Free Republic

A trans-identified male quietly dominated his age category at a national swimming championship held in Texas over the weekend, prompting concern from women’s rights groups. Ana Caldas, formerly known as Hugo Caldas and Hannah Caldas, took home multiple titles at the event.

We must remember not just South Vietnam's fall, but why it fell.Fifty years ago, April 30, 1975, the world watched in horror and disbelief as the last American helicopter lifted off from the rooftop of our embassy in Saigon. South Vietnam had fallen in the manner of Ernest Hemingway, “first gradually, then suddenly”: a decades-long war, a relative peace, and then a mad dash by the North Vietnamese Army that consumed the country in less than a month. The tragedy was simply breathtaking. And horribly, horribly unnecessary.What followed was not peace, but darkness. The swift collapse of South Vietnam, Cambodia,...

Nigel Farage, a right-wing populist ally of President Trump, has been touring England ahead of local elections, hoping to convert a polling surge for his party into power. .... Mr. Farage, who leads the anti-immigration party Reform U.K., has long been one of Britain’s most ardent supporters of President Trump. He has learned from the president’s campaign tactics, too. That means, among other things, that the political rally is back in Britain. In the weeks before municipal elections and a special election in England on May 1, Mr. Farage has been touring the country, taking to the stage in Cornwall,...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced the closure of the Global Engagement Center as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shutter the “censorship-industrial complex.”“Today, it is my pleasure to announce the State Department is taking a crucial step toward keeping the president’s promise to liberate American speech by abolishing forever the body formerly known as the Global Engagement Center (GEC),” Rubio wrote in an op-ed for the Federalist, titled, “Rubio: To Protect Free Speech, The Censorship Industrial Complex Must Be Dismantled.”Rubio wrote that, in 2016, the Obama administration changed the GEC’s focus on combatting international terrorism cover...

In 2022 Gavin Newsom signed SB 960 which allows non US citizens to become police officers in California. Meet Belmont police officer Felipe Gomes, a Brazilian citizen with a history of domestic violence that was just arrested for rape of someone unable to give consent due to a mental disorder.

A trans-identified male sex offender who attempted to enroll at a local high school in Oregon has been sentenced to 20 days in jail and two years’ probation. Alec Ray Craig, who uses the name Makayla Craig, 27, was arrested last December after an officer at South Albany High School reported him for pretending to be a 15 year-old girl in order to register as a student. Craig has told school administrators that his name was Madison and provided a false date of birth. Upon his arrest, it was discovered that Craig is a registered sex offender. He was then...

The United States told the International Court of Justice Wednesday that Israel must provide aid to Gaza, but the country does not have to work with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. The top court of the United Nations is holding a week of hearings on what Israel must do to provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, following a request for an advisory opinion from the U.N. General Assembly last year. The U.S. said Israel had legitimate concerns about the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, also known as UNRWA, the largest provider...

One in ten patients experience a “serious adverse event” after taking the abortion pill, according to a study released Monday by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), a conservative think tank and advocacy group. The study found that 10.93% of women experienced sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days after a mifepristone abortion. The real-world rate of serious adverse events after mifepristone abortions is at least 22 times as high as the summary figure of “less than 0.5%” in clinical trials reported on the drug label, according to the study. Mifepristone, when used together with...

The Pope's loss of confidence, the financial issue, or a lack of pastoral experience are obstacles Is Parolin's candidacy fading? "Although Francis appointed him as Secretary of State, over time he realized he no longer trusted him," La Nación reports, quoting a bishop of the Curia, who maintains that, if elected, Parolin will hinder the "flourishing of the Church" brought about by Bergoglio. He has traveled all over the world, and he is the only one whom the most heterogeneous conclave in history knows and values. Furthermore, at the second of the novendiales, held this Sunday, he launched his candidacy...

