Free Republic

Jefferson County Probate Judge Yashiba G. Blanchard was suspended on May 21, the same day the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed formal charges against her with the Court of the Judiciary. The complaint details a pattern of abuse of power, docket mismanagement, bias, intimidation, and retaliation that harmed patients, families, and court staff. One of the allegations involves Blanchard’s handling of involuntary commitment and guardianship cases. The complaint claims she routinely delayed or canceled probable cause hearings, creating a massive backlog. In one case, hospital staff repeatedly contacted her office begging for a hearing so a patient could be discharged...

Americans are used to handouts for favored groups. Affirmative action in university admissions, corporate “diversity” initiatives, and minority-owned contracting requirements direct opportunities, resources, and contracts to supposedly “oppressed” groups, such as women, Native Americans, blacks, and Hispanics. In California, state Democrats have embraced another kind of favoritism: contracts for state-certified gay-owned businesses. The scheme operates through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates privately owned utility companies. California utilities spent more than $43 billion in 2024 on contractors—fuel suppliers, surveyors, engineers, and others—whose work helps deliver water, gas, electricity, and internet service to California’s 39 million residents. In 1986,...

Explanation: How did a hamster wheel get into space? The Hamster Wheel Nebula (Longmore 8) was discovered by Andrew Longmore in 1976 as a part of a larger survey of the southern sky. This survey employed several improvements in photographic technology, including the use of highly sensitive film, to capture deeper and fainter objects on plates that were examined by eye and catalogued. The featured image, taken at Observatorio El Sauce in Chile, depicts an intricate wheel structure of glowing hydrogen that was thrown out into space by a dying star and ionized by the leftover white dwarf. This structure...

A Trump-backed pastor is preparing to drop out of Oklahoma's Republican primary after the Daily Mail exposed his intimate relationship with a campaign aide. Jackson Lahmeyer's campaign manager last night told his team that the married father-of-five was dropping out of the race and taking a sabbatical from preaching, sources told the Daily Mail. A formal announcement is expected Friday. Lahemeyer and his wife Kendra invited their congregation to a 'closed meeting' at Sheridan Church in Tulsa at 6.30pm Wednesday. Donald Trump hours after the news broke shared on Truth Social that he was switching his endorsement to Lahmeyer's rival...

According to the California Democratic Party, "You’re not allowed to watch the World Cup if you’ve ever spoken out against DEI." Or at least that’s what they posted on X Thursday, right as the World Cup kicks off across North America. The post’s implication is clear: conservatives don’t believe in diversity, so when soccer teams feature non-white players, they’d supposedly claim those players “stole” spots from “better” white players. Not only is the post blatantly false as conservatives routinely cite sports as proof that diversity works without DEI, but some also pointed out that Democrats are managing to make sports,...

There can only be one rock band that is unquestionably and certifiably the cool kids’ choice in 2026, and whatever indie cred the rest of you kids may carry, this town ain’t big enough for both you and Rush. The reconstituted version of the recently dormant group just wrapped up a sold-out, tour-opening four-night stand at the Kia Forum that was a triumphantly climactic week in Rush’s unexpected reentry as a cultural and musical force in the 2020s. Two heroes walked into the Forum — Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson — and three walked out, as new drummer Anika Nilles...

STOCKHOLM, June 15 (Reuters) - Sweden's parliament passed a law on Monday allowing authorities to revoke immigrants' residency permits based ‌on bad behaviour, such as having unpaid debts, doing ‌undeclared work or links to extremist organisations. The law, which covers pending permits but also ​retroactively already granted permits, is part of a wider tightening of immigration rules by the right-wing government and its support party, the nationalist Sweden Democrats, ahead of a parliamentary election in September. The law ‌has been criticised by ⁠the opposition and human rights advocacy groups as arbitrary because decisions would be taken on behaviour that ⁠has...

A 21-year-old leftist college student is in custody after admitting to burning a cross in Chicago’s Grant Park, saying it was a protest against the Trump administration — an act that sparked outrage from Democrats who initially called it the “seeds of racism and fascism.” The incident first flared up on June 9. A disturbing video showed a wooden cross burning at Grant Park in Chicago. Firefighters extinguished the flames and police released photos of a “person of interest” fleeing the scene, per ABC 7. With no suspect in custody, Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential presidential contender, rushed...

Toronto police say multiple investigations into shootings around the Toronto area, including incidents at synagogues and the U.S. Consulate, reveal a pattern of young people being hired to perpetrate gun crimes in the city. Chief Myron Demkiw and Chief Supt. Joe Matthews spoke at a news conference Tuesday morning, less than a week after police carried out search warrants related to multiple shootings across the city. Three recent arrests have been linked to the shooting investigations, Matthews said, including the alleged killer of a Toronto police officer who was shot during a raid Thursday. Demkiw said the investigators recovered two...

