Free Republic

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Pride celebrations across the country continue to lose out on large sponsorships as corporations, a key source of funding, shrink their affiliation with diversity causes and LGBTQ+ events. Corporate sponsorships of celebrations in several cities, including New York City, Salt Lake City, Louisville, St. Louis, Orlando, and Pittsburgh are down from previous years, organizers said. Jordan Braxton, co-president of the United States Association of Prides, which supports Pride celebrations nationwide, said that while some smaller Prides have seen a growth in sponsorships, a majority have seen a reduction. She said the Trump administration's dismantling of Diversity, Equity...

Roger Daltrey has made the claim that THE WHO was "the first heavy metal band", having laid the groundwork for the genre more than six decades ago. The 82-year-old rock legend made the comments during a new interview with Rolling Stone. Asked how he sees THE WHO's legacy and what he and his bandmates did better than everybody else, Roger said: "We were just different than everybody else. Americans don't really know THE WHO from the early '60s, but as the drummer of DEEP PURPLE [Ian Paice] said recently in a magazine, 'THE WHO started it all.' We were the...

Get ready for a summer of teen mayhem, unless blue-city leaders across the country abandon their commitment to fostering disorder in the name of equity.The hot new thing is a “takeover” — a Gen-Z euphemism for a riot,*** Chicago saw several “teen takeovers” over Memorial Day weekend, with dozens of arrests of “youths” running as old as 28. And one of them saw Rashad Johnson, 18, allegedly plow his vehicle into a group of cops trying to restore order; he’s now charged with five counts of attempted murder.President Donald Trump posted: “Five officers badly hurt. Mayor and Governor are terrible....

The National Park Service ‌reported that four climbers from a seven-member expedition suffered a fall on Wednesday in the vicinity of Denali Pass, located about 2,100 feet (640.1 metres) below the 20,310-foot summit of McKinley, North America's tallest peak. The ​survivor was rescued on Thursday from a mountain basin at 17,200 feet and ​later transferred to an air ambulance for transport to a hospital, the ⁠Park Service said. "Operations for the three remaining climbers have transitioned from a search and rescue ​mission to a recovery effort," the Park Service said in an online statement, adding the ​agency "does not release...

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A man was shot and killed at a Royal Farms convenience store in Frankford Sunday night. Philadelphia police said the shooting may have been an act of self-defense. It happened around 7:50 p.m. at the store on Church Street, off Aramingo Avenue, not far from the I-95 exit. Officials said the 22-year-old victim walked into the store and approached the shooter. Surveillance footage shows them getting into a face-to-face altercation. Then, the 22-year-old pulls out a gun and points it at the man. “This other individual, who we now know to be a 21-year-old Hispanic male,...

The parliament in Ghana has approved a new bill criminalising homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities. It proposes that identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer be punished by up to three years' imprisonment. The bill also introduces a "duty to report" prohibited acts to police.

A deranged illegal migrant, deported from the U.S. three times, is accused in the triple murder of an infant and two other women after California’s controversial state sanctuary law obstructed federal authorities who sought to deport him, The California Post has learned.

Since Florida launched its immigration enforcement effort, Operation Tidal Wave, in February, nearly 25,000 arrests have been made statewide. “Florida will continue to use every available resource to identify dangerous individuals, support federal immigration enforcement and keep our citizens safe,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “No state has moved faster or done more to combat illegal immigration than Florida, and we will continue to lead the charge in protecting our communities.” Operation Tidal Wave was launched as Florida leads the country with the most 287(g) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreements of any state, The Center Square reported. The program is...

‘G ‘ was born into a Maronite Christian family in southern Lebanon, part of a community that traces its roots to the ancient Phoenicians. His early childhood unfolded in a quiet Christian village just 15 kilometers from the Israeli border, surrounded by rolling hills, farmland, and deeply rooted family traditions. Like many Lebanese Christians in southern Lebanon, his family lived modestly, valuing faith, community, and inner peace in a region increasingly consumed by conflict. While Lebanon was embattled in a civil war from 1975-1990, and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 to drive out the PLO had left its...

