Free Republic

We have known since the 1980s, when Stanley Rothman published the first of his research on media elites, that those who occupy the command posts in the media are overwhelmingly on the abortion-rights side. That is why they are already lionizing Gloria Steinem, who died at 92. But there is another side to her, one that the media will not discuss. Is it possible to be “pro-choice” and not anti-Catholic? Of course. Is it possible to be a rabid “pro-choice” activist and not anti-Catholic? Possible, but not likely. That’s because these activists see the Catholic Church as the enemy—they are...

Colombia’s hardline president, Abelardo De La Espriella, has provoked outrage after posting a video on social media in which he strides through rows of white body bags that he says contained the corpses of 23 “neutralised” guerrillas.De La Espriella took power last month vowing “all-out war” against illegal armed groups and he published the footage on Thursday in an apparent attempt to show he was fulfilling that pledge.“I promised to confront terrorism without hesitation and I’m keeping that promise,” the far-right politician wrote above the video. “I did not come to play nice with murderers, extortionists and child recruiters. I...

Being blacklisted by CAIR a ‘badge of honor,’ Republican Jewish Coalition says. Sam Markstein, national political director and spokesman for the Republican Jewish Coalition, told JNS on Thursday that being blacklisted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations is a “badge of honor.” CAIR, which blamed Israel for being attacked shortly after Oct. 7 and which the Biden administration initially listed as part of its national strategy on fighting Jew-hatred but later evicted it, designated the coalition and Jewish American Summit as “anti-Muslim extremist organizations.” The antisemitic group announced the designations on Thursday, accusing both Jewish groups of platforming speakers who...

ransomnote: The prior posts in the series are here: John “TIG” Tiegen @TigTiegen: 12 DAYS OF BENGHAZI [Introduction and Day 1 of the 12 day series]John “TIG” Tiegen @TigTiegen: 12 DAYS OF BENGHAZI [Day 2 and Day 3 of the 12 day series] John “TIG” Tiegen@TigTiegen·5h12 DAYS OF BENGHAZI: DAY 4I was operating out of the Annex. We were not the State Department, we were not at the U.S. Consulate, and we did not operate under the same security structure.By August 2012, the State Department mission in Benghazi had security “tripwires.” The tripwires I’m talking about applied to the State...

A man accused of being a key player in an international gold theft scheme targeting senior citizens in Tarrant County and across the country was arrested while trying to flee the country, officials say. Muzamil Ahmed, 35, was detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. Port Authority police arrested him on Tarrant County warrants alleging organized crime for theft, financial abuse of the elderly, and money laundering. Investigators say Ahmed operated out of New Jersey, where he created shell corporations to launder money stolen from elderly victims. Authorities said...

Multiple Asian governments assert sovereignty over rocks, reefs, and other geographic features in the heavily trafficked South China Sea (SCS), with the People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) arguably making the most assertive claims. Separate from the sovereignty disputes, the governments of the United States, China, and other countries disagree over what rights international law grants foreign militaries to fly, sail, and operate in a country’s territorial sea or exclusive economic zone (EEZ). For more than a decade, some Members have examined China’s efforts to use coercion and intimidation to increase its control over the SCS.An estimated one-fifth to...

FRANKFORT, Ill. (WLS) -- The mother of a 2-year-old who died in a domestic homicide incident earlier this week has been charged with his murder, Frankfort police said Friday.Corie A. Walsh, 38, was charged in the incident, police said.Just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, Frankfort police responded to the 22700-block of Brook Stone Court for a report of an unresponsive child.A 2-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital, where he later died, police said.Walsh was also taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.Police previously said the child's mother was found attempting to hurt herself.

# PROLOGUE ## The Last File Thomas Rourke had always liked November in West Virginia. By then the hardwoods had given up most of their color, leaving the mountains stripped down to gray trunks, brown ridgelines and scattered stands of pine that seemed almost unnaturally green against everything around them. The first real snow was usually still a few weeks away, although there had been years when winter arrived early and buried the county before Thanksgiving. On most November nights, however, the temperature simply fell below freezing after dark, woodsmoke settled into the hollows, and the mountains grew quiet in...

More than one-third of American households rely on natural gas stoves to prepare their meals.Burning natural gas generates carbon dioxide, which is the main driver of climate change. But cooking on gas stoves is also an under-recognized and important source of indoor air pollution. Combustion of natural gas creates nitrogen dioxide and other compounds that can irritate the lungs. People with preexisting respiratory conditions, such as the 28 million Americans with asthma, may be especially susceptible. An analysis of more than 40 studies found a correlation between nitrogen dioxide levels and asthma symptoms.I am a physician and medical researcher, and...

