Free Republic

A federal judge on Friday barred President Donald Trump from adding his name to that of the Kennedy Center. Judge Christopher Cooper also temporarily blocked the Washington, D.C., cultural landmark from being closed for two years for renovations. The Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees in December voted to rename the institution the “Trump Kennedy Center,” 10 months after Trump removed several trustees from the board and appointed himself as a trustee. “The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a sweeping agreement with Hungary’s new government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, including the release of more than €16 billion in previously frozen EU funds, Hungary’s decision to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)... The Commission president emphasized that the European Union and the Hungarian government had already established an intensive joint working structure... The European Commission president also announced that Brussels would release €10 billion from previously frozen EU funds following progress in negotiations and reforms. In addition, she revealed that €4.2 billion in cohesion funds tied to...

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who was hired to oversee reforms in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing, chose to resign rather than face disciplinary action for interfering with an investigation into his conduct, Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday. O’Hara, who led local police during the recent federal immigration crackdown in the city, was under investigation on accusations that he was engaging in intimate relationships with city employees. The mayor told O’Hara he would be disciplined, which could include his termination. He chose to resign instead, Frey said. “It was an extremely painful decision, obviously, but I concluded that that...

The Battle of Qarqar, fought in 853 BCE, stands as a landmark event in the annals of military history, notable for featuring the earliest documented military alliance among a coalition of twelve kingdoms. This confederation was assembled to counter the expansive ambitions of the Assyrian Empire under King Shalmaneser III. The battle, although not decisively conclusive in its military outcomes, offers profound insights into the geopolitical dynamics of the ancient Near East and the complexities of coalition warfare. Background and Strategic Context During the early 9th century BCE, the Assyrian Empire, led by Shalmaneser III, was in a phase of...

Robert Jenrick has confirmed Reform UK would ban the carrying of ceremonial blades like the Sikh Kirpan, which was held alongside another knife by murderer Vickrum Digwa. Speaking to GB News, the Reform economics spokesman said his party would end the existing legal protections that allow blades to be carried as part of a cultural practice. Mr Jenrick was questioned on the issue after Digwa, 23, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of murdering university student Henry Nowak. The 23-year-old was holding a 'Kirpan', a religious knife carried by initiated Sikhs as a mandatory article of faith. GB News...

Glenn Beck is sounding the alarm over Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new housing proposal, warning that he's laying the groundwork for expanded government control over private property.The new “Block by Block” housing plan includes taking aggressive legal action against landlords — and even transferring their properties to the tenants themselves.“Through our new citywide campaign, Fix the City, we will focus on the worst landlords in New York City. When necessary, we will take aggressive legal action to remove negligent owners and property managers,” Mamdani said in a speech announcing his plan.

Now that the ballot for the Texas Senate race has been finalized, and Republican Ken Paxton will be facing off against Democrat James Talarico, we're learning even more about Talarico's troubling, radical past statements. Not only does Talarico think God is non-binary, that the Bible condones abortion, and that veganism is the way to save the planet, it turns out Talarico was praised for quoting a Communist-adjacent saying in an invocation before a 2021 legislative session.Redditor on r/GayChristians recounts his favorite prayer from James Talarico. pic.twitter.com/h2077NVYxG— Reddit Lies (@reddit_lies) May 28, 2026The post popped up under the subreddit r/GayChristians and...

It was the kind of sweeping, last-minute demand that would have torpedoed most diplomatic talks: President Donald Trump insisting this week that in exchange for him ending the war with Iran, several Arab and Muslim countries should sign on to his Abraham Accords to normalize their diplomatic relations with Israel. But there’s been almost no response from any of the countries that Trump mentioned by name — more than half of whom already have diplomatic relations with Israel — and no statement of support from an Israeli government that would reap enormous benefits from such a deal. Analysts said Trump’s...

Billionaire investor Peter Thiel reportedly moved his family from the US to Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires as a refuge from high taxes, political turmoil and potential catastrophes like nuclear war and an AI meltdown. The PayPal co-founder and longtime Silicon Valley power player has met privately with Argentine President Javier Milei, purchased a mansion in one of Buenos Aires’ most exclusive neighborhoods and temporarily relocated his family to the South American nation, according to the New York Times. Peter Thiel has reportedly relocated his family to Buenos Aires as he weighs Argentina as a potential "Plan B" amid concerns ranging...

I have written several times about the fundamental corruption of the UNRWA. It is one of two "refugee" aid organizations at the United Nations. It is dedicated to serving Palestinians throughout the Middle East. The other exists to serve every other refugee in the world. That's right. One agency for Palestinians. The other for every other refugee in the world. Think about that and let it sink in. Now, think about the fact that Palestinians are the only "refugees" who have had that status for 80 years. It is absurd. They are not refugees. They weren't even kicked out of...

