Free Republic

The state's highest criminal court will not intervene in a Dallas County death penalty case despite another man claiming responsibility for the 2008 shootings. James Broadnax was sentenced to death in the 2008 killings of Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler outside their Garland music studio. Broadnax's cousin, Demarius Cummings, was also convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Last month, Cummings filed a signed declaration that he was the one who shot and killed the two victims, not Broadnax, and Broadnax's attorneys filed with the Court of Criminal Appeals seeking to block his execution in light of the...

A new rule that takes effect tomorrow banning certain products sold in CBD and vape shops. The change also eliminates smokable hemp products and adds an increased licensing fee for shop owners. FOX 4 reports that the changes are already making it tough for at least one Dallas-Fort Worth business. Impact of the smokable hemp ban on revenue What we know: CBD farmhouse near Addison will close today because of the new change, as other businesses that are staying open tell FOX 4 that the change will still have a significant impact on their revenue.

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales announced on Monday he would resign from Congress, avoiding an expected vote on his expulsion after he admitted to having an affair with a staffer. Gonzales, a Republican from San Antonio, has faced intensifying scrutiny in recent months after the San Antonio Express-News first revealed evidence that he engaged in a sexual relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide, prompting a House Ethics Committee review and calls from colleagues for him to step down. Pressure further mounted when another aide came forward, saying Gonzales pressed her for nude photos and sex during his first...

Despite President Donald Trump winning on the promise of “mass deportations,” a handful of spineless Republicans, alongside Democrats, are trying to push a mass amnesty act known as the DIGNIDAD Act — or, for English speakers, the DIGNITY Act. The legislation is billed as not being amnesty, but would give millions of illegal aliens — both so-called DREAMers/DACA and non-DREAMers/DACA — a legal status. But co-sponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., insists it’s not amnesty, so much so that she’s screaming at people on X to “READ. THE. BILL. BEFORE. YOU. OPEN. YOUR. MOUTH.” So I read the bill. And...

NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has struck down a Treasury ​Department rule aimed at curbing money laundering in real estate by ‌requiring that the beneficial owners of companies buying real estate in cash be disclosed. Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here. The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) implemented the rule in ​2024 to prevent criminals from anonymously stashing ill-gotten gains in U.S. ​property. Lawyers at the libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation challenged the ⁠rule, arguing it exceeded FinCEN's statutory authority....

Four 17-year-old men are facing first-degree felony charges after allegedly kidnapping and torturing a classmate in an attack planned a week in advance. The suspects - identified as Jose Rojas-Alvarado, Oscar Armando Santiago-Martinez, Angel Lemus-Perez, and Carlos Roberto Oliva-Villeda - have each been charged with aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon. Lemus-Perez faces an additional charge of engaging in organized criminal activity. The Incident According to arrest affidavits, the attack occurred on February 19, 2026. The victim left Del Valle High School with three of the suspects under the impression they were going to get pizza. After a brief stop...

@realBrandonGill I am officially endorsing @KenPaxtonTX to be our next Senator from Texas. The Senate needs serious change— people who understand what time it is and what is at stake for our country. And that starts by electing conservative warriors like Ken.

Meet the ‘Mohammeds’ running the Church’s migration agenda. The Catholic News Herald, “Connecting Catholics in North Carolina”, bragged that the refugee case coordinator for the Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, had been recently honored. His name? Ashir Haji-Mohamed. The latter part of the name meant that he had made a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca. Haji-Mohamed, a former Somali refugee, had previously been in the news for helping resettle Syrian Muslims, as well as Jordanians and Turks, in North Carolina. After the Biden retreat, Catholic Charities of Charlotte had also worked to bring Afghans to North Carolina....

Texas Congressman Keith Self has dropped a bombshell on the growing reality of Sharia-adherent communities taking root inside the United States. Far from some future hypothetical, these enclaves are here, now, and operating openly in his own district.Self laid it out plainly: “Sharia is alive, well, and operating in Plano, Texas. Right now, as I speak, there is an existing Sharia-adherent enclave run by the East Plano Islamic Center in my congressional district. It’s been functioning for 12 years right in our midst. This is not a hypothetical or future threat. It is here, now and operational.”He continued: “It is...

Consultancies are increasingly marketing the O-1A visa to Indian professionals as a workaround to mounting H-1B barriers. A growing number of immigration firms and online platforms are pitching the O-1A visa as a viable alternative to the H-1B program, which has faced recent changes that critics say have injected new uncertainty into the high-skilled visa pipeline.

