Free Republic

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has said he intends to dissolve parliament and call snap legislative elections in the wake of his allies’ crushing defeat to the far right National Rally (RN) in Sunday’s European parliament elections. ...Macron’s centrist list was on course to score between 14.8% and 15.2% of the vote, less than half of RN’s tally of 31.5%-33% and only just ahead of the Socialist list on 14%. “At the end of this day, therefore, I will not be able to act as if nothing has happened,that is why … I have decided to give you the choice of...

The house always wins. That’s what matters—fairness, impartiality, the very idea of a non-partisan application of the law be damned. Welcome to the end of the republic. I think that it was the great Miranda Devine, she of the “laptop from hell” fame, who first called the world’s attention to the latest wrinkle in the long-running “Get Trump” extravaganza in New York. Anyway, I first heard about it from her post on X Friday. “If this is legit,” she wrote, commenting on a letter purportedly from Acting Justice Juan Merchan to Donald Trump’s Counsel and the Manhattan DA’s office, “it...

"7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Revelation 12 1 And there...

As humans age, hematopoietic stem cells—the immature precursor cells that give rise to all blood and immune cells—accumulate mutations. Some of the mutations allow these stem cells to self-renew and expand more effectively than their non-mutated counterparts. This relatively poorly understood condition, known as clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), is detectable in more than 10% of people older than 65 and is linked to increased risks of various inflammation-related diseases. "These mutations change the character of the progeny cells, making them more inflammatory," says George Hajishengallis. "When a large fraction of your immune cells are derived from these mutant...

The amount of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has hit a new record, as humanity struggles to rein in emissions of greenhouse gasses from burning fossil fuels. The new record comes as tens of millions of people are grappling with extreme weather in the United States. Much of the western U.S. is experiencing the first major heat wave of the year, which is driving temperatures 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than what is normal for June. In the Southwest, temperatures are lingering well above 100 degrees. Such extreme, prolonged heat is directly related to human-caused climate change,...

The race to determine who will be Donald Trump’s running mate this November took a major step forward last week with the acceleration of vetting multiple potential candidates, but political insiders with deep knowledge of presidential campaigns say there is one possible name on the former president’s shortlist Democrats “fear” the most. Trump’s campaign recently entered the next phase of the running mate search by requesting documents from several prospective contenders, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has grown to be a staunch ally of the former president since running against him in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. “Rubio is...

A high sodium diet may increase the risk of eczema, according to researchers, who found that eating just one extra gram of sodium per day—the amount in a Big Mac—increases the likelihood of flares by 22%. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic disease that causes dry, itchy skin. It has become increasingly common in recent years, especially in industrialized countries, implicating environmental and lifestyle factors like diet. Sodium, which most people consume in the form of salt, increases the risk of hypertension and heart disease. And scientists recently discovered that sodium is stored in the skin, where...

Merrick Garland is no “by-the-book” attorney general. Even now, Garland is refusing to hand over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interviews with former special counsel Robert Hur over the president’s hoarding of classified documents, despite a congressional subpoena. As the Department of Justice stonewalls Congress, it is also prosecuting the Republican Party’s presidential candidate for the very crimes the Hur tape supposedly “exonerates” Biden from. Considering the Hur transcript has already been released — and we know that Biden lied about it — there is even less justification for withholding the audio. And considering the DOJ has apparently cleaned...

Dartmouth councillor says trees ‘spread a little joy,’ but could not withstand Maritime wintersIt appears, perhaps predictably, that palm trees cannot survive in Nova Scotia. In 2018, Halifax Regional Municipality experimented with planting seven palm trees across Dartmouth, a community of just under 100,000 people that borders the eastern shore of Halifax harbour. The trees normally associated with sandy beaches and coconuts stood out in the landscape, drawing the curiosity of locals. Municipal spokesperson Ryan Nearing said the intent of the project was to see if the tropical trees could adapt to the province's Maritime climate, known for its wild...

A Minnesota transgender high school student had her jaw broken in two places after she used the men's bathroom. Cobalt Sovereign, 17, says she was assaulted by a fellow student as she left the bathroom at Hopkins High School on May 30. She said the student looked over the stall and called her a '******' and then punched her in the face as she was leaving. Sovereign, who uses she/her pronouns, told KARE: 'I was hit in the jaw and at the time one of my teeth exploded, pieces in my mouth.' She was rushed to hospital and had three...

