Free Republic

The American dream is slipping away. Most US citizens no longer enjoy “a minimal quality of life” due to skyrocketing costs, a depressing new study has uncovered. Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity conducted research into the economic well-being of the country’s residents, defining “minimal quality of life” as the ability to pay for a “basket of American dream essentials”: housing, food, transportation, clothing, medical costs and basic leisure expenses. The leisure expenses included access to cable TV and streaming services, as well as the ability to pay for six movie tickets and two baseball tickets per year. The Minimal...

Because we Westerners constantly lie to ourselves about Islamic ideology and its societal regulations, we have no idea what we’re facing. I question whether we will survive as a nation or are even worth saving. If nothing else, our refusal to recognize Islam for what it is seems to presage our demise. Putting aside the damage leftism does to American culture, we are also at risk from Islam, about which we still remain appallingly ignorant 24 years after 9/11. Instead, we have adopted the myth of “Moderate Muslims.” Before elaborating on Moderate Muslims, we must ask, “What other groups get...

Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel — infamously known for pocketing rental income from his Caribbean cottage without disclosing it — has apparently left behind a modest estate, court records show. Rangel, who died May 26 at age 94, had assets worth only $300,000, according to Manhattan Surrogate Court filings. That is far less than his net worth of more than $1.7 million upon his retirement from Congress in 2017, as reported by the watchdog group Open Secrets. The current assets of the once-powerful chair of the House’s Ways and Means Committee were not detailed in court filings. His daughter, Alicia Rangel-Haughton,...

A Jewish advocacy group slammed Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for posting a “sick” video mocking Hannukah and “cosplaying Jews.” The mayoral front-runner shared a video on his X account last year from the Geeta Brothers Duet Group, showing two men wearing wigs dancing behind a menorah, playing with dreidels and celebrating with Punjabi-style music. “Zohran Mamdani posts Indian men cosplaying Jews, spinning dreidels and lighting the menorah,” pro-Jewish group Stop Antisemitism wrote in a post to X Saturday, which included the controversial song. “Our holidays and traditions are sacred and not for your comedic pleasure _ZohranKMamdani — this...

Tehran - BORNA - Footages captures the moment the Leader of the Islamic Revolution entered the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah to attend the fourth night of mourning ceremonies on eve of Ashura. On this ceremony, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, asked a religious lament singer at Imam Hussein (AS) mourning ceremony to perform the famous anthem "'O Iran".

The Times of Central Asia reports that archaeologists from the National Museum of Tajikistan made a number of significant discoveries at the site of Khalkajar near the village of Sarband. Among them was a unique two-handled ceramic jug dating from the time of the Kushan Empire, which was one of the most influential and powerful states of ancient Central Asia that encompassed parts of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Dating to between the first and third century a.d, the vessel contains a faint painted inscription written in the Bactrian language. Linguistic experts determined that it reads, "This water...

A study identifies a possible way to slow or block progression of age-related macular degeneration. The researchers implicated problems with cholesterol metabolism in this type of vision loss, perhaps helping explain the links between macular degeneration and cardiovascular disease, which both worsen with age. The new findings—identified using human plasma samples and mouse models of macular degeneration—suggest that increasing the amount of a molecule called apolipoprotein M (ApoM) in the blood fixes problems in cholesterol processing that lead to cellular damage in the eyes and other organs. In recent years, evidence has emerged that ApoM can serve as a protective...

The buildup to race socialism has been decades in the making, and Mamdani could be the politician to make it mainstream. The far-left publication Canadian Dimension published a column in February that called for a wealth tax and explicitly linked it to race: “It’s no secret that extreme wealth in western democracies is overwhelmingly held by white people, and Canada is no exception.” There is no doubt that Mamdani is a charismatic figure, with a readily deployable smile and a soft millennial bearing that makes him appear rather harmless. It is an excellent shield for a man whose ideology strays...

The strangeness began when a research boat known as the Blue Heron started experiencing mechanical difficulties during a trip to Lake Erie and was dry-docked for repairs. While investigating the issue, Captain Rual Lee discovered a strange thick, black tar-like substance that seemed to be oozing out of the rudder. Unable to determine what it was, he sent a sample to the University of Minnesota Duluth. When researchers analyzed the substance, they discovered that it contained 20 DNA sequences and while many could be identified, several were completely novel and unknown to science. They concluded that the substance - now...

Salivary gland toxicity from radiopharmaceutical therapy—particularly from alpha-emitting therapies like 225Ac-PSMA—is a critical dose-limiting side effect, often leading to debilitating dry mouth. Prior attempts to alleviate dry mouth using cold packs, single anticholinergics, or external cooling have shown minimal protective benefit. A dual-protective approach using botulinum toxin (Botox) alongside an anti-nausea patch significantly reduces salivary gland toxicity in patients with metastatic prostate cancer undergoing PSMA-targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy. The strategy led to a 30% decrease in PSMA uptake by the salivary glands without affecting the treatment's cancer-fighting efficacy. This reduction may enhance treatment adherence and improve overall patient outcomes. "In order...

