Free Republic

Another slap in the face to American victims from Texas’ radical justice system. A Travis County judge on Tuesday slashed the bond for Solomun Weldekeal-Araya — a foreign national and 18-wheeler driver — from $1.2 million down to a jaw-dropping $7,000, despite his role in a tragic crash that left five people dead, including a child and a baby. The deadly pileup occurred last month on Interstate 35 in North Austin, involving 17 vehicles and 17 people, resulting in fiery devastation and multiple injuries. Victims and their families are now pursuing more than $150 million in damages — but for...

A department store has sacked its CEO after an investigation into alleged conflicts of interest. Kohl's announced that Ashley Buchanan, who has been CEO for six months, was relieved of his duties after the company claims it found evidence he favored certain vendors. The department chain said Buchanan didn't disclose this relationship in accordance with its company policies. Buchanon's release comes after an independent firm concluded the ex-CEO 'violated company policies by directing the company to engage in vendor transactions.' The company said the sacking is not attributed to the company's performance, though, the brand is facing some serious headwinds....

The Kremlin on Thursday blasted President Trump’s historic mineral rights deal with Ukraine inked a day earlier, sarcastically praising the US leader for making a deal with a nation that will soon “disappear.” “Trump has finally pressured the Kiev regime to pay for US aid with mineral resources,” Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram. “Now, the country that is about to disappear will have to use its national wealth to pay for military supplies.” The State Department has already notified Congress of its intent to sell $50 million or more in military equipment to Ukraine in...

As this correspondent sits in the Press Office at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the NRA in Atlanta, Georgia, there is time to reflect on the enormous progress which has been made in restoring rights protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights.The first time I was in Atlanta for more than a plane exchange was within a month or two of 51 years ago, while on active duty in the United States Army, in 1974. This correspondent attended the NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta in 2017.In 1974, traveling across state lines with firearms was a...

It happens from time to time my friends. This well groomed woman walks up to me on the street and talked fast. She's got a daughter staying at the women's shelter and she's got other problems. She's gotta keep my attention knowing most will walk away. She was not as convincing as much as she had it down-the sob story. Anyone down on their luck cannot be that expressive.

Democratic Congressman Shri Thanedar is facing renewed criticism over a 2010 incident in which over 170 dogs and monkeys were rescued from his bankrupt pharmaceutical lab. Thanedar denies wrongdoing, citing regulatory compliance and a strong pro-animal record. The claims have resurfaced amid his push to impeach President Donald Trump. Rep. Shri Thanedar is facing renewed scrutiny over a 2010 animal cruelty controversy, as he leads efforts to impeach President Donald Trump. The Michigan Democrat, who recently filed seven articles of impeachment, is being criticized on social media for allegedly abandoning over 100 dogs, including beagles, and monkeys used in pharmaceutical...

On Wednesday’s “PBS NewsHour,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) said that her disagreement with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) over his rhetoric about oligarchy was just over the word and “It’s not that I disagree on the concepts or on the principles, and he’s right.” She also stated that the debate in the Democratic Party isn’t “about moderate versus progressive and whatever all of that means.” Co-host Geoff Bennett played a clip of Sanders saying, “I think the American people are not quite as dumb as Ms. Slotkin thinks they are. I think they understand very well, when the top 1% owns...

I recently purchased a Motorola Edge 2024 phone to replace an older Motorola phone which broke. Whereas the voice quality is quite improved over the old phone, people I'm talking to complain that "you're cutting in and out" or "they can't hear me", prematurely having to end the call. This is obviously very annoying and potentially dangerous, if I could not reach emergency help. I have Mint phone service, with an e-SIM card. They said they would "strengthen my signal". I think the problem occurs mostly at home. I turned off the phone's wi-fi, following a suggestion. It did not...

MAY DAY May Day ushers in a traditional celebration of flowers and spring. In many ancient calendars, May 1 welcomed the first day of summer, which was truly a cause for celebration. #MAYDAY May Day has been a traditional day of celebration for centuries, with some of the earliest appearing in pre-Christian times. One of the more popular rituals was harvesting flowers and giving them to neighbors and strangers in cone-shaped baskets. These May Baskets become more commonly known as May Day Baskets. The current tradition is observed by hanging a cone-shaped basket full of flowers or other gifts on...

