Free Republic

BROKEN ARROW, OKLA (KTUL) — The Broken Arrow City Council has denied a rezoning request and conditional use permit for a proposed mosque near Olive Avenue after a contentious meeting that lasted four hours. The decision came after the planning commission had approved the request last month. The meeting drew strong opinions both for and against the project, with several speakers opposing it due to concerns about traffic on the two-lane road, stormwater and floodplain issues, and whether the development aligns with the city's comprehensive plan. Rick Gates, a Wagoner County resident, expressed concerns about the financial implications, saying, "Maybe...

Some frightening scenes out of yesterday’s four-man bobsled race in St. Moritz. USA’s Kris Horn had to navigate the big sled on his own after three teammates failed to board. It all starts when Hunter Powell slips and goes from there.

So many unsavory characters in the Democratic Party to mock, so little time. Despite being very well-traveled in the United States thanks to stand-up, I have only been to Minnesota once. That trip was just for a weekend and happened almost 15 years ago. I can think of one person I've known personally who was born there. The state isn't really putting itself out there to earn my trust. What I do know about Minnesota is that it's cold and full of people who do things that I don't like. Almost five years ago, I wrote that the United States...

The U.S. government is revoking the legal status of several thousand immigrants from Somalia, raising the specter of deportation for a community often assailed by President Trump. A Department of Homeland Security official said the Trump administration had decided to terminate Somalia's Temporary Protected Status program, which allows beneficiaries to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation. Nationals of Somalia enrolled in the TPS program are now set to lose their legal status and work permits on March 17. The DHS official said roughly 2,500 Somali immigrants with TPS are expected to be affected by the termination....

Scott Adams, a cartoonist, author, an independent-minded pundit and podcaster, has died at the age of 68 after a rather public battle against prostate cancer. The host of Real Coffee with Scott Adams, the creator of the legendary comic strip Dilbert, and the author of numerous books, had continued with his livestreaming routine, seven days a week throughout his treatments for the disease up until yesterday. In the process, he treated his audience like close family during his cancer journey. Adams first entered the American consciousness through the clever and relatable satire of Dilbert, which vividly captured the frustrations, absurdities,...

Daily Readings from the USCCBJesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Mark 1:21–22Imagine attending a book study for a profound and challenging book. The group leader has read it thoroughly and consulted reviews; he shares various interpretations, offering valuable insights. You leave with a deeper understanding and gratitude for the leader’s guidance. Now imagine years later you attend another study on the same book, but this time the author leads...

The headline probably has most of you saying to yourselves: Of course, I believe the amount of fraud taking place in federal 'safety net' programs. No matter what number you report, Moran, I've already imagined it. I'd agree with you, except that the scale of the fraud, waste, and lax enforcement is beyond anything anyone ever imagined. Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a contributing editor at Reason, has spent her entire career as a voice crying in the wilderness, trying to get Congress, opinion-makers, and citizens to pay attention...

JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon has warned that the Trump administration's attacks on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell will backfire. Dimon defended the Fed as he spoke with reporters after his bank issued its fourth-quarter earnings results on Tuesday. 'Everyone we know believes in Fed independence, and so do we, and anything chips away at that is probably not a great idea,' Dimon said. 'It will have the reverse consequences. It will raise inflation expectations and probably increase rates over time.' The nation's pre-eminent banker added: 'I don't agree with everything that the Fed has done,' but 'I do have...

Adams told podcast listeners this month his odds of recovery are 'essentially zero' after cancer diagnosis. Dilbert" creator Scott Adams is in hospice care at his Northern California home as his health declines "rapidly" amid his battle with prostate cancer, his ex-wife said. Shelly Miles, who was married to the cartoonist from 2006 to 2014, told TMZ that Adams had begun receiving "end-of-life care" at his home last week. Miles said that she, her sister and Adams' stepdaughter Savannah, along with nurses, have been caring for him.

