Free Republic

A controversial plan by U.S. Senate Republicans to make President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent by ignoring the cost to the deficit is raising warnings from party fiscal hawks and independent analysts of a potential "debt spiral" that could undermine economic growth. Top Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, are determined to make permanent tax cuts due to expire at the end of the year, through a parliamentary maneuver that bypasses Democratic opposition. Because rules prohibit bills from expanding the deficit beyond a 10-year window, they intend to ignore a projected revenue loss of more than $4 trillion...

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) suggested Friday that open Senate seats in Michigan and Minnesota could serve as potential pickup opportunities for Republicans in 2026. “I think they are,” Thune said during an interview on Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom,” when asked if both states served as possible pickups for the GOP. “I mean, those are open seats. Minnesota is arguably slightly harder than Michigan,” he continued. “Both are our states that we haven’t elected a Republican senator to from — in a long time. But I think that these are different times and people are looking for change in...

Close up of the hip bone of an Edmontosaurus. Credit: University of Liverpool Liverpool researchers’ discovery of collagen in fossilized bones could provide new insights into dinosaurs. For years, scientists widely believed that the fossilization process destroyed all original organic molecules, leaving fossils devoid of their original biological material. However, a groundbreaking study led by the University of Liverpool has provided strong evidence that Mesozoic fossils, including dinosaur bones and teeth, still contain preserved organic materials. Using advanced mass spectrometry and other analytical techniques, researchers detected remnants of collagen in the hip bone of an Edmontosaurus, a duck-billed dinosaur. This...

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) warned Senate Republicans not to overrule parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough if some desired border security provisions are thrown out. Such a move would be akin to nuking the legislative filibuster, the new Republican leader said... Senate Republicans could seek out sweeping border policy changes that would be prohibited under reconciliation rules. Thune’s ruling should stop such a move that would step over the respected MacDonough. She’s served the Senate since 2012 and holds bipartisan praise. Thune lauded her in 2015 when Republicans sought to repeal portions of Obamacare....

Police in a Dallas suburb arrested five Venezuelan men illegally in the country believed to be part of a national ATM theft ring. Illegal border crossers from Venezuela with confirmed ties to the violent prison gang Tren de Aragua have been connected to an ATM theft ring in multiple states. The latest arrests occurred in North and South Dakota. One recent arrest was made by West Fargo police of a 25-year-old man outside of a Gate City Bank branch. He was initially pulled over for a broken taillight but was arrested for felony theft after police discovered he was allegedly...

A South Dakota schoolboy posed as a 14-year-old girl to ensnare a teacher after his friend said the educator was allegedly sending her uncomfortable messages. Huron Middle School teacher Zachary Kaderabek, 28, was arrested and placed on unpaid leave after he allegedly sent at least four photos of his penis to the boy, who was not identified, according to Keloland News. The boy made a fake Snapchat account under the name Kate after his 12-year-old female friend told him the teacher had added her on the social media app and had sent her a message that 'made her feel uncomfortable,'...

Senate GOP hawks who receive large sums from the defense industry could be mobilizing to tank one of President-elect Donald Trump’s national security nominees. Former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, nominated by Trump to helm the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, could face opposition from Senate Republicans with hawkish views on national security over her beliefs on Ukraine and government surveillance powers. Though a considerable number of Trump-aligned senators have endorsed Gabbard, citing her decades-long military service and commitment to reforming the country’s intelligence agencies that have been frequently weaponized against the president-elect, GOP senators whose national security...

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) pushed back against the idea that the Russian war in Ukraine could end in peaceful negotiation, saying those who hold that view “may be deceiving” themselves. In a speech at the Halifax International Security Forum this weekend, Rounds called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “tyrant” and suggested he would be surprised if Putin were satisfied with any concession from the West. “It’s time to take a hard look at this thing and really ask ourselves, do you believe that this tyrant, if you offer him a part of a free country, do you think he’s going...

The Biden administration moved closer to implementing a 20-year ban on mining in a South Dakota forest area due to its proximity to cultural and natural resources. In a joint announcement Friday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service said they would consider a 20-year withdrawal of 20,574 acres located in the Black Hills National Forest near the Pactola Reservoir and Rapid Creek Watershed. The proposed action prohibits new mining claims and the issuance of new federal mineral leases for two years while the agencies review the proposal. "Whether it’s northern Minnesota, southern Arizona, Alaska, or now South...

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sidestepped any specifics Tuesday when asked about Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.), who will be the first transgender member of the House, amid an effort by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) to ban transgender women from single-sex facilities such as women’s restrooms in the Capitol. “We welcome all members with open arms who are newly elected representatives of the people. I believe it’s a — it’s a command. We treat all persons with dignity and respect,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday when asked about McBride. “And I’m not going to engage in silly debates about this,”...

