Free Republic

The 75th anniversary edition of George Orwell's novel 1984, which coined the term "thoughtcrime" to describe the act of having thoughts that question the ruling party's ideology, has become an ironic lightning rod in debates over alleged trigger warnings and the role of historical context in classic literature. The introduction to the new edition, endorsed by Orwell's estate and written by the American author Dolen Perkins-Valdezm, is at the center of the storm, drawing fire from conservative commentators as well as public intellectuals, and prompting a wide spectrum of reaction from academics who study Orwell's work. Perkins-Valdez opens the introduction...

The Harvard Law Review retaliated against a student editor for allegedly leaking documents to the Washington Free Beacon and demanded, as part of the journal’s disciplinary process, that he request their destruction, according to emails obtained by the Free Beacon. The demand came as the law review was under a document retention order stemming from multiple federal probes, raising questions about whether the journal was also trying to interfere with a government investigation. The Justice Department told Harvard on May 13 that it was investigating reports of racial discrimination at the journal, according to the New York Times. A week...

Nearly a dozen aviation insiders, including a whistleblower who filed a federal complaint, asserted that diversity initiatives cause unneeded distractions.. For one veteran airline captain, a routine flight to Denver changed her view about aviation safety—but not because of an in-flight crisis. Rather, the captain heard a story that—for the first time in her decades-long career—made her uneasy about putting her loved ones on a plane. During a 2024 conversation, a flight instructor described unusual steps managers had taken to salvage the career of a young female trainee pilot. The instructor described an “egregious” example of the apparent relaxing of...

I’m a retired New York attorney. For decades, renewing my attorney registration was straightforward. You paid the fee, confirmed your status, and moved on with your life. Not anymore. Now, in 2025, the Unified Court System has decided they need to know whether I identify as transgender, nonbinary, intersex, or “none of the above.” I wish I was joking. See for yourself: This is not just a form. It’s an ideological loyalty test disguised as “data collection.” These questions are optional but it’s in little tiny lettering — and I might have filled it out had I not read the...

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits medical schools, will no longer consider Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs during evaluations. Another medical education accreditor announced earlier this month that it would suspend diversity requirements. ... The Liaison Committee on Medical Education—which accredits medical schools around the country—has announced that it will no longer consider Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs during its evaluations. On May 19, the committee, which is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) decided to eliminate DEI considerations as part of its criteria for assessing medical schools’ performances, ... The Liaison Committee...

14 years after the Obama administration ordered NYC Fire Department to hire applicants who failed a “racist” written test on firefighting, a 53-year-old man named Ashiq Hussain fell to his death because a NYC firefighter did not properly follow the instructions for using a ladder.By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)May 29, 2025In 2011, the Obama administration ordered the New York City Fire Department to hire applicants who had failed a written test on firefighting, under the false claim that it was “racist” to require firefighters to know how to read.Original source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/7/firehouse-flunkies/Archive of source: https://archive.ph/qTGUVIn 2025, a 53-year-old...

District materials highlight a decrease in A grades for ‘more privileged’ students.. Without seeking approval of the San Francisco Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Maria Su plans to unveil a new Grading for Equity plan on Tuesday that will go into effect this fall at 14 high schools and cover over 10,000 students. The school district is already negotiating with an outside consultant to train teachers in August in a system that awards a passing C grade to as low as a score of 41 on a 100-point exam. Were it not for an intrepid school board member, the...

Despite the massive input of cash from Disney, the BBC’s famed Doctor Who sci fi series seems to be struggling in the UK ratings with numbers coming in lower than even the previous low numbers from last season as the show becomes mired in accusations of ultra woke story telling. The British state-run broadcasting service reports that the sci fi show’s seven-day viewing figures are not auspicious at all for the first half of season 15, the second for the “queer” Doctor portrayed by actor Ncuti Gatwa. The press has also been a disaster for the show. Over the past...

You had ONE JOB to do – and you couldn’t get it done. Sarah Russell was promoted to Commissioner of CEMA in May 2021. They joined CEMA in 2010 as a specialist responsible for public information, community outreach, training, exercise, etc. Sarah Russell was fired on Saturday after the tornado sirens were not used during the massive tornado that swept through St. Louis City on Friday afternoon. Thousands of homes were damaged. At least five individuals died, and tens of thousands were without power. Mayor Cara Spencer suspended Sarah Russell after the tornado sirens were left off during Friday’s tornado....

