Free Republic

Every generation searches for answers. Young people have always challenged the status quo, questioned authority and sought a better future than the one they inherited. That impulse is not only understandable, but it is often essential to a healthy democracy. It is how societies reform, innovate and correct injustice.Yet one question has resurfaced with increasing frequency on college campuses, social media and in political discourse: Why are some young people embracing communism or openly expressing sympathy for socialist and communist ideas despite the overwhelming historical record of communist governments?The answer deserves more than slogans or political attacks. It deserves honesty,...

An Iranian American Muslim and former political prisoner who lived through the aftermath of Iran’s 1979 revolution sat down with The Dallas Express to discuss the rise of the Islamic Republic, the impact of Sharia-based governance on Iranians, and why she believes Islamic fundamentalism has developed into a threat extending far beyond the Middle East. Homeira Hesami, chairwoman of the Iranian-American Community of North Texas, was barely a teenager when the revolution toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. IACNT describes itself as an independent nonprofit that has served North Texas’ Iranian community for more than three decades, with a focus on...

Gov. Gavin Newsom refused to take a position on a raging debate over standardized testing in University of California admissions — dismissing as “anecdotes” the alarming reports from college professors about students who can’t do basic math. The governor was asked at a Wednesday press conference in Hayward about an open letter from more than 1,200 UC professors, including Nobel prize winners and leading scientists, who warned of a “severe” crisis of incoming freshman who are unable to even do fractions, forcing educators to dumb down Calculus and other advanced courses. “Show me the data,” Newsom said. “I have feelings...

Plus: Why Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers are guilty, and why Shohei Ohtani is not Jason Russell | 8.18.2026 10:25 AM Has any famous athlete ever had such an unnecessary public relations fumble as Jayden Daniels' demand that LSU stop using his name, image, and likeness (NIL)? The Commanders quarterback is getting relentlessly mocked online by almost everyone—not just random people online, but even professional teams in other leagues. Examples if you click below: New York Mets @Mets Stopped at 4 out of respect for Jayden Daniels #LGM #MetsWin NFL Drop @TheNFLDrop Five Guys has changed their name to Four...

WASHINGTON — They’re a shady bunch. A California family that swindled $18 million in COVID-19 relief cash to splurge on various trappings — including a Harley-Davidson, diamonds and luxury homes — inspired a Senate crackdown on so-called “fraudster families.” Two of the family members, Richard Ayvazyan and his wife, Marietta Terabelian, cut off their ankle bracelets and ditched their three children via a goodbye note to flee the US after being convicted on fraud charges, before being caught in Montenegro. Years later, the saga inspired Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who has led the Senate DOGE Caucus, to push for legislation...

Explanation: Like an illustration in a galactic Just So Story, the Elephant's Trunk Nebula winds through the emission region and young star cluster complex IC 1396, in the high and far off constellation of Cepheus. Also known as vdB 142, this cosmic elephant's trunk is over 20 light-years long. The detailed telescopic view features the bright swept-back ridges and pockets of cool interstellar dust and gas that abound in the region. But the dark, tendril-shaped clouds contain the raw material for star formation and hide protostars within. Nearly 3,000 light-years distant, the relatively faint IC 1396 complex covers a large...

A roar of cheers and claps erupted from the sea of pink supporters as a sheriff’s department van carrying Lindsay Clancy rolled past. Around 400 women in shades of blush, salmon, coral and hot pink had gathered in solidarity with the 36-year-old defendant sitting in a wheelchair behind its blacked-out windows in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Some had driven overnight from New York City with their young children. Others traveled seven hours from Maine to attend what is being dubbed 'America's saddest murder trial.' All were there to rally behind the mom-of-three on trial for strangling her three children - Cora, five,...

An academic who made plagiarism allegations against Professor Jason Arday before his death has been suspended by a university. Professor Arday resigned from his role at the University of Cambridge this month after he faced intense scrutiny over accusations of plagiarism initially made by fellow academic Nathan Cofnas. Mr Cofnas, who has advocated for 'race realism', is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University's department of philosophy and moral sciences, according to his website. In a post on X on Thursday, he said: 'I am under investigation by my university for discriminating against Arday.' In a separate post, Mr Cofnas...

Videos on social media have shown angry drivers in Russia in bitter fights over gasoline as shortages caused by Ukraine’s strikes against oil facilities present an increasing headache for the Kremlin.Kremlin-backed media are reporting the extent of growing queues at the pump, including the newspaper Izvestia, which said gasoline was available at only 28 percent of gas stations, compared with 41 percent a week earlier. Reuters reported August 17 that fuel sales were restricted in at least 10 regions of Russia, that "Rosneft" set a limit of 30 liters per vehicle, "Tatneft" set a limit of 50 liters, and "Gazprom...

