Free Republic

An Indigenous tribe from the Brazilian Amazon has sued The New York Times, saying the newspaper’s reporting on the tribe’s first exposure to the internet led to its members being widely portrayed as technology-addled and addicted to pornography. The Marubo Tribe of the Javari Valley, a sovereign community of about 2,000 people in the rainforest, filed the defamation lawsuit seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages this week in a court in Los Angeles. It also names TMZ and Yahoo as defendants, alleging that their stories amplified and sensationalized the Times’ reporting and smeared the tribe in the process....

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Kermit the Frog knows it's not easy being green — or graduating from college and entering the real world, especially during a time of economic uncertainty and political turmoil. Members of the University of Maryland's class of 2025 received their diplomas Thursday evening with sage advice from the amphibious Muppet ringing in their ears.

House Republicans passed their giant tax and budget bill Thursday, a political triumph for Speaker Mike Johnson despite its policy disappointments. The House bill had to pass because the alternative was a GOP failure to govern, but the Senate now has a chance to make it better. The House version does include some policy gains, notably preventing a $4.5 trillion tax increase next year if President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire. Lower tax rates for individuals are made permanent. The measure would restore full expensing, which encourages business investment, albeit only through 2029. The bill also doesn’t disturb the 21%...

In the Name of Health: First Reactions to the MAHA ReportThe first report from the Make America Healthy Again Commission is out, with a particular focus on children’s health. The relatively short report includes astonishing data on obesity, heart disease, diabetes, life expectancy, substance abuse, mental illness, and many other terribles. The report is a shock, a painful read, a five-alarm fire, and the charts alone are astonishing. It is embedded below for your reading misery. “This report—Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment—is a call to action. It presents the stark reality of American children’s declining health, backed by compelling...

In human trials, participants were able to detect Morse-code-like flickering from infrared LED sources and accurately judge the direction of the incoming signals. In a major step toward wearable superhuman technology, researchers have developed contact lenses that allow mice and humans to see in infrared without requiring any power source. The lenses enable simultaneous perception of both visible and infrared light, with applications ranging from security to assisting the visually impaired. The team engineered soft contact lenses embedded with specialized nanoparticles that convert near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (800–1600 nm) into visible light. These particles emit light in the 400–700 nm range—detectable...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” John 15:14–15To some, Jesus’ definition of friendship may, at first glance, seem odd. He says that we are His friends only when we do what He commands us to do. Imagine saying that to one of your best friends. Such a statement would most likely be met with a laugh and...

When's the last time you heard a song about Waxahachie? A couple of nights ago I (i.e., Traces of Texas, not POF) posted a song about Mineola and now this! Try not to tap your toes to this great song from Austin's @MonteWarden1. I read one review that said Monte's invented a whole new musical sound and I kind of agree. Comment by K45H, @HeyKA5H. Thanks for sharing! Guaranteed to lift your spirit and make those that love to dance, get up on the floor. Cool country w a jazz big band vibe. Closing my eyes takes me back to...

On December 2, 2023, in the modest gymnasium of a community college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, President Donald Trump addressed a raucous crowd of supporters. As he spoke about the enduring force of the movement he ignited in 2015, he paused to reflect on a man many had forgotten—but whose ideas are increasingly animating the rising generation of conservatives. “You know there was a man, Pat Buchanan, a good guy, a conservative guy,” Trump began. A sudden, collective cheer erupted from the left side of the stage—unmistakably youthful, unexpected in tone. “Wow! Young people, they know him,” Trump responded with...

The world’s first vaccine against gonorrhoea is set to be rolled out in the UK amid a surge in cases of the sexually transmitted infection. Initially the vaccine will not be available to everyone, with a focus on vaccinating gay and bisexual men with a history of multiple sexual partners or an STI. 85,000 cases of gonorrhoea were reported in 2023, the highest number since records began in the year 1918. The rollout of the vaccine is due to begin in August by NHS England, with NHS Scotland also looking into a similar rollout. Though the vaccine is understood to...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the terror attack in Washington, DC on Wednesday in a statement pointed on X on Thursday, adding: ‘Free Palestine’ is just today’s version of ‘Heil Hitler’.” Netanyahu was referring to the fact that the alleged murder, Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, shouted “Free, free Palestine!” and other familiar pro-Palestinian slogans after murdering two Israeli embassy staffers. Netanyahu also used his statement to slam the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, and Canada for their insistence that Israel stop the war in Gaza before Hamas had been disarmed and removed from authority. He said that...

