Free Republic

The budget reconciliation bill currently before the U.S. House could dispose of nearly 1.5 million acres of public land, according to new analysis released today by the digital mapping company onX. Republicans added the public land sale with an amendment proposed during a midnight session of the House Natural Resources Committee. Initial reports suggested that only about 10,000 acres would be subject to disposal, and later analysis increased that estimate to nearly 500,000 acres. Now, an extensive review by onX researchers has revealed that the actual number could be as many as 1,466,352 acres in Utah and Nevada. “Our public...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner announced Monday that their agencies will work together to prevent illegal migrants from living in public housing. The Trump administration aims to end the “wasteful misappropriation” of taxpayer money going to subsidize housing for illegal migrants by having DHS “identify illegal aliens who are ineligible for Federal housing assistance” to HUD, according to the new memorandum of understanding between the two agencies. “American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation’s housing...

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Agrowing number of legislators in the United States are formally recognizing racism as a public health crisis. Resolutions introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives seek to highlight the impact of systemic racism on public health and push for federal action to address health disparities. Why It Matters Declaring racism a public health crisis is not just symbolic. Public health experts and advocates argue that systemic racism directly affects health outcomes, leading to higher rates of chronic disease, maternal mortality and reduced life expectancy for communities of color. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored these disparities, with communities of...

If you were going to question a candidate for public office what would you ask? I ask because I am aiming toward creating a standardized test for anyone who aspires to public office. I am also exploring how to make that test mandatory for anyone who applies, and to make the results public. So have at it. ------- You have presented yourself and may as a result swear a legally binding oath that you are willing to uphold and defend the Constitution of The United States of America. You must now give answer to the people among whom you wish...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he and other top Democrats did not mislead the American public about President Joe Biden’s decline in mental acuity. Host Kristen Welker said, “Obviously, there has been a lot of focus on President Biden’s role in this. You were, obviously, in close contact with President Biden well before the public tuned into that debate that ultimately led to him stepping down. I want to play you a little bit of something you said last year. Take a look. In 2024, on Capitol Hill, Schumer said, “I...

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let stand a ruling that subjugates parental rights to school politics.The ruling that had come out of the 7th U.S. District Court of Appeals in a Wisconsin fight claimed that parental rights were not affected when schools secretly encouraged children to be transgender, so the parents had no standing to bring the case.Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas would have granted the petition, according to the court announcement, as it's an issue that is coming up more and more.Alito explained, "This case presents a question of great and growing national importance: whether...

As many as 3 million New Yorkers may be fraudulently reaping taxpayer-funded Medicaid and other public health insurance benefits at a potential cost of $20 billion a year, a staggering new study claims. About 5.5 million Empire State residents have incomes low enough to meet the standard eligibility limits for Medicaid or the Essential Plan, a related public health insurance program. But with expanded eligibility rules under Obamacare and an increased demand for a controversial homecare program, enrollment has swelled to 8.5 million, a potential surplus of 3 million.

Critics of President Joe Biden ripped the octogenarian for campaigning in New Hampshire on locking up former President Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris has not yet condemned Biden’s statement, though the Trump campaign has called on her to do so. “We gotta lock him up,” said Biden before backtracking on his remarks Tuesday. “Lock up him politically. Lock him out, that’s what we have to do.” The statement comes as Harris and Barack Obama are campaigning on the seriousness of what a president says, claiming Trump’s words represent a threat to democracy. “When Donald Trump repeatedly lies or cheats...

Over Labor Day weekend, New York saw behavior that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, when I was a New York City Police Department counterterrorism analyst. After the terror organization Hamas executed six hostages, including one American — thousands marched in support of the terrorists. From behind keffiyehs, they disrupted the Labor Day Parade, flying the flags of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and called for more violence against Americans and Jews. And yet they face no social condemnation.

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that “voters” and “the American public can sniff inauthenticity” in Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (Ohio). “I think, in politics — as we all know, we’ve all been around it a long time — voters … the American public can sniff inauthenticity,” Psaki said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “This guy is … not authentic.” Vance has faced criticism for his performance on the campaign trail. In one notable incident, he faced blowback over a quip about Diet Mountain Dew and Democrats saying “it’s racist to do anything.” He has...

