Free Republic

California Democrats are currently pushing a bill that could ban law-abiding citizens from buying Glock handguns in an attempt to stop criminals from using “Glock switches.” “Glock switches” are federally prohibited plastic pieces that can be affixed to the rear of a Glock slide to make the pistol shoot full auto. It has become in vogue for leftists to target Glock over the illegal use of the switches. For example, on March 19, 2024, Breitbart News noted that Chicago filed a lawsuit against Glock over the switches, although many of the switches in the U.S. originated in China. On February...

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” with Russia for at least 30 days starting on Monday, Ukrainian FM Andrii Sybiha said Saturday. His remarks came as the leaders of four major European countries visited Kyiv, amid a push for Moscow to agree to a truce and launch peace talks on ending the nearly three-year war. They followed what Sybiha said was a “constructive” phone call between them, U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Saturday also marked the last day of a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia...

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s hostility to the oil industry could lead to the closure of local refineries — which, in turn, could push gas prices past $6 per gallon, or even $9 per gallon, a local analyst has warned. Local ABC affiliate KABC-7 reported: The Phillips 66 Refinery in Los Angeles could close by the end of this year, which would send prices skyrocketing above $6, according to USC Professor Michael Mische. Mische added that if the Valero Refinery in the Bay Area closes by the end of next year, that could send gas prices soaring close to $9 a...

On Thursday’s broadcast of Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) reacted to President Donald Trump’s announcement of secondary sanctions on purchasers of Iranian oil by stating that he generally supports pressuring the regime and “there is bipartisan support for increasing pressure to get Iran to the table, to try and get back into a more comprehensive deal, one that doesn’t have sunsets, one that includes some of their secondary support for terrorist proxies in the region, particularly, including the Houthis and their ballistic missile program.” Co-host Kailey Leinz asked, “Well, and as we consider the issues your committee...

Two Bronx legislators announced Monday they’re introducing legislation to aid Bally’s bid to open a casino next to the borough’s golf course formerly run by President Trump’s firm. The bill pushed by Sen. Nathalia Fernandez and Assemblyman Mike Benedetto would reclassify the parkland for commercial use in order for the gambling and entertainment company’s casino bid to move forward. The project can’t proceed without the redesignation. Bally’s took over the lease for the golf course from The Trump Organization in 2023 — renaming “Trump Links” at Ferry Point to “Bally Links.”

A Chicago alderman told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that city officials still want to divert funding away from the police department, even though the city was once again the nation’s homicide capital in 2024. “I said this for the last two mayors, too,” said 41st Ward Alderman Anthony Napolitano. “It’s not even so much so that these last two administrations are turning a blind eye. They’re ignoring the crime rate because their objective … is to demonize the police department, make it seem like there’s not there’s not as much of a crime issue as there is, because their...

Democrat lawmakers in Oregon are pushing myriad new gun controls this legislative session, including a ban on the possession of firearms by persons under the age of 21. The Statesman Journal noted that Oregon has pivoted from its previous reputation of being a pro-gun, or at least gun-control neutral, state, to being ranked highly for gun control under Democrat governance. For example, “[Oregon] ranks just outside the top 10 by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (No. 11) and Everytown for Gun Safety (No. 12).” This year’s gun control proposals include Senate Bill 697, which would ban firearm...

New Mexico Democrats continue pushing a ban on semiautomatic firearms, couching the ban in the language of prohibiting gas-operated firearms. On February 7, 2025, Breitbart News reported that New Mexico Democrats had revived legislation Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) wanted in 2023, and were pushing it as Senate Bill 279. On December 13, 2023, Breitbart News observed that Grisham wanted legislation modeled after Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-AZ) Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act. Although GOSAFE failed passage at the federal level, Grisham believed it could be pushed through the New Mexico legislature by her fellow Democrats. SB 279 continues moving...

During an interview with “CBS Evening News” that took place on Thursday and was released on Friday, LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley denied that diversity initiatives have harmed the department’s ability to respond to emergencies like the recent fires and stated, “my number one priority is making sure that we can take care of the community that we took an oath to take care of, and with that is our ability to respond to emergencies.” Crowley stated, “My top three priorities since day one [have] been this, I want to clearly articulate that: The number one priority from day one is...

Comedian and podcast host Adam Carolla has predicted that the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires will lead wealthy California elites to abandon the Democrat party, or at least persuade them to vote somewhat less blue, because of the onerous amounts of state regulation they will face when they attempt to rebuild. In his most recent podcast episode, Adam Carolla argued that California’s permit process for rebuilding is so needlessly daunting and drawn-out that true-blue voters will turn on Democrats out of sheer frustration. “So here’s what’s going to happen. All these people who are deep blue Democrats are now going to...

