Free Republic

EVERETT, Mass. (AP) — For years, the mayor of a Boston suburb dreaded Wednesdays. That was the day when a local weekly would publish shocking allegations that he was on the take, sexually harassing women or under investigation by the FBI. Friends trashed Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria on Facebook over what the Everett Leader Herald printed. His father threatened to disown him — over stories the mayor knew were lies. “They labeled me as a ‘Kickback Carlo.’ Accusations that I was settling all kinds of sexual harassment lawsuits, that I put a knife to a girl’s throat and asked for...

AVONDALE, Pa. — In this sleepy, rural corner of southeastern Pennsylvania that produces 70% of the nation’s mushrooms, President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are threatening the American dream for a tight-knit community of generational mushroom farmers and the immigrant workers they have long employed. The year-round work of growing and picking the mushrooms that season the stews and stir-fries on American tables is the basis of the local economy in Avondale, a town of just over 1,200 people where more than 60% are Latino. In recent weeks, several immigrants in the area have already been arrested by federal immigration officials...

PREPARATIONS: Taiwan cannot allow China to implement a ‘fifth column’ approach, which would mean that the US could not help, a former Pentagon official said The military has prepared countermeasures should China attempt to blockade Taiwan, an action that would devastate the world economy and that the international community would be unlikely to ignore, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo said yesterday. Koo was responding to a question for comment about a Wall Street Journal report published on Sunday that said “China’s armed forces are more ready than ever to surround Taiwan, cut it off from the world and try...

President Donald Trump’s FCC commissioner said Friday he’s opening an investigation into the Walt Disney Co. and its ABC television network to see whether they are “promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination.” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced the probe in a letter to Disney CEO Robert Iger on Friday. The company said it was reviewing the letter and looking forward to answering the commission’s questions. Carr has pushed the Federal Communications Commission into an activist role since Trump appointed him as its leader. For example, the FCC currently has open investigations into ABC, CBS and NBC News. “For decades, Disney...

Elon Musk announced he will leave his role in the Trump administration at the end of May after leading a $1 trillion deficit reduction as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE claims it has saved Americans $130 billion so far. Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday announced that he plans to step down from his role in the Donald Trump administration at the end of May after overseeing a massive $1 trillion reduction in the US deficit. Musk, who was brought in as a “special government employee” for a 130-day term, has been spearheading government cost-cutting efforts...

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said Thursday that federal authorities are looking into a scrapped $2 billion grant to a group linked to Stacey Abrams, the two-time Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia. “I have terminated the $2 BILLION Biden EPA grant to this Stacey Abrams-linked NGO,” the former Long Island congressman tweeted. “The DOJ/FBI are investigating and the money has been frozen. It is insane that the Biden Admin would give $2B to an organization that previously only received $100!” Zeldin was responding to a Thursday morning Truth Social post by President Trump, who has made Abrams the...

NEW YORK (AP) — When a protester was caught on video in January at a New York rally against Israel, only her eyes were visible between a mask and headscarf. But days later, photos of her entire face, along with her name and employer, were circulated online. “Months of them hiding their faces went down the drain!” a fledgling technology company boasted in a social media post, claiming its facial-recognition tool had identified the woman despite the coverings. She was anything but a lone target. The same software was also used to review images taken during months of pro-Palestinian marches...

Shell is betting big on natural gas as the best-positioned fossil fuel for the transition to cleaner energy sources. The problem is that some analysts say the market for liquefied natural gas may be oversupplied as soon as next year, so prices could fall sharply. That actually could be a positive for Shell, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of LNG, CEO Wael Sawan said in an interview with Barron’s on Wednesday.

Opinion Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with millions of new cases reported each year. In 2022 alone, approximately 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed globally, and 9.7 million lives were lost to the disease. In India, the numbers are equally alarming, with around 100 out of every one lakh people diagnosed with cancer. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), more than 14 lakh cancer cases were estimated in 2023. [1 lakh = 0.1 million] Despite advancements in early detection and treatment, many myths surrounding cancer testing prevent people from undergoing timely...

This week, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) published its 2025 Annual Threat Assessment. ODNI Director Tulsi Gabbard, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel testified at the Senate Intelligence Committee. Sen. Angus King (I-Me) professed himself "confused by the lack of mention of what we have been told was the greatest threat for each of the previous four annual reports. Why wasn't the danger of climate change included in this year's report? Isn't climate change the major cause of mass migration, famine, and political violence?" Gabbard answered...

