Free Republic

Biden administration officials may have sought to dodge public records laws and congressional oversight by classifying taxpayer-backed loans to Planned Parenthood as “Benghazi,” according to findings by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Ernst, chairwoman of the Senate Small Business Committee, has been investigating Small Business Administration loans to the nation’s largest abortion provider under the Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter sent Monday to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Ernst asked for a Justice Department investigation “for potential Federal Records Act violation by concealment and/or attempted concealment” of SBA records regarding loans to Planned Parenthood and loan...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said $400 million in Ukraine support was released after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) penned an angry op-ed criticizing the stall in funding. “The department recognizes that $400 million was allocated for European capacity building, and as of yesterday, it has been released,” Hegseth said in response to a question about the aid from Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.). Elfreth followed up to ask whether the money was released under contract. Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III said the aid was “not under contract, but released to be put under contract.” When pressed by Elfreth on when...

The most powerful rocket engine test ever conducted on Earth happened ten days ago. 33 SpaceX Raptor 3 engines. Six seconds. We talked about it on the show. What we didn't talk about is what happened before that. Because we didn't know. Nobody outside SpaceX knew. Until this week, when SpaceX released a 24-minute documentary and showed us the two static fire attempts that didn't work. This documentary changes how I'm thinking about Flight 12. Let me show you why. SpaceX Finally Gives Out The BIG Starship News!!! This Changes Everything About Starship Flight 12 | 21:03 What about it!?...

When the national anthem singer at Tuesday’s Buffalo Sabres game had microphone issues, the crowd helped her out by singing along. The moment came as the Sabres hosted the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night at the KeyBank Center. Prior to puck drop, singer Cami Clune was chosen to do the honors of singing “O Canada.” As noted in a report from The New York Times, Sabres home games include both the Canadian and American national anthems, due to the city being so close to the border. At other U.S. venues, the Canadian anthem is only included when a Canadian team...

Thomasz Szabo, 27, of Romania, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for his role as leader of an online swatting ring that targeted more than 75 public officials, four religious institutions, and multiple journalists in a nationwide threat spree, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Szabo, aka “Plank,” “Jonah,” and “Cypher,” pleaded guilty June 2, 2025, to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives. In addition to the 48-month prison term, District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Szabo to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested...

Nick Fuentes, part of the twisted “WOKE REICH”, just got exposed as the MONSTER he truly is. A woman shows up at his Illinois home… and this coward SPRAYS her with mace, then SHOVES her down the stairs like a ragdoll. She crashes hard onto the concrete, crawling in pain while he stands over her like some deranged predator. This is the same Fuentes who is telling everyone to ”VOTE DEMOCRAT” to stick it to Trump and Republicans, and physically assaults women for daring to confront him. Battery charges? Mysteriously dismissed. But the video doesn’t lie. This is not a...

LIV Golf plans to tell players and staff ​by Thursday that ⁠Saudi Arabia's ​Public Investment Fund ⁠will stop funding the circuit ​after this season, the Wall Street Journal reported on ⁠Wednesday, citing ⁠people familiar ⁠with ⁠the matter.

Brent crude over $119 as Trump sticks with blockade A late update: Oil is now approaching its highest level since the Iran war began. Brent crude has risen over $119 a barrel, up 7% today, after president Donald Trump told Axios he will not lift a naval blockade of Iran’s ports until he secures a deal with Tehran to address the country’s nuclear program. ...

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, one of President Donald Trump’s most influential but least public-facing advisers, launched an X account Tuesday to share updates from inside the administration. "I’m joining X to share occasional updates about the work we do at the White House. We are relentlessly focusing on advancing President Trump’s agenda and delivering on promises to the American people," her first post read. "I welcome different viewpoints. Follow along for insights and information." Her newly formed account has amassed nearly 300,000 followers since its launch this week. Wiles is seen very often with the president, sitting...

Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, freeing state legislatures to gerrymander legislative districts to systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities - so long as they do it under the guise of “partisanship” rather than explicit “racial bias.” And it serves as just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach. The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome. But...

