Free Republic

The Empire State Building, the 102-story skyscraper on Fifth Ave. between West 33rd and 34th Streets in Midtown Manhattan stands 1,454 feet tall. It was the world’s tallest building for 39 years from its completion in 1931 until the World Trade Center’s North Tower was completed in 1970. It has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Excavation of the site began on January 22, 1930, and construction of the building began on March 17. The project involved 3,400 workers, mostly European immigrants, as well as hundreds of...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThe Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. John 3:35It’s interesting to note that the words of today’s Gospel appear to be from Saint John the Baptist, since they come within the context of his testimony to Jesus. Some commentators, however, suggest that they are words that were actually spoken by Jesus and that the Evangelist inserts them here as a continuation of the testimony of the Baptist, attributing them to Saint John. Regardless of who actually spoke these words, the line quoted above gives us much to reflect upon, in that...

“I will use my presidential authority to set import quotas. . . . We can manage the short-term shortages more effectively and we will, but there are no short-term solutions to our long-range problems. There is simply no way to avoid sacrifice.” — Jimmy Carter, the “malaise speech,” July 1979 “You don’t necessarily need a choice of 23 underarm spray deodorants or of 18 different pairs of sneakers when children are hungry in this country.” — Bernie Sanders, May 2015 “Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American Dream.” — Scott Bessent, March 2025. “[China] made a...

Owen McIntire, 19, is facing federal charges for allegedly tossing two Molotov cocktails into a Missouri Tesla dealership last month, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to two Cybertrucks and two charging stations, according to the feds. The University of Massachusetts physics student was granted release by US Magistrate Judge Jessica Hedges due to “serious and ongoing” medical needs — which include gender-affirming medical care that requires daily medication as well as mental health support, according to KMBC. McIntire is also on the autism spectrum and was diagnosed with both ADHD and depression, all of which require medications...

cis’ funeral in Rome, President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday evening what he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed during their viral meeting at the Vatican when both were in attendance for the late Pope Francis' funeral. "I was telling him that it's a very good thing if we can produce a deal, that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger," Trump said Tuesday evening during a town hall hosted by NewsNation, which he participated in by phone. The pair met face-to-face for the first time since their contentious Oval Office meeting in February, while both attended...

A RORATE Guide: The Who's Who of Bad Options in the ConclaveRorate has chosen to provide a list that is useful for identifying those who may not be the best choices available for the Cardinal Electors in the 2025 Conclave -- for doctrinal or moral reasons, or simply for reasons of administrative ineptitude.After 12 years of doctrinal disaster, moral ambiguity, and administrative authoritarianism and chaos, the Church deserves unity and peace.This is our guide of problematic Cardinals: if you hear one of the names below after the Habemus Papam... it could be a sign of trouble in the years ahead:...

Potatoes, often dismissed as fattening carbs, can actually lower the energy density of meals and, when prepared to boost fiber (e.g., boiled, cooled 24 hrs, skins on), support a 5.6% average weight loss and improved insulin resistance over eight weeks. By swapping 40% of meat or fish in entrées for these fiber-rich potatoes, participants ate satisfying portions without conscious calorie restriction, moderating blood glucose responses in people with obesity and insulin resistance. ************************************************************************ Potatoes can aid weight loss and blood sugar control when prepared properly, offering a satisfying, nutrient-rich addition to a healthy diet. Potatoes are one of the world’s...

Stephen Miller unleashes on the media's hypocrisy: "It is a sad reflection on the state of our media and many of the outlets represented in this room that you obsessively try to shill for this MS-13 terrorist... Each and every one of you that sides over and over again with these MS-13 terrorists, to the extent you have the financial means to do so, you all choose to live in condos or homes or houses as far away from these gangbangers as you possibly can." ... The ‘Compassion First’ strategy: extend empathy to violent offenders, forget their victims. Soft-on-crime, hard-on-common-sense.

MADISON, Wis. -- A Florida man who was found to have communicated with the Abundant Life Christian School shooter was arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a law enforcement facility. According to the arrest affidavit Damien Blade Allen and the 15-year-old girl who police say opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in December, killing two and injuring six, exchanged messages for months over TikTok. A joint investigation between FBI and US revealed Damien Blade Allen allegedly conspired with other individuals online to commit mass violence. Allen was also arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer. He allegedly...

