Free Republic

Vinyl albums outsold CDs last year for the first time since 1987, according to the Recording Industry Association of America's year-end report released Thursday. It marked the 16th consecutive year of growth in vinyl, with 41 million albums sold — compared to 33 million CDs. Streaming is still the biggest driver of the music industry's growth, making up 84% of recorded-music revenue, but physical music formats saw a remarkable resurgence in the past couple of years. The pandemic led to a spike in demand for vinyl records, driven largely by younger buyers. Vinyl has become a major part of artists'...

It hasn’t been a good day for the banking industry. As our Senior Editor Joe Cunningham reported, Silicon Valley Bank was taken over by bank regulators. The 16th largest bank in the nation, and once a darling of tech industry, its downfall could be directly connected to the woes, layoffs, and setbacks in that very industry.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a financial institution that focused primarily on investing in tech start-ups, has been taken over and shut down by federal regulators in one of biggest financial failures in history, and the biggest since the Global Financial Crisis over a decade ago.The...

There is no way to avoid this moment. The formal letter of apology. From me. To Conservatives and to those who “put America first” everywhere. It’s tempting to sweep this confrontation with my own gullibility under the rug — to “move on” without ever acknowledging that I was duped, and that as a result I made mistakes in judgement, and that these mistakes, multiplied by the tens of thousands and millions on the part of people just like me, hurt millions of other people like you all, in existential ways.

One of Ukraine's firmest allies in NATO said Russia can continue its war in Ukraine with the same force for the next two years, according to Reuters.Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Lithuanian intelligence chief Elegijus Paulavicius said that Russia's current resources would allow it to continue this level of warfare.He added: "How long Russia is be able to wage the war will also depend on the support for Russia's military from states such as Iran and North Korea."The assessment contrasts with the more optimistic picture given late last year at the Pentagon, which said that early 2023 would probably bring...

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) called for gender-neutral bathrooms in schools on Thursday, in response to a town hall question from a transgender Virginia teenager.“Look at me. I am a transgender man,” Niko, a 17-year-old from Arlington, Va., said at a CNN town hall. “Do you really think that the girls in my high school would feel comfortable sharing a restroom with me?”Youngkin, who issued a series of restrictive guidelines to Virginia schools last fall related to transgender students, said on Thursday that it was important to accommodate students. “That’s why I have said many, many times, we just need...

A Pentecostal pastor and media are questioning Pope Francis’ criticism of laws criminalizing homosexualityCatholic leaders in Pakistan are explaining the Church’s position on homosexuals and human dignity after a Pakistani protestant leader’s intemperate remarks on Pope Francis’ criticism of laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust.” “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” the pope reportedly said during an interview with The Associated Press in January adding that God loves all his children just as they are. He further called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) people into the church. However,...

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he is in favour of primary school children being taught about transgender issues. His comments come as catholic primary schools have told the Government that their pupils should not be taught about transgender issues. Speaking in Waterford, Mr Varadkar said it makes sense to teach children about the world around them. He said transgender people exist and have always existed. The Fine Gael leader said he would defer to Minister for Education Norma Foley and her officials on the question of whether parental consent should be sought in advance. In a letter to Minister for...

Paris, France, Mar 7, 2023 / 14:00 pm Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, whose spire and roof were destroyed by an April 15, 2019, fire, is expected be rebuilt within the five-year deadline set by the French government. As confirmed by the head of the construction site, French Army Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, in an interview with the Associated Press, the faithful and tourists should have access to the site again by the end of 2024. Reconstruction work only began some 24 months after the tragic incident occurred, with the first phase consisting of cleaning and securing the site, involving more...

'Michigan appears to be going in an...unprecedented direction,' the Michigan Catholic Conference warned.(LifeSiteNews) – Michigan lawmakers are on the verge of passing a radical pro-LGBT civil rights bill that would significantly threaten religious liberty in the state. Michigan is currently led by pro-abortion Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who won a second term last fall by 10 percentage points. Michigan’s’ State House and State Senate are also run by Democrats, who have not had majorities in those chambers in 40 years and are clearly capitalizing on their newfound power. The Michigan State Senate passed SB 4 last week by a 23-15...

Commuter trains are how most Americans commute in the really big cities. The top three commuter train systems in the United States are in the New York City Metro area. 1. Long Island Railroad (118 million annual riders) 2. New Jersey Transit Rail (88 million annual riders) 3. Metro North Railroad (86 million annual riders) Next closest is the Chicago Metra System (67 million annual riders) It drops precipitously from there. So basically, New York City dominates, and I mean dominates, commuter rail in the USA. It is not even close. I mean, you have 400 plus individual stations to...

