Free Republic

Students at prestigious colleges are finding it increasingly difficult to finish entire books because they do not have the attention span. Some professors claim they have been forced to reduce reading assignments and lower their expectations to stop students becoming overwhelmed - even though the workload is often less intense than in previous years. It is not that students are illiterate, they say, but rather that youngsters are not used to ploughing through lengthy texts and struggle to focus for long periods of time - often due to the distraction of social media. UC Berkeley literature professor Victoria Kahn told...

The International Longshoremen’s Association has delayed the dockworkers’ strike to January, but the ILA is still clearly committed to fighting the future, demanding an end to all new automation at East and Gulf Coast ports. Why are so many Dem constituencies like this? A dock strike could choke off our economic recovery, already hobbled and delayed by disastrous Biden-Harris economic policies. Recent analysis suggests the strike might inflict as much as $5 billion in economic harm per day. Why on earth do that just to fight against tech advancement? **SNIP** Even though it’s clearly an effort by the ILA chief,...

ASHEVILLE, NC — A hurricane victim struggling to keep his head above flood waters was relieved when he heard the sound of a rescue chopper overhead that brought him much-needed relief when it dropped a $750 government check. The desperate man looked up, his eyes stinging from debris kicked up by the helicopter's roaring blades, and was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude as snatched the fluttering $750 check out of the air. "Finally!" he said. "Now I won't drown. I'll be able to — replace one of my couches, I guess." The helicopter promptly departed, presumably to deliver checks...

If you spend most of your life driving or taking public transportation from point A to point B, there's nothing quite like breaking from planes, trains, and automobiles and exploring a destination on foot. Doing so allows you to slow down and savor all the sites around you, no parking necessary. With that in mind, we have rounded up 12 of the most beautiful walkable cities around the world (with a few in the U.S.) to inspire your future travel plans. There are certainly many benefits to exploring with your own two feet, and we give all of the cities...

ASHEVILLE, NC — Official sources within the Federal Emergency Management Agency were disappointed to inform victims of Hurricane Helene that the government agency was unable to offer them any taxpayer funding, as it had spent it all on a PowerPoint presentation about racial equity. According to FEMA spokesperson Gayle Kane, the agency would have loved to help out North Carolina residents affected by the storm but was simply unable to do so as it had blown the remainder of its budget having an intern with purple hair put together the presentation. "To the people of North Carolina — we see...

(This is an April 2024 article, relevant because the new school year has started in Seattle and the high school kids are being pulled out of advanced classes now.) SEATTLE - Many parents within Seattle Public Schools are flabbergasted by the district's decision to shut down 11 schools dedicated to highly capable learners. They include three elementary, five middle schools, and three high schools. The "cohorts" at these schools keep the students together so teachers can focus on their advanced needs. There are hundreds of students learning at these schools, far above their grade level. .... Typically, these schools have...

RALEIGH, NC — With civilians working hard to rescue their neighbors along the path of devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene and FEMA revealing a lack of available money, the state of North Carolina asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for $100 Billion in U.S. funding. Though President Biden approved North Carolina's request for federal disaster relief, uncertainty about the timetable for receiving funds amid various obstacles and bureaucratic red tape, the state's officials decided to go directly to the man with more U.S. taxpayer dollars than anyone else. "He's the man with the money," said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper....

It’s hard to believe the great Flood of 1916 that ravaged Western North Carolina took place over 100 years ago. The Flood still lives on in the hearts and minds of Asheville area citizens, and it is still known as ‘the flood to end all floods’. The Asheville Citizen, using a borrowed gasoline engine to run its presses, described the devastation caused by The Flood in its July 17, 1916, edition:“Exacting an unknown toll of death, with a property loss exceeding three million dollars, Asheville today is absolutely isolated from the outside world, is a city of darkness void of...

Those who love our country’s principles of justice — equality of rights, equality under the law, merit and responsibility — must not be taken in when old and precious words are given radically new and pernicious meanings. Such manipulation of language is a hallmark of ideological despotism that aims at the destruction of the capacity of citizens to speak and reason together about the “advantageous and the just,” as Aristotle put it so well more than two millennia ago at the beginning of his Politics. The clear meaning of words must be respected if civic life is to endure in...

Many believe that St. Brendan, an Irish monk, discovered parts of the Americas long before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. Others suggest he may have landed on islands like the Canaries, Azores, or Madeira. However, ancient Irish records don’t make it clear where he truly traveled there. Some researchers claim that groups such as the Phoenicians, Japanese, Chinese, and Basques arrived long before Columbus, following the Native Americans, according to The Irish Times. However, this part of history provides little solid proof. Because of this, myths have sprouted alongside reliable theories and facts. Some of these myths are spread by...

