Free Republic

The first Democrat is now officially running for Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat. Pamela Stevenson, the top-ranking Democrat in the Republican-led Kentucky House, has launched her bid for the seat. Stevenson, a retired Air Force colonel, has served in the state House since 2021. Republican and former attorney general, Daniel Cameron, is also running for McConnell's seat. There are several other Republicans considering running, including Congressman Andy Barr. McConnell announced in February he would not seek re-election. His term ends in January 2027.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that America was stuck with a “madman” in the Oval Office because Democrats did not force then-President Joe Biden to step down. Murphy said, “The president should have gotten out of the race earlier, there’s no doubt the Democratic Party would have been better served by having the ability to have a primary, Kamala Harris probably would have done very well in the process but in retrospect, we lost so we can’t defend the way in which our politics played out.”

The Tijuana River stinks. So, what could be more fitting than renaming it in honor of Donald Trump?

PALM SPRINGS — Palm Springs was left reeling from a bomb explosion Saturday outside a fertility clinic that caused damage for blocks and has been classified as an intentional act of terrorism.One person was killed in the blast. Officials would not confirm he was the bomber but said there is no longer a threat to the Palm Springs area.The bombing shattered the Saturday morning quiet, with many residents thinking they felt an earthquake.“I’m really saddened by today’s attack on our city,” Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills said. “But I am also hopeful because our city will rise.”There was extensive...

In this context, he changed the name of his channel from the French-style Du Rove's Channel to the Latin transcription of his name, Pavel DurovMOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Telegram turned down a Western European country’s request to silence channels of Romanian conservatives ahead of the presidential election in that country, the messenger’s co-founder, Pavel Durov, said. "A Western European government (guess which) approached Telegram, asking us to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of today’s presidential elections. I flatly refused," he wrote on his Telegram channel, posting a baguette bread emoji in the brackets. "Telegram will not restrict the freedoms...

From prices to tariffs to dealmaking, Trump’s involvement in economic issues prompts both frustration and applause.President Donald Trump is trying to force down drug prices to specific levels. He has directed tariff rates on virtually every country. He declared that the Federal Reserve “must” lower interest rates. He takes a personal interest in the fate of individual companies like TikTok. He appears frequently with CEOs to tout investment deals, including many that were hatched before his presidency.And in his just-concluded Middle East trip, Trump pitched business leaders on doing business in America for one big reason: his personal involvement in...

Even before President Trump was re-elected, the Heritage Foundation, best known for Project 2025, set out to destroy pro-Palestinian activism in the United States.In late April, the Heritage Foundation dispatched a team to Israel to meet with power players in Israeli politics, including the country’s foreign and defense secretaries and the U.S. ambassador, Mike Huckabee.The conservative Washington-based think tank is best known for spearheading Project 2025, a proposed blueprint for President Trump’s second term that called for reshaping the federal government and an extreme expansion of presidential power.Now the Heritage contingent was in Israel, in part, to discuss another contentious...

Over the past three months, a growing number of universities have added or dropped entire sports programs on the eve of dramatic changes coming to college athletics under the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement.UTEP dropped women’s tennis, Cal Poly discontinued swimming and diving, Marquette added women’s swimming and Grand Canyon shuttered a historically dominant men’s volleyball program. It was a dizzying set of decisions that appears to offer no pattern except one: Every school is facing a choice on which programs to carry forward once the money really starts flowing.While top-tier athletes in high-revenue sports like football and basketball can look...

SummaryTrump's Gulf tour sidelines Netanyahu, marks new Middle East order Netanyahu's stance on Gaza, US-Iran talks creates rift with US Massive arms and financial deals signal US pivot to wealthy Gulf Domestic critics say Netanyahu's policies leave Israel paralysed Dubai, May 18 (Reuters)- - Nothing captured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's isolation more starkly this week than the image of U.S. President Donald Trump shaking hands with Syria's Islamist leader Ahmed al‑Sharaa - a man Israel has branded "an al‑Qaeda terrorist in a suit." "He's got the potential. He's a real leader," Trump told reporters after talks with Sharaa on...

