Free Republic

We are thrilled to announce that as part of the Climate team’s ongoing expansion, several of our staffers have taken on new roles over the past year. Michael Birnbaum has joined the Climate team to cover climate solutions, innovations and geopolitics. Brady Dennis has moved to Durham, N.C., to become one of our domestic climate correspondents, focused primarily on the South and Southeast. Darryl Fears, who is on a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University until the end of May, will return this summer to cover environmental justice. Dino Grandoni, who covers wildlife, biodiversity and other climate and environmental subjects, last...

​Over the course of the pandemic and two years of prolonged school closures, public school students experienced historic ​setbacks in math and reading progress. California’s Smarter Balanced test showed that less than half of California students met the standard for English language arts, and fourth- and eighth-graders suffered the sharpest decline in math scores since 1990. The losses were most dire among Black and Latino students. It is abundantly clear that prolonged school closures were catastrophic to the academic progress and wellbeing of K-12 students. We now have the test scores to prove it.

PHOENIX — A judge has denied Katie Hobbs and Maricopa County's motions for sanctions against Kari Lake. However, Hobbs was awarded roughly $33,000 in the decision. Judge Peter Thompson, who oversaw the recent two-day trial of Kari Lake's election-challenging lawsuit, found that Lake's claims were not brought before the court in bad faith. "The Court agrees with [Katie Hobbs and Maricopa County's] statements that election contests are purely statutory and provide for limited form of relief," Judge Thompson said in Tuesday's release. Judge Thompson reinforced his ruling that Lake did not present sufficient evidence to prove her claims that the...

democrats in this country have suddenly discovered morality. Out of nowhere, the party that lied about Russian collusion all through the tenure of the 45th President has had an epiphany- that mendacity is something about which people should be concerned. The indignation was lead, of course, by the NY TimesRepublican George Santos, who was elected to Congress in New York’s 3rd Congressional District in November, may have falsified key parts of his resume, including his education, nonprofit work, and former jobs, according to a New York Times investigation published Dec. 19. This disclosure was followed by a tsunami of indignation...

While fried chicken traces its origins to the South, innovative chefs across the country understand the innate appeal of the homey, crunchy, juicy dish. Here, we've rounded up our favorite fried chicken spots from around the country.

Pam Grier is always prepared. “I’m always ready for an emergency,” Grier, 73 told Rolling Stone. “Clothes, keys, boots by the door in case of an earthquake. A backpack with extra water. Anywhere I go, I have a fire extinguisher in my truck, in case people throw a cigarette out the window. And a 20-inch chainsaw, oiled and ready to go.” And that chainsaw is on hand for any scenario, including cheating men, according to the actress. “I’ve seen them take their rings off in the elevators when I step in. You think you slick? You think you’ll come home...

A printing business in upstate New York that has been a staple in the community for nearly a century burned to the ground on Christmas Eve. Taking 70 firefighters to put out the raging flames, City Blue Imaging Services on Scio Street in Rochester was reduced to rubble by Christmas morning. “First I cried, obviously,” said City Blue employee Paul Kieffer, on scene the morning after the fire. “There are no words for it. We expected burned up building, maybe a small fire, but it’s just gone.” “We’re just baffled we can’t find one piece of equipment that was in...

When Adidas ended its lucrative partnership with Kanye West in October after a global outcry over his anti-Semitic remarks, former managers felt they had finally been vindicated. Top staff had warned internally for years that the German sportswear group was over-reliant on the Yeezy trainers franchise it ran with the US rapper and fashion designer also known as Ye. “Behind the scenes, things with Ye were bad already for a long time,” one former manager told the Financial Times. “He was constantly misbehaving — changing his mind, postponing projects, not respecting Adidas timelines.” Founded in 1949 by Adolf “Adi” Dassler,...

Researchers from Kiel University in Germany examined the DNA and skeletal remains of 70 people who were buried in the community cemetery located in Lauchheim Mittelhofen, a town in what is now present-day Germany. All of the burials took place sometime during the Merovingian period (between the fifth and eighth centuries A.D.). The team discovered that more than 30% of the deceased had either hepatitis B(opens in new tab); parvovirus B19(opens in new tab) (which can lead to a rash); variola virus(opens in new tab) (the virus that causes smallpox); or Mycobacterium leprae (one of the two bacteria that causes...

Explanation: Have you ever seen an entire rainbow? From the ground, typically, only the top portion of a rainbow is visible because directions toward the ground have fewer raindrops. From the air, though, the entire 360-degree circle of a rainbow is more commonly visible. Pictured here, a full-circle rainbow was captured over the Lofoten Islands of Norway in September by a drone passing through a rain shower. An observer-dependent phenomenon primarily caused by the internal reflection of sunlight by raindrops, the rainbow has a full diameter of 84 degrees. The Sun is in the exact opposite direction from the rainbow's...

