Free Republic

Here are some details from the Behold Israel Channel: The pagers that Hezbollah ordered came from Taiwan, and it was en route to Lebanon when Israel intercepted them. The explosives were implanted in the device's batteries along with a switch so that the explosion could be activated remotely. Today in Lebanon/Syria, around 1530 (330 PM) local time, a message that appeared to come from the Hezbollah leadership arrived on the pagers. At that point, the pagers chirped/rang a few times and then exploded.​​​​ ---------------------------------------------- EXPLOSIVE DETAILS: According to Sky News Arabic, Mossad placed 20 grams of PETN explosives into each...

Policies subsidizing generators, utilities, and unreliable energy have raised the cost of electricity in Texas by $19.9 billion in 2023, constituting 42.7 percent of total electricity costs. In a study published Wednesday by the Energy Alliance, the group found that the total government-imposed cost of electricity in the Texas Interconnection operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas was $84.3 billion. Texas state and local governments are responsible for causing 85.7 percent of that $84.3 billion. “The massive increase in subsidies has done nothing to address the primary cause of unreliability in the Texas market, renewable energy,” stated Bill Peacock,...

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson confirmed that dozens of illegal aliens who were accused of violently storming the border in El Paso were released into the United States. On March 21, video footage from a reporter at the border showed hundreds of illegal border crossers rioting and attempting to get around the Texas National Guard at the border. The foreign nationals used a break in the fencing—that the Texas National Guard was attempting to repair—to push past the guardsmen. As a result, 214 illegal aliens were charged by the Texas Department of Public Safety with a state Class...

The ruling requires the administration to keep processing new applications to export LNG as the Texas-led lawsuit proceeds. Attorney General Ken Paxton obtained a temporary injunction in his lawsuit against the Biden administration over their decision to halt liquefied natural gas exports. Joined by 15 other state attorneys general, Paxton secured the win Monday after a federal district court judge in Western Louisiana ruled that the new administrative plan should be paused as the case proceeds. “This ruling means [President Joe] Biden’s illegal ban does not prevent Texas natural gas from reaching market while the lawsuit continues,” stated Paxton in...

There was no difference between July 3, 1776, and July 5. By all outward appearances, the American colonies were no more free and no more independent. Practically speaking, the governing structures were not different. So what makes the Fourth of July so special? Think about it. We do not celebrate October 19, 1781, the date the war for American independence ended. There are no parades commemorating September 3, 1783, when the Treaty of Paris formally concluded the war. No, we celebrate July 4, 1776. That is the day when our Founding Fathers firmly, finally, and officially committed themselves—their lives, their...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading a coalition of 19 states to challenge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (“FERC”) decision to adopt rules that would force the Biden Administration’s costly and inefficient “green energy” transition onto states. FERC Order No. 1920, issued on May 13, 2024, grants unprecedented electrical grid oversight to FERC, compromising the ability of individual states to determine the most efficient mix of energy sources for their electrical grids. The new rule also forces states to cover the costs of expensive regional transmission lines to support “green energy” generation, even when such expenditures contradict the state’s...

The regulation would criminalize law-abiding Americans for private firearms transactions.Texas has successfully blocked new restrictions on private gun sales imposed by the Biden administration’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that halts enforcement of the regulations in Texas while litigation proceeds. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on May 1 challenging a new ATF rule that would redefine who is “engaged in the business” as a firearms dealer. The 126-page Final Rule would have the effect of criminalizing law-abiding Americans for private gun purchases and sales. Texas secured a...

Texas school superintendent salaries continue to rise, despite falling enrollments and flagging student performance, leaving taxpayers wondering what they are getting for their money. Newly released Texas Education Agency data for the 2023-24 school year shows eight superintendents with salaries above $400,000 and another 81 receiving $300,000 or more. Texas’ highest-paid school superintendent was again Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s Mark Henry, who pulled down a base salary of $536,775 before retiring in December 2023. Last school year, 77 superintendents received taxpayer-funded salaries above $300,000, with five making $400,000 or more. During the 2021-22 school year, 60 superintendents scored salaries at or above...

The most consequential falsehood in American public policy today is the idea that any racial disparity in any institution is by definition the result of racial discrimination. If a cancer research lab, for example, does not have 13 percent black oncologists—the black share of the national population—it is by definition a racist lab that discriminates against competitively qualified black oncologists; if an airline company doesn’t have 13 percent black pilots, it is by definition a racist airline company that discriminates against competitively qualified black pilots; and if a prison population contains more than 13 percent black prisoners, our law enforcement...

