Free Republic

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, faces an uphill climb against former Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, according to analysts and party insiders who say the state’s political landscape favors Democrats. Republicans, though, insist Democrats face a serious challenge convincing voters who have been relatively happy with Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s leadership that it is time for an ideological shake-up.“The Democrats will represent a dramatic change from the direction the state has been in for the last four years,” said Jeff Ryer, chairman of the 1st Congressional District Republican Party. “I am not sure Virginians are ready for a...

Tomorrow is Juneteenth, which commemorates the last group of Freed Slaves to learn of the Emancipation Proclamation. It's also the Anniversary of my "leaving that other site (GOP/USA)" because I had dubbed Obama "The Lyin' King". The rather stodgy GOPe site was annoyed that I was "disrespecting the office of the President". I also expressd distrust of Mitt Romney, and was castigated for that. I will not stay where I'm not welcome. And so, I signed up with FR, and chose the name "Left That Other Site". Some folks think that the site I left was DU, but, no, it...

With federal immigration sweeps showing no signs of slowing across Southern California, there is growing concern from top officials, spiritual leaders and business owners that a climate of fear was sending more people underground and changing the rhythm of city life. Once-bustling immigrant hubs, including MacArthur Park, the Garment District, downtown's produce market and areas of the Eastside have seen a noticeable reduction in foot traffic over the last week, with some businesses forced to close as a result. It comes as social media is rife with videos of people spotting immigration agents at shopping centers, markets and neighborhood streets,...

Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles and the ensuing protests have roiled the area, and they’ve also made a big impact on local businesses. In downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, KTLA’s Kimberly Cheng detailed unloaded crates of fresh produce in what’s typically a busy area full of workers and customers. Some attribute the drop-off in shoppers and workers to concerns of being swept up in an ICE raid. “I’ve noticed that a lot more people aren’t showing up, clients, people that work here … I’m pretty sure it’s fear,” one worker told Cheng. “A lot of people...

With federal immigration sweeps showing no signs of slowing across Southern California, there is growing concern from top officials, spiritual leaders and business owners that a climate of fear was sending more people underground and changing the rhythm of city life.Once-bustling immigrant hubs, including MacArthur Park, the Garment District, downtown’s produce market and areas of the Eastside have seen a noticeable reduction in foot traffic over the last week, with some businesses forced to close as a result.It comes as social media is rife with videos of people spotting immigration agents at shopping centers, markets and neighborhood streets, and capturing...

The president told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that Iranian officials are eager to negotiate but that it may be too late.President Donald Trump delivered an “ultimate ultimatum” to Iranian leaders to dismantle their nuclear program, he told reporters on Wednesday. But he said he has not made a final decision about whether to strike Iran and draw Washington into a new conflict in the Middle East.Standing on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump was coy about his plans for a potential war with Iran. He said “the next week is going to be big” and...

Justice Sotomayor also read her dissent from the bench, a move typically reserved to emphasize a justice’s extreme displeasure with a decision.Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the court’s three liberals, wrote a scathing dissent criticizing her conservative colleagues’ decision to uphold a state ban on some medical treatments for transgender youths. The justice said that the court had retreated from “meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most,” adding that “the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.” Justice Sotomayor also took the rare step of reading her dissent from the bench during the opinion announcement on...

The records show Coney Barrett agreeing with liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan 82% of the time during her 2nd term, up from 39% in her 1st

BARCELONA (AP) — Iran is boasting that it has hypersonic missiles and says it already has begun firing the cutting-edge weapons at Israel.There is no evidence that Iran has unleashed the missiles, and experts are skeptical of the claim.But the use of these fast-moving projectiles could test Israel’s vaunted missile-defense system and alter the course of the fighting between the two bitter enemies.Here’s a closer look at these advanced weapons:What is a hypersonic missile and what makes them so feared?Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed Wednesday that it had fired what it said were hypersonic “Fattah 1” missiles toward Israel. But...

SummarySupreme leader's military advisers killed by strikesRaises risk of strategic miscalculations, sources sayKhamenei's son said to be increasingly central figureDUBAI/LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure.Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli air strikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process.One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability as "extremely dangerous". Several senior...

