Free Republic

OMAHA, Neb. — The U.S.’s third largest railroad union rejected a deal with employers Monday, renewing the possibility of a strike that could cripple the economy. Both sides will return to the bargaining table before that happens. Over half of track maintenance workers represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division who voted opposed the five-year contract despite 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Union President Tony Cardwell said the railroads didn’t do enough to address the lack of paid time off — particularly sick time — and working conditions after the major railroads eliminated nearly one-third of...

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten is in Ukraine this week to meet with Ukrainian students and teachers and “to offer solidarity and support” to Ukrainian students and teachers “amid heinous attacks on Democracy,” according to the AFT website. The Ukrainian teachers union, the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers, invited the AFT reportedly, “to bear witness and call attention to the effects on children, families and educators and the impact of Russia’s attacks on democracy and democratic institutions.” “Woke up this am to reports of disgusting Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Lviv & other cities,” Weingarten...

Analogies between contemporary atrocities and those of previous wars are always risky; at times, commentary about Russia’s war on Ukraine has strained to make such analogies. Just now, though, it takes effort not to. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s launching of missiles against Kyiv, Kharkiv and other places Monday recalls past terror-bombing attempts ranging from the mutual attacks by Iraq and Iran during their War of the Cities in the 1980s to the V-2 terror-bombing of Western European cities by Germany in the final stages of World War II. Like those strikes, the 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones Mr. Putin...

“After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast. Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and...

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — A horticulture teacher from Minnesota set a new U.S. record Monday for the heaviest pumpkin after raising a giant gourd weighing 2,560 pounds. Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota set the new record and won an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California. "Minnesota has a great midyear, but our spring in our parts is really, really tough. So to do it in Minnesota, it just shouldn't happen," Gienger said. "It's like winning the Tour de France on a big wheel. You know, you can only hope, but it worked." Gienger drove the gargantuan gourd for 35...

Belarus has ordered its troops to be tested for 'combat readiness' amid reports of Russian soldiers flooding into the country 'by the trainload', after dictator Alexander Lukashenko announced he will deploy a 'joint military task force' with Moscow - a move Minsk claims is 'purely defensive'. The combat readiness test, ordered by Lukashenko, was announced as the head of his secret service said he expected to see a 'turning point' in Vladimir Putin's invasion in the coming months. Belarusian news agency BelTA reported Tuesday that the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus had 'begun a test of the Armed...

This is a Youtube video expounding an analysis of the implications of the Ukraine war for Russia, out into the future. The presenter/author, Torsten Heinrich, makes no claim about who will prevail in the current conflict. He speaks in a rather careful manner, mentioning sources and listing potential contrary views. He brings up many interesting points about the problems Russia faces going forward, such as alienation of ethnic minorities and the potential breaking of the unspoken social contract in Russia. While time is a precious commodity, I found the 29:49 minute presentation well worth while.

Bishkek has announced that it is canceling military exercises for the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) which were to be held in Kyrgyzstan this week. The Indestructible Brotherhood-2022 exercises were scheduled for October 10 to October 14, and were to include military personnel from all six CSTO members -- Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Armenia -- as well as from five other states, including Serbia, Syria, and Uzbekistan. No reason was given for the cancelation announced on October 9.

This list only includes destroyed vehicles and equipment of which photo or videographic evidence is available. Therefore, the amount of equipment destroyed is significantly higher than recorded here. Small arms, ATGMs, MANPADS, loitering munitions, drones used as unmanned bait, civilian vehicles, trailers and derelict equipment are not included in this list. All possible effort has gone into avoiding duplicate entries and discerning the status of equipment between captured or abandoned. Many of the entries listed as 'abandoned' will likely end up captured or destroyed. Similarly, some of the captured equipment might be destroyed if it can't be recovered. When the...

California, a state known for its onerous regulations caused by left-wing policies, has approved legislation to ban stores from providing those helpful little plastic bags that consumers commonly use to store produce while shopping at the supermarket. The new rule is slated to go into effect on January 1, 2025, but even after it takes hold, stores will still be allowed to offer compostable bags and recycled paper bags, according to the bill. The text of the bill states that "a 'precheckout bag' means a bag provided to a customer before the customer reaches the point of sale, that is...

