Free Republic

Harvard University hired a drag performer as a new professor — who is expected to teach a class on TV show “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” in the spring semester, the Ivy League school announced over the summer. The institution welcomed Kareem Khubchandani in a July message to the college community and revealed the visiting professor from Tufts University will teach in the Studies of Gender and Sexuality program thanks to the Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus. Khubchandani is perhaps better known by his stage name, “LaWhore Vagistani,” — a persona that the academic has made an integral part of their...

This week, federal officials made an astounding announcement: Nearly half of all immigrants in greater Minneapolis were found to have committed some form of immigration fraud. The fraud, uncovered in a September sweep, came in all kinds — sham marriages, fake death certificates and “other bizarre schemes,” as US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edley put it. But the revelation was no great surprise to those of us who have followed the settlement of some 100,000 Somali immigrants in Minnesota over the past three decades. As far back as 2008, the State Department temporarily suspended one of the family...

An alleged Sinaloa cartel leader admitted President Trump’s aggressive border policies have made the illegal work of the powerful Mexican drug gang more difficult in an interview with CNN. An anonymous member of El Chapo’s former gang explained that Trump’s immigration and drug policies have put a damper on their black-market tradecraft in a bizarre interview with the news station’s senior national correspondent, David Culver, in the back of an SUV. “From killing to coordinating smuggling operations, he says he’s done it all,” Culver said, referring to Trump. “Do you think what President Trump has been doing has been making...

President Donald Trump has bestowed upon the nation of Qatar a remarkable security guarantee that could include coming to its defense militarily. In an executive order dated earlier this week, Trump declared that the United States will regard any attack on Qatar’s territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure “as a threat to the peace and security of the United States” itself. And perhaps most crucially, the order suggests the US might come to Qatar’s defense militarily.

Wednesday on CNN’s “OutFront,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) said the Trump administration wanted to “go in primarily inner city communities and shoot people.” Host Erin Burnett said, “White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, speaking to law enforcement officials in Memphis, telling the officers that they, along with their guns, are now, quote, unleashed amid a federal crackdown on crime.” Miller said, “I see the guns and badges in this room. You are unleashed.”

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was planning to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich for Durbin's work with immigrants. There was tremendous backlash from some American Catholic bishops and Catholic laity, pointing to Durbin's record on abortion as disqualifying. Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, IL, said giving the award to Durbin would be "scandalous." In a statement sent to Catholic publication The Pillar, Paprocki said, "I was shocked to learn that the Archdiocese of Chicago plans to honor Senator Richard Durbin with a Lifetime Achievement Award." Paprocki continued, "Given Senator Durbin’s long and consistent record of supporting...

In light of Pfizer's (NYSE:PFE) announcement on Tuesday that it will offer its drugs at reduced prices to American consumers, President Trump is backing off his threat to impose 100% tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals to give other drugmakers timeto cut their own deals. A White House official told Politico that it is seeking deals with other large pharmas that would be similar to Pfizer's. On Tuesday, the president also announced the launch of TrumpRx , a direct-to-consumer website for consumers to find discounted drugs. The official alluded to comments made by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a press event announcing...

Supervisors move to dismantle the infamous Yee Haw commune tucked in the hills east of TrinidadAfter 25 years of warnings, fines and broken promises, Humboldt County supervisors finally voted last week to crack down on the infamous Yee Haw commune. Their unanimous decision set in motion plans to clear the 10-acre property of unpermitted structures and hazards, a move that would displace the approximate 10 residents who currently call it home and strip longtime owner Charles Garth of control. Officials say the site is riddled with environmental dangers and dotted with ramshackle dwellings that fail to meet even the most...

An immigration judge on Wednesday denied a motion filed by Kilmar Abrego Garcia's attorneys to reopen his immigration case, according to a copy of the decision obtained by ABC News. In the emergency motion filed in August to reopen the case, attorneys for the wrongly deported Abrego Garcia argued that because he was deported to El Salvador and then brought back to the United States, he is now eligible to apply for asylum within one year of his last entry into the U.S. But in the order filed on Wednesday, Regional Deputy Chief Immigration Judge Philip Taylor said that Abrego...

Race to replace Gavin Newsom continues to thin as longtime Calif. legislator exitsThe California governor’s race is continuing to slim down. Toni Atkins, the first openly gay president pro tempore of the California State Senate, and a longtime legislator, became the latest candidate to drop out of the race this week, citing polling data. “It’s with such a heavy heart that I’m stepping aside today as a candidate for governor. Despite the strong support we’ve received and all we’ve achieved, there is simply no viable path forward to victory,” Atkins said in a statement Monday. She continued, “With Donald Trump...

