Free Republic

As the situation in Israel and Gaza continues to unfold, many people far from the conflict are nonetheless exposed to countless images, stories and sounds of conflict via television and radio news reports, newspaper and digital stories, and of course social media. And this is taking a toll on all of us, including our children. The American Psychological Association released a statement this week warning that consuming violent and traumatic news can in and of itself negatively affect our mental health. “Psychological science tells us that fear, anxiety and traumatic stress have long-term effects on health and well-being. These impacts...

In the city of Madison, pigs won't be flying anywhere after the Common Council amended the city ordinance to allow them to be kept as pets. The council voted 11-8 on the change late Tuesday night, allowing one pig per dwelling unit in the city, as long as it's under 24 inches tall at the shoulder, weighs 300 pounds, is up to date on shots and is microchipped. The vote came after roughly 30 minutes of discussion. The swine that started it all was Rudi. He lives along the Southwest Commuter Bike Path. "I think he belongs here," Karen Peterson...

The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh has been on a crusade to expose the youth transgender movement. His documentary What is a Woman was met with acclaim from those on the right and vitriol from those on the left. I myself was intrigued by what could cause so much angst by those on the left, so I watched the documentary and found it hilarious, terrifying, engaging, and disgusting. Mr. Walsh has decided to take his message on the road. He has been showing the film at colleges and universities with open forums for those to engage in civic debate over the...

MADISON, Wis. — It’s sadly not new for a business on Madison’s east side, but EVP Coffee’s owner calls the latest burglary a one-two punch — showing a side of her neighborhood she never expected to see. “There was glass everywhere, the cash register was thrown on the floor,” owner Tracy Danner said. Danner’s general manager encountered quite the mess Wednesday morning at EVP Coffee. “The door was open, the ATM was stolen,” Danner said. As shocking as it looks, it wasn’t the first time this has happened. It’s Danner’s second break-in at the East Washington Avenue location in 10...

MADISON, Wis. — Local health department representatives say a new Omicron variant of the coronavirus has been detected in Dane County, although officials say it is too early to say what effect the new variant may have on case numbers. Representatives from Public Health Madison & Dane County confirmed to News 3 Now that the single case of Omicron BA.2 that has been discovered in Wisconsin so far was found in Dane County. The discovery comes nearly two years to the day of Dane County having Wisconsin’s first confirmed case of the original strain of COVID-19. The new Omicron strain...

A woman was caught on video assaulting a pro-life activist, as well as spray painting one of his signs, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The assailant later admitted to police that she had premeditated the act of vandalism after becoming angry over the pro-life signage. An individual at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — later identified by police as Sasha Timofeeva — is facing two charges after shoving a pro-life activist and spray painting his sign, according to the group Created Equal, which describes itself as “a social action movement seeking to end the greatest human rights injustice of our time...

Now that the long Memorial Day holiday is over and legislators and the governor have returned from their road trips, we hope they have a better sense of the condition of highways around the state and a renewed sense of urgency on the need for upgrades and repairs. The first order of business, it would seem to us, is to come to some agreement on a state transportation budget for the next two years. Hopefully, hopefully, when that is done they will also take a longer-term view of Wisconsin’s highway construction needs and how best they should be met —...

Trigger warnings, safe spaces, and political correctness run amok are turning colleges into daycares, and Sommers and Shapiro have had enough! Tune into this explosive live event to see how students at DePaul react, and catch the fiery Q&A session following the lecture! Don’t miss this one! Ben Shapiro, an attorney and bestselling author, is the editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com and the host of "The Ben Shapiro Show." Shapiro is leading the crusade against political correctness on campuses across the country, and infuriating leftists every step of the way. Sarah Palin says that Americans should “consider Ben’s advice about how we...

Bernie Sanders was in Madison Wisconsin on Wednesday and only a few hundred people showed up to hear him speak in support of Democratic Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton. Roll back the clock to March before endorsing Hillary Clinton, Sanders attracted over 10,000 listeners in the same city. After noticing the low attendance I began to realize that there were almost no signs, stickers, hats or shirts for Hillary. In fact there was a sea of people wearing Bernie Sanders gear, making me curious on if they’re here to support Hillary or just to see Bernie. In the video below I...

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are asking people to buy sweatshirts promoting violence against police officers and classifying all white people as racists. “Racism,” claims one hoodie’s page, “is a set of systematic, institutional, cultural, and epistemological (although not limited to said forms) structures that inherently empowers white folk and in turn disempowers people of color. This power dictates who lives, have housing, access to education/healthcare etc. Racism has little to do with hatred and mostly to do with who has power.”

