Free Republic

Home prices in areas surrounding Los Angeles' devastating early 2025 wildfires have defied expectations, rising 4% year-over-year in the immediate aftermath of the disasters, according to a new analysis by PropertyShark. The counterintuitive market behavior suggests that proximity to burn zones has not deterred buyers from high-demand neighborhoods, with some areas seeing dramatic price increases even as memories of the fires remain fresh. Properties within three miles of the nine largest fires reached a median sale price of $1.33 million between February and April, well above Los Angeles County's $900,000 median. The 4% price growth near fire perimeters also slightly...

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - More than a week after Broadacres Marketplace suddenly closed, FOX5 uncovered new information – linking the closure to an apparent immigration raid at a swap meet in California. On June 15, more than 100 federal agents from ICE, and the FBI, many in tactical gear, and masks, swept through the most popular swap meet near Los Angeles – the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet. Shortly after the apparent raid, Border Patrol posted a heavily edited, fast-paced video on social media, showing agents moving through the California swap meet, with dramatic music, sweeping aerial shots and...

On June 29, 2025, patriots, Trump supporters, and activists protesting the abuse and exploitation of children held a boisterous rally in Beverly Hills, Calif. After gathering at Beverly Gardens Park, they marched down Santa Monica Blvd. and through the streets of Beverly Hills.

Elon Musk escalated his feud with President Trump, announcing that he would be backing one of the commander in chief’s biggest foes in congress, Rep. Thomas Massie — the libertarian-leaning House lawmaker who Trump has vowed to see defeated in the midterm election. Musk signaled he would donate to the Kentucky Republican’s 2026 reelection campaign on X when he responded “Me” to a post asking who would be backing Massie’s congressional bid. Trump, meanwhile, had pledged to support whichever candidate runs in the primary against Massie, who the president lambasted as a “loser” and “Third Rate Congressman” in an online...

Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed the “one big, beautiful bill” will spike electricity costs on Sunday, seemingly ignoring the fact that ratepayers in state are drowning under some of the most exorbitant utility bills in the U.S. Newsom took to X and listed several grievances he has with the GOP reconciliation bill, including concerns that its passage would lead to rising electricity costs because it would limit subsidies for green energy. California has some of the highest energy prices in the U.S., and they are projected to keep climbing, according to multiple reports and energy sector experts. “Electricity costs...

The Department of Justice on Monday unveiled a record-shattering crackdown on the corrupt underbelly of America’s health care system. A jaw-dropping 324 defendants — including 96 medical professionals — have been charged in 50 federal districts and 12 states for orchestrating over $14.6 billion in intended fraud, largely targeting Medicare, Medicaid, and federal health programs meant to serve the elderly, disabled, and the poor. The takedown, spearheaded by the DOJ’s Health Care Fraud Unit in coordination with HHS-OIG, the FBI, the DEA, and over a dozen state attorney general offices, marks the largest health care fraud bust in U.S. history....

Joshua Aaron has worked in and around the tech industry for around two decades. He built his first app — a blackjack game — at computer camp when he was 13. His newest app is designed for a very different purpose: to let users alert people nearby to sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area. Aaron launched the platform, called ICEBlock, in early April after watching President Donald Trump’s administration begin its immigration crackdown. The White House’s immigration policies have sparked mass protests across the United States; a CNN poll in April showed 52% of Americans polled...

LOS ANGELES — An abandoned ice cream cart has become a symbol of resistance to residents of a west Los Angeles neighborhood who oppose President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies. The cart belonged to a beloved ice cream vendor who was arrested by federal agents Monday afternoon while walking his usual route through Culver City. The sudden disappearance of Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano stunned residents who said the vendor was a welcome fixture in their neighborhood for more than 20 years. “There was always a bright light around him,” said Patricia Pande, a Culver City resident who spent countless days enjoying...

NEW YORK — In choosing Zohran Mamdani as their candidate for mayor, Democrats in America’s most Jewish city have nominated an outspoken critic of Israel, alarming some in New York’s Jewish community and signaling a sea change in the priorities of one of the party’s most loyal voting groups. The 33-year-old democratic socialist’s surprisingly strong performance against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes clear that taking a stance against Israel is no longer disqualifying in a Democratic primary. The state Assembly member has declined to support the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, refused to denounce the term...

A home in Los Angeles was an Iranian human smuggling hub, according to Customs and Border Patrol after two individuals were arrested Friday afternoon in a Los Angeles County neighborhood. The home had previously been the site of the arrest of seven Iranian nationals earlier this week, some of whom were reportedly flagged on the FBI’s Terrorist Watchlist. Federal agents with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were seen executing a warrant at a residence in North Hills around 3 pm on Friday, marking the second law enforcement action at the property this week. CBP said that the arrests were...

