Free Republic

Explanation: How does a comet tail change? It depends on the comet. The ion tail of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) has been changing markedly, as detailed in the featured image sequenced over six days between September 25 and October 4 (left to right) from Texas, USA. On some days, the comet's ion tail was relatively more complex than other days. Reasons for tail changes include the rate of ejection of material from the comet's nucleus, the strength and complexity of the passing solar wind, and the rotation rate of the comet. Sometimes, over the course of a week, apparent differences...

No further Nato expansion. Occupied Ukrainian territory recognised as Russian, including by the US. No prosecution for Russia for war crimes. These are some of the clauses – part of a ‘surrender document’, brokered by Donald Trump – that Ukraine is facing after almost four years of war. Buried in the middle of the 28-point ‘peace blueprint’ being hammered out between the US and Russia, clause 14 stands out like a flashing sign. It offers up $100 billion in frozen Russian assets – repackaged as a fund for reconstruction, with the US pocketing half the profits. Meanwhile, Russia would be...

Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief at CBS News, is already making waves.The founder and editor of The Free Press and former New York Times columnist has adopted a rallying cry in meetings with colleagues, according to the Wall Street Journal.: "I wanna blow this up." Weiss's plan "is working to overhaul the organization’s evening news program, counter what she sees as a left-leaning bias in legacy media and make the newsroom operate more efficiently," reports the Journal. Paramount Global and its new boss, Dave Ellison, recently acquired CBS in a deal that was harshly criticized by other legacy media outlets....

“Numbnut” is derogatory American slang, sometimes used for humor, to mean a “slow-witted, unresponsive, or inept person.” But no humor exists in the fact New York City (NYC) voters, always on the edge of numbnut-osity, went over it by electing socialist/communist Zohran Mamdani mayor.A majority (50.4%) of NYC voters demonstrated unbelievable incomprehension, as would be expected from slow-witted, inept and—by choosing to ignore numerous red flags about Mamdani—unresponsive constituents. As the proverb goes, they will now have to “reap what you sow.”Mamdani’s campaign was a blank check of promises providing all sorts of things. These included free bus fare, government-run...

The Battalion student newspaper at Texas A&M university does not seem to be a fan of conservative student thought. An analysis of the 60 opinion pieces focused on politics published since November 2024 found that nearly all of them — 50 — leaned liberal (35), left-leaning (5), far-left (5), and liberal satire (5). Only 7 of the opinion political pieces were moderate or neutral, and a total of three were conservative, or a ratio of almost 17 to 1 liberal to conservative. The research was conducted by student Justino Russell, who was inspired to dig into the analysis after the...

A knife-wielding suspect was shot and killed Friday morning at St. Louis Lambert International Airport after refusing orders to drop his weapon, police said. The officer-involved shooting happened around 1:05 a.m. local time as "STL Airport Police officers were conducting routine security checks in Terminal 1" and "encountered an adult male with a knife," according to St. Louis County Police. "The suspect refused to drop the weapon and was tased by one police officer. The suspect continued to advance towards officers, and a second police officer fired his service weapon, striking the male suspect," police added. "He was pronounced deceased...

The University of Notre Dame has ixnayed and expunged the school’s historic Catholic mission from its staff values and instead chosen to adopt a “refreshed” set of generic concepts like “community.”According to the Daily Caller:The University of Notre Dame has dropped the school’s historic Catholic mission from its staff values and adopted a “refreshed” set of generic concepts like “community” instead, though it will still identify as a “Catholic research university.”The Catholic school’s list of staff values previously included requiring that one “Understands, accepts, and supports the Catholic mission of the university and fosters values consistent with that mission.” Now,...

The website Muslims Around the World has announced that November 17 will henceforth be recognized as an International Day to honor Muslim communities living in non-Muslim countries. According to the Shia Waves Agency, citing the BBC, the initiative aims to highlight the social, cultural, and spiritual contributions of Muslim minorities and to strengthen intercultural dialogue within host societies. The designation is intended to provide greater visibility for the activities of Muslim communities, counter stereotypes, and promote an atmosphere of mutual respect between host nations and migrant populations.

Foreign nationals seeking to immigrate to the United States could now be denied visas and green cards based on pre-existing chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, under new guidance issued by the Trump administration. The directive, which significantly expands the criteria for who is deemed a potential "public charge," has been sent by the State Department on to US embassies and consular offices worldwide. A cable sent by the State Department to visa officers instructs them to flag applicants whose medical conditions could require "hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of care." The list of conditions cited...

https://babylonbee.com/news/congress-passes-resolution-to-release-santas-naughtynice-listWASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawmakers sent shockwaves around the globe with the Christmas season right around the corner, as Congress passed a resolution to release Santa Claus' "Naughty or Nice" list. The controversial bill was met with heavy opposition on Capitol Hill, as the release of Santa's list was set to expose the names of naughty power players and world leaders to the public for the first time. "There are a lot of people who don't want this information made public," said House Speaker Mike Johnson. "Rest assured, we didn't make this decision lightly. While there is something to be said...

Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Friday, a dramatic victory for a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant in Bangkok who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts. The issues at this year’s event sprang from a sharp-tongued scolding of Bosch, which sparked a controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity and a teary, melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off. When Bosch was announced as the winner, cheers and screams erupted from the audience, with Mexican flags waved by...

In addition to the recent homicide, there has been a rash of other crimes and disturbances in the area adjacent to the University of Minnesota campus that have included assaults, robberies, multiple shootings, shots fired, and auto thefts.Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara this week discussed the ongoing issues with youth crime in the city, highlighting the recent shooting murder in Dinkytown that also injured two others, and indicated that “East African kids” are coming into Minneapolis from “out of town” to wreak havoc.O’Hara went on to comment, “They aren’t the poor kids from Minneapolis that are our residents, these are...

Key Points Messages that come out of the top echelon at the Fed are measured carefully, calibrated between delivering clear ideas about policy without causing undue reaction in financial markets. That’s why a speech Friday from the current New York Fed leader, John Williams, mattered so much to markets. Ongoing concerns about AI tempered a stock market rally, but traders flipped positions, placing bets on a December rate cut. Communication at the Federal Reserve, particularly at the highest levels, rarely happens by accident.Messages that come out of the top echelon, particularly the chair, vice chair and the powerful New York...

Kupyansk has fallen, as Russian advances overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.And so it happened that Russian forces have reportedly conquered (or, as they would prefer, liberated) the northern logistical center of Kupyansk.We have reported about this battle here in TGP back in September: Putin Says Ukrainian Military Is in CRITICAL Condition, as Russian Forces Break Into Kupyansk and Advance Into Dnipropetrovsk Region.Now, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov received a military-clad President Vladimir Putin in the headquarters of the Vostok (Western) military group to announce the conquest of Kupyansk.Needless to say, as they’ve done in every...

A grizzly bear is on the loose after attacking a school group in Canada, leaving 11 people injured, two critically. The incident happened on Thursday afternoon on a walking trail in the town of Bella Coola, in the province of British Columbia. Residents have been warned to remain indoors while armed officers try to track down the animal. A male teacher "got the whole brunt of it" and some children were hit with bear spray as the adults tried to fend off the animal, Veronica Schooner, a parent, told the Canadian Press. Ms Schooner said her 10-year-old son was part...

A driver in North Carolina told emergency responders that a bald eagle dropped a cat that crashed through her windshield, police said. The incident happened around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. Route 74 in Swain County, North Carolina Highway Patrol said. The driver was not injured. Highway patrol did not provide additional information. A photo shared by officials showed the car's broken windshield with a massive hole. In a 911 call, obtained by WLOS-TV, the driver told the dispatcher that the cat did not survive. "OK, you may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a...

A Queens man who shot and killed a would-be mugger more than two years ago has been sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty on Thursday to possessing an unlicensed revolver in a case his attorney said shows New York City's "draconian" gun laws. Charles Foehner, 67, admitted guilt in one count of criminal weapons possession in a plea deal, ending his case stemming from the 2022 shooting of Cody Gonzalez near Foehner's home, reports the New York Post. Prosecutors declined to charge the retired doorman directly in Gonzalez's death after he told police he acted in...

Donald Trump's blockbuster peace deal for Ukraine includes unprecedented NATO-style security guarantees, sources have revealed.The president backed a 28-point draft proposal - based on the Gaza deal - that would treat an attack on Ukraine as one on the entire 'transatlantic community.'But the deal, delivered to Kyiv last night, sparked a ferocious backlash as it demands Volodmyr Zelensky cede territory, slash troops and hold elections within 100 days.Washington has threatened to cut intelligence sharing and weapons supplies to press it into agreeing the proposal, sources told Reuters. 'They want to stop the war and want Ukraine to pay the price,'...

Taxpayers are footing the bill for up to $30 billion in fraudulent payments, one expert told The Daily Wire.Though the government shutdown has ended, the fight over Obamacare is still raging. Democrats want to extend and renew the Affordable Care Act’s expanded COVID-era subsidies, which are set to expire on December 31. Doing so would cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. Republicans want to let the subsidies lapse, and find a way to reform America’s healthcare system. Ryan Long, Senior Research Fellow at the Paragon Health Institute, told The Daily Wire that the expanded...

Zohran Mamdani may have eked out his victory in New York City’s mayoral contest – prompting a literal champagne socialist celebration in some fancy restaurants – but a lot of New Yorkers are far from happy about it. While Mamdani fell short of the two-thirds majority typical in other mayoral races, he earned his 50% in a much larger electorate than usual. Andrew Cuomo, who lost by 9 points after running a campaign that made the Titanic seem like masterful seamanship, lost with more votes in raw numbers than those with which the previous mayor, Eric Adams, won his seat.It’s...