Free Republic

An Alberta judge has quashed a separatist petition, saying the provincial government had a duty to consult with First Nations. Justice Shaina Leonard says the petition should never have been issued. Lawyers for several Alberta First Nations had argued the province’s referendum process and its use by separatists are unconstitutional, as there’s no requirement for Indigenous consultation. They also said separation would violate treaty rights. Lawyers for the province defended the process and pushed for the separatist petition to play out. The separatist group Stay Free Alberta handed in its petition last week and boasted that it had nearly 302,000...

The twelve apostles included "James the son of Zebedee" (Matt. 10:2). God can use overzealous and ambitious people for His glory. Like Peter and Andrew, James and John were fishermen. One day as Jesus walked the shores of the Sea of Galilee, He saw them in a boat with their father Zebedee and some hired servants. When Jesus called them to follow Him, they immediately left the boat and went with Him (Mark 1:19- 20). James and John were zealous and ambitious men—so much so that Jesus nicknamed them "Boanerges," which means, "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). At times their...

China’s belated confirmation of the visit reflects Beijing’s broader approach to Washington under Trump’s second administration: do not initiate, do not refuse, and do not compromise.U.S. President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting at the Gimhae International Airport terminal in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2025. On May 11, Beijing announced that U.S. President Donald Trump would visit China from May 13 to 15 – just two days before his summit with President Xi Jinping was due to begin. Trump had publicly confirmed his visit dates back in March. For months, Beijing’s public response...

The NFL ended a mandate that all 32 teams hire a minority coach as an offensive assistant ahead of the 2025 season and not because of recent pressure from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who on Wednesday issued an investigative subpoena to the league over its hiring practices. Uthmeier, who in March threatened potential civil action against the NFL over the league's Rooney Rule, said Wednesday that the NFL had changed diversity language on its website and that it had "capitulated on some of their discriminatory hiring quotas," while arguing that the revisions raise new questions about the policy. He...

NFLPA head: Players strongly want 'high quality' grass fields play Jordan Raanan May 12, 2026, 12:00 PM ET Share LikeLike Open Extended Reactions LikeCelebrateFire 558 While NFL players watch some of their stadiums get new grass fields installed for upcoming FIFA World Cup games, it only reinforces their desire to move away from turf. Fifteen of the 30 NFL stadiums use some sort of artificial turf for American football games. Players have become more vocal in recent years about their desire to play on grass. "What we want is good grass fields. Good, solid fields," NFLPA executive director JC Tretter...

A judge in Alberta on Wednesday delivered a blow to activists’ efforts to hold a referendum on the Western Canadian province’s split from the country, siding with an Indigenous group that argued the government has an obligation to consult with it as their rights would be directly affected by secession. The Court of King’s Bench of Alberta ruling sided with the Indigenous group, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, in its lawsuit against the provincial government. The group argued that the secession of Alberta from Canada would introduce new international borders, violating its rights under long-established treaties. The group maintained that...

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who in March threatened potential civil action against the NFL over the Rooney Rule, has issued an investigative subpoena to the league. In a new letter to commissioner Roger Goodell, Uthmeier noted the NFL altered the language on its website after receiving his initial warning letter, writing that the league had "capitulated on some of their discriminatory hiring quotas," while arguing the revisions raise additional questions about the policy. The NFL's previous Rooney Rule description on its website stated the policy aimed to "increase the number of minorities hired" in leadership positions and said that...

Amid soaring gas prices following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, proposals to suspend California’s gas taxes are getting a no-go from Gov. Gavin Newsom.California has the highest gas tax in the nation at 61.2 cents per gallon, The Sacramento Bee previously reported. According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in California reached about $6.16 on Monday, May 11. Prices have climbed about $1.50 per gallon in the state since the Iran war began.President Donald Trump on Monday said he plans to suspend the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon...

The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that foreign visitors from certain countries pay as much as $15,000 in bonds as long as they are confirmed FIFA World Cup ticket holders, the State Department told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The department imposed the bond requirement last year for countries that it said had high rates of people overstaying their visas and other security issues as part of the Republican administration's broader crackdown on immigration. Travelers to the United States from 50 countries are required to pay the new bond, and five of those countries have qualified for the World...

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a new budget that taxes the rich, forgoes a property tax hike, and depends on the generosity of Gov. Kathy Hochul to fill a budget gap Mamdani called historic. Mamdani's gap reprieve came in the 11th hour. The mayor was unrepentant in his determination to tax the rich and create a city that is more hospitable to working New Yorkers. The lingering question is whether it will drive businesses out and hurt the tax base. Mamdani said his preliminary budget proposal released 12 weeks ago, "reflected a straightforward reality. New York City was...