Trump’s property developer persona must salivate at getting the hugest property deal ever. The mini-continent of Greenland is likely worth many trillions of dollars in natural resources and development potential. Cagey negotiator Trump speaks of buying Greenland from Denmark for a few billion dollars, a typical, low-ball opening bid. Trump knows the USA is by far the best custodian for Greenland. And, its acquisition would address our serious security concerns about Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic. The European Union and NATO want to leverage Denmark’s current colonial “ownership” of Greenland into a European asset. We can evaluate a...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #31 of 33 JESUS GROWS INTO ADULTHOOD M A T T H E W CHAPTER 2 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was...

The Supreme Court has just now started oral arguments in the transgender case.Little v Hecox.Issue: Whether laws that seek to protect women's and girls' sports by limiting participation to women and girls based on sex violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. You can listen to the arguments here:Supreme Court audioSCOTUSblog is livestreaming it at their website. SCOTUS oral argument scotusblog.com

The Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status for Somalians in the United States. TPS allows individuals from a country where war or other forms of unrest are taking place to remain in the United States when they would not be eligible to be admitted through other immigration programs. The Department of Homeland Security said TPS for the group ends March 17. “Temporary means temporary,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said, according to Fox News. “Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status.” Fox noted that Somalis have...

The Florida 2025 black bear hunt has been a flop as an attempt to manage the bear population in Florida. It may have been successful as a trial run on how to manage a bear hunt. Only 52 bears were harvested. To keep a stable population, at least 600 bears should have been harvested, probably 1500. About 15 % of a black bear population needs to be harvested to keep a stable population. From myfwc.com: There were 52 bears harvested during the 2025 bear hunt, which is a hunter success rate very close to other states with similar hunt parameters....

The European Union should raise a continental army of 100,000 soldiers and create a “European Security Council” because the “Pax Americana” is over and it would build “European Independence”, a top commissioner has said.The European Union wants to create a parallel defence structure replicating many of the roles presently carried by the NATO alliance, so said the bloc’s Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius at a Swiss military conference. While focussing on the Ukraine war and the perceived threat of Russia, the Commissioner also listed other threats or geopolitical changes that he said made it “even more clear that we need to...

Lately, I’ve been noticing behavior from adults that would’ve been considered unusual — or even unacceptable — not that long ago. This video isn’t about politics, sides, or beliefs. It’s about behavior, accountability, and how adults are responding to stress, conflict, and frustration in public spaces. Public outbursts, emotional escalation, lack of self-control, and performative behavior used to be rare. Now, they’re becoming common — and that should concern all of us. This isn’t a judgment. It’s an observation. And it raises an important question: When did this become normal?

(Kitco News) - Gold prices are modestly down and silver prices modestly up in early U.S. trading Tuesday, just ahead of a key U.S. inflation report. Risk aversion remains elevated in the marketplace amid an active geopolitical environment. February gold was last down $25.80 at $4,589.10. March silver prices were up $0.474 at $85.58.

Mattel is expanding its push for inclusion with the launch of its first autistic Barbie, developed in partnership with autism advocates to reflect how some people on the spectrum experience the world. Mattel spent more than 18 months developing the autistic Barbie in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a nonprofit that works to advance the rights and media representation of autistic people. The aim, the company said, was to design a doll that reflects some of the ways autistic individuals experience and navigate the world around them. The doll includes articulated elbows and wrists to allow for...

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - Prosecutors charged a 20-year-old man with killing a Kansas City woman while driving drunk in Independence. Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court records filed on Tuesday, Dec. 30, revealed that Mason R. McIntyre faces one count of DWI causing death and two counts of second-degree assault. Court documents show that McIntyre’s blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit. The charges stem from a Saturday night crash that killed 36-year-old Jennifer Jensen and critically injured 2 others.

A suspect was arrested in connection with the deadly assault of a man in Buena Park. Buena Park police identified the suspect as Barney Lee, 57. On Dec. 29, police responded to reports of an injured man near La Palma Avenue and Western Avenue near Knott’s Berry Farm around 9:40 p.m. Officers found the victim, Elton Harrell, 29, lying on the ground with injuries. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.