Free Republic

Protesters against the American response to the Israel-Hamas war shut down a pair of freeways in the Bay Area during the Monday morning rush hour, including blocking traffic on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Southbound U.S. Highway 101 across the bridge and northbound Interstate 880 in nearby Oakland were blocked starting around 7:30 a.m. PDT on Monday, California Highway Patrol said. Protesters carried signs reading “Stop Arming Israel” and “Bay Area Demands No Murder for Profit,” in reference to American military support for Israel.

Footage shared widely online appeared to show three African runners deliberately allowing China's He Jie to win.Organisers of the Beijing half marathon said on Monday (Apr 15) they were investigating after footage shared widely online appeared to show three African runners deliberately allowing China's He Jie to win. Video clips of Sunday's race showed the Kenyans Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, Dejene Hailu of Ethiopia and home runner He approaching the finish. The three African runners can be seen pointing to the finish line and apparently waving He out in front, while appearing to slow down. He, the 2023 Asian...

There's no reason to panic.The r/Costco subreddit is one of Reddit’s most active, with over 620,000 subscribers who post about their favorite products, most exciting finds, and can’t-miss deals at the warehouse chain — and there’s a lot of love for the food court hot dogs too. Some of last week’s most popular posts included one from a shopper who bought two Thomasville sectionals and turned them into one mega-couch, another about finding two bottles of cologne for half the price as other retailers, and one from a concerned customer who saw something completely unexpected when they served their rotisserie...

JERUSALEM — Israel’s war cabinet deliberated Monday how to respond to Iran’s unprecedented aerial assault without rankling allies and squandering an opportunity to build an international alliance against Tehran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Israel Defense Forces to provide a target list, according to an official familiar with high-level discussions, who said Israel is mulling retaliation that would “send a message” but not cause casualties. The options include a potential strike on a facility in Tehran or a cyberattack, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.

The trial of a former Syrian army general over his alleged role in war crimes committed in 2012 in his home country started at a Stockholm court Monday, a first according to a human rights organization. Syria has been ravaged by civil war for over 13 years. Brig. Gen Mohammed Hamo, who is currently residing in Sweden, is charged with aiding and abetting crimes violating international law, described by the prosecution as “a serious crime” when he was charged in February. The Associated Press got a hold of Hamo’s accusation sheet in which the prosecutor claims the 65-year-old — who...

The Iranian regime has chosen suicide. True, it will take some time for the logical conclusion of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s fatal and probably irreversible course of action to play out. Like a pre-AI automaton incapable of adapting to the input of new information, the BBC will continue to blather about Iran’s capacity for “strategic patience” and the risks of Israel “dragging” the US into a regional war. But one thing seems clear: the Iranian theocracy has now entered a death loop. Unless Israel throws it a lifeline, it is increasingly likely that Tehran faces either a Soviet-style collapse amid...

As Tax Day passes on Monday, the cost of illegal immigration to American taxpayers has hit an unprecedented level on President Joe Biden’s watch. The latest estimates, published by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) last March, show that millions of illegal aliens residing across the United States cost taxpayers more than $150 billion annually. The FAIR report stated: At the federal, state, and local levels, taxpayers shell out approximately $182 billion to cover the costs incurred from the presence of more than 15.5 million illegal aliens, and about 5.4 million citizen children of illegal aliens. That amounts to...

Israel is deciding its next steps after Iran's retaliatory attack as fears grow of a wider war in the Middle East.What to know An Israeli response to Iran's retaliatory attack may be “imminent,” a source told NBC News. The comments came as Israel weighed its next steps and after a meeting of the country’s war Cabinet today. The two countries clashed at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, with Tehran insisting it does not seek further escalation after launching the barrage of 300 drones and missiles, but warning of more "decisive" strikes in retaliation to any Israeli...

Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or by any department or agency thereof, or by the District of Columbia or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, municipality, or agency thereof, or agency of such political subdivision or municipality (including any corporation owned or controlled by any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States or by any such political subdivision, municipality, or agency), in connection with any activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or...

John 6:22–29Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the crowd, which he just fed, to believe in him and relate to him personally. Why is this so hard? Well, it is intellectually counterintuitive. Why would this one figure, this Jesus, be the one and only? Why should I choose to relate to him and not the numerous other religious leaders and philosophers? Are all other religious people just lost or misguided? Wouldn’t it just be easier to relate to Jesus’ ideas and principles, to imitate his style of life? Yes, indeed it would, but that’s not what he says. Perhaps we...

