Free Republic

An Episcopal congregation here, after facing months of backlash from some neighbors in response to its proposal for a 17-bed homeless shelter, now has been targeted by ersey]the town for possible public seizure of the 11-acre church property through eminent domain. The congregation, Christ Episcopal Church, says the property is not for sale, yet the elected town council on April 30, during a raucous and contentious meeting, agreed to begin the process of buying or seizing the church and five other properties to create two new town parks. The Rev. Lisa A. Hoffman, Christ Church’s rector, said that a Toms...

Eighteen states sued the Trump administration Monday over its halting of permits for wind-energy projects, arguing that its actions posed an existential threat to the burgeoning industry.“This administration is devastating one of our nation’s fastest-growing sources of clean, reliable and affordable energy,” said Attorney General Letitia James of New York, which is one of the plaintiffs. She said the halt threatened “the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in investments” and was “delaying our transition away from the fossil fuels that harm our health and our planet.”The halt on federal permits for wind energy was first laid out...

Russia says Ukraine has launched an overnight drone attack targeting Moscow for the second night in a row. All four of the capital's major airports have been closed temporarily to ensure safety, Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said on Telegram. Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on social media at least 19 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed before they reached the city "from different directions". He said some of the debris had landed on one of the key highways into the city, but there were no casualties. Ukraine has not yet commented on the reports

An 88-year-old man and a dog were killed in apparently separate bear attacks near the victim's home in Florida, officials said. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call shortly after 7 a.m. Monday involving a "bear encounter." The attacks occurred "some time apart" on Monday, and the man and the dog were found within a couple of hundred yards of the area, according to FWC spokesperson George Reynaud. His daughter saw a bear attack the dog and then went looking for her father, who is believed to have been attacked earlier on Monday, Reynaud said.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed Monday a repeal of the District’s new minimum wage law for tipped workers, which she said is suffocating the city’s restaurant industry. However, city-council leaders suggested the measure may not have the backing of the legislative body. Ms. Bowser said her fiscal 2026 budget proposal includes returning to the prior system and the one used in most of the U.S., in which waiters, bartenders and similar professions that historically have relied mostly on tips have a separate and much lower minimum wage. She said this would lower costs for the District’s restaurateurs and strengthen a...

Kelly Spill didn’t cry when she was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer at age 28. She held her emotions together when her surgeon told her that she might not be able to carry another baby — treatment with radiation can significantly affect fertility — and that she might need to have a colostomy bag attached to her to collect her bodily waste after surgery.“I didn’t cry at both of those,” said Spill, who at the time was newly engaged and just months postpartum. After welcoming son Jayce into the world, she and her fiancé had planned to elope to...

Two commercial aircraft were ordered to abort landings at Reagan National Airport on Thursday after a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter entered airspace near the runway while en route to the Pentagon. Delta Air Lines Flight 1671, arriving from Orlando, and Republic Airways Flight 5825, arriving from Boston, were both directed to perform go-arounds by air traffic control at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time. “A UH-60 Blackhawk was directed by Pentagon Air Traffic Control to conduct a ‘go-around,’ overflying the Pentagon helipad in accordance with approved flight procedures,” said US Army spokesperson Capt. Victoria Goldfedib in a statement. ”As a...

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a sweeping purge of senior Pentagon leadership, demanding a 20% reduction in four-star generals and admirals across all branches, according to a memo obtained by CNN. Hegseth’s memo frames the cuts as “critical” for “removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership.” As of February 2025, the U.S. military has 38 active-duty four-star officers across its branches: 11 in the Army, 3 in the Marine Corps, 8 in the Navy, 12 in the Air Force, 3 in the Space Force, and 1 in the Coast Guard.

People living in San Francisco who earn over $100,000 a year are considered low-income, according to a new report. The report was released by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) last month. In San Francisco, the report states, a single-person household with income of $109,700 is considered low-income. A two-person household with an income of $125,350 would similarly be classed as low-income. The HCD’s report crunches federal income data, takes into account household size, and then calculates five categories of income, ranging from acutely low to moderate. The determinations are then leveraged to determine who is eligible...

Speaking in parliament, he stressed that no one can tell Budapest what decision it is to make on Ukraine’s accession to the European UnionBUDAPEST, May 5. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that he was forced into an open conflict with Vladimir Zelensky because he heard a blatant threat in his words. Speaking in parliament, he stressed that no one can tell Budapest what decision it is to make on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. The Hungarian prime minister noted that until recently he has been trying to avoid spats with Zelensky and ignore his provocative remarks...

