Free Republic

One of the indescribable aspects of being a member of a minority group is knowing that things are better than they have ever been and, simultaneously, not good enough. The LGBTQ community has won the right to same-sex marriage and achieved unprecedented visibility in politics, media and entertainment. Yet we still lag far behind the straight and cis population when it comes to mental health, substance abuse and HIV rates. Travis Salway is an epidemiologist trying to close this gap. In 2014, he discovered that in Canada, suicide had surpassed HIV as the leading cause of death among gay and...

While the President is overseas honoring D-Day, the cable news talking heads back home have been busy critiquing his recently announced plan to impose an increasing series of tariffs on Mexico unless that nation stops the flood of migrants passing through their country toward the United States. The plan has been described in the press with a variety of terms ranging from reckless to impossible. After all, even if Mexico was willing to consider such a deal, how could they possibly stop the human tide from flowing across their own southern border?Well, the tariffs must have gotten their attention....

Though it looked like the San Diego region was about to be drenched in a soggy downpour, it was actually something sort of magical. A giant swarm of ladybugs making its way across the National Weather Service radar had many scratching their heads Wednesday. The cloud of ladybugs, actually called a bloom, was about 80 miles by 80 miles, meteorologist Joe Dandrea told the Los Angeles Times. The bloom wasn't too concentrated, but rather spread out between 5,000 and 9,000 feet, Dandrea told the Times.

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis’ Question: To Visit or Not To Visit Argentina  Unlike predecessor popes, Francis is avoiding native country Six years into his papacy, Pope Francis has still not visited his home country of Argentina, causing Argentine Catholics to scratch their heads and wonder: Will he or won't he? And when?  Pope Francis explained to a group of Argentine bishops for the ad limina visit to Rome in May that he wants to visit his homeland, but current obligations impede him from fulfilling his wish. Speaking for the pope, Abp. Victor Manuel Fernandez of La Plata added, "We have no indication of a 'yes' or a 'no'; we only know that...

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s embrace of the Hyde amendment, prohibiting federal funds from being used for abortion, combined with a new plagiarism controversy have created the most challenging week for the Democratic front-runner since he entered the race for the White House earlier this spring. Biden has led public opinion polls by double-digits since announcing his campaign but will now face new questions about whether he can retain his lead. Democratic rivals who slammed Biden’s support of the Hyde amendment on Wednesday will be looking to use his remarks and position on abortion, in particular, to close the gap...

Oakland has followed the lead of Denver to become the second city in the United States to legalize use of “magic mushrooms.” The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to decriminalize adult use and possession of all psychoactive plants and psilocybin fungi. Council member Noel Gallo, who introduced the resolution, said the move will allow the local police force to focus on serious crimes. Some caveats were added to the resolution through amendments, including a warning that the mushrooms “are not for everyone,” and that people “don’t go solo” when trying them out for the first time. “Entheogenic plants and fungi...

WASHINGTON — World View announced June 5 it performed the longest flight to date of its stratospheric balloon, demonstrating its ability to carry out missions traditionally reserved for satellites. The company said its Stratollite balloon system recently completed a 16-day test flight, taking off May 18 from the company’s headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, and landing June 3 in Nevada. Prior to this flight, the longest flight by a Stratollite was five days. In addition to proving its ability for extended flights, the Stratollite also demonstrated its ability to maintain position. That included “multiple” tests where the balloon stayed within an...

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Today's Quotefall Puzzle features a quote by Cyril Crain. Click image (or click here) for full size rendition, then use your browser's print command to print puzzle. Cyril Crain was a World War 2 veteran and participant in the Juno Beach invasion on D-Day, June 6, 1944, part of the most important military operation in U.S., Canadian, and British history. All hints, along with the answer, are provided in the first reply comment below, using filtered font to prevent accidential spoilers. Please refrain from disclosing the full answer in comments to prevent spoilers.To solve the puzzle: Enter the letters in the top...

President Trump speaks at 75th D-Day anniversary ceremony in Normandy, France You are the greatest among us that will ever live, you are the pride of our nation, you are the glory of our republic and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, says President Trump thanking WWII veterans. President Trump’s speech on Thursday honoring the brave Allied fighters who "stood in the fires of hell" on the 75th anniversary of D-Day drew unexpected acclaim from two of his biggest mainstream media critics: CNN’s Jim Acosta and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough. “This is perhaps the most on-message moment of...

