Free Republic

When those who don’t know history inevitably repeat it, the greatest offense is not their profound ignorance (which is seriously painful), but it’s that their obliviousness has real consequences for those of us who know better.Government by its very nature is, at best, a “necessary evil,” and in its worst state, “an intolerable one.” And, leftist ideologies, like communism, certainly fall under the “worst state” category. Now, after millions and millions of taxpayer dollars and months of issues—like completely bare shelves, a “rancid odor” that filled the store, and rampant crime—one of the nation’s only taxpayer-funded grocery stores has closed...

First responders from multiple agencies responded Thursday to the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, after a helicopter crashed on a barge.

BREAKING: Officials investigating 'reported car bombings' and 'alleged antisemitic vandalism' in Clayton, west of St. Louis, Missouri, assistant attorney general says.— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) August 5, 2025

A Missouri man was kicked out of a St. Louis City SC soccer game on July 26 for wearing an iconic “Make America Great Again” hat. The man, Michael Weitzel, filmed the entire exchange and posted it online. Now, the federal government is reportedly looking into whether the man’s civil rights were violated. The video showed four security officers approaching him during the match at Energizer Park. ... A man got kicked out of a @stlCITYsc game last night for wearing a MAGA hat.” “Security said they don’t allow political paraphernalia, ... Keller revealed, “Can confirm this video is now...

A man attending a recent Major League Soccer game claimed his choice of attire resulted in him being "asked to leave" the sporting event, according to a video posted on social media. The man, who identified himself in the video as Michael Weitzel, was seen wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat at Energizer Park, St. Louis City SC's home stadium. "I am Michael Weitzel and I have been asked to leave because of the Donald Trump hat," he states in the video during an exchange with security personnel and law enforcement officers. A member of the venue's security...

GOP senators sparred with fellow Republican Josh Hawley on Wednesday over a Hawley-authored bill that would ban trading and ownership of stocks and certain other assets by lawmakers, the president and vice president and their spouses and dependent children. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the bill on a slim 8-7 vote after earlier adopting a Hawley substitute amendment that extended the prohibitions beyond just members of Congress, reaching into the Oval Office. The compromise amendment would give officials elected before the date of enactment until after their current term to divest their assets. So President Donald Trump...

President Trump on Wednesday went off on one his closest allies in Congress, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) over voting in committee on a bill that would ban stock trading by lawmakers, presidents and vice presidents, arguing that Hawley teamed up with Democrats to advance the measure. The bill would ban congressional lawmakers and their spouses from trading stocks as well as presidents and vice presidents, but the latter would only apply to future administrations. Still, Trump, in a social media post, went off on Hawley claiming that he was being used by Democrats to target the president. He also questioned...

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued an early Wednesday morning press release announcing a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) for its deceptive messaging about the abortion pill Mifepristone.Today, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that his Office has filed a lawsuit against the national Planned Parenthood Federation of America for violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. The suit alleges that Planned Parenthood has systematically misled women about the dangers of chemical abortions in order to cut costs and drive up revenue at the risk of women’s health and safety. “The national Planned Parenthood organization is actively endangering...

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit against the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, accusing the abortion organization of misleading women about the safety of mifepristone, a drug used in chemical abortions. The suit, announced Wednesday, seeks millions in damages and aims to hold the national abortion provider accountable for what Bailey calls deceptive practices that endanger women’s health. “Planned Parenthood has a documented history of subverting state law, including failure to file complication reports,” Bailey said in a statement. The lawsuit, filed in response to what Bailey describes as Planned Parenthood’s pattern of violating Missouri regulations, alleges the...

Beege Welborn wrote about this last week while I was on vacation. Kansas City, Mo. has helped to fund a grocery store in a part of town considered a food desert. But it hasn't been going very well lately. The store, at this point, is basically empty despite millions of dollars of city support.The first sight walking into the Sun Fresh at Linwood Boulevard and 31st Street is the produce section. On Tuesday, the crates and shelves were nearly bare.“It make me want to walk right back out,” said Greg Hayslett, “but I had to get something. It’s mind boggling.”...A...

In the wake of a radical abortion amendment to the Missouri state constitution that passed with vague and emotional messaging, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is advocating for a new amendment that would “correct course” and improve pro-life protections. Many who voted “yes” on the pro-abortion Amendment 3 in 2024 “believed they were supporting limited access to abortion in rare or tragic cases,” Hoskins wrote in a July 10 op-ed for the Missouri Times. “Instead, they enacted one of the most extreme and ambiguous abortion policies in the nation, written directly into our state’s most foundational and sacrosanct legal document.”...