The Producer Price Index (PPI) report published Wednesday reported 6.0 percent producer inflation year-over-year in April. This is the highest since December 2022 under the Biden Administration. The month-over-month reading also increased to 1.4 percent, a similar high to that of March 2022. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report said that the “40 percent of the April advance in prices for final demand goods can be attributed to a 15.6-percent increase in the index for gasoline,” noting that fuels and industrial chemicals also rose significantly. Producer inflation runs ahead of increased consumer prices, as higher costs in production costs are...

CNN’s top data cruncher Harry Enten delivered a sobering message for Democrats on Tuesday, warning that Republicans remain firmly competitive ahead of the November midterms despite President Trump’s sagging poll numbers and voter frustration over the rising cost of living.Appearing on “CNN News Central,” Enten pointed to fresh polling showing that a large majority of Americans blame Trump for the higher cost of living — but said Democrats have failed to translate that dissatisfaction into a commanding political advantage.“I think this poll serves as a big-time reality check for Democrats, and that is it ain’t over yet, especially with the...

Capital One, the corporate banking giant, has an advertising tagline that asks, “What’s in your wallet?” For one Maryland gun shop, the answer to that question appears to be a banking giant that ignores a White House executive order and dismisses Treasury Department regulations that forbid banking discrimination. Capital One Financial Corporation has been in business since 1994 and the McLean, Va., international banking giant with over $475 billion in assets boasts that it offers credit cards, auto loans, checking and savings accounts and commercial banking services. That is, unless the customer happens to be a firearm retailer. Just ask...

Whiny New York University students are in an uproar after renowned social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt — who has argued that Gen-Zers are coddled and anxious — will deliver their commencement speech. Haidt, a psychologist at NYU’s Stern School of Business, was chosen by the school to deliver the 2026 graduation address at Yankee Stadium on Thursday — with administrators hailing him as one of the “most consequential scholars of the 21st century.” But an ultra-woke group of student government leaders quickly tried to derail his address, arguing in a lengthy and nonsensical statement that NYU’s selection proves...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with Mohammed bin Zayed, the country's president, sources told CBS News. Netanyahu's office acknowledged the trip, saying in a statement Wednesday that it "resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates." Sources told CBS News that the meeting occurred in late March. But hours later, the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the meeting took place, saying in a statement that the UAE's "relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known...

Naftali Bennett, a former Netanyahu aide who is seeking to replace him as prime minister for a second time, is offering voters a straightforward promise: a “rebuild.” Israel’s main anti-Netanyahu alliance, led by Bennett and Yair Lapid…offered a conservative, hawkish vision that carries echoes of Netanyahu — but none of his baggage. Their pitch will be tested in a momentous election this year that will reveal whether voters want younger faces to lead Israel through a period of growing domestic division and international isolation… Lapid’s centrist supporters say they do not agree on all issues with Bennett…But he is someone...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly failing to comply with a new state law regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement cooperation. Dallas County ICE Agreement What we know: Senate Bill 8, which went into effect at the beginning of the year, requires local sheriff’s offices to cooperate with ICE operations in their counties. More specifically, sheriffs must request partnerships with ICE, known as 287(g) agreements. The agreements allow ICE to authorize local authorities to perform certain types of immigration enforcement in local jails, including allowing officers to question inmates about their immigration status...

HOUSTON, Texas (WKRC) - A constable's office is facing criticism from community members and social media users after posting a mugshot in connection with an arrest. According to a statement issued by Harris County Constable Precinct 2 on Facebook, 28-year-old Fant Jomecia was taken into custody after she allegedly attempted to enter an apartment without permission. Authorities said deputies responded to an apartment complex at 8625 Winkler Drive in Houston, Texas after receiving a report of a suspicious person. Per the statement, management reportedly noticed Jomecia jumping from a balcony in an attempt to enter an apartment unit without the...

A major explosive volcanic eruption is ongoing, the largest so far of 2026, and yet the media is largely missing it. What I am referring to is a volcano which few people have ever heard of located within the central Bismarck Sea. Going by the same name of that area, it is currently producing its largest eruption on record, having already generated abundant pumice rafts and an eruption plume that rose 13,000 feet above the ocean surface. This is all due to the planet's largest deep submarine volcanic eruption in more than a decade! A Major Explosive Eruption in Ongoing;...

The service plans to buy 15 Trump-class battleships over 30 years while also expanding its fleet of autonomous medium unmanned surface vessels.The U.S. Navy on Monday unveiled fresh details about its future Trump-class battleship program. For the first time, officials confirmed that the large warship will use nuclear power and act as a heavily armed command ship for future naval operations.This information was included in the Navy’s new 30-year shipbuilding plan. The plan also describes major changes to the fleet, such as adding many autonomous ships, buying new submarines, and retiring older aircraft carriers and submarines.The proposed battleship is expected...