Free Republic

Life in plastic might be fantastic after all — or at least not as dangerous as we’ve been led to believe. Ubiquitous in the environment, microplastics can be found in the clothes we wear, the cleaning supplies we use, the food we eat, the water we drink and even the air we breathe. For years, scientists have warned that these pesky particles may be quietly building up inside our bodies, posing a threat to human health. But a new report in the Guardian is shaking up that narrative. Several experts told the outlet that some of the alarming claims about...

Hillsborough police arrested Priyatharsini Natarajan, 35, on Jan. 13 for allegedly murdering her two sons, ages 5 and 7, in her Hillsborough home, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

BEIJING -- The Liberal government has reached a deal with Beijing to slash tariffs on a set number of Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for China dropping duties on agriculture products, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday. The deal marks a de-escalation in tensions with a country the Liberal government had, in recent years, branded as a disruptive power. Carney described it as a “preliminary but landmark” agreement to remove trade barriers and reduce tariffs, part of a broader strategic partnership with China that includes increasing tourism and cultural ties. Carney also said Xi has committed to visa-free travel for...

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday delivered an epic rebuke of a leftist reporter after he accused an ICE agent of “recklessly” and “unjustifiably” killing crazed leftist Renee Good when she tried to run the agent over with her vehicle. Good was fatally shot last week by an ICE agent in self-defense, sparking outrage in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when she tried to kill an ICE agent. This sparked nationwide outrage from left-wingers and rioting in Minnesota. President Trump has threatened to invoke the insurrection act, stating on Thursday, “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and...

After reports surfaced that the Trump administration restored frozen family planning funds to Planned Parenthood, many pro-life commentators expressed frustration. But pro-life operatives with knowledge of the decision argue the story is not as simple as some initially thought: The administration faced limited legal options and releasing the funds may ultimately strengthen efforts to cut off taxpayer support for abortions in the near future. Politico reported Jan. 13 that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in December “quietly released” tens of millions of dollars in previously frozen Title X family planning grants to Planned Parenthood and other abortion...

In a major win for the Trump administration, a federal appeals court ended a Biden-appointed district judge’s blockade on the deportation of a pro-Hamas foreign activist on Thursday. In a 2-1 ruling, a panel for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals vacated orders from New Jersey-based District Judge Michael Farbiarz regarding the detainment and attempted deportation of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil. As law professor Mark Goldfeder previously wrote in these pages, Khalil — a Syrian-born green card holder — was detained by federal authorities last year “on the charge that he ‘led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist...

A Texas judge is calling for the federal judiciary to overrule Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court case which recognized gay marriage across the U.S., claiming in a new lawsuit that the “court-invented right to homosexual marriage” is unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed December 19 by Waco Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley against members of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, who sanctioned Hensley in 2019 for refusing to officiate same-sex weddings, the Texas Tribune reported. Hensley is represented by attorney and former Texas Solicitor General Jonathan Mitchell, known for his role crafting Texas’ draconic 2021 abortion ban.

Journalist Nick Sortor said Thursday that federal authorities have arrested a man accused of stealing firearm from an FBI vehicle during violence in Minneapolis on Wednesday night. Speaking to Laura Ingraham, Sortor said the suspect seen on video breaking into a federal vehicle and removing a weapon was not arrested at the scene. “He actually wasn’t arrested last night,” Sortor said. “The Minneapolis police didn’t bother chasing the vehicle that had just stolen a high-powered rifle out of an FBI car.” Sortor said he has since confirmed that Raul Gutierrez, 33, was taken into custody after federal agents executed an...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign released its first political advertisement of the hotly contested Senate primary race targeting Sen. John Cornyn, marking an escalation in a race that’s been expected to have plenty of fireworks. The ad centers on past remarks by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett praising Cornyn’s bipartisan cooperation, a theme Paxton’s campaign is using to frame the incumbent senator’s record as increasingly aligned with cross-party dealmaking. The release comes as Cornyn’s Republican challengers have publicly criticized him for declining to participate in debates. The advertisement strings together clips in which Crockett describes Cornyn as “helpful”...

