Free Republic

The Trump administration is ratcheting up tariffs on 60 countries that have failed to ban imports made from forced labor, as 10% global duties are set to expire Friday. Senior administration officials said Thursday that countries that have begun implementing a forced labor prohibition will be hit with 10% duties, while those that haven’t will receive an import tax of 12.5% — with the levies taking effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 24. “The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to...

BREAKING: KRQE has lost the CBS affiliation after 72 years — and it's moving to KOAT, making Channel 7 the undisputed juggernaut of New Mexico television. Mark Ronchetti spent 15+ years at KRQE and also worked at KOAT. Sources in both buildings. Nobody else can break this down from the inside. CBS told Nexstar the money wasn't enough. Hearst stepped up and wrote the check. Now KOAT holds BOTH major networks — and KRQE goes independent. Is one station holding both major networks good for New Mexico — or a consolidation problem nobody's talking about?

If you care so much about immigrants, maybe we should discuss your time at HHS, Xavier’ Hey Cal Chamber, how do you feel about your endorsement of Xavier Becerra for Governor now? “Candidate for California Governor Xavier Becerra is prioritizing illegal immigrants over legal residents’ investment in brick and mortar businesses. Every policy he actually addresses favors people who are here illegally,” the Globe noted on X. Candidate for CA Governor @XavierBecerra is prioritizing illegal immigrants over legal residents' investment in brick and mortar businesses. Every policy he actually addresses favors people who are here illegally. https://t.co/WfgZOI1JVd — Katy Grimes...

Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how U.S.-mediated talks have stalled. MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how U.S.-mediated talks have stalled. He called them “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” in the past but insisted that...

Elon Musk denied that he supports the “far right” in a new interview with The Economist, countering the interviewer’s claims by saying he backs “normal people” who are mislabeled by the media. “You support not just the populist right, but the far right — in fact, very fringe parties in some countries,” said editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes in the sit-down interview. “No, I support the normal people. What you call the far right, falsely,” Musk declared. “Here are the principles, and tell me, which of these sound terrible. That we should have secure borders? That we should have safe cities?...

The man who was killed by police in Madison, Wisconsin, a shocking caught-on-camera shooting — sparking protests — was a violent ex-con with a lengthy record, including for assaulting cops, The Post can reveal. Corey Durrell Ruiz, 38, was identified by local officials and his family in social media posts. State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, a Democrat, said Ruiz “should still be alive.” Brandi Grayson, the head of the Madison-based black community advocacy group Urban Triage, decried the shooting as, “Another black man is dead on a Madison street.” Protesters have flooded the streets of Madison, Wisconsin, where the shooting happened...

Painting depicting Odysseus and his crew at their ship (Odysseus tied to the mast), while Sirens are around them. John William Waterhouse, Ulysses and the Sirens (1891). Did this voyage take Odysseus to America? Credit: Public Domain For centuries, scholars and enthusiasts have debated where Odysseus truly traveled during his legendary journey back to Ithaca. Among the most intriguing theories is the notion that the hero ventured beyond the Mediterranean, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and reached the shores of what is now known as America. But what evidence supports this extraordinary claim, and does it truly align with Homer’s descriptions...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., came under fire after claiming the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would "merge parts of our military with the Israel Defense Forces," drawing accusations that she distorted what the legislation actually does. The fight centers on Section 219 of the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act, a provision that calls for deeper U.S.-Israel defense integration through expanded cooperation on military technology, supply chains, research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and joint exercises. On Wednesday, the House passed its version of the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act in a 219-206 vote, leaving Section 219 intact. But ahead of the...

Father James Martin calls for ‘gay priests’Continuing his public advocacy on LGBT issues, Fr James Martin SJ has argued that the Catholic Church should officially admit ‘gay’ priests.In a new essay published by his pro-LGBT organisation Outreach, Fr James Martin has presented his case for why the Church should admit homosexuals to the priesthood. He notes that he is only in favour of admitting celibate men, but after establishing that as the foundation of his argument, the prominent Jesuit calls on the Church to change its rules regarding seminary admission and ordination.

Republicans will make even moderate opponents answer for the radical views of DSA candidates. I have no objection to the Democrats’ nominating an oysterman for a Senate seat. When I led our party’s effort to recapture the House in 2006, we made a point of recruiting candidates with “authentic” broad-based appeal. But that strategy, which flipped 31 seats during my tenure, and claimed 21 more in 2008, was predicated on a substantive premise: We needed to allay voters’ worries that Democrats were weak on national defense and culturally out of touch, vulnerabilities born from previous elections. If we could do...

