Free Republic

On Tuesday CNN is introducing CNN+, a subscription streaming service that combines live news coverage, on-demand programming and interactive interviews. CNN's goal is to establish closer relationships with news consumers — the same way Netflix (NFLX) and HBO Max have done in entertainment. It has hired hundreds of people and developed dozens of shows for this new platform. Analysts say it is the most ambitious streaming news venture to date in the United States. "We are going to be the only global video-driven news subscription business," CNN chief digital officer and head of CNN+ Andrew Morse said in an interview....

1970 George Harrison ~ My Sweet Lord

... Sadly, though, the idea of “contract-grading” is now gaining prevalence in disciplines of critical academic importance–not only in high schools, but in many prominent colleges and universities. This development is only the latest front in a larger war on intellectual excellence, where the focus has now moved from lowering standards to eliminating them. Take, for example, my own field of English. I work at a university with a large population of first-generation college students. Many of them work full-time jobs, and a significant number of them speak English as a second language. Instruction at my institution is in English,...

After hanging on until the "bitter end," John Kasich cried when he ended his failed presidential bid, the former governor said in a new podcast.Kasich shared insights about the end of his 2016 campaign against former President Donald Trump during a Thursday episode of Kasich & Klepper, a podcast he launched this year with comedian Jordan Klepper. The show aims to bring together people with different views to discuss politics, pop culture and more.Kasich dropped out of the GOP presidential primary in May 2016 when it became clear Trump would secure the nomination, although he had long been mathematically eliminated...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared on Thursday, addressing the World Bank Forum, that the country will need around $7 billion monthly, to be able to recover from the losses the Russian side caused during its special military operation. The head of Ukraine urged the international community to ban Russia from international financial institutions as soon as possible, as well as cut any other interactions with the latter.

Tesla reported Wednesday that its first-quarter net earnings were over seven times greater than a year ago, powered by strong sales despite global supply chain kinks and pandemic-related production cuts in China. The electric vehicle and solar panel company made $3.32 billion from January through March. Excluding special items such as stock-based compensation, the Austin, Texas, company made $3.22 per share. That soundly beat Wall Street estimates of $2.26 per share according to data provider FactSet. Revenue for the quarter was $18.76 billion, also beating estimates of $17.85 billion. It was boosted by multiple price hikes meant to offset rising...

Last summer, Quinn Ewers was a highly-rated senior quarterback at Southlake Carroll High in Texas who signed a deal with GT Sports Marketing for $1.4 million. But the governing body of Texas high schools ruled he would forfeit his high school eligibility if he signed the deal. So Ewers graduated early and enrolled at Ohio State in order to get the money. He spent last season on the Buckeyes roster and has since transferred to the University of Texas. As for Gallagher at Laurel Highlands, he has decided to play football in college and is considering Pitt, Penn State, West...

Anthony Fauci this week said it is “unfortunate” that a federal judge “superseded the authority of the CDC” by deeming the Biden administration’s federal mask mandate illegal. When asked about airlines quickly dropping their mask mandates following the Monday ruling of United States District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who effectively nixed the federal mask mandate for public transportation, Fauci called it “unfortunate” and made it clear that he still continues to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.

The Federal Government Forces Social Media Companies to Censor AmericansIn May of 2021, the Biden Administration began a public, coordinated campaign to combat the dissemination of “health misinformation” related to Covid, especially across social media platforms. Members of the Administration, including Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and the President himself, often through White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, have made clear that they blame Big Tech for American deaths from the virus, and insist that these platforms have an obligation to censor those who articulate views that depart from the Government’s messaging on Covid-related matters. The Administration has stated that it...

Democrats say the map will cut the number of Black Representations in Florida in half. The Legislature has approved a controversial congressional map from Gov. Ron DeSantis, set to take effect ahead of the 2022 midterms unless a court quickly decides otherwise. The cartography (P 0109), which creates 20 Republican-leaning seats and eight Democratic seats, will next head to the Governor for his signature. Once he approves the map, Florida comes off a list of just three states that have yet to complete their redistricting process. The House on Thursday picked up the reapportionment bill passed the prior day by...

