Free Republic

Newark Liberty International Airport is “not safe” for travelers, one air traffic controller at the has reportedly warned. “It is not safe. It is not a safe situation right now for the flying public,” the federal air safety employee reportedly told NBC News correspondent Tom Costello. “Really an incredible statement, unsolicited. He just said that to me, and separately, ‘Don’t fly into Newark. Avoid Newark at all costs,’” Costello recounted on MSNBC. The airport, which saw 24.3 million passengers and is the second busiest in the New York City area, has been drowning in delays and cancellations for days. Federal...

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation on Saturday to create a $1 billion fund for school voucher programs — the largest day-one school choice bill in the nation’s history. Abbott was joined by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, the bill’s author State Sen. Brandon Creighton, and school choice advocates. The governor celebrated the bill’s passage by a vote of 85-63 in the Texas House two weeks ago. “Today is the culmination of a movement that has swept across our state and across our country,” Abbott said before signing the bill. “A movement driven by parents...

Just months into Donald Trump's second term, a new round of polling has delivered a jolt to Democrats, revealing that Trump is more trusted than them in Congress. Why It Matters Recent polls have shown Trump's approval ratings declining and his popularity at an all-time low. Despite this, polls still seem to show that Trump is commanding more trust than his main opposition party. This dynamic not only strengthens Trump's hand as he advances his second-term agenda but also signals a daunting challenge for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms—one that could further erode their influence at both state and...

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia did not initiate its military operation in Ukraine any earlier because it believed in the Minsk agreements and aimed to resolve the Donbass issue peacefully.Russia did not prepare specifically for a military operation, but instead sought a peaceful resolution to the Donbass conflict, Vladimir Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin in a documentary dedicated to the 25th anniversary since the president's first inauguration. The country could not proceed with drastic action on Ukraine without first addressing key issues in the spheres of security and the economy. The president pointed out that the United States is...

Below is a time-stamped summary of the testimony of Dr. Eric W Davis to the House UAP Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee. This occurred last Thursday, May 1st. [0:01] Opening Question: Davis is asked about UAP propulsion, materials, and energy sources. [0:20] Speculation on Propulsion: UAPs may use warp bubbles consistent with general relativity. He speculates they exhibit localized distortions of space-time, but not faster-than-light travel. [0:58] Negative Energy Concept: Describes exotic energy requirements, such as negative energy density, citing phenomena like the Casimir effect and squeezed light. [2:18] Quantum Vacuum & Gravity: Explains how gravity from Earth interacts...

Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s top health official, co-authored the preprint paper.. Florida adults who received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine were more likely to die following vaccination than Moderna COVID-19 recipients, according to a new preprint study that was co-authored by Florida’s top health official. Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s surgeon general, and other researchers identified nearly 9.2 million Florida adults not living in institutions who received at least two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine less than six weeks apart between Dec. 18, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021. They narrowed the group to nearly 1.5 million, half who received Pfizer’s vaccine...

John Fetterman’s camera-thirsty wife has done him dirty. New York Magazine published a hit piece on the Pennsylvania senator Friday, airing grievances from his staffers who are concerned about his mental health, his views on the Israel-Gaza War. The piece also shed light on Fetterman’s relationship with his left-wing wife, Gisele, who secretly communicated with his staff and made a political disagreement into a full-blown argument. ... Gisele visited her husband’s senate office in November 2023, weeks after Hamas attacked Israel, and got into a heated debate about the burgeoning war and her husband’s support for the Israeli state. Gisele...

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told an audience of Democrats in New Hampshire "it's time to fight everywhere and all at once. Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now. These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace." The group of Democratic activists, officials and donors jumped to their feet with hoots and applause. They shouted out questions and ideas on how they might turn voters against Trump and other Republicans. "Should we block rush hour traffic? Should we help MS-13 gangsters elude ICE arrest? Should we firebomb Tesla dealerships?...

Just moments into President Donald Trump's latest sitdown at Mar-a-Lago with NBC News' "Meet the Press," Trump was forced to rebuke bias by host Kristen Welker's line of questioning, even if the interview ultimately featured Welker changing her tone and even smiling and adopting Trump's messaging."Whoa, whoa, whoa, this is such a dishonest interview already," Trump told Welker in a wide-ranging interview to mark his administration's 100 days milestone this week, blasting her for cherry-picking data points to tarnish his work in contrast to massive Biden-era inflation – by suggesting using tariffs to leverage a reworking a global trade order...

