Free Republic

US President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to hike H-1B visa fees to $100,000 has prompted policymakers in Delhi to woo skilled Indians back home.A bureaucrat, who works closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently said that the government was actively encouraging overseas Indians to return and contribute to nation-building. Yet, another member of the PM's economic advisory council told a media conclave that H-1B visas have always served the interests of the host nation, and so the hike in fee boded well for India's ability to attract global talent.The crux of these arguments is that the time is ripe for...

The Trump appointee wants super-sized rate cuts. Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran, the new kid at the Eccles Building, wants 50-basis-point interest rate cut. When does he want them? Now! Since arriving at the US central bank, President Donald Trump’s appointee to the Board of Governors has been on a one-man crusade to convince his colleagues, a la Henry Fonda’s character in 12 Angry Men, that super-sized rate cuts are warranted to boost the labor market and sustain economic momentum.Stephen Miran Takes New YorkThe current federal funds rate, a key policy rate that influences borrowing costs for consumers and...

Researchers have identified a new way to treat certain blood cancers using existing drugs, by turning a once-dismissed part of our DNA into a therapeutic target. The study focused on myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These cancers often have mutations in two key genes, ASXL1 and EZH2, which normally control the activity of other genes by switching them on or off. When these genes are damaged, cells lose control of their ability to create new cells, resulting in abnormal cell growth. Nearly half of human DNA is made up of repetitive sequences called transposable elements (TEs), once...

We all answer to someone – but not all leaders are created equal. From our first breath, we all must answer to someone. Whether its family, supervisors, or elected officials, our lives are spent heavily impacted by those who lead us – and some are better than others. A recent US News poll shows that Americans are disappointed in their leadership in nearly every industry. From business to public service to health care, most Americans seem to believe the people in charge prioritize their own interests over any other.This sentiment is not without cause, and it stems from a...

Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some of them confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday and forced the shutdown of Vilnius Airport, delaying flights for hours, authorities said. The balloons interfered with 30 flights, impacting some 6,000 passengers, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. Flights resumed at 4:50 a.m. Sunday (9:50 p.m. ET, Saturday). Two of the balloons flew above Vilnius Airport, according to spokesperson Darius Buta. More than two dozen reached the wider Vilnius County. The balloons were recorded flying between roughly 8:45 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Border police recovered 11...

An Israeli minister has clashed with the U.K.’s leading Jewish organizations after lauding a leader of the English far right and inviting him to visit the country. Tommy Robinson, a convicted fraudster with a violent criminal record who is well known for inspiring rallies of mostly white, mostly male followers shouting soccer-style chants against Islam and immigration, accepted the invitation from Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for the diaspora and combating antisemitism. Chikli called Robinson — whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — a “courageous leader on the front line against radical Islam.” Writing on X Friday, Chilki said he would...

Once the darling of the alcohol industry, small-batch beer makers are shutting down because of increased competition and flagging interest.For more than two decades, pints of lagers and ales flowed from the taps at 21st Amendment Brewery. An early mover in craft brewing, the bar and restaurant flourished in San Francisco’s South Park neighborhood, near the financial district and the Giants’ Oracle Park, serving its own specialties like Hell or High Watermelon beer. But after 25 years, 21st Amendment, named after the constitutional amendment that made alcohol legal after Prohibition, will say “last call” for the final time later this...

In September 2025. France's government collapses. Prime ministers ousted one after another. Protests engulf Paris. Debt spiraling past 110% of GDP. Energy prices up 40% since 2022. The headlines blame political chaos, budget cuts and Macron's failures. But that's not the real story.

Rite Aid closed its final stores after a second bankruptcy, shrinking from 2,100 locations to fewer than 100 and raising pharmacy access concerns.Once one of the largest U.S. pharmacy chains, Rite Aid closed its final locations Friday, marking the end of a failed comeback attempt.The company emerged from bankruptcy in September 2024 after shuttering hundreds of stores, but less than a year later, it filed for bankruptcy again. In May, Rite Aid said it had secured $2 billion in financing as it sought a buyer to keep some locations open.Later that month, the company sold its pharmacy services to several...

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 5 (Reuters) - The United States cannot ignore the impact the war in Gaza has had on Israel's global standing, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday, as Israel's diplomatic isolation mounts despite Washington's attempts to shield its ally. "Whether you believe it was justified or not, right or not, you cannot ignore the impact that this has had on Israel's global standing," Rubio told CBS News' 'Face The Nation'. He was responding to a question about remarks by President Donald Trump to Israel's Channel 12 in an interview published on Saturday: "Bibi (Israel's Prime...