A Washington state mother has been accused of killing her disabled toddler after allegedly turning on the bathtub faucet and leaving him face-down in the water for nearly 15 minutes, prosecutors say. Nakeeya Arbogast, 25, of Seattle, was arrested Monday in connection with the death of her two-year-old son after prosecutors alleged she left him alone in a rapidly filling bathtub, despite later admitting she knew it was 'unsafe.' The toddler, identified only by the initials KOA in court documents, fought for his life in the hospital for two days before succumbing to brain injuries caused by the near-drowning. Arbogast...

President Donald Trump is marching full steam ahead in support of “absolutely incredible” data centers being built across the United States, and told Americans: “You’re becoming a utility.” The remarks came during Trump’s roughly 20 minute remarks during a Thursday visit to Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters in Washington D.C., during which he called data centers a “really important subject.” “It is something that you’re very familiar with. The people in the room are real doers. It’s an amazing group,” Trump continued. “We are here today to continue the incredible progress we are making in communities nationwide, to ensure that as...

YouTube video - no text for body of thread. Hopefully not an over exaggeration, but there definitely seems to be activity on the ground and Tousi *claims* Pahlavi is getting ready to call for an uprising. Hopefully it's not just wishful.

House passes reconciliation framework for Pentagon boost, voting restrictions by Emily Brooks and Sudiksha Kochi - 07/22/26 5:00 PM ET House Republicans on Wednesday approved a $95 billion framework for a third budget reconciliation package that would boost funding for the Pentagon, provide agriculture aid and provide money to encourage states to adopt voting restrictions. The vote is a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), as he had to win over lawmakers in his razor-thin majority who were concerned about the lack of spending offsets in the package. . . . The lower chamber voted 216-214 to approve the budget...

Congress on Thursday split on advancing a pair of war powers resolutions aimed at forcing President Donald Trump to abandon his war with Iran, as the conflict escalates into a deadly new phase and oil tops $100 a barrel. The moves were the first vote since Trump informed Congress that he restarted the war with Iran following the breakdown of peace negotiations. The conflict’s revival after weeks of a shaky ceasefire comes just months before the U.S. midterm elections. It threatens to scramble the majority Republicans’ plan to maintain their razor-thin majorities. The Senate on Thursday voted 47-49 to kill...

What the actual heck is going on in MA?!?!?! Massachusetts Democrats are advancing a permanent state commission that exists only for people who practice Islam. Bill S.2134 would create an 11-member Government commission focused solely on the status of American Muslims. Appointees would come from the governor, attorney general, legislative leaders, and racial equity committee chairs. The body could accept private donations, hire staff including a paid executive director, hold public meetings, and file annual reports to the governor and legislature recommending policy changes. No other religion receives this exact permanent structure. Sponsors and advocacy groups frame it as a...

Citizens Bank said it will exit lending agreements with two private prison operators after receiving intense public scrutiny over those relationships. The financial group announced in a statement Friday that it would stop extending credit to GEO Group and CoreCivic. The companies, which collectively run about 130 facilities in the United States, contract with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to provide detention centers. Numerous progressive groups have protested Citizens Bank's business dealings with GEO Group and CoreCivic in recent months, calling on the company to sever ties through pickets outside bank branches and even a flyover banner across the...

Explanation: Have you ever seen another galaxy with your own eyes? The featured image shows the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the closest neighbors of our Milky Way. If you are anywhere south of latitude 20° N (but the further south, the better), you can see it with the unaided eye if you go to a dark sky location, away from big cities and light polution. It is a dwarf irregular galaxy about 163,000 light-years away, and a member of our Local Group of galaxies. Despite being small, with a total mass approximately equivalent to 10% - 20% of...

A lawsuit filed Tuesday, July 21, alleges that former Pawleys Island Community Church (PICC) volunteer and convicted sex offender Warren Perry sexually abused a child who attended the church’s school in 2022. The suit, filed by Jane Doe, is one of two new lawsuits involving PICC and Pawleys Island Christian Academy (PICA), which are located on the same campus. PICC, PICA, and their leaders are at the center of controversy after it came to light that Perry was volunteering on campus, even though the church’s pastor and other church and school leaders knew of his sex offender status. “How could...

Residents at two swanky North Carolina communities have sounded the alarm over alleged trespassers taking over their pools, claiming that their homeowners associations (HOA) are not doing enough to stop the rowdiness. The complaints have emerged at Edge of Auburn in Garner and Trace at Olde Towne in nearby Raleigh, with residents saying they have become afraid to use their amenities funded through hefty HOA dues. Dramatic footage from one of the pool areas showed a spat between residents and nonresidents, WRAL reported. It was not clear how or why the confrontation started, but homeowners described how it embodied the...