Lawsuit accuses fertility clinic of embryo mix-upA Central Florida couple suing a fertility clinic over an embryo mix-up has reached a custody agreement with their baby girl’s biological parents, according to court documents. Steven Mills and Tiffany Score gave birth to the girl in December, after receiving IVF treatment through Fertility Center of Orlando, only to discover the child was not biologically related to them. Genetic testing later confirmed the mix-up. The couple filed a lawsuit against the Longwood-based clinic earlier this year. The lawsuit demands emergency relief for the following: Inform Patients: Compelling the clinic to disclose what happened...

A Mexican national who illegally entered the United States multiple times was deported after authorities uncovered a scheme in which she allegedly attempted to hand over her newborn baby to another woman in order to pay off a debt owed to human smugglers. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 28-year-old Maria Lidia Valle-Hernandez was removed from the United States on May 11 following an immigration court order. Federal authorities say Valle-Hernandez registered under a false name when she arrived at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, to give birth in January 2024. Investigators later determined she intended...

It’s been nearly eight months since the Las Vegas Aces were crowned WNBA champions for the third time in four seasons. They still have not received an invitation to the White House, a team spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic. President Donald J. Trump has yet to host a WNBA or NBA championship team during his terms, and this will be the first time the Aces have not made a White House visit after winning a title. USA Today was first to report the news. The Athletic reached out to the White House for comment on whether the Trump administration will...

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., added an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027 that would require military academies to accept the Classic Learning Test for admissions. The CLT exam is a standardized assessment that tests students in reading, writing, and mathematics, with a focus on classical and historical texts. The amendment, passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee, would allow applicants to submit Classic Learning Test (CLT) test scores instead of those from the traditional SAT or ACT. “I was proud to secure this amendment to help our military academies attract the best and brightest young...

He is facing a second degree murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, in New York City in December 2024.Luigi Mangione will assert a psychiatric defense in his state murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the judge overseeing the case said at a hearing on Wednesday. If his attorneys are able to prove he was experiencing an extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the alleged killing, Mangione’s second-degree murder charge be reduced to first-degree manslaughter if he’s convicted. Mangione faces nine felony charges, including second-degree murder and several...

UPDATE: Chicago police confirmed to NBC Chicago Tuesday morning that a person of interest in connection with the cross found burning in Grant Park was in custody. Our latest story can be found here. Our original story continues below. It was a startling and offensive scene. A burning cross in Grant Park last Tuesday - the century-old flaming symbol of racism and hatred. For nearly a week, Chicago police and the FBI have been trying to identify the man who was suspected of setting up the cross and torching it. NBC 5 Investigates has identified a 21-year-old college senior who...

Killer Karmelo Anthony's parents have been very vocal about what they claim was "injustice" following their son's murder conviction, while on the other side, the father of Austin Metcalf, whom Anthony stabbed and killed, has expressed forgiveness of his son's murderer. After the verdict was presented to the court Tuesday, Metcalf's father, Jeff Metcalf, unleashed a fiery tirade at Anthony. He also had a sorrowful reaction after the trial, CBS reported. In a sit-down interview with the outlet, he said, "I'll even say this: I had a little bit of sorrow because I'm human; and that poor boy is fixing...

Denver Public Schools board members voted unanimously May 20 to dismiss a 50-year-old foreign language teacher following a district investigation and an independent review into student complaints about a class assignment. The board voted 7-0 after meeting in executive session to consider the firing of Jennifer Honka. Honka taught French Language and Culture at Northeast Early College for all of her eight years with the district. Officially, Honka was fired for incompetence and neglect of duty. There was no public debate among the board members prior to the vote. Honka's classroom instruction first came into question during the 2023-24 school...

NEW YORK, NY — According to sources, Vice President JD Vance stumbled upon an incredible discovery on Tuesday when he made contact with a tribe of illiterate, feral women. The all-female tribe was discovered in a television studio where anthropologists believe they ate garbage and pretended to put on a show for their pantheon of primitive gods. Their clothing was allegedly a mixture of rags and what appeared to be remnants of the JC Penney Spring Collection. Vance took copious notes while in their presence, hoping to get his findings to a local university so the tribe could be further...

Kevin Warsh’s first meeting as Federal Reserve chairman concluded Wednesday with no change in interest rates, the removal of key language indicating a bias toward future cuts, and a dramatically shorter policy statement. The Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously to keep its benchmark overnight borrowing rate anchored in a range of 3.5%-3.75%. The federal funds rate has held there since the central bank lowered rates by three-quarters of a percentage point in the latter part of 2025. With a bevy intrigue over Warsh taking the central bank helm, the meeting followed the same pattern as the others this year...

More than three weeks after an apparent bear killed a 33-year-old hiker in Glacier National Park, questions continue to linger about what wildlife officials called a “stunningly rare” incident. At the top of the list, wildlife experts are trying to assess what triggered the possible conflict, which could affect what happens to the bear involved, if anything. Anthony Pollio of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was reported missing May 4 after he didn’t return from a hike on the west side of Glacier Park the previous day. Two days later, his remains were discovered about 50 feet off the Mt. Brown Trail...