Free Republic

Residents of a small town in Arizona are reeling after a pastor was found murdered April 28 in his home. William Schonemann, 76, was pastor of New River Bible Chapel in New River, Ariz., where he was known as “Pastor Bill,” according to the Arizona Republic. Investigators with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office have not released much information on the case beyond confirming they discovered Schonemann’s body the evening of April 28 after responding to a report of a deceased elderly male. They have not announced any suspects, arrests or motives for the crime. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office...

Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom is under new federal scrutiny as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) opens an investigation into whether the state improperly funneled taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens. The DHS probe, led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Los Angeles, focuses on the state’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) — a 100 percent state-funded program designed to provide monthly benefits to non-citizens ineligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to their immigration status. According to a Title 8 subpoena issued by HSI Los Angeles, federal officials are demanding records from the Los...

A bill seeking to allow Texas public and charter schools to hold voluntary prayer and readings of religious texts has stalled after lawmakers failed to take action on the legislation. The House Committee on State Affairs grappled with Senate Bill 11, which would allow school boards to decide whether to carve out time for private prayer or readings from religious texts, such as the Bible. The bill, which passed the Senate 24-6 in March, sparked intense debate last Wednesday before being left pending at the session’s close, signaling further deliberation ahead. Authored by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, and introduced in...

Good Monday morning, everyone! The title of this missive is not some signal of defeat, hardly so. However, it is a realization of a ground truth that Texans must accept, or run the risk of being a Colorado or other former red states. It was not too long ago, in November 2024, that we celebrated a resounding political victory here in Texas. Donald Trump increased his margin of victory from 2020 from 6 percent to 15 percent. We also saw 12 of 14 border counties in Texas go for Trump. In the so-called “hotly contested” Texas Senate race, Ted Cruz...

A newly enacted Tennessee law prohibits schools from punishing employees and teachers for referring to trans-identified students by their given name and pronouns, as public school staff in other states have faced professional repercussions for declining to use trans-identified students' preferred names and pronouns. Tennessee's Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed House Bill 1270 into law Friday. Lee's approval of the legislation follows its passage by the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives in a 77-18 vote and the Republican-controlled Tennessee Senate in a 27-6 vote. The vote in the Senate fell along party lines, with all support for the measure coming...

Pope Leo XIV urged reporters to do their part in protecting the “precious gift of free speech” in his first address to the media on Monday – and also called on governments around the world to release journalists they have imprisoned. The pope called for an improved model of communication that “does not seek consensus at all costs, does not use aggressive words, does not follow the culture of competition, and never separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it.” “The Church must face the challenges posed by the times. In the same...

Many parents believe sex education is simply part of a standard education, but a closer look at its origins paints a disturbing picture of its true nature. Few are aware that some of the power players in sex education today have an extensive history with the porn industry, direct ties to a researcher who recruited pedophiles for his ‘research,’ and ties to a man who wanted to destigmatize bestiality. Many of the founders and originating leaders of SIECUS (originally known as the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States) — a member of the Future of Sex Education...

This gums up the works. Hollywood celebrities using popular weight loss drug Ozempic to shred those unwanted pounds are now facing an unexpected new side effect dubbed “Ozempic mouth,” according to a report. Users of the hottest prescription drug in Tinseltown, including Sharon Osbourne, Whoopie Goldberg, and Rebel Wilson, are showing signs of the distinctive side effect linked to rapid facial weight loss from a higher dose of the GLP-1 medication, a New York-based cosmetic dermatologist told the DailyMail.com “Many users of Ozempic who I know report noticeable volume loss in the face, which can result in the formation of...

Three people were injured Sunday when a fight broke out and shots were fired at Big Ed's restaurant off Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh. Around 11:50 a.m., officers with the Raleigh Police Department responded to a report of shots fired at Big Ed's in the 5000 block of Falls of Neuse Road. Police said a fight broke out and shots were fired. Two people were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries related to the fight, and a third person suffered a graze wound. At 12:45 p.m., police said there was no active threat to the community, and no...

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, has been a topic in the news a lot recently, yet the complex neurological condition remains widely misunderstood. Autism is a difference in how someone’s brain works that shapes how they interact with the world. Clinically, it’s a disorder that affects brain development and causes social communication and behavioral differences. With such a wide range of traits, autism truly is a spectrum. Gaining a deeper understanding of these nuances is key. We address some common myths and offer guidance on supporting children and families after a diagnosis. What causes autism? There is no single known...

