Free Republic

Transgender swimming champion Lia Thomas will be stripped of past University of Pennsylvania Division I swimming titles after the Trump administration put pressure on the school to award the titles to competitors who were born female. The university will also issue formal apologies to every biological female competitor who lost out to a biological male, following an investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which found UPenn violated Title IX by “allowing a male to compete in female athletic programs and occupy female-only intimate facilities.” “Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the...

It's almost a year ago now, the Butler, Pennsylvania moment that changed history. You probably remember where you were when you heard the news—that then former president and candidate for president Donald Trump had been shot at a campaign rally. The nation had suffered trauma before; the killings of Abraham Lincoln and JFK wracked the country, and the near miss against Ronald Reagan reminded us of how tenuous our democracy can be. From that moment on, it seemed assured that he would become president again, and indeed he did. Now a new book is coming out detailing some of the...

With more than 9,000 city workers now on strike after AFSCME District Council 33 was not able to reach a deal with Philadelphia ahead of the July 1 deadline, a number of municipal services will be impacted. Here's a look at how city residents could see the fallout from the strike on their blocks. Garbage collection One of the immediate impacts of the strike is on trash collection. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker explained that trash pickup at the curb will not happen effective Tuesday, July 1, 2025, during the strike. snip Officers with the Philadelphia Police Department have been trained...

The fight over the future of the Democratic Party remains center stage in Pennsylvania, where Sen. John Fetterman continues to frustrate progressives while his Democratic colleagues and even potential rivals rally around efforts to blunt the Trump administration’s moves. Political operatives in both major parties told the Post-Gazette it’s too early to know how a 2028 Senate primary or general election might play out. But a poll from Susquehanna Polling and Research this past week suggests some Democrats are increasingly disappointed in the senator from Braddock, who remains one of Capitol Hill’s staunchest supporters of Israel, continues to needle his...

Around 10,000 people gathered in and around the Lancaster County Convention Center on Saturday for the 17th annual Lancaster Pride Festival, the largest gathering in the festival’s history and the first to be attended by a Pennsylvania governor. Fifty-six years to the day since the Stonewall uprising in New York City renewed the gay rights movement in America and 10 years since the United States Supreme Court established marriage equality, Gov. Josh Shapiro joined local elected officials and festival organizers onstage to celebrate Lancaster’s LGBTQ+ community. Sights from Lancaster Pride Festival 2025 [photos] “Here in Pennsylvania, we fight for equality...

The Senate blocked an effort Friday to prevent President Trump from taking future military action against Iran without authorization from Congress, less than a week after he directed strikes aimed at the country’s nuclear capabilities. Senators voted 47-53 largely along party lines against the war powers resolution. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the lone GOP lawmaker to vote with Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), an ardent backer of Israel, voted with Republicans.

Gov. Josh Shapiro will be joining Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ community and their supporters at Lancaster Pride Festival on Saturday. His announcement came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that parents must be allowed a provision to opt out their children from class when course material conflicts with their religious beliefs. The suit over LGBTQ book characters was the latest in a series of legal actions, state and federal legislation, presidential executive orders and funding threats targeting the rights of LGBTQ people. In Pennsylvania the major hospitals that provide gender affirming care to trans people of all ages, abruptly dropped...

President Donald Trump heaped praise on Sen. John Fetterman, singling him out as the “most sensible” Democratic senator. Trump made the remark during a press conference Friday, in which he assailed Democrats in the Senate for not backing his so-called “big, beautiful bill.” “It’ll be interesting to see if we get any Democrat votes,” the president said. “If I were a Democrat, I would. Maybe Fetterman, because he seems to be the most sensible one lately.” The praise comes just days after new polling showed Fetterman with more popularity among PA Republicans than his own party. The poll showed 45%...

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is back to angering progressives and far-left loons, making some not-so-flattering remarks about New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani bested former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday, showing that the left isn’t willing to moderate or become less crazy. Instead, they’re doubling down on defund the police antics, pro-Hamas theatrics, and hardcore socialist programs, like government-run grocery stores. All the worst people are supporting this candidacy. I asked this New Yorker who she wants for mayor. -"I voted for Mamdani" -"He's a socialist, do you think socialisim can work?" -"No." 👍 pic.twitter.com/boyyPEYTDV...

