Free Republic

CBO projects $3T added to debt from bill that tackles tax policy, border security, healthcare reforms President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" is projected to increase the debt by $3 trillion, with interest, or $5 trillion if made permanent, according to estimates. An estimate of the House-passed bill by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects it would add more than $2.4 trillion to primary deficits before interest over 10 years, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a nonprofit public policy organization. As of Wednesday, the national debt, which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors,...

Elon Musk said he is "disappointed" by the costs of President Donald Trump's "one big, beautiful bill" passed by Republicans in the House last week. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk told "CBS Sunday Morning" in an exclusive broadcast interview The remarks by Musk, who recently stepped back from running the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, are in contrast to Trump, who backed the legislation, which still needs Senate approval.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order requiring people to provide proof of American citizenship when they register to vote and demanding that all ballots be reviewed by Election Day. The order requires government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship on its voter registration forms, directs the attorney general to enter into information-sharing agreements with state election officials to identify cases of election fraud or other election law violations and conditions federal election-related funds on states complying with federal election integrity measures. “There are other steps that we will be taking in the coming weeks,” Trump said just before signing...

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., was gifted a silver-plated beeper during a visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the lawmaker praised Israel's covert operation in which it detonated pagers last year worn by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. Fetterman repeatedly has voiced support for Israel while breaking with the Democratic Party, which has been critical of Israel's military operations in Gaza, and has demanded that Hamas return all the hostages the terror group took on Oct. 7, 2023. He was visiting Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem this week when he reiterated his support for the Jewish state. "Hamas does not want...

The executive director of an Arkansas airport bearing the names of former President Bill Clinton and former first lady and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was shot Tuesday, when federal agents attempted to serve a search warrant. Arkansas State Police said the shooting occurred at 6 a.m. local time at a home on Durance Court in Little Rock, while the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was serving a search warrant at the home of airport Executive Director Bryan Malinowski.

A man casually carrying a shotgun and claiming to be from Chicago walked into a Florida convenience store during an attempted robbery but walked out when a clerk displayed his own weapon, authorities said. Rakim Stephen Tate, 32, made a bad decision that "became a worse decision" when he walked into a convenience store on Sept. 9 with a visible shotgun to his side, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office said Monday. He is charged with openly carrying a prohibited weapon and attempted robbery with a firearm. Tate walked around the store for a few seconds before a clerk out of...

The move came weeks before Title 42 is set to expire per Biden's orders in Maye steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., as border checkpoints struggle to manage the flow of people attempting to enter the United States and the Biden administration's move to eliminate the Title 42 expulsion provision. The state will provide charter buses to drop off migrants – many released into small Texas communities that officials say are overwhelmed – in Washington, the Republican governor said in a news conference. "We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be...

San Francisco leaders on Friday approved an emergency plan to combat drug use in the city's much-troubled Tenderloin neighborhood after Mayor London Breed made a proposal earlier this month that some fear will criminalize addicts and the homeless. The 8-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors came after a lengthy meeting that ended just after midnight Friday. Board President Shamann Walton and Supervisor Dean Preston dissented, arguing that potential over-policing could impact African Americans, among other issues. "I know that this is an incredibly painful, traumatic and emotional conversation," said Matt Haney, the supervisor who represents the neighborhood, before the...

A group of four young men are wanted for robbing $20,000 worth of merchandise from an Apple Store, all caught on security cameras in broad daylight - the latest in a series of lootings across California.

A Northern California Apple store was targeted by thieves Wednesday in the latest smash-and-grab theft as mobs continue to commit brazen burglaries on retail shops in several U.S. cities. Four suspects walked into the Apple store just after 11:30 a.m. in Santa Rosa, 55 miles north of San Francisco, and stole more than $20,000 worth of merchandise in broad daylight in front of customers and staff, authorities said.

...Wallace's aunt, who identified herself only as Sandy, told Fox News that her nephew had recently gotten married and had several children, ages 5, 7 and 8. "He was turning his life around," she said. "They could have talked to him and calmed him down because I'm quite sure that's part of their training." Rodney Everett, Wallace's uncle, said the officers could have used other tactics to de-escalate the situation.

Some Michigan law enforcement agencies say they won't enforce Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive orders meant to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The orders have enraged the Republican-controlled legislature and led to armed protests as some residents grow impatient over statewide restriction measures and business closures. In a letter Monday, Shiawassee County Sheriff Brian BeGole said his agency won't actively enforce the mandates, the Detroit Free Press reported. "I have decided, within my authority, that our office cannot and will not divert our primary resources and efforts towards enforcement of the Gov. Whitmer's executive orders,” he said. BeGole's letter comes after a...

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura hinted at a possible White House bid as an independent during an interview over the weekend, while harshly criticizing President Trump. Speaking on Fox Los Angeles "The Issue Is," the onetime wrestling star and outspoken Minnesota pol said he would wait until the pool of presidential candidates dwindles further before possibly enterting the race. “I may be doing things behind the scenes right now,” Ventura said, winking to host Elex Michaelson. “You gotta wait for it to get down to two, then you come in if you’re going to come in.” “I have that voice...

President Trump unloaded on former House Speaker Paul Ryan for the second time in three days Saturday, mocking him as a “Lame Duck” and chiding his leadership style as “ineffective” and “stupid.” In a series of tweets, Trump praised House Minority Leader Keven McCarthy, R-Calif., calling him smarter and tougher than Ryan, who retired in January. He also characterized Ryan’s fundraising numbers in his final year in office as “abysmal” and said people like him “almost killed the Republican Party.” […] His comments come days after excerpts from an upcoming book the former House Speaker as saying that Trump “didn’t...