Deal is set to be announced at meeting of Biden and leaders of Australia and U.K. ... The U.S. will speed up Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines by arranging for Canberra’s first few subs to be built in the U.S. .... The plan to sell up to five U.S. Virginia-class submarines to Australia is intended as a stopgap to provide the country with nuclear-powered subs by the mid-2030s. ... The alliance is called Aukus, an acronym for Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. In addition to collaborating on nuclear-submarine technology, the countries intend to cooperate on artificial intelligence, autonomous systems,...

A left-wing rally in support of reduced penalties for carjackers in Washington, D.C. was disrupted this week after a man attempted a carjacking in broad daylight. To clarify, no, this is not a scene from an episode of “Seinfeld.” This gem of comedic gold actually happened in our nation’s crime-riddled capital Wednesday afternoon outside of Union Station. The National Desk, owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, reported a group called Hands Off DC held a rally outside the station to share its anger at the U.S. Senate. Lawmakers were voting to reverse a rogue city council move that would have...

FOX NEWS PROGRAMS AND TUCKER CARLSON SEEM TO HAVE COMPLETELY DROPPED THE JANUARY 6TH STORY

***** Tunes For Our Troops ~ Marty Robbins ~ *****~ Support The Artists ~ ***** Warning: Not all music may be appropriate for children! Please click with caution. Thank you! Tunes For The Troops This music is provided for the entertainment of our Troops, Veterans, Allies & their families! Enjoy the variety of musical selections that the Canteen DJs provide throughout the thread. Please ping any DJ with your requests for the Troops! All music is removed on Monday.Thanks to all the DJs for their time & effort providing entertainment for the Troops! *Canteen Mission Statement* Showing support and...

Fifth circuit judge Kyle Duncan is calling on Stanford to axe DEI dean Tirien Steinbach ... Fifth Circuit appellate judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, who was shouted down by Stanford Law School students as administrators looked on in silence, says the protesters behaved like "dogshit." ... Duncan is calling on the school to discipline the students who disrupted his talk and to fire the school’s associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion, who stepped in during the event to chastise him and deliver what the judge described as a "bizarre therapy session from hell." Duncan’s remarks come after nearly a hundred...

There are apologies that are not apologies. You can spot a non-apology when it uses words like “mistakes were made,” or “If I offended anyone …” or “that’s not who I am.” You know language like that is not an apology. Then there’s a real apology. Like the “full-throated apology” of leftist Naomi Wolf, regretting being “duped” by the false narrative regarding the Capitol incursion of Jan. 6, 2021. Essentially, Tucker Carlson’s airing of raw footage from the breach of the U.S. Capitol prompted her change of heart. And she realized “there is no way to avoid this moment. The...

Senior Israeli official says Saudi Arabia recognized a weakness in the West, leading the way for its agreement to restore diplomatic ties with Iran A senior Israeli official on Friday blamed the previous government for the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on restoring diplomatic ties between the country. Speaking to reporters who traveled with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Rome, the senior official said that the agreement is also the result of weakness towards Iran by the US and the West. "The Saudis recognized a weakness by the West and Israel," said the official, who added the Saudis "felt...

A large group of teenagers ransacked a Chinese restaurant in Queens, New York the other night in a video now gone viral, with those affected by the wanton destruction lamenting the fact their city is falling apart by crime and that the criminal thugs who carried out the heinous acts will not face justice. The group of teens was still on the loose as of this writing. A dramatic video that first went viral on WeChat before later appearing on Twitter captured the large group of suspects leaving the destroyed restaurant. Chairs, tables, and pretty much everything that could be...

President Biden slammed "MAGA Republicans" during a speech at the Finishing Trades Institute in Pennsylvania, and personalities across social media skewered him for it. Biden gave a speech at a union training center in Philadelphia, where he contrasted his campaign agenda against Republican priorities. "I just laid out the bulk of my budget," Biden said to the audience. "Republicans in Congress should do the same thing. Then we can sit down and see where we disagree." During the speech, he called out his opposition and appeared to slam the Trump-supporting base of the Republican Party. "MAGA Republicans are calling for...

Russia has been capturing some of the US and NATO-provided weapons and equipment left on the battlefield in Ukraine and sending them to Iran, where the US believes Tehran will try to reverse-engineer the systems, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Over the last year, US, NATO and other Western officials have seen several instances of Russian forces seizing smaller, shoulder-fired weapons equipment including Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft systems that Ukrainian forces have at times been forced to leave behind on the battlefield, the sources told CNN. In many of those cases, Russia has then flown the...