Free Republic

A Portland man is facing criminal charges after police say he left two young children at home for several minutes to make a fast food run. According to court documents, Portland Police responded to a welfare check at the Columbia Park Annex on North Lombard on Tuesday evening. Officers found a 3-year-old boy outside dressed in a shirt, shorts, and socks standing near neighbors. The neighbors said he had thrown up and was frequently coughing. The boy was able to lead officers to where he lived which was a few blocks away in the 7000 block North Dwight Avenue. Police...

PORT ORANGE, Fla. — A Florida couple was arrested after a game of pickleball escalated into a fight, authorities said. According to Volusia County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Anthony Edward Sapienza, 63, and his wife, Julianne Sapienza, 51, both of Ponce Inlet, were arrested on Feb. 8. ... While five people on the court were directly involved in the fight, it was unclear how many other witnesses participated. The affidavit stated that 20 people were involved.

A US Marine who fell overboard from an attack ship in the Caribbean has become the first known American casualty in the Trump administration's operation targeting drug-trafficking boats. Lance Cpl Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, 21, fell from the USS Iwo Jima on 7 February and was lost at sea. He was pronounced dead after a lengthy search, which ended 10 February. The Florida native was assisting Operation Southern Spear, which has carried out 38 lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean since September. It played a key role in the capture of Venezuelan president Nicholas...

A former Army Colonel from Florida was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday for trying to woo a woman he met online by sending her secret classified battle plans. Retired combat vet Kevin Charles Luke, 62, was working as a high-level civilian contractor with “top secret” clearance at US military headquarters in Tampa in October 2024, when he texted a photo of plans for a Middle East attack to his new fling, according to court documents. “Sent to my boss earlier,” he wrote in the text, which included a photo of an email on his work computer at Central...

Police arrested a couple in Florida after a game of pickleball allegedly descended into a massive brawl involving more than 20 people. Anthony Sapienza, 63, and his wife Julianne, 51, were detained following the fight at Spruce Creek, a country club not far from Daytona Beach. As reported by People, the Sapienzas were taking on another couple on the morning of Super Bowl Sunday when tensions came to the boil. Before long, both police officers and fire and rescue were called to the country club in response to 'a physical fight in progress on the pickleball court' involving 'over 20...

During the pandemic, Florida became a haven for those looking to escape lockdowns. Miami was a “Zoom town,” a place where rich mobile professionals moved to enjoy the beaches and freedom, while continuing their remote jobs. Some $36 billion in extra income tax registered with the IRS in 2022. That great influx of people has now come to an abrupt end. New US Census Bureau figures show that net migration to the Sunshine State has fallen 92 percent since 2022, its lowest level for more than 15 years. The number of people moving to Florida has collapsed, while existing Floridians...

The House this week is set to take up the SAVE America Act (the SAVE Act 2.0), an election-integrity measure that some Senate Republicans can’t seem to get behind even though the vast majority of Americans already have. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s office confirms the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register and photo identification to vote in federal elections, will hit the floor on Tuesday. While Democrats will spend hours making a mockery of truth and reality in opposing it, the legislation is expected to pass mostly along party lines — as the...

Commemorative coins made from aluminum salvaged from the SS United States are being produced at Northwest Florida State College through a collaboration with Okaloosa County's Natural Resources team ahead of the ship's artificial reef deployment.Natural Resources Coordinator Ryan Ashley with a finished SSUS Commemorative Coin (Photo courtesy of Kevin Dukes/Destin-Fort Walton Beach)The coins, machined on campus in Niceville, feature the Destin-Fort Walton Beach logo on one side with the words “Home of the SSUS” and “Made from SSUS Aluminum.” The reverse side depicts the vessel alongside the phrases “World’s Largest Artificial Reef” and “990 feet long.” Each coin is individually...

BREAKING: Two former FL teacher’s union leaders sentenced after pleading guilty to a fraud scheme where they stole millions of dollars from teachers Union President Teresa Brady was sentenced to 27 months in prison while VP Ruby George received 1 year ABOLISH TEACHERS UNIONS

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) announced in January that beginning this Friday, February 6th, all driver’s license knowledge and skills examinations will be administered exclusively in English. FLHSMV shared in a press release, “Today, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) announced that, beginning Friday, February 6th, all driver license knowledge and skills examinations will be administered exclusively in English. This change applies to all driver license classifications, including exams administered orally.” “Previously, knowledge exams for most non-commercial driver license classifications were offered in multiple languages, while Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) and...

