Free Republic

China’s latest test shows commitment to perfecting electromagnetic tech while US waffles between defunding or reviving its efforts The Type 072 destroyer (pictured) was spotted in 2018 carrying what military experts believed to be the PLA Navy’s first electromagnetic rail gun. Photo: Handout / SCMP China’s latest electromagnetic railgun test ultimately failed but underscored its relentless pursuit of the weapon, contrasting sharply with the US’s uncertain commitment to the potential game-changing technology. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) tested an electromagnetic railgun by firing a smart bomb 15 kilometers into the...

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has released footage obtained by the IDF, showing the abduction of five female soldiers from the Nahal Oz base on October 7 by Hamas terrorists. The clip shows Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy. It has been edited to remove some of the more disturbing images, including the multiple murdered bodies.

Explanation: It was bright and green and stretched across the sky. This striking aurora display was captured in 2016 just outside of Östersund, Sweden. Six photographic fields were merged to create the featured panorama spanning almost 180 degrees. Particularly striking aspects of this aurora include its sweeping arc-like shape and its stark definition. Lake Storsjön is seen in the foreground, while several familiar constellations and the star Polaris are visible through the aurora, far in the background. Coincidently, the aurora appears to avoid the Moon visible on the lower left. The aurora appeared a day after a large hole opened...

The senior scientific advisor to then-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci bragged about helping Fauci evade the Freedom of Information Act by using Fauci's private email address or just handing him documents in person, according to newly disclosed emails. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic published the evidence ahead of a hearing with that advisor, David Morens, related to his own communications in which Morens admits to intentionally evading FOIA by using a personal Gmail address. Chair Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, accused Morens of obstructing the panel's investigation in a subpoena earlier this month. Originally scheduled...

On XMay 21, 2024

Four more pet cats have died from H5N1 bird flu in the US. Two of the pets in South Dakota had no links to cattle dairy products - the first time there have been cases in pets without connections to outbreaks on farms. The development could be significant because it suggests the virus is edging closer to humans. South Dakota's state veterinarian, Beth Thompson, said there was no livestock on the property where the pets died, but said it is not yet known how to cats became infected. Two other cases of bird flu in barn cats on commercial diary...

Since the 1960s, the Knights of Columbus have held a Memorial Day event at the Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg, VA. For the last two years, however, The National Park Service (NPS) has refused permission for the event due to a new policy prohibiting “religious services” and calling the ceremony to honor this nation’s fallen heroes a “demonstration.” The park service has instead said the event must take place in a nearby “free speech zone.” The Knights and their attorneys say the decision by park officials violates the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. On May 13,...

Bill Maher locked horns with the hosts of ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday, expressing how refusing to criticize President Biden risks sacrificing one’s integrity with their audience. “I’m nervous about saying anything against Biden, because I feel as though – not that I have so much power, and you have some more than I do, obviously – but are you afraid that you might, you know, influence the people who are on the fence?” co-host Joy Behar asked Maher. “I think you lose all credibility,” Maher replied. “I do. My bond with my audience has always been I don’t pull...

American Airlines is being criticized for its legal team’s response to a civil lawsuit against the company and one of its flight attendants, who is accused of secretly recording five girls in airplane bathrooms. American Airlines is blaming a 9-year-old girl for being filmed by one of their flight attendants in the plane’s bathroom. Estes Carter Thompson is accused of recording multiple girls by taping his phone to plane toilet seats. In a new court filing, American Airlines says the young girl should have known that there was a recording device on the toilet. “Defendant would show that any injuries...

Since 1948, Palestinians living in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza have remained effectively stateless, caught in the limbo of a decades-long peace process that has yielded neither peace nor a state to call their own. But on Wednesday, three European countries—Ireland, Norway, and Spain—announced their decision to officially recognize a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The decision is set to go into effect on May 28. Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris, who announced the decision in a press conference, likened Palestinians’ bid for self-determination to the Irish people’s history seeking international recognition of their independence in 1919. “Today,...

