Free Republic

Yes, the United States effectively inherited the existing institution of slavery in the territory acquired through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 from France (which had briefly reacquired it from Spain in 1800). The U.S. did not introduce slavery there as a new practice; it was already well-established under prior colonial rule, and the transfer preserved the property rights of slaveholders. Historical Context of Slavery in the Louisiana Territory * French origins: France introduced chattel slavery to the Louisiana colony starting in the early 1700s, importing enslaved Africans (beginning around 1710) to support plantation agriculture, alongside some raids on Native American...

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice and FBI were aware that the Southern Poverty Law Center was paying “informants” in the KKK — and according to former Obama official Norm Eisen, that apparently means donors have nothing to be upset about. The SPLC (which has spent years demonizing conservatives, including The Federalist) was indicted by a federal grand jury last month for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The SPLC allegedly funneled millions of dollars it received via donations to pay “a covert network of informants” who were part of “violent extremist groups” such as groups like...

Fresh questions are being raised over why US President Donald Trump abruptly paused “Project Freedom,” the naval mission launched to secure commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, Saudi Arabia refused to allow US military aircraft involved in the operation to use its airspace or bases, forcing Washington to halt the mission days after it began. The developments come as the US claims progress in talks with Iran over a possible deal. However, Tehran has pushed back against reports of a breakthrough, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf mocking US media coverage of the negotiations as...

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits increased less than expected last week amid low layoffs that are helping to anchor the labor market. Initial claims for ‌state unemployment benefits rose 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 200,000 for the week ended May 2. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 205,000 claims for the latest week. Government data on Tuesday showed there were 0.95 job openings for every unemployed person in March versus 0.91 in February, consistent with a stable labor market. Despite a raft of layoff announcements by big technology firms related to the adoption of artificial intelligence...

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected a request to order the return of more than 600 boxes of voting material seized earlier this year by the FBI amid an investigation involving a Georgia county at the heart of President Donald Trump’s grievances about his 2020 election loss. U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee described the events surrounding the bureau’s January raid on an election warehouse in Fulton County — where Atlanta is located — as “in many ways unprecedented” and called some aspects of the investigation, including its reliance on previously debunked conspiracy theories, “troubling.” But Boulee concluded county officials had...

A combination of rising costs, aggressive competition, and an uncooperative economy led to weaker-than-expected earnings, a dividend cut, and reduced financial guidance. Shares are down in early trading on Thursday. Wednesday evening, Whirlpool reported a first-quarter per share loss of 56 cents from sales of $3.3 billion. Wall Street was looking for earnings per share of 38 cents from sales of $3.4 billion, according to FactSet. A year ago, Whirlpool reported earnings per share of $1.70 from sales of $3.6 billion. Lower industry sales, unfavorable “price/mix,” and tariff confusion helped lead to the decline. In February, the Supreme Court overturned...

A veteran NYPD captain has been yanked from his command and transferred to a desk job at a 911 call center after he was caught on video telling the truth about far-left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani while in uniform.Capt. James G. Wilson, 51, was serving as the second-in-command at the 94th Precinct in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, when his viral rant was recorded during an anti-ICE protest outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick on May 2. (snip)Still smiling, he added that all Democrats are a “waste of human race.”

Today’s Democratic Party has abandoned its traditional working-class, patriotic roots and embraced a radical Jacobin ideology built on division, coercion, and political extremism. For the past century, the agendas of the Democratic Party were predictable. They professed concern for working Americans and supported blue-collar unions. Unemployment insurance, a 40-hour work week, disability insurance, and Social Security were their trademarks—often rapidly achieved by growing government bureaucracies and continually raising taxes. Still, many Democrats were socially conservative. By the 1970s, Democrats still deplored antisemitism. Party officials had rejected their own segregationists to champion civil rights. Presidents like Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and...

A Green Party candidate who has pushed for Britain to pay trillions of pounds in slavery reparations is descended from a Nigerian royal family that traded slaves, it has been claimed. Antoinette Fernandez is the “reparations officer” for the Green Party’s Global Majority Greens group, which works towards “racial and environmental justice”. Ms Fernandez is also the daughter of a billionaire - Antonio Oladeinde Fernandez - who was one of Africa’s richest men. The candidate for Lea Bridge, Hackney, has campaigned for taxpayers to pay reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, and has previously said politicians who oppose it “show...

Major disruption is expected on some rail services in southern England until the end of the day after an earlier radio fault, Network Rail has said. South Western Railway, CrossCountry, Southern, Gatwick Express, the London Overground and Thameslink all saw cancellations and delays on Thursday morning after the issue affected communications between trains and signallers. National Rail said the problem had been reported at 08:53 BST and resolved by 11:00, with services starting to return to normal. But it warned: "Some services may still be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled whilst service recovers. Major disruption is expected...