Remembering Cardinal Pell's "Toxic Nightmare"At 6’4” the late Cardinal George Pell towered over his fellow prelates in height and stature. George Pell, renowned for his toughness, blunt candor, and fearless demeanor—qualities forged, in part, during his days as a hard-charging Australian Rules ruckman. Pell was a battle-scarred athlete, known for his savage takedowns, and the most formidable fighter in the entire College of Cardinals. His intellect and instincts were every bit as lethal as his physical prowess, with his verbal blows carrying the same crushing ferocity as his physical ones. Whether Cardinal Pell was ruthlessly exposing the cynical manipulation and...

The U.S. national debt has crossed an ominous threshold, rising above 100 percent of national gross domestic product, or GDP. This is the first time since World War II that debt has been so high a percentage of national economic output.AdvertisementThat is a big problem because the federal debt undermines the value of the U.S. dollar and diverts investment from the wealth-creating private sector. The rising debt and its pressure on the nation’s economy will force the federal government and Federal Reserve, the latter led by newly confirmed chair Kevin Warsh, to make hard decisions they have put off for...

A Michigan grandpa was killed by the kidney donation he thought would save his life — because the organ donor was infected with rabies from a skunk in a medical nightmare that could affect other organ recipients, according to health officials. Barney Kurowicki, of Tecumseh, Michigan, had been on dialysis for two years when he received a kidney transplant from James Martin, a 59-year-old Idaho father of three, in December 2024, Scripps News reported this week. Martin had died the previous year of what his family believed was heart problems, said his widow Kim Martin told the outlet. “We had...

There are several reasons to think we won’t see a blue wave in this year’s midterm elections. A basic one is that the Democratic party simply isn’t very popular. In late May, Donald Trump’s approval ratings in the RealClear polling aggregate stood around 40 percent, which sounds bad. Yet Trump is more popular than his party – approval of the Republican brand was in the vicinity of 38 percent. And the Democrats’ ratings were even worse – standing, or one might say wilting, at about 36 percent. Those figures are not to be confused with “generic ballot” polling, which asks...

Body camera and dash camera video released Thursday shows the chaotic end of a high-speed Interstate 80 pursuit that topped 120 mph that authorities say ended with a wanted Wyoming woman getting struck by her own moving vehicle as she bailed out of it. The Albany County Sheriff's Office reports chase began around 6:25 p.m. Saturday after a sheriff’s sergeant spotted a stolen vehicle traveling eastbound near mile marker 323 on Interstate 80 in Albany County. Authorities identified the driver as Sarah Grazin, 45, who deputies said was tied to multiple felony warrants out of Sublette County. Law enforcement alerts...

Faith FactsUnited Nations added Israel to its blacklist of entities accused of sexual violence in conflict zones, placing the democratic nation alongside terrorist organizations Hamas and ISISIsraeli Ambassador Danny Danon condemned the decision as disconnected from facts and reality, calling it a moral failure by the international bodyThe controversial listing comes despite documented evidence of sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians during the October 7 attacksIn a stunning and morally questionable decision, the United Nations has placed the nation of Israel on its official blacklist of entities accused of committing sexual violence in conflict zones. Israeli Ambassador...

The individual who carried out a loud, steam >affair with an Obama federal judge has been unmasked as a prominent Atlanta policeman, causing the scandal to take another turn for the worse. As The Gateway Pundit reported, a special committee for the Eleventh Circuit discovered that a judge nominated by former President Barack Obama carried out a two-year sexual affair in her “chambers and during business hours” with a police commander. According to Bloomberg Law, the incidents all occurred within “earshot” of law clerks. On Thursday, Bloomberg Law identified the judge as Eleanor Ross of the Northern District of Georgia....

Dow Jones Industrial Average Last Updated: May 29, 2026 at 12:15 p.m. EDT 51,007.80 338.83 0.67% Previous Close 50,668.97 05/29/2026 12:14 PM EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin exploded during a test at the launch pad Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange. Blue Origin said its New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine-firing test being conducted ahead of a satellite launch planned for next week. No one was hurt, according to officials at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” Bezos said via X. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to...

I recently heard from a friend that Talarico's leftist church - the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas -- told its parishners to throw away their Bibles and purchase the "Inclusive Bible" by the Priests for Equality, which was quite an odd translation of the Bible. I first confirmed Talarico preached there: https://pres-outlook.org/2026/03/austin-seminary-student-james-talarico-wins-democratic-u-s-senate-primary/ I then confirmed it uses the Inclusive Bible: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/St--Andrew-s-News-for-July-26-to-August-1--2024.html?soid=1112060411088&aid=MNn8GrAF534 I then looked up that "bible" and whoa, is it weird: I flipped through it just briefly: Adam is an "it" the "first creature" until Eve is created, the first human. Marriage is not between a "man...