Free Republic

14 December 20253rd Sunday of Advent Saint John-of-the-Cross Vero Beach, FloridaReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Rose or Violet. Year: A(II).First readingIsaiah 35:1-6,10God himself is coming to save youLet the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,let it rejoice and sing for joy.The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it,the splendour of Carmel and Sharon;they shall see the glory of the Lord,the splendour of our God.Strengthen all weary hands,steady all trembling kneesand say to all faint hearts,‘Courage! Do not be afraid.‘Look, your God is coming,vengeance is coming,the retribution of God;he is coming...

For those who understand the basics of attrition warfare, the outcome of the fight in Ukraine was obvious a long time ago. Russia's superior logistical position along with its grinding offensive tactics have worn down Ukraine's defenses and left the country with a desperate manpower shortage. The recent capture of the vital hub of Pokrovsk has now opened the door to an accelerating Russian advance. The Russian offensive is gaining significant ground from Pokrovsk to the north, all the way to Kupiansk. The strategic city of Siversk is now largely under control of Russia according to geo-location mapping. Myrnohrad, also...

Yasir Qadhi has identified Japan as his next ideological frontier, using a polished da’wah tour to embed foreign-trained leadership, expand Islamic institutions, and quietly build a long-term foothold in a nation with no scrutiny, no resistance, and no understanding of the movement he represents. In a move that should alarm every security analyst and every government paying attention to the global spread of political Islam, the notorious Texas-based imam Yasir Qadhi — long identified by critics, researchers, and former intelligence officials as aligned with Muslim Brotherhood-influenced networks, has now arrived in Japan to launch what is, unmistakably, a coordinated, multi-city...

The prophet Isaiah wrote: “The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isa. 17:1). “And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.” It is not hard to find commentators that say this prophecy has been fulfilled, but because Damascus has been destroyed so many times, there is much doubt about who fulfilled it and when it happened. There are others who believe it has never been fulfilled...

For my more seasoned readers, let’s say you could travel back in time and revisit a moment in your life. You’re not going back to change the past, but simply to sit as a silent guest and listen in on a conversation you might have had back then. Let’s say you decide to go back to the year 1993 when you and a friend are in a restaurant having lunch. At some point the conversation steers into the signs of the times and when you think the Lord will return. Your friend might mention the fact that the year 1993...

In the aftermath of the massive Feeding Our Future scandal and broader allegations of systemic fraud in Minnesota’s social programs, a troubling theme has emerged: accusations of racism repeatedly used to deflect scrutiny, intimidate investigators and stall accountability.

LONDON (AP) — In the past year, tens of thousands hostile to immigrants marched through London, chanting “send them home!” A British lawmaker complained of seeing too many non-white faces on TV. And senior politicians advocated the deportation of longtime U.K. residents born abroad. The overt demonization of immigrants and those with immigrant roots is intensifying in the U.K. — and across Europe — as migration shoots up the political agenda and right-wing parties gain popularity. In several European countries, political parties that favor mass deportations and depict immigration as a threat to national identity come at or near the...

The superstar, 36, made history after grossing a record $2billion in ticket sales for her career-spanning, 21-month Eras Tour - which consisted of 149 shows in 21 countries. As a reward to her team, Taylor is said to have handed out more than $197million in bonuses to everyone working on the tour. The Lover singer is notably a benevolent boss, and the moment she gives the mammoth bonuses to the performers and crew, complete with personal notes, is shown in her new Disney+ docuseries, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour/The End of an Era. Those who received a bonus included truck...

Click on the title for a link to the new Supergirl movie trailer. Watching the first 20 seconds I thought it was a spoof. Apparently not.

Explanation: Do any shapes seem to jump out at you from this interstellar field of stars and dust? The jeweled expanse, filled with faint, starlight-reflecting clouds, drifts through the night in the royal constellation of Cepheus. Far from your own neighborhood on planet Earth, these ghostly apparitions lurk along the plane of the Milky Way at the edge of the Cepheus Flare molecular cloud complex some 1,200 light-years away. Over two light-years across and brighter than the other spooky chimeras, VdB 141 or Sh2-136 is also known as the Ghost Nebula, seen across the middle of the featured image. Within...

A beast was awakened by the tragedy. But it didn’t devour the Left. Charlie Kirk’s death shocked the world. Millions of Americans grieved over the loss of the Turning Point USA founder. His public memorial essentially became a state funeral, with thousands in attendance, and countless others watching it live. His death gruesomely illustrated the threat of political violence, with the White House declaring Antifa a terror group and pledging more resources to tackle left-wing extremism. The traumatic event offered the promise of unifying the Right in a common cause against the Left. Tyler Robinson’s actions were clearly inspired by...

