Free Republic

A 1982 hit later called ‘the most complex pop song of all time’ is celebrating its anniversary today, thanks to its unusual structure and lasting chart success.Released on April 14, 1982, “Never Gonna Let You Go” by Sérgio Mendes has become one of the most unlikely chart hits of its era—and one of the most musically intricate. The song, written by legendary songwriting duo Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, was first recorded by Dionne Warwick before Mendes released his now-definitive version in 1983, featuring vocalists Joe Pizzulo and Leeza Miller. It went on to become a major hit, reaching No....

Greece is ushering in a significant overhaul of its rental system, with new legislation set to eliminate cash rent payments entirely and move all transactions into the banking system. From April 1, 2026, tenants across the country will be required to pay rent exclusively through electronic means, in a move designed to improve transparency, combat undeclared income, and bring the housing market in line with modern financial practices. End of cash-in-hand rent The new rules mean that cash payments between tenants and landlords will no longer be legally recognised under any circumstances. Whether renting a city apartment, a holiday home,...

Several dozen people lined up outside a presidential administration building on a sunny spring weekend in central Moscow as police stood nearby and watched them closely. The people were lodging complaints about the government's intensifying crackdown on the internet that has seen regular shutdowns of cellphone internet connections, blocked popular messaging apps and cut access to thousands of other websites and digital services. It was the latest sign of the growing anger and frustration over the restrictions that have disrupted the daily lives of Russians, hurt businesses and drawn criticism even from Kremlin supporters. Knowing that any unauthorised demonstrations are...

Explanation: Why does Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) have a wispy tail? The newest bright member of the inner Solar System, Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is already extending an impressive stream of glowing gas. This tail starts from an unseen central nucleus of dirty ice that is likely a few kilometers across. The nucleus is warmed by the Sun and emits a cloud of neutral gas into a coma that glows light green. Nuclear gas ionized by energetic sunlight is pushed away from the Sun by the solar wind into an ion tail that glows light blue. The wispy nature of the...

Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams has become a citizen of Albania by a special presidential decree, adding an unexpected milestone to his post-political life. Albanian President Bajram Begaj signed the decree at Adams’ own request. Albanian media reported the development first. Spokesman Todd Shapiro confirmed that Eric Adams received Albanian citizenship voluntarily, describing him as a longstanding friend of the Albanian-American community. Shapiro also said the honor reflects a relationship built on mutual respect and that it deepens the ties between New York City and Albania. The roots of that relationship go back to Adams’ time in office....

The media offers Americans and the world endless speculation about the war in Iran. They debate President Trump’s plan. They debate what others are saying, especially our allies like NATO. The endless debate goes all the way to the pope. They ask the cardinals and the pope what they think of the war. It seems like the Pope is not really happy with President Trump or the war in Iran at this point in time I’m not trying to sound exclusive. I don’t think I’m a know-it-all. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I know anything, but for certain I,...

When you’re building at breakneck speed, hiring a trusted team is crucial for an early-stage startup. In this episode of Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Isaiah Granet, the CEO and co-founder of Bland, a voice AI company that has grown from pre-seed to Series B in just 10 months. Their team has ballooned to 75 people and Granet has tactical advice on how the company managed to find hidden talent in unlikely places. With a founding team fresh out of college, Bland’s early hires were selected for their passion, rather than pedigrees. “We were searching for a really...

Conservative activist Riley Gaines brushed off President Donald Trump's criticism of her on Monday, saying she does "nothing for the approval of man." Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, was one of the many Trump supporters critical of an AI-generated image the president shared on social media on Sunday portraying himself as a Jesus-like figure. Trump has since deleted the post. "Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?" she wrote on X on Monday, commenting on the image. "Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would...

Spain’s laws now place the absence of consent at the centre of sexual offence definitions. Photo credit: PeopleImages/Shutterstock Spain’s Tribunal Supremo (Supreme Court) has clarified that physical contact of a sexual nature without consent, including an unsolicited kiss on the hand, constitutes a sexual assault offence rather than street harassment. The decision establishes a clear legal boundary and will influence how similar incidents are treated under Spanish law. The case involved an incident in January 2023 at a bus stop in Alcobendas, Madrid, where a man took a woman’s hand, kissed it without her consent, and attempted to persuade her...

Ali Motahari, who served as Parliament deputy speaker from 2016 to 2019, made the statements in 2022 while speaking on Iranian news media outlet ISCA News, saying: 'When we began our nuclear activity, our goal was indeed to build a bomb. There is no need to beat around the bush.' Motahari noted that Iran had no plans for detonating the bomb, only using it as a deterrent, meaning a weapon intended to discourage enemies rather than immediately use it, citing the Quranic verse: 'Strike fear in the hearts of the enemy of Allah.'