It’s all backstage now. This fraught moment, the power centers locked in the coldest cold of the year, the Spanish language lessons of Bad Bunny behind us, all the real action in the battle to save the country is out of sight, moiling and churning in the deep background. Everybody’s on edge waiting for shoes to drop, praying they don’t drop on their heads. You should have seen Senator Mark Warner (D-VA; Vice-chair of the Senate Intel Committee) on Face the Nation Sunday, frothing at the mouth over Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI). He cannot believe she turned...

Hello, all. I'm considering spending winters in Jacksonville Beach, FL; mainly because I'm tired of the NE winters, this one being particularly bad. Based on some research I've done, it seems that it may be possible to live within walking (or biking) distance of stores for basic food items, restaurants, etc. (which is what I'm able to do now, and would like to have). JAX airport appears to be about 40 minutes from the beach area, which is not too bad, and the flight down from the NE is only about 2.5 hours which is also nice.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — An attempted home burglary in Nassau County turned into a shooting Wednesday night. “If you break into somebody’s home, you should beg to get shot. And that’s exactly what happened,” said Sheriff Bill Leepe, with the Nassau County Sheriffs office. The sheriff’s office said the shooting was in self-defense. Investigators 18-year-old Anson Shawn Drew and a juvenile broke into a home on Clearwater Road in Nassauville. The report states the suspect pointed a flashlight at the homeowner, who then shot his revolver at the suspect in fear for his life. The juvenile suspect is recovering at...

An armed Florida homeowner fired shots in self-defense amid a burglary attempt Wednesday night, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said.Deputies responded just before 8 p.m. Wednesday after a homeowner reported two suspects attempted to break into a house on Clearwater Road, officials said.The homeowner fired a gun and struck a juvenile male suspect, who was later transported to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition, officials said. (snip) "Anyone who breaks into someone's home should expect to get shot," Sheriff Bill Leeper said. "This is a serious crime with real consequences."

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott told "The Charlie Kirk Show" on Thursday that Senate Republicans are going to pass the SAVE Act to mandate voter ID and verification of citizenship to register to vote, and if Democrats want to stop it, they'll have to do a talking filibuster. "The concept that you don’t have to show your ID to vote is foreign," Scott said. "We're going to get this done. The president is on board. He knows we have to use the talking filibuster to get his agenda done." "Is it a pain in the rear? Yeah. But so what?...

Gov. DeSantis explains why Florida has avoided the unrest seen in Los Angeles and Minneapolis, pointing to strong state laws and cooperation with federal authorities.

U.S. Judge Aileen Cannon on Wednesday sentenced Ryan Routh to spend the rest of his life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on his Florida golf course in September 2024. Before handing down the sentence, Cannon rebuked Routh’s actions and called him an "evil" man, West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF reported. Cannon issued a life sentence plus an additional seven years in prison based on the second count of the indictment. She also praised the actions of law enforcement and witnesses for bringing Routh to justice. "Despite all the evil we see, there is a sliver...

Florida stands at a consequential moment in the national debate over illegal immigration. The state has already moved decisively to protect taxpayers, reinforce the rule of law, and support federal agents. What comes next should be durable, voter-approved, and immune to the shifting moods of Washington. A Florida-tailored constitutional amendment modeled on the core framework of California’s Proposition 187 represents the logical next step, not as nostalgia, but as evolution. Properly adapted to Florida’s legal system and adopted through the state’s referendum process, such a measure would anchor immigration control in constitutional certainty. Simultaneously, public confidence would be bolstered, after...

Four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will return to competition in the Feb. 28 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event during the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Franchitti, whose career was cut short by injury, will make his return to NASCAR competition for the first time since 2008, driving the No. 1 Toyota for TRICON Garage on the streets of St. Petersburg. In a partnership between TRICON, Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club, Franchitti will drive the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Dollar Tree has joined the effort and will serve as the primary sponsor for the Scotsman’s first...

“OK, COME TO ISLAND, RANCH, LETS PLAY,” said Jeffery Epstein to Reid Hoffman. No wonder Reid Hoffman was scared to death for the Epstein files to come out and funding lawsuits against President Trump.