Free Republic

The Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on the constitutionality of an 1868 federal law that imposes a tax on distilled spirits but also bans home distilleries – that is, the at-home production of spirits like bourbon and whiskey. The penalties for violating the law include fines of up to $10,000, five years in prison, or both. In a list of orders from the justices’ Oct. 16 conference, the court announced that it had granted review in Department of Justice v. McNutt. The justices will likely hear oral argument in the case early next year, with a decision to...

Florida voters will decide three certified statewide constitutional amendments on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, all placed by the state legislature. Each measure requires 60% approval to pass. Amendment 1 (Budget Stabilization Fund): Increases the cap on the state’s "rainy day" fund from 10% to 25% of net general revenue and mandates annual transfers of the lesser of $750 million or the amount needed to reach that cap, allowing withdrawals for critical state needs. Amendment 2 (Agricultural Property Tax Exemption): Exempts tangible personal property used for agricultural production or agritourism—such as farm equipment and tools—from local property taxes,...

When Oklahoma lawmakers finally gave Sheriff Jim Mullett the go-ahead, he began to rein in Garvin County’s marijuana businesses and shut down the illegal ones. Mullett said there were 470 grows in the county in 2021. With the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, the state attorney general’s office and other local, state and federal agencies, Mullett said he and his deputies brought the number of grow sites down to 33. But what happens to all the stuff left behind — including the land, chemicals and agricultural equipment? “What’s going on in, around the state of Oklahoma, is...

Eating processed meat may be to blame for a boom in bowel cancer, according to a scientist. Prof Chris Elliott, founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast, said that chemicals found in bacon and ham are “one of the main suspects” for increased cases of the disease. Early-onset bowel cancer has increased substantially in adults under 50 across the world since 1990. Studies suggest the UK has one of the fastest-rising rates, with estimates putting the increase at around 60 per cent. Speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Prof Elliott said the...

Miss Wisconsin is putting agriculture literacy at the forefront. Olivia Lulich made agricultural literacy a central part of her platform. She uses social media to reach the next generation who will help feed, clothe and fuel the world. The Viroqua-area schools agriculture teacher and FFA advisor has an initiative called "One to 100." It showcases how one percent of the population feeds 100 percent of our world. "I think so many of our society and generation cares about what's in our food and how it is getting to our tables at the end of the day and the best way...

The MONTHLY Victory Garden Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

The New Species of Demon-Named Flower Feeds on Fungi Instead of SunlightIn A Nutshell Researchers in Thailand discovered a new flower species, Thismia daemona, named for its dark, horn-like, demon-inspired appearance. The plant has no chlorophyll and never needs sunlight, instead pulling nutrients from underground fungi. Fewer than 50 known individuals exist, all in a single patch of forest inside a national park popular with tourists. Scientists have preliminarily assessed the species as Critically Endangered under IUCN criteria. High in the mountain forests of western Thailand, researchers stumbled on a flower that looks like it belongs in a horror movie....

The MONTHLY Victory Garden Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

It would probably be pretty alarming to learn that, in the early 1980s, scientists decided to drop off a bunch of gophers at the site of a volcanic eruption. But don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. In fact, according to a report from the University of California, this particular gopher-volcano encounter proved to be such a net positive that its effects are still being felt 43 years later. It starts with the eruption of Mount St. Helens in May of 1980. It was the most destructive volcanic event in American history, claiming 57 lives and causing staggering...

Summary Company Announcement Date: August 22, 2026 FDA Publish Date: August 22, 2026 Product Type: Food & Beverages Reason for Announcement: Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) Company Name: Everything Sprouts, LLC Brand Name: Everything Sprouts, Calco Product Description: Alfalfa Sprouts Company Announcement Everything Sprouts, LLC, based in Minneapolis, MN is recalling certain lots of Alfalfa Sprouts because it has the potential to be contaminated with Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) or Salmonella bacteria. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are organisms that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly...

A voluntary recall of frozen organic blueberries has been elevated to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s most serious risk category after evidence linked the products to a potentially life-threatening bacterial contamination. According to a report from the Daily Mail, the FDA has reclassified the recall of GreenWise Organic frozen blueberries as Class I. That designation applies when there is a “reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” The original recall was initiated last month by Chile-based Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur SA after testing detected a...

