Free Republic

The next time an ambitious adventurer gets trapped in a flooded cave, the person coming to their rescue might not be a human at all. It might be a mind-controlled, diving-suit-wearing cockroach. Sorry, entomophobes. These cyborgs are already being used in search-and-rescue operations and pipeline inspections, but so far those efforts have been limited to dry land. That’s changing. Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore 3D-printed a flexible diving suit that roaches wear like a backpack. A chemical oxygen generator inside of it creates oxygen when the bug swims underwater and pumps it through tubes connected to the spiracles...

Billionaire Peter Thiel stunned a largely liberal audience Tuesday at the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Festival with a warning that democratic socialists are taking over the Democratic Party. During a panel discussion about the direction of humanity, Thiel lamented the cultural, technological and economic “stagnation” that has taken place in recent years, something he considered to be “very destabilizing” in the long term. He argued that the “haywire” effects of that stagnation trickled into politics. “My generation was the first one where things felt really stuck,” Thiel said. “I think millennials are doing less well than their boomer parents. It’s even...

Canadian David Bonin, 58, told The Post his ancestors fought in the American Revolution for the British — but seeing the July 4 celebrations has convinced him they were wrong. “I think we should have followed the US and ousted the British,” said the Montreal native, after explaining he could trace his lineage back to British Loyalists based in Niagara Falls during the Revolution. SNIP “They really get into it. They do everything super well,” he said, adding that he was now rethinking his thoughts about Canada.

The wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) did something "bizarre" three days after he was hospitalized for a possible heart attack, according to a new report. Elaine Chao, Transportation secretary during Trump's first administration and McConnell's wife since 1993, left the country, the Daily Beast reported Saturday. Chao flew to Beijing to discuss China-U.S. relations with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on June 17, according to the Daily Beast and Chinese media. This was three days after McConnell, 84, was reportedly found "unconscious" and rushed from his home in Washington to the hospital, reports show. Want more breaking political news?...

The Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest marked the United States' 250th birthday with chomp and circumstance Saturday with a pair of defending champions reigning again on Coney Island. Record holder Joey Chestnut took down 66 hot dogs to claim the Mustard Belt for the 18th time, and Miki Sudo downed 38.75 hot dogs for her record 12th victory. "I knew I was going to be able to get the win," Chestnut said, adding, "I've got so much room left." Chestnut beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia and...

A Malaysian man held a ghost wedding with a standee of his late fiancee who died before they could marry. The man, who goes by John Muaythai John on Facebook, posted videos of the ceremony on Sunday (June 28), five days after his livestreamer fiancee, SaKira Saw, died unexpectedly. In Chinese culture, a ghost marriage is one where either or both parties are deceased. It is a form of bereavement, and is done in the belief that the couple will be married in the spiritual realm. John and Saw had been planning to get married in November this year, according...

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said ⁠Britain ⁠had been "failed by its leadership for ⁠a long time," adding that he hoped the country's next prime minister ​could deliver the structural change voters were seeking after years of political turmoil. In an interview with the Sunday ‌Times newspaper, Vance said frequent changes ‌of government pointed to deeper problems in British politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced last month ⁠he would ⁠step down after two years in office, paving the way for Britain's ​seventh prime minister in a decade. Lawmaker Andy Burnham is widely expected to succeed Starmer after emerging as the...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued on Saturday his July Fourth address that he teased a day earlier —and nearly all eight minutes of it was spent talking about US President Donald Trump. Newsom’s office had shared some excerpts of the speech ahead of time he tries to grow his national brand in advance of a likely bid for the White House. The speech at that point seemed to focus on election policy to combat narratives from Trump that California’s elections were rigged. Instead, the governor also went on multiple asides personally attacking the president.

Collector Xiao Neng says he has spent at least US$1 million (S$1.3 million) on Ralph Lauren clothing over the past four to five years, building a wardrobe so large that he now sells pieces of it in two vintage stores that he opened in downtown Shanghai. The 23-year-old is part of a growing group of Chinese superfans helping fuel a resurgence for the American brand, which reported a 50 per cent sales jump in the country last quarter, even as the broader luxury market remains subdued by weak consumer confidence, a prolonged property downturn and concerns about jobs and income...

Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, is facing hit-and-run charges after allegedly smashing his convertible into a parked car in Napa County before driving off. Napa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a hit-and-run on the 6700 block of Yount Street in Yountville, on July 3 around 2:30 p.m., according to a press release. A witness who called 911 pointed officials in the direction of a northbound vehicle seen colliding with the rear of a parked car on the shoulder, causing major damage. The collision also pushed the parked car’s right tire up onto the curb. The witness said the vehicle...

