Free Republic

🇺🇸Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem🇮🇱 (8/2/26)[Prayer]Personalities1 Samuel 27:1-12 David Among the Philistines 27 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” 2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man...

On August 2, 1776, members of Congress affix their signatures to an enlarged copy of the Declaration of Independence. Fifty-six congressional delegates in total signed the document, including some who were not present at the vote approving the declaration. The delegates signed by state from North to South, beginning with Josiah Bartlett of New Hampshire and ending with George Walton of Georgia. John Dickinson of Pennsylvania and James Duane, Robert Livingston and John Jay of New York refused to sign. Carter Braxton of Virginia; Robert Morris of Pennsylvania; George Reed of Delaware; and Edward Rutledge of South Carolina opposed the...

This summer, torrential rains have washed away Texas neighborhoods, dangerous heat has blanketed swaths of the country, and smoke from Canadian wildfires has choked communities as far south as Florida. Research makes clear that global warming is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe. Yet the climate crisis has largely disappeared from the political agenda, with many Democrats who once described it as an existential threat now shying away from talking about it. Now US activists are pushing back against this trend of “climate hushing”, arguing it is misguided. During the summer’s federal recess, during which lawmakers leave the...

"I show you a still more excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31). Without love, spiritual gifts are meaningless. First Corinthians 13 has been called the hymn of love, a lyrical interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes set to music. It's a beautiful portion of Scripture that comes as a breath of fresh air in a book dealing with one problem after another. This chapter has often been isolated from its context, but its real power lies in the balance and correction it gives to the rest of the book. The Corinthians, like all Christians, had been gifted...

SHOWJST THXB QNS DONG. — ZHRIZO CZHDO

A California man faces felony charges after U.S. Postal Inspectors caught him pulling stolen mail — including unvoted election ballots — from a collection box outside a Scottsdale post office. Richard Anthony Ramos Jr., 26, of Stockton, California, was arrested July 21 at the Scottsdale Hopi Post Office. He is accused of two counts of third-degree burglary and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to court records filed in Maricopa County. Investigators say the scheme began as early as May 2026, when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service started receiving reports of stolen checks taken from the blue collection box...

Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Cor. 16:14). The more you love God, the less you will sin. Scripture and personal experience teach us that sin always has its consequences. When you harbor unconfessed sin, you dishonor God and forfeit the blessings and joy He desires for you. Prolonged sin might even bring His chastening through pain or illness. That's what happened to Corinthian believers who partook of the Lord's Table in a sinful manner (1 Cor. 11:27-30). Paul warned the rest of the congregation to take careful spiritual inventory of themselves to avoid incurring a...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. Matthew 14:17–20In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, there are two distinct miraculous feedings of large...

Just over four years ago, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, visited a small town in the south-western region of Extremadura that had been affected by one of the wildfires devouring tens of thousands of hectares of land across the country. That summer’s blazes had left two people dead in the northern region of Castilla y León and another man there fatally burned after the excavator he was using to try to dig a firebreak to protect his town was swallowed up by the flames. A street-sweeper in Madrid had collapsed and died from heatstroke while on shift in soaring temperatures...

Donald Trump said on Saturday night that the US would hold off on any new strikes on Iran provided a deal to end the months-long conflict is quickly reached – marking the president’s latest climbdown from extravagant threats to hit the Tehran regime hard. The Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump on Saturday to express concerns about his strike plans, it was reported. Trump’s reversal also came after Iran threatened to retaliate decisively against its neighbours in the event of US strikes, while Kuwait reported being hit by Iranian drones on Saturday and two ships were attacked off...

Vincent Pastore, best known for The Sopranos, has died aged 80. Pastore, who portrayed Salvatore ‘Big Pussy’ Bonpensiero on the legendary HBO series, was confirmed dead on August 1st at his apartment in the Bronx. According to Deadline, an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding Pastore’s death. Reportedly, it was a neighbour, who had not seen Pastore in three days, who discovered his body. In addition to The Sopranos, Pastore also featured in Mickey Blue Eyes, Two Family House, Riding in Cars with Boys, Witness to the Mob, Deuces Wild, Mafia!, Serving Sara, This Thing of Ours, Shark...