Everything you need to know about Kosher for Passover food.The Kosher aisle at the supermarket looks a bit different every spring. Along with the cherished yellow-capped Coca-Cola bottles, plenty of new and sometimes unusual-looking products (off-brand grain-free children’s cereals, canned macaroons in festive flavors) are stocked on shelves in preparation for the major Jewish holiday. What makes these products, and this seasonally niche form of Kashrut, different from the typical Kosher groceries and meals consumed during the rest of the year? Passover comes with its very own, one-week-only, set of eating guidelines for observant Jews. Kosher for Passover food adds...

New York Judge Threatens Trump With Jail Time During First Day In Court - 'Election Interference' by: Sterling Mosley 04.15.2024 On Monday, presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump traveled to New York City for the first day of his criminal trial in the hush money case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D). The defense and prosecution will begin to decide who will serve on the 12-man jury that will decide the 45th president's fate. During the hearing, Trump, who has repeatedly railed against the case as political persecution, was threatened by presiding Justice Juan Merchan that he would face...

President Joe Biden’s parole pipeline has released more than 950,000 foreign nationals into the United States since its inception in January 2023 — exceeding the entire population of South Dakota. Late last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released figures for March, showing Biden’s parole pipeline is continuing to release tens of thousands of foreign nationals into the United States interior via the southern border and commercial flights. From January 2023 through March 2024, more than 950,000 foreign nationals have been released into American communities thanks to Biden’s parole pipeline. The pipeline brings foreign nationals to the U.S. through...

A golden retriever boarding a BARK Air flight Traveling with a dog can be challenging, and one dog brand is helping to change that. BARK, known for their subscription BarkBoxes and dog products, announced on Thursday, April 11 that they’re launching a new travel service, BARK Air. In partnership with a charter jet company, BARK Air is designed to prioritize four-legged travelers, followed by their humans, so they can travel together comfortably and conveniently. At launch, routes will serve the New York City metro area via Westchester County Airport (HPN) with flights to the Los Angeles area via Van...

VIDEO: https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/04/13/men-caught-camera-destroying-protected-rock-formations-lake-mead-national-recreation-area/ ......... National Park Rangers at an ancient rock formation in Nevada are trying to identify two men seen allegedly rolling boulders off a cliff in a video posted on social media, the Sacramento Bee reported. The viral video is believed to be from the evening of April 7 at the Redstone Dune Trail, located in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, according to the Sacramento Bee. @dailymail Authorities are on the hunt for a pair of men who toppled several ancient rocks at Lake Mead National Park. 🎥 Touronsofyellowstone #vandalism #crime #nevada #nationalpark #lakemead #shocking ♬ original sound –...

Protesters are causing major traffic issues across the Bay Area, including in Oakland and on the Golden Gate Bridge, as part of a worldwide economic blockade in solidarity with Palestine.Northbound I-880 in OaklandThe first protest Monday morning happened on northbound I-880 in Oakland at 5th Ave., where protesters brought barrels filled with concrete onto the highway and chained themselves to the barrels. Law enforcement had to cut through the barrels before they could arrest the protesters. Two lanes have been reopened.

The most consequential falsehood in American public policy today is the idea that any racial disparity in any institution is by definition the result of racial discrimination. If a cancer research lab, for example, does not have 13 percent black oncologists—the black share of the national population—it is by definition a racist lab that discriminates against competitively qualified black oncologists; if an airline company doesn’t have 13 percent black pilots, it is by definition a racist airline company that discriminates against competitively qualified black pilots; and if a prison population contains more than 13 percent black prisoners, our law enforcement...

ROTFLMAO!!!

Energy prices, particularly the cost of electricity, have skyrocketed since President Biden took office, outpacing inflation and putting a dent in Americans’ wallets. Since January 2021, electricity prices have soared 29.4% — 50% more than overall inflation — rising 13 times faster than the previous seven years, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Meanwhile, in those seven years before Biden took office, electricity prices rose just 5%. News of the astronomical increase in electricity came in the wake of March’s Consumer Price Index, which showed US inflation rose 3.5% in March. Wednesday’s data...

Californians are arming up for self-defense as the U.S. Border Patrol carries out street drop-offs of illegal immigrants in and around cities like San Diego. The New York Post reported that “roughly 125,000 migrants have been released onto the streets in the San Diego area since September,” and many area residents are reacting by purchasing firearms and ammunition for themselves and their families. Cory Gautereaux owns a gun store, Firearms Unlimited California, in northeast San Diego and he has seen business increase as more and more illegals are let loose on the streets. Gautereaux said, “The problem for people that...