Free Republic

The unexpected costs of being too nice to your chatbot.Recently, I said, “Thank you,” to my printer. Not because it did anything heroic, unless printing out a mildly off-center PDF counts as gallantry, but because I’m apparently the kind of person who anthropomorphizes anything with a plug. You’d think this sort of thing would stop with childhood dinosaurs (the remote-controlled ones), but no. Now, we’re all doing it—toasters, chatbots, the vacuum cleaner—and it’s getting weird.Take ChatGPT. People are writing things like, “Could you please write a sonnet about my goldfish who died in 2003? Thank you sooo much, kind machine.”...

Poland has elected Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian and staunch nationalist, as its next president in a closely watched vote that signals a resurgence of right-wing populism in the heart of Europe. Nawrocki, who is set to take office on Aug. 6, is expected to shape the country’s domestic and foreign policy in ways that could strain ties with Brussels while aligning the Central European nation of nearly 38 million people more closely with the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States. Here are some key takeaways: Nawrocki’s victory underscores the enduring appeal of nationalist rhetoric among about...

Democrat/Progressive Blue is your color. You consider yourself progressive and your politics reflect that. You are most likely pro-choice, pro-environment, and pro-gun control. Religion may not be very important to you, but you are likely to support tax increases to fund social programs. Unless you are seeking the solitude of a small town, you will most likely want to focus your attention on the Front Range, particularly Denver and Boulder. While well-known mountain towns such as Aspen and Vail tend to lean left, more abundant job opportunities and lower housing costs in Denver and Boulder generally fit the needs of...

NATIONAL ROCKY ROAD DAY National Rocky Road Day on June 2 celebrates the combination of chocolate ice cream, marshmallows, and nuts all in one! Whether you like Rocky Road ice cream in a bowl, on a cone, or straight out of the container, we know this delicious food holiday is going to be a big celebration. #RockyRoadDay Although Rocky Road comes in many variations, traditionally, the ice cream includes chocolate ice cream, nuts, and marshmallows. Today, there are variations with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, and almonds. People have been enjoying this delicious combination for many years. There are varying...

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) assailed the Big Beautiful Bill's cuts to Medicaid as "an unfair assault on the heath of America's most vulnerable people. Millions will be denied coverage. Others will be forced to work in order to get health care. When voters find out what Republicans are doing they will vote them out of office." Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind) defended the legislation, saying "if you think about the four things that we're doing in Medicaid to strengthen it, you'll see that we're removing any payments that are illegal, ineligible or duplicate, and we're ensuring that able-bodied adults have a...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo XIV: "Marriage is not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman: a love that is total, faithful and fruitful"As soon as we were born, we needed others in order to live; left to ourselves, we would not have survived. Someone else saved us by caring for us in body and spirit. All of us are alive today thanks to a relationship, a free and freeing relationship of human kindness and mutual care.That human kindness is sometimes betrayed. As for example, whenever freedom is invoked not to give life, but to...

This morning, Trump Administration officials took to the airwaves to describe how the One Big Beautiful Bill will be an economic boon for working Americans, the soaring nature of the Trump economy, and more.Here’s what you missed:Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought on State of the UnionOn lowering the deficit: “This bill doesn’t increase the deficit or hurt the debt. In fact, it LOWERS it by $1.4 trillion.”On protecting Medicaid: “This bill will preserve and protect the programs, the social safety net, but it will make it much more common sense.”On cancer research funding: “We actually want it...

[Catholic Caucus] June must be rededicated to the Sacred Heart of JesusWe are living in a new Christian missionary age. Two very different visions of human love and the dignity of human sexuality are contending for the heart, soul, and future of the West.The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Catholic Church. On the Friday after the Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we even celebrate a Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.The Church, as mother and teacher, invites the faithful to spend the whole month reflecting on...

Left-wing climate activist Greta Thunberg is sailing to Gaza aimed at breaking Israel’s naval blockade. Thunberg and 11 other left-wing activists set sail on Sunday afternoon on a boat operated by Freedom Flotilla Coalition. They departed from the port of Catania in southern Italy. Reportedly, the group plans to reach the Gaza strip on the “Madleen” and bring aid. “The moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide,” Thunberg claimed...

If we cut through all the polite pretending, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appears on Fox News to tell the bobble head the nation specific tariffs are going to hit regardless of what approaches need to be taken. President Trump is going to remain focused on structural changes to the global economic system of trade, manufacturing and USA commerce despite all of the grandiose efforts of the multinationals and their Lawfare foot soldiers.As Lutnick again repeats, there are a variety of legal mechanisms that can be used to enforce the tariff program triggered by President Trump. Adhering to them is not...

