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It’s taken 25 years to build, has faced long delays, and cost many billions of dollars more than expected, but the countdown is finally on to launch the James Webb telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. In just six weeks, a powerful rocket is expected to carry into space the most ambitious space telescope ever built, one promising to revolutionize how we see the universe. At a news conference this week, scientists said that after more than a decade of delays, the James Webb telescope is finally ready to fly.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Monday that his agency would use a portion of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to address racial inequities in U.S. highway design. Why it matters: Buttigieg's remarks at a press briefing come amid a broader discussion of racial and socioeconomic disparities in the U.S. and days after Congress passed the long-awaited infrastructure bill. The program, called "Reconnecting Communities," will focus on the "legacy of highway construction built through communities" and remove or repurpose infrastructure barriers. Buttigieg reiterated that whether a highway will be removed will be decided on a case-by-case basis, adding that "it's...

The draft text of a prospective U.S. bishops’ conference document on the Eucharist is focused on a call to “enter more deeply by faith and love into this great Mystery of Mysteries.” A draft text of the document, which was finalized in September and circulated to the bishops last month, addresses the subject of “Eucharistic worthiness,” — the states of grace and sin which the Church teaches affect a Catholic’s suitability to receive the sacrament. But as drafters predicted in June, the draft includes no specific mention of high-profile Catholic politicians in favor of abortion. It does not include any...

Bishop Shao Zhumin was consecrated bishop in 2011, and has been abducted multiple times since 2016.WENZHOU, China (LifeSiteNews) — In what has become almost a regular occurrence, Chinese authorities have abducted the Catholic bishop of Wenzhou, a member of the underground church, and taken him “on vacation.” AsiaNews reported that Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, the Vatican-approved bishop of Wenzhou in eastern China, was taken away by the Chinese authorities October 25. The news had come from “sources on the ground,” wrote AsiaNews. “Pray that the Lord will give him confidence and courage, that he will not be demoralized by what...

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments” (Psalm 111:10). Saving faith is obedient faith. The wisdom of God resulting from the fear of the Lord leads to obedience. When we fear the Lord, we submit to His wisdom and commit ourselves to keeping His commandments. In the New Testament Jesus said the same thing: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). We aren’t always as obedient as we ought to be, but the pattern of our lives turns from disobedience to a submissive...

COMMENTARY: Given the court’s previous track record in defending religious freedom, we can at least hope that its Oct. 29 ruling isn’t the end of the story.The U.S. Supreme Court — normally sympathetic to people of faith — has uncharacteristically fallen short of its obligation to protect religious freedom. On Friday evening, a surprising six-justice majority declined a request to block a Maine rule that requires certain health-care employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 without any provision for religious exemptions. This past summer, Maine’s Democrat governor, Janet Mills, announced that the state would require certain health-care workers to be...

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene - the controversial, far-right Georgia congresswoman who lost her committee assignments earlier this year for endorsing political violence - just wrote a 17-tweet long Twitter thread that outlined several areas of "common ground" between her and the Nation of Islam. "One of the benefits as a Member of Congress is visiting different types government facilities to provide oversight," she wrote on Twitter. "On my recent visit to the DC Jail one of the things I picked up was some religious material." SNIP Greene said that prisoners are offered "religious material," choosing between "Christain [sic] and Islam,"...

Join together with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media.I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holi-ness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2Religion Fo-rum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The challenge posed by climate change “demands ongoing effort from all of us,” three U.S. Catholic leaders said in a statement issued in Washington Oct. 31, the opening day of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The annual conference, also known as COP26, “is an opportunity for all nations to protect the environment while at the same time providing reliable, affordable and carbon free energy through innovation and enterprise, ensuring a better future for the entire human family, especially for the working class, the poor and marginalized,” the leaders said. Issuing the joint statement were...

[Catholic Caucus] The Babylonian Captivity of the ChurchWe have all heard horror stories about priests who defy these basic and simple canons. Some priests, apparently, have attempted to confect “cakes and cookies”. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope John Paul II released, in 2004, Redemptionis Sacramentum to counter the widespread abuse of the liturgy, including the introduction of matter entirely improper to confecting the Holy Eucharist. We have witnessed the extraordinary sight of the Supreme Legislator of the Catholic Church, the Pope himself, meeting with, and appearing to sanction in their sinfulness, American politicians who have...

