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US special forces raided a cargo ship travelling from China to Iran in November that was allegedly transporting "dual-use military technology," according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Friday.Citing unnamed US officials, the WSJ revealed that a special operations team boarded the ship several hundred miles from Sri Lanka and seized the cargo, which was described as “dual-use components that could be used either for civilian applications or to make conventional weapons."Image source: US Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class William FarmerieThe ship's name, its owner, and the flag under which it was sailing...

In early 2020, the University of California set the tone for the rest of the country when its regents voted to drop SAT and ACT admissions requirements through 2024. That decision, initially framed as a pandemic necessity, quickly reshaped admissions nationwide. By late 2022, roughly 1,750 schools, or about 80 percent of U.S. universities, had adopted test-optional policies, according to Forbes.“It’s a sea change in terms of how admissions decisions are being made,” Robert Schaeffer, of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, told NBC News.“The pandemic created a natural experiment.”Five years later, the results of this “natural experiment”...

Conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly slams 'genuinely wrong' pickTime magazine is facing backlash from one of conservative media’s biggest voices over its decision to snub Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as its “Person of the Year” despite Kirk’s death marking the first major political assassination in the U.S. since the 1960s. Instead, the century-old magazine gave its annual award to a collective of tech titans leading the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, framing the year as a tipping point when the technology "roared into view" with irreversible momentum. Time's announcement, unveiled Thursday, celebrated the "Architects of AI" as the magazine's 2025...

House Republicans released legislation Friday aimed at lowering healthcare costs through expanded insurance options for small businesses and unprecedented transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers, setting up a crucial vote next week as enhanced Obamacare subsidies expire at year’s end.The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa-01), is the GOP's alternative to Democratic proposals as Democrats push to extend expiring ACA premium tax credits that help 22 million Americans purchase insurance.Speaker Mike Johnson announced the measure would receive a floor vote next week, though GOP leadership indicated moderate Republicans seeking subsidy extensions may...

The IDF conducted an airstrike in Gaza City on Saturday and sent Ra'ad Sa'ad, the head of Hamas’ weapons production in the Al-Qassam Brigades and a key planner behind the inhuman and utterly brutal attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, to another world, according to the Israeli government.It’s one in a long line of Hamas commanders that the Israel Defense Forces have removed from the earth:The Israeli Defense Forces said Saad, a member of the Qassam Brigades, the terror group’s military wing, had been involved in efforts to “restore and manufacture the group’s weapons.”He served as chief of Hamas’...

National Rally (RN) legislator Jean-Philippe Tanguy from the Somme region is preparing legislation to bring back brothels in France. Tanguy says his idea is endorsed by the RN's National Assembly leader Marine Le Pen. The end result of the proposed law would be to have the prostitutes manage the brothels which would be a new yet undetermined name... In the National Assembly a key win for the government of President Emmanuel Macron led by Prime Minister Sebasten Lecornu. The "Social Security Budget" approved 247-234 but 93 lawmakers took the route of abstention... A prime time forum for the leading 2027...

By Msgr. Charles PopeWhat is the perfect gift? We tend to answer this question more in terms of what we want, but today’s Gospel (Matthew 11:2-11) teaches us that the perfect gift is what God is offering. One of the goals of the spiritual journey is to come to value, more than our latest desire, more than our perceived need—more than all else—what God offers. In reviewing today’s Gospel, I am going to take a stance regarding St. John the Baptist that I realize is not without controversy. The Gospel opens with John (who is in prison) sending his disciples...

13 December 2025 Saint Lucy, Virgin, Martyr on Saturday of the 2nd week of AdventSt. Lucy’s Roman Catholic Church Syracuse, NYReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: A(II).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst readingEcclesiasticus 48:1-4,9-12The prophet Elijah will come againThe prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch.It was he who brought famine on the people, and who decimated them in his zeal.By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, he also, three times, brought down fire.How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah! Has anyone reason...