An Army Black Hawk helicopter decided to take the “scenic route” near the Pentagon—and came way too close to two passenger planes trying to land in D.C. Both jets were forced to pull up at the last second—one was just 450 feet from the ground. This is the same Army brigade involved in a January crash that killed 67 people, the worst U.S. aviation disaster in over 20 years. Officials are fuming, again. And Reagan Airport? Still dealing with controller shortages, near-misses, and—oh yeah—a literal fistfight in the control tower last year. Flying into D.C. is starting to feel like...

Last night, President Donald J. Trump renewed his call for Congress to pass the “one big, beautiful bill” and once again deliver the largest tax cuts in history to the American people.Loading…In addition to finally exempting tips, overtime, and seniors’ Social Security from taxes, here’s what else that means:Real wages will go up by as much as $3,300/year.Take-home pay for median-income households will increase by as much as $5,000/year.Short-run real GDP will be boosted by 3.3-3.8% and long-run real GDP by 2.6-3.2%.4.1 million jobs will be saved.

Federal transportation safety officials were investigating on Friday after two commercial flights aborted landings because an Army helicopter had entered the airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where helicopter traffic has been restricted since a fatal collision in January.Air traffic controllers instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825 to abort their landings around 2:30 p.m. Thursday because of the helicopter’s presence, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which has begun an investigation along with the National Transportation Safety Board.The helicopter was a Black Hawk headed to the nearby Pentagon, the safety board said.Both planes later...

By making extensive gains in a set of local elections held on Thursday in England, Nigel Farage, one of Britain’s best known supporters of President Trump and the leader of the anti-immigration Reform U.K. party, consolidated his reputation as the country’s foremost political disrupter. But he may have done something bigger still: blown a hole in the country’s two-party political system. For nearly all of the past century, power in Britain has alternated between the governing Labour Party, now led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the opposition Conservatives, who last year selected a new leader, Kemi Badenoch. ...Still reeling...

Ukraine's internal security bureau said on Tuesday that it had detained four people after investigating the supply of 120,000 defective mortar shells to its troops. The Security Service of Ukraine, also known as the SBU, wrote on its Telegram channel that the people arrested included a military official, a quality control official, and two heads of a defense manufacturing business. The announcement came six months after Ukrainian media reported complaints from some frontline units that their 120 mm mortar shells weren't firing or would fail to explode.

Ukraine is getting more help in its war with Russia. A Patriot air-defense system that was based in Israel will be sent to Ukraine after it is refurbished, four current and former U.S. officials said in recent days, and Western allies are discussing the logistics of Germany or Greece giving another one. ...The White House’s National Security Council does not provide details on the strength and placement of defense systems, said James Hewitt, a spokesman for the council The delivery, which has not been previously reported, comes as Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine, including an April 24...

Democrats would root for tooth decay over oral hygiene and Snidely Whiplash over Dudley Do-Right. Something about them is clearly not right. To wit: California Democrats have yet again blocked efforts to strengthen protections against underage sex trafficking, this time in the form of a bill to make it a felony to purchase 16- or 17-year-olds for sex. But, hey, who are we to judge if a California Democrat — or someone from a “marginalized” group -- wants to purchase a 16 or 17-year-old for sex? Meanwhile, Minnesota Democrats killed an amendment to a crime and public safety bill that...

Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) said President Donald Trump’s tariffs caused the world to see the United States as an “unreliable partner.” Host George Stephanopoulos said, “I think you identified the tariffs as the number one issue. Liberation Day is probably the most consequential day of the first 100 days. Is there an exit strategy for Donald Trump on this? He asked, “Can he make this sort of series of deals that limit the damage?”

Excluding candidates from standing in elections may be a legally sound option to protect democracy from anti-democratic forces. But it is an insufficient solution on its own. Romania and France have recently banned candidates from running in forthcoming elections, causing uproar domestically and internationally. While the circumstances and the reasons behind the bans are very different, the barring of candidates raises similar questions in both countries: are bans justified and, even if they are, do they harm democracy? When are election bans justified? Banning political parties or politicians on the basis of their politics is seen as a measure of...

President Donald Trump said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the tariffs would make the United States a rich nation. Trump said, “The tariffs are going to make us rich. We’ll be a very rich country.” Host Kristen Welker said, “At your cabinet meeting, you said, ‘Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls would cost a couple of bucks more than you would normally.’ Are you saying that the tariffs will cause some prices to go up?” Trump said, “No, I think the tariffs will be great for us because...