The bombing campaign against Yugoslavia that began on March 24 1999 was the first time NATO went to war. The 78-day campaign, known as Operation Allied Force, was officially conducted to protect civilians. They had been caught in the middle of the conflict between the secessionist insurgents of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and Yugoslavian security forces. The conflict had dramatically escalated in 1998, when the KLA began an armed campaign to end the Yugoslavian (or, more specifically, Serbian) rule over Kosovo. Even now, 20 years after the intervention, and despite the military, diplomatic and financial investments of Western powers...

The United States, along with its allies, invaded continental Europe seventy-five years ago on June 6, 1944, thus ensuring the defeat of the worst tyranny in human history. But is this magnificent nation capable of mustering the same effort and resources if Donald Trump is defeated and the current iteration of the Democratic Party ever assumes power in perpetuity?

Full header: "Wow: Whoopi Had To Correct Swalwell On Facts Surrounding Virginia Beach Shooting Despite His Anti-Gun 'Expertise" Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) on Wednesday made an appearance on "The View." Naturally, the discussion turned to his desire for gun control, especially after last week's tragic shooting in Virginia Beach. When asked what could be done to keep this from happening again, Swalwell reiterated his desire for an "assault weapons" ban and buyback program. "First, ban and buyback every assault weapon in America. I’m the only candidate calling for that. That will go a long way. Kids are sitting paralyzed with...

An Indiana school district has apologized after an 11-year-old boy with autism was given the “most annoying male” award by his teacher. Estella Castejon, who says her son Akalis is non-verbal and occasionally rocks back and forth and shakes, believes his special education teacher at Bailly Preparatory Academy should be familiar with his condition and its effects. “You’d think one would know and understand the conditions of autism and have more patience to deal with children who suffer from autism,” she told local television station WLS-TV from her home in Gary, Ind. on Tuesday. It’s part of the reason why...

Over 160,000 troops from America, Britain, Canada, free France, Poland and other nations landed along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast of France. It was the largest amphibious invasion force in world history, supported by 5,000 ships with 195,700 navy personnel and 13,000 aircraft. On that day, the sea along the heavily fortified beaches of Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, Sword and Pointe du Hoc ran red with the blood of almost 9,000 killed or wounded. It was a significant turning point in World War II. The steps which led up to D-Day deserve serious examination. After World War I,...

Audio at link: Jussie Smollett’s manager told an emergency operator that the actor had been “jumped” in a “pretty f----- up” attack yet had to be convinced to file a report with police, according to audio of 911 calls released Wednesday from the night Smollett claimed he was the victim of a violent hate crime in downtown Chicago. <{> “I just need the police to come by. I work for an artist, I don’t really want to say his name, but he states ... he went to Subway, he was walking by and some guys, I don’t know, they jumped...

"Well, just when you think the GOP has finally gotten everything under control, they go and step on their own d*cks. Again. Here is their latest f*ck-up: Mitch McConnell has just introduced a bill which would increase the minimum age to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21 years. When I first heard about this, I smacked myself in the forehead so hard, the slope disappeared. I mean, is federal intervention is such matters really necessary? That's quite a silly display of nanny-statism. Apparently, the several states aren't competent enough to handle these things for themselves...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem (Old Testament) 1 Kings 9 Solomon’s Other Activities 10 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built these two buildings—the temple of the Lord and the royal palace— 11 King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and juniper and gold he wanted. 12 But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. 13 “What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he asked. And he...

From Aesop at Raconteur Report If there aren't indictments, trials, and convictions over what's gone on, I can tell you what I do have faith will happen: there's going to be war. Not a tantrum, or a disturbance, or a riot, or even some low-intensity nonsense. From Thoughts from Frank and Fern, about uncivil war If we want to know how this will all turn out, just watch our country's leaders. From Francis Porretto at Liberty's Torch The demotion of children from an economic asset to a luxury good forces them to compete with other luxury goods, and children have...

Cadet Jacob Whisenhunt, originally a member of the class of 2019 at the academy in West Point, N.Y., was dismissed from the Army and removed from the school after he was convicted of raping a female cadet while she slept in her sleeping bag during a summer field training event on July 7, 2016. An appellate court threw out the conviction on Monday, citing a lack of evidence to prove the sex wasn’t consensual. A judge concluded the woman did not audibly struggle and Whisenhunt did not attempt to silence her, hide his identity or remove evidence. “The defense theory...