Free Republic

Sharing a meme against President Trump in response to a memorial for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk cost a Tennessee man his liberty for 37 days, which in turn got him fired. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which is representing Larry Bushart, told Just the News on Tuesday it's still prepping a lawsuit on his behalf. The Alliance Defending Freedom beat FIRE to court in response to another alleged criminal investigation of speech related to Kirk in neighboring North Carolina, alleging a school district known for a Supreme Court precedent on school busing sanctioned an unidentified high school...

The Charlotte City Council is being slammed for approving $3.4 million to hire a PR company to clean up the reputation of their public transportation after a string of recent stabbings. The city’s latest action comes after two widely-publicized stabbings, including one that ended fatally on Charlotte’s train system and sparked a national conversation on rising crime and lax prosecution in urban areas of the country. On Tuesday, Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris called out the “pro-crime Democrats in Charlotte” for spending the cash on “misleading ads” rather than choosing to “invest in REAL safety to prevent another tragedy...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV Extends Apostolic Blessing to SSPX Chapel in North Carolina for Its 25th AnniversaryThe document reads:The Holy Father Leo XIV cordially imparts the requested Apostolic Blessing to Reverend Father John Bourbeau, FSSPX and Faithful of the Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Pii X of Saint Anthony of Padua Chapel on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Chapel invoking through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary an abundance of divine graces. Mount Holly, North Carolina, 22nd August 2025, Jubilaeum A.D. MMXXV. (Dated at the Vatican, November 18, 2025, and signed by Card. Konrad...

There has been another unprovoked stabbing on the Charlotte, North Carolina, commuter light rail system. We saw the tragic death of Iryna Zarutska last August in just such an event, but this latest incident is different in two ways: The victim is still alive, although in critical but stable condition, at least as of this writing, and the alleged attacker is an illegal alien, who has been deported at least once and entered the United States illegally again. When will we have had enough of this? Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy weighed in on his official X account:Apparently, the death...

[Catholic Caucus] SSPX in Charlotte plans for new chapel to accommodate growth after Latin Mass suppressionThe Society of St. Pius X chapel on the outskirts of Charlotte has experienced slow but steady growth since Traditionis Custodes was published.An SSPX church on the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina is planning to build a new chapel due to growing numbers of attendees after the Latin Mass-suppressing orders of Traditionis Custodes.St. Anthony’s in Mount Holly, within the geographical bounds of the Diocese of Charlotte, announced last week that Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) leadership has green-lighted an effort to search for land...

Border Patrol and ICE raids have caused fear amongst latino construction workers in Charlotte, NC. Construction sites in Charlotte are near ghost towns with not a worker in sight. Border Patrol invaded Charlotte, NC on November 15, 2025, churches have been raided, construction sites have been raided, people walking on the street have been arrested and sent to ICE detention enters. ICE was believed to of left the Charlotte operation, but then the government said yesterday that they will be in Charlotte for a while. Video shows a construction site at Panda Express being raided by Border Patrol. The latino...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Martin dispenses illegal immigrants from Sunday Mass obligation in CharlotteMartin’s dispensation is especially shocking since it suggests that escaping the consequences of a reasonable law takes precedence over the obligation to worship God at Holy Mass.Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte on Tuesday granted a Mass dispensation to immigrants “afraid” to attend due to the possibility of being deported.“​​To those of you who are afraid to come to church, you are not obligated to attend Mass when you are inhibited from doing so by circumstances beyond your control, as the Church has always taught,” wrote...

Approximately 21,000 Charlotte students missed school on Monday as fears mount over Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity rippling through the community, according to city officials. The widespread crackdown called Operation Charlotte’s Web has sparked concern and pushback from educators and city leaders about its impact on the local community. Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Danté Anderson, a member of the City Council, told Newsweek the absences were a troubling sign for students and families. “I was sick when I saw the numbers,” Anderson told Newsweek on November 18. “Our students had a hard time with COVID and...

Federal agents have arrested 130 people in two days in Charlotte, North Carolina, the latest city to face President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration, according to a US official. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told the BBC that a number of the people arrested are criminals and gang members. But local leaders say the operation is doing more harm than good. DHS said a US citizen allegedly injured an officer by ramming a law enforcement vehicle with their car. By population, Charlotte is roughly a quarter of the size of Los Angeles and a...

A southern city, Charlotte N.C., is emerging as a human trafficking hotspot due to its convergence of highways, demand for cheap agricultural labor and gang activity. Data found 106 minors were trafficked in Charlotte last year, about half of whom were aged 15 or younger. This was nearly double the 45 to 60 children identified annually between 2018 and 2022, figures from the city's Metro Human Trafficking Task Force showed. Statewide, the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NCTH) recorded 301 human‑trafficking cases in North Carolina in 2024, involving 580 victims. The vast majority of last year’s cases were sex trafficking, but...

