Free Republic

Israel conducted strikes on military targets in western and central Iran early Monday local time, the Israeli military announced, escalating a conflict that had already broken through the ceasefire just hours earlier when Iran fired multiple waves of missiles at Israel on Sunday. The strikes came despite a direct phone call from President Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him not to retaliate immediately for the Iranian missile attack. A senior U.S. official told the Associated Press, on condition of anonymity to describe a private call, that Trump believed he had convinced Netanyahu to wait. Israel struck anyway....

For many Americans, retirement represents decades of hard work, disciplined saving, and careful financial planning. Unfortunately, a growing wave of sophisticated scams is threatening that financial security, and the losses are reaching record levels. According to newly released FBI data, Americans aged 60 and older reported losing an astonishing $7.7 billion to internet fraud in 2025. That figure marks a significant increase from the previous year and highlights a troubling reality: scammers are increasingly targeting retirees, often with devastating financial consequences.For investors and retirees alike, protecting savings is no longer just about managing market risk. It is also about recognizing...

A stripped-back take on Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman dominated this year’s Tonys, winning six awards, while Lesley Manville and John Lithgow took home lead acting trophies. Death of a Salesman was named best revival of a play, with the award-winning director Joe Mantello praising Miller’s story as one that “still talks to us through time”. Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, and called it a play that “continues to teach us who we are as humans and Americans”. The six wins makes it the most awarded play revival in Tonys history. Death of...

"I test the Army’s new 30×42mm Precision Grenade Rifle and break down how it’s changing infantry combat. The Squad Support Rifle System or SSRS 30mm grenade launcher. It fires ammunition from airburst rounds to counter-drone and anti-armor munitions, this weapon delivers insane accuracy and firepower. Here’s why it might replace traditional grenade launchers like the M203 and M320 and M32 and become the squad’s most lethal system." Cappy Army

Dementia is a degenerative disease that no known drug can completely stop or reverse, despite decades of tests. Now, a historically vilified psychedelic is emerging as a possible new avenue for controlling Alzheimer's symptoms. Neuroscientists around the world are starting to investigate if psilocybin – the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms – can help protect the aging brain. A recent case study in Brazil hints at that tantalizing possibility. It reports that after a patient in her 80s with advanced Alzheimer's disease took a high dose of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, she temporarily regained bladder control and the ability to speak beyond...

A Kingdom and a Village. By Simon Morrison. Knopf; 528 pages; “Do you love Moscow?” Not long after this reviewer moved there in 2004, he was asked that question by his grizzled landlord. A bit early to know, was his cautious response. “Good,” replied the landlord. “Foreigners who say they love it here soon run back to the airport—with no luggage.” Simon Morrison of Princeton University, a devotee of the carnivorous city since the last days of the Soviet Union, is less equivocal. “Moscow is hard to love,” he acknowledges, “but I love it.” His is a love without illusions,...

A progressive Christian denomination is facing sharp internal backlash over a proposed rule that would require ordained clergy to be in monogamous sexual relationships. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is set to vote on the monogamy requirement at its General Assembly this summer in Milwaukee. he PC(USA) has allowed for the ordination of openly gay clergy since 2011 and altered its definition of marriage to “two people” in 2014. The new proposed rule, known as CON-10, does not mention sexual orientation or same-sex relationships. Instead, it targets multipartner relationships... ... In its official response, the Advocacy Committee for Women and Gender...

The Black Death: A Global History. By Thomas Asbridge. Random House; 544 pages; $38. Allen Lane; 560 pagesThe disease seems to have emerged in Asia. It soon reached Europe, ravaging Italy first. It killed millions, often quickly. Many people perished at home, or died within a few hours or days of receiving medical treatment. So large was the death toll and so great was the danger of contagion that funerary customs were disrupted. People fled cities. All this was true of covid-19. It was also true of the Black Death. As Thomas Asbridge describes in detail, the medieval plague was...

Texas has overtaken California in Fortune 500 companies for the first time, as firms continue to leave the Golden State’s increasingly unfriendly business environment.

British historian Simon Schama has condemned U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over his D-Day address while deriding the “little people” who oppose mass migration into Europe. Marking the 82nd anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy in a speech delivered at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Secretary Hegseth painted a contrast between the “Greatest Generation” which overcame the evils of Nazi Germany, and the modern West, which he warned has, at least in part, become “comfortable” and under the misaprehension that “empty slogans” and “lavish summits” will preserve peace and stability in Europe. Following the example of other...

To get into the S&P 500, a company is supposed to make some money. The sum of its four quarters of earnings has to be positive—at least GAAP wise—and so does its most recent quarter. That’s a pretty basic rule, decades old and it’s the reason Tesla sat outside of the index until the end of 2020, years after it had become one of the most valuable companies on earth. Soon, that rule will be broken, likely three times. On purpose. SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic are all independently preparing to go public, at different speeds; SpaceX has released its S-1,...