With another finals season in the books, prohibited AI assistance continues to be a problem at universities. It may not come as a surprise that students attempt to cheat using AI. What may surprise some is the ease of access to complex cheating tools that the AI era has given to students. When presented with the harsh reality of a technological arms race between individual tech-savvy students and the bloated college bureaucracy, the need for a return to more traditional testing methods becomes apparent. Most universities use Learning Management Systems (LMSs) like Canvas and Blackboard to administer and collect assignments...

The walls of Jerusalem's Old City and the Chords Bridge were illuminated in red, white and blue Saturday night as the city celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence and honored the enduring US-Israel partnership. Video of display. Jerusalem marked the 250th anniversary of American independence on Saturday night by illuminating the walls of the Old City and the city's iconic Chords Bridge in the red, white and blue colors of the U.S. flag. The tribute, organized by the Jerusalem Municipality, was intended as a symbol of friendship and appreciation for the longstanding relationship between Israel and the United States,...

Paul Pelosi, 86, the husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is under investigation for allegedly being involved in a hit-and-run crash in Yountville, according to the Napa County sheriff's office. Authorities said Pelosi was driving a brown convertible when he crashed into an unoccupied parked car in Yountville at about 2;30 p.m. Friday. The parked car sustained major rear-end damage. Witness says driver took off after hitting parked car What they're saying: A witness told deputies the driver who caused the crash briefly stopped and then drove away. Deputies soon saw a CHP patrol vehicle parked behind a brown convertible...

Suspected Fed group Patriot Front is in Washington, DC, today for another demonstration on the 250th anniversary of American Independence. The group was seen gathering outside of Washington Union Station this morning, chanting “Life, Liberty, Victory” and “Reclaim America!” The group was wearing khaki pants, navy blue shirts, green hats, combat boots, and white face masks to conceal their identities. Via Mitchell Miller on X: They were also seen marching away from the train station, carrying various flags, including American flags and Confederate flags. Some flew the American flag upside down, a signal of distress. The Southern Poverty Law Center...

The July 4th 1776 Declaration of Independence wasn't the first important Declaration that Jefferson was involved in. A year earlier, July 6th 1775, the Second Continental Congress had him write what amounts to a Declaration of War, which somehow never gets any attention.

Explanation: On July 4th, 1997, using its own array of fireworks, a parachute, and a cocoon of airbags, the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft bounced like a giant beach ball at least 15 times before it came to rest on the surface of Mars at 10:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time. After its then novel airbag-assisted landing sequence was completed, Pathfinder transmitted this color mosaic to mission operators on Earth. In the scene from another world, the Mars Sojourner robot rover is visible in the foreground, crouched on top of the unfolded Pathfinder. About the size of a large house cat, the six-wheeled,...

An appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration can reinstall interpretive panels that critics say whitewash the history of slavery at the site of President George Washington’s home in Philadelphia.The signs would be in the same area where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. A message seeking comment was left Friday with the National Park Service.The new educational panels were designed to replace ones put up in 2010 that told the story of how nine slaves lived in the home along with George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the...

President Trump’s bond with likely New York lawmaker Anthony Constantino is already set — in bronze. Constantino, who got Trump’s endorsement to fill the seat of retiring upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), gifted a $250,000 bronze statue capturing his defiant fist-pump moments after surviving the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., the president’s latest financial disclosure reveals. Having won the Republican primary in last month’s election, Constantino is likely headed to Washington to represent the Republican-leaning district. His vote will be vital if Republicans manage to keep the House they hold by a narrow margin. Called “The Defiance Moment,” the...

A British criminal court on Friday handed down multi-year prison terms to two Romanian citizens found guilty of knifing an anti-regime broadcaster outside his residence, a targeted assault the presiding judge explicitly attributed to the directives of the Iranian government, The Associated Press reported. Pouria Zeraati, a prominent host for the London-headquartered, opposition-affiliated network Iran International, survived being stabbed in the thigh during the March 2024 ambush outside his suburban Wimbledon home. Zeraati later left the UK and moved to Israel, saying he feels “much safer" in the Jewish state. Following a jury trial last month, a 21-year-old and a...

Iranian security officials have rejected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s request to attend the burial of his slain father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, because they fear Israel will kill the son or track him back to his hiding spot, The New York Times reported Saturday. Mojtaba Khamenei seeks to attend his father’s July 9 burial in Mashhad and perform funeral rites, but has so far been refused, the Times said, citing two unnamed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members and a person involved with planning the multi-day funeral that began on Saturday. Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was...