As we all know, the judicial branch of the US government has been running amok for years, and are now flat out trying to destroy MAGA. Many freepers will rant off with knee-jerk comments like "impeach the judges" and "time for DJT to tell Boasberg to shove it" etc etc etc....... But I haven't really heard so many legitimate courses of action that DJT and co can do to reign in the judiciary. I obviously don't follow every word that comes from the WH so perhaps I've missed some stuff but I really hope they have some plan to deal...

McDonald’s sales dropped in the beginning of the year, marking the second consecutive quarter of declines as customers pull back their spending amid economic uncertainty. In the United States, its largest market, same-store sales dropped 3.6% — the chain’s worst drop since 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic when people were told to stay home. Net income for the first quarter was $1.87 billion, a decline from $1.93 billion compared to the same period a year ago. However, McDonald’s notes that since last year had a Leap Day, or an extra day to make money, that slightly hurt...

AP: What made you want to make “The Saints”? SCORSESE: I go back to my early childhood and respite and the sanctuary I found in St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. Not being able to play sports or be a tough guy in the streets. And, you know, the streets were pretty tough down there. I found a sanctuary in that place. It's now a basilica. The first Catholic Cathedral in New York in 1810, 1812. It figures in “Gangs of New York.” The Know Nothings and anti-immigration groups attacked it in 1844. Archbishop Hughes fought back. It’s a place rife with...

National security adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, will be leaving their posts in the Trump White House, according to multiple sources familiar with their departure. They are expected to leave Thursday, sources say. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Journalist Mark Halperin first reported the departures. In March, Waltz came under scrutiny after he put together a Signal chat and mistakenly included The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, disclosing discussions with top national security officials about plans for a military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. Goldberg published his account, and he initially...

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced late Wednesday that they had launched a drone attack targeting the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and accompanying warships in the Arabian Sea, in what they describe as part of a broader escalation against American and Israeli military assets in the region. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement that the operation involved multiple drones aimed at the USS Vinson and associated naval forces. This comes just 24 hours after a separate drone attack that allegedly forced the USS Harry S. Truman to retreat to the far northern Red Sea...

While baby names go out of fashion every generation, Britain has seen a resurgence in classic baby names during the first quarter of 2025, according to Good Housekeeping and multiple British media reports. The first name making a comeback: James While James has been a name of choice for many over the years, its popularity has dwindled in recent years. The name has roots in Hebrew, according to ancestry.com, and is derived from the biblical name ‘Yaakov,’ meaning 'Supplanter.' James was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus, making it a name of great religious significance in the Christian...

National security adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, will be leaving their posts in the Trump White House, according to multiple sources familiar with their departure. They are expected to leave Thursday, sources say. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Journalist Mark Halperin first reported the departures. In March, Waltz came under scrutiny after he put together a Signal chat and mistakenly included The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, disclosing discussions with top national security officials about plans for a military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. Goldberg published his account, and he initially...

April 25 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts town is under siege from an apparently territorial pileated woodpecker being blamed for damaging more than 25 vehicles in the area. Rockport resident Janelle Favaloro managed to capture a photo of the culprit caught in the act of targeting a vehicle with its jackhammer-like beak

Kohl’s has fired its newly installed CEO, who has spent less than five months in the position, after the retailer found that Ashley Buchanan engaged in unethical behavior. Buchanan’s dismissal was “for cause,” a rare rebuke of a business leader that carries serious weight in the business community. It comes after an investigation from an outside counsel found that he “violated company policies by directing the company to engage in vendor transactions that involved undisclosed conflicts of interest,” according to a press release. Kohl’s added that his termination is “unrelated to the company’s performance, financial reporting, results of operations and...

Recalling a sober moment he had while at Cornerstone Church, Chan said he baptized a kid from a gang but that kid later left though he was quite involved in the church. "One of my friends asked him, 'Hey, how come you're not at Cornerstone anymore?' He said 'I didn't understand church. When I was baptized, I thought that was going to be being jumped into the gang where it's like 24/7 they're my family, because I didn't know it was just somewhere we attend on Sundays." When Chan heard that, he said it made him sick. "That makes me...

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday mocked a new U.S.-Ukraine investment deal as forcing Kyiv to pay for military aid with its natural resources, calling Ukraine a “vanishing country.” -snip- “The Republican-led U.S. Senate is preparing to impose more ‘crushing sanctions’ against us. We’ll see how the new administration responds,” Medvedev wrote. “Trump’s ratings have gone down, and the ‘deep state’ is fiercely resisting him.”