Free Republic

When a Columbine Valley police officer showed up at Chrisanna Elser’s home in Denver, he was certain he had caught a thief. Sgt. Jamie Milliman knocked on the door, summons in hand, and accused Elser of stealing a package from the doorstep in the neighboring town of Bow Mar, only 50 feet south. The proof, according to Milliman: Footage from Flock surveillance cameras showing Elser’s forest green Rivian driving through the town from 11:52 a.m. to 12:09 p.m. on the day of the theft. “You know we have cameras in that town. You can’t get a breath of fresh air...

Some Democrats have spoken out against their colleagues after they advanced a deal to end the record-breaking 40-day government shutdown. Seven Democrats and one independent voted with Republicans in the Senate late Sunday to end the shutdown, which has left federal workers without pay for more than a month. Those who support the deal include John Fetterman, a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, who apologized to those government workers who have gone weeks without being paid, calling the shutdown a “failure.” But several big names in the party, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator...

The court agreed to hear the matter after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law in 2024. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a case addressing whether states may count ballots that arrive after Election Day. The Republican National Committee and Mississippi Libertarian Party challenged the state's law permitting the counting of ballots postmarked by Election Day should they arrive within five days, Politico reported. The court agreed to hear the matter after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law in 2024. President Donald Trump, for his part, has long been a...

A Danville public school teacher is on leave following a controversial social media post that has sparked significant backlash. Dr. Sabrina Kent Morris, a history and government teacher at George Washington High School, reposted an image on Instagram from @Dream.foramerica that depicted a rainbow-colored gun pointing at the back of a man's head with the caption, "Put the pronouns back in the email." The image was blurred due to its violent nature. The controversy gained traction after a right-leaning social media account, @LibsofTikTok, highlighted the post on X, leading to coverage by "The Gutfeld Program" on Fox News. Danville residents...

The Supreme Court on Monday morning turned down a request from Kim Davis, a former county clerk in Kentucky, to reconsider its 2015 decision recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. In a brief, unsigned order, the justices rejected Davis’ petition for review of a ruling by a federal appeals court upholding an award of $100,000 to a gay couple to whom she had refused to issue a marriage license. That petition had also asked the justices to overrule the 2015 decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, arguing that a right to same-sex marriage “had no basis in the Constitution.” As is...

The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday will “effectively prohibit business aviation” at a dozen major U.S. airports, adding to flight restrictions for commercial airlines as air traffic controller shortages snarl travel in the government shutdown, a trade group said. Here are the airports included in the new restrictions, according to the NBAA: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) Denver International Airport (DEN) General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS) George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)...

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — U.N. climate negotiations were expected to begin Monday at a meeting on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon, with leaders pushing for urgency, cooperation and acceleration after more than 30 years fighting to curb global warming by drastically reducing the carbon pollution that causes it. André Corrêa do Lago, president of this year’s conference, known as COP30, emphasized that negotiators engage in “mutirão,” a Brazilian word derived from an Indigenous word that refers to a group uniting to work on a shared task. Complicating the calls for togetherness is the United States. The Trump administration did...

Trump’s first-year economy is surging, but the race ahead hinges on perception, messaging, and whether voters see the boom before the 2026 midterms. The current economic indicators, at least those attributable to the 10-month Trump administration, are strong. Fourth-quarter GDP is estimated to grow between 2.7 and 4 percent, the robust latter figure according to the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank. Inflation from June to August ranged from 2.7 to 2.9 percent, significantly lower than the 5 percent annual average during Biden’s 2021-2025 term. Gas prices now average $2.98 per gallon, compared to $3.46, the average cost during Biden’s four years....

Madani, who has long warned of environmental mismanagement in Iran, said the current water crisis across the nation was predictable. "The water bankruptcy situation was not created overnight," he said. "The house was already on fire, and people like myself had warned the government for years that this situation would emerge." President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that without rainfall before winter, Tehran could face partial evacuation, according to The Associated Press. Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, raising fears of evacuations in Tehran while threatening the regime’s stability and nuclear ambitions, according to a leading environmental expert. Kaveh Madani,...

California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed 'pathetic' Democrats who joined their GOP rivals to strike a late-night deal that could end the longest government shutdown in US history. Republicans in the Senate were joined by seven Democrats and one Independent on Sunday night to vote on a stopgap measure which would allow government funding to resume until late January. The breakthrough deal to end the 40-day government impasse overcame its first major hurdle with a 60-40 Senate vote at about 11pm. The House will convene on Monday and send the bill to President Donald Trump's desk. The shutdown has left 42...