Madison Vegan Fest is returning in September, celebrating sustainable living and plant-based food. The free, family-friendly festival will be held at Lunney Lake Farm County Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 26. Dozens of exhibitors are expected, including food vendors offering vegan baked goods, beverages and savory dishes. Gluten-free options also will be available. Organizers expect more than 4,000 people to attend. The event welcomes both vegans and non-vegans. Madison Vegan Fest has been held in Madison since 2011.

Britain’s new farming minister fainted at the sight of meat as he toured a food processing plant, a report claims, as the country’s new left-wing Prime Minister tries to win over farmers the previous government relentlessly attacked. Stephen Morgan, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — otherwise known as the ‘farming minister’ — a junior minister in the new Andy Burnham government is reported to have taken a queer turn when touring agricultural sites to help him familiarise himself with his new job. Britain’s best-selling newspaper The Sun cites a farmer familiar with...

My swath of cheery flowers brings joy to our home, plus is a boon for wildlife. Here’s what I’ve learned, and what I’d do differently next time.A few years ago, the view from my window was a bleak, dusty expanse. Now, there are fledgling sparrows romping in a wildflower meadow, where impossibly purple flax sways in the breeze alongside native grasses and splashes of orange poppies.And every year brings a surprising highlight. Once it was a blanket of delicate white baby’s breath. The next, tall evening primroses took over, with goldfinches resting in their towering spires of yellow flowers. The...

The Food and Drug Administration this week escalated a recall of 1.6 million cartons of eggs over potential salmonella contamination to its most serious classification. On Wednesday, the FDA designated the incident a "Class 1" recall, which the agency applies to product recalls "in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." The eggs were first recalled on July 22 by North Manchester, Indiana-based Midwest Poultry Services because they could be contaminated with salmonella. The eggs were sold under various brand names at retailers...

BEAVER DAM, Wis. — Beaver Dam police are investigating after more than 30 vehicles were egged Tuesday night. Police said they identified and interviewed three people in connection with the vandalism. The three are cooperating with the investigation and are expected to receive several citations. Police ask anyone whose vehicle was egged to call the department at ***_***_****

Nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef from Argentina has been recalled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined the shipment had bypassed a required import reinspection. “Corte Argentino USA LLC, located in Aventura, Fla., is recalling approximately 29,628 pounds of raw beef products that were imported from Argentina without the benefit of import reinspection into the United States,” the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced. The products subject to the recall bear Argentinian establishment number “EST. N° OF. 2025” and shipping mark “26644-AA” The products were distributed to distributors and retailers in Florida and Texas. More from...

ne giant dam has already nudged the way our planet turns. When the enormous Three Gorges Dam reservoir in China filled with tens of billions of tons of water, NASA calculations showed that the extra mass made each day about 0.06 microseconds longer and shifted Earth’s rotation axis by roughly 2 centimeters. Now Beijing is moving ahead with an even more ambitious project on the Tibetan Plateau. A new hydropower complex planned for Medog County in Tibet is expected to become the largest dam system on the planet, with an annual output roughly three times that of Three Gorges and...

2026's El Niño is on course to be the most severe on record, even hotter than the 1997/98 event that caused trillions in damage and thousands of deaths. An El Niño event like nothing we’ve ever seen before is cooking in the Pacific. Its mounting strength is so unprecedented that climate scientists aren't even sure what impact it will have when it hits full tilt, but they say this “uncharted territory” should be a cause for concern. What is El Niño? And why is 2026 so weird? El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by warmer ocean temperatures across the...

Enough speculation has swirled about Ford’s forthcoming small all-electric pickup truck to fill the bed of an F-350 Super Duty. Today, the Blue Oval lightens that payload somewhat by officially announcing the new EV truck’s name and starting price, while confirming additional tech and capabilities. This Goes Deep “Ranchero” had been our guess at the truck’s title, but instead, an entirely new nameplate will be introduced. So here it is: Ford Fathom. That aligns with the alliterative nomenclature Ford has used in the past with vehicles such as the Fusion, Focus, and Flex. There’s punny meaning behind the name, too....