Free Republic

Among the many incendiary claims in Spare, Prince Harry's upcoming memoir, the boast that he killed 25 Taliban while serving as an Army helicopter pilot in Afghanistan will do him the most long-term damage by far. I doubt he will recover from it. Most of the revelations in his book amount to a further public airing of his family's dirty laundry, an endeavour to which he and wife Meghan have devoted their lives since running off in a huff to California. Jaw-dropping as some of them are, their real import serves merely to confirm what most had already concluded about...

A mystery object described by one local news outlet as a "UFO" has been shot down in the southern Russian region of Rostov. Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov oblast, wrote on Telegram that a "small-size object in the shape of a ball" had been discovered flying "in the wind" at an altitude of around one and a half miles on January 3. With the object spotted above the village of Sultan Sala in the region's Myasnikovsky district, Golubev said "the decision was taken to liquidate it."

A six year-old boy has been taken into custody after he allegedly deliberately shot his first-grade teacher at his Virginia elementary school, leaving her critically-ill. Newport News Police have taken a student, who has not been publicly identified, into custody. The female teacher, who is in her 30s, has also not been identified and was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center. 'The individual is a six-year-old student and is right now in police custody,' Newport News Chief Scott Drew said at a press conference on Friday. 'This was not an accidental shooting. 'It was in a classroom, an altercation took...

Hold the Line" is a song by American rock band Toto from their 1978 eponymous debut studio album. Written by the band's keyboardist David Paich, the lead vocals on the song were performed by Bobby Kimball. "Hold the Line" was released as the band's debut single and lead single from the Toto album on October 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. Toto - Hold the Line (1978)

Hurtt had allegedly tried to abduct another child before the kidnapping, with the would-be victim later telling authorities Hurrt grabbed her wrist and said, “Let’s start a family.” Police were notified that a woman had climbed over a fence and abducted an eight-year-old girl from an elementary school playground and fled in her car, WXIN-TV reported, citing an arrest affidavit. Hurtt struck an officer’s vehicle and tried to “yank the door open” before officers handcuffed her and struggled to get her into the police car as she resisted, according to court records. Once in the vehicle, Hurtt is said to...

The Iraqi supreme court has issued an arrest warrant for former U.S. President Donald Trump for the assassination on Iraqi soil of Iran’s Quds Force commander, Qasem Soleimani, IraqiNews reports, citing a Baghdad news agency. The warrant was issued on Thursday in connection both with the killing of Soleimani and of another Iraqi militia leader, chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq–both of whom were killed in a drone strike in January 2020 near the Baghdad airport. That assassination operation led to Iranian strikes on the Aia Al-Assad U.S. base in Iraq. The arrest warrant charges...

Columbus Academy boys tennis coach Marc Wurtzman fondly recalls Jack Madison’s determination and leadership − in the sport and in everyday life. The 2021 graduate capped his prep career by competing in the Division II individual and team state tournaments as a senior and continued his playing career at Colorado College, where he was a sophomore. Madison, 20, of Bexley, died in his sleep Jan. 2.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46). These were the final words spoken by the Lord on the cross; his last breath, as it were, which summed up what had been his entire life: a ceaseless self-entrustment into the hands of his Father. His were hands of forgiveness and compassion, healing and mercy, anointing and blessing, which led him also to entrust himself into the hands of his brothers and sisters. The Lord, open to the individuals and their stories that he encountered along the way, allowed himself to be shaped by the Father’s will. He shouldered...

We certainly aren’t experts when it comes to committees, hearings, or J6 but GOSH, you’d think the J6 Committee would’ve wanted to interview this Tayler Hansen guy who claims he was with Ashli Babbit when she was shot and killed. He has footage of the moments before and if this is legit … wow. Hansen gives a fairly eye-opening recount of what happened that day as well and again, we can’t figure out why the committee wouldn’t have wanted to at least talk to this guy. Take a look: Three years ago at 2:44PM, I watched an unarmed woman (Ashli...

