Free Republic

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Education thwarted more than $1 billion in student aid fraud under President Donald Trump's first year in office, including stopping suspected bots and "ghost students" from obtaining taxpayer-funded loans, Fox News Digital learned. Officials say the savings come from new "enhanced fraud controls" the department implemented in June to combat fraudsters from working to obtain financial assistance loans from colleges. College officials and cybersecurity experts in recent years have pointed to a new scam trend of "ghost students," which are fabricated or stolen identities created solely to enroll, trigger financial aid disbursements and then...

A Christmas show at a church in Plano, Texas, has become a flash point in America - a Rorschach test in today's hyper-political culture. The 'Gift of Christmas' at Prestonwood Baptist Church, as the nearly two-hour extravaganza is called, has become one of the most well-known holiday shows across the US, mostly thanks to social media. People seem to either love or loathe the 'Vegas-style' production at the mega church- complete with a flying Santa Claus and live camels and sheep- with tickets selling from $20 to $71 per person. 'Tell me how a family of 4 has to spend...

Babylon Bee Join Toggle navigation menu Banner Ad Jasmine Crockett Hits Campaign Trail To Axe For Votes Politics · Dec 11, 2025 · BabylonBee.com Maxim Elramsisy via shutterstock.com Image for article: Jasmine Crockett Hits Campaign Trail To Axe For Votes Banner Ad HOUSTON, TX — Representative Jasmine Crockett has officially launched her Senate bid, immediately hitting the campaign trail to "axe for votes." Touting her new campaign slogan "Uh-Uh, No You Di-Uhnt", Crockett hopes to unseat Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 midterm elections. "I ain't playin' baby girl, I runnin', which is why I be acksing you fo yo...

Ilhan Omar’s second husband calls himself a “dirty dandy” on social media and has run off to South Africa, dodging President Trump’s accusations he is her brother. Mystery has long swirled about the embattled Minnesota congresswoman’s marriage to Ahmed Elmi, whom she was wed to between 2009 and 2017, which various politicians on the right have called a sham. Elmi, 40, left the US long before he officially divorced Omar and seemingly disappeared. However, The Post can now reveal he’s been studying in the UK and South Africa. The one-time refugee describes himself as a “dirty dandy” on his social...

Malaysia plans to ban social media for users under the age of 16 from next year. The government is reviewing enforcement mechanisms similar to what will be introduced in Australia, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Sunday (Nov 23). He cited the need to protect youths from online harms such as sexual grooming, cyberbullying and exposure to sexual content, The New Straits Times reported.

The measles outbreak in South Carolina is “accelerating” with no end in sight following Thanksgiving and other large gatherings, state health officials said Wednesday. As of Wednesday, 111 measles cases had been reported in what’s known as upstate South Carolina — an area in the northwest of the state that includes Greenville and Spartanburg. “We are faced with ongoing transmission that we anticipate will go on for many more weeks,” Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Public Health, said during a news briefing Wednesday. Twenty-seven of those cases have been reported since Friday. “That is...

A Wisconsin Cinnabon employee was fired after a video of her hurling the N-word and other racist abuse at a Somali couple went viral over the weekend. The video shared on social media shows the employee at the Ashwaubenon Cinnabon, who has not been publicly identified, calling the couple the N-word and saying she is a racist during a heated argument. “I am a racist, and you are a n—-r,” the employee says while nodding and smiling. “I am racist and I’ll say that to the whole entire world.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson described the horrific Thanksgiving Eve attack on National Guardsmen in Washington, DC, that killed one young National Guardswoman as an “unfortunate accident” during a disgusting line of questioning against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem testified alongside National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent and FBI National Security Branch Operations Director Michael Glasheen before the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday. “Madam Secretary, you and the gentleman from NCTC referenced the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsmen being killed,” Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said. Noem responded, “You think that was an unfortunate accident?...

While shoplifting can be explained as thrill-seeking behaviour among youths, it should not be treated lightly, says SUSS’ Soh Kee Hean.Shop theft has been rising in Singapore in recent years. There were 3,244 cases of shop theft in 2022. This figure jumped 21 per cent to 3,939 in 2023, and again by 7.6 per cent to 4,237 cases in 2024. The first half of 2025 saw 2,097 cases, 4.2 per cent higher compared with the same period last year. Shop theft was the most common physical crime in the first half of the year, and remains one of the top...

