Free Republic

What if no king is truly above the law? In this deep dive into Lex Rex (1644), Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford makes a bold biblical argument: the law is king—not the king himself. Written during a time of political upheaval, this classic work challenges absolute monarchy and lays a foundation for constitutional government rooted in Scripture. In this video, we break down: The 10 key principles of Lex Rex What the Bible teaches about government authority (Romans 13, Deuteronomy 17, 2 Samuel 5) Why rulers must be accountable to God and the people The biblical case for resisting tyranny How...

We updated this list as part of the the Best of the Best Books Reading Challenge! Join the challenge now! Very short novels have a special magic—not least because, not to be morbid, you can simply read more of them before the inevitable heat death of the planet (or similar). I previously wrote about great contemporary novels under 200 pages, but now it is time to turn my attention to my favorite short classics—which represent the quickest and cheapest way, I can tell you in my salesman voice, to become “well-read.” A few notes: Because the “contemporary” list surveyed novels...

Something Suspicious Is Happening The accumulating evidence has led me to believe Gold is going to get revalued… and sooner than most think. Bond yields are blowing out now. Central banks are buying gold at record levels. President Trump recently announced he wants to audit Fort Knox. States across America are reintroducing gold and silver into the monetary system. And every single day, I watch one expiration: December 2026. Deep out-of-the-money COMEX gold calls. $10,000/oz — 1.1M oz in open contracts $15,000/oz — 2.4M oz in open contracts $20,000/oz — 2.65M oz in open contracts Thousands upon thousands of contracts....

There is something seriously wrong with a government, and its people, when they cannot count votes in what one would expect to be a reasonable time frame. What's a reasonable time frame? France, as an example, can say who won a presidential election by early morning of the next day, at the latest. In CA, as of right now, only about 58% of some estimated 8 million plus votes have been counted. And the LA primary for mayor? Still counting. I'll assume that this counting is not even by hand (as in France, I believe) but by "sophisticated" machines, and...

Rosie O'Donnell is opening up about her facelift journey and shared a before-and-after photo of her transformation.(snip) In an essay titled "decisions," which is formatted like a song or poem, the 64-year-old talked about why she decided to get a facelift and the internal conflict she faced afterwards over whether to publicly disclose why she went through with the procedure. "I used to feel very strongly about facelifts," she began. "Not casually -- morally. I had assigned myself as head of all women who would never -- ever." She went on, "I thought it was a betrayal. Of feminism. Of...

The incident took place Sunday night on Frontier Airlines Flight 3345, which had departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, bound for Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. About 45 minutes into the flight, 51-year-old Juan Gabriel Reyes of Pahokee, Florida, began acting erratically, according to an arrest affidavit from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and a federal criminal complaint, the New York Post reports. Flight attendants and passengers spotted Reyes trying to open one of the aircraft’s emergency exit doors mid-flight. When crew members ordered him to sit down and stop, he ignored them completely, rushed toward the front of the plane, and...

The head of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary tells the BBC the force is "sorry for handcuffing and arresting Henry". In an interview with the BBC's Lucy Manning, Chief Constable Alexis Boon says the bodycam footage of Henry Nowak being arrested and handcuffed after telling officers he had been stabbed was a "very difficult watch". "What was filmed there is a tragedy, an absolute tragedy, you can't help but be affected by it." He adds: "I really feel for the family of Henry at this time." The chief constable says he understands "their point of view and why they're...

Olivia Plath is speaking out about women's reproductive healthcare choices. The Welcome to Plathville star, 28, shared in a recent Instagram video that she has had two abortions using mifepristone, amid debates over nationwide access to the drug. Mifepristone, according to the Mayo Clinic, is used with misoprostol to terminate pregnancies. "This is probably also a good time to mention something that I've not talked about a lot publicly, but I've actually had two abortions, and for each of those I took mifepristone,” Olivia said in the May 21 video. The wedding photographer acknowledged that past generations didn’t have access...

A Miami biotech executive was followed into the skyscraper where he lived by a man who is accused of pushing him off the building’s 25th floor, newly released surveillance video shows. Justin Zelin, 35, was seen walking into Miami Beach’s 47-story Akoya Condominium with a bearded man, Corey Hutterli, 37, following on Feb. 12 — three days before his death, NBC6 reported. Zelin, who had worked as a biotechnology equity research analyst at BTIG since January 2021, reportedly shouted, “Get away from me, Sasha,” using a nickname by which Hutterli was known. There was a bust-up and cops said, “During...

CHP says excessive speed caused a Corvette driver to lose control on Friant Road. The C8 slid hundreds of feet before overturning and being nearly torn apart. Despite the severity of the crash, the driver survived with serious injuries. ============================================================================================= Police are often quick to cite speed after all kinds of crashes, and that’s not always the whole story. In this case, however, the evidence is hard to ignore. According to CHP, this Corvette slid hundreds of feet before overturning, and the resulting damage suggests the driver carried far more speed into the curve than either the road or their...