A Missouri judge ruled Thursday that the state cannot enforce several laws regarding abortion — including a law restricting most abortions, a 72-hour waiting period, and a law requiring abortion facilities to meet special licensing requirements. With the ruling, abortions — which had largely been paused — are set to resume in the state. The state Supreme Court had lifted the judge’s previous injunction. Key Takeaways: * Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang’s ruling blocked state enforcement of a waiting period law and laws meant to ensure that abortion facilities meet specific licensing requirements. * Her ruling re-imposes a preliminary injunction...

Alert readers have reported that their flight, United Airlines 3681, from St. Louis to Washington Dulles had to make an emergency return to the gate as it prepared for take-off. According to local officials, it was found that two men who had boarded the plane as ‘federal air marshals’ didn’t have the proper credentials. Passengers were deplaned, all luggage was removed and re-scanned. All passengers were also re-screened. Passengers are now in the process of re-boarding. There is no word on the two ‘air marshals.’ BigGovernment has contacted security officials in St. Louis. Ron Meyer, of Young America Foundation, was...

Mexico’s president is threatening to “mobilize” the country against a Republican proposal to tax remittances, which advocates say would choke off cash flow to Mexican drug cartels. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum raged against the proposal in a speech against the law, which imposes a tax on money sent out of the United States by foreign nationals. “If necessary, we’ll mobilize,” Sheinbaum said. “We don’t want taxes on remittances from our fellow countrymen. From the U.S. to Mexico.” President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” includes a 3.5 percent tax on remittances, a policy that experts told The Daily Wire is...

Since the 2016 elections, politicians, journalists, and many others have raised the alarm about “foreign election influence” and “disinformation,” demanding greater “content moderation” by social media platforms. It is too easy, they argued, for foreign and malign actors to quickly “go viral” at low cost, leaving the good guys unable to correct bad information. We must become more “resilient” to disinformation. It’s now clear that all of that rhetoric was cover for a sweeping censorship effort by the federal government and government contractors. Since December, a small but growing group of journalists, analysts, and researchers have documented the rise of...

A ruling from the state Supreme Court in Missouri is allowing, at least for now, a shutdown of abortion business that do not meet minimum medical facility requirements. "We're going to take a moment to celebrate, because this effectively shuts down abortion clinics in the state of Missouri for the time being," said Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, during an interview with Tony Perkins on "Washington Watch." The dispute is over the business operations meeting the state requirements for medical facilities. "What the Supreme Court said was that the lower court did not apply the proper standard: The lower court...

The Missouri Supreme Court today issued a ruling that could reinstate the state’s abortion safety standards — previously blocked by a lower court—by requiring the case to be reevaluated under a stricter legal standard. The decision effectively blocked abortions in Misosuri, with no abortion businesses able to meet the basic standards, and babies will be protected for now. The Court’s decision ordered Judge Jerri Zhang of the 16th Circuit to vacate her earlier rulings from December 2024 and February 2025, which had allowed abortions to temporarily resume in the state following the passage of Amendment 3. The Missouri Supreme Court...

The Missouri Legislature had once again killed a bill to restore the ability to legally exercise rights protected by the Second Amendment on public transportation. Senator Schnelting has been promoting these bills for years. They make progress, then they are killed by inaction. From mo.gov: On April 10, HB328 passed the House, 106 to 45. HB328 was sent to the Senate. On April 22, the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety committee held a hearing on the bill. On April 24, an “SCS” (Senate Committee Substitute) was passed. No other action was taken on the bill before the Senate adjourned...

You had ONE JOB to do – and you couldn’t get it done. Sarah Russell was promoted to Commissioner of CEMA in May 2021. They joined CEMA in 2010 as a specialist responsible for public information, community outreach, training, exercise, etc. Sarah Russell was fired on Saturday after the tornado sirens were not used during the massive tornado that swept through St. Louis City on Friday afternoon. Thousands of homes were damaged. At least five individuals died, and tens of thousands were without power. Mayor Cara Spencer suspended Sarah Russell after the tornado sirens were left off during Friday’s tornado....

A teenager who was native to Southern California died after being stabbed to death by her boyfriend in Illinois, her father tells KTLA 5 News. Jon Prince reached out to KTLA on Tuesday morning, saying that his daughter, 17-year-old Cadence Prince, was stabbed multiple times by her boyfriend on Sunday night in O’Fallon, Illinois, which is located 18 miles east of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, in southwestern Illinois. ... According to Jon, detectives with the O’Fallon Police Department told him that after the stabbing, the boyfriend called his grandparents — who are said to be his legal guardians — and...