New Vatican document urges Catholic families to ‘ecological conversion’Two Vatican dicasteries released a joint document calling upon Catholic families to embrace ‘integral ecology,’ drawing a direct line between environmental practice and moral formation.A new Vatican document calls on Catholic families to embrace “integral ecology,” framing “ecological conversion” as inseparable from the “journey toward holiness” and linking ecological habits to the fight against abortion and euthanasia.On April 27, the Dicastery for Integral Human Development and the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life released a joint document titled “Integral Ecology in the Life of the Family,” the stated goal of which...

On Wednesday's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough said: “Let us hope, post-Trump, there’s more of a Marco Rubio reset.”Is that the sound of Joe volunteering for Marco ’28? This would be a little weird, since ten years ago, he was slamming Rubio as the emptiest suit in the room, and he was yelling at Nicolle Wallace for being too pro-Rubio. Get the rest of the story and view the video here.

Angela Rayner is reportedly considering a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer immediately after the local elections. Supporters are said to be urging the former Deputy Prime Minister to turn against Sir Keir The local elections, which take place next Thursday, are understood to be make-or-break for the Prime Minister, as his premiership hangs in the balance. Ms Rayner's cop claimed any delay would allow opposition candidates more time to lock in support among Labour MPs, the Times reports.

Immutability vs. Ecumenism: Pope meets Anglican bishop… at what cost?In the wake of the Pope’s April 27 meeting with an Anglican archbishop, Catholics are once again confronted with a pressing question: can the Church’s timeless doctrine coexist with modern ecumenism? Drawing on Scripture, the First Vatican Council, and the warnings of St. Pius X and Pius XII, this article examines whether today’s ecumenical movement represents legitimate development, or a rupture with the Faith itself.In his 1995 article, the late Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais described the core conflict between Rome and the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) as follows:...

A Christian school banned from athletic competition in Vermont because its girls' basketball team refused to play another with a male has settled its lawsuit with one defendant while broader litigation continues against others. The Vermont Principals' Association, which oversees all state-sponsored extracurriculars in the Green Mountain State, agreed to pay $566,000 in damages and attorney's fees to resolve Mid Vermont Christian School's claims, the latter's lawyers at the Alliance Defending Freedom said Wednesday. The notice of dismissal against VPA Executive Director Jay Nichols in his official and individual capacities says it only covers him but doesn't provide settlement terms,...

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday further weakened the Voting Rights Act, ruling that a congressional map in Louisiana was a racial gerrymander even though it was drawn to comply with the landmark law aimed at protecting minority voters. The justices, split 6-3 with the court's conservatives in the majority, told states they can almost never consider race when drawing maps to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which was enacted to protect minority voters who long faced discrimination in elections. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, said that while there may be extreme...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte Bishop Martin refuses Communion to families at altar rail during Confirmation Mass: reportGREENSBORO, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte reportedly refused to give Holy Communion to families who knelt at an altar rail during a recent Confirmation Mass.The two or three families who approached the rail were passed over for Holy Communion during the Mass at Our Lady of Grace parish in Greensboro, North Carolina, according to a report by AdVaticanum.One father who attended the Mass with his family told the outlet about Martin: “He was sitting in front of us when we went...

A Wisconsin woman is behind bars after police say she stabbed her boyfriend to death during an argument over dinner. Mikayla Kloth, 27, appeared in a Waukesha County court on Monday, days after prosecutors said she fatally stabbed 25-year-old Lukas Rosch at her apartment in Lac La Belle, Wisconsin. She was charged with first-degree intentional homicide. According to a criminal complaint obtained by local ABC affiliate WISN, Kloth told Rosch that she wanted to go out to dinner on Friday night. Instead, he showed up at the apartment with chicken drumsticks and seasoning that he intended to cook at her...

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, chimed in on the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He released a statement through his attorneys condemning political violence in the wake of the shooting, according to The Hill. Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, issued a statement this week decrying political violence in the wake of an assassination attempt on President Trump. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, is accused of trying to assassinate Trump and members of his Cabinet at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner Saturday. The plot...

Massive, global scam center takedown led by @FBI with our great federal and international partners results in 276 arrests and at least 9 scam center takedowns. These centers were used for cryptocurrency and investment fraud schemes against American citizens and involved losses of millions. This involved unprecedented cooperation between FBI and interagency partners, Dubai Police, and Chinese Ministry of Public Security. Brilliant work from @FBISanDieg