Free Republic

.. Because of the grave danger (communism) posed to the common good, Pope Pius XI turned to St. Joseph in 1937 to have Jesus' earthly father deliver the Church from the many errors of communism. He wrote: "We place the great action of the Catholic Church against the atheistic communism of the world under the aegis of the mighty protector of the Church, St. Joseph" (Divini Redemptoris, n. 81). In response to the Holy Father's words, Catholics began to fervently invoke the intercession of St. Joseph, especially under the title "Terror of Demons", to combat the atheistic ideas of communism....

The Department of Defense on Friday confirmed new agreements with seven technology companies to deploy artificial intelligence tools across its classified networks, marking a broad expansion of its AI partnerships while excluding Anthropic from the program. The companies selected—OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, Elon Musk’s xAI, and startup Reflection—will provide systems for what the Pentagon described as “lawful operational use.” Defense officials said the effort is aimed at building an “AI-first fighting force” and improving decision-making across military operations. The move significantly widens the Pentagon’s vendor base. Until recently, Anthropic’s Claude model had been the only AI system...

For decades, Iran survived by staying just below the threshold of direct confrontation. It relied on shadow oil shipments, asymmetric attacks, and strategic disruption. That formula worked against sanctions. It is now colliding with something it was never built to handle: a sustained, enforced blockade.And markets are only beginning to understand what that means.How a Shipping War Turned Into Economic ContainmentThe escalation did not begin with the blockade. It began with Iran attempting to weaponize uncertainty.Early in the conflict, Tehran targeted commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively freezing traffic through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints....

Vatican Threatens SSPX Excommunication Ahead of Consecrations, Faces Double Standard AccusationsA new rupture between Rome and the SSPX may be imminent as the Vatican reportedly prepares excommunications over unauthorized episcopal consecrations. Yet at the same time, Pope Leo XIV’s meeting with a female Anglican “archbishop” is fueling accusations of theological double standards. Is the Church witnessing a replay of 1988—or something even more consequential?The grapevine from the Eternal City has it that the Vatican is allegedly intent on SSPX excommunication (of it’s bishops and priests) over the upcoming July 1 episcopal consecrations without papal approval, reeking of Pope John Paul...

President Donald Trump said to reporters on Friday that construction will begin “over the next week” on a temporary arena on the White House South Lawn to host a planned UFC event in June. Appearing outside of the White House, Trump answered a question on the event, scheduled for June 14 to mark both his birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary. “You’re gonna be hosting the first-ever UFC fight at the White House in 45 days, sir,” said an unpictured reporter. “Can you preview the event? Can you talk about the card and what does it mean…?” “They have some...

Argentinian President Javier Milei warns that progressive policies and open borders are pushing Europe to the “brink of extinction.” Milei delivered his new condemnation of Europe’s uncontrolled migration on Tuesday during his participation at a economy debate in Buenos Aires titled, “Keynes and the General Theory,” an event that served as a scathing condemnation of John Maynard Keynes and Keynesian economics — which the Argentine President has been a long fierce critic of. During the debate, Milei mentioned Europe’s collapse as a warning of what can happen to a country or region exposed to progressive agendas, pro-abortion policies, a broken...

A newly identified species of ancient snake, Vasuki indicus, may rank among the largest snakes to ever exist. The massive reptile lived around 47 million years ago in what is now Gujarat, India, according to research published in Scientific Reports. Scientists estimate it reached an extraordinary length of about 11 to 15 meters (36 to 49 feet). While it belonged to the extinct madtsoiidae family, researchers say it represents a unique lineage that originated on the Indian subcontinent.

Rosie O’Donnell has found a fresh start, and a healthier future, by leaving America. The A League of Their Own star, who fled to Ireland when longtime rival Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, took to Instagram on Tuesday, April 28 to post an image of a Women.com article which noted that her “Mounjaro face transformation is undeniable.” “I have diabetes 2. I have lost 56 lbs. in just over 3 years — I’m thankful for my improved health,” O’Donnell, 64, captioned the post. While the prescription drug is designed to regulate blood sugar levels in people with type...

A top Co-Op City official warned that residents could pay four times more in monthly maintenance charges if New York State’s controversial green-energy laws aren’t peeled back. Jeffrey Buss, Co-Op City’s general counsel, claimed monthly maintenance fees could skyrocket from $950 for a one-bedroom to more than $4,000 to pick up the tab for the edicts. Some 50,000 working and middle class residents of The Bronx complex, which is America’s largest residential cooperative, could see their affordable digs become unaffordable if the co-ops are forced to dish out as much as $1 billion to rewire buildings and revamp infrastructure, he...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a late Friday Truth Social post, President Donald Trump finally delivered the endorsement that each of the top GOP candidates in the race to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell badly coveted. And it went to U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, whom Trump called a "proven political winner" who is "always a vote we can count on because he knows what it takes to get things done." Some Kentucky political insiders say this could seal the Republican Senate primary in Andy Barr’s favor. "It's over," former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Republican and former U.S. Senate candidate...