Lavrov spoke with Rubio over the phone and, according to a readout, drew Rubio’s attention to the Russian Foreign Ministry statement advising the United States and other countries with representative offices in Kyiv to “ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the capital of Ukraine.”

This is the first topic I've ever written about which probably shouldn't be written about at all. By anyone. Anywhere. Based on all indications so far, the best way to treat director Christopher Nolan's forthcoming movie, The Odyssey (starring Matt Damon as Odysseus) is simply to ignore it. Never mention it. Certainly not see it. Everyone in the entire world should simply continue living their lives as though the movie never existed at all. The reason isn't just that the trailer conveys an odd combination of overwrought and unserious. It's that the trailer, interviews, and press releases so far suggest...

Brad & Lex trying to figure out WHEN this song is relevant to.. Brad is good to get a general idea, while Lex actually looks it up. (I was 1 year off, btw..)....

A new Texas law allows companies with SAE Level 4 or higher autonomous vehicles to offer commercial driverless transportation. Tesla wasted no time in self-certifying their vehicles. On the same day the law went into effect, Tesla officially self-certified their FSD software on their robotaxi vehicles as Level 4 compliant. For years, Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD software, even in Texas, has navigated the consumer market under the constraints imposed by a Level 2 driver-assist system. And while Tesla now operates in Texas as a level-4 system, this does not change the level-2 designation for consumer vehicles. Taking Responsibility While many...

Americans long have leavened their powerful global image with goofiness, a cheerful confidence that can deflect international wonder over certain strains of ignorance into a smile. Behold, for example, the cheesehead hat. Made of sofa foam and sunny yellow defiance, the hat was created in the late 1980s in response to the taunting faced by supporters of sports teams in Wisconsin, which has long called itself America’s dairyland. “Cheeseheads!” residents of neighboring Illinois said. The insult was embraced and, yes, turned on its head — particularly in the realm of a certain football team named the Green Bay Packers. Soon,...

Brad & Lex back for another reaction video.. This time with Pink Floyd. AND, I believe with Lex's mother along for the ride. Lex gets emotional this time. Brad, as usual, is thinking things through, while Lex lets the feelings get to her.

hina buys up the bullion, the relevance of paper markets on Comex (and London) is shrinking. Liquidity and relevance of paper gold and silver relative to bullion are diminishing. This market report analyses why open interest on Comex has declined to multi-year lows and the consequences. Clearly, liquidity has been drained from western paper markets by the continual drift of bullion into firm Asian hands. We present evidence of the strains on market makers on Comex who have limited capital resources and we debate the consequences. Open interest is now at multi-year lows This week saw open interest in the...

Thank you very much. It’s an honor to be here, and I’d like to thank the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute for inviting me to join you. Of course, this year’s forum carries special significance as we celebrate 250 years of the American story. But milestones of this magnitude demand more than ceremony. They ask something of us. They invite us to reflect not just on the creation of our country, but on its condition. And as we focus today on America’s economic future, they compel us to confront—and correct—decisions that have diminished our sovereignty in recent decades. President...

An Iranian missile strike injured several Americans at a Kuwaiti air base, according to a report Saturday, the latest escalation that could further complicate efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war. Falling debris from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile struck Ali Al Salem Air Base, causing minor injuries to several Americans and seriously damaging two MQ-9 Reaper strike drones, Bloomberg reported.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not filled the vacant role of president of the Economic Development Corporation, deepening concern over his attention to the New York City economy.

“Deep Dive: The Quiet Coup Inside the NDAA The Responsible Statecraft piece has put its finger on something genuinely significant — and the fact that this is happening inside a must-pass $1.15 trillion defense bill, buried at Section 224, tells you everything about how the permanent national security apparatus operates when it wants to avoid a public fight. What Section 224 Actually Does This isn’t a tweak. Section 224 — titled the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative” — is a structural rewiring of the U.S.-Israel military relationship.” More at link.