As government schools continue to show their commitment to promoting sex and gender ideology to children, Austin Independent School District is preparing to host its annual “Pride Week” pushing teachers and kids to “celebrate LGBTQIA+ students, staff and families.” Austin ISD said the event, set for March 18-23, will “highlight the district’s commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment.” According to the district’s website, each campus will receive a guide of suggested resources and activities staff can put on for students. Staff are advised to reach out to coordinators of their campus Genders and Sexualities Alliances (formerly known...

When conducting general surveys, Mr. Rasmussen noticed that most people expressing extreme leftist views share three characteristics: (1) They are very urban, (2) they hold postgraduate university degrees, and (3) they are relatively wealthy. People meeting all these criteria make up about one percent of the general population. Anyway, Mr. Rasmussen decided to poll a national sample of these people: urbanites with post-grad degrees who had income of more than $150,000 per year. He found that their economic situations and political views are remote from those of most Americans. While most Americans have been suffering hardship during the Biden years,...

Click on the link to hear Tucker Carlson explain on X "Why I'm Interviewing Vladimir Putin." The video is about 4-1/2 minutes.

As President Joe Biden’s border crisis continues, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is calling a measured proposed in the U.S. Senate “a complete disaster.” The proposal is supposed to tighten current immigration and asylum laws, but also fast-tracks eligible asylum claims. “The open borders policies it enshrines would destroy our country,” posted Paxton on X. In addition to encouraging nearly 2 million illegal aliens annually to enter the country, paying out over $1 billion to the toxic NGOs that settle illegal immigrants all over the nation, empowering Mayorkas to abuse the asylum process on his arbitrary whim, and ending catch-and-release,...

According to a new report from The Dallas Express, the Dallas Independent School District has published a resource guide that advises children on how to change genders. Named the “LGBTQ+ Resources for Dallas ISD & Surrounding Communities,” the document recommends various “transgender” clinics, gives resources on how to socially, legally, and medically transition, and lists books for elementary students about gender-confused children. Robyn Harris, the executive director of Dallas ISD’s communications team, told The Dallas Express that the document is only available to adults who request it. She specified that the adults are to be parents or other school employees....

A new bombshell report reveals Texas A&M University’s partnership with the government of Qatar could be a major threat to national security. Since 2003 Texas A&M has operated a branch in the middle eastern country of Qatar, which was set up through an agreement between Texas A&M and the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, which has close links to the Qatar royal family. Now, a report from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy reveals Qatar’s undisclosed funding into Texas A&M has resulted in full Qatari ownership of over 500 research projects. Texas A&M...

Attorney General Ken Paxton has returned to work following more than three months of leave after being impeached by the Texas House. He was acquitted on all charges by a majority of state senators, with only two Republicans—Kelly Hancock (North Richland Hills) and Robert Nichols (Jacksonville)—voting to convict. Now, Paxton told Texas Scorecard, he’s excited to continue serving Texans. "It’s been hard to sit on the sidelines for four months and watch things happen and not have the ability to go impact them. That’s what I ran for." He said that ultimately, the blame rests with House Speaker Dade Phelan...

Following the acquittal of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on impeachment charges, Paxton joined Tucker Carlson for an interview to discuss the state of Texas politics. Carlson drew attention to the ongoing crisis at Texas’ southern border and asked Paxton how he felt U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R–TX) has handled it. “I have no idea why he doesn’t seem to address this on a regular basis,” answered Paxton. “Thank God Ted Cruz has, but John Cornyn has been basically vacant on this issue.” When Carlson asked why, Paxton said, “He’s been in Washington too long… And I can’t think of...

Both Austin and Houston are part of ‘C40 Cities,’ an alliance of mayors seeking to impact climate change and “cut their emissions in half by 2030.” Two Texas cities are participating in an emissions-cutting program that seeks to end meat and dairy consumption. According to the organization, “C40 is a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis.” Although largely funded by Democrat billionaire Michael Bloomberg, C40 has other donors including FedEx, Google, and the Clinton Foundation. Both Austin and Houston are listed as participating cities, with...

Richardson Independent School District, in North Texas, applied for and received a grant to promote “LGBTQ+ identity” in its schools.The district won the grant from the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit organization with a mission to “uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe.”Richardson ISD is using the grant money to revive its on-campus Gay-Straight Alliance club, now known as the Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA).This is the second year the It Gets Better Project has awarded grant money to schools as part of its “50 States, 50 Grants, 5000 Voices” program, designed...

The City of Austin hosted its own LGBT parade featuring drag queens—and multiple taxpayer-funded participants. Taxpayer-funded institutions in attendance at the parade included the Austin Police Department, Austin EMS, and the Austin Fire Department. Notable sponsors of the event were University of Texas’ Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Kroger, and Austin Community College District. APD officers were among the first group to walk the parade, where many officers were seen wearing rainbow bracelets. Following them was an APD cop car decked out in rainbow designs with their car reading, “LGBTQ+ Officers and Allies Supporting and Protecting You.” Following APD...