Local officials in Coachella, California, who support former President Donald Trump are pushing back at elected officials who say he is not welcome and who describe him as a “threat.” Area news outlet KESQ reported Monday that Trump will be speaking at a rally in the area on Saturday evening. Supporters are expected to come from California and swing-state Arizona, as well as from the local community. KESQ noted that Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Coachella Councilmember Frank Figueroa, and Indio Councilmember Waymond Fermon — who once worked security for Trump at a local casino — are...

Police on Saturday arrested the man accused of shoving his girlfriend onto the tracks of a New York City subway, which caused the victim to lose her feet. The suspect, identified as Christian Valdez, was taken into custody about 10 hours after the incident happened at the Fulton Street station, NBC New York reported Sunday. He is accused of pushing the 29-year-old woman onto the tracks as a train approached the platform after the pair argued.

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users via their apps' push notifications, a U.S. senator warned on Wednesday. In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google and Apple (AAPL.O). Although details were sparse, the letter lays out yet another path by which governments can track smartphones. Apps of all kinds rely on push notifications to alert smartphone users to incoming messages, breaking news, and other updates. These are the audible "dings" or visual indicators users get when they receive an email or...

I read with absolute astonishment the Sept. 14 editorial “Republicans cheapen a vital power of the House.” The editorial stated that “some on the far left tried to impeach President George W. Bush on unreasonable grounds.” Mr. Bush misled the country about weapons of mass destruction, waged a war against a sovereign country (without U.N. approval) and caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people in the process. If that’s an unreasonable proposition, then the criteria for impeachment need to be reevaluated.

Ukraine is trying to breathe fresh life into a largely stalled campaign to push back Russia’s forces, launching a major push in the southern Zaporizhzhia region this week. After six weeks of slow gains, Kyiv and Washington insist a second phase of the counteroffensive could unleash intensified attacks on Moscow’s forces and hasten Ukrainian gains in occupied areas. “Ukraine has a substantial amount of combat power that it has not committed to the fight,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said last week. “It’s at that moment, when they make that commitment, that we will likely see what the...

A group of University of Chicago students are continuing their campaign for their university to pay over $1 billion in reparations to Chicago's South Side. University of Chicago Against Displacement (UCAD), an anti-gentrification student club, hosted an open house event on Thursday. "Come to our open house for some food, music, and good conversation!" the group's Instagram post read. "This week we’ll be making and coloring our own zines :)" According to University of Chicago's library, a zine "is a self-published [fanzine] … produced in small print runs." In February, the club had asked for $1 billion in reparations in...

Multiple House Democrats are reportedly pushing again for reparations and a national apology for slavery, according to Fox News. The group reintroduced legislation to create a commission whose members would address slavery in America, and one Democrat hopes the nation can deal with the issue, the outlet continued Thursday: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, and 52 House Democrats proposed the legislation this week in an effort to keep the issue alive. Her legislation, which was considered by the House Judiciary Committee in the last Congress when Democrats were in charge, is unlikely to taken up in the 118th Congress led...

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several bills into law Friday. All of them were radical leftist monstrosities advancing his totalitarian control over the state. They ranged in severity from the petty to the monstrous, showing he can promote evil at every level. But one can argue none of them will affect more citizens and likely kill more Californians than AB2098. According to the San Diego Tribune: The bill, AB2098, introduced by Democratic Assembly Member Evan Low, declares that a physician or surgeon commits professional misconduct if they disseminate “misinformation or disinformation” about the nature and risks of COVID-19, its prevention...

A Russian separatist leader in Ukraine’s Donbass region has admitted the situation is “very difficult” as Kyiv mounts a huge surprise attack. Ukraine is reported to have made far reaching progress in retaking territory invaded by Russia in the country’s easier Donbass regions. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Kyiv’s troops mey have entered Donetsk Airport, on the outskirts of one the separatiss region’s biggest cities. An intelligence update said Russia had been “taken by surprise” buy the Ukrainian push.

White House reporters peppered President Biden with questions about COVID-19 on Thursday after he announced a new push for people to wear face masks nearly two years into the pandemic — but Biden chose not to answer any of them. In scripted remarks from the White House-adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the president — who spoke with his back to the press pool — announced a plan to distribute free high-quality masks, the wearing of which he said would be a “patriotic duty” for Americans in response to record-high numbers of COVID cases caused by the Omicron variant.