Free Republic

LaToya Ratlieff’s life was changed forever four and half years ago when Fort Lauderdale Police Department shot her with a rubber bullet during a peaceful protest over George Floyd’s murder. On Tuesday, after years of legal battles, a $1.9 million settlement was approved. The Fort Lauderdale City Commission finalized the approval of the $1,975,000 settlement Tuesday night during a public meeting.

4 December 2024 Wednesday of the 1st week of Advent Saint Barbara, Kutna Hora, Czech RepublicReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: C(I).First readingIsaiah 25:6-10The Lord will prepare a banquet for every nationOn this mountain,the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoplesa banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines,of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.On this mountain he will removethe mourning veil covering all peoples,and the shroud enwrapping all nations,he will destroy Death for ever.The Lord will wipe awaythe tears from every cheek;he will take away his people’s shameeverywhere on earth,for the Lord has said...

Being a member of the President’s cabinet is an important job: in their roles as the leaders of key executive-branch agencies, the 15 department heads who work with the Vice President to advise the President can end up driving vital policies. So it makes sense that cabinet nominees must first go through tough questioning from the Senate, which ultimately decides whether or not they get the job. President Trump’s opponents got a hint of hope this week that the process may trip up some of his nominees, as two Republican Senators announced they would not support the candidacy of Betsy...

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a high-profile case involving the right of transgender minors to receive gender transition care, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, in one of the most closely watched, potentially impactful cases slated to come before the high court this year. The case, United States v. Skrmetti, centers on a Tennessee law that bans gender-transition treatments for adolescents in the state. The law also takes aim at health care providers in Tennessee who continue to provide gender-transition treatments to transgender minors, opening them up to fines, lawsuits and other liability. The petitioners in...

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A man who claims he spent money to fund Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's shock rise to Congress says the 'Squad' Democrat has 'betrayed' her district. Ramon Ramirez Baez, a lifelong Democrat who voted for Donald Trump in November and committee member in the New York Assembly, claims he helped get her to the debate stage and propped up her Congressional campaign when she primaried establishment Democrat Joe Crowley. Now, Baez is working on behalf of the campaign to improve the Roosevelt Ave. section of Corona, Queens in AOC's district, which has become a huge new red light district thanks to the arrival...

During a city council meeting this week, residents in the sanctuary city of Chicago, Illinois, urged President-elect Donald Trump and his border czar, Thomas Homan, to arrest Mayor Brandon Johnson should he try to stop their plan to deport illegal aliens. Soon after Trump’s victory last month, Johnson said he “will not bend” to the president-elect’s plan to carry out the largest deportation program in American history. Since then, Johnson has proposed a $300 million property tax hike to collect more funds for newly arrived migrants. At Monday’s city council meeting, residents called on Trump and Homan to arrest Johnson...

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) expressed full support for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth after meeting with him Monday amid an onslaught of hit pieces from the establishment media. “Are soldiers sometimes wild childs? Yeah, that can happen, but it is very clear that this guy is the guy who, at a time when Americans were losing confidence in their own military, in our ability to project strength around the world, Pete Hegseth is the answer to that concern,” she told reporters on Tuesday, according to Politico. Her support comes at a critical time, as Hegseth comes under attack from anonymous...

resident Joe Biden's extraordinarily broad pardon of his son may have saved Hunter from a prison sentence, but it might actually mark the beginning of worse legal troubles for the Biden clan. By pre-emptively shielding Hunter from the consequences of any alleged criminal conduct dating back eleven years, the President leaves his son open to virtually unlimited questioning in future Congressional, civil or even criminal investigations. That's because Hunter Biden can no longer claim the privilege of the Fifth Amendment – a Constitutional right that protects people from offering testimony that may incriminate them. Since Hunter is now effectively immune...

American actor Kevin Spacey made a surprise trip to Israel on Friday, and visited the Gaza border communities, spoke to lone soldiers, and held a two-hour acting masterclass in Tel Aviv. According to Ynet, Spacey was accompanied on his trip by Douglas Murray. Spacey reportedly paid a surprise visit to a lone solider named Ayla Lowenstein, who is the daughter of his manager, Evan Lowenstein. Spacey also visited the site of the Nova music festival massacre. In videos published by Ynet, Spacey can be seen touring houses in Gaza border kibbutzim targeted during the October 7 massacre. Flash90 also published...

China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on semiconductor-related exports. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications. The ratcheting up of trade restrictions comes as President-elect Donald Trump has been threatening to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries, potentially intensifying simmering...

Thousands of federal and government workers landed members a work from home deal ahead of the incoming Trump administration's efforts to force workers to return to office... The updated contract, which affects 42,000 government employees, will allow workers to stay hybrid until 2029. The deal was signed by President Biden's former SSA Commissioner, Martin O’Malley....

Good news: Your package has been delivered. Bad news: It isn’t on your porch, under the mailboxes or in a package room, if you have one. Unfortunately, your package might have been stolen by a porch pirate, like an estimated 120.5 million last year in the United States, according to a study by SafeWise. More people shopping online during the holiday season means more packages — and an increased risk of theft. This year, holiday spending is expected to reach a record high of $902 per person, with 57 percent of adults opting to shop online, according to a survey...

What is the shelf life of a freshly baked donut? Two days, tops. But when it comes to an entirely different kind of donut—one that Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom described early in the pandemic when he measured the exodus of people from city centers to city suburbs—there appears to be no expiration date.... Since the pandemic, the country's 12 largest cities have cumulatively lost 8% of their downtown dwellers. Three-fifths of the households that left moved to nearby suburbs... What does this mean, then, for the country's biggest cities? Painful choices that will likely involve cutting spending, raising taxes and...

Trump considering replacing Pete Hegseth with Gov. Ron DeSantis. US President-elect Donald Trump considering replacing current Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth, due to growing scrutiny over allegations about his personal life.

CNN contributor and Watergate figure John Dean is urging President Biden to expand his pardon list to sink any prospect of President-elect Donald Trump getting “revenge” against his political enemies. In a post on social media site Bluesky, Dean advised Biden to issue a “blanket pardon” for DOJ officials who have investigated or prosecuted Trump so he can’t punish them once he gets into office. “Biden should keep going with his pardons: Trump, Jack Smith & team, Mueller & team, and a blanket pardon for all on Trump’s enemies list for any and all political statements before December 25, 2024!...

https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/45642 While Syria is torn to pieces between Sunni and Shiite jihadists, the demon possessed and Israel obsessed organization called United Nations found the time to adopt a resolution calling on Israel to withdraw from all occupied territories to the pre-June 4, 1967, lines in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions. Voting Results: In Favor: 97 Against: 8 Abstentions: 64

Join with fellow FREEPERS across the world to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, Technology, Religious Freedom and the Media. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Religion Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

The food additive carrageenan (E 407) can be responsible for the development of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, and increased blood sugar levels in animals. However, it is not yet known what effect carrageenan has on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in humans. This question has now been investigated in a clinical study. In the study, young, healthy men with a BMI of less than 30 kg/m² (average BMI 24.5 kg/m²) were given either carrageenan in addition to their normal diet, in an amount roughly equivalent to two to three times the daily dose consumed in the U.S.,...

A large population study of men over 45 indicates insulin resistance may be an important risk factor for the development of the world's most common heart valve disease—aortic stenosis (AS). Aortic stenosis is a debilitating heart condition. It causes a narrowing of the aortic valve, restricting blood flow out of the heart. If not addressed, this can gradually cause damage that can lead to life-threatening complications, such as heart failure. People living with AS can take years to develop symptoms, which include chest pain, tiredness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Insulin resistance, which often develops years before the onset...