On Wednesday, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents were seen carrying boxes out of the offices of Democratic Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, a powerful ally of Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D). A SWAT team also raided a cannabis dispensary located next to the Lucas offices in Portsmouth, according to a Fox News report. Lucas is known for owning several dispensary businesses and had previously been accused of selling illegal marijuana products. The FBI confirmed 10 locations were being served with court-authorized criminal warrants. The federal investigation appears to be related to alleged illegal marijuana sales as well as alleged political corruption....

The video “AI Execs are Running a 1948 Circus Trick…” by Brendan Dell argues that AI companies are utilizing the **Barnum Effect**—a psychological phenomenon where individuals believe generic descriptions are highly specific to them—to inflate their valuations and influence policy through “fear-based marketing.”

Two articles from the New York Times in the past couple of days describe the widening divergence between the approaches taken by the U.S. and China on the subject of wind energy. I apologize that these pieces are behind the Times’s paywall, but remember that I subscribe there so that you don’t have to. On Monday (May 4) the article was about the status of wind energy development in the U.S., with the headline “More Than 150 Wind Projects Stall as Pentagon Delays Reviews.” Tuesday’s (May 5) piece covered the same subject in China, headline “China’s Big Bet on Wind...

Federal agents on Wednesday morning raided the Portsmouth office of state Sen. Louise Lucas, one of Virginia’s most powerful Democratic lawmakers, a representative of the Federal Bureau of Investigations confirmed Wednesday, after multiple news outlets reported an extensive law enforcement operation that included FBI agents, SWAT teams and court-authorized searches tied to several locations across the commonwealth. FBI spokeswoman Cassandra Temple told The Mercury at the scene: “We are conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity today.” She wouldn’t confirm or answer any other questions, including whether anyone had been arrested. ..... Adjacent to Lucas’ office is The Cannabis Outlet, a hemp-...

China had a head start on controling rare earths. Trump cut off oil from Iran to China, and uses that as leverage to get access to China rare earths. Israel is pioneering new rare earth extraction technology in the Negev, and working on recycling old electronics and batteries for their rare earth content.

Gabi led a procession of chanting Buddhist monks into a temple in Seoul. Wearing a ceremonial gray and brown robe, black shoes, a rosary and flesh-colored gloves, Gabi brought hands to prayer. “Will you devote yourself to the holy Buddha?” one of the monks asked. “Yes, I will devote myself,” Gabi replied. “Will you devote yourself to the holy teaching?” the monk asked. “Yes, I will devote myself,” Gabi answered. If these answers sound robotic, that’s because Gabi is, in fact, a robot. On Wednesday, Gabi became the first robot to be ordained as a monk in South Korea by...

Ted Turner died on Wednesday at the age of 87. The New York Times and other organs of the mainstream media have posted obituaries — the Times obituary is here, CNN’s is here — that cover the highlights of his life. Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Turner Classic Movies cable channel back in 2014, I noted that I was a little vague on how Turner came to own the rights to nearly every worthwhile movie ever made. A reader wrote to offer a look back at the ancient history that provides the answer based on his personal involvement in...

Vietnam appealed to Beijing over its looming jet fuel shortage. The Philippines asked China not to restrict fertilizer exports. After a visit to China last month to press the subject, Australia’s foreign minister said Beijing would cooperate with Australian companies on jet fuel shipments. The outreach produced assurances from China to address regional energy security issues as well as commitments from other countries to advance diplomatic dialogue with Beijing and, in some cases, cooperate on future renewable energy projects, according to government readouts. The diplomacy kept some Chinese fuel flowing, helping Asia avoid some of the worst-case scenarios that experts...

A California immigration judge has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Justice, alleging she was terminated because she is a registered Democrat, a woman over 40, fluent in Spanish, and had ties to immigrant-rights groups. Kyra Lilien had been in the San Francisco Immigration Court since 2023, before transferring to the Concord Immigration Court in 2024. Last July, Lilien was notified that her two-year probationary period would not be converted to a permanent appointment. The 14-page lawsuit, filed this week, names the DOJ and Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche as defendants. Lilien claims she met or exceeded...

President Donald Trump announced this week that he was reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test to evaluate the physical health of America's public school students. To prepare the nation's youth, the White House has released the following list of updated physical challenges: 1. Bullet Dodging: An essential life skill for the modern era, especially if you aspire to run for office as a Republican. 2. The Alternating YMCA Double-Fist Pump: The kids learn exercise and the greatest dance ever invented. 3. Strait of Hormuz Swim: Extra credit given out for anyone who finds a mine. 4. Big Mac Curls: One 7.6-ounce...