Free Republic

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago workers making minimum wage are set to get a raise starting next month. Starting July 1, the city's minimum wage will be $16.60 and the minimum wage for subsidized youth employment programs, the minimum wage will be $16.50. Under the One Fair Wage Ordinance, the wages of tipped workers such as restaurant servers, bartenders, bussers and runners who earn a subminimum wage of $12.62 per hour will increase by eight percent per year until it reaches parity with Chicago's standard hourly minimum wage on July 1, 2028. Other regulations for paid leave, paid sick time and...

While there are no scientific studies that link spaceflight to graying hair, NASA has previously suggested that spending time in space can cause “significant physiological changes.” “Imagine if all of your physiological changes were hyper-accelerated so that you passed through life cycles in weeks as opposed to decades,” NASA wrote online when the agency announced it would be launching a “space-age” research program to study space’s effects on the human body. “You’d be able to grow a beard overnight or your hair might begin graying in a matter of days or maybe menopause would come knocking by next weekend.” NASA...

In recent days, the Trump administration has announced two high-profile and controversial policy changes it says are meant to combat waste and fraud in Social Security. First, the agency said it would resume garnishing entire benefit checks from Americans who receive overpayments, undoing a reform that had capped clawbacks at a smaller amount. Social Security officials claim the change will help the government recover an additional $7 billion over 10 years. Later, the agency announced that enrollees would no longer be allowed to change their direct deposit information over the phone but would instead be required to use an online...

In a move to “maximize unregretted user-seconds,” Elon Musk has unveiled plans for an algorithm change on his social media platform X that he claims will curb excessive negativity. Critics contend the algorithm changes will have troubling outcomes like censoring criticism of the FBI. Self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk has announced that his X platform (formerly Twitter) will implement changes to its algorithm in response to what he perceives as an overabundance of negativity being pushed on the site. The billionaire entrepreneur, who acquired Twitter in October 2022 and later rebranded it as X, has been known for his...

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appears to have changed her mind and warmed to the concept of receiving migrants from other countries who are expected to be deported by the Trump administration later this month. During her daily news conference on Friday, Sheinbaum claimed that Mexico and the U.S. could collaborate on cases where migrants are deported to Mexico instead of being returned to their countries of origin. The Mexican politician said that Mexico could receive migrants from certain countries or ask the U.S. for compensation to return them to their home countries.

Liberal-leaning Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor compared the risks of puberty blockers and sex-mutilating surgeries for minors to the risks of taking Aspirin on Wednesday. Sotomayor made the shocking comparison during oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case brought by the Biden administration challenging Tennessee’s law banning sex change drugs and procedures for minors who believe they are transgender.

Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) pledged to launch a campaign to boost radical sex change procedures in his state in response to Donald Trump’s landslide election. Pritzker used Transgender Awareness Week — November 12 to 19 — as a platform to showboat over the issue, Fox News reported. “This Transgender Awareness Week, I want you to know that I see you and have your back as governor,” Pritzker wrote on X. “Illinois has enshrined protections for gender-affirming care to meet this moment — and because of that, you will have a home here always.”

Former President Trump said in a Sunday interview that he expected to see “some changes” at the Republican National Committee (RNC), when asked about its chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “Sunday Morning Futures” anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Trump in an interview in Florida about Democrats having outraised Republicans to which Trump responded: “I have a lot of money.”

The 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer fueled a movement for racial justice in all elements of American society, from police forces to education to businesses. Now, a new survey has has found that three-quarters of Black executives say their companies have since made positive changes in hiring and retaining Black Americans. Nearly 75 percent of Black executives told CNBC — which conducted the survey in partnership with the Executive Leadership Council — that they have seen a positive change in hiring, retaining and promoting Black employees since Floyd’s murder. More than 40 percent of companies...