The confrontation, over a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, challenged a fragile cease-fire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had killed several Hezbollah members overnight on a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, challenging a fragile cease-fire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.The encounter happened in the area of the Ali al-Taher ridge, a hilltop about six miles from the Israeli border where violence has flared in recent days. The Israeli military said it had “struck” Hezbollah fighters in an Israeli-occupied area where its soldiers were operating, and that an Israeli soldier...

An Afghan woman residing in Fort Worth has been arrested for her alleged role in plotting to commit a terrorist attack in 2024 and faces deportation from a federal court that existed only on paper for 30 years. Nazira Haji Zada, 47, appeared before a federal judge Thursday morning for her first hearing in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, according to a Department of Justice news release. This is the first time the court — referred to by legal experts as a “zombie court” — has been used since its creation by Congress in 1996. This special court is located...

France and Italy bolstered border controls on Saturday after about 60,000 people crossed into Spain's enclave in North Africa, sparking one of the largest migrant crises for the European Union in recent years. The migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco, the enclave's regional president Juan Jesus Vivas told reporters, but by Friday evening officials said more than 48,000 had returned. To cross into Ceuta, many swam around a small border barrier that juts out into the Mediterranean. At least 34 people died in the attempt. The sudden influx sparked an international crisis. France tightened checks on its border with Spain and...

President Trump on Saturday night said he agreed to halt a planned attack against Iran – after the Islamic Republic and other Middle Eastern countries agreed to the framework of a peace deal.“The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The president said Iran and other governments in the region asked the US “to hold off any attack” because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.” According to Trump, the proposed...

Residents of a tiny English village furious over plans to house hundreds of people seeking asylum in a nearby disused military barracks are preparing to hold a symbolic referendum calling for their community to declare independence from the U.K. and join the U.S. The referendum, which would carry no weight under British law, is being organized as a protest by villagers in Piddington. Residents there have overwhelmingly opposed the British government's plan to house male asylum seekers at the site about a mile away, on a Ministry of Defense property. Calum Miller, the local Member of Parliament, said the plans...

President Donald Trump is pausing plans for a major attack on Iran, he announced on Saturday with the hopes of reviving an agreement with the country. The president was mulling whether or not to hit areas that would impact foundational elements of the Islamic Republic’s grid, as well as infrastructure, according to Axios.“The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern...

‘Super Freak’ propelled its creator to iconic status and cemented him as the king of funk ‘n’ roll.Despite its cultural ubiquity, Rick James’ bawdy single “Super Freak” was by no means an overnight hit. By 1979, James had more than earned his due with a series of professional accomplishments under his belt. While he achieved success as a songwriter for Motown (as well as with gold and platinum solo albums) he hadn’t yet hit the heights of celebrity, when he embarked on his headlining tour for his third album, Fire It Up. All that was soon to change. James could...

On July 14, the State Leadership Initiative was honored to host the Florida DOGE team and their tech partners, Vulcan, Echelon, and DigiBuild, for the Florida DOGE Showcase in Washington, D.C. Spearheaded by Governor Ron DeSantis, the state has become the leader for providing accountable and efficient governance to its citizens.Since its creation in 2025, the Florida DOGE team has identified nearly $1 billion in waste and abuse at the local government level and sent over $878 million back to the federal government. But the team's work extends beyond fiscal savings and budgetary cuts - it also includes auditing university...

California, the most populous U.S. state and the one with the largest economy, ranked as the 35th best state in a new ranking published by U.S. News on July 28.South Orange County communities near Laguna Beach, Calif., on Oct. 15, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch TimesUtah ranked as the best state, followed by South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.The ranking was based on scores in eight categories such as education, healthcare, economy, and fiscal stability, and it was weighted by survey opinions.Despite a median income of more than $100,000 compared to the national average of $81,600, California ranked last in...