In the second century A.D., Roman emperor Hadrian commissioned a temple dedicated to the gods. To this day, the Pantheon still possesses the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. How do these ancient Roman concrete structures withstand the test of time? Well, superior engineering for one. For example, skilled artisans used lighter aggregates higher in the Pantheon's dome. Roman seawalls owe their extreme longevity in part to their “self-healing” capacity. Exposure to seawater facilitated the continued growth of crystalline structures in the concrete. Researchers have also focused on volcanic ash as a secret to the durability of Roman concrete...

Latest news from the Iran conflict. Tousi TV now broadcasting from the temporary studio in South Florida.

Lindsey Austen received an alert that a drone was approaching her home in Richmond on Monday – prompting her to excitedly run outside to see it. Austen told Storyful it was the first time one of her packages had been dropped off by the flying robot. She began recording before the drop-off turned out to be a total disaster. Footage showed the drone hovering high above her pool in her backyard, making tons of noise as the propellers kept it in the air before a hatch opened, releasing her package. 'Oh my god,' Austen said in shock. The drone dropped...

Federal agents seized electronic devices from former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell at the San Francisco airport on Saturday and then raided his home in Washington, DC, the next day as part of an ongoing probe connected to sexual assault allegations, sources familiar with the investigation told CNN. Swalwell did not immediately respond to messages from CNN following the raid, but he has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual assault. The FBI declined to comment. Swalwell resigned from Congress and dropped his gubernatorial bid in April after reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle detailed allegations of sexual misconduct, including...

The pilot of a small airplane was killed and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were injured after the plane collided in midair with a state police helicopter near the Carlisle airport in Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley on Wednesday evening, officials said. The Cessna 150 airplane crashed into the Bell 407 helicopter, which was conducting a training exercise, shortly before 7 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner Col. George Bivens told reporters at a press briefing. The Cumberland County Coroner's Office on Thursday identified the pilot of the Cessna as Dr. Paul Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey, Pennsylvania. He was the sole occupant...

FIRST ON FOX: ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis pleaded the Fifth Amendment during his closed-door deposition before three key House committees, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital. The Committee on House Administration, House Oversight Committee, and House Judiciary Committee are conducting a joint investigation into ActBlue, a massive fundraising platform for Democrats, over allegations that lax fraud prevention standards may have allowed foreign donations to seep into U.S. campaigns. DeBergalis' deposition, which was scheduled for Thursday morning, lasted less than half an hour. Fox News saw DeBergalis entering and exiting the committee room within roughly 25 minutes.

Wirskye also shared texts in which Anthony expressed being “on the verge” and fantasized about stabbing someone and licking the blood from the blade. The prosecutor told the court that Anthony’s girlfriend, Valeria Perez, went to school officials that very morning and reported that she had broken up with him and that he was stalking her. Roughly one hour later, Metcalf was stabbed to death under the Memorial High School tent at David Kuykendall Stadium. He died in his twin brother's arms. Text messages recovered from that morning show Anthony writing “I’m low key on the verge,” a statement Wirskye...

WASHINGTON—President Trump’s half-built White House ballroom is a 90,000-square-foot embodiment of a recurring legal conundrum: What happens when a boundary-pushing president moves faster than courts can keep up? The Supreme Court will soon decide whether to allow Trump to continue building the $400 million project. But he and his administration’s lawyers have told the justices that they have no real choice at all. Construction of the “concrete-and-steel superstructure,” they say, has already advanced so far that it would be “practically impossible” to stop now, let alone tear down what has already been built.

You’ve probably heard that Donald Trump assembled a “multiracial coalition” in 2024, inaugurating a historic “realignment” of American politics that will enable the GOP to continue winning elections in our increasingly diverse nation. It’s a deeply misguided reading of that election. It’s also a dangerous delusion for Republicans. Racial diversity has made Democratic strongholds out of once-winnable cities like New York and states like California. It threatens to do the same in Texas and Georgia, both of which are now majority nonwhite. Just look at the latest polling for this year’s midterms: White Texans and Georgians strongly prefer the Republican...

The state of open carry in the United States has definitely been changing, thanks largely to the efforts of open carry activists across the country.In 2014 there were six states where open carry was generally banned. They were California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, South Carolina, and New York. There were 30 other states where you could open carry without a permit. In the 14 remaining states you needed a permit to open carry, even if obtaining a permit in Hawaii and New Jersey was very, very difficult.Much has changed in the last dozen years, and one of the best resources for...

After most of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ top legislative goals failed this year, Rep. Rachel Williams, who heads the hard-line conservative group, told reporters they needed “reinforcements in Cheyenne.” On Tuesday, the caucus failed to reach that goal, instead losing majority control in the House and backsliding in the Senate. The caucus, which officially formed in 2020, won majority control of the House for the first time in 2024. But when most of its top legislative goals fizzled in the 2026 budget session, the group’s leadership blamed the failure on lacking a supermajority in the House and insufficient support in...