A recent meta-analysis published in Psychological Bulletin has confirmed what many have long suspected —engaging in critical thinking is not just hard work but also mentally draining and often unpleasant. The study, led by psychologists Louise David, Eliana Vassena, and Erik Bijleveld, found that mental effort is consistently linked to negative emotions across a variety of populations and tasks. This revelation suggests that critical thinking, often celebrated as an essential skill for personal and professional success, comes at a real psychological cost. “Overall, mental effort felt aversive in different types of tasks (e.g., tasks with and without feedback), in different...

A federal judge dismissed the defamation charges in a lawsuit filed by Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino against the University, dealing a major blow to the embattled professor's efforts to rehabilitate her reputation and win millions from the school.In a Wednesday ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun partially granted Harvard's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, writing that Gino had failed to plausibly allege that the University defamed her, violated her privacy, or unlawfully interfered with her relationships with publishers.Still, Joun allowed one key plank of the lawsuit to proceed: Gino's claim that Harvard breached its contract with...

The superintendent of Staten Island public schools was abruptly removed from her post amid ongoing accusations of lashing out against staff and vowing “No more white principals,” The Post has learned. Marion Wilson, who led District 31 schools for three and a half years, was swept out of her office on Sept. 20, and told to report to the Department of Education’s Tweed headquarters in Manhattan. Wilson “will be transitioning to a central team,” Danika Rux, deputy chancellor for school leadership, said Monday in an internal announcement, without any explanation for the swift and stunning ouster. Sources said she will...

University of Michigan fans vigorously booed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Saturday as he forced them to wait in the rain while his motorcade arrived at the Wolverine’s game against Minnesota Saturday. The drenched fans at the Ann Arbor stadium also chanted “Tampon Tim” at the Democratic vice-presidential nominee — an apparent dig at a law Walz signed in Minnesota allowing free tampons in schools, including in boys rooms. While some bused-in supporters held signs backing Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris, his hefty security detail prompted booing as it forced Michigan fans to wait up to 30 minutes in the...

This week in my Awards Series article, I return to bourbon and American whiskey. The North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition (NABAWC) 2024 honored many USA-born spirits with points and medals. In the competition’s 10th year, 15% more entries were received than in 2023, making the competition ever more intense. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the ‘Best In Show’ whiskeys from the competition. Today, I will delve into the Double Gold medal winners. This is part one of two, so keep an eye on the Best Whiskies page for the next installment.

My eyes are getting worse and I increase the font for easier reading, but it seems to me, I might also benefit from a bolder or blacker font.Can that be done ?

Georgia Tech researchers developed a new iron chloride cathode that could slash lithium-ion battery costs and revolutionize electric vehicles and energy storage. A research team from multiple institutions, led by Hailong Chen of Georgia Tech, has developed a new, cost-effective cathode with the potential to significantly enhance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), potentially revolutionizing the electric vehicle (EV) market and large-scale energy storage systems. “For a long time, people have been looking for a lower-cost, more sustainable alternative to existing cathode materials. I think we’ve got one,” said Chen, an associate professor with appointments in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite fighting an ongoing war with Russia, acting U.S. President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy appeared to be in high spirits as he dropped by the White House to pick up his most recent paycheck. Though it required him to take valuable time away from campaigning on behalf of U.S. politicians, Zelenskyy was eager to stop by the Oval Office to personally receive his paycheck from his underling, Joe Biden. "I love money," Zelenskyy told members of the White House Press Corpse as he picked up his check with a sly wink. When asked why he doesn't use direct...

Anyone who’s tried to rent an apartment in New York City knows that it’s highly competitive and highly priced, and the latest data suggests this market is showing no signs of letting up. In August 2024, the median asking rent for apartments in four New York City boroughs — Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn — was $3,425, a $76 increase from a year ago. The Big Apple’s median rent price is nearly double the national median of $1,753; it is one of the only major cities where rents are still rising. “In contrast to the overall declining trend seen...

They will stop at nothing to indoctrinate children, making them mentally weak and easy to fool and manipulate. Creating, well, the perfect Democrat. In parts one and two of this series, we’ve examined how Democrats and their poisoned ideology have declared war on America’s children. If anyone has any doubt as to the intention of the Progressive left to poison the minds of children and ruin their future, look no further than America’s teachers’ unions, especially Randi Weingarten’s American Federation of Teachers. Historically working in tandem with the Democrat Party, teachers’ unions are intense advocates for curriculum that does not...