At one time, most Americans (and virtually all academics) would have agreed with the famous saying, often attributed to Voltaire, “While I disagree with what you say, I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Over the last several decades, that has dramatically changed. Many academics now seem to embrace the opposite view—something like, “Since I disagree with what you say, I will do everything possible to silence you.” Is that an exaggeration? You won’t think so after reading Nicholas Wolfinger’s new book, Professors Speak Out: The Truth About Campus Investigations. Wolfinger, a sociology professor at the...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not hold back in his criticism of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The Israeli leader’s condemnation comes after the U.K., France and Canada issued a joint statement demanding that Israel end its military campaign in Gaza. In a video statement released on Thursday, Netanyahu said Hamas does not want a Palestinian state; rather, the terror group wants the destruction of the state of Israel. He questioned how this "simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others." Netanyahu went on to accuse...

A mini planetary parade will see Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn align above the horizon Astronomy enthusiasts are in for a celestial treat at dawn tomorrow, as a stunning mini planetary parade is set to grace our skies. The early hours of the morning will witness Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn aligning just above the horizon. The prospects of catching Uranus with the naked eye might be slim, but it's anticipated that avid sky-gazers across Britain could capture glances of other planets, with some spotted even without the need for binoculars. Shedding light on this space...

U2 frontman Bono on Thursday called for Israel to dump Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while urging freedom for the Hamas terrorist group’s hostages and an end to the war in Gaza. He revealed his list of geo-political demands on accepting an award in London, England, adding Israel would be best advised to act, and “be released from the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts.” Bono’s words of advice to Israel came 48-hours after he attacked the Trump administration for cuts to USAID: U2 were present at the 2025 Ivor Novello songwriting awards ceremony to receive the Fellowship of the...

The Department of Education has retracted a $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University after accusations of misleading tuition practices were challenged. The fine was reportedly the largest of its kind ever imposed by the Biden administration’s Education Department on any university. ... The U.S. Department of Education has retracted a $37.7 million dollar fine levied against Grand Canyon University (GCU) in Arizona following wrongful accusations that the school had misled students regarding the cost of tuition. GCU President Brian Mueller, celebrating the department’s May 16 reversal of its earlier decision, described the school as “a leader in innovation, transparency...

A stray dog survived a 45-minute coyote attack earlier this month in Orange County, fending off at least five coyotes that circled it in a residential neighborhood

Vitamin D supplements may help prevent the loss of telomeres, DNA sequences that shrink with aging, a large study shows. But the health effects aren’t yet clear Vitamin D supplements might slow cellular aging by preventing the loss of telomeres, DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that shorten in old age, a new study suggests. The health effects of these findings aren’t yet clear. Vitamin D had been touted as a panacea for a number of health conditions, from cardiovascular disease to bone loss. In 2020 a large randomized controlled trial of supplementation instead found benefits only in a...

WASHINGTON, Monday, March 22. The Committee on the Conduct of the War today adjourned sine die, submitting their report to the Secretary of the Senate. Gen. SHERMAN'S testimony was taken to-day. The first part of the evidence collected is in regard to the Army of the Potomac, concluding as follows: Your committee could not forbear asking the witnesses before them if the army, after all these indecisive movements and retrograde movements still retained confidence in its commanding Generals. Various answers were returned to this inquiry, all, however, tending to establish the fact that much discouragement had been felt by the...

50% is a reasonable tariff to place on the E U since we are going into 80 years of the Marshall plan to help Europe recover from World War 2. Eighty years, when Truman was president. I wasn't even born yet. It's time to cut these freeloaders loose. In addition, let's make them pay for their own defense. June 1 is as good a date as any.

-Yields on 20- and 30-year U.S. Treasurys are trading above 5.1%, amid lingering uncertainty around the U.S. economy. -One strategist told CNBC the U.S. is staring into an “emerging markets trap” as yields continue to rise. -Some investors are looking to diversify their fixed income allocation to other parts of the world.