Free Republic

Restorative Justice is a state-funded program that helps people who commit crimes avoid jail time, fines and criminal records. Our Laura Ullman investigates how the program works and whether it’s successful. “I’ve lost a lot of trust, burned a lot of bridges and I can only pray over time that people can see change in me,” said Travis Merritt, a Restorative Justice client. Merritt went through the Restorative Justice program that gives people a second shot at freedom. Some 4,272 offenders were sent to Restorative Justice in 2023, the latest number on record. About 28,000 crimes are reported in Vermont...

A former host of The View thinks the daytime opinion program could soon be taken off the air. Rosie O'Donnell made the remarks in a pointed post to TikTok Wednesday where she said ABC was 'reviewing the [show's] liberal bias'. Days before, a Media Research Center study found the show had welcomed 102 liberal-leaning guests so far this year and not a single conservative. The results pertained only to guests who discussed politics. O’Donnell, in turn, claimed 'The View' does not have any bias, but that the 'review' was 'code' for the show's cancellation. She claimed her old network was...

Former CEO of the LGTBQ+ Real Estate Alliance, Ryan Anthony Weyandt, has been charged with 5 counts of possessing CSAM material (child porn). In an investigation late last year, charges allege that Weyandt, 39, of Apple Valley, MN, downloaded thousands of child sexual abuse images containing minor males. Court documents state Weyandt told investigators, “I have an issue,” and blamed it on drugs. Weyandt was charged and arrested two weeks ago, but he is out of custody on $150,000 bond.

In the charred aftermath of Malibu’s January wildfires, one buyer has been moving in silence. While much of La Costa Beach remains a barren stretch of sand, a foreign investor has quietly acquired nine oceanfront lots — spending more than $65 million to secure some of the most coveted parcels along the Pacific Coast Highway, according to Realtor.com. Working through luxury agents Weston Littlefield and Alex Howe of the Weston James Group, the buyer is targeting properties with at least 40 feet of frontage, betting that once the coastline is rebuilt, demand from wealthy buyers will return in force. ......

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont signed a new gun control bill into law that places the marketers of firearms clearly in the crosshairs."This law is just one more step as we try and make sure that it's not just Connecticut law enforcement doing all the enforcing; we hold the manufacturers and sales people accountable as well," Lamont told reporters on shortly after the bill's signing Thursday.And it's the manufacturers and resellers who are the target. Effective Oct. 1, both groups will be vulnerable to lawsuits if they fail to implement "reasonable controls."

The New Mexico Senate President Pro Tempore is facing potential sanctions after someone filed a complaint, accusing her of harassment. In late-February, a legislative council service staff member said she emailed state Sen. Mimi Stewart regarding a form she hadn’t received for Stewart’s capital outlay funding requests. “In response, the reporting party stated that she almost immediately received what she deemed a screaming email in all capital letters from senator Stewart saying that senator Stewart had in fact turned the sheet in on Wednesday,’” said Lorna Wiggins, special counsel to the Investigative Subcommittee. It reportedly didn’t end there. “Moments later,...

Asha, the endangered Mexican gray wolf known to wander in New Mexico, was released into the wild with her mate and puppies Thursday. The day is a long time coming for officials who kept Asha captive within a designated recovery zone, spanning New Mexico and Arizona, so she could mate and expand the population. Then, Asha ventured out of the area twice – in late-2022 and 2023. Advocates say this indicated the species is ready to roam beyond their zone. Asha eventually stayed in the area long enough to give birth to five puppies in mid-May. After this, managers said...

The appointment of Lip‑Bu Tan as Intel’s CEO has prompted U.S. Senator Tom Cotton to scrutinize his past business ties to Chinese tech firms—and whether those connections threaten Intel’s role in American defense-linked supply chains. Intel is actively involved in the federal Secure Enclave initiative, which aims to secure microelectronics for U.S. defense use, and holds a roughly $3 billion contract with the Department of Defense. Cotton’s letter asks whether Tan’s investment history could compromise Intel’s obligations under such programs. A Reuters investigation in April revealed that Tan invested at least $200 million in over 600 Chinese firms through his...

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is introducing "Holly’s Act" after a woman was violently attacked by a mob in Cincinnati late last month – a move aimed at ending what he calls the justice system’s revolving door for repeat offenders. The attack happened around 3 a.m. on July 26 at the intersection of Fourth and Elm streets in Cincinnati’s central business district. Bystander video captured the moment a large group turned on several individuals early that morning, and in one video obtained by Fox News Digital, an unidentified man could be heard yelling racial slurs while being beaten in the street....

A registered sex offender pleaded guilty to federal charges in Seattle on Friday after sexually abusing teenage girls in Washington and Oregon, authorities announced. The United States Department of Justice said 28-year-old James “Jake” Harrison Newcomer admitted to sexually abusing 10 teen girls he met through social media between February and April of 2024. According to records filed in the case, Newcomer was on state supervision after more than two years in prison for two counts of rape of a child. Coos Bay cop checked TikTok, text messages during suspect’s fatal meth overdose, lawsuit claims As part of his supervision,...

