Free Republic

Pope Francis prayed for peace as St. Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv prepared for what believers hope will be a peaceful Christmas. It’s here where we meet Lesya and Valeriy. They are two volunteers in Ukraine’s civil defense forces areas of these are who married in March at a military-style ceremony after Russia invaded Ukraine. Video of their wedding was seen worldwide. Nine months later, Lesya has left the army, but Valeriy continues to serve. But Lesya is happy they are briefly reunited to celebrate Christmas. “We share this light like we share love and kindness and peace,” she said as...

President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to have “patience and faith” in a defiant Christmas address after a deadly wave of Russian strikes pounded the southern city of Kherson. Ten months into Russia’s war on Ukraine, Zelensky spoke of endurance and pushing through to the end, while acknowledging that “freedom comes at a high price.” He urged the nation to stand firm in the face of a grim winter of energy blackouts, the absence of loved ones and the ever-present threat of Russian attacks. Zelensky’s message came after Ukrainian officials said Russia had launched deadly rocket strikes into downtown Kherson...

Just try and decipher what this really means. / NORTHSTATE, Calif. — The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) approved over $74 million in grants recently to protect 54,000 acres of agricultural lands at risk of development. The investments are part of Round 8 of the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC), a state program protecting agricultural lands, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthening primarily rural economies. To elaborate on the impact of the program, Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council Lynn von Koch-Liebert reiterated the Growth Council's mission, expressing the critical nature that this action serves for land...

(Daily readings from the USCCB)So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Luke 2:16–19Merry Christmas! Our Advent preparations have been completed, and we are now invited by our Lord to enter into the glorious celebration of His birth!How well do you understand the awe-inspiring mystery of Christmas?...

At Christmas, instead of a lot of pop Christmas songs, I have been listening to passages from Handel's Messiah" oratorio, including the powerfully beautiful Christmas-oriented "For unto us a child is born" based on the writings of the Prophet Isaiah, and the soaringly magnificent Hallelujah Chorus. To hear these, compared to everything else makes me ask if this was the pinnacle of human musical achievement? Will there ever be anything greater? An argument can be made for it at least this far. This oratorio, after all, is touched by eternity. We listen to this joyful piece today, nearly 300 years...

Congress’ $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill includes a number of provisions that provide support to organizations that help illegal immigrants by providing shelter, legal support and other forms of aid.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the West for trying to "tear apart" Russia, in extracts from an interview to be aired on national television later Sunday. "At the core of it all is the policy of our geopolitical opponents aiming to tear apart Russia, historical Russia," Putin said. "They have always tried to 'divide and conquer'... Our goal is something else -- to unite the Russian people," he said. Putin has used the concept of "historical Russia" to argue that Ukrainians and Russians are one people -- undermining Kyiv's sovereignty and justifying his 10-month offensive in Ukraine. "We are acting...

"It is your call how you want to handle the provisional ballots," the Pima County elections director wrote to the county recorder.Following the Nov. 8 midterm elections, officials in Pima County, Ariz., struggled to determine how to handle provisional ballots cast by unregistered voters, discrepant provisional ballot totals, and ballots cast by voters with old addresses — even asking the secretary of state's office for guidance.The confusion and uncertainty clouding county election officials' decision-making are revealed in newly released internal emails obtained through a public records request submitted by America First Legal Foundation.A week after Election Day, Pima County Recorder...

Conserve Energy: Extreme Cold Causing Gas Supply Shortage Due to frigid temperatures and an increased demand on interstate pipelines, Con Edison asks natural gas customers to help conserve supplies Posted on: December 24, 2022 - 9:49pm This message is being sent on behalf of ConEdison as it is of community wide interest. Please conserve energy as we face a heating gas shortage across the Northeast. Simple things can make a big difference. Set your thermostats lower than usual if health permits Postpone using major electric appliances such as stoves, dishwashers, and clothes dryers until other times Turn off non-essential lights,...