Partisan bickering overshadows real questions about taxes and the size of America’s government.As the partial government shutdown enters its second week, neither party is leveling with the American people about the hard choices required to get federal spending off a fiscally ruinous trajectory.President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats used covid-19 to justify chasing the mirage of a European-style welfare state without raising the necessary taxes to pay for it. Now, prodded by the left, party leaders have shut down the government in a bid to permanently extend what was sold in 2021 as emergency subsidies to help people struggling during...

“Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids,” Musk wrote on Oct. 1, quoting another user’s meme depicting Netflix’s “transgender woke agenda” as a Trojan horse entering a fortress labeled “your kids.” Musk’s anti-Netflix effort kicked off on Tuesday. Musk posted “This is not ok” in quoting the right-wing activist account Libs of TikTok’s surfacing of a clip of Netflix’s “Dead End: Paranormal Park” in which the protagonist says he is transgender. “Dead End Paranormal Park, a show on Netflix, is pushing pro-transgender on CHILDREN. This show is advertised for 7-YEAR-OLDS,” Libs of TikTok said, referring to Netflix’s TV-Y7 rating,...

“On behalf of AMC Theatres and the entire theatrical exhibition industry, I extend our sincerest appreciation to the iconic Taylor Swift for bringing her brilliance and magic to movie theatres this weekend,” AMC’s CEO Adam Aron said in a statement. “Her vision to add a cinematic element to her incredible album debut was nothing less than a triumph.” Her newest theatrical effort, “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” is dancing to the top of box office charts with $33 million over the weekend. The “cinematic experience,” as the project has been dubbed, collected another $13 million at the international...

President Donald Trump and other high-ranking Republicans claim Democrats forced the government shutdown fight because they want to give free health care to immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Democrats are trying to extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable on marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, and reverse Medicaid cuts in Trump’s big bill passed this summer. But immigrants who entered the country illegally are not eligible for either program. Here’s a closer look at the facts: CLAIM: Democrats shut down the government because they want to give free health care to...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tommy Gainey holed a long eagle putt from off the green at the par-5 13th to take the lead, and he closed with a 6-under 66 for a two-shot victory in the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS for his first PGA TOUR Champions title. Gainey had to go through qualifying just to get into the field at Timuquana Country Club. He started the final round four shots behind Matt Gogel, and then pulled away in the middle of the back nine to hold off Cameron Percy of Australia. Percy was one shot behind when he was fooled...

By KGThanks to advanced DNA technology, law enforcement has solved a 12-year-old case. Authorities now say the unidentified human remains -- discovered more than a decade ago -- belong to Velma Louise Silva Lee of Napa. Lee was born in 1936 and had been missing for years. Advanced DNA technology opened the door and shed light on a case that has stumped investigators for more than a decade. The mystery surrounding a human skull found in Redding 12 years ago has finally been solved. The family of Lee now has some answers. "This person's name was finally realized after many,...

A mass shooting in downtown Montgomery on Saturday night left two people - including a teen - dead and a dozen others injured during what should have been a weekend of celebration in Alabama’s capital city. The gunfire erupted shortly after 11:30 p.m. Saturday near Bibb Street and Commerce Street. A total of 12 people were injured. Two people were killed - 17-year-old Jeremiah Morris and 43-year-old Shalonda Williams. Two juveniles are among those wounded. One has life-threatening injuries, police said, and the other suffered non-life-threatening injuries. In all, five victims remain in life-threatening condition, and seven sustained non-life-threatening...

More details have emerged from the stabbing and arrest of Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez.Fox 59's Angela Ganote obtained the probable cause affidavit from Indianapolis police on Sunday, in which the detective on the case describes a bizarre scene in which the former NFL quarterback allegedly confronted a truck driver on the job.There are also photos available of the alleged victim, though be warned they are graphic, showing a large gash in the 69-year-old's cheek. His family reportedly said the cut from the fight actually went through his cheek and hit his tongue.Sanchez, who was described by the alleged victim...

Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani flashed a beaming smile in a cringeworthy photo with a top Ugandan official who pushed harsh anti-LGBT policies — that included life imprisonment for gay people. Mamdani met with Rebecca Kadaga in July during a break from the campaign trail — after winning the Democratic primary — that included a lavish celebration of his recent nuptials at a secluded Ugandan compound owned by his family. “Delighted to meet with Zohran Mamdhani (sic), incoming Mayor of New York City. Good luck in the next phase of elections,” Kadaga said in a caption of a photo of her...

A North Carolina school bus driver who calls himself “Ms. Sharon” has been charged with sexually assaulting several boys whom he lured to his house, cops say. Leetwain Darrell Tate — a 48-year-old a male also known as just “Sharon” — was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of statutory rape and six counts of indecent liberties with a minor, according to Charlotte-Mecklenberg police. He is accused of assaulting at least four boys age 14 and 15 years old, but officials said there could be more victims. The children were found to be staying at his house, and one...