“There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes Kerr County. “There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that.” “We know we get rains. We know the river rises,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's top elected official. “But nobody saw this coming.” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said he was jogging along the river early in the morning and didn't notice any problems at 4 a.m. A little over an hour later, at 5:20 a.m., the...

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Neurological injuries from vaccination have been documented since the smallpox vaccine over two centuries ago, with severe injuries reported throughout medical literature. The medical profession concealed these injuries, believing public vaccination benefits justified hiding information that might create vaccine hesitancy.Historical injuries like spreading paralysis mirror current “one in a million” vaccine injuries, but toxicity documentation was erased to preserve the “safe and effective” narrative.In the past, these injuries were widely reported, but now research into them is widely censored. Many of these forgotten reports are critical for understanding modern “inexplicable” conditions like autism, A Midwestern Doctor writes.The Hidden Tragedy of...

For much of the past century, the Dalai Lama has been the living embodiment of Tibet’s struggle for greater freedoms under Chinese Communist Party rule, sustaining the cause from exile even as an increasingly powerful Beijing has become ever more assertive in suppressing it. As his 90th birthday approaches this Sunday, the spiritual leader for millions of followers of Tibetan Buddhism worldwide is bracing for a final showdown with Beijing: the battle over who will control his reincarnation. On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama announced that he will have a successor after his death, and that his office will have the...

Senegal has pulled the plug on Akon City, reclaiming almost all of the 55-hectare seaside concession after seven years of missed deadlines, fading crypto fortunes and a single half-finished welcome centre that now shares its lot with grazing goats. The $6 billion “real-life Wakanda” once promised luxury towers and flying-car parking is now the most expensive visitor kiosk on the continent. Ambitious Beginnings Announced with Marvel-level fanfare in 2018, Akon called it a “real-life Wakanda” inspired by Black Panther -the plan promised soaring hotels, a 5,000-bed hospital and streets that ran on renewable energy and Akoin. The project aimed to...

This dentist sure has a dirty mouth. Elmo Randolph, 68, turned himself into police in the upscale Bergen County borough of Closter on Thursday after being caught scribbling a swastika on a parked car. Randolph, of Orange, was charged with fourth-degree bias intimidation, according to the Daily Voice, which shared video footage of the alleged crime. In the footage, captured by one of the car’s many cameras, a baseball cap-donning Randolph is seen in his car on June 15, parked next to a Tesla Cybertruck outside Gary’s Liquors in the Closter Plaza. He then opens his car door, leans out,...

Kamala Harris has been derided over her gloomy Fourth of July message with eagle-eyed viewers spotting a swipe at her former running mate Joe Biden. Harris, 60, took to X to share a downbeat message about the state of the country for the national holiday. 'This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better,' Harris posted Friday on X. 'But I love our country - and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the...

Hans Braunfisch wants Americans to invest in Ukrainian startups, but there's a problem: there's no clear path for individual investors to put money into the more than 26,000 Ukrainian startups out there.The former PwC consultant plans to change that with Pravo Venture, a platform streamlining foreign investment for Ukrainian startups. Think of it like a meeting point for Ukrainian companies and U.S. investors accredited by the Securities and Exchange Commission who want to support the country with capital instead of aid.While co-heading PwC's Ukraine Taskforce, Braunfisch attempted to persuade clients to invest in Ukraine’s entrepreneurs to help its economic recovery....

BlackRock, a U.S. investment firm, suspended work on a multibillion-dollar Ukraine recovery fund following U.S. President Donald Trump's election victory, prompting France to work on a replacement, Bloomberg reported on July 5.The plan nearly secured the initial support of institutions backed by the governments of Germany, Italy, and Poland, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.Kyiv has sought to secure investment in Ukraine's reconstruction as Russia's war continues to destroy infrastructure across the country.BlackRock halted its search for institutional investors in January, causing the planned funding that sought to secure $500 million from governments, development grants, and investment banks, and...

They brought the hammer down on the worst of the worst. Federal authorities have swept up 264 wanted criminals — including two illegal migrants wanted for sex crimes — in New Jersey in an ongoing mission dubbed “Operation Apex Hammer” that nabbed suspects wanted for murder, robbery and sexual offenses, including those against children. Those arrested include 17 homicide suspects, 95 gang members, including several others wanted for serious violent and sexual offenses, federal officials said. U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr. and Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba called the collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement “a major success...