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This year's heat waves and subsequent droughts resulted in the hottest summer in recorded European history, according to a report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) - an EU-funded Earth observation agency.“We’ve not only had record August temperatures for Europe, but also for the summer, with the previous summer record only being one year old,” said Freja Vamborg, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Climate Change Service.Of course, this 'record' heat in the summer has prompted activists to trot out the same old tropes that this 'confirms climate change' is having a catastrophic effect on the world already. With...

President Biden's announcement in August of up to $20,000 in broad federal student debt forgiveness likely came as a relief for millions of eligible borrowers, but it also brought with it plenty of questions.1 Fortunately, the White House later issued a press relief that answered many of these queries, including confirming that this debt relief won't be subject to the federal income tax.2 However, whether or not it will be considered income for state income tax purposes is still less certain. While some states, such as New York, have already assured residents their student debt forgiveness won't be taxed, this...

An independent panel of experts on computer systems and election security issues has concluded a lengthy investigation into the voting systems currently in place in the state of Georgia and sent recommendations to the State Election Board and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The current system primarily relies on touchscreen voting machines produced by Dominion Voting Systems. The audit must not have gone very well because they advise that the state discontinue the use of the Dominion machines and move immediately to hand-marked paper ballots. They are also recommending a much broader series of mandatory audits of the results...

As Ed Morrisey pointed out this morning, the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the east has been moving faster than anyone expected, including obviously the Russians. A couple of days ago, Ukrainian forces retook the town of Balakliia and another small town called Volokhiv Yar. From there they moved east and took control of Kupyansk.Ukrainian troops already in Kupyansk.Russians basically offered no resistance.pic.twitter.com/4c2UqjEk1w— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) September 10, 2022That was a significant win because it meant Ukraine was in control of the rail lines which supplied Russian outposts to the south, in particular Izyum. Here’s a crude map showing the location...

The Russian situation in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine is growing more desperate by the hour. A couple of days ago, the Ukrainian Army launched an ambitious offensive designed to force Russian forces from a large part of Kharkiv Oblast, which they’ve illegally occupied since February. I posted on the initial stage of the offensive yesterday in Putin’s War, Week 28. The Sitzkrieg Goes Blitzkrieg as Ukraine’s Army Moves 50 Kilometers in Two Days.Since that post, things have changed radically.The key terrain in the northern part of the operational area is the city of Kupyansk (at the pinkish circle on...

Who must feel like the biggest fool in Washington, right now? Probably Sen. Joe Manchin, the independent-minded Democrat from the bright red state of West Virginia, who cut a deal with his fellow Democrats on the "Inflation Reduction Act," gave them his vote with conditions -- and is now getting stiffed.

Joe Biden has failed the United States in so many ways, that it might be hard to tally them all up, from the debacle of the Afghanistan withdrawal that started his slide in the polls and cost Americans their lives, to opening the borders and making our country less safe. His latest perfidy was demonizing millions of Americans as “threats” to the nation in an unprecedented action–while inciting people against them–last week. A majority of Americans saw Biden’s remarks as a “dangerous escalation” against Americans. It’s hard to see him go overseas for any event because you know that he’s...

“Sound Doctrine: Applying Law and Gospel” (1 Timothy 1:5-17)Sound doctrine: When you hear that phrase, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of a proud, triumphalistic claim: “We in the Missouri Synod have the pure doctrine, not like those other churches!” Maybe you think of sound doctrine as having all your facts in order, in your head, in a sterile, intellectual way, unrelated to real life. Or you think of sound doctrine as unloving, not caring about people, only about guarding the truth. Well, I’m here to tell you that nothing, none of that, could be further from the truth....

As summer comes to a close, we turn our collective attention toward the colder months of the year and Farmers’ Almanac’s trusty predictions but unfortunately, it’s not looking good! A colder-than-usual winter is expected to arrive much sooner: good news for snow lovers, but not so good for the rest of us! According to the outlet’s extended forecast, the United States can expect quite a few winter weather disturbances throughout the season. The Farmers’ Almanac goes into specific dates, including:Folks in the Rockies and across the Plains are going to see a whole lot of snow during the first week...