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill is facing criticisms that she is the "Kamala Harris of New Jersey" as the Garden State enters its final leg of an election cycle that will either flip it red or elect a likely next star for the Democratic Party. Sherrill is in the midst of a tight race against her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, whose campaign has slammed Sherrill as similar to former Vice President Kamala Harris for occasional gaffes, claims she shies away from public events and for allegedly running a "choreographed" campaign. "There’s similarities (between Sherrill and Harris) in...

CBR senior staff writer Brian Cronin has been writing professionally about comic books for over fifteen years now at CBR (primarily with his “Comics Should Be Good” series of columns, including Comic Book Legends Revealed). He has written two books about comics for Penguin-Random House – Was Superman a Spy? And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed and Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent? And Other Amazing Comic Book Trivia! and one book, 100 Things X-Men Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, from Triumph Books. His writing has been featured at ESPN.com, the Los Angeles Times, About.com, the Huffington...

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (KDVR) — A former tow truck driver who pleaded guilty to stealing nearly 50 vehicles was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The 23rd Judicial District Attorney says the driver was preying on older, broken-down vehicles and then selling them before the owners knew they had been stolen. Investigators say the tow truck driver would sell the vehicles at salvage yards in some cases for up to $500 each. “But as you can imagine, these are individuals who perhaps have a lower income. It’s a broken-down car. They couldn’t tow it right away. They had to make...

Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologized to Jewish New Yorkers for lockdowns he imposed during the COVID-19 outbreak five years ago that banned large gatherings, closed schools and disrupted religious traditions. The mea culpa comes just hours before the beginning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar when one is meant to atone for sins — and while Cuomo runs as an underdog in his political comeback bid for mayor. In the video, Cuomo said he made decisions to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers during the once-in-a-century pandemic that killed about 80,000 residents. “However, I recognize...

So I go to McDonalds maybe twice a year, if at all. Went today and placed my order at the self kiosk and when paying, there it was, the ole message of "would you like to round up?" If course, no! How long has Mickey D's been doing this and what cause is this money going to? For me, I don't round up because I can guarantee you there's no accountability for it. And, they get to write this "round up" money off their taxes Ace Hardware does this same round up crap. How come they don't round down?

ICE agents will be patrolling San Francisco during the Super Bowl in February, whether halftime performer Bad Bunny likes it or not. Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski confirmed that the agents will have a presence at America's biggest event after the 31-year-old pop star snubbed the US during his tour over fears ICE would target fans outside his shows. 'It’s so shameful they picked someone who seems to hate America,' Lewandowski said. 'There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and no where else. We will find and deport...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order vowing to use all measures including U.S. military action to defend the energy-rich nation of Qatar — though it remains unclear just what weight the pledge will carry. The text of the order, available Wednesday on the White House’s website but dated Monday, appears to be another measure by Trump to assure the Qataris following Israel’s surprise attack on the country targeting Hamas leaders as they weighed accepting a ceasefire with Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip. The order cites the two countries’...

As you've probably heard, Democrats decided to shut down the government over healthcare. In particular, they are using the leverage they have in the Senate to demand that the Trump administration extend Obamacare subsidies which are scheduled to expire at the end of the calendar year. Here's what that is actually about. In 2021, soon after Joe Biden took office, Democrats narrowly passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) with a vote that was along party lines. This $1.9 trillion bill included temporary Obamacare subsidies designed to make plans on the exchange cheaper so more people would sign up. But...

The State Department has told Newsweek that it is “deeply concerned about the levels of violence against Christians and members of other groups in Nigeria.” It comes after American comedian Bill Maher brought attention to the high number of Christians being killed by Islamic militant groups such as Boko Haram in parts of Nigeria. The country has generally pushed back against narratives that Christians are being “systematically killed” in a “genocide attempt,” as Maher described it, with Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying in March that the terrorism in the country is “not driven by religious bias, nor targeted against...

The Washington Free Beacon has this story up today. New York University's Law School had previously scheduled a Federalist Society event featuring conservative legal scholar Ilya Shapiro. But the school decided there was a problem. Shapiro's visit was likely to result in protests and, even more concerning, the event was booked for 10/7 the anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel.On September 10, NYU requested that the Federalist Society change the date of Shapiro’s talk, citing the possibility of disruptions."For security reasons, and because we anticipate an increased likelihood of demonstrations and protests connected to the anniversary of the October 7,...