President Trump’s Education Department warned Harvard University Monday that the Ivy League school is no longer eligible for new federal grants — until they address rampant, flagrant antisemitism on campus and otherwise “demonstrates responsible management.” In a lengthy letter to university President Alan Garber, Education Secretary Linda McMahon charged that Harvard “has made a mockery of this country’s higher education system.” “It has invited foreign students, who engage in violent behavior and show contempt for the United States of America, to its campus,” she added. “In every way, Harvard has failed to abide by its legal obligations, its ethical and...

Embattled kicker Justin Tucker was cut by the Ravens on Monday, general manager Eric DeCosta announced. The news comes 24 hours after head coach John Harbaugh had adamantly told reporters that any decision on Tucker’s future would be “based on football.” Tucker had been accused of inappropriate behavior by 16 massage therapists in the Baltimore area during a span between 2012 and 2016, which had first been reported by the Baltimore Banner in January. The longtime Ravens kicker has denied the accusations on multiple occasions, saying that they were “simply not true.”

Senior Officials from Attorney General’s Office Witnessed Declaration During Critical Period Before Trump Fraud Trial When New York Attorney General Letitia James signed a sworn legal document declaring her intent to make a Virginia home her “principal residence,” she wasn’t alone. Two senior officials from her own office—including her First Deputy Attorney General—acted as witnesses, raising critical ethical and legal questions about state resources, residency qualifications, and misuse of official authority. These staffers will likely face interviews as federal authorities investigate potential mortgage fraud. This declaration came just 45 days before James launched her landmark civil fraud case against Donald...

An entrepreneur facing skyrocketing costs due to tariffs conducted an experiment to see whether customers would voluntarily pay more for a product made in America. "The result was, unfortunately, disappointing," Ramon van Meer told Fox News Digital. "We sold zero ‘Made in the USA’ shower heads."

Portnoy is fed up after he says an antisemitic sign was shown at his Barstool bar in Philadelphia. What they're saying: Dave Portnoy took to social media Sunday to address an antisemitic incident that occurred at Barstool Sansom Street Saturday night. According to Portnoy, when patrons order bottle service at the bar, signs are typically shown and displayed.

SAN DIEGO — (AP) — A small boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized early Monday off San Diego's coast and left three people dead and four injured, while U.S. Coast Guard crews were searching for nine others, officials said. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Sappey said it was unclear where the boat was coming from before it flipped shortly after sunrise about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the Mexico border. He described the vessel as a panga, single or twin-engine open fishing boats commonly used by smugglers. “They were not tourists,” Sappey said. “They are believed...

Abbott’s statement: “(It is) a significant achievement (by Anthony Albanese) to be the first Prime Minister since John Howard and the first Labor Prime minister since Bob Hawke to be returned to government ……… What I really do want to say though is to reassure people who voted Liberal (in Australia that means conservative because the biggest conservative party is called the Liberal Party) today and people who normally vote for the coalition not to lose heart. At our best we are the freedom party. We are the tradition party. We are the patriot party and at our best I...

Dozens of Israeli warplanes have carried out airstrikes on targets in Yemen as the Arab nation’s military forces escalate operations in response to foreign aggression and Israeli atrocities.

Scott Pelley’s 60 Minutes segment on Sunday started with a disclaimer, as if he knew the segment critical of President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at curtailing frivolous political lawsuits was a more than a tad biased. “It was nearly impossible to get anyone on camera for this story, because of the fear now running through our system of justice,” Pelley explained. What he actually meant is likely that CBS leadership didn’t insist that he offer a balanced segment by finding credible sources on both sides of the topic. When Pelley introduced Democrat operative Marc Elias, the disclaimer made sense....

Shauna Niequist's mom had spent almost all of her adult life being a pastor's wife, mother, and homemaker. She excelled in all of these roles. But 17 years in, she walked into a counselor's office and said, "I don't know who I am anymore. Something has to change." Through counseling, friendships, and prayer, says Niequist, her mother unearthed the gifts and passions that had drawn her to a social work degree. "I found my voice in my 40s and my vocation in my 50s..." Betty Friedan would have been proud. Surprised, too, perhaps, to see her ideas—dissected and debated for...