Free Republic

International health officials are trying to track down dozens of passengers who left a cruise ship where a hantavirus outbreak killed three people and sickened several others. They disembarked after the first death, and some have reportedly returned to California. What started as an expedition cruise to Antarctica has now sparked global concerns, as there have been three deaths and five confirmed cases of the hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius ship. Health officials said passengers scattered across the globe before anyone realized the full scope of what was happening on board, and some of those passengers came back home...

They just never lear. The head of a Texas Islamic group that rented out a taxpayer-funded waterpark for an event that was advertised as “Muslim only” runs a childhood education center with the exact same unfortunate ‘Learing Center’ typo first seen at an infamous daycare in Minneapolis. The “Excellence Early Learing Center,” as its misspelled website header reads — located in the Fort Worth suburb of Hurst — offers a variety of programs for youngsters from infants to pre-K, and promises to provide children with “the loving, personal care that they need to thrive and feel confident.”

An IDF soldier was seen placing a cigarette into the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary, in a Christian village in southern Lebanon, in a photo shared online on Wednesday. After identifying the soldier, the Israel Defense Forces said he will be disciplined. In response to a query, the IDF said that it “views the incident gravely and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct completely deviates from the values expected of its troops.” An initial inquiry conducted by the IDF found that the photo was taken in the village of Debel several weeks ago, although it was only shared...

On May 1st, Viviana aka “Vivi” joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love. 💕 She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble. Thank you to everyone who reached out with prayers during my pregnancy - I truly felt them throughout the entire experience. God is Good.🙏

Investigative questions about UFOs, aliens, and the supernatural are no longer staying on the fringes. In this fascinating conversation, Billy Hallowell sits down with pastor and broadcaster Joseph Z to unpack claims surrounding a reported closed-door meeting involving pastors, military-connected figures, and alarming discussions about so-called “alien disclosure.” From alleged government technology and mysterious “orbs” to theological debates over demons, Nephilim, and spiritual deception, this interview dives deep into one of the most talked-about topics in both faith and culture right now.

The U.S. government learned last week that it may have reached an unfortunate milestone: The size of its debt surpassed the nation’s total economic output. It was a striking imbalance, according to early estimates, one that the country has experienced only in rare circumstances — briefly during the pandemic, and in the aftermath of World War II. But the development barely seemed to register in the nation’s capital, where few policymakers bothered to acknowledge the latest warning sign about the government’s poor fiscal health. The root of the problem is well-documented and widely known. U.S. debt has soared in recent...

A group of fans prevented a potential tragic situation Wednesday night when one pulled a man off the ledge of one of the upper sections at Busch Stadium in St. Louis during a Cardinals-Brewers game. A video posted by Instagram user Oliver Stoffel showed a fan in a blue shirt and shorts straddling the ledge in what appeared to be the 200s section, with one leg dangling off the side. “Oh, my God,” said an individual watching the scene. A fan in a red cap then walked up behind the individual and grabbed him from behind, with the individual in...

7–9 minutesFrom DJ’ing a wedding on the weekend to manning the White House press podium like a boss, from velvet-gloved diplomacy in Europe to juggling the roles of secretary of state and NSA director in the middle of a war, Marco Rubio is the administration’s secret charm bomb.President Trump rolls him out whenever he has a problem to solve. Whether it’s filling in as national archivist, blowing cartel drug boats out of the water, ­DOGEing USAID to death or sitting as vice chairman of the “Saving College Sports” council, Rubio is Trump’s Mr. Fix-it.His Tuesday stint filling in for White...

https://x.com/TheLastRefuge2/status/2052178110464848161 TheLastRefuge@TheLastRefuge2·16hWatch out for what this crew has planned this weekend.They need: (1) domestic political distractions, and (2) to keep the U.S/NATO enmeshed against Russia.I suspect the "coalition of the willing" is planning something timed w/ Russia's Victory Day remembrance.Zelenskyy and his EU team are willing to provoke, then take, a massive counterstrike from Vladimir Putin against Kiev if that’s what it takes to keep the U.S. military engaged and aligned.The Ukraine meat grinder must remain satiated in order for the EU power structures to remain in place.This is a dangerous moment. May 6, 2026

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday formally vacated its ruling that originally struck down Louisiana's House maps after the Supreme Court eliminated race-based districts. The Fifth Circuit decision comes as Louisiana moves to redraw its maps in light of the Supreme Court ruling. The decision saw the Supreme Court narrow its interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and end race-based districts. Louisiana had, by court order, created a second black majority district in the state. Lawmakers are expected to eliminate at least one of the two as part of their redistricting push. The case has...