Open Letter to the Bishop of Charlotte: "Bishop Martin, it is men like you who strongly imply that the Protestants had it right." Sent to us for publication, by a local parishioner:Bishop Martin,As a member of the Diocese of Charlotte, I have been amazed at the transformation of the character of our Diocese over the last year. What once felt vibrant and full of life now feels cowed, disjointed, and fearful. Entire congregations of faithful Catholics feel like they are losing their home, and they rightfully feel marginalized and ghettoized—reading the remarks you’ve made against the traditions of the faith,...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte bishop bans all altar rails for receiving Communion starting the first Sunday of AdventA parish priest supported Bishop Michael Martin’s banishment of altar rails, writing that ‘obedience is a virtue.’Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte has banned the use of altar rails during the reception of Holy Communion, effective the first Sunday of Advent.Father John Putnam, the pastor of St. Mark Catholic Church, announced the new rule on Friday, embracing it as the “liturgical norm” of the U.S.In a letter to his parish, Putnam said he “personally” believes altar rails foster “reverence and devotion” but...

A Charlotte, North Carolina, teenager with 111 arrests in just two years has once again been released, as the blue city wrestles with repeat offenders. During a Wednesday news conference, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) discussed the city’s latest crime stats. The city, according to the CMPD, experienced a 20% reduction in violent crime, which includes homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults, which encompass shootings. But amid the positivity, there is reason for alarm, with more than half of those arrested for violent crimes having prior arrests — including teens. One example is an unnamed 15-year-old with an astounding 111...

I’ve got some absolutely wonderful news for all the liberals who think it’s wrong to lock up serial criminals who are under 18 years old.This 15-year-old has been arrested and released 111 times.Charlotte has given him permission to steal as many cars as he wants.He also had multiple guns, and did internet searches on committing murder.The ABC News affiliate of Charlotte, North Carolina, just reported the following:https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/no-accountability-residents-demand-action-repeat-offenders-drive-up-crime-charlotte/NTJDQ7ARVZBYRKHYHTOCU4VY4U/‘No accountability’: Residents demand action as repeat offenders drive up crime in CharlotteBy Eli BrandOctober 16, 2025CHARLOTTE — In their quarterly report made this week, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department mentioned repeat offenders as one...

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Friday signed “Iryna’s Law,” which increases checks on criminals getting out on bail and prohibits cashless bail for some violent crimes and most repeat offenders following the stabbing death of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light-rail train in August. Stein, a Democrat, has said he doesn’t like every part of the bill that was passed by the Republican-controlled state Legislature, which also looks to restart executions in North Carolina, but he signed it because it “alerts the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence before...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte bishop says new Latin Mass chapel is not meant to fit everyone who wants to attendBishop Michael Martin is telling Latin Mass-goers in the Diocese of Charlotte to consider waiting to go to the new chapel due to limited space.Bishop Michael Martin, OFM has shared that the new chapel substituting for the previous four traditional Latin Masses of the Diocese of Charlotte is not meant to fit all of those who have attended the TLM.Martin made the clarification in a Friday letter announcing the diocese’s official merger of its Latin Masses into one chapel, effective October 5....

North Carolina Senate Republicans approved a measure Monday in honor of Iryana Zarutska, the Ukranian refugee stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail last month, that would revive the death penalty. House Bill 307 is called Iryana’s Law. Republicans say it makes several changes to remove roadblocks that have prevented the death penalty from being carried out in North Carolina. Under the proposal, instead of letting death penalty appeals sit indefinitely, they must now be heard within two years of filing, and continuances will not be granted unless the judge finds extenuating circumstances. The bill would establish lethal injection...

44-year-old suspect with lengthy criminal history captured on surveillance video fleeing scene Seattle police have charged a 44-year-old ex-con with the stabbing of another man in the stomach from behind in a "seemingly unprovoked attack" in the city's Chinatown-International District, authorities said, the latest in a string of violent crimes across the U.S. linked to repeat-offender suspects. Surveillance video appears to show a man on a bicycle approach another man and stab him without warning before running off. The victim, who was pulling a cart along the sidewalk at the time, falls to the ground but eventually gets up and...

A Fox News presenter suggested during a live segment that people struggling with homelessness and mental health issues should be executed. Brian Kilmeade made the comments on the network's flagship talk show Fox and Friends on Wednesday alongside co-hosts Lawrence Jones and Ainsley Earhardt. The trio had been discussing the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska who was killed while on a bus when Kilmeade made the now heavily criticized remark. Jones suggested that people not taking up programs to help those battling mental health and homelessness should be locked up, when Kilmeade went nuclear. 'Or involuntary lethal or something,...

"We don’t know why that man did what he did. And for Charlie Kirk to say, ‘We know he did it because she’s white’ when there’s no evidence of that is just pure race-mongering, hate-mongering. It’s wrong," Jones said. "For someone like Charlie Kirk, he should be ashamed of himself. No one mentioned the word ‘race,’ ‘white,’ ‘black,’ or anything—except him."