Over 20 years ago in 1996, I was driving to Phoenix, Arizona to catch a flight to Wisconsin. I had the radio on. The news was reporting a horrific bear attack on Mount Lemmon, near Tucson, Arizona. A teenage girl had been badly mauled by a bear, in her tent, as part of a 4-H outing. A camp counselor had accessed a handgun and shot the bear, driving it off. As the hours rolled along, the AP stories started getting more vague and the story less heroic. The Internet wasn't well developed in 1996. It took me several years to...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has not been seen for days amid a historic storm battering the region, was spotted attending Christmas midnight mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on Saturday night. When probed by The Post on where he had been for the past couple of days, Hizzoner quipped he’d been “getting some rest and hiding from The Post.” But just days earlier on Tuesday night, Adams — who’s known for his late-night lifestyle — made sure to drop by and party at the New York Post’s Christmas bash in Chelsea.

A teenager was arrested Friday in connection with the death of a 16-year-old in a shooting at a LaGrange restaurant, police said. Ah’Traveon Van’Quavious Stephens, 18, was arrested by Atlanta police at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and booked into the Troup County Jail. He is facing one count each of murder and aggravated assault in the June 24 incident that killed Laquan Dewberry, according to LaGrange police. Officers were called to Mason’s World, a restaurant along Hogansville Road, and a car wash along Vernon Street regarding multiple people shot. A teenage gathering at the restaurant ended in gunfire after an altercation...

Chicago — A 19-year-old man who was adjudicated delinquent in juvenile court for three carjackings this year and illegal gun possession in 2021 was found carrying a gun during a traffic stop in Chicago this week, prosecutors said. Jamarrie Armstrong was ordered to pay a $3,000 bail deposit to get out of jail on charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of cannabis ... Chicago cops saw five passengers climb into an Uber driver’s Kia and pulled the car over for safety and seatbelt violations Tuesday, prosecutor Rhianna Biernat said. She said that some of the four...

Among the elements contained within the relevant portion of the bill are additions to the scope and authority of AARO, with Congress now directing the Office to report directly to Defense and Intelligence Community leadership. The bill also directs AARO to extend the scope of its inquiries further back into history to review potentially relevant government records dating as far back as 1945. *snip* Significantly, Sec. 1673 of the FY 2023 NDAA also outlines protections for U.S. personnel that have signed any such agreements [NDA's--Non Disclosure Agreements], allowing them to come forward with any information and report their involvement with...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a Christmas message said Ukrainians will celebrate the holidays with one difference this year, as the country observes its first Christmas since its conflict with Russia began. “We will celebrate our holidays! As always. We will smile and be happy. As always. The difference is one. We will not wait for a miracle. After all, we create it ourselves,” Zelensky said on Saturday. Christmas Eve marked 10 months since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Much of the world initially expected Ukraine to only hold out for weeks, but instead it has gained much of...

Residents and businesses in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood have expressed frustration about the city’s handling of a local “safe sleeping” site, citing erratic behavior from homeless people along with interruptions to traffic and normal business functions.

San Francisco’s city government spent $550,000 designing a new trash can through a four-year-long process which included a design contest and trial run, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

A government agency in Germany has announced a new scheme that will see power suppliers able to remotely limit home heating and electric car charging. Germany’s Federal Network Agency, a government watchdog responsible for the regulation of electricity and gas in the country, has announced a new plan that will allow power grid operators to remotely limit the use of heat pumps and electric car chargers in Germany next winter without the user’s permission. With the plans set to be put in place by January 2024, the measure has been described as a way of ensuring energy grid operators have...

In a post earlier this week, I celebrated the adoption by New York State of its Scoping Plan that tells us how we are going to accomplish the great transition to 70% “renewable” electricity by 2030 and zero-emissions electricity by 2040. The summary is: “just build a lot of offshore wind turbines and batteries.” Unfortunately, nobody seems to have done the basic arithmetic to see whether the prospective facilities will suffice to supply enough electricity to meet demand at all times. But then, this Scoping Plan is the product of the Important People, and why do the Important People need...

Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide in the Trump administration and a key witness in the House select committee hearings on the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, said she initially lied to the panel in a deposition about whether she'd heard that President Donald Trump lunged at a Secret Service agent in the presidential SUV on the day of the riot. In her newly released depositions, Hutchinson said she was coerced by Stefan Passantino, her Trump-aligned attorney, to mislead it on how much information she knew.