The State Prosecutor's Office has submitted a request to the Haifa District Court to permanently confiscate 50 foreign vessels that attempted to breach the maritime blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, as part of the "Sumud Flotilla." According to the petition, a significant number of the vessels were owned by the Hamas terror organization. The request is based on international law, which grants states the right to seize vessels attempting to violate a maritime blockade, and gives courts the authority to order their confiscation. The State argued that the "Sumud Flotilla," which arrived in the area last month,...

Polk County emergency officials Saturday night urged residents near the Carter Lake Dam in Camden to evacuate as a precaution after reports of a leak in the privately owned dam. According to the Polk County Office of Emergency Management, the dam is located on private property and is owned by local property holders who are currently assessing the situation. Officials said there is an estimated 8-inch hole in the earthen embankment water is flowing out of. In an update Sunday morning, Polk County officials said they were informed by the property owners that the damage did not worsen overnight. They...

Zohran Mamdani’s victory-lap speech Tuesday night reeked of Vladimir Lenin after Russia’s 1917 communist revolution. But instead of commanding a Red Army, the mayor-elect should be aware he will be facing lots of red ink. That’s on top of some very strict and sensible financial rules put in place some 50 years ago — just in case a deranged Marxist ended up running New York City. Yes, socialism can sound rousing when it’s pitched by a skilled orator.... But NYC — with plenty of welfare statism already on the books — will never go full-on Soviet ­Union. That’s because laws...

The quake that hit northern Japan on Sunday caused temporary power outages and train delays. No injuries or damage were reported, and a tsunami advisory was cancelled. A powerful 6.9 magnitude quake rattled northern Japan Sunday evening, followed by several aftershocks, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). A tsunami advisory was issued, but it was later cancelled. Waves measuring 20 centimetres were recorded in some areas. The earthquake hit off the coast of Iwate prefecture at a depth of 10 kilometres below the sea surface, at about 5 pm Japan time (9 am CET). There were no immediate reports...

A disastrous shutdown for Democrats got worse Sunday when Senate Democrats folded on government funding while receiving nothing of substance in return. Eight Senate Democrats voted with 42 Republicans Sunday night on a procedural vote to allow a continuing resolution (CR) funding the government to advance. The motion passed 60 to 40, without a single vote to spare, and will enable a future vote on a clean continuing resolution through January 30, 2026, packaged with three relatively non-controversial appropriations bills extending through the fiscal year: agriculture, military construction-Veterans Affairs, and legislative branch. The agreement includes back pay for federal employees...

The assassination of Carlos Manzo, known for defying cartels, has prompted massive protests throughout the country. His death exposed organized crime’s dominance in the state of Michoacán. Since his death, many Mexicans question whether the government will ever be able to stand up to the cartels. MEXICO CITY — Carlos Manzo blazed a maverick path as he battled both cartels and what he called skimpy federal support for his crusade against organized crime in his hometown of Uruapan, in western Mexico. The “man with a hat,” after his signature white sombrero, was an annoyance to the power structure in Mexico...

Social media influencer Naomi Seibt, a supporter of the nationalist AfD party, said she is being persecuted in Germany for her political views.BERLIN — A prominent far-right German activist has applied for political asylum in the United States, citing fears for her safety, as the Trump administration has signaled plans to prioritize protections for White refugees and Europeans who claim they are being targeted for their populist views.The activist, Naomi Seibt, is a social media influencer and supporter of the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which German authorities have labeled extremist.Seibt, 25, said she is being persecuted in...

South Korea’s ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol faces more criminal charges on Monday as prosecutors allege that he flew drones over North Korea in a deliberate bid to stoke tensions and justify his plans to declare martial law. Yoon set off the most serious political crisis in South Korea’s recent history when he imposed martial law on Dec. 3, 2024 and sent troops to surround the National Assembly. He was later impeached and removed from office, and is in jail standing trial on charges including masterminding a rebellion. His successor and liberal rival, President Lee Jae Myung, approved legislation...

Judge Mark L. Wolf, writing in The Atlantic, said he was stepping down to defend against the “assault on the rule of law” by President Trump, who he accused of “targeting his adversaries.”A federal judge warned of an “existential threat to democracy” in a searing first-person essay published on Sunday, saying he had stepped down from the bench to speak out against President Trump. He accused Mr. Trump of “using the law for partisan purposes, targeting his adversaries while sparing his friends and donors from investigation, prosecution, and possible punishment.”The judge, Mark L. Wolf, wrote in The Atlantic magazine that...

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) - China has granted exemptions to export controls on Nexperia chips for civilian applications, the commerce ministry said on Sunday in a move that will help to relieve supply shortages for carmakers and automotive suppliers.The announcement is the strongest signal yet from Beijing that it will ease pressure on the global auto industry caused by export curbs imposed after the Dutch government took control of Nexperia, a large manufacturer of basic chips used in automotive electrical systems.Nexperia is based in the Netherlands but owned by Chinese company Wingtech (600745.SS). China's commerce ministry did not specify what...