If ever a case made plain the clash of values between freedom of speech and the desire of college administrators to compel everyone to support their “progressive” beliefs, Reges v. Cauce is it. This is an important First Amendment case, one in which the Martin Center joined in an amicus brief in support of a professor who was targeted with official retaliation because he spoke out against his university’s “land acknowledgement” policy and substituted his own views for the school’s. What nerve! Before getting into the details of the case, let’s examine the background. Specifically, why do so many college...

WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 85, is heading for the exits after nearly four decades in Congress. So is her longtime deputy, Rep. Steny Hoyer, 86, and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 83. But of the two dozen members of the Silent Generation now serving in the 119th Congress, more than half (13) have decided to run again in 2026, according to an NBC News review. In total, this Congress is the third-oldest in U.S. history, with an average age of 58.9 years at the start of this session one year ago. The median age in the...

Unsurprisingly Texas bears a disproportionate share of the burden from illegal immigration due to its expansive southern border. Now state leadership has released the numbers to prove the massive financial burden illegal aliens have had on one sector in particular: hospitals. New data has been released by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission showing a baffling 10-figure financial burden on Texas hospitals in fiscal year 2025, Texas Scorecard first reported. According to the new data, the total visits between November 2024 and August 2025 reached 313,742 for those "not legally present." And the total cost tipped over the billion-dollar...

@SenRandPaul I just introduced the End Welfare for Non-Citizens Act to ensure taxpayer-funded benefits are reserved for Americans. This bill ends federal funding for programs like TANF, Medicaid, and SNAP for illegal immigrants, refugees, asylees, and new entrants. A recent massive fraud scheme—estimated by federal prosecutors to reach $9 billion, shows exactly why we must do more to protect American taxpayers from theft and abuse. Safeguarding public funds is more urgent than ever. The fraud involved dozens of individuals—many from Minnesota’s Somali community, who set up businesses and non-profits claiming to provide housing, food, or healthcare assistance, then billed federally...

Norwegian lawmakers reacted with shock and dismay over Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado’s decision to present U.S. President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal. “It’s completely unheard of,” Janne Haaland Matlary, a professor of international politics at the University of Oslo and former state secretary in the foreign affairs ministry, told public broadcaster NRK on Friday. She called Machado’s gesture “disrespectful” and “pathetic,” saying it undermined the value of the prize, which the Norwegian Nobel Committee awards annually. Raymond Johansen, a Norwegian lawmaker for the center-left Labour Party and former governing mayor of Oslo, said in a...

ICE Chases DoorDasher into Customers House!

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”—he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” Mark 2:9–11In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus began His ministry in Capernaum. Shortly after calling His first Apostles, Jesus preached in the synagogue, leaving many amazed. After healing a demoniac and Peter’s mother-in-law, the whole town gathered at the house where Jesus was...

Student records teacher screaming at class over Renee Good incident!

🚨 BREAKING: Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office emailed staff inviting them to a “healing circle” with “therapy goats.” While Democrats fan the flames against ICE agents. City staff are being offered quiet reflection time with goats. This is not parody. This is Minneapolis.

A federal judge Thursday dealt a significant legal setback to the Trump administration in its efforts to obtain voter data held by states. In a 33-page order, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in California dismissed a lawsuit that sought to give the Justice Department access to the Democratic-led state’s voter files, including records like Social Security numbers and driver’s license information. California is one of 23 states, along with Washington, D.C., that the Justice Department has sued for refusing to hand over the voter data. The lawsuit against California was filed in September. “Clean voter rolls are the foundation...

The Indian presence in the United States has grown steadily over the past several decades, driven largely by migration for higher education and professional opportunities. This growing diaspora has once again come into focus after a video shot in Texas went viral, leaving social media users debating the visible rise of Indian-owned businesses in parts of the US. The clip, filmed on the streets of Dallas, shows a content creator expressing surprise at the sheer number of Indian restaurants, grocery stores and convenience outlets clustered in one area. The vlogger, who goes by the handle Pigeon Vizon, had just crossed...