Free Republic

As the housing crisis deepens, the corrosive impact of Airbnb on communities becomes increasingly evident. With over 1,000 San Diegans falling into homelessness each month, the question arises: How many Airbnb properties sit empty, exacerbating the crisis? Complicating matters further is a colossal loophole in the ordinance meant to regulate short-term rentals (STRs). While cracking down on Airbnb alone may not be a catchall solution, it’s undeniable that taking thousands of residential units offline hampers efforts to meet housing goals.

R&B star Usher delivered a hit-heavy half-time show at Sunday's Super Bowl - with help from will.i.am, Alicia Keys, Ludacris... and a pair of roller skates. A disclaimer shown before the performance jokingly warned viewers it may cause "singing, dancing, sweating, gyrating, and possible relationship issues". It would go on to deliver on all fronts. Dressed in all-white and surrounded by a swarm of energetic dancers, Usher emerged on the stage at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and launched straight into one of his best-known songs, Caught Up. It kicked off a dynamic performance which took advantage of the...

On this date in 1951, the first of two batches comprising the “Martinsville Seven” — black, all — went to the Virginia electric chair for gang-raping a white woman. (The remainder were executed on Feb. 5) Somewhat forgotten today, the Martinsville Seven were in their day the locus of radical activism against Jim Crow in the South — very much like Willie McGee, who was put to death in Louisiana later that same year. In fact, this case generated a bit of a legal milestone: a month before the executions began, the U.S. Supreme Court declined an appeal seeking relief...

“Local” news reporters are among the most contemptible; almost all “local” news stations are owned by large conglomerates like Cumulus, Townsquare, iHeart, or are “affiliates” of national networks. They posture as “local” but mostly all report the same nationally-curated crap. If you’ve ever lived in a “red” programming market, you’ll know that any station owned by these companies basically acts as a subversive force on the local culture.

Whatever anyone thought of Gonzalo Lira as a person, we should recognize the obvious reality here: The DC regime left Gonzalo to die in Ukraine because he was on the wrong side of the issue, simple as that. Brittany Griner, a total embarrassment to our country and an outspoken America-hater, was a top priority. We don’t have to “imagine if…” because we saw it with our own eyes. Claims about “war crimes” or “Russian spying” are unfounded; Gonzalo Lira was charged under a Ukrainian statute passed specifically to quell such dissent, and was left to die by the US State...

On January 12, 1949, Margaret Allen was executed by Albert Pierrepoint at Strangeways Gaol. She was the first woman hanged there since Charlotte Bryant in 1936. 41-year-old Margaret had beaten to death an elderly neighbor, Nancy Ellen Chadwick, on August 21, 1948, after Nancy stopped by Margaret’s cottage at 137 Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, Lancashire. Several hours later, she dragged the body outside and left it in the road, almost literally right on her doorstep. The following facts can be gleaned about Margaret Allen’s life: Since her early twenties, she had habitually worn men’s clothing and said she wanted to be...

I don't care what FR neocons say UK/US are officially bombing one of the poorest countries on Earth. It's unconscionable. I want peace. Enough.

Wretched kleptonazi hoho government forces poor woman to make public apologigy for trying to save husband First fie minutes or so of video, this is at least as bad as anything the CCCP or German nazis ever did. Kind of like watching a limbo dance, how low can you go.....

I think I’ve got this illegal immigration thing figured out! The fact that most of our illegals are military aged males seals the deal. The Democrats and deep state Republicans are taking us to war, in Ukraine, in Israel, in Iran, in Africa and most especially in Tiawan with China. It’s good for the defense industry, it feeds their corruption and bolsters political popularity. They need cannon fodder. Americans will not tolerate for long losing their sons and daughters in the neither regions of the world, but when the “Recruiters” for the reestablished draft show up at the immigrant shelters...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants Western countries to “absorb” the Palestinian refugees Israel displaced during its assault on Gaza. Netanyahu made the remarks during a meeting of his Likud party on Monday. “Our problem is countries that are ready to absorb them and we are working on it,” Netanyahu said. “The world is already discussing the possibilities of voluntary immigration,” he said, adding that a team must be established to “ensure that those who want to leave Gaza to a third country can do so.” “It needs to be settled. It has strategic importance for the day...

U.S. military forces conducted strikes on facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq, the U.S. Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday. These strikes are a response to a series of strikes against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias, including an attack by Iran-affiliated Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups on Erbil Air Base earlier on Monday, which led to three injuries to U.S. personnel, the statement said.

But the divide between Biden and Netanyahu runs deeper. At the heart of it lies a fundamental disagreement about the role the Palestinian Authority should play in Gaza’s future security and governance and, implicitly, the viability of an eventual two-state solution (however remote). Biden wants the PA to take Hamas’ place once the war is over, while Netanyahu staunchly opposes any PA involvement (even as he refuses to say who else he would prefer to fill the void) – effectively ruling out Palestinian self-rule, let alone a Palestinian state. Make no mistake: On this, Biden is right and Netanyahu is...

Jimmy Dore et. al. makng fun of the fops and wankers...

As the Russian leader is strengthening ties with Persian Gulf leaders, "the durability of America's support for Ukraine is coming into question," Bloomberg wrote NEW YORK, December 6./TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia illustrates that Washington's efforts to isolate Moscow have failed, the Bloomberg news agency wrote... Putin will visit two Middle Eastern countries-the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for bilateral talks on Wednesday, the Kremlin press service reported earlier. He will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al Saud and President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan...

@RepThomasMassie I’m voting against HR 5961 because there’s no legal or moral authority for us to freeze or steal assets of other countries we are not at war with. It’s also shortsighted for us to use our super-power status to force foreign banks to freeze assets of sovereign countries.

I just upgraded to Premium+ on there and it got me wondering if they could survive this way if all these advertisers pull out? Others have mentioned the late Rush Limbaugh faced a similar boycott but Twitter/X is another level as it's quite a complex system and requires many employees/resources, etc. With Musk telling advertisers to GFY and warning that X could be killed it seems obvious this situation is critical. One thing he's launching is an AI assistant called Grok which will tap into Twitter's vast network. ChatGPT has been hugely successful so maybe this will be a way...

@RepThomasMassie I agree with the title “Reaffirming the State of Israel’s Right to Exist” and much of the language, but I’m voting No on the resolution because it equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism. Antisemitism is deplorable, but expanding it to include criticism of Israel is not helpful.

September 17, 2021 marks 73 years since the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish diplomat who had worked as a mediator between Jews and Arabs, by the pre-state militia known as the Stern Gang (Lehi). Bernadotte was a member of the Swedish royal family and had worked extensively as a diplomat during World War II. During this time, he had helped free tens of thousands of prisoners held in Nazi Germany and had worked unsuccessfully to negotiate an armistice between the Nazis and the Western Allies, notably without the knowledge of Adolf Hitler.

Side by side comparison. Which one is the conservative and which one is Establishment?

A question