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are planning on meeting in Alaska, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Mr. Trump confirmed on Truth Social the meeting will take place in Alaska on Friday, August 15. One senior White House official told CBS News the planning for next Friday's summit is still fluid, and that it is still possible that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could end up being involved in some way. The White House said earlier this week that Mr. Trump is open to meeting with both Putin and Zelenskyy, but Mr. Trump suggested Friday he may...

Call it the twilight of the West. ... British police are facing heavy scrutiny after they threatened to arrest a Christian preacher after a group of Muslims heard him preach and threatened to stab him and punch his wife. The incident occurred in Bristol when Pastor Dia Moodley was preaching in the city center. Moodley was talking about the differences between Islam and Christianity and was holding a Quran as he did so. In response, he says a Muslim bystander threatened to stab him, while another tried to punch his wife. Moodley said he was then pinned to the ground...

William Webster, the only person to lead both the FBI and CIA, has died. He was 101. “The proud and loving family of the Honorable William H. Webster sadly announces the death of a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and patriot,” his family said in a statement Friday. At the time Webster was selected to lead the FBI in 1978 by then-President Jimmy Carter, the bureau’s reputation was badly damaged by congressional revelations that unearthed corruption and extrajudicial spying on Americans under longtime Director J. Edgar Hoover. Webster, who was previously a Republican-appointed federal judge from Missouri, sought to...

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/mamdanis-plan-schools-draws-angry-backlash-new-york/New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani continues to make waves with his radical agenda. This time he’s targeting charter schools, producing some strong reactions from parents and residents.In an exclusive report by The New York Post, the newspaper wrote that Mamdani “plans to declare war on charter schools if he’s elected mayor,” according to a survey he answered June before the Democratic primary.The state assemblyman said he would “fight efforts to open more charters, which largely educate minority, working-class students, and even opposed the schools sharing space in city-owned buildings,” the article read.“I oppose efforts by the state to...

The Associated Press just made it clear where it stands on the terrorists’ war on Israel: With the terrorists. How else to read its bizarre puff piece Wednesday sympathizing with the poor, suffering Hezbollah goons injured in Israel’s pager attack last year? The Babylon Bee couldn’t have come up with a better parody than the 2,100-word feature, “Survivors of Israel’s pager attack on Hezbollah struggle to recover” — though that’s not how AP’s Bassem Mroue and Sarah El Deeb meant it. The two recount their interviews with six people wounded in the attack, all “Hezbollah officials or fighters or members...

Trump Treasury Dept Quietly Sanctions Venezuela’s “Cartel del Sol” as Global Terrorists Cartel del Sol, led by @NicolasMaduro , has just been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization by the @USTreasury . This isn’t just a drug cartel. It’s a narco-terrorist regime involved in drug and human trafficking, money laundering, election interference, and support for terror groups like Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel. @SecRubio didn’t hold back: “Maduro is not the president of Venezuela. He’s the head of Cartel del Sol, a narco-terror organization that’s taken possession of a country.” And now, sources say a scathing...

Nova Scotia has placed further restrictions on the public as the province faces a dry summer and heightened wildfire risk. With a burn-ban already in place, officials announced on Tuesday that they’ve shuttered access to forests across the province – including parks – as of 4 p.m. In an update Tuesday evening, HRM officials confirmed the provincial order includes municipal parks. “We are telling Nova Scotians to stay out of the woods,” said Premier Tim Houston during a press conference. The province-wide woods ban restricts the public from unnecessary travel into the forests and partake in activities including hiking, camping,...

A Portland jazz legend has died at the age of 85. Nancy King was known the world over, praised for her voice and her improvisational skills on stage. Words like “treasure” and “unique talent” are often spoken by those who knew King. Vegetation fire on Hwy 58 prompts ‘Go Now’ evacs “Nancy King, to many, was perhaps the best jazz vocalist to ever live. And she just so happened to live in Portland, Oregon,” said Portland State University Jazz Professor Sherry Alves. Officials pledge support for Army shooting that wounded five soldiers Alves knew King well, having interviewed King many...

Linked story details facts about final capture of Anaconda bar shooting suspect Michael Paul Brown today. Reports say he was in fact in the search area west of the town.

Academia’s self-image is crumbling. Beneath the slogans lies a fragile empire that can’t survive the sunlight of basic public scrutiny. It’s good to be back in the Advocate — the self-described “world’s leading source of LGBTQ+ news and information.” The last time it covered me, it involved a spat with a group of criminal, gay furry hackers. It never published the follow-up when one of those hackers was arrested, just as I promised. This time, I’ve committed an even greater sin in the Advocate's eyes: I asked a woke, gay professor at a public university to share his syllabus. That...