Free Republic

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed a GOP-backed bill Thursday to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public universities, declaring that diversity should be embraced as a strength while branding the legislation as being “about hate.” Beshear, who is seen as a potential candidate for the White House in 2028, announced his veto in a social media video. His forceful defense of diversity initiatives comes as Republican President Donald Trump seeks to end government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. “I believe in the Golden Rule that says we love our neighbor as...

Major federal law enforcement raids in Kentucky have taken down dozens of dangerous illegal aliens and executed a large-scale deportation operation. 81 illegal aliens were arrested in a four-day sweep as part of “Operation Take Back America.” ... United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Kentucky confirmed that 25 of those arrested are now facing serious federal criminal charges. The crackdown, based out of Louisville, saw immigration enforcement officers detaining individuals from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, India, and Palau. Among them, 25 are now charged with crimes such as unlawful reentry, illegal firearm possession, and drug-related...

Republicans are pushing for the swift passage of a Continuing Resolution (CR) to ensure the government remains funded and avoid a potential shutdown. Party leaders emphasize that passing the CR is crucial to maintaining stability while providing an opportunity to secure vital conservative priorities, such as preventing unnecessary spending and holding the line against liberal overreach. With fiscal responsibility at the forefront, GOP members rally behind the CR to ensure the nation's focus stays on essential issues, protect taxpayers from potential disruptions, and advance President Donald Trump's agenda. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) stressed that the CR must be passed so...

@RandPaul Despite @DOGE’s findings of loony left-wing USAID programs, the Republican spending bill continues to fund the very foreign aid @elonmusk proposes to cut! The bill continues spending at the inflated pandemic levels and will add $2T to the debt this year. Count me as a hell no!

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) signaled Thursday that President Trump’s threat to levy tariffs on key trading partners of the U.S. is hurting his constituents, saying “when we start losing, you back off.” “Almost every industry in Kentucky has come to me and said, ‘It will hurt our industry and push up prices of homes, cars,’ and so, I’m going to continue to argue against tariffs,” Paul said late Thursday in an interview with CNN. The Kentucky Republican argued the U.S. has “more leverage” than any other nation, but not “all the leverage.” He urged the Trump administration to be “smart”...

Dear ProLife Friends, Your Voice Matters—From the March to the Legislature! (We need your help- please see below) It’s been a week since one of the largest annual human rights demonstrations in Kentucky, “Life, Why We March” and we are still feeling the impact of your presence and dedication! We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who joined us at the Kentucky March for Life last Wednesday at the Capitol in Frankfort. Your voice, your commitment, and your unwavering support for the unborn make a difference. Together, we stand for the dignity of every human life, and your...

A controversial plan by U.S. Senate Republicans to make President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent by ignoring the cost to the deficit is raising warnings from party fiscal hawks and independent analysts of a potential "debt spiral" that could undermine economic growth. Top Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, are determined to make permanent tax cuts due to expire at the end of the year, through a parliamentary maneuver that bypasses Democratic opposition. Because rules prohibit bills from expanding the deficit beyond a 10-year window, they intend to ignore a projected revenue loss of more than $4 trillion...

A driver shot during a road rage incident in Louisville is the one facing charges. The incident started Wednesday morning at Taylor Boulevard and Beecher street and was caught on the road rage victim's dash camera. According to police, Graham Bain was driving aggressively and cut off another vehicle multiple times. Bain chased that vehicle, too, LMPD said. A police report said that behavior caused the other driver to fear for the safety of their passengers — three girls — and fire a shot at Bain's car. During the chase, the driver's car got disabled on Carlisle Avenue near Taylor...

The most powerful potential Republican, Congressman James Comer, has already passed on this race and may instead go for governor in 2027, when there is no incumbent. Who will the winner actually be? That’s easy. Whoever gets Donald Trump's endorsement. Right now, that has to be Andy Barr.

Nakara Alston was leaving her boyfriend when she learned she was eight weeks pregnant. In desperation, she got an abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Albany, N.Y., and moved with her two daughters into a homeless shelter. But something was clearly wrong. Several weeks after the procedure, she was still bleeding heavily and suffering from painful cramps. She took another home pregnancy test, and when it came back positive, the clinic staff assured her that they had seen the aborted fetus and there was nothing to worry about. It was only after she went to an emergency room that...

Senate Republicans scored a win over their House counterparts in the early morning hours of Friday, officially passing their preferred budget resolution to tackle some of President Trump's priorities, such as securing the southern border. After hours of back-to-back voting on Democratic amendments, the bill to fund border security, energy and defense finally got its vote on the chamber floor. The measure passed by a vote of 52-48, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to oppose. All Senate Democrats voted against it as well. The Senate voted on various amendments and points of order for nearly 10...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is announcing on Thursday that he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump

“We’re going to go to Ft. Knox, did you know about that?”

On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said that while there are changes that need to be made to FEMA, the agency has been fully cooperative with helping the state out with the recent flooding in Kentucky, the state’s disaster declaration for the floods was turned around by President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “in near record time”, and Trump, Noem, “and FEMA are doing a great job here with us right now.” On “CBS Mornings,” Beshear said, “[L]et me give credit to the Trump administration. We have seen FEMA operating just like they did in the...

MANCHESTER, Ky. (KT) – Kentucky State Police (KSP) are continuing its investigation into an apparent home invasion this past weekend in Clay County that left both of the alleged suspects dead. KSP logo On Saturday, shortly before 4:30 a.m., Clay County 911 contacted Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 11 in London to report a shooting incident within the city limits of Manchester. The Manchester Police Department responded to the scene and found two individuals who had been shot. They requested KSP’s assistance in investigating the matter. Upon their arrival, troopers determined that the two men involved had forcibly entered a...

A child shot and killed two men during a home invasion in Kentucky, officials said. According to Kentucky State Police, troopers were dispatched to the home in Manchester around 4:30 a.m. Saturday for reports of a shooting. When troopers arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. During the break-in, a juvenile living in the home saw the men holding firearms. Acting in self-defense, police said, the child retrieved a handgun and shot both men before escaping through a bedroom window. Police did not give the exact age of the child who shot the alleged intruders. Police said the investigation...

proposal that would ban most junk food from being SNAP-eligible is under consideration in Washington, D.C. and in Frankfort. “The overall goal is to say that we recognize that these choices are not and do not provide good health outcomes,” said Rep. Matt Lockett (R-Nicholasville). House Bill 279 seeks to exclude energy drinks, prepared desserts, such as cookies and candy, potato and corn chips and soft drinks from being purchased using SNAP benefits. Rep. Lockett says it is a bill that is part of a larger goal to improve the health of Kentuckians both on and off the program. “In...

A former Kentucky abortion facility that served as one of the state’s primary abortion businesses for years is set to be demolished, reports the Courier Journal. According to the news outlet, EMW Women’s Surgical Center, which long served as Louisville’s primary abortion facility, closed for good in 2022, when a state law protecting nearly all preborn children from abortion went into effect. In June 2023, the building was listed for sale; reports now show that Zyyo, a real estate development company in New York City, has purchased the property and has requested a wrecking permit to raze the building. The...

The FBI has approved changes to the Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) for Forensic Laboratories to allow DNA evidence profiles generated by Rapid DNA analysis to be searched against the national DNA database (CODIS). On January 27, the QAS documents were posted on the website of the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM), announcing that the new standards will have an effective date of July 1, 2025. At least seven states (Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania) have already taken proactive steps to support criminal investigations by creating non-CODIS statewide programs to allow crime scene evidence...

Senator Mitch McConnell just fell down the stairs while departing the Senate.