WASHINGTON, Sunday, April 30. The following order has been issued by the President. EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, WASHINGTON, April 29, 1865. EXECUTIVE ORDER: -- Being desirous to relieve all loyal citizens and well-disposed persons residing in the insurrectionary States from unnecessary commercial restrictions, and to incourage them to return to peaceful pursuits, It is hereby ordered: First -- That all restrictions upon internal domestic and coastwise commercial intercourse be discontinued in such part of the States of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and so much of Louisiana as lies east of the Mississippi River, as shall be...

Department of Education newsletter claiming Israel is committing “genocide in Gaza” was sent out to hundreds of teachers — prompting fuming Jewish educators to call it out as another example of ingrained antisemitism in the city’s public school system. The 14-page “Teacher Career Pathways” spring 2025 newsletter — which sports the logos of the city DOE and the United Federation of Teachers union — went out over the last week to “master teachers” across the system’s 1,800 schools. “The genocide in Gaza, among other global injustices, emphasized the urgent need for student voices to be centered and heard,” it said....

Seattle’s May Day celebrations are set to begin Thursday with a rally at Cal Anderson Park at noon, focusing on workers’ and immigrants’ rights. King County resident Hilda Ortiz plans to attend the event, which she says has taken on new and serious significance. “Everybody’s afraid, I mean, even people that have legal status,” Ortiz said. Ortiz noted that some individuals, fearing immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration, are too afraid to attend the rally and march. She asked them to create posters that can be displayed at the event. “That way they are represented in some way, and they...

There is controversy lately over the American flag. Marcus Lemonis is the CEO of Camping World, with some 210 locations across the nation. He loves the USA, his adopted country, and shows his love by flying huge American flags at his businesses.

A virologist who supports gain-of-function research and believes COVID-19 evolved naturally is the new acting director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the agency Dr. Anthony Fauci led for 38 years. Jeffery Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., a 19-year veteran of NIAID and chief of the institute’s Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section, replaced Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who was placed on leave last month by the Trump administration. Citing an email from Dr. Matthew Memoli, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Science reported that Taubenberger’s first day as acting director was April 25. Taubenberger will head...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

She’s cracking. Gov. Kathy Hochul sounded off Wednesday about the “outrageous” price of eggs — jokingly telling New Yorkers to make chocolate cake with applesauce instead. The unprompted recipe suggestion came as Hochul, during a news conference in Midtown, slammed President Trump’s tariffs for driving up prices on everything from avocados to children’s toys. “And I’m done talking about the price of eggs — just give up eating them,” she said, drawing laughter. “It’s just outrageous, outrageous.” “You can make a really good chocolate cake with applesauce,” she added. “I digress, it’s also vegan.”

The text of the agreement, made public by Ukraine’s government, made no mention of the security guarantees that Kyiv had long sought. The minerals deal signed between the United States and Ukraine on Wednesday could bring untold money into a joint investment fund between the two countries that would help rebuild Ukraine whenever the war with Russia ends. But Ukraine’s untapped resources that are the subject of the deal will take years to extract and yield profits. And those could fail to deliver the kind of wealth that President Trump has long said they would. It is not yet clear...

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday that HHS is no longer facilitating child trafficking in the United States and is instead “very aggressively” searching for the hundreds of thousands of migrant children lost by the Biden administration. “We have ended HHS’s role as the principal vector in this country for child trafficking,” Kennedy said during a White House Cabinet meeting with President Trump and other top administration officials to mark the first 100 days of the president’s second term. “During the Biden administration, HHS became a collaborator in child trafficking for sex and for slavery, and...

Blackouts are becoming longer and more common in Xcel’s Colorado service territory, with 90,000 customers experiencing 6 or more outages in 2024.. Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest electricity provider, is having increasing difficulty answering customer calls, sending out bills and keeping the lights on, according to two reports by state utility regulators. Blackouts more than doubled in 2024 and customer complaints have jumped 100% in three years, according to a Colorado Public Utilities Commission briefing Wednesday on outages. Outages have become more prevalent across Xcel Energy’s service territory which includes zones from the northeast, near Sterling, to Greeley, the Denver metro...

Failed Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris looks around America today and sees a whirlwind of change driven by Donald Trump’s triumphant return to the White House. She told supporters Wednesday night she doesn’t like it. No, not one bit. In a 15-minute speech to an elite audience of Democrats in a gold-trimmed ballroom at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, the former vice-president was making her first major speech since losing November’s election. The crowd included Democratic donors, candidates and elected officials. Among them were Eleni Kounalakis, the lieutenant governor of California and former California Congresswoman Katie Porter, both of...