Gospel singer and preacher Marvin Sapp is facing severe criticism online after a video of him seemingly pressuring his congregation into donating $40,000 went viral. In the video, Marvin Sapp, known for his popular singles "Never Would Have Made It" and "The Best In Me," instructs ushers to "close the doors" until he sees all 1,000 churchgoers drop a "seed" of $20. He's also under fire for demanding that online visitors prove they donated virtually. Marvin Sapp Tells Church Workers To 'Close The Doors' On 1,000 Members Marvin Sapp is clearly HUSTLING his congregation for 40k— and using God’s name...

A leaked small group training video from North Point Community Church shows a church ministry director instructing small group leaders to use affirming language with transgender tweens and teens, advising them to use their new names and personal pronouns because if everyone else in that child’s life is affirming them, “we cannot be the last place a (trans) student feels comfortable.” Note. The full 20 minute training video is available only to to patrons at our Media Content Page for Insiders. To sign up for our patreon, which also gives you an ad-free browsing experience, exclusive podcasts, and behind the...

A Satanist leader was arrested on Friday morning after reportedly getting into a physical altercation at the Kansas State Capitol during a so-called “Black Mass” event. Michael Stewart, the founder of the Satanic Grotto, was detained at the Kansas Statehouse in the capital of Topeka after getting into a shoving match with another individual, according to WIBW News. The Satanic Grotto is described as an “organization for Satanists and allies who follow the Left-Hand Path,” according to the organization’s website. Per the outlet: Stewart then made his way to the rotunda, where he held his arms skyward and made a...

President Donald Trump singled out San Francisco Chronicle Washington correspondent Shira Stein for wearing a COVID mask in the Oval Office, remarking, “You’re wearing a mask! So nice of you!” Trump — who wore a mask sporadically during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — made a habit of mocking reporters for wearing masks as the precaution became the subject of MAGA cultural derision. But masks are still recommended for individuals at high risk of harm from the disease. At an Oval Office event on Wednesday, Trump took questions from reporters, including Stein — who was the print pooler for...

Trevon Woodards, 27, was arrested on Friday after being accused of attacking 27-year-old Canada Rinaldi on March 22, four weeks before her wedding. Dash cam footage from a passing Uber captured Rinaldi's bridesmaid, Kelly Peralta, trying to save her but found herself also being punched by Woodards. Currently, a possible motive for the attack has not been released.

New data shows durable goods orders have risen for a second straight month, drastically beating expectations. The increase in demand, combined with the resilient job market and rising wages, suggests the corporate media narrative playing up fears of a recession is likely influencing negative consumer surveys and polling more than economic reality.Durable goods orders were up 0.9 percent in February, beating expectations of a one percent decline. The increase was predominantly fueled by a surge in demand for industrial equipment and consumer goods like computers, appliances, and automobiles. Excluding transportation equipment, durable goods orders were up 0.7 percent, suggesting broad-based...

NEW: Junior high student gets brutally beaten at Harwood Junior High in Bedford, Texas, teacher 'attempts' to break up the fight but doesn't bother to put his coffee down. This clown should be fired immediately. The Bedford Police Department says they have made a referral to the Tarrant County Juvenile Justice Center. "Just after 8 a.m., the Bedford Police Officer serving as the School Resource Officer at Harwood Junior High responded to the scene of a fight in progress between two students." "Upon arrival, the officer observed a school staff member separating the students and the officer immediately took control...

A California policy that prevents schools from requiring staff to disclose a child’s gender identity or sexual orientation to his or her parents may be in violation of a federal law, the U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday.The federal agency’s Student Privacy Policy Office, which oversees the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA), is investigating instances in California where school personnel in various districts allegedly hid information from parents and assisted students with their gender “transition,” a March 27 news release notes.The Department of Education alleged that AB 1955, which took effect on Jan. 1, conflicts with FERPA, which gives...

How much do you need to make to be considered middle class in the U.S.? According to research by SmartAsset, that can range from $36,000 to $200,000, depending on where you live.This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, illustrates the income needed to be considered middle class in every U.S. state. Middle class in this graphic is defined as earning between two-thirds and double the median household income. SmartAsset compiled the data as of February 2025.To Be Middle ClassThe median household income in the U.S. is approximately $75,000, with half of Americans earning less. States with high urbanization and economic...

Texas administered 15,000 more measles vaccinations this year compared to 2024—and now there’s a growing measles outbreak that has surpassed the total number of cases reported across the entire United States last year.The news follows this website’s February report that measles cases in Gaines County, Texas, had jumped 242% following a health district campaign to hand out free measles vaccines.A measles outbreak after higher vaccination rates in Texas calls into question the shot’s claimed effectiveness and underlying design.Timeline & NumbersBetween January 1 and March 16 last year, 158,000 measles vaccines were administered in the state, according to CBS News.During the...