Free Republic

Thomas Cole is known primarily as the father of the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Cole enjoyed the patronage of several prominent businessmen in New York City, and they would have been particularly interested in his depictions of the seemingly limitless resources of the country’s interior—the profusion of timber and the extensive network of rivers and lakes that would enable them to make their fortunes. They believed that settlement of the land would have nothing but beneficial effects. It is Cole’s skill as an artist that enables him both to create an image that would both appeal to...

<p>A brawl involving 200 people erupted at a Virginia roller skating rink around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, WDBJ reported.</p> <p>Witnesses told WFXR that a song ignited local gang tensions that led to the fight involving both teens and adults at the Star City Skate Center in Roanoke.</p>

LAS VEGAS (KUTV) — It only took 960 spins, but it paid off for one women at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel tweeted that one lucky guest won $1,023,743 on her 960th spin playing on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine. LAS VEGAS (KUTV) — It only took 960 spins, but it paid off for one women at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel tweeted that one lucky guest won $1,023,743 on her 960th spin playing on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine. The woman won the jackpot on Christmas Eve. The hotel did not...

A Newman police officer was shot and killed during a traffic stop Wednesday morning, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said. Officials have identified him as Officer Ronil Singh, 33

A total of $17,313,633 had been donated by 284,843 individuals in just 9 days as of late afternoon December 26, to fund part of the border wall. The campaign is a GoFundMe appeal started by U.S. Air Force veteran and triple-amputee Brian Kolfage. His campaign has more information at www.WeFundTheWall.com. A parallel appeal by the American Border Foundation has raised another $191,755 at www.FundTheWall.com. Attempting to discourage this effort, Democrats and the mainstream news media are arguing that the government is not allowed to accept donations for a specific purpose, Congress would have to vote on it, and — to...

Everyone knows Air Force One is the iconic Boeing 747 that the President of The United States uses for air transportation, right? Well, that’s actually incorrect. A common misconception is that the physical aircraft — that iconic blue and white modified Boeing 747 also known as VC-25A — is Air Force One. But Air Force One isn’t actually an aircraft; rather, it’s the unique call sign or designator used to identify any aircraft with the sitting President of The United States on board. In theory, a Cessna 172 with the POTUS on board could use the call sign Air Force...

On day five of a partial government shutdown, negotiations among Democrats, Republicans and the White House appear to be going nowhere.The impasse has left about 420,000 federal workers working without pay and another 380,000 furloughed.The Senate is scheduled to be in session later Thursday afternoon,but votes on a spending bill to re-open and fund the government aren’t yet scheduled since an agreement between Democrats and President Donald Trump hasn’t been reached. The House isn’t expected to meet formally Thursday.The biggest sticking point for negotiators is the president’s request for more money for the border wall. Democrats have dug in and...

Twice-failed presidential candidate and possible 2020 contender Hillary Clinton posted her annual Christmas message on social media Tuesday; wishing everyone a happy holiday season along a picture of herself inside the White House. “Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating today!” posted Clinton on social media; posing with former President Bill Clinton and their daughter Chelsea.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped...

U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford’s congressional farewell message is a nearly 4,000-word essay that warns of the growing political decay in the era of President Donald Trump. “I want to be clear and explicit that I am not likening Trump to Hitler, but the forces at play could lead to a future Hitler-like character if we don’t watch out,” he wrote in a Facebook posting Wednesday.

Henry Livingston's version of the Greek mythology fable about Midas, a poem written the year before Henry's death, when Henry was 78 years old. The neat handwriting was because it was written in his daughter Jane's Poetry Manuscript Book. Music is "Royal Wedding" from Henry's Music Manuscript Book. One of my favorite poems.

NBC News and a variety of other media outlets falsely reported that President Donald Trump did not visit U.S. troops in a combat zone during Christmastime. NBC has yet to retract its demonstrably fake headline, and has left the fake story up on its website as of publication of this article. On Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that President Trump and first lady Melania Trump made a surprise secret Christmas visit to U.S. troops in Iraq.

Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton is calling out President Trump for seeking further restrictions on access to food stamps. “Merry Christmas from President Trump – taking away nutritional support for ~755,000 struggling Americans,” she said in a Friday tweet. Her comment comes amid the administration’s efforts to place restrictions on the aid outlined in the farm bill, which was recently passed by Congress and signed by Trump. The New York Times reports that “the Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would seek to put in place more stringent work requirements for adults who rely on food stamps.”

Is gun confiscation coming to Congress? The 2018 midterm elections produced a split Congress with Democrats gaining control of the House and Republicans gaining seats in the Senate. The chattering DC classes are already speculating about the Democrat’s plans to subpoena Trump’s tax records and Senate Republicans’ moves to consolidate their hold of the federal judiciary. But amid the DC gossip, a new threat is being overlooked—red flag gun confiscation orders. The Guardian detailed House Democrats’ desire to pass gun control legislation in the upcoming Congress: “Ted Deutch, a Democratic congressman from Florida who represents Parkland, where a February school...

Despite the efforts of a miserable American media and liberal establishment to malign her, first lady Melania Trump continues on with work that endears her to the American public. Her agenda as first lady is expansive, focusing on children and the importance of all aspects of their lives, from self-esteem to education to health care. Our nation has a first lady who is smart, beautiful and a person of faith. She is committed to her family and to this nation. Her sense of self-worth is not reliant on whether or not she’s on the cover of Vogue or invited to...

Assets at the National Security Agency have intercepted extensive email and internet chatter from sources within the United States and abroad regarding an alleged birth of a special child in a rural farm just yesterday, December 25th, almost certainly a small town known as “Bethlehem” in Pennsylvania. Due to the apparently unique circumstances of the birth, and the potential security threat of a child rumored to be the start of a social movement undermining the role of government as the people’s exclusive moral compass, we request permission to place federal and state security assets on high alert. Federal officials were...

Franciscan Media Image: Detail | Saint Stephen | Domenico Ghirlandaio | photo by www.wga.hu Saint Stephen Saint of the Day for December 26 (d. c. 36 )  Saint Stephen’s Story “As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Greek-speaking Christians complained about the Hebrew-speaking Christians, saying that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom,...

**SNIP** President Donald Trump defended his controversial military draw-down in Syria during a surprise trip to Iraq on Wednesday, telling American soldiers stationed in the war-torn country that the U.S. military is no longer the laughingstock of the world. “We’re no longer the suckers, folks,” Trump told troops at the Al Asad Airbase in western Iraq while gushing about the genius of his military pullout in neighboring Syria. “We’re respected again as a nation.” **SNIP** “I made it clear from the beginning that our mission in Syria was to strip ISIS of its military strongholds,” Trump told soldiers dressed in...

VIDEO Ironic considering that Genesis went from thinking a Barbi Dreamhouse was the most important thing in her life a couple of years ago to fast neglect of the same project. How many other Barbi Dreamhouses out there have also turned into slumhouses due to disinterest?

The dusky gopher frog is a critter that can be found in certain areas of Mississippi — and nowhere else. Yet the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to “protect” the dusky gopher frog by using the Endangered Species Act to designate a 1,500-acre tract of private forestry land in Louisiana as “critical habitat necessary for the species’ survival,” even though the land is not inhabited by the frog, and is in fact unsuitable for the species. Naturally, the owners objected — the economic hit would have been up to $34 million, though the FWS refused to take that into...