Free Republic

Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) reelection effort is under mounting pressure as Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary enters its final weeks, with the incumbent lashing out at GOP allies and facing the possibility of missing the runoff altogether in an increasingly volatile three-way race. Just five weeks before Louisiana Republicans vote on May 16, Cassidy finds himself squeezed between Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, the former congressman and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus…. …. In February 2021, Cassidy voted to convict Trump during the president’s second impeachment trial. He later said, “I voted to convict President...

ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY)- A man is dead after an attempted murder-suicide in St. Landry Parish on Wednesday evening, deputies said. The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred Wednesday evening involving a man who attempted to kill his wife during a domestic dispute. The man then allegedly pursued his wife following a vehicle he believed she was in. The incident ended when the suspect turned a gun on himself. Authorities said the incident began at a campground near Highway 190. The suspect’s wife managed to escape the initial altercation after suffering a broken nose and multiple...

As all eyes are glued to the happenings in the Middle East, this story flew under the radar for most of us. But in a lot of ways, the implications for our national security could be greater than what happens in the next few weeks in the Persian Gulf. Drone warfare has come to the United States—to the heart of our nuclear deterrent capabilities—and our defenses proved inadequate to stop sophisticated drones from interfering with wartime operations.

ultiple recent drone incursions over U.S. bases housing strategic military assets amplify concerns The War Zone has been documenting for years about highly worrisome drone flights over these installations and critical capabilities. These incidents, as we’ve noted, present a risk to national and local security. One of the drone overflights took place earlier this month at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, home of B-52 Stratofortress bombers and nuclear weapons storage facilities, and a key part of the airborne leg of America’s nuclear triad. Another was at an unspecified installation last month, the commander of U.S. Northern Command mentioned in...

Vanessa Motta and Jason Giles were found guilty Friday of numerous charges related to the Louisiana staged accident scam, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. According to news reports from local Louisiana media, the jury deliberated about six hours Friday after closing arguments wrapped up at the end of the day Thursday. The case was heard in the U.S. Eastern District of Louisiana. The news reports also said the pair were remanded to federal custody after the verdicts were read. Local news reporting painted a picture of post-verdict chaos. ... The Motta/Giles trial was the...

A U.S. Air Force Base that houses B-52 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons detected "multiple unauthorized drones" in its vicinity earlier this month, a base official confirmed to Fox News Digital. "Barksdale Air Force Base detected multiple unauthorized drones operating in our airspace during the week of March 9th," a Barksdale AFB spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday. The spokesperson added: "Flying a drone over a military installation is not only a safety issue, it is a criminal offense under federal law." Base officials are working closely with federal and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the drone...

Sightings of an unmanned aerial system over Barksdale Air Force Base (BAFB) early on Monday morning resulted in a shelter-in-place order, prompting officials to temporarily raise the threat level at the facility. For a short period, the base’s Force Protection Condition level was temporarily raised to FPCON Charlie, indicating an incident potentially indicative of a form of terrorist activity targeting U.S. personnel or facilities. Text message alerts were sent out regarding the incident shortly before statements were shared on social media, directing base personnel at BAFB to take shelter. Postings on social media shortly thereafter indicated that the threat level...

Louisiana public schools got the go-ahead to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms after a federal appeals court on Friday lifted an order that had stopped the state from enforcing a law requiring the displays. The majority opinion by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court that had blocked state officials from enforcing the law, which was passed in 2024 by Louisiana’s Republican-controlled Legislature and championed by Gov. Jeff Landry. A U.S. District Court judge and a three-judge panel on the 5th Circuit both previously said the law, which requires all...

A U.S. appeals court has cleared the way for a Louisiana law requiring poster-sized displays of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms to take effect. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift a block that a lower court first placed on the law in 2024. In the opinion released Friday, the court said it was too early to make a judgment call on the constitutionality of the law. That’s partly because it’s not yet clear how prominently schools may display the religious text, if teachers will refer to the Ten Commandments during classes, or if other things...

In a stretch of Louisiana with about 170 fossil fuel and petrochemical plants, premature death is a fact of life for people living nearby. The air is so polluted and the cancer rates so high it is known as Cancer Alley. “Most adults in the area are attending two to three funerals per month,” said Gary C. Watson Jr., who was born and raised in St. John the Baptist Parish, a majority Black community in Cancer Alley about 30 miles outside of New Orleans. His father survived cancer, but in recent years, at least five relatives have died from it....