As many churches have now reopened their doors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic only a minority of them still view in-person worship services as the church model of the future. A majority see a hybrid model utilizing various online technologies as the new normal according to a new study from Pushpay.In their 2023 State of Church Technology report, Pushpay, the leading payments and engagement solutions provider for faith-based and non-profit sectors, the company said when their researchers asked church leaders what the future of their church will look like in 12 months only 28% of respondents indicated in-person...

Leftist American President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in his public remarks alongside genocidal communist dictator Xi Jinping of China on Monday, suggesting China and America should work together on “climate changes” and “food insecurity” but not addressing human rights. Talks between the two leaders are currently underway in Bali, Indonesia, where this year’s G20 summit is expected to begin on Tuesday. The governments involved have not released any specific agenda for their conversation and Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that the White House had denied that Xi and Biden would release a joint statement after their...

"The Constitution and federal law establish a detailed timetable following the presidential election during which time the members of the electoral college convene in the 50 state capitals and in the District of Columbia, cast their votes for President and Vice President, and submit their votes through state officials to both houses of Congress. The electoral votes are scheduled to be opened before a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021. Federal law specifies the procedures for this session and for challenges to the validity of an electoral vote. This report describes the steps in the process and precedents...

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created a ruckus when it changed guidelines for COVID-19 reactions, including allowing asymptomatic children to remain in school. But drawing far less attention – so far – is that the CDC changed the language on its website about the potential effectiveness of the mRNA COVID vaccines.

The Biden administration promised this week to ban “conversion therapy” for minors who claim they are members of the opposite sex. The push is wrapped up in the Biden administration’s attempt to repress religious liberty, and attempts to codify the claim that people can select which sex they wish to be.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants the world to know change is coming to Twitter. On Thursday, Musk revealed he offered to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share, a potential deal that would value Twitter at about $43 billion. The announcement came after Musk rejected a seat on Twitter's board. "Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it," Musk wrote in a letter to Bret Taylor, chairman of Twitter's board of directors. With a 9.2% stake in Twitter, Musk is one of the company's largest shareholders. Musk's bid to take over Twitter has fueled speculation about what this could mean for...

A man whom Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate Allen West admitted to pulling down his mask at an airport during an altercation has said that he wishes to press charges as he claims his face covering was "violently" torn off, according to a Dallas Morning News report. Lawrence Eric Stern told the outlet that a detective at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport had informed him that his case had been placed before the Grapevine Municipal Court. According to the DFW Airport police's report, Stern was in the airport on Nov. 3 when he spotted West walking through the facility maskless, reports...

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki proudly declared on Tuesday that Joe Biden is using the pandemic to inflict “fundamental change” on the American economy.When asked during the White House press briefing whether some programs in Biden’s $4.5 trillion budget proposal should get cut, Psaki rejected the notion, asserting that the pandemic was the perfect opportunity for Democrats to exploit the pandemic.“The president wants to make fundamental change in our economy and he feels coming out of the pandemic is exactly the time to do that,” Psaki told reporters.“If we don’t do it now, if we don’t address the cost...

Only days after Carnival Cruise Line posted the new Covid measures for when ships will be sailing, those guidelines have been removed again. In a response to Cruise Hive about why these policies have been removed from the website, the cruise line states that in their haste to keep guests and travel agents informed, they posted some information that was not finalized. Which information had not been finalized yet remains to be seen. However, we can expect to see masks, testing, social distancing, and other protocols implemented according to the same statement in full below: “In our haste to keep...

The clock struck midnight when a speedy pooch named Bug Brush crossed the finish line to win the final race at Palm Beach Kennel Club in West Palm Beach and brought a curtain on the sport in Florida. A little more than 25 months ago, state voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 13, outlawing greyhound races, starting in 2021, and issuing what could amount to a national death sentence for the century-old U.S. sport. With the state now out of the greyhound-running business, four tracks in three states — West Virginia, Arkansas and Iowa — are left still chasing rabbits. When Amendment...

Happy New Year 2021. What are your hopes for 2021? What are you fears for 2021?