Free Republic

When Apple named its next chief executive last month it did so without ceremony. Tim Cook will become executive chairman on September 1; John Ternus, his senior vice-president of hardware engineering, will succeed him as CEO. The announcement came with a photograph, not a keynote: the two men walking through Apple Park, the circular glass campus in Cupertino that Steve Jobs designed with the British architect Norman Foster and did not live to see completed. It was the first Apple succession of the post-masterpiece age, and the prose matched. Apple said the transition had been approved unanimously by its board...

I guess you could say she's sounding the alarm?... This took place this week in Venice at the city's 61st Art Biennale, one of the world's most "prestigious" modern art events. Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger created an exhibit at the Austrian Pavilion called "Seaworld Venice" to warn humanity that climate change is going to destroy us all... I suppose by comparison, hanging upside-down naked in a bell is pretty tame to her usual stuff?

The Disney company has spoken out after immigration officials nabbed several of their staff off one of their cruise ships in San Diego last month as part of a massive child porn sting. Customs and Border Protection told the California Post they arrested 28 workers off five different vessels between April 23 and 25 as part of ongoing child sexual exploitation material enforcement operations. Disney said the majority of those apprehended were not from their company while reiterating their cooperation with law enforcement.

U.S. — A federal judge ordered the release of Jeffrey Epstein's purported suicide note, which oddly appears to have been written on Hillary Clinton's personal stationery. According to sources close to the investigation, the stationery was discovered neatly folded on Epstein's bed and prominently featured Clinton's official State Department letterhead, complete with embossed seal and matching monogram. "It's the darndest thing," said FBI Agent Tom Halleck. "There's just no telling how Epstein could have gotten a hold of Ms. Clinton's stationery. Why did he choose that particular piece of paper for recording his final thoughts? Quite the riddle we have...

[Catholic Caucus] For the Record - Dom Jeremias Schröder, Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation: "The Traditional Latin Mass Can No Longer Be Pushed Out Entirely."This major interview was published in German by the official news website of the German Bishops, Katholisch.de, last week. It has essential content for Traditional Catholics, and we post the translation here for the record of current events. Abbot Primate: The Old Mass Can No Longer Be Pushed Out Entirely "I am very curious to see how Pope Leo will approach the problem" Ludwig Ring-Eifel, for KNAApril 30, 2026Amid the dying of monasteries and the...

The secretary of state has quickly established himself as a staunch defender of the administration, a formidable opponent for the liberal media, and one of the president’s most trusted allies. A reporter asked about his hopes for America. His answer was patriotic, optimistic, and reflective of the kind of vision Americans deserve in a future leader.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) presents itself as an innocuous Muslim civil rights group—a reputation it reinforces with litigation and claims of anti-Muslim bigotry. But the group finds itself under increasing scrutiny for alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoot, Hamas. Last November, Texas Governor Greg Abbott designated CAIR a terrorist organization. The following month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis followed suit, citing CAIR’s being listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a major terrorism financing case. But as other states move to sideline CAIR, California is embracing this alleged terror front. CAIR-CA, the organization’s largest statewide affiliate, is...

AVE MARIA, Fla. — A Southwest Florida woman thought a burglar was breaking into her home. It was much more terrifying -- two angry alligators were brawling outside in a battle that spilled onto her screened-in porch. Kayla Burress told WINK that she heard a noise outside of her home in Ave Maria that was getting louder by the minute. When she looked outside, the two large reptiles were fighting violently. The alligators slammed into the porch’s screen, ripping through it and leaving shredded mesh and twisted metal in their wake, the television station reported. “I thought somebody was breaking...

Let’s make a deal – or not. Gov. Kathy Hochul bungled the announcement of a deal on New York’s long-delayed budget Thursday — as state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie shot down her claims that top Democrats reached an agreement. The budget drama unfolded after Hochul announced the supposed agreement at 9 a.m., releasing the spending plan’s top lines. Roughly two hours later, however, Heastie effectively called the governor a liar. “There’s no budget deal. There’s no deal,” the Bronx Democrat said. “I’m not conferencing anything else until I know what the financial picture is.” Heastie said he walked out of...

[Catholic Caucus] On Excommunication and the SSPX: A Canonical, Theological, and Pastoral Defense Against the Proposed Excommunication of the Society of Saint Pius XIntroductionIn July 2026, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) is expected to proceed with the consecration of new bishops without a pontifical mandate; an act that Rome has signalled may result in automatic excommunication under canon law. The argument here is that, if imposed, would be not be canonically sensible, theologically coherent, nor pastorally sound. Drawing upon the Church’s own legal tradition, historical precedents, and the pastoral imperatives consistently invoked by the current and previous pontificates,...

