Free Republic

One hundred years ago, a public high school teacher stood trial in Dayton, Tennessee, for teaching human evolution. His nation is still feeling the reverberations today. The law books record it as State of Tennessee v. John T. Scopes. History remembers it as the “ Monkey Trial.” The case ballooned into a national spectacle, complete with a courthouse showdown between a renowned, agnostic defense attorney and a famous fundamentalist Christian politician who defended the Bible on the witness stand.

Several federal agents were seen at a farm in Ventura County Thursday morning.

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Strickland: When wolves wear vestments – the synodal siege within the ChurchThe Cross is still here. The Eucharist is still here. But we are surrounded by hired men who abandon the sheep – or even worse, mislead them into the thorns.Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,There are moments in the Church’s history when the sheep must look up – not because of storms from the world, but because the shepherds themselves have fallen silent … or worse, have joined the wolves.St Paul once warned the Church in Ephesus with piercing clarity:“I know that, after my departure, ravening...

The FBI has officially closed its long-running investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sordid network—declaring that no charges will be brought against Prince Andrew, effectively clearing him for international travel after years of alleged self‑imposed exile. Dubbed “Air Miles Andy” for his taxpayer-funded shopping trips abroad during his tenure as UK trade envoy, Andrew dramatically halted international travel six years ago amid fears he could face arrest in the U.S. His only known post‑scandal trip came in 2022, flying to Bahrain in private — all while rumours mounted that he was using his connections to profit via his defunct Pitch@Palace enterprise, according...

Once among the biggest names in Hollywood, John Travolta is now more punchline than powerhouse, with recent flops and career missteps overshadowing a legacy that once included Oscar nods and million-dollar paydays. Despite iconic turns in Grease, Saturday Night Fever and a major comeback with Pulp Fiction, the 70-year-old actor’s more recent efforts have failed to land. His latest films, High Rollers and Mob Land, barely registered with audiences — the latter pulling just £138 ($A287) at the UK box office, News.com.au reported.

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Strickland: No more Lavender Mafia!As bishops, we have a sacred duty to cry out to Our Holy Father: if you are serious about reform, dismantle this network of confusion.With the appointment of Fr. Thomas Hennen, bishop-elect, as bishop of Baker, Oregon, we face a troubling reality: instead of correcting the trajectory set by Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV is doubling down on it – deepening the ambiguity that has plagued the Church.Fr. Hennen is not merely a well-meaning pastor – he was intimately involved in drafting pastoral guidelines that blur the clear lines of Catholic teaching on...

The U.S. has closed its southern border again to livestock imports, saying a flesh-eating parasite has moved further north in Mexico than previously reported. Mexico’s president was critical Thursday, suggesting that the U.S. is exaggerating the threat to its beef industry from the parasite, the New World screwworm fly. The female flies lay eggs in wounds on warm-blooded animals, hatching larvae that are unusual among flies for feeding on live flesh and fluids instead of dead material. American officials worry that if the fly reaches Texas, its flesh-eating maggots could cause large economic losses, something that happened decades ago. The...

A groundbreaking new collaboration is working to resurrect one of New Zealand’s most enigmatic lost species, the South Island Giant Moa. Blending ancient knowledge with cutting-edge science, the cooperative initiative has been launched between the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre in collaboration with U.S.-based biotech firm Colossal Biosciences and filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson. The initiative seeks to place indigenous values and ecological restoration at the forefront of de-extinction science, representing a historic development in conservation biology. The collaboration marks the first time that an indigenous-led research team will direct a de-extinction initiative of this scale. Based at the University of Canterbury,...

New York socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has sparked controversy with several proposals, including his plan to open city-owned grocery stores. Though critics observe that publicly owned stores failed when tried elsewhere, Mamdani argues that the city’s food retailers aren’t readily accessible in some neighborhoods, which he calls “food deserts.” Government-owned stores, freed of the need to make a profit or pay property taxes, would work better, he claims.

Ghislaine Maxwell is hopeful President Trump will review her case and pardon her ... after his DOJ's controversial announcement about the Jeffrey Epstein files this week -- but sources close to the President say there isn't a snowball's chance in Hell that'll happen. A source close to Ghislaine tells TMZ … in the wake of the Trump admin's debunking of Epstein's so-called "client list" -- which some people had hoped would bring down various politicians and Hollywood celebs -- the British heiress and former Epstein partner is hopeful Trump will spring her from the joint.