A 25-year-old Southern California man has been identified as the attacker who detonated a car bomb outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs Saturday — killing himself and injuring four other people, according to sources. Guy Edward Bartkus, of Twentynine Palms, is believed to have detonated an explosive device in his car outside the American Reproductive Centers, which performs IVF treatments, egg collections and other procedures, law enforcement sources told The Post. On Saturday, FBI agents swarmed his home and evacuated the neighborhood, declaring it a “blast zone” over concerns that he could have left explosives behind, ABC7 reported. During...

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that President Donald Trump should not accept a jet from Qatar to use as the next Air Force One. Pence said, “First, we’ve got to remember who Qatar is. We’ve got a military base there. I have members of our immediate family that have deployed to the region. But Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas. They supported Al Qaeda. Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on American campuses across the United States.” Host Kristen Welker said, “So you are saying President Trump...

As part of the latest Republican push in red states to promote ideologies sympathetic to Donald Trump, Oklahoma’s new social studies curriculum will ask high school students to identify “discrepancies” in the 2020 election results. The previous standard for studying the 2020 election merely said: “Examine issues related to the election of 2020 and its outcome.” The new version is more expansive: “Identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record...

The action at a rally on Saturday called on the Scottish Government to immediately appeal the ruling to the European Court of Human Rights. Each protester appeared topless with a red-painted right arm, symbolising solidarity with anti-fascist feminist movements across Europe, including actions by groups such as Femen France. Protesters also carried white roses, mourning what they describe as the death of transgender rights in the UK, and wore tape over their mouths to represent the censorship and silencing of trans voices in the legal process. One protester, Sugar, commented: “This ruling is not just a setback of humanitarian rights;...

The IDF has confirmed that over the past day, IDF troops under the Southern Command—including both active duty and reservists have begun extensive ground operations throughout the northern and southern Gaza Strip as part of “Gideon’s Chariots". Over the past week, the Israeli Air Force conducted a preliminary wave of strikes, striking over 670 Hamas terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip to disrupt enemy preparations and support ground operations. Among the targets struck were weapon storage facilities, underground terrorist infrastructure sites, anti-tank missile launchers, as well as terrorists. The Israeli Air Force continues to provide consistent support to operating troops...

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Walmart not to raise prices, two days after the retailer said price hikes were possible. "Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. "Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!" On Thursday, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said it would do its best to keep prices down, but with the...

A new minimum wage proposal has Los Angeles hotels in a panic ahead of the 2028 Olympics, as it may drive businesses to discard deals or shutter plans completely. The proposal of a $30 minimum hourly wage has hospitality corporations in the area preparing to slash expansion plans as well as deals in the works for the next Games. The Olympics holds the potential for the hosting city to draw in thousands of tourists and spectators who come to watch the games from across the globe. LA28, the private, non-profit company organizing the Games, has a budget of $6.9billion funded...

Britain’s biggest trade union has allowed a trans woman to run for a senior female role despite the landmark Supreme Court ruling on gender. Ellie Waple is running for the female disabled member’s seat on the Unison national executive committee.

Mexican sailors were seen dangling from a navy training vessel's main mast moments after the ship smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge. The sailors had been standing atop the Cuauhtémoc's 150-foot masts in the lead up to the ship striking the iconic structure on Saturday as part of a traditional greeting. The massive Navy vessel, reportedly carrying nearly 300 passengers, hit the iconic New York City bridge, triggering a colossal rescue response and leaving two dead and dozens more severely injured. In multiple eyewitness videos, the towering masts are seen snapping and partially collapsing as they crash into the bridge's deck....

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has refused to bail out Los Angeles, which is facing a $1 billion deficit, in his latest budget proposal, as the state itself faces a massive $12 billion deficit. The Los Angeles Times reports: Deeper in the budget proposal, no salvation was found for L.A. And at a news conference Wednesday, Newsom said flatly that he did not plan to provide cash to help dig the city out of its budget hole. The city is facing a $1-billion shortfall due to inflated personnel costs, higher than ever liability lawsuit payouts and below-expected revenues. “The state’s...

Gaza Strip — It cost a fortune, she said, but Asmaa Fayez managed to buy a few zucchinis in a Gaza market. She cooked them with rice and brought it to her 4-year-old son, who has been in the hospital for the past week. The soup was his only meal of the day, and he asked for more. "It's all finished, darling," Fayez replied softly. Still, it was an improvement from the canned beans and tuna she brings on other days, she said. Hospital patients are among the most vulnerable as Palestinians across Gaza struggle to feed themselves, with Israel's...