VIDEO AT LINK............... A U.S. registered Gulfstream G200 private jet (registration N318JF, operated by Aibonito Aviation LLC) crashed and burst into flames during an emergency landing attempt at La Romana International Airport (LRM) in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, June 7, 2026. Key details: - The jet had just departed La Romana bound for Austin, Texas (no passengers aboard — only the two crew members). - Shortly after takeoff (about 16 nautical miles southwest), the crew declared an emergency, likely due to a technical issue such as engine or hydraulic failure, and turned back. - During the landing, the aircraft...

The prosecution continues stacking witness after witness against Carmelo Anthony—and the testimony is becoming increasingly difficult for the defense to explain. Multiple student witnesses described Anthony refusing repeated requests to leave the Memorial High School team area, becoming increasingly confrontational, and challenging Austin Metcalf to physically remove him. Several witnesses testified that no one ganged up on Anthony, no serious fight occurred, and that the confrontation ended almost immediately after a minor shove.

While investors focus on artificial intelligence, data centers, and advanced manufacturing, a growing crisis is emerging behind the scenes. The U.S. is running short of the skilled workers needed to keep those industries operating. Major employers including Ford Motor Company, along with organizations backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, BlackRock, and Lowe’s, are now committing hundreds of millions of dollars to train the next generation of mechanics, electricians, and trade professionals.The spending surge highlights a growing reality: the future of America’s economy may depend as much on skilled tradespeople as it does on software engineers.Ford Says Technician Shortage Is Hurting CustomersEvery morning,...

Plumes of smoke rise over Iran's capital Tehran following airstrikes amid ongoing U.S.â"Israel attacks on March 1. Photo: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images The Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on military targets in central and Western Iran on Monday morning local time, Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. Why it matters: The strikes, in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack against Israel, mark a new phase in a growing escalation that started on Sunday morning. This is the first time Israel has struck Iran since the April 8 ceasefire. Iran had threatened to expand its attacks and target U.S....

Iran Israel War Live Updates: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would tell Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike back after Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Israeli targets in retaliation for an attack on the outskirts of Beirut, news outlet Axios reported. Iran Israel War Live Updates: Israel strikes targets in Iran hours after missile attack on northern Israel Israeli forces have expanded their military operations deeper into southern Lebanon, issuing new displacement orders and carrying out air strikes in several areas. Photo: File/AFP Iran Israel War Live Updates: Air raid sirens sounded in...

Study suggests that fatherhood influences health behaviors and health outcomes throughout the life course of men Fatherhood in Black men is associated with lower rates of all-cause mortality by middle age compared to nonfathers, according to the U.S.-based longitudinal study that enrolled Black and White individuals aged 18-30 years at baseline (1985-86). This association was not observed in White fathers in the study. Findings were published in the American Journal of Public Health. “Fatherhood is increasingly recognized as a social influencer of health, but we were surprised to uncover racial differences in health outcomes of fathers, especially in relation to...

Scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland have announced a series of successful experiments involving the repair of injured spinal cords in zebrafish and mice after being injected with magnetically controlled microrobots containing pluripotent stem cells. According to a statement announcing the ETH team’s work, both the zebrafish and mice injected with the microrobots showed improved movement and normalized exploratory behavior within just a few days after treatment. Although the initial studies were confined to lab animals, the team hopes their magnetically controlled microrobot approach to the precision delivery of pluripotent stem cells could eventually be adapted for humans with spinal...

New York bill replaces ‘mother’ with ‘gestating parent’ in state lawA memo accompanying the legislation says the change is needed to align with standards for family court cases involving same-sex parents and surrogate parents.The New York state legislature passed a bill that replaces the words “mother” and “father” with “gestating parent” and “non-gestating parent” in child custody and parental laws.The gender-neutral terms, reminiscent of the dystopian fiction Brave New World, would be included in domestic and education law under the bill, according to the New York Post.“‘Paternity’ proceedings to determine a child’s biological father would meanwhile become ‘parentage’ cases,” the...

A Bristol County man will stay behind bars after disturbing cries against children. According to the Parole Board, in 2003-2004, then 43-year-old Paul Hawksley of Mansfield was one of the leaders of a youth group affiliated with the Fellowship Church in Easton. During this time, Hawksley repeatedly raped a 12-year-old boy (hereinafter the victim), who was a member of the youth group. The victim moved to Easton in 2003 and became involved in the youth group to meet new friends. Hawksley groomed the victim over a period of time-calling him multiple times a day, inviting him to sleepovers, and singling...