International Atomic Energy Agency previously said Iran could still have stockpiles of enriched uranium ISRAEL says some of Iran's highly-enriched near weapons-grade uranium stockpile survived US bombings during the 12-Day War last month. Doubts remained about whether Iran quietly removed 408.6 kgs of uranium from its most sensitive sites before the strikes - potentially hiding nuclear material elsewhere in the country. The uranium in question is enriched to 60 per cent - way above levels for civilian usage but slightly below weapons-grade. That material, if further refined to 90 per cent, would theoretically be sufficient to produce more than nine...

A mysterious creature found in Brazil has scientists questioning everything they know about wild canids. With a strange mix of dog and fox traits, this rare hybrid is raising serious concerns. Dogxim' Was Discovered After A Car Accident In 2021. Credit: Instagram/forrest.galante | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel ================================================================ A strange discovery in southern Brazil has left the scientific community stunned. In 2021, a female canid was found near Vacaria, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, after being struck by a car. What seemed like an ordinary accident quickly turned into an extraordinary puzzle. Veterinarians...

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a state lawsuit Tuesday in New York against the American Kennel Club in hope of forcing the influential group to ditch breeding standards that PETA alleged lead to "deformed, unhealthy" canines. PETA specifically targeted some of the most popular breeds of man's best friend — bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs, dachshunds and the Chinese shar-pei. Plaintiffs asked Manhattan Supreme Court to stop the AKC from backing these standards that alleged "cause deformities, great suffering and premature death" to these animals. The AKC said that it did not "create breed standards" and that it...

Explanation: Stars are forming in Lynds Dark Nebula (LDN) 1251. About 1,000 light-years away and drifting above the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, LDN 1251 is also less appetizingly known as "The Rotten Fish Nebula." The dusty molecular cloud is part of a complex of dark nebulae mapped toward the Cepheus flare region. Across the spectrum, astronomical explorations of the obscuring interstellar clouds reveal energetic shocks and outflows associated with newborn stars, including the telltale reddish glow from scattered Herbig-Haro objects hiding in the image. Distant background galaxies also lurk in the scene, almost buried behind the dusty expanse....

"This is, unfortunately, a very sad and tragic example of the continued politicization of the intelligence community, of the national security process, and quite frankly, I'm really shocked that individuals who are willing to sacrifice their reputations, their credibility, their decency . . . on something that clearly is just politically based."Wow! Who would ever expect CNN to air such a stunning denunciation of the actions of John Brennan and James Comey in fostering the fake story of Trump's supposed Russian collusion during the 2016 campaign? Oh, wait. That wasn't a denunciation of Brennan and Comey. The quote was by...

SummaryLaw exposes gun industry to civil lawsuits for violence Court says New York not preempted by 2005 federal law Gun manufacturers called law unconstitutional NEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a New York public nuisance law exposing the gun industry to possible civil lawsuits for violence caused when people use their products. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected a facial challenge to the law by the National Shooting Sports Foundation trade group and 14 members including Beretta, Glock, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson (SWBI.O), and Sturm, Ruger (RGR.N). Signed...

The moment a female police officer was left sobbing and bleeding after being punched in the face during a brawl at Manchester Airport, was shown today in court. Constable Lydia Ward told of being 'terrified' after coming under attack - as new police footage of the incident was entered in evidence. She was one of three officers who went to arrest Mohammed Fahir Amaaz at Terminal Two last July. A trial at Liverpool Crown Court has been shown CCTV footage of Amaaz, 20, swinging a punch towards the officer, hitting her in the nose - and today new scenes captured...

Texas State Sen. Angela Paxton (R) announced on Thursday that she has filed for divorce from her husband, Texas Attorney General and Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R) after “recent discoveries.” “Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds. I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation. But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage,” Angela Paxton wrote on X. “I move forward with complete confidence that God is always working...

Police initially said they suspected an animal was behind attackA 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault after an attack on a young girl in Quadeville, Ont., that provincial police initially said was likely caused by an animal. The eight-year-old girl had been missing for hours when she was found around 12:30 a.m. on June 24 with potentially life-threatening injuries in the woods in the eastern Ontario village. At the time, police said they suspected an animal attack had led to the girl's injuries. In a news release Wednesday night, OPP said they had charged a...

Shock waves are still rippling through the country over the NYC Democrat mayoral primary win of “socialist” (really, communist) Muslim radical candidate, Zohran Mamdani. His rise to the top of the party has been fueled in part by his promise to freeze rents in the city. Because, you know, there’s a… HOUSING CRISIS!!! In neighboring New Jersey, authorities are in the process of seizing a beloved local farm owned by the same family for 175 years. My colleague Sarah Anderson covered that horror story: Back in April, Andy received a letter from the Cranbury Township Committee. It stated that if...