The heir to a Texas oil fortune has been ordered to pay $1.1 billion in a landmark ruling after he violently beat his 2-year-old stepson nearly to death — leaving the child bedridden in a wheelchair and requiring 24-hour care, according to a court. Charles Brooks Jr. will have to pay the hefty fee after a jury ruled in favor of ex-wife Madison Ball, whose son suffered a severe brain injury at the hands of the now 34-year-old felon, Buzbee Law Firm, which represents the parents, said Thursday. Brooks, an unemployed trust-fund baby and the great-grandson of Humble Oil founding...

A proposal out of Texas to study whether some New Mexico counties could potentially join the state of Texas has triggered a surprisingly emotional response from New Mexico’s top Democratic leaders — and exposed a political nerve that Santa Fe clearly did not want touched. Earlier this week, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows directed a Texas legislative committee to study the possibility of adding “one or more contiguous counties of New Mexico” to the state of Texas. The committee has been instructed to study the constitutional, legal, fiscal, and economic feasibility of such a move and outline what steps would...

Plans for a wall in Big Bend National Park prompted public protests and behind-the-scenes lobbying to sway the Trump administration to stop. Raymond Skiles, a retired ranger for Big Bend National Park, described how an area in Langtry, Texas, could be affected by Customs and Border Protection plans while standing along the edge of a canyon near his family’s property.

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, intended to hit President Donald Trump amid nationwide "no kings" protests, but instead Republicans argued her comment admits the flimsy case being made. "Donald Trump is not, never will be, and has never been a king. #NoKings," Hirono's Saturday morning X post read as left-wing protesters marched in various anti-Trump demonstrations. The remarks landed with rare agreement from figures on the right, though. "So you agree – you think your 'no kings' rallies are stupid…," replied Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who once backed Trump's 2024 Republican primary opposition from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. "Roger that!" Sen....

When a beloved Texas elementary school crossing guard’s car broke down, a selfless group of dads rallied to raise nearly $7,000 in less than a week to buy her a new one. Moss Haven Elementary School crossing guard Trecia Crawford had trouble getting to work after her car stopped running in October. She was forced to start commuting to work by Lyft, and later by bus when she “ran out of money.” Despite her woes, Crawford carried on with a smile. “I had to do what I had to do,” she told KTVT. Not everyone knew about Crawford’s transportation troubles....

President Trump and the Republican National Committee are strongly considering Dallas as the site of an unusual midterm convention later this year, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. Republicans are working to finalize the plan as they seek to rally their voters in the face of political headwinds. Some details must still be finalized, including the exact dates, and officials said formal paperwork still needed to be signed. But Trump advisers who are looking to parade their candidates and rally the base are close to settling on Dallas over other options, which had included Las Vegas, according...

(The following are transcribed highlights of a sermon given by Texas US Senate candidate James Talarico at the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX on 10/22/2023:) There is a cancer on our religion. Until we confess the sin that is Christian Nationalism and exercise it from our churches, our religion can do a lot more damage than a six-pack of Lone Star. There is nothing Christian about Christian Nationalism. It is the worship of power, social power, economic power, political power in the name of Christ, economic power, political power in the name of Christ. They've turned this humble...

A North Austin church attended by Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) is drawing increased attention amid his U.S. Senate campaign, with church leadership citing both heightened visibility and security concerns. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where Talarico has been a member since childhood, has recently hosted and is continuing to promote a series of events that include political organizing and activist training sessions. Pastor Jim Rigby told congregants in a Facebook post that the attention surrounding Talarico’s campaign has led to an increase in both positive engagement and “hostile press” and negative communications. “Because we have also received some hostile...

A massive explosion and fire has broken out at a Valero oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. The extent of the damage, but no one has reportedly been injured. An order to shelter in place has been issued. Following reports of an explosion, a massive fire can be seen at the Valero oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. pic.twitter.com/I3UYBTS41A— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 24, 2026Additional footage shows the massive fire at the Valero oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, following a reported explosion. pic.twitter.com/NhQyNIujCN— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 24, 2026Footage reportedly shows the effect of a large explosion at the Valero oil...

From Amir Tsarfati news feed: Massive fire and thick black smoke at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas following a reported explosion.Pro- Iranian regjme accounts have become very excited. Some of these accounts are already framing the event as sabotage carried out on Iran’s behalf. t.me 32m