NEW DELHI — Donald Trump has dropped another hint at a White House campaign in 2024, with the former US president telling Indian television that a run for office would “make a lot of people very happy”. “Everyone wants me to run. I am leading in the polls,” Trump said in an excerpt of an interview with NDTV to be broadcast in full later on Thursday. “In every poll, in Republican polls and in Democrat polls, and I will make a decision in the very near future, I suspect. And I think that a lot of people are going to...

viral video making its rounds on social media offers a grim new snapshot of San Francisco’s surging homelessness crises as two men can be seen brawling amid squalid conditions on a city sidewalk. The shocking scene was filmed and posted to Twitter by J. Terrell Allen, who said he stumbled upon the wild fight in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood on an evening walk. Video, posted to Twitter Thursday, shows two men — one of whom is shirtless — wrestling on the ground that’s littered with debris as the majority of other apparently homeless people look on with little interest....

Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodger has said closures due to COVID throughout 2020 and 2021 destroyed thousands of small businesses in towns across California. Speaking to Bill Maher on his Club Random podcast, out Sunday, Rodgers called out the state's tough COVID-19 rules saying: 'State's going to s*** but I'm hanging on.' Stay-at-home orders forced the closure of bars and restaurants and thousands of other businesses from hair salons to spas. 'I grew up in a small town, very little cases up in Chico, California, but all the small businesses? F***ing gone,' Rodgers lamented. Business capacity limits...

On Friday, Sen. Mark Kelly’s Republican challenger, Blake Masters, received the endorsement of Arizona Governors Doug Ducey, Jan Brewer, and Fife Symington. The endorsements came on the same day new polls show Masters within striking distance of Kelly.ARIZONA POLL:US Senate:@CaptMarkKelly 47%@bgmasters 45% Someone else 4% 5% undecidedhttps://t.co/S3dQ5HVAJj pic.twitter.com/ga8Xnin4td— Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) September 9, 2022“Blake is just 36, and he’s already run a multi-billion-dollar investment firm and helped young innovators found companies worth hundreds of billions of dollars. He is a Christian, husband, and father of three boys who actually understands what Arizona families need,” said Ducey. “And the guy...

Pennsylvania Democrat, John Fetterman, is holding a campaign event on Sunday, September 11, though not to commemorate the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Instead, the Senate hopeful is holding a pro-abortion rally alongside an activist who supports the movement to defund police. The "Women for Fetterman" event is aimed at showcasing the candidate's support for "reproductive freedom" in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Fetterman, who has said he does not support any limits on abortion, will appear with female lawmakers and Planned Parenthood president Alexis McGill Johnson. The pro-abortion group has said it...

Gender dysphoria is a real mental condition that, until very recently, affected a very small group of people, almost all of whom were young men. Now, it’s a social contagion that is spreading like wildfire among vulnerable young girls. Almost every one of the dozens of families with whom I’ve spoken in recent months told me the same story: Their daughter suffered from an underlying mental condition like body dysmorphia or high-functioning autism, and the anxieties and emotions they experienced as a result made them the perfect targets for gender ideologues. Gender ideology gives them a community, a group of...

California Governor Gavin Newsom made headlines in recent months for running campaign-style ads in Florida inviting migration to the Golden State. Amid energy shortages and blackouts, Newsom continued the onslaught this week with a new slate of ads targeting states where people are still able to turn on their TVs because their states have electricity. "Your state's values are hateful and bigoted, but there's still time – leave your conservative hellhole and come to the great state of California today!" Frost is visible on Newsom's breath in his well-air-conditioned office during the ads, which have been running throughout sunbelt states...

In one recent appearance, Fetterman at times spoke haltingly and dropped words mid-sentence: “What is wrong with demanding … for … an easy, safe … kind of … their income … a path to a safe place for them to win … excuse me, to work,” he said. It was painful to watch and raised legitimate concerns about whether his campaign has been upfront with voters about his medical condition. [cut] After weeks of rebuffing Oz’s debate challenge, this week Fetterman finally agreed to one — but not, he said, until “sometime in the middle to end of October.” That...

Visa, Mastercard and American Express will separately categorize sales at gun shops...The decision is a win for gun control advocates who say it will help track gun sales...Until Friday, gun store sales were considered general merchandise.

Join 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 holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum threads labeled “Prayer” are closed to debate of any kind.

The rising crime rate in Los Angeles is a hot-button issue in this year’s race for Los Angeles mayor. And the issue just hit closer to home for one candidate. Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass said Saturday that her home was burglarized. “Last night, I came home and discovered that my house had been broken into and burglarized,” the Bass campaign said in a statement. “LAPD was called, and I appreciate their assistance. At this time, it appears that only two firearms, despite being safely and securely stored, were stolen. Cash, electronics and other valuables were not. It’s unnerving and, unfortunately,...