Free Republic

Archaeologists have unearthed a sarcophagus during ongoing excavation work at the St. Nicholas Church in Demre, Antalya, shedding light on the ancient past of the historical site. The church, believed to be located near the burial place of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra and the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus, has been a site of important archaeological findings for years. The discovery was made in the church’s two-story annex, which has been under excavation since 1989. SNIP

Michelle Obama has shared insight into how she and her husband Barack Obama overcome their marriage problems, while also laying bare continuous body image issues. While the former first lady, 60, and ex-president, 63, celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary in October, it took them 'a lot of practice' to learn how they can conquer their disagreements. Getting candid about how they deal with conflict in her new book, Overcoming: A Workbook, Michelle admitted that she runs a 'lot hotter' than her husband does and that it takes her significantly more time to be ready to unpack an argument. 'My brain...

Backgrounder The Government of Canada has taken further strong steps to tackle gun crime and to uphold its commitment to keep cities and communities safe. Extended prohibition of assault-style firearms As part of its comprehensive approach, on December 5, 2024, the Government announced the prohibition of more military style assault-style firearms. Accompanying the prohibition is an amnesty order, which expires on October 30, 2025, that protects businesses and owners while they come into compliance with the law. The amnesty also provides a temporary exception for Indigenous peoples’ exercising a right under section 35 of the Constitution Act, as well as...

Romania's constitutional court on Friday canceled the country's presidential election following allegations of Russian interference in favour of the far-right frontrunner, just two days ahead of the run-off. Georgescu, a former senior civil servant, had been due to face centrist mayor Elena Lasconi in Sunday's runoff. "It is basically a formalised coup d'etat... Our democracy is under attack," Georgescu, 62, said in a video message, calling on Romanians to "remain faithful to our common ideal. "They will not be able to stop me. And they cannot stop the Romanian people from what they want to change," he told local media....

Chuck Norris has revealed his mother, Wilma, has died at the age of 103. The “Walker, Texas Ranger” star announced his mom’s death in a post on Instagram Friday. Norris, 84, shared a series of photos with his mother and said she passed away earlier this week. “Wednesday morning, my brother Aaron and I’s wonderful mother went home to be with Jesus,” Norris captioned his post. “Our mom was a woman of unwavering faith, a beacon of light in our lives, and her love reflected God’s grace.” “Growing up, her laughter filled our home with joy, and her hugs provided...

The Village People’s lyricist and lead singer has hit out at the “false assumption” that the band’s biggest hit, “YMCA,” is a “gay anthem.” Victor Willis, who headed up the 1970s disco band and wrote the song with producer Jacques Morali, has taken to social media to insist that it was not written with the gay community in mind – and that those who suggest otherwise could soon face legal action. “There’s been a lot of talk, especially of late, that Y.M.C.A. is somehow a gay anthem,” Willis, who wrote the lyrics for the 1978 hit, said on Facebook on...

• Syrian rebels are speeding toward the major city of Homs, where residents are fleeing ahead of potential clashes between the rebels and regime forces. • The rebels seized Hama to the north on Thursday, the second major city taken from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in just over a week of fighting. • A new uprising has also emerged in the southern Daraa province, with rebels there claiming to have taken a major military base and announcing that their “destination is Damascus.” • Russia’s embassy in Syria has urged its citizens to leave the country, citing “the difficult military and...

Former President Barack Obama declared that if "one side" attempts to cement "a permanent grip on power" through "suppressing votes," "politicizing" the military or weaponizing the judiciary and criminal justice system to target opponents, "a line has been crossed." His comments came even as many Americans believe that President-elect Donald Trump has been unfairly targeted in unwarranted politically motivated cases. Obama made the comments during a speech on Thursday during the Obama Foundation's Democracy Forum. The speech marked his first public remarks following the 2024 election. "You see, it's easy to give democracy lip service when it delivers the outcomes...

Chelsea Manning has been arrested along with more than a dozen others for storming the women's restroom on Capitol Hill in protest of Republicans' congressional transgender bathroom ban. Activists led by the Gender Liberation Movement held gathered outside of Speaker Mike Johnson's office in the Cannon House Office Building on Thursday. The group held banners that read 'Flush Bathroom Bigotry and Congress Stop P**sing on Our Rights' and chanting 'Speaker Johnson, Nancy Mace, our genders are not a debate!' Among the protesters were Manning, a 36-year-old former Army intelligence analyst, who was taken into custody and charged with crowding, obstructing...

