Free Republic

Long-tenured workers like cashier Tony Barzar are reliable, experienced and able to speed shoppers through a checkout line. Costco is willing to pay to keep them around. TUCSON, Ariz.—Costco COST 0.59%increase; up pointing triangle cashier Tony Barzar unloaded his lunch in the breakroom, clocked in and headed for the checkout, just as he has for much of the past four decades.That day, like most days, 60-year-old Barzar was assigned to the self-checkout area, a cluster of six registers. At 9:02 a.m., the first shoppers were ready to ring themselves up.“Right here, ma’am!” Barzar said, gesturing for a customer in line...

PIKESVILLE, Md. — A massive crash involving a bus and 12 vehicles in Pikesville injured as many as 33 people and trapped two people in the wreckage, Baltimore County fire officials said. Officials said emergency crews were called around 5:48 p.m. Wednesday for a crash involving a Maryland Transit Administration bus and cars in the 1500 block of Reisterstown Road. Authorities declared a mass casualty incident for which 15 ambulances, Medevac helicopters and the Shock Trauma GoTeam responded to the scene. Officials said medical ambulance buses responded from Howard and Anne Arundel counties. Fire officials said one person was trapped...

WASHINGTON — Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s silver-spoon socialist adviser, Morris Katz, rushed over to beleaguered Graham Platner’s house Wednesday as they plotted how to remain a powerbroker in the Senate race — enraging Democrats. The gathering included Platner’s top campaign brass in addition to Katz, who is trying to hatch a plan for Platner to “remain a voice” in the Senate contest “no matter what” the accused rapist decides, a source familiar with deliberations told The Post.Platner has so far refused to step down as Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee after he was accused of rape by an ex-girlfriend — with the...

He’s flush with cash.A NYCHA plumber who’s one of New York City’s highest-paid employees is in hot water after claiming he worked nearly 2,600 hours of overtime.Plumbing supervisor Jakub Markowski, 41, faces an investigation by the city more than a year after The Post exposed him as New York City government’s biggest overtime hog, clogging his bank account with a staggering $332,000 in extra pay during the 2025 fiscal year.A spokesperson said the city Department of Buildings opened a probe into Markowski — who drew a whopping $465,000 paycheck from the city — after receiving a complaint into his “business...

A streamer who broadcasts to more than 1 million followers on a popular online platform set off a viral firestorm after invoking Mayor Zohran Mamdani's name as he declared Islam would take over New York City. "Allahu Akbar!" the extremist internet personality Sneako yelled amidst a group of Egypt soccer fans while drums were banged and horns were blown. Egyptian flags waved among the crowd as they chanted along. Sneako, whose real name is Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy, has been described as a provocateur and palled around with the online antisemitic far-right during his rise to social media stardom. Before...

A bitter battle is brewing along California’s Central Coast as an Indigenous tribe pushes to create a protected ocean zone that could sharply limit fishing — sparking fears among local fishermen that their livelihoods are on the line. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has filed a proposal to create a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) stretching from Morro Rock to the local dog beach near Morro Bay

NEW YORK (AP) — The writer E. Jean Carroll can collect $5.8 million held in escrow since a jury found that President Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed her, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Trump’s lawyers immediately asked a court to block the payment while they appeal.The president has already deposited the money in an account. The U.S. Supreme Court recently let the 2023 civil verdict stand, clearing the way for Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to release the money. The initial $5 million award has grown with interest.The jury found Trump attacked Carroll in 1996 in the dressing room of...

Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards is described by colleagues and his family as a special person gone too soon.Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, has been identified by the U.S. Navy as the sailor who went missing following a helicopter’s emergency landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1.The Navy made the announcement Tuesday evening, two days after announcing that the search for Edwards had been suspended. Edwards and three others were aboard an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter last week and assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. The aircraft made an emergency water...

“Physician, Heal Thyself”: Why this Diocesan Priest Rejects the Vatican’s SSPX ExcommunicationsThe debate over the SSPX excommunications has largely centered on obedience and canon law. But one diocesan priest believes everyone is asking the wrong question. In this powerful essay, he argues that excommunication exists to heal souls—not to silence Catholics defending Tradition—and asks whether those imposing penalties should first examine themselves in light of Canon 1364. Whether readers agree or disagree, this essay offers one of the most provocative priestly responses yet to the Vatican's action against the Society of St. Pius X. What is Excommunication Actually For?Excommunication exists...

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani couldn't resist referencing Egypt's devastating defeat to Argentina while addressing his constituents on Wednesday. While Egypt would score legitimately shortly afterward, Argentina completed a dramatic comeback in the match's final 20 minutes to secure a 3-2 victory. The defeat was so shocking that an Egyptian player alleged the World Cup was "fixed," and now Mamdani has weighed in on the controversy. Addressing a crowd about the rollout of a new initiative to accelerate bus service, called the "Next Stop: Better Buses, Faster Service" plan, Mamdani outlined how the program will enhance New Yorkers' daily...