BREAKING: Judge Boasberg has been BLOCKED by the DC Court of Appeals from holding Trump officials in criminal contempt, 2-1 Boasberg was attempting to BLOCK President Trump from deporting illegals under the Alien Enemies Act The most corrupt judge in America loses AGAIN 🔥

Last month, two of your customers bought the exact same product at the exact same price. One paid from Paris. The other paid from Bangkok. You charged them identically. You delivered identically. But what landed in your account was not identical, and the difference had nothing to do with your margins, your pricing, or anything you control. It had to do with six digits printed on a piece of plastic in Thailand. Those six digits are called a BIN, a Bank Identification Number. They identify the bank that issued your customer's card and, crucially, the country where that bank operates....

Former President Joe Biden reportedly wanted Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to be his vice president but “had to choose” former Vice President Kamala Harris. An Atlantic article profiled the Democratic governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate on Sunday and reported how Biden considered Whitmer for his running mate in 2020, particularly after her pushback against President Trump. Though Whitmer was ultimately not chosen, the Atlantic claimed that Biden “wanted it to be Whitmer” and was pushed into picking Harris after the Black Lives Matter protests. “All of this attention seemed like it might add up to something, and by summer...

A poll of 1,000 registered voters conducted by Deep Root Analytics found that 87% of those responding were concerned about fraud that misuses taxpayer money. Eighty three percent saw fraud as a factor driving up the cost of living. One respondent pointed out "if crooks are stealing the money the government intended for those in need, taxes will be increased to replace what's what's been illegally taken." Asked what issues the government ought to focus on, 89% said lowering the cost of living, 84% said making communities safer, 80% said protecting the country from foreign threats, and 65% said enforcing...

If the morally-confused Pope Leo XIV continues to assume the role of a partisan podcaster, he will very quickly lose his moral authority.And that’s exactly what Leo is doing.We all expect a pope to talk about and pray for peace in times of war, express a desire for unity in times of political divisiveness, and to always appeal to the best in humanity. That’s not what this pope has done. Instead, apparently under the sway of Barry Obama’s hatchet man and former campaign manager, David Axelrod, Leo is recklessly engaging in a left-wing campaign to damage President Trump’s and the...

What if the real revolution in the Middle East isn’t happening on the battlefield but in the battle for narrative and identity? This fascinating conversation reveals a powerful lesson: that Israel’s greatest opportunity right now may not be military, but cultural. Viewers will discover how decades of misinformation and ideological manipulation, especially driven by Iran, have distorted reality, and why reclaiming the story could change everything. By the end, you’ll see that the future of the Middle East might hinge not just on power, but on who finally tells their story and who listens. Transcript link for exhibition below.

The Arizona Democratic senator said he regrets not seeing the signs that his colleague was “a predator.” Sen. Ruben Gallego said his former close friend, Rep. Eric Swalwell, “betrayed” his trust following revelations of sexual assault allegations and denied having any knowledge of the serious accusations lodged against the California Democrat. “Eric Swalwell lied to all of us — lied to the most powerful people in this country — and they trusted him,” Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, told reporters Tuesday afternoon in his office. “I fell for it,” Gallego said, adding that Swalwell “became very good at being a predator.”...

Federal authorities are warning Missouri officials not to release an illegal immigrant accused of raping and kidnapping a woman in a quiet college town on Easter Sunday — the second violent crime in the state in just weeks involving a suspect in the country unlawfully. The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that Cristian Lopez-Gomez, a Honduran national who entered the U.S. illegally in April 2024 and was released into the country under the Biden administration, is now charged in the attack in Kirksville, home to Truman State University. Authorities say Lopez-Gomez raped the woman and held her against her...

At least 16 people have been injured after an ex-student opened fire at a high school in south-eastern Turkey. The attacker, who was in his late teens, fired "indiscriminately with a shotgun" before killing himself with the weapon after being "cornered by police", local governor Hasan Şildak said. Those injured include 10 students, four teachers, a cafeteria worker and a police officer, he said. The incident happened at around 09:30 local time (06:30 GMT) at the Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Siverek district. It has since been evacuated. The wounded were taken to hospital, with five...

The Society of Saint Pius X and the Ordination of New Bishops: the end of the post-conciliar eraFr. Davide Pagliarani, the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, has announced that the SSPX plans to proceed with the ordination of bishops this coming July. This plan has been harshly criticized by many Catholics who do not share the heterodox opinions that the Society was founded to oppose. I do not attend SSPX masses and cannot be described as an admirer of the Society (perhaps they do not admire me either). However, I cannot see any serious objections to...