We really don’t need to re-litigate this, because we’re right. The Russian collusion delusion was exposed. It was a hoax, and it did irreparable harm to the Democrats and their allies in the media. No one listens to the press anymore, with scores moving onto other streams for information since these clowns cannot do their jobs properly. After the 20th or so ‘bombshell’ in this story turned out to be a dud or fizzed out for lack of evidence, one would think this story smells like a con job. Instead, the Democrats, the media, and the Deep State doubled down,...

JD Vance has mocked a wild claim that he was spotted yelling at his wife Usha in a restaurant after an unverified image surfaced on social media. The image was posted on Facebook showing the vice president with an animated expression speaking intently to the second lady who is looking down at the table. 'Looks like things are not so good in Republicanistan,' a Facebook user called Thomas Clay Jr posted alongside the picture. The video player is currently playing an ad. 'Usha is a liberal. Always has been. Apparently they were having an argument loud enough to quiet the...

A federal judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Thursday ordered Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody, capping — for now – an extraordinary, 10-month legal fight that has spanned two continents, multiple federal courts, and prompted dozens of hearings in the aftermath of his removal. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered Abrego Garcia released from the ICE Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pa., ruling that the Trump administration had not obtained the final notice of removal order needed to remove him to a third country. "Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has...

IDF investigating image of a soldier wearing a sleeve patch depicting a noose similar to a lapel pin worn by Otzma Yehudit members to support the death penalty for terrorists.At the Monday session of the National Security Committee, which members of his faction attended wearing the controversial lapel pin, Minister Ben Gvir said: “We all came with a pin, which represents one of the options we intend to use in the death penalty for terrorists law."“Of course, there is the option of hanging and the electric chair, and there is also the option of lethal injection. Since it was...

It should have been a good time for the teenage football team from Philadelphia. They'd won their division championship, and this past Saturday, the whole team was in Polk County, Florida, for the tournament and championship game. Now, let me take a minute to set the stage. Polk County is a beautiful place, and lots of folks visit from all over the country. There's one thing Polk County has that the rest of the country doesn't - a sheriff named Grady Judd, affectionately known as 'Sheriff Grady.' He's a character, and none of it is an act - it's...

Beloved, I love Christmas and all the wondrous Bible verses of hope! Just before the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ despair was an epidemic and hopelessness super abounding! For those who trusted in the Lord in such oppressive days, their hope was a burning fire within their hearts that kept them fresh and vibrate! Anna and Simeon and the Wise men of old were great witnesses of hope in such dark days (Matt. 2:12; Luke 2:25-40)! Anna and Simeon and the Wise men of old were great witnesses of hope in such dark days! Today is no different! Our...

Officer Krystal Rivera’s family says in the wrongful death suit that Officer Carlos Baker was struggling to accept her decision to end their romantic relationship when he shot her in her back in Chatham on June 5. The mother of Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday in which she says her daughter’s partner, Officer Carlos Baker, was struggling to accept her decision to end their romantic relationship when he fatally shot her during a foot chase on June 5. The lawsuit, filed in Cook County court against Baker and the Chicago Police Department, says the...

There is certainly some irony in one of the questions most commonly posed to Alexa this year: “What does AI mean?” Amazon’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant has become a regular feature in 21st century homes, used for tasks such as playing music, setting recipe timers and forecasting the weather. But her capability goes far beyond that, with regular users relying on Alexa’s infinite knowledge to answer questions on just about any thought that pops into their heads. Users in the United Kingdom regularly ask what AI means, according to Amazon’s roundup of “Alexa’s Most Asked Questions” of 2025. Other general...

Amnesty’s new report outlines widespread killings, hostage‑taking and abuses by Hamas-led forces during the October 7 attacks, based on verified testimony and forensic evidence.

Madison Metro Transit is grappling with nearly a $6 million budget shortfall that has forced the city to more than double its transit subsidy and implement emergency spending restrictions. The transit system's initial 2025 budget called for a $18.4 million in planned spending. However, fare revenue fell short of projections while salary and benefit costs increased following a new contract with the union representing bus drivers. Operational costs also exceeded expectations. Jamie Acton, Metro's general manager announced a non-essential spending freeze Monday to address the financial crisis. "Effective, just on Monday, I put in a non-essential spending freeze. So non-essential...

Overview of the new xAI Partnership with the Government of El Salvador • xAI and the Government of El Salvador launched the world’s first nationwide AI powered education program • Grok will be deployed across more than five thousand public schools over the next two years • Over one million students will receive personalized AI tutoring • Thousands of teachers will be supported and empowered as collaborative partners in education • Provide adaptive, curriculum aligned tutoring that adjusts to each student’s pace, preferences, and mastery level • Ensure children from both urban and rural communities receive world class, tailored education...