The U.S. Army has selected Sig Sauer to build the service’s Next-Generation Squad Weapon Rifle and Automatic Rifle. This is the first time in 55 years that the Army has broken away from the M16 series of weapons. The new rifles are designed to be more lethal and accurate than previous infantry weapons. On Tuesday, the U.S. Army officially selected a new rifle and infantry rifle for frontline troops. The guns, developed by small arms manufacturer Sig Sauer, have been officially designated the XM5 Rifle and XM250 Automatic Rifle (pictured above). The XM5 Rifle will represent a major departure from...

Screaming’ Florida Democrat lawmakers on Tuesday shut down the state House in protest of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) redistricting map. The radical and rowdy lawmakers stood in the middle of the House floor and sang, “We shall overcome.” They also chanted slogans like “we will occupy this floor” and “black votes are under attack” to prevent the maps from passing the House. The map passed the Senate on Wednesday. If the map passes the House on Thursday, DeSantis will sign it into law.

A Taiwanese news channel has broadcast "by mistake" a fictional news alert that said Chinese armed forces had launched an invasion, firing missiles at cities and ports surrounding the capital, Taipei.

A middle school teacher in San Leandro has been removed from the classroom after allegedly directing threatening remarks at his students. The Bancroft Middle School teacher's comments in the class were apparently all recorded and posted to social media. In one of the recordings, which the district is investigating, the teacher appears to go on a rant in front of his class about a student who he claims was misbehaving. The teacher is then heard referencing his prior military career and telling the class that in the past he'd shot kids younger than that student. "I’ve been through three tours...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida utilities would gradually increase their electricity to 100% renewable by 2050 under a proposed rule unveiled Thursday by the state’s agriculture commissioner. The proposed rule is an outgrowth of a lengthy court battle involving dozens of young people who claim Florida is violating their constitutional rights by continuing to promote use of fossil fuels that drive climate change. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states. The rule announced by Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democratic candidate for governor this year, came following pressure from young people represented by the nonprofit Our Children’s Trust...

Radical Gender Lessons for Young ChildrenEvanston–Skokie’s school district adopts a curriculum that teaches pre-K through third-grade students to “break the binary” of gender.Evanston–Skokie School District 65 has adopted a radical gender curriculum that teaches pre-kindergarten through third-grade students to celebrate the transgender flag, break the “gender binary” established by white “colonizers,” and experiment with neo-pronouns such as “ze,” “zir,” and “tree.”I have obtained the full curriculum documents, which are part of the Chicago-area district’s “LGBTQ+ Equity Week,” which administrators adopted last year. The curriculum begins in pre-kindergarten, with a series of lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity. The lesson...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday gave final passage to a bill that would dissolve Walt Disney World’s private government, handing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis a victory in his feud with the entertainment giant over its opposition to a measure that critics have dubbed the “ Don’t Say Gay ” law. The move could have huge tax implications for Disney, whose series of theme parks have transformed Orlando into one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, and serves to further sour the relationship between the Republican-led government and a major political player in the...

ATLANTA, GA—Streaming service CNN+ blew away all expectations by lasting nearly three weeks before its demise was announced by Warner Bros. Discovery this morning. Analysts had expected the service to last no longer than about thirteen hours, so CNN is calling the full three-week lifespan of the paid streaming platform "performance beyond our wildest dreams." Some more optimistic projections had expected the service to last through its first weekend, but regardless, no one thought the service would last as long as it did. Primary among the factors that led analysts to this conclusion is that people won't even watch regular...

The Tennessee legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would require drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill a parent and are convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication. The legislation passed through the Tennessee Senate on Wednesday following an amendment to rename the bill after the two daughters of state police officer Nicholas Galinger, who was killed in a hit-and-run by a drunk driver in 2019, according to CBS 46. PA WOMAN CHARGED IN DUI DEATHS OF 2 STATE TROOPERS, CIVILIAN BRAGGED SHE WAS ‘BEST DRUNK DRIVER’ WEEKS BEFORE A DUI check point in Anaheim, CA. A DUI...

SpaceX is targeting Thursday, April 21 for a Falcon 9 launch of 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 1:51 p.m. ET, or 17:51 UTC, and a backup opportunity is available on Friday, April 22. The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat-5A, Transporter 2, and eight Starlink missions. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will return to Earth and land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.