On May 1st, Viviana aka “Vivi” joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love. 💕 She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble. Thank you to everyone who reached out with prayers during my pregnancy - I truly felt them throughout the entire experience. God is Good.🙏

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday announced the birth of her second child, a baby girl named Viviana. Leavitt announced the joyous news in a post on X, sharing details about her growing family. "On May 1st, Viviana aka "Vivi" joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love," Leavitt wrote. "She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister." "We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble," she continued. "Thank you to everyone who reached out with prayers during my pregnancy - I truly...

A California college professor who scuffled with pro-Israel demonstrators has pleaded guilty in the death of a Jewish man who was fatally injured during the clash. According to the New York Post, Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji, 54, admitted on Tuesday to felony involuntary manslaughter and felony battery causing serious bodily injury in connection with the 2023 death of Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old pro-Israel demonstrator from Southern California. The incident unfolded during rival demonstrations in Thousand Oaks, where anti-Israel activists and Israel supporters gathered amid escalating tensions following the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks and the following war in Gaza....

Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, said this week that Democrats are still eyeing major changes to the Supreme Court if they win the Senate in November. During a Tuesday appearance on “All-In with Chris Hayes” on MSNOW, Booker openly discussed “reforming” the court. Host Chris Hayes noted that many Democratic voters increasingly believe “something has to be done” about the court’s conservative majority. He asked Booker whether going after the court had become a priority for Democrats seeking to regain power in November. “The Supreme Court is another example of an area where most Americans agree,” Booker claimed....

While she indicated to donors that she had no issue with releasing it, Harris has not discussed the postmortem with DNC Chairman Ken Martin and did not know about his decision to keep it under wraps until it happened, this person said. Like most prospective candidates, Harris is staying involved in political affairs. That includes touring the country, giving speeches to state parties, developing the framework for a policy platform and sounding out fellow Democrats about her next chapter. What’s unique about Harris is that while she tries to orient toward the future, many in her party are actively fighting...

Joschka Fischer, a titan of Germany's post-reunification foreign policy, says he finds Trump "deeply distasteful," discusses the need for a European bomb and says he never trusted Putin. DER SPIEGEL: Mr. Fischer, if you were still Germany’s foreign minister, how would you be dealing with the current U.S. administration and President Donald Trump? Fischer: I'm glad I don't have to, because I find this person deeply unpleasant. The German government has not done a bad job with him so far, and neither has NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. They're often criticized for approaching Trump on a broad trail of slime....

Legal experts are pushing back on skepticism surrounding the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, arguing the Department of Justice would not have brought the case without meeting key legal thresholds. "Lots of folks are saying the case is going nowhere, but, way too early to reach that conclusion," former Democratic U.S. Attorney John Fishwick, who served in Virginia during the Obama administration, said, cautioning against prematurely dismissing the case. The indictment, brought last month in the Eastern District of North Carolina, alleged Comey, a longtime Trump nemesis, threatened the president and delivered interstate communications containing threats when he...

Police in North Carolina arrested and charged a 24-year-old over the alleged rape and murder of his teenage girlfriend, who was found stripped and bound in a Charlotte apartment — after suffering months of torture. The body of 19-year-old Isabella Stroupe was found almost naked and bound with a tow strap in east Charlotte on Friday, WSCOTV’s Hunter Sáenz reported, citing court records. Her boyfriend, Thomaz Hamilton, 24, initially claimed the couple was having sex when she suffered a suspected heart attack, according to court documents. But following an autopsy, the medical examiner ruled Stroupe’s death a homicide, Sáenz reported....

As former Vice President Kamala Harris considers another run for president, she is also signaling that she has no problem with a public airing of what went wrong last time — telling donors she believes the Democratic National Committee should release its buried autopsy of her failed 2024 campaign, according to a person who has heard the conversations. While she indicated to donors that she had no issue with releasing it, Harris has not discussed the postmortem with DNC Chairman Ken Martin and did not know about his decision to keep it under wraps until it happened, this person said.

Central California farmers are expected to gain up to $9 million in federal aid to help remove 420,000 clingstone peach trees following the closure of Del Monte Foods’ canneries earlier this year. Del Monte permanently closed its Modesto and Hughson canneries in April after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last July. The factory closures left hundreds of workers without a job while also leaving farmers in dire straits as they navigated what to do with their crops. In March, the Sacramento Bee reported that many Central California farmers had their 20-year contracts to grow peaches with Del Monte canceled while...