One of the mysteries of January 6, 2021 was why National Guard troops were not called up to protect the Capitol that day. If that had happened, the story of the lightly defended Capitol on January 6 would likely have been very different.Well, Politico senior editor Michael Schaffer thinks he knows the reason: Trump's fault. Yes, that all-purpose liberal blame game excuse has come to the fore again as Schaffer puts it forward on Friday in "Trump Politicized the Military. Was That the Real Problem With the Jan. 6 Response?"

Italian general: US official bragged Benedict would be ‘forced’ to resign weeks after 2005 electionThe Italian general alleges that a US official of 'the highest ranks' had bragged in 2005 that Pope Benedict XVI would be forced to resign.On the eve of Pope Benedict XVI’s burial, Piero Laporta, a retired Italian brigadier general, published a stunning piece on his own blog.This Catholic author, who previously lobbied to have Benedict participate (and influence) the controversial Synod on the Family some eight years ago, is now revealing that in the first weeks after the election of Joseph Ratzinger to the papal throne...

HACHITA, N.M. — A Border Patrol agent wearing body armor was struck by gunfire but avoided serious injury Thursday while confronting the occupants of a vehicle suspected of migrant smuggling in New Mexico, federal authorities said. Six people were taken into custody after the vehicle later crashed, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. The agency added that the agent was shot in the chest multiple times and was released after a medical examination.

This is no surprise to me, and relates to the piece I started the day with: the rate at which scientists produce groundbreaking research has slowed dramatically in recent years. This phenomenon has been quietly discussed among both scientists and social science researchers in recent years, and there has been a great deal of speculation about the reasons for the decline. To me, the reasons are pretty obvious. First, the data. Carlson School of Management Associate Professor Russell Funk, doctoral student Michael Park and Professor Erin Leahey of the University of Arizona collaborated in a project to analyze the rate...

An Insider Tell-All Is About to Rip Pope Francis a New OnePope Emeritus Benedict XVI is dead. His right-hand man is about to come out swinging.Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had been dead for just two days when it was revealed that his personal secretary, a striking and influential cleric nicknamed “Gorgeous Georg” by the international press, was publishing a tell-all book that promised to avenge his former boss—and lambast the current pope.The news came as a shock in the world of Vatican observers. In part, that was because it arrived as the faithful were still, literally, mourning the pontiff at...

• Kamilah Moore, chair of California's Reparations Task Force, said black homeless people should receive the most aid through compensation for slavery • She said the state's housing discrimination and homelessness were also listed as one of the 'five state sanction atrocities' against black people • The latest federal and state data show California has more than 172,000 homeless people, with about 34 to 40 percent of them being black Moore argued that the compensation would boost the economy • Economists in the task force initially recommended a $1million payout per person, but the group will make its final recommendation...

TULSA, Okla. — Police in Tulsa say a 9-year-old boy has been stabbed to death by his 12-year-old sister. Police said in a statement Friday that officers were called to a home in south Tulsa late Thursday and that the boy was taken to a hospital where he died.

If Jim Harbaugh is indeed staying with Michigan football for 2023, per his statement on Thursday afternoon, he’ll apparently have to deal with a Level I violation of NCAA regulations. The Detroit Free Press has confirmed that Michigan is expected to receive an official notice of allegations from the NCAA soon, charging the program with four Level II violations — those deemed “more than a minimal but less than a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage” according to a description adopted in 2019 — and Harbaugh himself with a Level I violation — a “severe breach of conduct”...

Norwegian ferry operator Fjord Line says high LNG prices is forcing it to rebuild two LNG-powered ferries to run on traditional marine gas oil (MGO). Despite a strong peak season in 2022, Fjord Line says that increases in the price of LNG fuel has led to a “non-sustainable financial situation” for the company.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book." "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." John, Chapter 20 1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin to attend the overnight Orthodox Christmas service there. Last year, Putin delivered his Orthodox Christmas greetings from the Saint Nicholas Church on Lipno Island, near the western Russian city of Veliky Novgorod.