That today’s (2) peace negotiations in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine have flopped is hardly surprising. On the one hand, Russian Federation forces have conquered around 20 settlements in a single week, and their offensive on the Northern Sumy and Kharkov regions have the real potential of breaking down the undermanned and underequipped Ukrainian defenses. Mood at the Istanbul talks — Ukraine’s Defense Minister Umerov cracks a smile, while Putin’s aide Medinsky remains serious pic.twitter.com/9TDU3xBzQ3 — RT (@RT_com) June 2, 2025 But on the other hand, Ukraine arrived for the talks boosted by the success of yesterday’s drone attack on...

8:41 AM PT -- San Antonio PD tells TMZ ... Sigfredo Alvarez-Cega was arrested and charged with murder. Bond has been set at $200K. Actor Jonathan Joss -- best known for his work in the animated series "King of the Hill" -- has died after being shot by a neighbor in Texas, TMZ has learned. According to the San Antonio Police Dept. and eyewitnesses ... Joss got into a heated argument with his neighbor at a house on the city's south side Sunday night -- leading to a bloody confrontation. Police say the unidentified neighbor whipped out a gun and...

[Catholic Caucus] Fr. James Martin urges Catholics to celebrate LGBT ‘Pride Month’The Jesuit priest said the pro-LGBT celebration affirms ‘human dignity’ and aligns with the Sacred Heart devotion, despite Church teaching to the contrary.As in previous years, Father James Martin has urged Catholics to celebrate “Pride month,” saying that “for the LGBTQ community” it is “a recognition of the human dignity of a group of people who have, for centuries been, treated with contempt, rejection and violence.”Amid the rise of LGBT ideology in secular society, the prominence of marking June as “Pride month” has similarly grown.For the Jesuit Martin, it...

Major airlines said Monday they oppose a new effort to advance legislation that would reduce fees charged by Visa and Mastercard on transactions, saying the bill could force them to stop offering rewards credit cards that give consumers frequent flyer miles for making transactions. American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others including Boeing, Airbus and GE Aerospace, said in a letter to senators the legislation sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) could sharply reduce air travel and harm overall tourism. Airlines generate billions of dollars annually in fees for branded credit cards. Durbin has called...

Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said Monday on CNN’s “News Central” that officers with the Department of Homeland Security had no right to enter his congressional office and briefly detained a staff member. Co-host Kate Bolduan said, “Last week, federal officers with DHS were seen going into your district office in New York. They handcuffed and detained one of your aides for a period of time.” She asked, “What is your view of what happened?” Nadler said, “Well, my view is what happened is outrageous. My first concern was for the safety of of my staff member, and I didn’t say...

If you come at a career business savant like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, you better not miss. CBS Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan hilariously had to learn that the hard way on Sunday. Brennan tried to corner the Treasury Department head from a number of fronts on the economy, such as tariffs and inflation. In response, Bessent repeatedly made Brennan look completely foolish. Regarding inflation in particular, Brennan whipped out a piece by anti-Trumper strategist Karl Rove (whom she dubbed a “conservative”), arguing that Walmart wouldn’t be able to break even if it just ate the tariffs President Donald...

https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/55733 So what exactly are the Americans proposing to Iran regarding uranium enrichment, and why is it not working so far? According to foreign reports, the US is proposing to establish a kind of multinational corporation that will enrich uranium for several countries in the Middle East that are interested in a civilian nuclear program (for example, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and perhaps Turkey and Egypt). The member states will be the joint owners of the corporation, and thus Iran will be able to exercise the right it strongly demands - to enrich uranium itself and not...

A Trump Administration official was put into harm’s way today, just one day after an anti-semitic illegal alien terrorist burned several Jews alive in Colorado. Navy Secretary John Phelan spoke today at the Special Competitive Studies Project Conference (SCSPAIExpo25) at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in DC to discuss various topics, including maritime dominance and artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, a few unwelcome guests made life miserable for the rest of the attendees. While Phelan is speaking, he notices a major commotion behind him. A few seconds later, the camera cuts to a handful of pro-Hamas losers holding a large sign...

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to take up a case involving questions surrounding federal candidate litigation of state election regulations. Known as Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections, the case offers the nation’s highest court with the opportunity to provide a definitive ruling on the issue of whether a federal candidate who has demonstrated substantiated factual allegations has standing to challenge state-enacted election laws and rules. As The Federalist previously reported, “Standing has been a contentious issue in election litigation” and was at the “forefront of several prominent lawsuits filed contesting the 2020 presidential election cycle, as...

They’ll have fries with that. An Uber Eats driver is spilling the beans on a host of unsavory behind-the-scenes behavior committed by the culinary couriers — from purposefully slowing down when customers are rude, to swiping your precious food. “I don’t make a habit of it, but yeah, I’ve taken fries,” Tom, 33, who asked to keep his surname anonymous to avoid losing his job, told UK license plate firm Plates Express, The Sun reported. The deliveryman admitted that while he tries to remain “professional,” sometimes he just can’t resist the urge to pilfer from a customer’s order, especially when...