The leader of Armenia on Tuesday (Dec 27) questioned the role of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh as he discussed a blockade of the breakaway region with President Vladimir Putin. Since mid-December Azerbaijani activists have been blocking the Lachin corridor, the only land link between Armenia and Karabakh, to protest what they claim is illegal mining. As a result of the blockade, the mountainous region of some 120,000 people is running short of food, medicines and fuel. SNIP As part of the deal, Moscow has stationed peacekeepers in Karabakh. Since the start of the blockade Armenia has repeatedly accused Russian peacekeepers...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sent out a tweet on the afternoon of Dec. 26, saying that he was “praying for” those who lost family, friends or loved ones in the Christmas blizzard that hit New York state. “I’m grieving and heartbroken for the families, friends, loved ones, and communities of all those we’ve lost to the blizzard in New York,” Schumer said in his tweet. …

Former world number one Novak Djokovic arrived in Australia on Tuesday (Dec 27) almost one year after he was deported for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, tennis officials said. The nine-time Australian Open champion was initially banned from the country for three years after losing a high-stakes legal battle in January over his vaccine status. Australia has since lifted its requirement for visitors to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

NEAR PAYSON, Ariz. - Officials with the Coconino County Sheriff's Office say three people are dead after they fell through the ice while walking on a frozen lake near Payson. The incident happened on the night of Dec. 26 at Woods Canyon Lake, which is located about 34 miles east of Payson. According to a statement released by officials with CCSO, deputies stationed at a substation in the area were called to the lake, after two men and a woman were walking on the frozen lake and fell through the ice. "Responding Deputies and Fire units were able to pull...

Ukrainian forces are on the brink of recapturing the strategically important city of Kreminna in the east, according to a local official. Serhiy Haidai, regional governor of the contested Luhansk region, which was annexed by Vladimir Putin after a sham referendum, tweeted Monday that the military command of the Russian forces “has left #kreminna, which the Ukrainian military is approaching…” Haidi added that the fighting was already raging not far from the city. In a Telegram post Tuesday, the official wrote: “the Russians understand that if they lose Kreminna, their entire line of defense will ‘fall.'” In a Christmas Eve...

The Azov Battalion became widely known for resisting Russian forces in Mariupol in Ukraine. Formed by volunteers to protect the Donbas from Russian invaders, it has evolved into an elite unit, with specialists drawn from Ukraine’s special forces. Here’s a look into who its members are and what they do.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Title 42 — a Trump-era immigration policy implemented when the pandemic broke out to quickly expel asylum-seekers at the border — to remain in effect for now, putting a judge’s ruling that would have ended it last week on hold. The court voted 5-4 to grant an emergency request by 19 Republican state attorneys general who sought to intervene in defense of the policy. The decision puts on hold a ruling by Washington-based U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s implementation of the policy was...

NATIONAL FRUITCAKE DAY Across the United States, fruitcake lovers young and old, commemorate National Fruitcake Day each year on December 27th. #NationalFruitcakeDay Made with chopped candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices and sometimes soaked in spirits, fruitcake has been a holiday gift-giving tradition for many years. Dating back to ancient Rome, one of the earliest known recipes lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins mixed into barley mash. Records indicate that in the Middle Ages, makers added honey, spices, and preserved fruits. Recipes for fruitcakes vary from country to country, depending on available ingredients and tradition. In the 16th...

A few days ago I posted the following excerpt from a Scott Ritter interview: Q: What is your assessment of the situation right now on the ground in Bahkmut and going forward as we enter this winter phase of this proxy war going on in Ukraine? Scott Ritter: Well first let's understand that the battle for Bahkmut has been going on for many, many months now. Bahkmut is the "Gordian knot" of the Ukrainian defensive belt that exists in Donestk. A defensive belt that has been constructed on a continuous basis since 2014. It is one of the most extensive,...

For emergency room doctors, they are a dispiriting and familiar sight: Children who return again and again in the grip of mental health crises, brought in by caregivers who are frightened or overwhelmed. Much has been written about the surge in pediatric mental health emergency visits in recent years, as rates of depression and suicidal behavior among teens surged. Patients often spend days or weeks in exam rooms waiting for a rare psychiatric bed to open up, sharply reducing hospital capacity. But a large study published Tuesday found a surprising trend among adolescents who repeatedly visited the hospital. The patients...