Free Republic

David McGee, an attorney with Beggs & Lane, is the man the Florida Republican named during an appearance Tuesday evening on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show in which he responded to reports that he is under federal investigation over a former relationship. McGee served for six years as the first assistant at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and for seven years as the lead attorney for a Justice Department's Organized Crime Task Force, according to his biography on the website of his law firm, which is based in Pensacola, Florida. (Cut) The New York Times reported Gaetz, 38, is being looked...

Harley-Davidson on Monday said it is ditching some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals, a move that comes after it faced pressure from anti-diversity critics on social media. The iconic motorcycle manufacturer follows John Deere & Co. and Tractor Supply, which both made similar decisions to scratch their diversity programs earlier this summer. In a message posted to X, Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson said it currently has no "DEI function" and has not operated such a program since April 2024. The company added that it has no hiring quotas and no longer has "supplier diversity spend goals" designed to spread...

All eyes are on the office sector as the future of commercial buildings in many cities depends upon its success, but the future isn’t looking too bright. Foreclosure rates on commercial properties have increased 48% from last year, according to a recent report from ATTOM. This rise in foreclosures is part of a larger overall trend. After reaching a peak in October 2014 with 889 commercial foreclosures, the numbers fell to a record low of 141 in May 2020 and then began rising again. Declining office performance likely attributed to the year-over-year increase in commercial foreclosures, said Joe Brady, former...

Imagine San Francisco 18 years from now. That’s more than four mayoral terms, at least one fashion cycle and nearly one Van Ness rapid bus lane project away. Generation Alpha—who will be adults—will likely be calling Gen Z “out of touch” by then. And—according to new long-term projections from real estate firm Avison Young—San Francisco won’t be left with a glut of empty office buildings anymore. On that front, the situation midway through 2024 is pretty grim. The city has the highest vacancy rate of any major market in the country—at more than 30%. Using previous recovery periods as a...

Bloodhound, a cocktail bar in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood, closed for good on Jan. 18, the owner said. | Source:Courtesy BloodhoundA San Francisco bar has permanently shut its doors after the pandemic slashed business in the neighborhood and emptied out Downtown offices, the owner said.The SoMa watering hole Bloodhound shut its doors for good on Thursday, according to co-owner Mike Goebel.Goebel said that since reopening after a one-year closure during the pandemic from March 2020 to March 2021, sales have been down 70% compared with before the pandemic."The business wasn't making money," Goebel said. "The neighborhood is just so...

mSharePea Soup Andersen's, a landmark roadside attraction, has closed its Buellton location. The Santa Nella location, seen here, will remain open. | Source:Smith Collection/Gado via Getty ImagesRoad trippers leaving San Francisco for Southern California know that there are two places to stop for excellent split pea soup and even better fried chicken: the Pea Soup Andersen’s on U.S. 101 near Solvang, and the other Pea Soup Andersen’s on Interstate 5 in Santa Nella.A year shy of its centennial, the 101 location—in the Central Coast town of Buellton, technically—has closed, as SFGate first reported. An icon of kitschy Danish culture recognizable...

One of San Francisco's last remaining toy stores may have to close its doors if business doesn't pick up soon. The beloved Jeffrey's Toys in Union Square, which has been family-owned and operated since 1938, has been hit with hard times. "We all know, the pandemic has been hard on people, the uptick in crime. I look around me right now and see so many buildings that are closed and shuttered. Why are we here? We love San Francisco, we love toys, and we're the type of family that doesn't give up," said co-owner Matthew Luhn. Luhn says this week...

SAN FRANCISCO — The Port of San Francisco and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are planning on raising the iconic, historic Ferry Building by as much as seven feet. The daring plan is an attempt to combat the impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather, both triggered by the climate change, and our warming planet. The project will break ground in about a decade. The U.S. Corps will pick up 65% of the cost. San Francisco's Prop A -- which was passed by 82.7% of voters in 2018 -- authorized $425 million general obligation bonds that will partially...

In what is being called the “world’s worst traffic jam,” some 200 cargo ships are waiting to pass at the Panama Canal as, thanks to global climate change, the area experiences its worst drought in 100 years. As Futurism reports, the huge backlog has been growing for some time and might not get any better for a few weeks yet. The human-made passageway is famous not only as one of the world’s most impressive feats of engineering but as one of the most important trade routes on Earth. "..the flow of ships at the Panama Canal started at about 1,000...

"These undercover journalists in England (well, YouTube citizen journalists) decided it was time for normal people to take their sweet, sweet revenge."