The Center for Cultural Enrichment (CCE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is warning students that if your Halloween costume is funny, it's more than likely that you're exploiting oppressed people. That message, along with other suggestions about avoiding "cultural appropriation," was posted on fliers around campus in the previous few days. Sheets of paper were put up in different buildings at the college titled, "Does my Halloween Costume Promote Cultural Appropriation?" It asks questions about your Halloween costume, then answers how that could be oppressing people: "Is your costume racially, ethnically, or culturally based?" the sheet asks. "If it is,...

The Madison City Council overrode Mayor Paul Soglin’s veto Tuesday evening, adding homelessness as a protected class under its Equal Opportunities Ordinance. The change adds homelessness to classifications like age, disability, arrest record, sexual orientation, political beliefs and others, providing limited protection against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. "It's very narrow, very slim part of the law," said Department of Civil Rights director Lucia Nuñez. The 17-1 vote came after hours of testimony and debate that coupled the ordinance change with the overarching concern of how to address the city’s issues with homelessness. “We have a reputation. We...

MADISON, Wis. -- A white Wisconsin police officer won't be charged for fatally shooting an unarmed 19-year-old biracial man, a prosecutor announced Tuesday, prompting peaceful demonstrations but none of the immediate violence that has hit some other U.S. cities in similar cases. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said he wouldn't file charges against Madison Officer Matt Kenny in the March 6 death of Tony Robinson, saying the officer used lawful deadly force after he was staggered by a punch to the head and feared for his life. Ozanne, mopping his brow repeatedly but speaking forcefully for some 25 minutes,...

Tony Terrell Robinson was experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs on the day he died, his uncle says. "He had made a bunch of changes. It was going to be the final step that would change his life around," Turin Carter said Thursday, adding that his nephew was "very inexperienced" with the drugs, believed to have been hallucinogenic mushrooms. The experiment ended in tragedy. After a friend and others called 911, Robinson, a biracial teenager, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer responding to the calls. Police have said that Robinson assaulted the officer. Also on Thursday, family members of...

More details are emerging about what was presented at the "White Privilege Conference" held in Madison, Wisconsin, where tax money was spent to train teachers how to annihilate "white privilege" and "white supremacy" in American schools. One session insisted that whites can never be cured of their permanent racist attitudes. On March 30, Breitbart reported on the conference, now in its fifteenth year. Over these years, teachers have been told that whites have been pushing "white supremacy" on kids since the country was created, and that whites are so infused with racism that they aren't even cognizant of their crimes....

MADISON, Wis.—Gun-rights advocates are preparing a court challenge to a Madison policy that bans weapons on city buses. Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Carry Inc. says it plans to file a lawsuit in the next few weeks challenging Metro Transit's policy banning "weapons of any kind." The group says the policy violates the state's concealed-carry law. But city officials say they're confident the policy is legal. Metro spokesman Mick Rusch says it's in the best interest of passengers not to allow guns on buses. A Wisconsin State Journal report ( http://bit.ly/1d2pyRF) says the city also bans guns in city buildings and Metro shelters....

Should homelessness be a protected trait — like sex, race, age and many others — in the city of Madison? The city’s advisory Equal Opportunities Commission is beginning to look into adding homelessness to the list of characteristics which may not be considered in housing, employment and public accommodation under Madison’s Equal Opportunities Ordinance. Interest in exploring whether homeless people should be designated a protected class to ensure their civil rights goes back to a controversy early this year about efforts to dissuade the homeless from hanging out in the lobby of the City-County Building, committee Chairman Brian Benford told...

Plans for 'Diversity Week' underway 9 hours ago • Aarushi Agni The Associated Students of Madison Diversity Committee met Monday to discuss the group’s plan to create a week themed around diversity.The first annual “Diversity Week” is tentatively scheduled for the week of April 15, 2013. ASM Diversity Committee Chair Mia Akers said the event would aim to engage students who are not specifically interested in diversity issues to think about the issue on a broader level. Victoria Atkinson, the ASM intern on the project, said the week would designate each of the five weekdays to promoting understanding of adifferent...

Thousands of President Obama supporters turned out in in Madison, Wisc., for a rally following Wednesday night’s debate in Denver. The mood was somber, to say the least, as they waited to enter Bascom Mall at the University of Wisconsin Thursday afternoon. University of Wisconsin students and fellow Wisconsinites had mixed reviews on the president's performance. I talked to supporters of the president who had watched the debate, asking how they thought the president did. One after the other said they were left unimpressed and “not inspired,” seemingly depressed and lethargic in their continuing support of the president. More than...

MADISON, Wis.— The Madison School District wants background checks on any poll workers in school buildings on election days. The city is looking into the time and cost required for background checks on more than 2,000 poll workers. City clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl says they also need to settle on the criteria that would be needed to pass a background check. Currently, poll workers take an oath and attend a training session. Never before has the school district asked for background checks. Assistant superintendent Erick Kass tells the State Journal (http://bit.ly/xWFr1e ) the district is trying to improve school safety based...