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said that hearing Democrats publicly state their concerns that President Joe Biden couldn’t serve another four years in office “made me sick,” “It made me sick the way people were so quickly going and airing their concerns publicly, when they had the White House’s phone number.” Commentator Mike Barnicle asked, “The sitting President of the United States is a man known — noted for his compassion, his decency, his empathy, and, above all, his character. So, my question to you, were you at all surprised at the level of...

President Joe Biden will hold no public events all week to explain why he stepped aside, according to the White House schedule released Monday. The lack of a public appearance will increase concerns about Biden’s health. Many commentators believe that Biden’s lack of a public appearance to announce his decision will fuel calls for him to resign from the presidency, citing fears that he is not able to run the executive branch. Is the MSM going to ask for some sort of public appearance by President Biden or are they just sticking with their absurd “he’s a hero” talking point...

In what sounds like one of the weirdest cases in recent memory, the Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 in favor of municipalities in the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson. The case involved whether municipalities could bar homeless people from “camping” in public spaces, addressing the question, “Does the enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property constitute ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ prohibited by the Eighth Amendment?” The short summary from SCOTUSblog's Amy Howe in the site's live chat is that "The court holds that the enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public...

President Biden has committed 148 gaffes and verbal stumbles in public comments so far this year, which White House staff have scrambled to fix in official transcripts. Biden, 81, tripped over his tongue in at least 118 statements, speeches or comments between Jan. 1 and April 24, according to an analysis of White House records reviewed by the Daily Caller — meaning there were more glaring errors to correct than official announcements. The belated changes have been made either to keep the president’s words in line with public policy stances or change the meaning of his statements entirely. Last week,...

A strong majority of U.S. adults believe religion is losing its influence in public life, a new Pew Research Center survey found. Overall, 80 percent of U.S. adults say religion’s role in American life is shrinking, “a percentage that’s as high as it’s ever been,” according to the poll report. Nearly half (49 percent) say the decline of religious influence in public life is a “bad thing.” Eight percent say religious influence is “growing and this is good.” Only 6 percent say religious influence is “growing and this is bad,” and 13 percent say religious influence is “shrinking and this...

Hunter Biden on Wednesday refused to accept House Oversight Committee James Comer’s (R-KY) offer to publicly testify before Congress on March 20. Hunter previously said he would only testify in public and refused to appear for a closed-door interview in December. “Here I am, Mr. Chairman, taking up your offer when you said we can bring these people in for depositions or committee hearings, whichever they choose. Well, I’ve chosen. I’m here to testify in a public hearing today to answer any of the committee’s legitimate questions,” Hunter said outside the U.S. Capitol in December. Hunter later appeared in February...

Idaho public universities have ramped up spending to $6 million on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and teaching students about 'white fragility' and 'toxic masculinity.. Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) researchers have lifted the lid on a tripling of DEI spending since 2022 at Boise State University (BSU) and three other taxpayer-funded schools across the Gem State. Those schools now have 75 administrators dedicated to DEI, many of them earning six-figure salaries. The top earner, Yolanda Bisbee, is an expert on tribal relations who bags $170,706 per year as chief diversity officer at the University of Idaho (UI). 'The DEI...

Federal budget analysts said Wednesday that debt held by the U.S. public is on track to hit a record high in the coming years because the federal budget deficits are projected to climb over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected the debt held by the public will rise significantly over the next decade, climbing from 99 percent of GDP in 2024 to 116 percent in 2034. The jump would mark a high-water mark, the CBO said, while noting that, absent policy changes, the debt is likely to continue the upward trajectory after 2034. Federal outlays are also...

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case involving whether cities in Western states can ban homeless people from sleeping in public areas. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled against anti-camping ordinances in Grants Pass, Oregon, saying it’s unconstitutional because it violates the Eighth Amendment of no "cruel and unusual punishment." Grants Pass appealed the ruling, with the backing of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose own state faces a homelessness crisis. The ruling applies to nine western states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. *** Former MLB great and...