It’s a tale of two investigations. In one version – based on past comments by former FBI Director Christopher Wray – the arrest last week of Brian Cole Jr. as the individual who allegedly placed pipe bombs near the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee on Jan. 5, 2021, was the culmination of a dogged, five-year effort by the bureau. In another version, suggested by Dan Bongino, the bureau’s deputy director, FBI agents revived a long-dormant case a few months ago, quickly tracking down Cole through an existing body of evidence, not from new...

The House voted 237-140 to shelve Green’s impeachment resolution, with 47 Democratic lawmakers voting present… Republicans have begun to warn that Democrats are determined to impeach Trump a third time if they win the majority, pushing it toward the forefront of next year’s campaigns. Many of them dismissed Thursday’s vote as a distraction. Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat and vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, said there are “a diversity of views” about impeachment in the caucus. He said that House Democrats intend to conduct oversight of the administration should they win a majority in next year’s midterms but...

The U.S. seized an oil tanker near Venezuela this week, all while the Democrats have been busy proving that another one of their top priorities is protecting narco terrorists running drugs by boat for the cartels. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner posts, "So they can seize an oil tanker, but not a drug boat?" He could have easily said, "So they can blow up a drug boat, but not an oil tanker," and looked just as stupid. Warner was still butthurt on Friday over the United States blowing narco-terrorists out of the water. According to ABC News, Warner revealed that the...

- Turning Point USA raised $389 million from its founding in 2012 through mid-2023, according to its tax returns. - In its first year, Turning Point USA brought in just $79,000, but a decade later—after Kirk had become a conservative star—annual contributions had soared 1,000-fold to $80 million. - Turning Point USA’s first contribution, $10,000 from fund manager Foster Friess, came after Kirk met him at the 2012 Republican National Convention, and Friess ended up backing the group for years, with his widow pledging $1 million to launch new chapters after Kirk’s death. - The Wayne Duddlesten Foundation, founded in...

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — Bucking years of tradition, a family new to the California area has failed to build a single gingerbread house this Christmas season due to a backlog at the permit office. "We're still waiting for the appropriate permits to build our gingerbread house," said Mona Riggs. "Baking gingerbread houses is a fun tradition we do every year, but at this point we'll be lucky to have one put together by the end of the decade." According to sources, the January Pacific Palisades fire and its resulting destruction caused a significant logjam of processing permit applications. The city...

SYDNEY (AP) — Two gunmen shot dead at least 11 people on Sunday during a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australian authorities said, declaring it a terrorist attack. One gunman was fatally shot by police and the second arrested. The suspect was in critical condition, authorities said. At least 29 people were confirmed wounded, including two police officers, said Mal Lanyon, the police commissioner for New South Wales state, where Sydney is located. The massacre followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled Australia over the past year, although the authorities didn’t suggest those episodes and Sunday’s...

More than 700 migrants crossed the Channel on Saturday after a four-week gap in small boat crossings, according to the latest Home Office figures. The arrival in Dover of 737 migrants on 11 boats marked the end of the longest period without any small boat crossings in seven years. It brings the total number of people making the Channel crossing so far this year to 40,029, surpassing 2024, when there were 36,816 for the entire year. The last recorded arrivals before Saturday were on 14 November, marking the longest uninterrupted stretch since 2018. December is typically a quieter month for...

They are warning people not to smoke while using oxygen - D-oh! Windsor Fire and Rescue Services says a long-term care home resident is in critical condition in hospital after her supplemental oxygen triggered a fire while she was trying to smoke. The service is reminding people not to smoke while using oxygen. “We highly recommend that you do not smoke while your oxygen is connected anywhere near an open flame,” Chief Fire Prevention Officer John Smith told CBC. “Oxygen will intensify that fire.” The incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. on Friday, Smith said. The fire service responded to...

Nicki Minaj has officially taken her political timeline into uncharted territory. The rapper sparked a firestorm this week after showering Vice President JD Vance with unexpected praise—while firing not-so-subtle shots at California Governor Gavin Newsom. The posts, which appeared across Minaj’s X account, pushed her increasingly vocal political leanings into the spotlight yet again. It all began when Vance chimed in on the long-running feud between Minaj and fellow rapper Cardi B. The 41-year-old Vice President didn’t tiptoe around his position. Instead, he jumped directly into pop-culture warfare with three simple characters: “Nicki > Cardi.” His post instantly lit up...