Free Republic

Chief Justice John Roberts agreed Friday to temporarily pause orders that would require Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency to publicly disclose information about its operations. The order came after the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court in a lawsuit filed against DOGE by a government watchdog group. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington argues that DOGE, which has been central to President Donald Trump’s push to remake the government, is a federal agency and must be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. But the Trump administration says DOGE is just a presidential advisory body aimed...

The Trump administration has put more than 100 officials at the National Security Council at the White House on administrative leave on Friday as part of a restructuring under interim national security adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to two US officials and another source familiar with the matter. CNN previously reported that a significant overhaul of the body in charge of coordinating the president’s foreign policy agenda was expected in the coming days, including a staff reduction and a reinforced top-down approach with decision-making concentrated at the highest levels. An email from NSC chief of staff Brian...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In yet another stage in the escalating trade conflict with China, President Donald Trump issued a statement insisting that the next Chinese pandemic be made in America. According to President Trump, Americans deserve more than "cheap, knock-off kung flu." As such, the president also vowed to bring virus-manufacturing jobs back from Wuhan to the United States. "Why import these viruses when we can make them right here at home?" Trump said in brief remarks to reporters. "Everybody complains to me about these sad, cheaply made Chinese global pandemics. They say, 'Don, when are you going to bring...

Memorial Day brings together people from all political persuasions in remembrance and celebration of dead American soldiers. Libertarians, however, should reject a holiday that consecrates and immortalizes the names and lives of those who sacrificed themselves in unnecessary wars. The National Memorial Day was originally a national day of prayer for peace. Prior to President Richard Nixon’s declaration, there were many regional memorial days established and spontaneously practiced for a similar purpose. Unfortunately, it has become less about ending wars and more about worshipping conflict.

South Africa's latest crime statistics debunk claims that a genocide is being committed against white people, the country's police minister has said.The widely discredited allegation was amplified by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, in an extraordinary meeting with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.Trump told Ramaphosa that white farmers in South Africa were being killed and "persecuted".On Friday, South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said that between January and March, five out of the six people killed on farms were black and one was white.The white victim lived on a farm, while the black people who were killed comprised...

In their fiscal package, Republicans have slipped in a hodgepodge of tweaks that are, at times, only tangentially related to the rest of the bill.The domestic policy bill Republicans passed in the House this week is full of broad measures that would have visible consequences across the country. Many Americans would see lower taxes, while roughly 10 million could lose access to their health care.And then there are changes like repealing a pair of $200 taxes on gun silencers.As tends to happen when Congress takes up a major piece of legislation, Republicans have slipped in a hodgepodge of tweaks that...

The White House budget office on Friday rejected the conclusion of a nonpartisan congressional watchdog that said the Trump administration is breaking the law by not spending funds as directed by Congress. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on Thursday that said the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act by blocking spending on electric vehicle charging stations. The $5 billion in funding was from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. Blocking the spending has put construction projects planned by states into limbo. The GAO said the Trump administration needed to go through a formal rescissions process — where...

For years, parents and medical professionals have sounded the alarm about the dangerous link between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation in young males—only to be dismissed as “anti-vaxxers” or conspiracy theorists. Now, in a stunning reversal, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered Pfizer and Moderna to strengthen their warning labels, finally admitting that these shots can cause long-lasting heart damage, particularly in adolescent boys and young men. But this admission comes far too late—after millions of doses were administered under false pretenses, after countless young lives were altered by myocarditis, and after public health agencies actively...

Hürriyet Daily News reports that after six years, archaeologists have completed excavation of the theater in the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium, known as the "Ephesus of the western Black Sea." Located in ancient Bithynia near modern-day Düzce, the settlement was an important trade hub along the road from Nicomedia to Amastris. Its large theater dates back to the third century b.c. and eventually held a capacity of 10,000 people. Over the past several seasons, the excavation team has uncovered several extraordinary works of art, including the head of a Medusa statue, a sculpture of Alexander the Great, and...