South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune on Sunday threatened to slap the International Criminal Court (ICC) with sanctions if it did not drop its application for an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Thune — who was selected Wednesday to be the next Senate Majority Leader once the GOP takes the upper chamber come January 2025 — warned that if the current Democratic leader does not take on the international court, he will. “If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately...

It's an embarrassment of riches for the Republicans these days. Not only did they sweep the House, Senate and White House, but they're also sending many of their best and brightest to serve in the second Donald Trump administration. This leaves many vacancies to be filled, and one of the most important is the Ohio Senate seat vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance.Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate a mere two years ago, beating Democrat Tim Ryan to replace the retiring Rob Portman (R). Our next vice president spent his brief Senate career in the minority, but his replacement...

WEST VIRGINIA — Former West Virginia Delegate Derrick Evans has formally announced his intention to run for West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito’s seat in the U.S. Senate in the 2026 election. In his candidacy announcement, he called Capito a RINO (Republican In Name Only), stating that she stayed silent during a “secret vote” for Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Evans said that Thune is a career politician and that he is poised to delay or obstruct President Trump’s future cabinet appointments. Evans has thrown his vote behind Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, stating, “he’s one of us.” Evans was...

South Dakota Senator John Thune—not Senator Rick Scott, the preferred choice of some in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) faction—will be the next Senate majority leader following a vote by Senate Republicans on Wednesday. Thune, who has been serving as minority whip, has previously criticized President-elect Donald Trump but has supported an overwhelming majority of his policies. Here's how Thune has voted under the past two administrations. Thune's Voting Record During Trump's First Term During President-elect Donald Trump's first term, beginning in 2017, Thune largely voted in line with Trump's positions. In the 115th Congress, from 2017 to 2019,...

Republicans have elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as the next Senate majority leader, completing a momentous shift in their leadership that elevates a top deputy of Sen. Mitch McConnell into a key position as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. Thune, who’s 63 and in his fourth Senate term, has promised to work closely with Trump despite differences the two have had over the years. Thune will be a crucial part of the incoming president’s efforts to push through his policy agenda. He beat out two other competitors, Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of...

CV NEWS FEED // In the wake of the 2024 election, the president of Students for Life is calling on pro-life advocates to remain engaged, emphasizing that despite recent victories, the movement still faces significant challenges ahead. In a November 6 letter, Kristan Hawkins celebrated one of the biggest wins for the pro-life movement, which came from Florida. The state’s extreme abortion amendment was defeated, an outcome anticipated to save tens of thousands of lives this year. This victory was hard-won, Hawkins reported, with support from Governor Ron DeSantis and key contributions from pro-life groups. Other pro-life measures succeeded too,...

The election has come and gone, and now it’s time to analyze the results. Family Research Council has analyzed the 11 abortion-related ballot initiatives in 10 states that Americans voted on during Tuesday’s election. Although pro-lifers are mourning the seven states that voted to enshrine abortion in their state’s constitutions, they’re also emphasizing the fact that the three states that voted to protect the unborn deserve recognition and celebration. The Washington Stand’s Dan Hart previously reported on Florida’s pro-abortion Amendment 4 and how it failed to pass. “The ballot initiative failed despite immense funding from pro-abortion activists, who poured over...

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri announced his support for Sen. John Cornyn of Texas on Friday in the race to replace Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell. At this point, this is the first public endorsement for Cornyn. Cornyn is running to succeed McConnell alongside Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and John Thune of South Dakota. "I'm backing John Cornyn for majority leader," Hawley said in a statement. "In the last two years, nobody has done more to win back the majority than he has."

oters in South Dakota joined their fellow Americans in Florida and Nebraska in rejected a radical pro-abortion measure that would have ushered unlimited abortions into the state. They rejected Amendment G that would have resulted in abortion on demand in the conservative Midwestern state. The vote wasn’t close. With 92% of the vote counted, South Dakota residents rejected the pro-abortion measure by a 59.7-40.3 percentage point margin. “The demise of pro-abortion Amendment G is an enormous victory for life,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Unborn children will still be protected in the great state of South Dakota thanks...

An American tourist was eaten by a shark while on a dream diving vacation with friends in Indonesia. The body of Colleen Monfore, of South Dakota, was found inside the shark’s stomach after she was swept out to sea by strong currents, the Sun reported. Monfore, 68, and six pals were enjoying a dream diving trip around Pulau Reong island. She was dragged out by strong currents on Sept. 26 — and the boat’s guide was unable to pull her back in. A fisherman caught the shark in East Timor on Sunday. “The shark was caught but it was not...