The #MarsHelicopter successfully completed its 15th flight on Mars. It flew for 128.8 seconds. Preliminary localization places us within our targeted landing zone. Ingenuity opportunistically took images of science interest and they'll be processed soon. https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s health condition. He reportedly developed symptoms of Bell’s Palsy immediately after getting injected with the Moderna Covid-19 booster shot and has had trouble speaking coherently.

A bear took a stroll through a California neighborhood and paused for a dip in a resident's backyard pool. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department warned residents of a neighborhood in San Dimas to remain in their homes when a bear was spotted wandering through the area. The bear wandered through multiple back yards before taking a swim in a resident's pool. "I see a bear jump in the pool and I told my buddy, 'Hey, I gotta get off the phone. I gotta film this," homeowner Christian Brown told KABC-TV. "The next thing I know the bear is just...

"Giuseppe Perrino is dead: heart attack at 29! Footballer collapses on the soccer field and dies." "In the European Championship game against Finland, the Dane Christian Eriksen suddenly collapses. Medical helpers initiated life-saving measures with cardiac muscle massage." "Speed skater Kjeld Nuis is very sick after vaccination: 'The body is not cooperating.'" "Bielefeld footballer suffers cardiac arrest on the field." "19-year-old Belgian handball player dies of cardiac arrest." "Former French professional footballer Franck Berrier dies of multiple heart attacks while playing tennis." "The 17-year-old footballer collapsed on the field of a heart attack. On the way to the hospital, he...

I have been going on free republic when at work at my government job for 20 years. Freerepublic is my daily news source. Imagine my shock when I got a security pop up stating that CBP has denied access to the requested domain. this attempt has been recorded. DOMAIN: media.patriots.win I will try to post the photo of the security notification/warning. Free Republic is banned from government networks.............

White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the administration will not rule out imposing COVID-19 vaccine requirements for domestic travel as the United States lifted its travel ban on non-essential travel for vaccinated air and land travelers on Monday. When asked about restrictions being lifted for vaccinated travelers into the United States starting Monday and if the administration is considering extending vaccine requirements to domestic travel, Jean-Pierre demurred but did not rule it out. “So, we say this all time … everything’s on the table,” she said, adding: “We just don’t have any announcement to preview right now...

CEDAR HILL, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Feral hogs seem to have the run of North Texas and in search of nutrient rich grubs, it’s no surprise that they’ve behaving like pigs. “They chew up the grass, they tear up the landscaping and again, they present a hazard with automobiles,” says Jack McFadden of Cedar Hill. “We’ve had at least the first reported accident of hitting three wild hogs here on Lake Ridge Parkway.”

A woman was lost alone in dense Hawaii foliage for hours with a dying cellphone battery, officials told news outlets. The 27-year-old wandered off trail Saturday, Nov. 6, and couldn’t find her way back, the Honolulu Fire Department told the Star-Advertiser. The hiker called 911 after she was lost for hours alone in “thick, dense foliage,” KITV4 reported. She only had 25% battery life left on her cellphone when she called for help. The woman began her hike at about 1 p.m., and firefighters arrived three hours later, according to KHON2. Rescuers hoisted the woman to safety in a helicopter,...

… “Account suspended.” Two bold words that decorate Renaud Camus’ Twitter profile, blocking his access to the platform he uses to engage in political debates and advance his beliefs. Though arguably not as internationally known as Albert Camus, the theories that author Renaud Camus has written about have travelled far. It was in his 2011 book “Le Grand Remplacement” that he first coined the term “the great replacement”, which became a rallying cry for the far right worldwide. Rooted in racist nationalist views, the great replacement theory purports that an elitist group is colluding against white French and European people...

The mother and daughter were aided by an off-duty EMT in the Multnomah Falls hiking area outside Portland.A mother and her 2-year-old child survived a fall of more than 100 feet on a trail outside Portland on Sunday, according to Oregon authorities. According to NBC News affiliate KGW8, the toddler began to slip off a trail, and after the mother tried to pull the child back up, both slipped and fell into a creek below. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said they responded to the incident at Multnomah Falls, about 30 miles east of Portland, just after noon on Sunday....