Free Republic

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Idaho — What started with a lightning strike ended with the Tartar Fire burning more than 158,000 acres across Washington County. But some ranchers say the wildfire wasn't the only source of their losses. Kirk Chandler, who has lived on his family's ranch his entire life, says ranchers spent days working to protect their property as the Tartar Fire moved through the area. "If you're the third one to call or the second one to call for help, they're not available, and so you just have to take care of yourself," Chandler said. That meant protecting cattle, sheep...

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in supporting a federal lawsuit challenging Idaho's law that bars transgender students from using school restrooms and other sex-separated facilities that align with their gender identity. The coalition filed an amicus brief urging a federal judge in Idaho to block enforcement of the law while the lawsuit moves forward, arguing that the measure is unconstitutional and undermines the rights and safety of transgender students. Idaho's House Bill 264 prohibits transgender people from using restrooms and other sex-separated facilities consistent with their gender identity in certain public educational...

Years before Chad Williams, 24, showed up at the new Twin Falls fast food joint, he expressed horror at the randomness of an armed carjacking in his hometown of Waddell, Arizona. “He would have killed you or me for walking out of our front door at the wrong time over a truck he would sell for just $8,000.” Williams, whose X bio said that he was a “former foster care youth” and that he participated in Boys State — a leadership program for top students — in 2019, stopped posting in July 2025. He mostly commented on news of the...

Three people were killed and at least seven others were wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, local authorities said. The situation unfolded before 2:30 p.m. local time. Social media video obtained by CBS News showed people fleeing a shopping center parking lot as multiple gunshots are heard. In the video, a person carrying what appeared to be a firearm could be seen outside the restaurant opening the doors to a parked sedan. In a news conference Saturday night, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks told reporters that there were fatalities, but he...

The shooting was reported at 2:30 p.m. at the In-N-Out in Twin Falls.At least three people were killed, with reports of two injured.The shooter is among the dead. This was a picture of him:One more video:A nearby civilian in a hat was also recorded firing back across the parking lot at the shooter.Zero clue who this champ is or what kind of pistol he was packing. 👇

A man claimed that his dad, Terry Dudley, was one of the victims of the Twin Falls shooting. His employer said he is alive but has a “long road ahead of him.” Who is Terry Dudley? Latest update on Twin Falls, Idaho shooting victim as son makes emotional plea (Terry Dudley/Facebook) A man has claimed on Facebook that his father, Terry Dudley, was one of the victims of the Twin Falls shooting in Idaho. A gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out, leaving at least three people dead and two others injured, according to The Independent. Who is Terry Dudley? Latest...

Authorities have identified the shooter. Police in Twin Falls, Idaho, identified the suspect as Chad Williams, a 24-year-old male. Williams died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound near the In-N-Out Burger restaurant where the shooting occurred. Investigators believe he acted alone, though a motive for the attack is still under investigation. The shooting left three people dead (including Williams) and seven others injured.

TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Twin Falls neighbors lined up overnight to be among the first customers at the new Canyon Rim In-N-Out Burger, which opened Friday morning just off the Perrine Bridge. Sam Sapolsky was first in line, arriving Thursday afternoon — more than 14 hours before the doors opened. "Oh, since 4 pm yesterday – so that's going on 14 – 16 hours ... something like that," Sapolsky said. Sapolsky said the opening felt personal. "I've loved In-N-Out my whole life, and it's now right in my backyard – I had to come and show support," Sapolsky said. Around...

“ An active shooter armed with a long rifle has opened fire at an In-N-Out burger restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, sparking an urgent manhunt as the suspect remains at large. Witnesses shared terrifying footage showing the suspect standing in the drive-thru area of the restaurant on Saturday, wielding a large weapon resembling an assault rifle. A second person was also seen firing a handgun at the scene. It is not clear if this is a secondary gunman in the attack, or a witness firing back. Footage from the scene showed dozens of people fleeing across a roadway as a...

Last week, while attending a policy conference, I was introduced to a fascinating new resource that every citizen should know about. The website, Follow Foreign Money, contains a searchable database of confirmed foreign nationals, foreign governments, and foreign-funded organizations that have provided money to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations involved in public policy and advocacy. According to the organization, some grants identify a specific purpose such as funding litigation, advocacy campaigns, or other policy initiatives, while others do not disclose exactly how the money is used. The site’s stated goal is to make these financial relationships easier for the public to examine....

Idaho Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson recently signed on to a renewed attempt to overhaul the visa program for agricultural migrant workers. The proposed legislation includes a change long-sought by Idaho’s dairy industry leaders — it would allow year-round agriculture producers to access workers, instead of just for seasonal labor. “This is an issue that I’ve been working on for probably 20 years with the dairy industry in Idaho and the challenges they face,” Simpson said at a June 30 press conference to announce the legislation. The bill, H.R. 9535, would make several changes to the H-2A visa program, which...