The Freeper Canteen Presents....~ It’s Kentucky Derby Time!! The 152nd Running! ~ Barbershop Quartet ~ Star Spangled BannerCall To The Post KENTUCKY DERBY TROPHY Since the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1924, Churchill Downs has annually presented a gold trophy to the winning owner of the famed "Run for the Roses." History is unclear if a trophy was presented in 1875 to the winner of the first Kentucky Derby, and trophy presentations were sporadically made in following years. Finally, in 1924, legendary Churchill Downs President Matt Winn commissioned that a standard design be developed for the "Golden...

WASHINGTON — Tax cuts are becoming the hottest new idea in Democratic politics from coast to coast, as candidates across the party spectrum seek to capitalize on cost-of-living struggles and win back working-class voters. Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., recently rolled out sweeping tax cut plans. Booker seeks to create a federal tax exemption for up to $75,000 in income for married couples. Van Hollen wants to set that figure at $92,000. Both have been floated as potential 2028 presidential candidates. In California, progressive candidate for governor Katie Porter, a former Democratic congresswoman, is proposing to...

Vermont Principals’ Association to pay $566K to Christian school in transgender athlete dispute

Researchers at Cornell University found chatbots and AI models are all overwhelmingly programmed to suck up to users. “We find that models are highly sycophantic: they affirm users’ actions 50% more than humans do. “Participants [in the study] rated sycophantic responses as higher quality, trusted the sycophantic AI model more, and were more willing to use it again. This suggests that people are drawn to AI that unquestioningly validate, even as that validation risks eroding their judgment. “These preferences create perverse incentives both for people to increasingly rely on sycophantic AI models and for AI model training to favor sycophancy,”...

We’re approaching 60 days of the so-called Iran war, and we’re still getting these loud voices that Donald Trump has failed, that the war’s not going well. It’s completely nonempirical. It’s antithetical to the evidence. Here we are at 60 days, and Iran is losing about $500 million in input per day. It’s running out of storage space in a week or two for its daily output of oil, at which point they either have to stop pumping or they’re going to have—if they don’t stop pumping—their wells will collapse. They either have to stop pumping, or they have to...

During a May Day rally in Chicago, several demonstrators — including students participating in a walkout encouraged by teachers — struggled to explain the core ideologies they were championing, according to on-the-ground reporting by Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin. Tobin spoke with a Chicago Public Schools student, Cody West, who was carrying a "Party for socialism" sign. When Tobin asked the student if he believed in or knew what socialism was, West admitted, "not really, not too much." West mentioned that some teachers told students "it's a walkout, you guys can just go, go protest." A Chicago Teachers Union...

"Hi my name is Guido Reichstadter & I'm currently occupying the top of the Frederick Douglass memorial bridge in Washington DC. I'm calling on the people of the United States to bring an immediate end to the Trump regime's illegal war on Iran and the removal of the regime power through mass nonviolent direct action and non-cooperation. I also want to urgently warn the people of the US and the world of the imminent danger we are in of crossing a point of no return towards the development of artificial intelligence which poses the risk of catastrophic harm to humanity,...

Britain has agreed to create a unified naval force with nine European countries to deter future Russian threats from the “open sea border” to the north, the head of the Royal Navy has announced. Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins said that despite the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, where the strait of Hormuz remains closed after the US-Israeli war in Iran, “Russia remains the gravest threat to our security”. In a speech, the first sea lord said the 10 members of the Joint Expeditionary Force (Jef), had signed last week a statement of intent to create a “multinational maritime force”...

Florida deputies arrested 266 people in a six-day undercover sting targeting alleged human traffickers, child predators and illegal immigrants. Sheriff Grady Judd announced the results of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s (PCSO) six-day operation “Polk Around and Find Out” during a Friday press conference. He announced 247 arrests connected to human trafficking. Officials previously said there were 19 more apprehensions connected to child sexual predators. Of the 247 trafficking-related apprehensions, 34 are in the U.S. illegally and 22 were receiving public benefits totaling more than $15,000 per month, according to the PCSO, FOX 13 reported, citing the PCSO. Those taken...

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said his X account was “compromised” on Wednesday evening, a statement offered after a post on his account called British Columbia Premier David Eby a “liar” earlier in the day. MLS has been ensnared in a relocation controversy surrounding the Vancouver Whitecaps, who say they have faced serious financial issues as a result of having to play at BC Place, the stadium owned by the province. The long-running saga has most recently seen the Whitecaps connected with a potential move to Las Vegas or Phoenix. Eby posted a 45-second video clip on his own...