Sales at Target fell more than expected in the first quarter as the retailer faced boycotts for ditching its DEI efforts and felt the impact of President Trump's tariffs. Target cut its forecast for the rest of the year warning that sales would slip further as its customers pulled back on spending amid an uncertain economic environment. Earlier this year the company conceded to the Trump administrations attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives by scaling back its own efforts. However, the retreat created a fierce customer backlash leading to store boycotts that further damaged sales. Sales for the...

Woke may be dying, but history warns: every collapse of the left births a new epoch—often more radical than the last. The other day, The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Eric Kaufmann, a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham in England, proclaiming the death of woke and the end of the Progressive Era. This is more than a “vibe-shift,” Kaufmann writes; it’s “the end of the 60-year rise of left-liberalism in American culture.” He continues, arguing that the backlash against the left’s aggressive embrace of identity politics and its imposition of that politics on every aspect...

Under Attorney General Pam Bondi's watch, DOJ "not waste" funds on DEI ... DOJ is moving funds formerly granted to groups supporting transgender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to law enforcement.. DOJ, under Attorney General Pam Bondi's watch, will "not waste" funds on DEI. ... "The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi will not waste discretionary funds on DEI passion projects that do not make Americans safer ..We will use our money to get criminals off the streets, seize drugs, and in some cases, fund programs that deliver a tangible impact for victims of crime." ... Bondi,...

President Donald Trump’s confirmation Sunday that the United States may accept a presidential aircraft gifted from Qatar marked the latest escalation in his clash with Boeing, which is years behind on its government contract to build the new Air Force One.Boeing was supposed to deliver a replacement for Air Force One last year, but significant delays have cost the plane maker billions on the project. They have also drawn ire from the president, who told reporters aboard Air Force One in February that he was “not happy with Boeing” and may purchase a plane elsewhere.Now, as the U.S. government weighs...

Woke fatigue found comedian Bill Maher lashing out at the left for failing to set their “young, loyal followers” straight on being “embarrassed” to be American. “You couldn’t survive a week living in Intifadaville.” Like pests drawn to a bug zapper, the mask and keffiyeh-clad Hamas sympathizers that comprised the Democratic Party’s base continued to force their way into the spotlight despite the backlash it had meant in the last election. As those sentiments represented a sliver of the left’s anti-American attitude, Maher’s latest episode of HBO’s “Real Time” excoriated the party for its continued favor for the “weak and...

The media’s pile-on of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reached the point where both Republicans and Democrats were lamenting the rhetorical blows landing on the hulking Pittsburgh-area lawmaker by Friday. "This is so blatantly coordinated," remarked media observer and Fox News contributor Joe Concha, who shared a link in his X post to a Politico report claiming an internal Democratic poll found Fetterman’s popularity faltering in his part of the Keystone State. The report claimed Fetterman had now fallen below 50% in Democratic voter support in the Steel City, just a few miles west of Braddock, where he was previously...

Hayden's firing comes as President Trump has been purging federal officials deemed to have gone against his agenda Democratic leaders erupted late Thursday after it was reported that President Trump had abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Hayden was notified of her firing in an email late Thursday from the White House's Presidential Personnel Office, according to an email seen by The Associated Press. "Carla," the email reportedly began. "On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service."...

Another sign of the incredible spiritual movement shaping America just kicked off this Saturday. Thousands of people stood on the shores of Huntington Beach in California and got baptized for the “world to know” that they had decided to fully commit their lives to Jesus Christ. Following last year’s record-breaking launch, Baptize California kicked off its outreach to bring more churches together across the state for the “largest synchronized baptism” event in U.S. history.

Harvard University has renamed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze billions in federal funding to the school. The university made the announcement on Monday; the name adjustment was announced by Sherri A. Charleston, the school’s former chief diversity officer. ... Harvard University has renamed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze billions in federal funding to the school. The DEI center, which was previously called the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, has been renamed to the “Office of Community and Campus Life,” as...

A Lewis and Clark statue featuring Sacagawea (also spelled Sacajawea), a famous Native American woman, was taken down in Charlottesville, Virginia, making it the third statue to be taken down in the city. The statue is of two White men – Meriwether Lewis and William Clark – and Sacagawea, who was depicted tracking, according to historians. Those against the statue have said Sacagawea appears to be cowering, according to The Daily Progress newspaper. “It was a very offensive statue, and not only did it delineate me as a Native American, it delineated our women and their role in society,” said...

We regret to inform you that another female cop may have just botched a case, and not just any case, a major one… Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old who’s accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, might walk free, not because he’s innocent, but because a female cop allegedly mishandled the search that led to critical evidence being used against him. According to his lawyers, Mangione’s backpack was illegally searched right after police found him at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. Now they’re demanding that everything inside be tossed from the case. And if a judge agrees, the entire case could...