An animal rights activist has been arrested after clashing with parents at a reptile stall where children were taking pictures with baby crocodiles. The drama erupted at the Surfers Paradise markets in Queensland on Friday evening when one angry mum confronted outspoken vegan Tash Peterson for filming her kids at the stall. "Held by the neck for children to touch, treated like objects, and then posed with as if they’re just for a photo opportunity - how disgusting is this?" Ms Peterson said in a clip posted to her Instagram account. She is then approached by a frustrated parent, who...

Research out today shows the remains of Ötzi “the Iceman” are teeming with living microorganisms. Scientists in Italy conducted an extensive survey of Ötzi, a mummy naturally frozen in a mountain glacier for over 5,000 years. They found ample bacteria and fungi inside and on Ötzi’s body, some of which might have survived for millennia and appear to be active even today under tightly maintained storage conditions. Since his discovery, scientists have learned much about Ötzi’s life and the Copper Age society he was a part of. That includes his last meal and the likely possibility that he was killed...

A police dispatch call from Columbus, Ohio, received a report alleging that a victim's "father held her down" and "tried to force her to take an abortion pill." Accounts of women being coerced or forced to take abortion drugs have become more public and more widespread, as the drugs have become more easily accessible due to online abortion pill dispensaries and mail-order options. Key Takeaways: * On May 28, police in Columbus, Ohio, were notified by dispatch that a father had allegedly attempted to force his daughter to take the abortion pill. * This type of incident appears to be...

What can one say after one of the two major political parties in the country nominates a man who volunteered for an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, was an acolyte of the Blind Sheik, the man who masterminded the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and who sides with Hamas against its victims? I am at a loss. If you can support degenerates like this, you are broken. Some of the very best people I know are or have been Democrats, and I still don't believe that most Democrats truly are comfortable with evil. But they have lost their way. They are, at best,...

Thousands of California Democrats cast ballots for Eric Swalwell even though the disgraced ex-congressman’s zombie campaign for governor was suspended after allegations of rape and sexual assault. With 76% of precincts partially reporting Tuesday night, Swalwell had drawn 16,865 votes, or 0.4%, in the crowded race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to the California Secretary of State’s Office. It’s unclear why so many Californians decided to light their ballots on fire, as the votes amounted to wasted trees in California’s top-two primary, especially after Swalwell suspended his campaign and resigned from Congress after a series of women — including...

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A woman was arrested after an investigation near an orchard revealed stolen fruit and drug paraphernalia on Tuesday, deputies say. A Fresno County Deputy was on patrol in the area between Kingsburg and Parlier, noticed a car pulling out of a nectarine orchard near the intersection of Zediker and Rose avenues around 2 a.m. The deputy stopped the car and contacted the driver, 40-year-old Zulema Garcia Cruz. Garcia Cruz was arrested for having outstanding warrants for drug possession and petty theft. During a further search of the orchard, the deputy found a pickup truck with...

Sonny Rollins, the revered jazz saxophonist known to rock fans for his work with the Rolling Stones, died May 25 at the age of 95. A statement announcing Rollins’ death described him as “one of the most honored and influential figures in American music of the 20th century and beyond.” Born in Harlem, New York in 1930, Rollins began playing music as a child. He was already a professional by the time he was a teenager and he really made a name for himself in the ‘50s, rising to become one of jazz’s premiere musicians. Just as he was becoming...

The biggest sneaker free agent in basketball history didn't sign with Nike or Adidas. Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry just signed with a Chinese brand. After mutually parting ways with Under Armour in 2025 (corrected) and ending a 13-year partnership (with the Baltimore sportswear company), the four-time NBA champion has signed a massive 10-year deal with Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning.

Gold has surpassed US Treasuries to become the world's top reserve asset, a European Central Bank (ECB) report has revealed. The shift highlights a major change in the global financial landscape as central banks continue to increase their gold reserves amid geopolitical uncertainty. By the end of 2025, gold accounted for 27% of official reserves, surpassing US Treasuries at 22% and euros at 15%.....

But the deepest of the Finger Lakes hides secrets down below. Many have heard what can only be described as cannon shots coming out of nowhere. Known as “Seneca guns” or “Seneca drums,” the phenomenon was thought by the local Seneca Tribe to be the bellowing shouts of Manitou, the Great Spirit, when he was angry. Later, European settlers thought they were hearing ghosts of Seneca warriors still fighting for their land as the ground turned red with blood. It also inspired James Fenimore Cooper to write his short story The Lake Gun, in which he observes: “A sound resembling...