Free Republic

A federal judge said the Trump administration must lift their freeze on federal funding to Maine. The ruling reads that the USDA "must immediately unfreeze and release to the state of Maine any federal funding that they have frozen or failed or refused to pay because of the state of Maine's alleged failure to comply with the requirements of Title IX." The administration is also "barred from freezing, terminating, or otherwise interfering with the state of Maine's future federal funding for alleged violations of Title IX without complying with the legally required procedure." The USDA announced the funding freeze and...

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, a Bush appointee, has sided with Maine’s far-left government, forcing the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture to unfreeze federal funds despite the state’s open defiance of Title IX protections for women and girls. The case stems from a fiery conflict between the Trump administration and Maine’s Democrat leadership after Governor Janet Mills refused to comply with Executive Order 14201, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” issued by President Trump in February.

A group of lobster fishermen can sue one of the world’s largest seafood watchdog groups for defamation, a federal court has ruled, over a report that described Maine lobster as an unwise choice for consumers. The threat to a rare whale species from getting tangled in fishing gear has prompted Monterey Bay Aquarium in California to caution against eating a variety of lobster that New England fishermen have harvested for centuries. Seafood Watch, a conservation program operated by the aquarium, placed lobster from the U.S. and Canada on its do-not-eat “red list” in 2022. Some retailers pulled lobster from stores...

A Government advisor has called for Sir Keir Starmer to impose "Covid-style" measures to take back control of the streets of Britain as far-right riots continue. Baron Walney, John Woodcock, told Times Radio: "I think the government and new ministers will understand the British public will back them in whatever measures they feel is necessary to get this situation under control. "Hopefully we can see this petering out now over the next few days and the extra effort which is being put on forces being able to have effect. "But if that isn't the case, I think the British public...

A Christian school in Maine must adhere to the state's LGBT antidiscrimination policy to qualify for a state tuition assistance program while the lawsuit against the state continues, a federal judge has ruled.U.S. District Judge John Woodcock, a George W. Bush appointee, denied a preliminary injunction Tuesday requested by Bangor Christian Schools run by Crosspoint Church, concluding that the church's lawsuit against assorted state officials is not likely to succeed.He ruled that Bangor Christian Schools must follow all the Maine Human Rights Act provisions."The Court determines that the educational antidiscrimination provisions do not violate the Free Exercise Clause because they...

Theresa May’s government has admitted that “a significant portion” of the more than 400 Islamic State fighters who have returned to Britain are at large, unpunished, having been deemed “no longer of national security concern”. The admission came in response to a question in the House of Commons by Labour MP John Woodcock, who demanded to know why the Government is refusing to release figures on the number of returned jihadists being prosecuted, despite having previously provided them. “Are more than 400 of those returning individuals in jail or going through the court system? We simply do not know, because...