A manhunt has been launched after eight inmates — three of whom are facing murder charges — escaped Friday morning from a northeast Louisiana jail. Louisiana State Police confirmed the men, all considered “violent offenders,” were reported missing from the Riverbend Detention Center at 1:20 a.m. (Snip) The three inmates who were captured after the escape were identified as Hugo Molino, 27; Trenton Taplin, 29; and Savon Wheeler, 31. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she has been in contact with East Carroll Parish Sheriff Wydette Williams and Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association President Kevin Cobb. “[I] have offered the full assistance...

Most in the GOP are silent or backing the Trump administration, but a conspicuous few are speaking out. A small but growing number of Republicans are raising public concerns about the killing Saturday of a 37-year-old Minnesota man by federal agents.Hours after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis street, one House GOP chair called for the top ICE leader and other Trump administration officials to publicly answer lawmakers’ questions. GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina called for independent probes into the shooting, with Cassidy arguing the integrity...

President Donald Trump has endorsed a Republican representative in Louisiana to challenge GOP Senator Bill Cassidy, who has vowed to fight for his place in the Senate. Writing on Truth Social, the president threw his weight behind Julia Letlow, who currently represents Louisiana's 5th congressional district. "I know Julia well, have seen her tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and she is a TOTAL WINNER!" Trump posted on Saturday. "Should she decide to enter this Race, Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!"

CLINTON — An East Feliciana judge denied an early release for a man who killed seven people in a 2012 drunk driving crash. Brett Gerald pleaded guilty to seven counts of vehicular homicide after he drunkenly drove on La. 67 in Slaughter, causing a head-on collision that killed a family of six and their friend. His blood-alcohol concentration at the time was nearly twice the legal limit, and he has a history of DUI arrests. Gerald was originally sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for each count, a total of 70 years. However, his sentence was cut in half...

Energy Louisiana Trial Lawyers Steered Thousands to Judge Overseeing Their Case Against Oil Companies—Then Won a $744 Million Judgment 'The whole thing is set up as a kangaroo court,' former AG Bill Barr tells Free Beacon L: Offshore oil and gas platform (Mario Tama/Getty Images) R: Chevron logo Thomas Catenacci January 12, 2026 The Louisiana attorneys who helped secure a landmark verdict requiring U.S. oil company Chevron to pay $744 million in environmental damages gave nearly $15,000 to the state judge who presided over the case, ethics filings reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon show. The Baton Rouge-based law firm...

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed extradition paperwork Tuesday to seek the prosecution of a California abortionist accused of illegally shipping abortion pills into the state. Landry is vowing to hold accountable those who undermine Louisiana’s pro-life laws and endanger women and unborn children. “I am signing the extradition paperwork to bring this California doctor to justice,” Landry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Louisiana has a zero tolerance policy for those who subvert our laws, seek to hurt women, and promote abortion.” The Republican governor added: “I know Gavin Newsom supports abortion in all its forms, but that doesn’t...

Some of the Democrats who have been spiking the ball in the end zone after the passage of the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” probably didn’t read all of the finer details in the bill. They’ve been celebrating its passage along with Joe Biden as the “biggest climate legislation” to ever be passed. They have also been grudgingly thanking West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin for getting the bill over the finish line. But it turns out that Manchin snuck in a few items that haven’t drawn many headlines yet and the climate warriors aren’t going to be very happy about them....

An illegal migrant has been nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Louisiana after she ran a red light and crashed her car into one of the agency's vehicles, officers said. The Honduran national accidentally plowed her car being into one being used by ICE during the Operation Catahoula Crunch raid in Slidell, according to US Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino. 'Apparently she never learned the lesson that red means stop, not 'accelerate and collide with a government vehicle actively enforcing federal law'.' Bovino, the Commander of Operation At Large in California, said in a Facebook post. No injuries...

Yesterday, the Secretary of War authorized the activation of up to 350 Louisiana National Guard members on Title 32 status through February 28, 2026. These National Guard troops will support federal law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, as they enforce federal law and counter high rates of violent crime in New Orleans and other metropolitan areas in Louisiana. Operating under Governor Landry's command and control, this mission will directly enhance the safety of Louisiana's residents and the enforcement of federal laws – reaffirming the Department of War's commitment to supporting our interagency...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB/Gray News) - Authorities in Louisiana are investigating a crash involving a semitruck that collided with an interstate bridge. According to the Louisiana State Police, the crash was reported on Friday morning on Interstate 49 near exit 61. State police said fatigue seemed to be a factor in the crash, as the driver fell asleep. There were no injuries in the crash, but the bridge’s structure will have to be evaluated for safety due to damage from the collision, authorities noted. Trucks with oversized loads traveling north on I-49 have been instructed to take a detour on U.S....