Free Republic

Tuesday on FBN’s “Mornings with Maria,” Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) acknowledged the short-term pain associated with the Trump administration’s tariff policy but acknowledged there would be tangible benefits in the long term. According to the Louisiana Republican lawmaker, the proof was in other nations’ efforts to negotiate a resolution with the United States. “[T]he problem is, is, with all of this uncertainty around tariffs, this bill becomes so much more important, just for clarity for the markets, so that we don’t see a deterioration in market value. The White House says almost 70 countries have reached out to negotiate on...

Eric Adams will not seek the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor — instead pushing all his chips in on a longshot run as an independent candidate. Hizzoner dropped the bombshell news in a campaign video announcement Thursday — just the day after a federal judge killed his corruption case for good. “More than 25,000 New Yorkers signed my Democratic primary petition, but the dismissal of the bogus case against me dragged on too long, making it impossible to mount a primary campaign while these false accusations were held over me,” Adams said in the six-minute spiel. “But I’m...

California will lose millions of dollars in federal matching funds for the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, after Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration failed to fill out the necessary paperwork by a March 31 deadline. CalMatters.org reported: California voters told lawmakers last fall that they wanted doctors to get paid more to see low-income patients. But officials for the Newsom administration blew past a federal deadline to make that happen through Medi-Cal Monday, effectively leaving millions of dollars unclaimed. The unclaimed money is tied to Proposition 35, a ballot measure passed by 68% of voters in November. The measure committed money from...

Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable). The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us. Over time, these actions, combined with the production already being generated by more than 40,000 inmates engaged in various workshops and labor under the Zero Idleness program, will help make our prison system self-sustainable. As of today, it costs $200 million per year. On this occasion, the U.S. has...

Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) had a heated exchange with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic party members who she said switched their stance on support for the filibuster in the upper chamber. “Change of heart on the filibuster, I see,” Sinema wrote in a post with a screenshot of a post from Ocasio-Cortez shaming the Arizona lawmaker for not supporting ending the filibuster in order to pass Roe v. Wade protections. Sinema’s comments come as Democrats urged their counterparts to use a filibuster to prevent the House-GOP led government spending bill from advancing. It requires the Senate to...

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) issued a state of emergency as several brush fires were reported as having broken out in Long Island on Saturday. In a post on X, Hochul revealed that the New York National Guard’s helicopters were “providing air support.” Hochul added that “multiple state agencies” were also assisting with on the ground efforts. “I am issuing a State of Emergency as Suffolk County fights brush fires in the Pine Barrens,” Hochul wrote, adding that she spoke with Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine and “offered any necessary State resources.”

ABC News legal analyst Sunny Hostin said Wednesday on ABC’s “The View” that all the Democratic lawmakers should have walked out during President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress. Hostin said, “You know, while I didn’t watch it, I was looking for signs of an opposition party, which is what the Democratic Party must be at this point. Not a resistance, because resistance is passive. Opposition is active. I think that what I saw when Representative Al Green stood up and said, ‘You don’t have a mandate to take away Medicaid,’ and he was tossed out, I...

It was the first call U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held with Mexico’s top military officials, and it wasn’t going well. Hegseth told the officials that if Mexico didn’t deal with the collusion between the country’s government and drug cartels, the U.S. military was prepared to take unilateral action, according to people briefed on the Jan. 31 call. Mexico’s top brass who were on that call were shocked and angered, feeling he was suggesting U.S. military action inside Mexico, these people said. The Defense Department declined to comment. Hegseth’s private warning—echoed by other Trump administration officials—now looms over Mexico’s trade...

Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is considering running to replace her husband as governor when his final term runs out, according to a report. Donors are pushing her to run because her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, cannot seek re-election when his second term ends in 2026, NBC News reported, citing multiple sources. “I would say this: I have heard donors have been urging her to run and that while it’s not something she has wanted to do, they are causing her to at least stop and listen,” a source told the outlet. The prospect — which would make her the...

President Donald Trump signed a set of executive orders on Tuesday withdrawing from one United Nations body, defunding another, and ordering a review of U.S. involvement in others. As Breitbart News reported: Trump … signed executive orders withdrawing the U.S. from the United Nations Human Rights Council, defunding the terror-linked United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), ordering a review of U.S. involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and a review of U.S. ties to the United Nations generally. Trump also signed an executive order restoring his “maximum pressure” policy on Iran, which he said he...