On Monday, the Biden Administration’s Secretary of the Army defended the branch’s embrace of far-left “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs that seek to divide American soldiers on the basis of their race. Fox News reports that, at a meeting with other military leaders, Secretary Christine Wormuth responded to criticisms that the Army has gone “woke,” a term for race-based identity politics that systematically favor minorities and disadvantage White Americans. Wormuth also defended the Army’s DEI programs as “important.” “We get criticized, frankly, sometimes for being ‘woke.’ I’m not sure what ‘woke’ means. I think ‘woke’ means a lot of...

The Bible In Paintings 2 ENCOURAGEMENT FOR APPRECIATING AND APPLYING GOD'S WORD NO ROOM AT THE INN L U K E CHAPTER 2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to...

11 October 2022 Tuesday of week 28 in Ordinary Time St. Peter Basilica: Body of Pope John XXIII Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(II).First readingGalatians 5:1-6 ©It is faith, not the Law, that justifies usWhen Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who tell you this: if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all. With all solemnity I repeat my warning: Everyone who accepts circumcision is obliged to keep the whole...

. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announced she is leaving the Democratic Party, denouncing lawmakers on the Left for promoting policies that “[racialize] every issue & stoke anti-white racism.” In a video announcement released on Tuesday, Gabbard called on other members of the party to abandon the Democratic Party, accusing the Left of only protecting the “powerful elite.” It’s not clear what party Gabbard plans to join next or if she intends to remain independent. “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly...

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is not projected to win reelection to a fifth term, a potential victory for former President Donald Trump’s political crusade against her, according to election modeling current as of Monday. Murkowski risks losing the election to the other Republican candidate, Kelly Tshibaka, who has a 52% chance of winning, according to FiveThirtyEight, an election polling monitor. Murkowski, 78, has faced a steep primary challenge from Tshibaka, who is backed by Trump, after voting to impeach him in 2021 for his conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, during the storming of the U.S. Capitol. For her...

Food lovers across the country enjoy National Sausage Pizza Day on October 11th each year. Whether served on a thin or thick crust, sausage pizza goes well with other toppings, too. Don’t hesitate to add mushrooms and a variety of cheeses. What’s even better about sausage pizza are the different kinds of sausage to choose from. #SausagePizzaDay While Italian sausage may be preferred, try experimenting. Add more garlic or try additional spice. Try smoky sausages such as chorizo or even a kielbasa visit with your local butcher for sausage suggestions. They’ve probably been smoking up the latest experiment just for...

In this exclusive interview, Turning Point USA sits down with former FBI Special Agent, John Guandolo. This crucial conversation sheds light on the undiscussed network of jihadists and communists that have worked together to undermine America at its root for decades. From 9/11, to the Las Vegas shooting, to January 6, the Mar-a-Lago raid, Ray Epps, and the NSA – John tells truths that American intelligence agencies have long sought to deprive every American citizen of. For years, Americans have failed to realize that our greatest enemy has not been an ocean away. Our adversaries are HERE on American soil...

The story was shocking: As PJM’s Rick Moran stated Saturday, “The financial services company PayPal announced a controversial policy to deduct up to $2,500 from the accounts of users who spread ‘misinformation.’” But as the news of this astonishing plan circulated far and wide, PayPal experienced a swift backlash in the form of a blizzard of account cancellations, and quickly backed down, claiming that the announcement went out “in error” and adding: “PayPal is not fining people for misinformation and this language was never intended to be inserted in our policy.” That’s terrific, or would be if it weren’t for...

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of the most prominent Republican critics of former President Donald Trump in Congress, is rolling out a bipartisan series of midterm endorsements Tuesday, including a handful of Democrats seeking to become their states’ top election officials. Kinzinger (R-Ill.) endorsed four Democratic secretary of state candidates: incumbents Steve Simon of Minnesota and Jocelyn Benson of Michigan, along with Arizona’s Adrian Fontes and Nevada’s Cisco Aguilar, both of whom are running for open seats. Kinzinger’s endorsements, shared first with POLITICO, also include Democrat Josh Shapiro’s campaign for governor of Pennsylvania, where he would appoint the secretary of state...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A new poll has found Republican Allan Fung with a lead outside the margin of error for the first time in the race for Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, buoying GOP hopes of picking up a the blue-state seat next month. The new Boston Globe/Suffolk University survey of 422 likely voters in the 2nd District finds Fung at 45% and Democrat Seth Magaziner at 37%, with 13% undecided and 5% backing independent William Gilbert, who will appear on the ballot as “Moderate.” The 8-point lead for Fung in the new survey confirms the findings of last...