A group of seven Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), is again demanding unprecedented details and justifications for Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s personnel and chain of command decisions, including promotion lists. The senators are pressing for the specific legal authorities, criteria, and processes used, along with any reasons beyond standard military performance, qualifications, or conduct. They also requested demographic breakdowns of promotions and removals to flag and general officer ranks.

Yes, there have been multiple cases where Tesla accused former programmers/engineers of stealing source code or trade secrets and allegedly using or taking them to competitors (or rivals). Tesla has filed several lawsuits over the years alleging this. Notable Examples Guangzhi Cao (2019): A former Autopilot engineer. Tesla sued him for copying over 300,000 files of Autopilot source code before joining Chinese EV startup Xiaopeng Motors (Xpeng), a direct competitor. He allegedly uploaded it to personal iCloud and devices. The case settled in 2021 with an undisclosed payment from Cao to Tesla. Zhongjie “Jay” Li (2025): A former engineer on...

Californians will have to pay for two new taxes next year after Gov. Gavin Newsom approved the state budget in June in what the California Taxpayers Association described as “the largest tax increase in state history.” Newsom and Democratic lawmakers agreed on proposals that would raise health insurance premiums and slap a new charge on software downloads in an effort to make up federal revenue loss from an antagonistic Trump administration, Democrats said. Republicans blasted the new taxes. “Record spending does not equate to better quality of life, and anyone living in California for the last decade would likely agree....

The U.S. women’s national team won’t play a World Cup match until 2027, but it is still set to receive a major payday from this year’s big tournament. The U.S. men’s national team earned $16 million from FIFA for reaching the round of 16 before being eliminated by Belgium in a 4-1 loss in Seattle. Under U.S. Soccer’s landmark equal pay collective bargaining agreements, that money will be shared with the women’s national team. U.S. Soccer keeps 20 percent of the prize money. The remaining 80 percent is split evenly between the men’s and women’s player pools, meaning each team...

Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was ordered Wednesday to pay a $5,000 fine for obstructing the arrest of an illegal immigrant at a courthouse but will not serve any prison time. "I think this is a situation where an otherwise good person, upset by immigration policies in this country, made a bad decision in the moment," said U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman. Dugan, 66, was convicted of felony obstruction last year after federal agents attempted to serve a warrant to Eduardo Flores-Ruiz on April 18, 2025. She was acquitted of concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor. She faced...

Blue Origin CEO: New Glenn WILL Fly Again This Year! (Plus, I had a baby) | 16:28 Ellie in Space | 17,090 views | June 30, 2026

President Donald Trump flew home from a NATO summit in Turkey on an old baby blue Air Force One plane instead of the new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet he arrived in, a surprise swap that came as the U.S. and Iran once again began trading strikes. Trump offered little clarity on the swap, instead saying he would fly on the legacy aircraft “for old time’s sake,” and indicating that both aircraft would make a previously unscheduled stop on the way back to the U.S. at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, a base used by U.S. troops....

This video from Black Conservative Perspective discusses the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Tyrron Johnson by Tennessee National Guard soldiers in downtown Memphis during the Fourth of July weekend (0:00-0:15, 1:45-2:30). Key takeaways from the video include: The Incident: According to authorities, officers were responding to reports of shots fired around 4:00 a.m. when they encountered Johnson with a handgun. A chase ensued, and soldiers shot and killed Johnson after he allegedly turned toward them while armed (0:15-0:54, 5:44-5:53). Investigation: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is currently leading an investigation into the shooting, at the request of the Shelby County...

Dennis Quaid is making his break from California official with the listing of his longtime Brentwood home after relocating full time to Tennessee. “The Parent Trap” star has listed his 4,100-square-foot manse at 2536 Pesquera Drive in Brentwood Hills for $5.2 million, Realtor.com reported. The actor put the five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom home on the market nearly a decade after buying it for $3.9 million and completing an extensive renovation of the property The listing comes just weeks after Quaid publicly criticized California’s taxes, government services and wildfire response, saying those frustrations helped drive his move to Nashville. “It used to be...

A mother who was vacationing at a Minnesota lake is accused of trying to kill her daughter after the two argued over a cell phone. Court documents obtained by Law & Crime allege Jasmine Marie Laws, 35, of Baltimore, threw her 15-year-old daughter’s phone into a lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. The daughter went into the water to get the phone, and when she retrieved it, she got into an argument with Laws. Laws allegedly struck the daughter first, with the daughter allegedly retaliating by grabbing Laws’ hair. The two continued to fight, and Laws allegedly put the daughter...