In this VIDEO clip, DeKalb Board of Elections Attorney, Brent Herrin explains to the State Election Board that: “…TABULATING MACHINES WERE NOT ACCURATE. A decision by the board was made to do a HAND RECOUNT to ensure accurate results of the election,” Keisha Smith, DeKalb Elections Director, nods her head repeatedly in agreement. Duh! Isn’t that what we have been saying for 20+ years? Georgia’s Dominion voting system declared the wrong winners for the May 22, 2024 DeKalb Co. District 2 Commission primary. It only became known because a candidate received no votes in the precinct where she and her...

ransomnote: Two images from the slide show at the article link: https://i.imgur.com/HzHfPGU.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/OxXBtGY.pngOSLO, Norway (AP) — A Norwegian man awoke to find that a cargo ship had run aground and narrowly missed crashing into his home along the Trondheim Fjord’s coast.Johan Helberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he’d slept through the whole thing and only woke up when a neighbor started ringing his doorbell.Images show the ship’s red and green bow just meters (yards) from Helberg’s house. He told NRK the only damage was to a heating pump’s wire.Authorities say they received reports that the NCL Salten had run aground shortly...

What are the origins of “Trump Derangement Syndrome”? House Republicans would like scientists to find out. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced a bill directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct or support research to “advance the understanding” of the phenomenon characterized by “intense emotional or cognitive reactions” to President Donald Trump. The bill, titled the “Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) Research Act of 2025,” says “early documented references” emerged during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, including “certain media coverage amplifying polarized responses” to his rhetoric. However, the bill notes that its “precise origins remain understudied.” One of the research objectives...

A middle-aged Nebraska surgeon ruined his enviable life after deciding to take part in a street-racing contest that left a 22 year-old woman dead. Mark Carlson, 63, was sentenced to 10-14 years in prison after he was convicted of the manslaughter killing of Anna Bosma in September, 2023. The thrillseeking medic was racing another driver when he lost control of his Mercedes and slammed head-on into Bosma's car at over 100mph, killing her on impact. Bosma's boyfriend was in the passenger seat and survived the deadly collision. The couple, who lived in South Dakota, was in Omaha for a Labor...

The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional active-duty troops to deploy to the U.S.-Mexico border, bringing the number of service members there close to 10,000.The troops will mainly help with sustainment engineering, logistics, medical and construction, U.S. Northern Command said in a statement Thursday.The additional service members mark another increase in the military’s role in supporting President Trump’s aggressive immigration control agenda.There are already just shy of 8,000 active-duty troops at the border, with the added 1,115 bringing the total to nearly 10,000, a figure approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year.

Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily halted discovery Friday in a lawsuit seeking access to documents and information about the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) operations. In a brief order, Roberts granted the government’s request for an administrative stay, which temporarily lifts a judge’s order allowing limited discovery into whether DOGE is an “agency.” If it is found to be an agency, that would make DOGE subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The request went to Roberts by default; he handles emergency appeals arising from the nation’s capital. The pause will last until the court decides whether to wipe...

Disinformation is on the rise, again. Russia has revitalized its long history of waging disinformation campaigns. While proving cause-and-effect is difficult, we suspect that Russia’s increased efforts likely are linked to the White House’s dismantling of counter-disinformation efforts. Executive Order 14149: "Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship". On his first day in office, President Trump signed Executive Order 14149, prohibiting federal agencies from engaging in activities related to combating misinformation and disinformation. Dismantling counter-disinformation organizations. FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force: Disbanded in February 2025, this unit previously investigated foreign attempts to influence U.S. elections. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security...

A Democrat representative reportedly invited the father of the anti-Israel suspect accused of murdering two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC, on Wednesday to President Donald Trump’s joint address in March.

The FBI conducted multiple raids across Dallas and Collin counties as part of a federal investigation into a visa fraud and money laundering scheme on Thursday, May 22, sources told WFAA. Attorney D. Robert Jones, is alleged to have collaborated with a network of individuals to unlawfully obtain U.S. visas for Pakistani nationals through fraudulent means. The operation reportedly involved the creation of shell companies to funnel illicit funds and facilitating the issuance of visas under false pretenses. The scheme is believed to have been active for several years. Sources told WFAA that federal agents, in coordination with U.S. Immigration...

While tariffs make wars more likely, embargoes make wars difficult to avoid. Senator Lindsey Graham’s Sanctioning Russia Act calls for 500% tariffs on dozens of countries and essentially amounts to an embargo.If this bill were to pass, it would cause an economic calamity on a scale never before seen in our country.In its insistence that Moscow be a permanent enemy of the United States, the foreign policy establishment is pushing to impose more punitive measures on Russia should they refuse to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. The Sanctioning Russia Act seeks to inflict a series of additional sanctions and...

President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel will form a “partnership,” after the Japanese steelmaker’s bid to acquire its U.S. rival had been blocked on national security grounds. U.S. Steel shares jumped more than 24%.