This freepathon donation result is pathetic. You wanna give your two cents but don't wanna contribute because somebody hurt your widdle feelings? That's pathetic and juvenile. I wouldn't mind going to a paid service and get rid of some of the dead weight around here. I'm living on SS. So, I'm barely making it (Thanks Biden!). But I still budget for FR.

Joe Biden on Sunday spoke to reporters at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, Northern France. Biden told reporters that being in France reminded him of his uncle Bosie whom he has repeatedly claimed was eaten by cannibals in New Guinea. Of course, Joe Biden had to make the visit to the Aisne-Marne American cemetery about himself. “You know, I don’t want to make this personal but when I show up at a military site where veterans are buried, it brings back memories of hearing my grandfather and my mother talk about the loss of their son and brother in...

Exit polls show a historic win for Marine Le Pen's National Rally in France and is on course to trounce President Macron's party Far-right parties have also made substantial gains in Austria and Germany, exit polls say We will have a first projection of the new European Parliament at around 19:30 BST as the mammoth four-day, 27-country European election is coming to a close About 360 million eligible voters are choosing 720 new Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)

Minister Benny Gantz (National Unity) announced on Sunday that he, together with his party, would be leaving the emergency government which he joined at the onset of the war. "Months after the October tragedy, the situation in the country and in the room of the decision-makers has changed. Netanyahu and his partners have turned unity into a moving call, without real-world action. Fateful strategic decisions are met with hesitancy and procrastination due to political considerations," Gantz stated in an address announcing his decision. He claimed that "Netanyahu prevents us from proceeding to true victory. Therefore, today, we are leaving the...

A Gaza journalist who wrote for Al Jazeera was holding three hostages in his home with his family before he was killed by Israeli commandos during a rescue operation on Saturday, according to the Israeli military. Abdallah Aljamal, who also worked as a spokesman for the Hamas-run labor ministry, was killed when special forces soldiers stormed his home in central Gaza and rescued hostages Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andri Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, the Israeli military said. Aljamal’s death was originally reported by Rami Abdu, the head of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, who claimed Israel Defense Forces...

I've been asked to chime in, so I'm chiming. But you're not gonna like it. The state of discourse on FR is totally up to you. You know the guidelines and rules. I don't need to repeat them again and again and again. We are mostly adults here and mostly Christian conservatives. We all know how to behave in a mixed public setting. We don't need and don't want to be supervised. Before you post that next profane post or personal attack just ask yourself, what would Jesus do. Can't we all just get along? Thank you all very much...

Facing the toughest election since his first win in 2006, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mt) is investing $640,000 in an ad campaign aimed at convincing voters that his Republican opponent Tim Sheehy "will be a puppet for shady special interests. He's taking thousands of dollars from special interests. He won't be an independent voice for the common people of our state like I am." Ironically, lobbyists have donated more than $458,000 to Tester in the last two years making him the biggest Congressional recipient of lobbyist cash over for the time span. Tester was also the intended beneficiary of $6 million...

Declaring that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “preventing us from reaching true victory,” National Unity chairman Benny Gantz says that his party is pulling out of the government, making good on an ultimatum. His party joined the coalition following October 7 for the sake of the country even though “we knew it was a bad government” and has since seen strategic considerations pushed aside for political reasons, he says.

A member of Israel's three-man War Cabinet announced his resignation on Sunday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza. Benny Gantz, a popular former centrist military chief and one of the prime minister's most prominent critics, joined Netanyahu's government shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in a show of unity. His presence also boosted Israel's credibility with the country's international partners as he has good working relations with U.S. officials. Gantz said Netanyahu is making "total victory impossible" and that the government needs to put the return of the hostages seized Oct. 7 by Hamas...

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem shrugged off reports that she hasn’t made the cut for finalists in former President Donald Trump’s veepstakes — but appeared to throw her support behind one candidate for the job. Noem, 52, who has continued to campaign for the 45th president, was adamant that she will continue to back him nonetheless and urged him to tap a woman for his ticket. “I’ve told President Trump over and over again he needs to pick whoever helps him win. I have been loyal to him since the very beginning,” Noem told CNN’s “State of the Union” on...