Trans protestors showed at the capitol to protest Nancy Mace's trans bathroom ban. Unfortunately for them they were arrested but unfortunately for the rest of us, released the same day. The trans activists don't realize that they have lost favor with the public so these protests probably won't be too successful.

Russia's ability to outmatch Ukraine with artillery barrages on the battlefield has significantly reduced to just 1.5 Russian rounds for every Ukrainian shell fired back, Western officials have said. This compares with Russian forces launching at least five times as many artillery rounds as Ukraine could in the war previously - with the ratio at times much higher even than that. The Western officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, put the levelling out down to a "wide variety of factors". These factors include limitations in Russia's defence production lines, difficulties with transporting more rounds to the frontline by rail,...

[Catholic Caucus] Join the novena for the conversion of Pope Francis starting December 8From December 8 to December 17, LifeSite readers are invited to take part in a nine-day novena dedicated to the conversion of Pope Francis and restoration of the Catholic Church.Please pledge to pray the novena here and get your copy of the novena prayer.STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (LifeSiteNews) — LifeSiteNews readers are warmly invited to take part in a nine-day novena dedicated to the conversion of Pope Francis and restoration of the Catholic Church.Organized by the Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima, the novena is set to take place...

Mayor Eric Adams on Friday refused to rule out joining the GOP as he readies himself for a re-election bid among a crowded field of Democrats. The Democratic mayor, who was previously a member of the Republican Party from 1995 through 2002, left things open-ended during two interviews. “Would you ever consider rejoining the GOP?” Adams was asked during his first sit-down of the day with NY1. Hizzoner responded, “The party that’s most important for me is the American party. “I’m a part of the American party. I love this country,” Adams said.

A web page listing the corporate leadership team behind Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), one of America's biggest health insurers, has disappeared from the company's website. The disappearance of the page listing the provider's 25 highest-ranking employees was highlighted in a post shared to the r/antiwork subreddit on Reddit by the user u/wendysdrivethru. The web page appeared to have vanished after the fatal shooting of CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, in New York in what police described as a "premeditated, preplanned targeted attack." Newsweek has reached out to Anthem BCBS via email for comment. (snip) The sudden disappearance of...

Could North Carolina have a new U.S. Senator in 2026? Experts say it is possible as questions swirl around Senator Thom Tillis’ chances of winning re-election. New polls out this week show a close race in a potential Republican primary. A poll conducted by Florida-based firm Victory Insights showed Lara Trump, the current GOP Chair and President-elect’s daughter-in-law, as the strong favorite. Pollsters found that among surveyed Republican voters, 65 percent preferred Trump, while only 11 percent would back Tillis. Western Carolina Professor Chris Cooper said Tillis first fell out of favor among the GOP when the state party censured...

Europe owes a huge debt of gratitude to America for various reasons, particularly during pivotal moments in history. Some key contributions where America saved Europe's bacon include: World War I: The United States entered World War I in 1917, tipping the balance in favor of the Allies. The influx of American troops and resources helped end the war, leading to the eventual defeat of the Central Powers. World War II:America played a crucial role in the defeat of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan. Beyond military support, the U.S. provided economic aid through programs like the **Lend-Lease Act**, which...

2017 White House & NYC Christmas Decorating - Silver Bells - Mitch Miller

[Catholic Caucus] Fr. Heimerl: Francis’ ‘synodal church’ is controlled by old homosexual menThe barque of the Church is experiencing something like the mutiny on the Bounty, but with one crucial difference: the captain is here with the mutineers, and those who, like Bishop Strickland, close themselves off to the ‘gay’ mutiny almost have their backs to the wall.There are men who are like lonely callers in the desert, and we know from the Bible that it is usually the Spirit of God that rests on such men.Joseph Strickland, the emeritus Bishop of Tyler, Texas, who was unjustly deposed by Francis,...

“From the civil rights community, we’ve been saying he ought to be pardoning people like Marilyn Mosby, who was the prosecutor in Baltimore, Jesse Jackson Jr. the congressman. I have a brother in Alabama who was doing civil work, Reverend Kenny Glasgow. We’re looking at people that need pardons that have come out and done well, served the community. That ought to be the standard. I think to forecast what people may face I think is something that should be discussed, but I would hope he also looks at pardoning people that have maybe made a mistake but turned around...

What do the coastal Democrat elite say when they’re pumping themselves up just to poke down on the rest of us? “The Rule of Law.” They say it and repeat it again and again. They speak with reverence and passion as if they were speaking of something holy. But they don’t believe in it. Not one word. Like so many declarations made by the Democrat left, it is just a part of their public theater. It is as authentic as a drag queen applying his lipstick before going out to dance for the preschoolers at your local woke library. And...