Free Republic

Explanation: How do black holes create X-rays? Answering this long-standing question was significantly advanced recently with data taken by NASA’s IXPE satellite. X-rays cannot exit a black hole, but they can be created in the energetic environment nearby, in particular by a jet of particles moving outward. By observing X-ray light arriving from near the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy BL Lac, called a blazar, it was discovered that these X-rays lacked significant polarization, which is expected when created more by energetic electrons than protons. In the featured artistic illustration, a powerful jet is depicted emanating from...

There is nothing intrinsically conservative or essential to capitalism about free trade. In the 19th century, Western countries that were struggling to modernize their economies enacted tariffs to protect their infant industries. The exception to this rule was Great Britain, which was then the economic front-runner. Even Britain embraced tariffs before World War I as it began to fall behind other countries in its industrial might. Of course, even when England was still a free-trade country, its leaders acted not in the name of a purist capitalist principle but in pursuit of the best interest of their people. Those 19th-century...

“The Melville of science fiction” had a hand in bringing 1968’s most technologically advanced potato chip to the world.Plenty of writers have made certain foods or drinks iconic: Marcel Proust had his Madeleines, Hemingway his namesake Daiquiri. C.S. Lewis made kids who’d never tried it crave Turkish Delight. But there may be only one writer who helped create an iconic snack available in grocery stores everywhere: Gene Wolfe. This largely unheralded genius allowed generations worldwide to enjoy the Pringles Potato Crisp. How Gene Wolfe helped create Pringles Before he became a critically acclaimed writer of the Book of the...

Researchers have found a new way to test for water contamination. And it's thanks to our poop. In late 2024, researchers from Chungnam National University and Gyeongsang National University published their findings on a new technique for detecting fecal contamination in water using human viral DNA, known as microbial source tracking (MST), in the journal Water Research. And while this may make you let out a little "ew" under your breath, it's critical to know that fecal contamination is, in fact, a significant issue both globally and here in the United States. The World Health Organization explained, "In 2022, globally,...

Join us as we explore the topic of spirituality, specifically when it comes to demons and the Devil. Lucifer, an archangel created by God, also known as Satan, possesses remarkable power, yet it pales in comparison to the infinite power of his Creator God. Join Pastor Jack as he gives Biblical insights and opinions on the demonic spiritual realm, as well as what some denominations choose to talk and not talk about regarding this important topic. Video is 30:34 minutes long

The Justice Department on Friday opened an investigation into the planned Sharia City near Dallas, Senator Cornyn said. Last month Texas Governor Greg Abbott launched a campaign against a planned Islamic “mega-city” outside Dallas. The East Plano Islamic Center, via its affiliate Community Capitol Partners, is seeking to construct a 1,000-home settlement around 40 minutes from Dallas. The “Sharia City” would come complete with a mega mosque, Sharia adherent Muslim schools, community college, and sporting facilities. KHOU reported: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened an investigation into EPIC City, a Muslim-centric development proposed in Collin County, following calls...

Risks remain dangerously high, and health professionals say we shouldn’t confuse the government’s silence for safety.In late 2024 and into early 2025, headlines were everywhere—including many on FoodandWine.com—discussing the potential dangers of H5N1, otherwise known as avian influenza, or more simply, the bird flu. Hundreds of millions of birds, including millions of egg-laying hens, needed to be culled, resulting in a massive egg shortage that caused the price of a dozen eggs to skyrocket. One variant was later found in dairy cows, leading the U.S. government to implement a national milk testing strategy. Several humans (mostly dairy or farm workers)...

Iran is preparing to deliver in the near future launchers for short-range ballistic missiles that the U.S. said Tehran sent to Russia last year for use against Ukraine, according to two Western security officials and a regional official. The delivery of the Fath-360 launchers - if it occurs - would help support Russia's grinding assault on its neighbor and reaffirm the deepening security ties between Moscow and Tehran. With a 75-mile (120-km) range, the Fath-360 would give Moscow's forces a new weapon to fire at Ukrainian frontline troops, nearby military targets, and population centers close to the border with Russia,...

The Big Mac Index uses the humble burger to decode global currency shifts and hidden price pressures. It’s economic theory served with a clever side of insight.Key points The Big Mac Index uses the price of a McDonald’s Big Mac in different countries to compare currency values, offering a simplified look at purchasing power parity and how far your money really goes abroad. Originally created as a tongue-in-cheek tool by The Economist, the index has become a widely used economic reference, helping people understand currency misalignments without needing to decode complex financial data. While not a perfect measure — it...

