Free Republic

They decked the halls — and each other. A ritzy Nantucket Christmas celebration erupted into mayhem as men decked out in “Ralph Lauren and Burberry” traded blows just moments after Santa Claus made his appearance, according to shocking footage. The wild brawl broke out on Federal Street on Saturday afternoon during the Massachusetts island’s 51st Annual Christmas Stroll, where hundreds had gathered to visit local businesses in one of America’s priciest small towns, the Nantucket Current reported. In dramatic video shared with the outlet, about a dozen men — ranging in age from 20s to 60s — were seen arguing...

“We’re saying Merry Christmas again!” President Trump declared recently, referring to the politically correct social pressure Christians sometimes feel to downplay the holiday greeting in order to be more “inclusive” of non-Christians. For decades now, as the culture has become more secular, references to Christ have been gradually drained from the season celebrating His birth: schools have changed “Christmas break” to “winter break”; Christmas tree lighting ceremonies have become “Winter” or “Holiday” tree lightings; and most notoriously, “Happy Holidays” has replaced “Merry Christmas” in many chain stores, advertisements, and corporate settings. Some claim that the idea of a “war...

Daily Readings from the USCCBFeast of Our Lady of GuadalupeThen the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Luke 1:30–31Of all the saints throughout the ages, none has proved to be as powerful an evangelist as the Mother of God. While on Earth, she lived a mostly hidden life, demonstrating the perfection of virtue to those closest to her. As a young mother, she cared daily for the needs of her divine Son, constantly...

The City Club of Cleveland is defying LGBTQ+ activist pressure to cancel or substantially alter an event featuring a conservative Christian leader next month, and Ohio’s attorney general is standing with the venue. “We’re not canceling, and we have never had any intention of canceling this,” Dan Moulthrop, the City Club’s CEO, told The Daily Signal in an interview Wednesday. “We’re gonna continue to do what we always do, and have done for 113 years, which is convene conversations of consequence that help democracy thrive and do that with the leadership of relevant organizations who are shaping our communities.” Moulthrop...

A tourist viciously stabbed by a crazed homeless woman inside a bathroom at Macy’s Herald Square had been changing her 10-month-old daughter at the time, sources told The Post. The 38-year-old mom, who was visiting from California, was in the seventh-floor bathroom with her baby when she was repeatedly knifed Thursday afternoon, the sources said. The victim suffered knife wounds to her back, shoulder and arm in the unhinged attack that unfolded during the holiday shopping rush at the packed flagship store in Midtown. The alleged attacker, Kerri Aherne, 43, was arrested on charges of attempted murder, assault and weapon...

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s second husband has emerged online, referring to himself as a "dirty dandy" on Instagram while showing off a fun-loving lifestyle in South Africa, according to reports.Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, 40, who spent time abroad after leaving the U.S., is now believed to be in Johannesburg, where he has been chronicling his time there, the New York Post reported.The outlet revealed social media posts showing him wearing a visitor’s badge at the University of the Witwatersrand and enjoying upscale venues as he documents his day-to-day life.Elmi's reappearance also coincided with President Trump pushing his allegation the Minnesota...

Marjorie Taylor Greene is returning to "The View" for another round. The Republican congresswoman from Georgia will sit for a second interview on the ABC talk show Jan. 7, Executive Producer Brian Teta revealed on his "Behind the Table" podcast Wednesday. Perhaps by little coincidence, Greene's last day in Congress is scheduled for Jan. 5.

After years of being scorned, derided and shrunk, the nuclear power industry is getting a boost from the Trump administration. Faced with rapidly growing demand for energy to supply a growing U.S. economy and booming AI sector, President Donald Trump’s Energy Department says it will help finance up to 10 new nuclear power plants – a huge reversal of decades of anti-nuclear sentiment and excessive regulation by the U.S. government. You might be tempted to think: Oh, boy, another big government boondoggle. Nope. This is mainly reviving an industry that has languished largely due to excessive regulations and active...

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R ) on Thursday said he would help President Trump primary Republican state lawmakers who voted against a redistricting measure backed by the leader. “I am very disappointed that a small group of misguided State Senators have partnered with Democrats to reject this opportunity to protect Hoosiers with fair maps and to reject the leadership of President Trump. Ultimately, decisions like this carry political consequences,” Braun wrote in a post on the social platform X. ‘I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers,” he...

Wes Streeting has told resident doctors that strikes and a sharp rise in the number of flu cases over the Christmas period could be “the Jenga piece” that forces the NHS to collapse. The health secretary said the NHS faced a “challenge unlike any it has seen since the pandemic” and urged resident doctors to accept the government’s offer and end their action. He said: “The whole NHS team is working around the clock to keep the show on the road. But it’s an incredibly precarious situation. Christmas strikes could be the Jenga piece that collapses the tower. That’s why...

KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces said they had retaken parts of the northeastern town of Kupiansk and had encircled Russian troops there as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the area and praised the operation, saying it strengthened Ukraine diplomatically. With U.S.-backed peace efforts underway, Moscow has said it is advancing on all fronts and that it has seized Kupiansk and the strategic city of Pokrovsk in the east. Kyiv has denied this, saying that the fighting is continuing.

He grew up on a farm in Indiana, the son of a factory worker and eldest of five children. He studied at Liberty, a Christian university founded by the conservative pastor and televangelist Jerry Falwell, and recalls wearing a T-shirt expressing opposition to the Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Two decades later, Justin Douglas is running for the US Congress – as a Democrat. He is among about white 30 Christian clergy – pastors, seminary students and other faith leaders – known to be potential Democratic candidates in next year’s midterm elections, including a dozen who are already in the...

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration diverted more than $35 million in taxpayer funds — an amount far greater than previously known — as part of a brazen agenda last year to defeat two ballot amendments he staunchly opposed, a Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times investigation has found. Much of the state money was intended to assist needy Floridians, including children. Instead, it paid for political consultants, lawyers and thousands of advertisements that helped DeSantis and his supporters win at the ballot box. The ads purchased with the diverted money blanketed TV, social media and radio stations in the weeks before the election....

Maddy Olcott plans to start a career once she graduates from college. But the junior at the State University of New York-Purchase College is so far not planning to start a family — even with the Trump administration dangling inducements like thousand-dollar “baby bonuses” or cheaper infertility drugs. Partner logo This story also ran on CNN. It can be republished for free. “Our country wants us to be birthing machines, but they’re cutting what resources there already are,” said Olcott, 20. “And a $1,000 baby bonus? It’s low-key like, what, bro? That wouldn’t even cover my month’s rent.”

The attempt to rehabilitate and whitewash the ADL as a conservative ally against anti-Semitism is a farce. The ADL has been a major advocate of leftist, even far-leftist, causes for decades. On Sept. 10, just hours after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was felled by a bullet in front of hundreds of college students, leftists began gloating over his death. President Trump blamed the rise in leftist violence on the demonization of conservatives as “Nazis.” Two days after the assassination, it was reported that the ammunition used by Kirk’s accused killer, Tyler Robinson, was inscribed with the words, “Hey...

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has released a report saying that the nine largest lenders in the U.S. made “inappropriate distinctions” that it used to restrict services among certain customers. Following the signing of an executive order by President Donald Trump in August of this year, the OCC began reviewing all banks for any current or past practices that effectively barred customers on the basis of political or religious belief. Wednesday, the OCC released its report, saying that it had found conclusive proof that nine large banks had policies that either refused services to some industries...

When deadly clashes erupted last July between Bedouin and Druze militias in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, some members of the Druze community living in Israel crossed the border to protect their kin. For Safi Ibrahim, an IDF colonel from the community, the crisis sparked genuine solidarity and brought emotions to the surface. As part of the events, he participated in a military operation in Syria – a mission that became deeply personal for him, fusing his military service with his identity. snip Unlike the Druze of the Galilee and Carmel – who serve proudly and prominently in the...

Hungary’s guarded borders stand out in a Europe where migrant-driven unrest is forcing Christmas markets to shutter under rising security fears. Not surprisingly, a controversial prediction in the new Trump administration’s National Security Strategy that Europe is facing “civilization erasure” because of out-of-control mass migration infuriated European elites. The Economist attacked this reference as “shocking.” The Independent, a UK newspaper, referred to it as a “sinister conspiracy theory.” I want to set this aside for a moment and talk about European Christmas markets, especially in Hungary. These markets are an old tradition where people gather to shop and socialize in...

PALATKA, Fla — A Palatka Goodwill was evacuated after police say a live hand grenade was found in a donation bin. The Palatka Police Department says the building was evacuated out of an abundance of caution. In a post on social media, the Palatka Police Department says the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office’s Bomb Squad was called in to assist in the situation, where they took the grenade to a secure location and detonated it remotely. "We want to remind the community to thoroughly check all items before donating, ensuring that hazardous items, such as explosives, firearms, or ammunition, are...

The Gospel Coalition (TGC) sounded the alarm over a growing number of Protestant intellectuals, pastors, and influencers converting to the Catholic faith. Written by TGC’s Andrew Voigt, the article is framed as a strategic response to stem the tide of conversions. It warns of the effectiveness of Catholic apologetics, particularly online, and urges Protestants to develop a more robust counter-narrative. According to Voigt, Protestant apologetics has focused more on addressing atheism and secularism while Catholic evangelization efforts have been more directly aimed at engaging Protestants. An Italian Protestant pastor, Leonardo De Chirico, is quoted in Voigt’s article as saying that...