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In 1621, the city of Chocim in today's western Ukraine witnessed a mighty battle between the Polish-Lithuanian Empire and an invading Ottoman army. Chocim is rightly remembered by Poland as a victory, although the conflict ended in a political draw. But this stalemate was fought by only about 50,000 men against three times as many Turks and Mongols. After the death of the Polish commander-in-chief, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, it was Stanisław Lubomirski (1583–1649), not yet forty years old, who turned the tide in favor of Warsaw. Chocim was not the first battle in this war against Muslim aggression. Already in...

I had serious reservations about the Steven Spielberg version of the film classic West Side Story. Rumors of wokeness haunted the new movie from the first casting call through to its dismal opening weekend. I expected to wince throughout, but Spielberg did something brave and unexpected. He gave the Jets a rationale for their existence and their resistance. The 1961 original did not. As a 14-year-old living in a "transitional" neighborhood very much like the one the Jets and Sharks inhabited and not far away, I fully identified with the white gang, the Jets. My friends, even my black friends,...

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For seven years, a war has been going on in eastern Ukraine and now Russia is accused by the West of threatening an invasion. Since war in the east broke out in April 2014, more than 14,000 people have died. There are fundamental differences in the Russian and Ukrainian positions. But the major dispute centres on a political settlement for the Donbas. The two countries have "irreconcilable" views on the future of the war-torn areas in eastern Ukraine, says Duncan Allan, an associate fellow at Chatham House. Ukraine wants to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity while Russia, he believes,...

Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann announced Friday that he settled a $275 million defamation lawsuit against NBC. Neither party publicized the terms of the settlement. However, Sandmann asked for $275 million in damages in his lawsuit against NBC Universal and MSNBC. “At this time I would like to release that NBC and I have reached a settlement,” Sandmann tweeted. “The terms are confidential. ”NBC is the third corporate media organization to settle with Sandmann after he and his classmates were accused of mocking Native American activist Nathan Phillips during last January’s March for Life event. Sandmann was wearing...

With COVID-19 cases once again soaring in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said the state could soon face new restrictions in response to a deadly pandemic that is once more growing. “My fear is we’re going to be getting back to capacity limits at some point,” Murphy said during an unrelated press event at Port Newark on Friday, where he warned “this thing is still with us and sadly, the numbers are still going up.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday proposed spending more than $300 million to help law enforcement and small businesses address a recent rash of high-profile smash and grab thefts. Under the three-year plan, the money would finance a crackdown on organized crime rings, which are believed to be carrying out the crimes.... ...Local law enforcement agencies would receive $255 million over the next three years to place more officers in stores to deter theft and another $30 million would go to district attorneys ...

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan took an ominous tone Friday when speaking about efforts to bring Iran back in line with a 2015 nuclear agreement saying, "It's not going well."... ...Sullivan said there has been "some progress" over the last few days but did not appear hopeful that a concrete resolution would be found following months of indirect talks with Tehran. President Biden made it a top priority for his administration to bring Iran back to the negotiating table .....

The Nativity, Lorenzo Monaco (1414) In preparation for the coming of Christmas, we have been discussing some of St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings. In this last installment we’ll be looking at his commentary on the time and place of Jesus’ birth.We live in a culture that tends toward a kind of temporal pride. We think that we have come of age, that we are smarter and wiser than our forebears. Scientific, technical, and medical knowledge are more highly developed to be sure, but there is more to life than what falls into those realms.The religious version of temporal pride is expressed...

December 18th, 2021 Memorial of St. Peter Truat St. Peter's Church, Shanghai, People's Republic of China Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet First readingJeremiah 23:5-8 ©I will raise a virtuous Branch for DavidSee, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,who will reign as true king and be wise,practising honesty and integrity in the land.In his days Judah will be savedand Israel dwell in confidence.And this is the name he will be called:The-Lord-our-integrity.So, then, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when people will...