A federal judge has ordered Berkeley officials to consider specific locations where unhoused people can move when the city closes the long-standing encampment at Eighth and Harrison streets. But Judge Edward Chen rejected homeless advocates’ request for a long-term postponement of the camp closure, and said Berkeley can clear the area “in short order.” Chen’s order Thursday states that homeless advocates must generate, and city officials must approve or reject, a list of proposed new campsites for 23 camp residents by Aug. 27. It is the latest concession homeless advocates have won in their legal challenges that seek to block...

Strange Stones on the Acropolis, Explained | 7:00 ArgosNiko | 2.22K subscribers | 5,400 views | August 31, 2026

A mother has said she feels 'helpless' and called UnitedHealthcare money-hungry after the insurance company allegedly denied covering her son's rehab for a brain injury. Peyton Alvarez, a 25-year-old airline mechanic at PSA Airlines, crashed into a tree while riding his motorcycle in Greenville, South Carolina, on April 28. Although he was wearing a helmet and other protective gear, the collision caused a serious brain injury that left him unconscious for a month and a half. Doctors told his mother, Trina Alvarez, that Peyton may never wake up. But the young man eventually opened his right eye in early June,...

Maria Bartiromo's lawyer has sensationally denied reports that the veteran television host was fired by Fox News, warning that he has 'receipts and witnesses' to prove it. In an exclusive statement to the Daily Mail, powerhouse attorney Bryan Freedman branded the 'irresponsible' reports that Bartiromo had been fired or was no longer employed by Fox 'absolutely and unequivocally false.' It comes after Fox News Media announced Thursday that Bartiromo was 'no longer with' the network after more than 12 years, effective immediately. Freedman, however, is now fiercely disputing the way his client's departure has been characterized - while alluding to...

PLYMOUTH, Mass. – A judge declared a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial Friday on the seventh day of deliberations — but gave her defiant lawyer one hour to file an emergency appeal against the ruling. The 12-person jury – made up of nine women and three men – told Judge William Sullivan that they could not agree on whether to convict Clancy, 36, of three counts of first-degree murder.

This Sunday, the German state of Saxony-Anhalt holds its state election. The populist-right Alternative for German (AfD) is far out in front, but will have difficulty finding a coalition partner with which to form a ruling majority in the state legislature. AfD has been described as an extremist party, not merely a populist-right party. So, I thought I'd link to its manifesto (or platform). I'll say a few things about its manifesto in my comment following

There’s a list of celebrities supporting Mark Ruffalo after the “Avengers” star’s latest anti-Israel bombast. Gina Carano might have settled for just one A-list defender. Or even a D-list dweller. Ruffalo’s chronic anti-Israel rhetoric finally caught up with the 58-year-old actor. Several Jewish groups chastised his recent anti-Paramount merger rhetoric wrapped in what some called antisemitic tropes. “Larry Ellison will own most of ‘Para Bros.’ Larry is a classic Oligarch. They are crushing workers and consolidating the wealth of the world for their own power and concentrated dominance.”

...in 2026, according to the Community Health Law Project (CHLP), "32 states criminalize people living with HIV (PLHIV) and 28 states have harsh criminal penalty enhancements that elevate charges based on a person’s knowledge of their HIV status." There are many examples of the harm these laws do. One that stands out to me is Robert Suttle. I met Robert last year when he was a guest on my cable access TV broadcast, The Recruiters with Tom Duane. In 2008, Robert was arrested at his workplace after a former partner accused him of failing to disclose his HIV status. Robert...

The debate over Flock Safety cameras divides people in a way that almost nothing else does in technology policy. Those who have had a car stolen tend to love them. Those who study constitutional law tend to hate them. Both are reacting to something real. This is an independent analysis of what these systems actually do, what the evidence says about their accuracy and misuse, and why the most important question is not whether cameras can photograph public streets — it is whether the government should build a searchable, warrantless database of everyone’s movements. This topic generated significant public discussion...

Cathy Engelbert will retire as WNBA commissioner at the end of the 2026 season following seven years at the helm, sources told ESPN on Friday. Multiple high-ranking team sources had recently told ESPN that they believed the 2026 season would likely be Engelbert's last. While Engelbert has ushered the WNBA into what she's called "hypergrowth" mode, transforming the league into a significantly more prominent sports and entertainment property, her leadership had come into question over the past year.

A depraved illegal alien who was previously deported and later slipped back into the United States is now wanted for allegedly sexually abusing and impregnating his own teenage daughter. Sergio Galvez-Perez, a 38-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, is wanted in Monterey County after authorities say he fathered a child with his own 14-year-old daughter. Investigators say the girl was only 13 when she became pregnant. The newborn, named Baby Angelita by detectives, was found dead on the side of Struve Road near Moss Landing on August 1, umbilical cord still attached, with signs of traumatic injury. Monterey County Sheriff Tina...