Ex-president runs gaslight psyop claiming Republicans weaponize the DOJ against Dems - when his cronies did the exact same thing! Former President Barack Obama faced pushback after he claimed that presidents shouldn’t use the Attorney General’s office to prosecute political enemies, with many pointing to the vicious lawfare campaign waged by him and his Democrat cohorts against President Donald Trump.Obama made the remarks during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, debuting his new presidential center in Chicago.“Now that you’re no longer in office, what powers do you believe the president should not have?” Colbert asked.Obama: "The White...

The Deep State leaked a CIA Iran war dossier to the Washington Post that refutes Trump’s claims that the Iranian Regime’s missiles are mostly decimated. On Wednesday, President Trump sparred with a reporter in the Oval Office during a meeting with UFC fighters. The reporter asked Trump about his decision to pause Project Freedom amid a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told the reporter that the US military has decimated Iran’s missile capabilities and they probably only have about 18 percent left. “You’re facing an opponent right now in Iran that has refused to submit. You seem optimistic...

MONTEREY PARK, CA — A heated debate between the candidates for governor of California descended into mayhem last night after Katie Porter dumped an entire pot of scalding mashed potatoes on the moderators' heads. Witnesses said the incident occurred roughly forty-three minutes into the debate when moderators attempted to ask Porter about repeated allegations of her abusing staff and family members. "You want to play that game with me?? Have a taste!" shouted Porter, producing an industrial-sized stock pot filled with boiling hot potatoes. "I'm going to melt those lips together so that you can never open your mouth...

The driver seen racing down a sidewalk chasing a child on a dirt bike then tried to break into a neighbor’s home — just to fall on her face because she was so drunk, according to the neighbor. US Army veteran Wendy Clemente, 56, is facing DUI and attempted assault charges over a viral video showing a silver Ford Focus driving down a sidewalk after the kid on a bike in Cheney, Washington. Clemente was also hit with criminal trespass charges for allegedly trying to break into a nearby home immediately after the now-viral car chase. “She was smashing the...

JUST IN: The Brazilian press is LEAVING the White House after President Lula REFUSED to follow through with a scheduled press event in the Oval Office, per @KellieMeyerNews President Trump must’ve DESTROYED Leftist Lula behind closed doors 🤣🔥

Dubai: Defying international law governing global waterways, Iran is trying to force shippers to comply with a new protocol for transiting the Strait of Hormuz — or risk attack. According to a document seen by CNN, Tehran has introduced new rules for vessels seeking passage through the strategic waterway, pressing ahead with efforts to formalise control over Hormuz despite repeated US and regional warnings. The document, titled “Vessel Information Declaration,” was issued by Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA). It requires vessels transiting Hormuz to submit detailed information, including ownership, crew nationalities, cargo details and voyage plans, before...

Box Elder County commissioners vote in favor of massive data center project Rural residents push back as data center vote nears in Box Elder County Mr. Wonderful’s Utah Data Center draws not-so-wonderful reaction from residents SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A massive proposed data center project in Box Elder County has drawn attention, largely because of its sheer size. Even though it would be built more than 70 miles away, people in Salt Lake County say the impact could reach far beyond that area. A proposed data center development in Box Elder County would span roughly 40,000 acres. “With the...

OK. I have been doing my best to read the Trump tea leaves, figure out the Art of the Deal, and parse all the information out there so that I can figure out Donald Trump's strategy in the Iran War. I thought I had a good handle on it, and until the past few days, Trump's behavior accorded pretty well with my overall theory. Trump's strategy appeared to have been to pressure Iran into full and complete capitulation on the issues of nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles (which exist to make attacking Iran nearly impossible), and to get the Strait of...

As the Trump administration continues its effort to root out federal funding for diversity initiatives, the National Institutes of Health has modified its grant review process to identify research that contains words associated with race or gender, which has held up some grant disbursements and forced scientists to rewrite proposals. “I feel that this kind of censorship is making the path forward to support narrower and narrower research only to include, for example, white, straight, cisgender men,” said a program director at one of NIH’s institutes. “Any other population is being scrutinized, which is highly, highly, highly problematic for a...

“Forever disqualified from judicial service in the State of Texas.” Bexar County Judge Rosie Speedlin-Gonzalez, the county’s first openly LGBT judge, has resigned and accepted a LIFETIME BAN from the bench. This comes after serious misconduct complaints, most notably the December 2024 incident where she had a defense attorney handcuffed mid-hearing. Criminal charges were dropped in exchange for the permanent disqualification.