court House village have a deep history, especially surrounding America’s bloodiest war. On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was surrounded by General Ulysses S. Grant’s army near the village. The two met on the ground at around 1 p.m., and by 3 p.m., the...

The initial wave of a massive bloodbath at Oracle has begun to show up in public filings — with 700 workers expected to lose their jobs by June 1, according to California state records. The software giant headed by billionaire Larry Ellison will cut 310 workers in Redwood City, 184 in Santa Clara, 158 in Pleasanton and 50 in Santa Monica. The statewide tally of roughly 700 job cuts, in addition to 491 firings in Seattle, is part of the software maker’s recently announced bloodbath that is reportedly in the thousands of jobs. Analysts at investment bank TD Cowen predicted...