A Republican lawmaker on Monday revisited questions about the Shapiro administration’s use of taxpayer-funded airplane flights and raised new ones about spending on hospitality tickets and a “pre-championship golf outing” at the recent U.S. Open in Allegheny County. In a June 17 letter obtained by the Post-Gazette, Sen. Jarrett Coleman of Lehigh County asked the administration for details on spending under a $1 million amendment made to a state grant support contract just before the high-profile golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Among items covered in the amendment, the letter said, was a “sponsorship” with an “outdoor seating area, hospitality...

UPMC has confirmed it will end gender-affirming care for patients 18 and younger in response to the Trump administration’s policies aimed at transgender youth. A spokesperson for UPMC, the region’s largest hospital network, said federal guidance has made it clear clinicians who provide care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy run the risk of criminal prosecution. UPMC will continue to provide behavioral health support and other care “within the bounds of the law,” the spokesperson added. The spokesperson declined to say when care will end, but impacted families have been told June 30 is the cutoff.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman brushed aside far-left “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s clamoring to impeach President Trump over his Saturday strikes against three of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro talked about funding for sports arenas while attending the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday. He also made a lengthy statement regarding the U.S. military strikes on Iran ahead of the Great American Getaway 400. It read as follows: “Well, look, let me say, I’m the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Austin Davis is the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our job every single day is to ensure the safety and well-being of the good people of Pennsylvania. So the first thing I want to say to the people of...

Democrat politicians reached screeching levels of hypocrisy over Donald Trump's decision to act rather than wait for an Iranian nuclear weapon deployment. Chuck Schumer demanded action from Congress, as did Hakeem Jeffries. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led calls for impeachment. Practically every Democrat on Capitol Hill -- with the notable exception of John Fetterman -- rushed to promote their "authoritarian" narrative about Trump. All of this venting reveals very short memories on the port side of Capitol Hill. Fourteen years ago, they couldn't get enough of presidential strikes on a nation in the very same region. Remember Hillary Clinton's chortling over the...

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) responded to the news that the United States had carried out strikes on several nuclear sites in Iran, describing it as the “correct move.” In a post on X, Fetterman described Iran as being “the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism,” adding that they “cannot have nuclear capabilities.” Fetterman’s post came after President Donald Trump revealed in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. had completed a “very successful attack” on several nuclear sites in Iran. “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,” Fetterman wrote. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of...

A federal judge sentenced two former local officials from southeast Pennsylvania to harsher sentences than prosecutors requested, including prison time, for their roles in an attempt to steal a 2021 mayoral election. “In the court’s view, there are very few crimes in our federal code which are more serious than what you have committed,” Judge Harvey Bartle III told defendant Md Nurul Hasan, the former council vice president and mayoral candidate in Millbourne Borough, who pleaded guilty in April to election-related fraud charges. “What you have done is undermine our democratic process.” The judge sentenced Hasan to 36 months in...

Kevin Krebs, 31, was stopped with a handgun, knives and ammunition near a West Chester No Kings protest on Saturday, police say. Krebs did not have a permit to carry a firearm when police stopped him and found a fully loaded handgun hidden underneath his raincoat. Court documents revealed Krebs was also in possession of pepper spray, a pocket knife, six loaded assault rifle magazines, an M9 bayonet knife, a ski mask, and gloves. Court records say Krebs was also found in possession of a loaded SIG Sauer handgun and three additional magazines.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) praised the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, noting that politics aside, it is “appropriate” for people to celebrate. “This parade is comprised of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers—the very best of us,” Fetterman wrote in a post on X. “Regardless of your politics, it’s appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service.” Fetterman’s words come as leftist protesters across the nation have gathered for “No Kings” protests in contrast to President Donald Trump’s parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

Law enforcement has determined that there is a high risk for a mass casualty incident, gun violence, as well as other mass attacks at the 250th US Army Birthday Celebration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The celebration in Philly comes at the same time as an event in Washington, DC to celebrate the anniversary. According to a threat assessment from the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC) cited by the Philadelphia Police Department, the event taking place on June at Independence Historic Park has a high risk of a mass casualty incident, gun violence, vehicle ramming attacks, illicit unmanned aircraft activities, a bombing...

Democrat Sen. John Fetterman’s (PA) recent comments urging Israel to continue targeting Iranian leadership and nuclear personnel mark a surprising shift from the typical left-wing talking points on Middle East policy. In a bold statement that aligns more closely with a strong national defense and pro-Israel stance traditionally championed by the right, Fetterman made it clear he supports Israel’s right to defend itself with decisive action. “Our commitment to Israel must be absolute, and I fully support this attack. Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in...