Bryan Kohberger’s plea deal left several burning questions unanswered about the final moments of the four University of Idaho students he butchered to death, an ex-FBI agent said in the latest episode of “Pod Force One.” Chris Whitcomb told “Pod Force One” host Miranda Devine that a vacuum of evidence was left behind in Kohberger’s quadruple homicide case when the convicted killer took a plea deal last July — dodging a much-anticipated trial and skirting the death penalty. Whitcomb’s book, “Broken Plea: The Explosive Search for the Truth Behind the Idaho Murders,” released in late April, details the overlooked inconsistencies...

The Idaho abortion voter initiative qualifies for the ballot this November. The ballot initiative would allow abortions for the full nine months of pregnancy if passed this November and nullify the “Defense of Life Act.” Since the “Defense of Life Act” legislation began being enforced on August 25, 2022, it is estimated nearly 6,000 innocent children have been saved from abortion in Idaho. Also, not one woman has been arrested for having a miscarriage, no doctor has been prosecuted under the “Defense of Life Act” and not a single woman has died seeking an “illegal abortion” as pro-choice activists claimed...

California activists are calling for the state's preschools to legitimize the use of Black English in the classroom. Supporters say teaching the dialect, also known as African American English (AAE) or African American Vernacular English (AAVE), will help 'combat harmful language hierarchies.' The Black Californians United for Early Care & Education group is part of a movement advocating for Black English to be recognized as a legitimate, rule-based language in preschool classrooms on par with other languages. California activists are calling for the state's preschools to legitimize the use of Black English in the classroom. Supporters say teaching the dialect,...

An incoming solar eruption could trigger visible northern lights across parts of the northern United States, offering millions a chance to witness one of nature's most spectacular nighttime displays. A cloud of charged particles launched by the Sun is expected to reach Earth overnight, creating conditions that could produce visible auroras across parts of the northern United States. According to NOAA, the incoming solar event may generate a G1 to G2 geomagnetic storm, giving skywatchers in as many as 19 states a chance to witness the Northern Lights if weather and space conditions align. While no widespread outbreak is expected,...

Not long ago, I stood with others on the lawn of the Kootenai County Courthouse, watching the experts from Dobson Chimney and Masonry carefully remove a time capsule that was placed in the building’s cornerstone when it was dedicated in 1926. As we waited, I looked around to see what other bits of history from a century ago surrounded me. Across Government Way, I could see the old Roosevelt School. That had certainly been there in 1926. A block away, I could see the Hamilton House, the home of Coeur d’Alene’s second mayor. That had been there too. I knew...

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday to temporarily halt an Idaho law that would restrict bathroom access for transgender people, ruling that major parts of the law are likely unconstitutional. In a 30-page decision, Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford issued a preliminary injunction preventing House Bill 752 from taking effect while legal challenges proceed. The ruling also granted provisional class-action status to transgender residents across the state, extending the court’s protections beyond the original plaintiffs. “Another issue of enforceability is a law enforcement officer’s ability to determine an individual’s ‘biological sex,'” Judge Brailsford wrote. This ruling is a...

A federal judge in Idaho on Tuesday partially blocked enforcement of a new law that would’ve criminalized transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. The law was set to go into effect July 1. The portion of it that prohibits people from entering changing rooms that don’t align with their biological sex will still go into effect. The federal court order comes in response to a lawsuit filed by six transgender Idahoans challenging House Bill 752, which the Legislature passed and Gov. Brad Little signed this year. The law makes it a misdemeanor crime, punishable by...

Spc. Richard Leroy McKinley’s white marble headstone may look like the others in Arlington Cemetery, but his grave serves as a grim reminder of the first fatal nuclear accident in America. McKinley’s grave is the only radioactive grave in the cemetery. He was laid to rest in a double lead-lined casket and lowered into a 10-foot concrete grave encased in a metal vault with an additional foot of concrete poured atop his casket. McKinley’s family had to watch the eight-minute veteran’s funeral from 20 feet away. McKinley was born on December 2, 1933, in Union City, Indiana, but he grew...

A 2023 Idaho bathroom bill is now permanently in effect statewide following the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the anti-trans legislation. Attorneys for the Sexuality and Gender Alliance, a student group at Boise High School, and the state agreed to dismiss the lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday following the death of one plaintiff and the high-school graduation of another, per Idaho Education News. The late plaintiff, as Idaho Education News noted, was a trans student who died by suicide in January, identified only in court filings as Jane Doe. Lawsuits against the bathroom ban were currently pending in the...