Free Republic

Pope approves blessings for same-sex couples if they don't resemble marriage Story by By NICOLE WINFIELD and DAVID CRARY, Associated Press • 1h

ROME — Pope Francis used his strongest language to date in condemning ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, calling them acts of “terrorism.” “I continue receiving very serious and sad news about Gaza,” the pontiff said following his weekly Angelus prayer in the Vatican. “Unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire,” he stated. “And this has happened even within the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities, sisters.”

Sales targets meant to ensure automakers ramp up EV production to keep up with demand, says source... Automakers are set to get a jolt Tuesday when Ottawa unveils its promised electric vehicle regulations. CBC News has learned that Ottawa will release final regulations it says will ensure that all new passenger cars sold in Canada by 2035 are zero-emission vehicles, a senior government source said. The source — who was not authorized to speak publicly — said the new regulations are meant to ensure that automakers produce enough affordable zero-emissions vehicles to meet the demand. The regulations will be called...

When Joe Biden told reporters that Elon Musk "is worth being looked at," it's too bad Kamala Harris wasn't there to supply the cackle. Shortly after that ominous statement, Biden dispatched his federal flying monkeys against Musk, suing him on big and little matters, all of which were on utterly spurious grounds. His real "crime," of course, was displeasing Biden and his Democrat political machine. Musk's exposure of federal collusion in the censoring of political speech during the 2020 election enraged this crew most of all, so Biden opened the cages. Now they've flooded the zone with federal lawsuits against...

BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military said Sunday it has discovered a large tunnel shaft in Gaza close to what was once a busy crossing into Israel, raising new questions about how Israeli surveillance missed such conspicuous preparations by Hamas for the militants’ deadly Oct. 7 assault. The entryway to the tunnel is just a few hundred yards from the heavily fortified Erez crossing and a nearby Israeli military base. The military said it stretches for over 2.5 miles, links up with a sprawling tunnel network across Gaza and is wide enough for cars to pass through. The...

18 December 2023 Monday of the Third Week of Advent Altar at the North Transept of the Cathedral of St. Gatianus, Tours Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: B(II).First readingJeremiah 23:5-8 ©I will raise a virtuous Branch for DavidSee, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,who will reign as true king and be wise,practising honesty and integrity in the land.In his days Judah will be savedand Israel dwell in confidence.And this is the name he will be called:The-Lord-our-integrity.So, then, the days are coming – it is...

Two men accused of racing on a public highway in western Pennsylvania are facing charges in a crash involving a school van that left a teenage girl dead. The crash also sent three other juveniles and two critically injured adults — including one of the defendants — to hospitals. Allegheny County police said the Serra Catholic High School van was trying to make a left turn when it was struck by a northbound sedan on Sept. 20 in Dravosburg. The medical examiner’s office said 15-year-old Samantha Lee Kalkbrenner died at the scene. Authorities said three of the four students in...

Jeff Roe, longtime Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) consultant and chief architect of his flailing political operation, resigned Saturday from the super PAC charged with realizing the governor’s increasingly quixotic presidential aspirations. Roe announced his departure hours after a damning Washington Post report on the collapse of Never Back Down (NBD), the super PAC Roe conceptualized to send DeSantis to the White House and usher in a new era of super PAC-driven presidential campaigns. The Post report comes after five senior officials, pre-dating Roe’s departure, left NBD since late November and three others with Roe’s firm were fired. The Post writes...

UAW files unfair labor practice charges against Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen, Tesla continues to face pressure from the Nordic region for its anti-union stance, a new federal report links a fatal poultry plant gas release to poor workplace safety conditions, and a Wall Street Journal article reflects on the biggest union wins of 2023. The UAW has filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB against Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen. The union has alleged that the three automakers have committed various illegal union-busting tactics in response to increased organizing efforts at their U.S. plants. Among other allegations, the union has...

Donald Trump’s rhetoric dropped to a spine-tingling new low this weekend with less than a month before the Iowa caucuses.The GOP primary front-runner said migrants are “poisoning the blood” of the US and quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin about the “rottenness” of American democracy.Whipping up thousands of supporters at a New Hampshire hockey rink on Saturday, the former president again drew comparisons to the language of Nazi Germany with the comments about migrants from mostly Africa, Asia and South America “poisoning the blood of our country.”The language “parrots Adolf Hitler,” President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign alleged. Experts pointed to passages...