[Catholic Caucus] If the US bishops want a Eucharistic revival, they should stop attacking tradition(Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace) — On June 19, 2025, Catholics will celebrate Corpus Christi, a feast dedicated to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.Established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, Corpus Christi invites the faithful to adore Christ through Mass, processions, and adoration. This feast comes at a critical time for the U.S. Church, where belief in the Real Presence is faltering, partly due to a flawed 2019 Pew Research survey.Additionally, a growing number of bishops are deterring the faithful from...

For the sake of urgency I’m going to talk in direct and bold terms about the targeting of Tulsi Gabbard. The IC system is attempting to remove her as a disruptive influence by using Iran as a wedge to get her out, but the issue they have with her has nothing to do with Iran.CTH approaches this after being very concerned about Tulsi Gabbard’s ability. Not because of intent, but rather because we doubted she understood the scope of the IC opposition aligned against the office of the Director of National Intelligence.She started out with these weaknesses, but she learned...

President Donald Trump met with his top generals in the Situation Room as battle plans on Iran were approved - and the region braced for Trump’s final order.Trump said he was going from the Oval Office 'downstairs' for a 'war room' meeting. The president has made a decision on whether to engage U.S. forces against Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, but has not given final orders. One possible option could be the deployment of B-2 bombers to drop 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iran's heavily fortified nuclear sites. It came as at least three Iranian planes landed on Wednesday in...

DHS cast the incident as being "disrespectful political theatre."Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) choked up on Tuesday while recounting his brief detention last week after interrupting a news conference being held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles — a disruption that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) slammed as “disrespectful political theatre.”In remarks on the Senate floor, Padilla appeared to get emotional as he spoke about what happened from his point of view.“You’ve seen the video. I was pushed and pulled, struggled to maintain my balance. I was forced to the ground — first on my knees and...

Hackers continue to wreak havoc on the Iranian regime. Clash Report posted video of an Iranian TV channel that was breached and is airing footage calling for the citizens to take to the streets. Civilization is quickly breaking down in Iran since Israel started its military attacks on Friday night. Food vendors are closed in many places, ATMs are without cash, the internet is down (except for Starlink!) and now the TV channels are hacked! From the tweet above (translated): “An hour ago, the regime’s infamous propaganda and lies agency, the regime’s infamous Iranian Broadcasting Corporation, was hacked. After the...

ICE agents conducted an immigration enforcement operation at a Walmart but were instantly confronted by angry protestors who threatened to escalate an already tense situation. Journalistic report including news footage, analysis and commentary

"It isn't wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday his country "will never surrender" as President Trump urged him to end reciprocal air strikes with Israel. "It isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender," Khamenei posted on X. "What should the Iranian nation surrender to? We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone. This is the logic of the Iranian nation. This is the spirit of the Iranian nation."Israel started the air strikes last week amid stalled negotiations between the U.S....

“America can’t do a damn thing against us,” Ayatollah Khomeini bragged while holding our hostages. The Carter administration had undermined the Shah’s government in favor of the Islamists who seized power and then prevented the embassy’s Marine guards from defending the facility and the people inside against the Muslim ‘student’ groups who claimed to be coming in peace.The “peaceful” student activists took over our embassy and held our people hostage.Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei taunted President Trump with the same slogan in June after being asked to give up Iran’s nuclear weapons program. “Our response to the US nonsense is clear:...

Former White House chief of staff and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel confirmed Wednesday that he is considering a run for president in 2028 on the Democratic ticket, taking advantage of a vacuum in leadership. Crain’s Chicago Business reported: “’Of course’ it’s fair to say he’s considering running for president, declared Rahm Emanuel, hands for the moment neither waving nor pointing but resting on the table. ‘I’m looking at the (Democratic) field and, most importantly, what I have to contribute.’” Emanuel was the architect of Democrats’ victory in the 2006 midterm elections, when they ran socially moderate candidates in swing districts...

Social media company X sued New York to challenge a state law that requires social media companies to submit semi-annual reports about how they are suppressing certain kinds of speech to the New York attorney general. According to the lawsuit, provisions in the “Stop Hiding Hate Act” violate social media companies’ First Amendment rights and threaten free speech.The law, in part, outlines “terms of service reports” in which companies must disclose to the state whether the terms of service for each of their platforms define certain “categories,” including hate speech, racism, extremism, misinformation, harassment, and foreign political interference. If their...