The Green Party of California announced this week its endorsement of Dr. Butch Ware, a history professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in his bid for state governor next year. Ware previously ran as the Green Party’s 2024 vice presidential nominee. Earlier this month, party delegates from across California convened online for the organization’s bi-annual General Assembly, where they voted to endorse Ware’s candidacy. The endorsement came at the recommendation of the party’s Candidates Committee, which described the campaign in its proposal as “unprecedented” and praised its early fundraising and social media efforts. In a statement shared Wednesday,...

California’s fight to rein in President Trump’s deployment of troops to Los Angeles hinges on a 19th century law with a a blood-soaked origin and a name that seems pulled from a Spaghetti Western. In a pivotal ruling this week, Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer ordered the federal government to hand over evidence to state authorities seeking to prove that the actions of troops in Southern California violate the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which forbids soldiers from enforcing civilian laws. “How President Trump has used and is using the federalized National Guard and the Marines since deploying...

The homeless man accused of a shooting spree in Santa Monica has been charged with three counts of attempted murder amid a wave of violence from transients that has Los Angeles residents on edge. David John Hairston II, 31, allegedly ambushed and shot a police officer at a pedestrian mall in the seaside enclave on Wednesday, just days after allegedly shooting two teens who were riding a self-driving taxi, according to prosecutors. Hairston was arrested after a citywide manhunt; he faces various weapons charges on top of the attempted murders, with a maximum sentence of 104 years to life in...

A pregnant woman is making a heartfelt plea to bring her husband home before the birth of their baby. Gennadiy Glushchuk, a Christian pastor in Los Angeles, was detained two weeks ago by ICE agents in downtown during a routine immigration check-in. Gennadiy was born in the former Soviet Union and is not a US Citizen. He moved to the US in 1995 at the age of 10 and grew up in the Hollywood area with his mom. Gennadiy is a local pastor, husband, and father of two, with a third on the way. But he has a past… he...

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Pride kicks off this weekend and there are several events happening across San Francisco open to all.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ prospective gubernatorial bid is not striking up much excitement among Democratic fundraisers in California, Politico reported Friday. The outlet spoke to multiple Democratic Party donors in California to see how they felt about Harris possibly running for governor. So far, her interest in exploring a gubernatorial run in the state following her 2024 presidential election loss hasn’t enthused many. “She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped,” one Southern California fundraiser told Politico. Harris, who lost November’s election to President Donald Trump, is seriously considering a 2026 bid to succeed term-limited...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has accused Fox News of defamation in a $787 million lawsuit, he announced Thursday. The lawsuit centers on claims made by Fox News host Jesse Watters, who said Newsom lied about his phone calls with President Donald Trump during Los Angeles immigration protests earlier this month, Politico first reported. The lawsuit accuses Watters’ program of selectively editing a video of Trump to support a false narrative that Newsom lied about the date of their phone call regarding the deployment of troops to LA. “If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump’s...

California lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday allowing the authorities to take control of cryptocurrency from exchanges after three years of inactivity under the Unclaimed Property Law. What happened: The bill, which proposes to regulate digital asset financial activities, states that "intangible property" held in a cryptocurrency account will become state property if the holder fails to complete an “act of ownership interest” within three years. These acts include making a transaction, i.e., buying, selling, depositing or withdrawing, and accessing the account electronically, among others. The draft legislation passed the Assembly and will now proceed to the California Senate. The development...

Ammaad Akhtar, 33, is accused of trying to give money, guns and ammunition to someone he thought was part of the terror group, and of making antisemitic threats. Menachem Wecker, Izzy Salant ... The LinkedIn profile of Ammaad Akhtar identifies him as a resident of Stockton, Calif., and a “mechanical engineering graduate” who is “outgoing and friendly,” a “great team player” and a “great leader.” A very different picture emerges about Akhtar, who remains listed as a hazardous substances engineer at the California Environmental Protection Agency, in the criminal complaint accusing him of trying to give money, guns and ammunition...

The Democrats have stopped bothering to conduct politics; they prefer to engage in max-cringe performance art, and it’s unclear who their audience is. Maybe it’s each other, since this festival of onanism is designed for them to shamefully pleasure themselves while accomplishing nothing. It sure can’t be for the benefit of normal people. For one thing, normal people aren’t on X looking at senators’ social media feeds. For another thing, normal people have better things to do than listen to the tantrums of tedious government functionaries shilling for the dismal side of those proverbial 80/20 issues. It’s hard to get...