A San Diego school district is under fire for providing a curriculum that teaches young students about nine genders and 30 sexual orientations. Parents have objected to a slideshow featured on the San Diego Unified Schools (SDUS) website entitled 'LGBTQIA+ Terms you should know'. The resources outlined definitions for nine gender identities including transgender, non-binary, genderfluid and agender. The slides also included a graphic showcasing more than 30 'LGBTQ Youth Sexual Orientations' including graysexual, queer, asexual and pansexual. SDUS is the second largest district in California and services more than 121,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It is unclear...

Some films are obviously Christmas movies, like Noelle. But that designation is not so clear cut for others. They may be set during the holiday season, and they may even touch upon Christmas themes, but does that mean they truly qualify in the traditional sense? …And the latest movie to take the stand in our great Christmas movie debate is hoping its season stock(ing) is about to go up. That’s right, it’s time to buy or sell holiday shares in Trading Places. How much of Trading Places takes place at Christmastime? Roughly 75% of Trading Places is set during Christmas...

GIVING IT ALL YOU'VE GOT Ever hear the expression "Giving it the whole nine yards"? Do you happen to know where it comes from? I used to think it was a sports term. "Not so", say several experts. But there seem to be at least two schools of thought on the phrase's origin. Both seem plausible. I'll let you decide. One explanation says that it's an expression from the construction trade. A full truck load, according to this rationale, will dump nine cubic yards of sand or gravel at your work site. In such a case, I suppose the...

PULSE POINTS❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is terminating “family reunification” (chain migration) parole (FRP) programs for immigrants from several nations and ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia.👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and President Donald J. Trump.📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced Friday via a Federal Register notice and DHS press release.💬KEY QUOTE: “Parole was never intended to be used in this way, and DHS is returning parole to a case-by-case basis as intended by Congress.” – DHS news release.🎯IMPACT: FRP programs for Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras will...

Maria and the family fled Villa Trapp in Austria not by foot over the mountains – that would have taken them to Germany, not Switzerland – but by train to Italy (formerly Croatia), where Georg had grown up and earned a military pension

I’ve learned that Notre Dame has decided to opt out of any post-season bowl games this year. They finished the season with a 10-2 record, losing to Miami and Texas A&M. I know they are an independent program/not a part of any conference. Is this a reasonable decision? Unreasonable? If they played a strong schedule or have a record of beating teams that made it to the 12-team cut-off, I can see understand their POV. (Not saying it’s right. Just that I understand it.)

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has won the 2025 Heisman Trophy, beating out Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. The Hoosiers shot-caller became the first Indiana player to win the award. Mendoza was instrumental in IU's historic regular season, steering the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record, the program's first outright Big Ten championship since 1945 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. He led the country in passing touchdowns (33) and is the third Big Ten quarterback since 2000 with three straight games of at least four passing...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men,...

THE BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT HAS FALLEN — THIS IS WHAT REAL POWER LOOKS LIKE After just a few days of mass non-compliance, the Government of Bulgaria has resigned. No tanks. No violence. No chaos.Just people — united — refusing to comply. This is the truth globalists fear more than anything: When citizens realise their collective power, governments collapse. Not through elections engineered by elites. Not through courts captured by ideology. But through unity and refusal. Bulgaria has just proven a fundamental principle of history: Governments rule only with the consent of the governed. Remove that consent — peacefully, collectively, relentlessly —...

Canada’s governing Liberals were one seat short of a simple majority in Parliament after a Conservative lawmaker defected and joined Prime Minister Mark Carney’s party Thursday. Michael Ma was the second Canadian Conservative opposition lawmaker to join the Liberals in just over a month. Ma, who represents Markham–Unionville, said he entered politics “to focus on solutions, not division.” “I have concluded that Prime Minister Mark Carney is offering the steady, practical approach we need to deliver on the priorities I hear every day while door knocking in Markham–Unionville,” Ma said in his statement. His move puts the Liberals one seat...

It’s easy to be a Scrooge about Christmas movies, especially these days. Streaming platforms have shamelessly muscled into the Hallmark market, churning out quick, cheap holiday romcoms with C-list casts every year, hoping to land on something so irresistibly cheesy it briefly becomes a seasonal phenomenon. Put that cynicism aside, however, and most of us can admit that we all have at least one movie we return to every December – the one that allows us to embrace nostalgia unapologetically and lets us know that the most wonderful time of the year has arrived. It doesn’t have to be schmaltzy...