With an unapologetically anarchic spirit, we’ve defied the establishment by assembling a lineup of speakers who challenge the status quo and champion true freedom. We’re lining up promotions that symbolize our rejection of government control, offering attendees a taste of defiance. The debates, a battleground for radical ideas, will ignite the flames of rebellion in every heart present. And as the establishment trembles, we’ll raise a defiant toast at the reception for our chosen presidential and vice-presidential candidates, heralding the dawn of a new era of individual autonomy and liberty. This convention will stand as a testament to the indomitable...

Five officials from Cuba’s communist regime — a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism — conducted a secret guided tour of Miami’s International Airport on Monday hosted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The secret tour, which reportedly lasted approximately five hours, is part of alleged “law-enforcement cooperation” between both countries and saw Castro regime officials visit the TSA’s control facilities in Miami’s airport, which contain some of the agency’s sensitive computer systems. The visit of the Castro regime officials prompted the condemnation of the Cuban diaspora in Florida as well as that of local Miami-Dade County and airport personnel, who...

https://x.com/stkirsch/status/1792757551689609217May 20, 2024

The California State Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would require new vehicles to come equipped with a function that warns motorists when they’re driving 10 mph over the speed limit. If passed by the state Assembly and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, SB961 by San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener would make California the first state with such a requirement for new vehicles. The bill cleared a significant hurdle Tuesday, passing the state Senate on a 22-13 vote. Specifically, SB961 would require new vehicles built or sold in California to include what’s known as “passive speed governors” that...

Two dwarf galaxies (top and bottom) orbit the much larger Andromeda galaxy. DAVID DAYAG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When astronomers fret about the “missing satellites problem,” they’re not talking about spacecraft in Earth orbit. Their problem is much bigger: For decades, far fewer dwarf galaxies have been seen orbiting the Milky Way and other large galaxies than predicted by models of galaxy formation. But now, two groups of astronomers have found evidence for not just a sufficient number of satellite galaxies to satisfy the simulations—but too many. “Maybe we’ve oversolved the problem,” says Marcel Pawlowski, an astronomer at the Leibniz Institute for...

Popular artificial intelligence tools are becoming more covertly racist as they advance, says an alarming new report. A team of technology and linguistics researchers revealed this week that large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini hold racist stereotypes about speakers of African American Vernacular English, or AAVE, an English dialect created and spoken by Black Americans.... (more)

The headquarters of the Republican National Committee was put on lockdown Wednesday morning after two vials of blood were discovered in a package addressed to former President Donald Trump — with the party’s chairman calling the incident a “biological attack.” “Today, vials of blood were sent to RNC Headquarters in DC. We are thankful to law enforcement, who responded quickly and ensured everyone’s safety. The lockdown has been cleared and staff has resumed their office duties because we remain unintimidated and undeterred in our efforts to elect President Trump to the White House,” RNC boss Michael Whatley said in a...

Cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. keep getting older, hitting a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people hang on to their vehicles largely because new ones cost so much. S&P Global Mobility, which tracks state vehicle registration data nationwide, said Wednesday that the average vehicle age grew about two months from last year’s record. But the growth in average age is starting to slow as new vehicle sales start to recover from pandemic-related shortages of parts, including computer chips. The average increased by three months in 2023. Still, with an average U.S. new-vehicle selling price...

Benjamin Atkins killed his lodger over a minor financial dispute, prosecutors said A man has been found guilty of murdering his lodger before scattering his severed body parts in packages and a suitcase. Benjamin Atkins, 49, killed Simon Shotton, of the same age, at their home in Bournemouth in August 2023 following a dispute over money, prosecutors said. Atkins' partner, Debbie Pereira, 39, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. They are due to be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on 26 July. Warning: This story contains graphic details which readers may find upsetting Mr Shotton's legs were...

Political leaders in Saudi Arabia are pressing the administration of leftist President Joe Biden to help the country develop a nuclear program as part of a larger “security” deal that may ultimately include a pathway to normalizing ties with Israel, Reuters reported on Monday. The discussions regarding helping Riyadh develop nuclear energy, potentially the construction of a reactor and uranium enrichment capacity, reportedly occurred during National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend. Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday to discuss “strategic relations” between Washington and Riyadh, according to the...