Michelle Obama revealed what topic she refuses to discuss with her daughters during a recent episode of her podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson. (snip) On Friday's special live episode of IMO, Michelle Obama got candid with guest Tina Knowles about parenting her children, noting that there's a specific subject she refused to talk about with them. "We got to the point at our dinner table where we just didn't talk about school at all," the attorney said. "It would be like, 'OK, you passed.' I didn't want to hear about grades." "I didn't want to get into...

The 'king' of Britain's migrant hotels has officially become a billionaire after amassing his fortune by housing asylum seekers for the Government. Essex tycoon Graham King, 57, is now estimated to be worth a staggering £1.015billion after a 35 per cent jump in his fortune made him Britain's first asylum hotel billionaire. His company, Clearsprings Ready Homes, is paid by the Home Office to provide short-term accommodation for asylum seekers and has a £1.7billion turnover, which means that Mr King and his firm rake in £4.8 million ($6m) of taxpayers' cash a day.

The Scoop The detailed specifications of a Boeing 747 that appears to be the same plane offered by the Qatari government to President Donald Trump are available online, offering a glimpse inside the luxurious jet. The tail number of the plane, which ABC News first reported would be offered by Qatar to Trump, is visible in photographs of the aircraft during a stop at Palm Beach International Airport earlier this year. That number is a match for the Boeing serial number of a plane marketed by the company in 2020 in reporting at the time. Though the listing for...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House held a star-studded ceremony today to commemorate a historic occasion, as President Donald Trump accepted a generous gift of an Imperial-Class Star Destroyer from Emperor Palpatine. Despite reservations voiced by some members of his administration, the president was eager to accept the gift, citing how much the U.S.'s relationship with the Galactic Empire has improved since he took office in January. "It's a big, beautiful ship. Tremendous guy, that Palpatine, very smart," Trump told reporters as the imposing Star Destroyer came in for its landing. "You never saw the Emperor giving one of these...

Americans lambasted President George H. W. Bush for infamously vowing on stage at the 1988 Republican National Convention not to raise taxes on Americans, then supporting a tax hike as president two years later. History could repeat itself as President Donald Trump this week signaled his support for congressional Republicans raising taxes to accomplish the ambitious goals of his "big, beautiful bill," according to experts. "My opponent won't rule out raising taxes, but I will. And the Congress will push me to raise taxes, and I'll say no. And they'll push and I'll say no. And they'll push again, and...

Planned Parenthood used Mother’s Day weekend to release its 2023-2024 annual report revealing a staggering 402,230 abortions during that year — the most the corporation has ever reported to date. This is an increase of 2.42% from the 392,715 abortions Planned Parenthood reported last year. As Congress debates whether to defund Planned Parenthood, this newly released annual report shows that taxpayer dollars granted to Planned Parenthood (for the year ending June 30, 2024) have risen by more than 13% from the $699.3 million recorded by Planned Parenthood in 2022-23 to a whopping $792.2 million recorded in 2023-24. Between 2022-23 and...

A new undercover investigation by Live Action confirms just how easy it is to obtain cross-sex hormones from Planned Parenthood — even for minors. An undercover journalist posing as a 16-year-old female called Planned Parenthood facilities offering ‘transgender services’ in eight one-party consent states/territories —Minnesota, Oregon, Maine, New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. How quickly can someone get cross-sex hormones? Staff at seven of the 33 facilities contacted confirmed they would prescribe cross-sex hormones at the first appointment, even virtually. A video highlighting the undercover calls shows that at the Planned Parenthood in Mankato, Minnesota, staff...

Senator Josh Hawley is urging the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies on dangerous chemical abortion drugs, arguing that states like Missouri should be empowered to impose safety restrictions on mifepristone to protect women and unborn children. In a letter dated May 7 to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Hawley called for the Justice Department to reconsider its defense of Biden’s mail-order abortion policy, which he says has led to severe health risks for women. The letter highlights a recent study showing that 1 in 10 women who use mifepristone experience serious complications, such as infection or hemorrhaging, often requiring emergency...

In one of the worst wrongful birth lawsuits in history, the parents of a daughter with cystic fibrosis have won $2 million in a lawsuit against their OBGYN, claiming their daughter’s disability prevents them from enjoying their lives. A Connecticut couple won a $2 million settlement in the lawsuit, a case that pro-life advocates say devalues the inherent worth of every human being. Elizabeth and Eric Trotter filed the suit in 2020, alleging that medical negligence prevented them from making an informed decision about their daughter Madelyn’s conception or birth. Madelyn, now 6, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis shortly after...