Free Republic

Big Lots, the beleaguered discount retailer that previously warned it had “substantial doubt” about its survival, has filed for bankruptcy. As part of its Chapter 11 filing, the retailer announced that private equity firm Nexus Capital Management is acquiring “substantially all” of Big Lots stores and business operations. During the process, its locations and website will remain open for shopping. “The actions we are taking today will enable us to move forward with new owners who believe in our business and provide financial stability, while we optimize our operational footprint, accelerate improvement in our performance, and deliver on our promise...

[The European climate service Copernicus says Earth just sweltered to its hottest summer on record] Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth's hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, European climate service Copernicus reported Friday. And if this sounds familiar, that's because the records the globe shattered were set just last year as human-caused climate change, with a temporary boost from an El Nino, keeps dialing up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists said. The northern meteorological summer — June, July and August — averaged 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 degrees...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

Robert Kennedy Jr. will remain on the Wisconsin ballot after dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing former President Donald Trump. The decision comes after a Wisconsin Elections Commission vote Tuesday, which commissioners said upholds state law regarding presidential candidates. "Wisconsin law says that once you have submitted nomination papers and qualified to appear on the ballot, you may not decline nomination," WEC Chair Ann Jacobs told News 3 Now in an interview. The only way to prevent Kennedy from appearing on the ballot would have been for him to not have submitted his nomination paperwork. Short of that,...

<p>Walmart has recalled nearly 10,000 cases of apple juice sold in stores across the U.S. that were found to contain potentially harmful levels of inorganic arsenic.</p><p>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the recall a more urgent classification Friday after making its original announcement Aug. 15. The new classification said the affected product may temporarily cause adverse health consequences but is unlikely to cause serious or irreversible medical issues.</p>

Vice President Kamala Harris wants to help you. But you must vote for her first. She needs to be elected President in November before she rolls up her sleeves and gets her hands dirty for the American people – including you. The cost of consumer goods and services went through the roof on her watch. In fact, consumer prices are up over 20 percent since January 2021. Food, rent, and electricity are up even more. Yet her four years as President Joe Biden’s sidekick don’t count. Bidenomics is on the big guy. Not Harris. And now, Harris has a plan....

Two weeks after organizers scrubbed Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna amid a foiled terror plot, the singer issued her first statement on the cancellations. “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.” She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her...

Less than a month ago, Justice Elena Kagan suggested the Supreme Court consider dialing back its review of significant cases on its controversial emergency docket. “Our summers used to be actually summers,” Kagan told a group of judges in California, lamenting the “relentless” filing of emergency appeals. “We’ve gotten into a pattern where we’re doing too many of them.” Since then, the Supreme Court’s emergency caseload has exploded. In coming days, the high court is expected to tackle short-fuse challenges to President Joe Biden’s latest effort to reduce student debt and to cut planet-warming pollution by limiting power plant emissions....

A frequently visited arch collapsed in Rock Creek Bay in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah, the National Park Service reported Friday in a news release. The “Double Arch” geologic feature was also known by other names, including the “Toilet Bowl,” “Crescent Pool,” and “Hole in the Roof.” NPS said no injuries were reported from the collapse, which happened on Thursday. The Double Arch was formed from Navajo sandstone dating back about 190 million years. the news release said. Since it was formed, the fine-grained sand feature has been subject to spalling and erosion caused by the onslaught of...

Books are the purest form of escapism. They can take you to any time, place, or culture. In honor of National Book Lovers Day August 9, we put away our smartphones, pull out a good book and simply read. (Well, an audiobook will suffice too.) From clay tablets to today’s eBooks, literature has played a crucial role in preserving cultures, educating the masses, and storytelling. Thanks to Johannes Gutenberg’s 15th-century printing press, anyone, not just royalty, monks or landed gentry, could read and own books. But, alas, there was no overnight shipping. Today, join a book club or re-read a...