Police detained nearly 40 Chinese migrants after being discovered in the back of two separate vans in Coral Gables, according to WSVN. According to the station, the bust happened around 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time on Tuesday.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon officially informed the members of the UN Security Council today (Tuesday) that UNRWA has 48 hours to end all operations in Jerusalem and leave Israel's capital. “Within 48 hours, the State of Israel will cease its cooperation with UNRWA. UNRWA must cease its activities and evacuate all its facilities in Jerusalem," he said. Ambassador Danon elaborated, "The legislation prohibits UNRWA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel and prohibits any contact between Israeli authorities and UNRWA. In addition, the organization is prohibited from maintaining any representative office, service...

President Donald Trump‘s second Oval Office got its big debut Monday, including the return of an Andrew Jackson portrait and the reemergence of the Reagan rug. The rug, which was in place during Ronald Reagan’s administration and during Trump’s first term, was reinstalled during Trump’s inauguration ceremony, according to CBS News. The Resolute Desk had to be partially disassembled in order to facilitate its return. The Andrew Jackson portrait has drawn controversy because Jackson, the nation’s seventh president, signed the Indian Removal Act, resulting in the Trail of Tears, and remains a polarizing figure almost 180 years after his death....

The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer, whose history of lying puts serial liars to shame, has now been called out by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for lying in the latest feckless attack against Pete Hegseth, incoming President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense. The same Jane Mayer who vigorously defended serial-butt-grabber and disgraced former Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) by smearing one of his alleged victims, has launched her own personal jihad against Hegseth by way of the *stretch* usual-usual unnamed sources *yawn* the fake media have been using against Republicans for decades. From where I sit, the hysterical Mayer is on...

President Joe Biden ruled out the idea of pardoning himself, explaining he had not thought of pardoning himself because he “didn’t do anything wrong.” During a press conference at the White House, Biden was asked if he had “ruled out” issuing a pardon for himself or “any other additional members” of his family. In December, Biden issued a “full and unconditional pardon” of his son, Hunter Biden, regarding “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” “Have you ruled out...

Watch live Los Angeles officials give update on wildfires US News Gov. Newsom passes the buck to ‘local folks’ when asked about hydrants running out of water during Pacific Palisades fire By Allie Griffin Published Jan. 9, 2025 Updated Jan. 9, 2025, 6:51 a.m. ET 792 Comments Gov. Gavin Newsom passes the blame to 'local folks' when asked about water situation Ad Loading 00:00 / 00:30 California Gov. Gavin Newsom passed the blame on to “local folks” when grilled over fire hydrants running out of water during the raging Pacific Palisades fire — and said he couldn’t even respond to...

We have multiple reports of water hydrants in Southern California running out of water as devastating wildfires rip through the Los Angeles area threatening tens of thousands of homes. “The hydrants are down,” said one firefighter battling the flames in the Pacific Palisades per the far-left Los Angeles Times. “Water supply just dropped,” said a second firefighter. “A spokesman for the Department of Water and Power acknowledged reports of diminished water flow from hydrants,” continues the report, “but did not have details on the number of hydrants without water or the scale of the issue.”

Rudy Giuliani was held in contempt of court Monday and accused of trying to “run out the clock” to avoid paying his $148 million defamation verdict — which may now cost him his $3.5 million Florida condo. Manhattan federal court Judge Lewis Liman found the former Big Apple mayor in contempt twice for blowing through deadlines and not turning over key information ahead of a Jan. 16 trial over whether he has to give up the Florida abode and his prized Yankees World Series rings. Giuliani owes the multi-million dollar tab to Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter...

CNN anchor Jim Acosta said Monday on “Newsroom” that the Republican Party should have “flat out rejected” President-elect Donald Trump. Partial transcript as follows: ACOSTA: Brad, is it time for Donald Trump to apologize for what took place four years ago? BRAD TODD: I wouldn’t expect Donald Trump would apologize, I think, nor do I expect Democrats to apologize for trying to undo his presidency by all legal and extralegal means after that. ACOSTA: Oh come on Brad! Come on! TODD: No– dude! Look at our own polling. Look at CNN’s own exit polling. Voters who said they voted on...

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired another ballistic missile at Israel late Monday night, reminding Israelis that there is still unfinished business in the war that Hamas launched with the October 7, 2023, terror attack. The missile was intercepted outside Israeli airspace, but the fragments continued on their trajectory, falling on the central Israeli town of Ramat Beit Shemesh. Sirens were heard throughout central Israel in the late evening hours. The Times of Israel reported: Air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched at Israel from Yemen that triggered sirens across central Israel late Monday night, the military said, in...