Free Republic

Joe will never stop working to make higher education affordable.

Conservatism is all about preserving traditions and resisting sudden change. Yet several high-profile right-wing figures sported radically different looks at this year's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jnr's fiancee, was hit with plastic surgery allegations after looking unrecognizable from her days as a liberal when she was married to democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. Firebrand Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz was also accused of getting Botox and other cosmetic adjustments after sporting a radical facial transformation. One of Gaetz's rival Republicans likened him to a 'blow up doll.' And Donald Trump himself is also rumored to have had...

This is a daily broadcast that I stumbled upon recently. It offers a good summary of the political news of the day. It's well presented and worth watching, IMO.

The French capital's main waterway will be at the centre of the 2024 games' opening ceremony, and authorities have been working hard to purge it of pollution. After months of anticipation, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo finally dipped in the Seine River on Wednesday, nine days before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. Clad in a wetsuit, Hidalgo plunged into the river near the imposing-looking City Hall, her office, and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet joined her. They followed in the footsteps of French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who swam in the Seine on Saturday...

[cut] You couldn’t have predicted this jubilance a few years ago. On January 7, 2021, Trump was an exile of sorts. Then, after the 2022 elections, he was chastised for his role in setting up the GOP’s midterm failure. The conservative movement’s main media pipeline, Fox News, was turning on him. MAGA’s ascendant tech-tycoon class salivated over Ron DeSantis. The party’s national security wing pined for Nikki Haley. But then Trump was indicted and Republicans, including his opponents, rallied around him. And then he won the primary without participating in a single debate. And then he was convicted and his...

A growing chorus of Democratic officeholders is calling on Joe Biden to retire from the presidential race, and high-buck donors say they will withhold $90 million if he is the candidate–which, in the scheme of things, isn’t all that big a number. Why are the Democrats airing their horror at Biden’s candidacy in public? Because they don’t have any behind-the-scenes way to force him out. Their convention will take place in a few weeks, and Biden has virtually all the delegates. So the DNC’s only recourse is public pressure, putting them in the bizarre position of assuring us all that...

Paul Ryan, one of the most prominent national Republicans in Wisconsin history, is also notable as one of leading Republicans to reject the GOP’s current standard bearer, former President Donald Trump. Ryan, of Janesville, represented Wisconsin’s First Congressional District for 20 years and served as speaker from 2015 to 2019, when, after three years of clashing with Trump, he did not seek re-election. (He currently serves in a number of corporate roles.) In a 30-minute interview with Milwaukee Magazine in late May, Ryan shared his views on Trump’s rematch with President Joe Biden, the state of the GOP, national affairs...

He deployed a gator “aid.” No can opener? No problem. A reveler is going viral after using a wild alligator’s jaws to open a beer in what viewers are dubbing “the most Florida thing” ever. The jaw-dropping clip was first posted to the X account Catch Up Bites but was recently shared by user Wall Street Silver, amassing more than 3.1 million views. In the jaw-some footage — its exact location and creator are unclear — an unidentified boater uses his hand to lure a small gator to his vessel. The reptile swims up to the boat with its jaws...

On July 6, due to an ongoing electric power issue, Amtrak canceled service between Boston and New York City for the remainder of the day. Amtrak is communicating directly with impacted customers about this service interruption and offering options for rebooking their travel plans. Amtrak apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the disruption. Our crews are working hard to correct the issues.

Former President Trump strongly prefers running against President Biden than another Democrat, particularly after reviewing the latest polling. But he's preparing a brutal assault on Vice President Kamala Harris if she's the nominee, advisers tell us. Why it matters: Trump's attacks on her would surprise few. He'd argue Harris is too liberal, too hostile to business and secure borders, and too inexperienced, weak and phony to be president. But some of his advisers are quite concerned that a fresh, youthful, non-Biden ticket presents a bigger threat than Trump assumes. President Biden insisted again Thursday in an unscripted remark, after a...