Poland’s parliament passed a media bill that detractors say aims to silence a news channel critical of the government, in an unexpected move that will stoke concern over media freedom and reopen a diplomatic dispute with the US. Critics say the legislation will affect the ability of news channel TVN24, owned by US media company Discovery Inc, to operate because it tightens the rules around foreign ownership of media in Poland. The vote sours relations with the US, Poland’s most powerful ally, at a time of heightened tension in eastern Europe over an increasingly assertive Russia. Lawmakers had not been...

Video here => Portable drone/missile concept

Los Angeles County reported 3,360 new cases of Covid-19 today. That’s up 1,085 cases (or 48%) over Thursday’s total of 2,275 new cases in the region. It’s the highest daily mark since 3,550 on August 18, which was among the peaks of the summer 2021 surge. The County identified eight more cases of the Omicron variant today for a total of 38. Yesterday saw 12 new cases related to Omicron, which brought the tally to 30. On Tuesday, the total was 15, meaning the number doubled in two days. Less than a week before that, on December 8, Los Angeles...

"Ukrainian President Zelensky: “We know what it’s like not to have our own state. We know what it means to defend one’s own state and land with weapons in hand, at the cost of our own lives.” Ukraine recognizes Jerusalem as “the one and only capital of Israel” and plans to open an embassy branch in the Holy City in the coming months, the Ukrainian envoy to Israel announced on Thursday. “My country recognizes the one and only capital of Israel, and that is Jerusalem,” Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Korniichuk said. Regarding the establishment of a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, the...

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A powerful typhoon left at least 19 people dead, knocked down power and communications in entire provinces and wrought widespread destruction mostly in the central Philippines, officials said Saturday. A governor said her island province has been “leveled to the ground.” Typhoon Rai blew away Friday night into the South China Sea after rampaging through southern and central island provinces, where more than 300,000 people in its path were evacuated to safety in advance in a pre-emptive move officials say may have saved a lot of lives. At its strongest, Rai packed sustained winds of 195...

This date in 1946 saw the largest mass execution in Alberta: five men all hanged for murder. One of these, Donald Sherman Staley, was a hated sex-murderer who had raped and killed boys in Calgary and Alberta that summer. But he is the undercard in this event.* The remaining four were all German prisoners of war from the lately concluded world war. They did not, as their onetime commanders in Europe, face judgment for war crimes: no, Bruno Perzonowsky, Walter Wolf, Heinrich Busch and Willi Mueller had while marking time in the Medicine Hat POW camp contrived to execute a...

"A U.S. federal judge ruled in favor of the relatives of former national security adviser Michael Flynn Thursday, allowing them to move forward with a lawsuit against CNN. The relatives, Flynn's brother and sister-in-law, allege that CNN wrongly portrayed them as QAnon conspiracy followers, according to a report. While U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Woods mostly upheld a magistrate judge's recommendation to throw out the pair's defamation case, he allowed the Flynns to proceed with accusations that CNN portrayed them in a "false light." ..."

Join with fellow FREEPERS across the world to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, Technology, 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 holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) BECAUSE OF CHRIST, WE ARE NEVER WITHOUT FAMILY.

"(NEXSTAR) – With Christmas just a few days away, many are stocking up on holiday favorites, including eggnog. Unfortunately for some, the ‘nog shelf may be empty. A supply issue with butterfat, the fatty portion of milk and a key ingredient to eggnog, is keeping Organic Valley from putting its eggnog on store shelves this holiday season, a spokesperson told Nexstar. The Wisconsin-based company works with 1,800 farmers to supply dairy products – like milk, cream and butter – nationwide. Usually they also produce eggnog seasonally – but not this year. ..."

"More than 100 people who attended a Taylor Swift-themed party last Friday have since tested positive for COVID-19. The celebration of Swift’s “Red” album is now being considered a super spreader event, and even those attendees who have not yet tested positive for the coronavirus are being asked to isolate. ..."