When local restaurant owners make the difficult decision to close their doors for good, it often feels like the Madison area loses a little part of its identity. Recently, a few of those announcements have been about establishments old and new, including Nick's Restaurant of 60 years, Essen Haus of 40 years, Harvest of 20 years, Daisy Café & Cupcakery of 15 years, East Johnson Family Restaurant and The Ready Set, both open about three years, and Amara of about two years. They're places we'll miss that offered food and experiences we won't soon forget. Here's more information about their...

Both suspects in a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows in Vienna appeared to be inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, Austrian authorities said Thursday, and investigators found bomb-making materials at one of their homes. Officials said one of the two confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.” Three sold-out concerts were canceled a day earlier because of the plot, devastating Swifties from across the globe. Many of them had dropped thousands of euros (dollars) on travel and lodging in Austria’s expensive capital city to attend the Eras Tour shows...

MADISON, Wis. -- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz beat out Democratic governors and senators from across the East and West coast to be named the Vice Presidential nominee running alongside Kamala Harris. But what do Wisconsin voters think of our Midwestern neighbor getting on the ticket? "I think Walz is more consequential for Wisconsin than the other possible candidates were," Barry Burden, Political Science Professor and Director of UW-Madison's Elections Research Center said. And some Wisconsin voters seemed to agree Tuesday, like Rod Rotar after watching Walz's acceptance speech in Pennsylvania. He spoke to News 3 Now after grocery shopping on...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

A manipulated video that mimics the voice of Vice President Kamala Harris saying things she did not say is raising concerns about the power of artificial intelligence to mislead with Election Day about three months away. The video gained attention after tech billionaire Elon Musk shared it on his social media platform X on Friday evening without explicitly noting it was originally released as parody. The video uses many of the same visuals as a real ad that Harris, the likely Democratic president nominee, released last week launching her campaign. But the video swaps out the voice-over audio with another...

Canada’s standard of living is on track for its worst decline in 40 years, according to a new study by Canada’s Fraser Institute. The study compared the three worst periods of decline in Canada in the last 40 years—1989, 2008, and today. They found that unlike the previous recessions, Canada is not recovering this time. Something broke. In fact, according to the Financial Post, since 2019, Canada’s had the worst growth out of 50 developed economies. On the ground, that means inflation-adjusted Canadian wages have been flat since 2016. So, yes, something broke. And it’s nowhere near over: Canada’s per-person...

Hollywood's video game performers announced they would go on strike Thursday, throwing part of the entertainment industry into another work stoppage after talks for a new contract with major game studios broke down over artificial intelligence protections. The strike — the second for video game voice actors and motion capture performers under the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists — will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The move comes after nearly two years of negotiations with gaming giants, including divisions of Activision, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co., over a new interactive media agreement. SAG-AFTRA negotiators say...

VP Kamala Harris on Thursday said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal soon with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since Oct. 7 can return home. Harris said she had a “frank and constructive” conversation with Netanyahu in which she affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself but also expressed deep concern about the high death toll in Gaza over nine months of war and the “dire” humanitarian situation there. With all eyes on the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Harris largely reiterated President Joe Biden's longstanding message that it's...

A UW-Madison professor is revisiting "Hillbilly Elegy"-- JD Vance’s memoir-- eight years after the book was picked by the university as the "Go Big Read" book of the year. Hillbilly Elegy describes Vance’s experience in Appalachia, Kentucky and upbringing in Middletown, Ohio– diving into concepts such as poverty, addiction, and "hillbilly culture." This was published in 2016, and in 2017 UW-Madison chose to distribute the book through the “Go Big Read” reading program. This program selects one book per academic year to give to all the incoming freshmen and center discussion around the book’s themes, like a massive book club....

The Middle East Children's Alliance announced Tuesday the third annual Ride for Palestine, held in Madison on July 21. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., MECA said riders will assemble at the Tenney Park Pavilion on Madison's east side. Riders will then depart on an eight-mile, casually-paced ride at 11:00 a.m., using Madison bike paths. There will be a refreshment break at Olin Park. Riders will return to Tenney at around 12:15 p.m. MECA said there will be activities for guests of all ages at Tenney Park during and after the ride, including live music, poetry, bike decorating, kite making, and temporary...