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that our unalienable rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he had a very specific definition of happiness in mind. He believed that happiness was the result of living virtuously — that becoming a fully happy human required devoting yourself to service to your fellow beings.His words galvanized generations of Americans to seek out their own personal well-being. Yet the happiness we pursue today is a far cry from that which Jefferson envisioned. It’s putting us in conflict with ourselves, and with others.Modern Americans have been conditioned to believe...

Nike shares on Friday tumbled nearly 20% after the company said it expected sales to decline in its new fiscal year, the latest sign of severe turbulence at Oregon’s biggest company. It was the biggest one-day drop in Nike history, wiping out roughly $28 billion in shareholder wealth. Even before Friday’s tumble, Nike’s stock had been heading steadily downward after climbing above $170 in November 2021. Shares closed Friday at $75.36. Under CEO John Donahoe, who started work in 2020, the sportswear giant bet heavily on direct sales and the popularity of Nike classics, like Air Jordans, Dunks and Air...

Japan has become another piece of fodder for the West’s culture wars. After a recent visit with his family, talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel praised the country for its clean toilets and lack of litter, only to be lambasted by right-wing pundits such as Ben Shapiro, who accused the comedian of having leftist beliefs that are completely at odds with what makes Japanese society so safe and orderly. Namely, Shapiro argued, Japan is a closed-off nation, unpersuaded by arguments to allow mass migration, and its homogeneity and “unique culture,” along with a strict legal system, help…Japan has become another piece of...

Coffee is one of the most beloved beverages around the world, not only for its rich flavor but also for the energizing effect of its caffeine. Interestingly, recent research suggests that coffee might also play a role in reducing the risk of liver disease, adding another potential benefit to its list. The liver is essential for our well-being, tasked with filtering toxins, aiding digestion, and regulating metabolism. Conditions such as hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis comprise what we know as liver disease. These conditions can severely impair the liver’s function over time. Consequently, finding preventative measures against liver disease...

[cut] Rewind the tape to 2021. In the aftermath of media behemoths spreading dragon-fire cancerous acid all over the January 6 events intending to name Donald Trump public enemy number one and cancel everyone who supported him. Rewind the tape to the gubernatorial race in the state of New York. A bright, shiny face of a former Congressman who had worked sun up to sun down supporting President Trump’s legislative policies, defended him in committees and called out the lies of Adam Schiff in hearings ran for Governor of New York State. His name is Lee Zeldin.

Karla Sofía Gascón is mad that conservative Marion Maréchal refused to play along with the delusion. (LifeSiteNews) — Karla Sofía Gascón is a man and very much looks like one. He identifies, however, as a woman, and also attempts to “present” as female. The Spanish actor has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies — mostly minor ones — but because our culture currently celebrates delusion, Gascón was granted the Best Actress Award along with three of his co-stars at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Emilia Pérez. The press celebrated the award as a win...

AF Post @AFpost Congressman Thomas Massie reveals to Tucker Carlson that his Republican colleagues have an “AIPAC babysitter” to ensure they vote in the interests of Israel at all times. “It’s the only country that does this,” Massie adds.

... In one example, a mural was displayed in the factory from 2005 to 2021 as a memorial for Confederate leaders using General Mills mascots, like the Cocoa Puffs cuckoo bird portraying the president of the confederacy, Jefferson Davis, and the Honey Nut Cheerios bee depicting General Stonewall Jackson, the lawsuit said. ...

The aging American president facing a re-election campaign came to the Normandy coast of France to pay tribute to the daring Army Rangers who scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, offer a paean to democracy for which they sacrificed and perhaps even wrap himself a little bit in their reflected glory. That was 1984, and the president was Ronald Reagan, who delivered an ode to heroism and patriotism that would become one of the most iconic moments of his presidency. Forty years later, another aging president facing re-election plans to return to the same spot Friday to honor the...

Bailey Anne, the newly crowned Miss Maryland USA, joined DC News Now on Wednesday. She is the first trans woman to hold the coveted title, along with being the first Asian-American and military officer’s wife to represent the state. Anne told morning anchor Cory James her history-making win was her first pageant. She said the moment she learned she won was a “whirlwind because I knew it was bigger than me. I knew that it was going to mean a lot for all the LGBTQ kids out there who might feel like they don’t belong in a box – like...