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Safe communities rely on the backbone and heroism of a tough and well-equipped police force. My Administration is steadfastly committed to empowering State and local law enforcement to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens. When local leaders demonize law enforcement and impose legal and political handcuffs that make aggressively enforcing the law impossible, crime thrives and innocent citizens and small business owners suffer. My Administration will therefore: establish...

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Federal supremacy with respect to immigration, national security, and foreign policy is axiomatic. The Constitution provides the Federal Government with plenary authority regarding immigration to protect the sovereignty of our Nation and to conduct relations with other nations, who must be able to deal with one national Government on such matters. This power is sometimes contained in specific constitutional provisions: Article II of the Constitution vests the power to protect national...

It’s 100 days into President Donald Trump’s second term, and his administration has continued to move at “Trump speed.” The president has signed a record-breaking 142 executive orders, taking actions such as ending the “catch and release” policy on illegal immigration, declaring a national energy emergency, cutting DEI-related funding and policies, and downsizing the federal bureaucracy, among others. He also signed into law the Laken Riley Act against illegal alien crime and oversaw the deportation of more than 139,000 illegal immigrants to secure the southern border. But, predictably, the corporate media have spent the 100 days making the story about...

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose. America’s truck drivers are essential to the strength of our economy, the security of our Nation, and the livelihoods of the American people. Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently. Proficiency in English, which I designated as our official national language in Executive Order 14224 of March 1, 2025 (Designating English as the Official Language of the...

One of President Trump's most volatile characteristics can also be one of his most endearing. While I'm reluctant to speak with certainty about eras before my lived experience, I can say that in my lifetime there has never been a political enigma like The Donald. Politicians don't talk like he talks. They don't attack their enemies like he attacks his enemies. They don't pressure the status quo like he pressures the status quo. And not since at least Franklin Roosevelt has a president been so comfortable governing by spitball - that is, throwing some idea or policy against the wall...

A casual hike on the slopes of Zvičina Hill in the Czech Republic led to a remarkable discovery when two hikers stumbled upon a lost gold treasure worth more than $340,000. The find, made in early February but only recently announced, includes 598 gold coins, jewelry, and other artifacts. The entire collection weighs about seven kilograms, with gold coins accounting for nearly 3.7 kilograms. While exploring the landscape near the Polish border, the hikers uncovered a tin container packed with nearly 600 gold coins. The coins were carefully stacked in eleven piles and wrapped in black cloth. Not far from...

A rare “dinosaur fish,” once believed to have disappeared 70 million years ago, has been filmed in the wild by divers in the Indonesian archipelago. The Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) was captured on camera in its natural habitat, marking a breakthrough for marine exploration. The discovery was made in October 2024 during a deep-sea mission led by Alexis Chappuis of UNSEEN Expeditions. Using special breathing equipment, Chappuis and fellow diver Alexandre Leblond descended to 152 meters along a volcanic slope in the Maluku Islands, where they spotted the elusive creature at a depth of 144 meters. Long-lost species returned to...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was caught on a hot mic Thursday assessing the country’s tightest Senate contests with President Joe Biden and admitting the Georgia race is “going downhill” for Democrats. (Oct. 27)

Daily Readings from the USCCB“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16We continue, today, to read from the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus, the Pharisee who ultimately converted and is venerated as one of the early saints of the Church. Recall that Jesus challenged Nicodemus as a way of helping him to make the difficult decision to reject the malice of the other Pharisees and to become His follower. This passage quoted above comes from Nicodemus’ first conversation with...

The United States has announced its first criminal prosecutions against migrants and asylum seekers accused of crossing into a newly created military zone along the country’s border with Mexico. Court filings submitted on Monday – and reviewed by US media the following day – show that approximately 28 people have been charged with “violations of security regulations” for breaching the military zone. That charge, though a misdemeanour, carries the possibility of heightened penalties. The US Code stipulates that violations of security regulations can result in a fine of up to $100,000 for individuals or up to a year in prison...

YC SHGNBCIA TYH CGKBICA.~ LCIAMBA