The Bible In Paintings ~ Encouragement for Applying and Appreciating God's Word ~ •Drawings•Engravings•Facades•Frescoes•Illuminations•Miniatures•Mosaics•Photographs•Reliefs•Statues•Tapestries•Windows• NO ROOM AT THE INN: JESUS’ BIRTH L U K E CHAPTER 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 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 register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to...

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. Loitering munitions, drones used as unmanned bait, civilian vehicles 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 a vehicle is captured and then...

mostly remained unaware of the Senate sex kerfuffle. The ick factor was strong with that story .. was brought to us by the party that wants to "bring back decency." If you want a real laugh .. NBC News has decided that conservative media is somehow responsible for a Democrat making a sex tape at work. In more disturbing news, the anti-Israel, pro-Hamas cancer on college campuses is even worse than many thought. ... The Harvard Center for Political Studies and Harris released a shocking poll about Israel ... 51% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 said...

KYIV/LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Frontline Ukrainian troops face shortages of artillery shells and have scaled back some military operations because of a shortfall of foreign assistance, a senior army general told Reuters. Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi was speaking after Republican lawmakers held up a $60-billion U.S. aid package and Hungary blocked 50 billion euros ($54.5 billion) in European Union funding for Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch, following the release of the Biden administration’s Columbia River Basin announcement, doubled down in his opposition to dam breaching and reiterated that it is solely Congress that could remove the federal dams in the Columbia-Snake River System. “Congress—and Congress alone—can authorize removal of the dams on the lower Snake River. Bureaucrats, activist litigation, nor this administration’s radical agenda will determine the fate of any of the Northwest’s federal dams,” said Risch. “This litigation effort was useless: It occurred behind closed doors, between two parties who wanted the same end result—to tear out our dams,...

HALIFAX, Thursday, Dec. 17. The movements of the Chesapeake since her first appearance at Shelburne, have been narrowly watched by the United States officials and the American citizens of the Province. Her whereabouts were daily known, but the absence of the gunboats has caused delay in her capture. Tuesday the Ella and Annie, Lieut.-Comd'g. NICKLES, arrived for coals, and was immediately supplied at Cunard's Wharf. She received information of the pirate, and at 11 1/2 P.M. steamed for her, arriving at her rendezvous at 3 P.M., but the Chesapeake left at 9 A.M., of Wednesday, thus evading her pursuers. The...

With no political party staunchly defending Americans’ liberty, the totalitarian virus spreads quickly. The worst kept secret in politics is that most Establishment Republicans play for the other team. If not unofficial card-carrying Democrats, they are full-time members of a Uniparty that actively undermines the work of rank-and-file Republicans. For the longest time, Republican voters just thought their “leaders” were stupid. Their unimpressive “representatives” not only seemed incapable of making the simplest of political layups, but also routinely dribbled the ball down the length of the court just to score on themselves. Far from ever witnessing elected Republicans snatch victory...

Eyebrows were raised last week when it was discovered that Special Counsel Jack Smith had added attorney Michael Dreeben to his legal team.“An interesting detail: Michael Dreeben somehow snuck into Jack Smith’s office. He was Mueller’s appellate guy,” enthused Marcy Wheeler, a proponent of the debunked conspiracy theory that Donald Trump stole the 2016 election by colluding with Russia.Fellow Russia-collusion hoaxer Rachel Maddow of MSNBC ran an entire segment to announce the exciting news that Dreeben is “helming this part of the case,” meaning Smith’s request to the Supreme Court to look at whether American presidents may be prosecuted for...

"I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation" (Heb. 13:22). Invitations to salvation must provide both exhortation and warning. Hell is undoubtedly full of people who did not actively oppose Jesus Christ, but simply drifted into damnation by neglecting to respond to the gospel. These are the kinds of people the writer challenges in Hebrews 2:1-4. They were aware of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, but weren't willing to commit their lives to Him. As a result, they were drifting past the call of God into eternal disaster. The Word of God always demands a...

The taxman just delivered a body blow to another member of the Biden family, informing her that she owes thousands of dollars in unpaid back taxes. The revelation, first reported by Fox News, is another indication of the pressure that multiple family members to President Joe Biden are under to profit off his stature and status. A recent tax lien docket by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue shows that Ashley Biden, daughter to the president, owes $5,000 for unpaid tax bills accrued between 2015 — when Biden was vice president — and 2021, shortly after he took office again. The...