Justin Bieber seems to have gotten tricked online, as he’s been heckling a deepfake of Tom Cruise as though he were interacting with the real actor.Unless he’s pulling a prank of his own, Bieber seems to have fallen for the trickery of “DeepTomCruise,” a TikTok account that posts videos of a convincing deepfake version of Tom Cruise, the Daily Dot noticed. Bieber shared a video of the deepfake playing guitar to his Instagram story but tagged the real Tom Cruise in which he complimented the actor’s musical prowess then challenged him to a fight. It’s a bizarre, comical mistake, but...

12,400 had been allowed to have their cases heard by an immigration judge "to make a determination on whether they will be removed or permitted to remain in the United States." These migrants were released into the United States with either a notice to appear in court or a notice to check into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office. Mayorkas said an estimated 8,000 migrants "have decided to return to Mexico voluntarily" and just over 5,000 are being processed by DHS to determine whether they will be expelled or placed in immigration proceedings in the U.S.

California Democrats are planning to introduce a bill that would protect employers who require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and lawmakers already have support from the state's most powerful business lobbyists. The exact language for Assembly Bill 1102 has not been published, but a circulating draft shows the measure would establish legal protections for employers who mandate the vaccine for their workers or require them to be regularly tested for COVID-19. The proposal aims to deter lawsuits from employees or job applicants who might seek to file discrimination claims against businesses with COVID-19 vaccine rules.

This morning, Leslie McAdoo Gordon published her first article here at RedState, drawing on her decades of legal expertise to compare and contrast the prosecutions stemming from January 6th to how the DOJ has handled nearly identical cases in the past. To put it lightly, the dual system of justice in this country is alive and well, and regardless of how hysterical one might be about January 6th, arbitrary enforcement of “justice” is objectively a terrible thing that is both dangerous and crushes confidence in our institutions. After going through several specific cases, McAdoo Gordon came to this conclusion. It...

Macomb County Prosecutor says criminal charges possible against Governor Whitmer over nursing home deaths Criminal charges could be in the works against Governor Gretchen Whitmer over putting COVID patients inside nursing homes used as hubs early in the pandemic. New Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido says people who lost loved ones to COVID as residents or staff inside nursing homes should go back to get the vital information about the circumstances of their death and take that to local police and make a complaint as a wrongful death. Lucido says with HIPAA laws, he can’t get that information in his...

According to the governor's office, the triggering of the regional stay-home order mandates that the following activities and sectors must close:Indoor and outdoor playgroundsIndoor recreational facilitiesHair salons and barbershopsPersonal care servicesMuseums, zoos, and aquariumsMovie theatersWineriesBars, breweries and distilleriesFamily entertainment centersCardrooms and satellite wageringLimited servicesLive audience sports Amusement parksOther sectors that will be allowed to stay open when operating remotely is not possible include:Critical InfrastructureSchools that are already open for in-person learningNon-urgent medical and dental careChild care and pre-KMuch of the state is on the brink of the same restrictions. Some counties have opted to impose them even before the mandate...

From a friend: I would love to inform the list about this plan to boycott big tech to showcase the power of 71 million Trump voters... 71 Million Trump voters: It’s time we really fight back! Please copy and paste this and share to every Trump supporter you know! We need to be impactful as we can starting November 13th. It’s time to MOBILIZE! It’s time we put forth the power we truly hold in this country. This working class truly is the heart of America. We are being tested! Starting November 13th Step 1: Move to Parler and exit...

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Health officials in Santa Clara County and across seven other Bay Area counties issued guidance Monday on Thanksgiving holidays and travel. Any gatherings should be "small, short, stable and safe," and ideally close enough to home to avoid long-distance travel, health officers said in a statement. The public can protect themselves by holding gatherings outdoors, wearing face coverings and keeping a distance from others who are not in their households. Don't forget to avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth, get a flu shot, and wash and sanitize hands often. If a gathering is important...

With a surge in coronavirus cases approaching Silicon Valley’s peak numbers from July, local health officials today urged the public to step up prevention efforts by wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and staying home as much as possible. Calling the surge “a very worrisome sign,” especially heading into the holidays and flu season, county Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said it may require officials to impose greater restrictions—unless the trend reverses. “It is not completely clear exactly what is driving the sharp surge that we’re seeing everywhere,” Cody told reporters, saying it might owe to heightened contact during Halloween...

On Monday, the mayors of California’s largest cities sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom imploring him to “modify” his stringent reopening guidelines for large theme parks. The missive said the governor’s requirements “would effectively keep parks closed indefinitely.” In their letter to Governor Newsom the mayors said: The guidelines put forth by your Administration were released within the framework of prioritizing public health and safety for guests and employees. This is the right focus. However, economic and public health are not mutually exclusive goals. We are concerned that the state’s guidelines would push re-opening of large theme parks up...