The Catholic Church’s new Pope has publicly described migration as a “huge problem” even as he also urges Christians to treat migrants with respect. “It’s a huge problem, and it’s a problem worldwide, not only in this country. There’s got to be a way both to solve the problem, but also treat people with respect,” then-Cardinal Robert Prevost preached in a Catholic Mass, according to an undated video: His comments recognized both the Catholic Church’s universalist and idealist perspective and the practical management problem facing elected secular governments: Both the first [Old Testament] reading and the [New Testament] Gospel make...

Vietnam is experiencing an economic boom, making it increasingly attractive as a destination for high-net-worth foreigners. Vietnam has announced it will introduce a new 10-year golden visa programme. The Southeast Asian country is looking to attract long-term residents, investors and professionals from around the world. It hopes, in turn, that this will bolster Vietnam’s tourism sector and economy. Here’s everything we know so far about the golden visa. Vietnam’s new golden visa aims to attract foreign investors Vietnam is experiencing an economic boom, making it increasingly attractive as a destination for high-net-worth foreigners. Authorities are looking to capitalise on this...

United States Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday (May 8) that India and Pakistan should de-escalate tensions, but he added that the US cannot control the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours and a war between them would be "none of our business". "We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We can't control these countries though," Vance said in an interview on Fox News show The Story with Martha MacCallum. "What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally...

Scientists at CERN have turned lead into gold during high-speed experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), achieving a phenomenon once confined to ancient legend. The findings, published by the ALICE collaboration in Physical Review Journals, confirm that gold atoms can form under extreme conditions created during heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. While the transformation is temporary and cannot be harnessed for practical use, it marks a major scientific milestone. For centuries, alchemists have attempted to turn common metals into gold. This concept, once dismissed as pseudoscience, has now gained experimental footing. Researchers achieved the result by accelerating lead nuclei...

NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) — Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested for allegedly trespassing at an ICE facility in New Jersey on Friday afternoon, authorities said. “The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon,” Alina Habba, the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, posted on X.

Ex-Biden press secretary struggles to keep advertiser-coveted viewers.. MSNBC’s Jen Psaki bombed on Wednesday night. Psaki took over MSNBC’s coveted 9 p.m. ET timeslot on Tuesday through Fridays this week as "The Rachel Maddow Show" returned to only airing on Mondays, after Maddow temporarily returned to airing five nights a week during President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. Psaki, a former Biden administration press secretary, hosted "Inside" on Sundays and Mondays, and now hosts "The Briefing" at the critical hour. On Tuesday, Psaki’s "The Briefing" debuted with 1.2 million viewers and 139,000 in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults...

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressed hope Friday on MSNBC’s “Chris Jansing Reports” that the newly elected pope will speak out against the Trump administration’s mass deportations. Jansing said, “His social media was busy prior to becoming pope and is getting attention. It includes a post he shared just last month from a Catholic commentator who called out Trump and the president of El Salvador for laughing about the deportation of Rodrigo Garcia. And then in February, he also reposted an article from the National Catholic Reporter that was titled JD Vance is wrong, Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our...

VIDEOOne of the sad casualties of the current conflict between India and Pakistan is the Attari-Wagah flag lowering ceremony at their border that has been going on daily at dusk since 1959. In this video we see the winding down and eventual suspension of this highly surreal yet entertaining ceremony. Also we take a trip down memory lane to well before the current conflict to see some of what some of this ceremony was like. To finish it all off some Attari-Wagah border ceremony humor is presented.

I donated to 3 Republicans during the Summer of 2024. Since then I have been getting 15 to 30 texts every day from other Republicans asking for donations. Ninety percent of those requests appear to be sent out by a web site labeled WinRed. It appears to me WinRed collects web site info of donors and broadcasts that info to many other web sites of Republican candidates looking for donations. Of course at the end of most texts it says to enter stop to opt-out. That really does nothing to stop texts from different Republicans asking for money tomorrow. I...

Pinching pennies and landing a crew of astronauts on the Moon before a geopolitical rivalry aren't two endeavors that go hand-in-hand. The Trump administration released NASA's proposed 2026 discretionary budget last week. The federal space agency would see a $6 billion cut if implemented as written, roughly a 24% decrease compared to 2025. However, the White House is confusingly still committed to beating China to the lunar surface despite shuttering all the projects working towards that goal. The proposed 2026 budget has a 10% increase for human space exploration, but the $7 billion allocated won't be used for the significant...

Air Traffic Control lost radar for 90 seconds at Newark Airport on Friday. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there was a telecommunications outage at Newark Liberty International Airport. “There was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace. The outage occurred around 3:55 a.m. on Friday, May 9, and lasted approximately 90 seconds,” the FAA said on Friday morning. ... United Airlines pulled 35 round-trip flights a day following a radar outage at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey...