Free Republic 3rd Qtr 2026 Fundraising Target: $81,000 Receipts & Pledges to-date: $2,002
2%  
Woo hoo!! And our first 1% is in!! Thank you all very much!! God bless.

Chit/Chat (General/Chat)

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  • Fixing the Chicago public schools

    07/05/2026 8:05:36 AM PDT · by DIRTYSECRET · 20 replies
    Chicago has one of the most expensive education systems in the world-per capita student expenditures approaching $30,000 per year. Only 18 percent of students are proficient in math, with reading scores not much better. The only hope is to eliminate the Chicago Public Schools entirely and go to an all–private school system. We would eliminate the property tax as a school financing vehicle. Currently, 15–30 percent of rents in Chicago go directly to fund public sector schools. Chicago renters will welcome a huge rent reduction. I recommend limits be placed at 10 percent of family income for one student, 16.6...
  • Watch what happens in France when Lidl puts air conditioners on sale

    07/05/2026 6:08:00 AM PDT · by V_TWIN · 40 replies
    notthebee.com ^ | Jul 5, 2026
    Fights have broken out across France as hundreds of shoppers scramble for air conditioning units before soaring temperatures next week. Footage showed Parisians scuffling over the coveted equipment in a Lidl supermarket after 400 people queued all night to get their hands on a unit on Thursday. The clashes came after temperatures reached 44C (111ºF) in parts of France last week, with sweltering heat set to return on Monday. One customer reportedly injured eight people, including a 12-year-old, with pepper spray in an attempt to get his hands on an air-conditioning (AC) unit. Seems like Europe's experiment with no air...
  • Today's Cryptogram

    07/05/2026 4:56:37 AM PDT · by nikos1121 · 8 replies
    DPFWTGD HDL ZBY XJTKY BZ CFDW. DPFWTGD HDL XJTKY BZ GBJWDNF, BZ TPDNTZDYTBZ DZV DZ JZXFDYDXKF VFYFWPTZDYTBZ YB VB YAF SBX DY ADZV. —ADWWQ L. YWJPDZ
  • [Vanity] Cool moment at Braves game today, when home crowd sings Country Roads, and the Braves batter ... ;-)

    07/04/2026 7:46:58 PM PDT · by Blueflag · 16 replies
    Fox News and others ^ | 7/4/26 | Zack Dean
    Baseball has some really cool moments now and then. This is one. Some background: 1. Since College Baseball World Series, and 2. Several recent World Cup games ... Fans have taken up singing John Denver's "Country Roads." Well at today's Brave's home game, when our star catcher came up to bat (he's a good hitter) the crowd started signing 'take me home, country roads,' And Olsen (the batter) LAUNCHED a home run far into the right field stands. The crowd sang loudly and cheerfully as he circled the bases. Happy Birthday, USA.
  • Joey Chestnut, Miki Sudo Devour Field to Defend Hot Dog Titles

    07/04/2026 3:31:33 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 11 replies
    ESPN ^ | Jul 4, 2026
    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...
  • Streamer Sneako declares “New York is an Islamic state” / “This is the Islamic Republic of New Yorkistan”

    07/04/2026 9:49:36 AM PDT · by GrandJediMasterYoda · 36 replies
    Instagram.com ^ | 7/3/26 | mikekhieu
    Streamer Sneako declares “New York is an Islamic state” / “This is the Islamic Republic of New Yorkistan” “Islam will be in every household. Inshallah, the whole world will become Muslim.” How do we coexist with this?
  • The Bartender's Thinking BIG! 😆 (AOC - VIDEO about 30 seconds)

    07/04/2026 4:57:26 AM PDT · by SaveFerris · 22 replies
    @TrishReganChannel YouTube ^ | Jul 1, 2026 | @TrishReganChannel
    The Bartender's Thinking BIG! 😆
  • Today's Cryptogram

    07/04/2026 1:35:46 AM PDT · by nikos1121 · 11 replies
    AM BFAOPFWWP, QFH PSIOACFQ SOGSIU YSAOU QWW UWWM — HTBHEQ GFHM QFHDH SDH CWAMC QW JH YADHGWDZU. —KSM UQDRQFHD
  • Happy 102nd Birthday, Eva Marie Saint (b July 04, 1924)

    07/03/2026 9:19:45 PM PDT · by Ken H · 24 replies
    Eva Marie Saint won an Oscar for best supporting actress in her film debut "On the Waterfront (1954)". Her most famous role was perhaps as Eve Kendall, the sultry blonde double agent in the 1959 thriller, "North by Northwest". She was married to Jeffrey Hayden from 1951 in until his death in 2016. She retired in 2021.
  • The 9 a.m. Rule That Can Help Keep Your Home Cool Naturally This Summer (Caveman System)

    07/03/2026 4:15:16 PM PDT · by Diana in Wisconsin · 51 replies
    Country Living Magazine ^ | July 3, 2026 | Country Living Staff
    If you want to keep your house naturally cooler this summer, the most important thing you can do happens before the day heats up: Close your blinds and windows by about 9 a.m., or before direct sunlight reaches that side of your home. That’s the core idea behind an old-school home-cooling technique some call the “caveman method,” inspired by the naturally cool conditions found in caves. To understand how it works, Country Living talked to Joseph Holman, a door and window specialist at Green Door based in the U.K., where June temperatures have surpassed record highs this year. While it...
  • Mamdani Screams "UNPLUG EVERYTHING".. as Blackouts WIPE OUT NYC

    07/03/2026 2:04:34 PM PDT · by DUMBGRUNT · 119 replies
    Youtube ^ | 3 July 2026 | Cash Jordan
    The power didn't go out...they turned it off!! Mamdani says turn AC to 78... City hall's inside temperature is 72. NYC has over 500 electric buses... Some cell towers are out, and traffic lights are out.
  • Okay, things are getting VERY SCARY with Erling Haaland

    07/03/2026 10:58:55 AM PDT · by SmokingJoe · 111 replies
    YouTube ^ | 2025 | GOATV
    This video provides a comprehensive look at the meteoric rise Erling Haaland, exploring his journey from a young talent in Norway to becoming one of the most feared strikers in world football at Manchester City. Career Overview and Milestones Early Days: Born in Leeds (3:14), Haaland started his youth career at Bryne FK before moving to Molde FK under Ole Gunnar Solskjær (4:10). His breakout performance included scoring four goals in 17 minutes against Brann (4:32). European Rise: He excelled at Red Bull Salzburg (5:00), becoming the first teenager to score in five consecutive Champions League matches, before moving to...
  • Hillary Clinton slams ‘embarrassing’ Supreme Court ruling expanding Trump’s firing power

    07/03/2026 10:52:40 AM PDT · by simpson96 · 51 replies
    MS NOW ^ | 7/2/2026 | Sydney Carruth
    Hillary Clinton warned that the Supreme Court’s Republican majority is “turning the clock back” with some of its recent decisions, including the “nonsensical” ruling earlier this week that gives the president the authority to fire members of independent federal agencies. The former secretary of state pointed to the “mental gymnastics” that the high court performed when it backed President Donald Trump in his case against Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, whom he fired without cause. The ruling on Monday overturned a 1935 precedent that had protected agency independence. “I mean, it is a nonsensical —...
  • Naples woman arrested, accused of $8.5K breast surgery check fraud

    07/03/2026 10:49:07 AM PDT · by simpson96 · 27 replies
    Gulf Coast News Now ^ | 7/2/2026 | Edward Franco
    NAPLES, Fla. — A Naples woman was arrested on grand theft and fraud charges after she was accused of using checks from closed accounts to pay for an $8,500 breast augmentation surgery, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest report says Nicole Valliere reportedly attempted to pay for the procedure at Peña Plastic Surgery, located off Pine Ridge Road and Napa Boulevard near I-75, in February using a check from a closed bank account. Advertisement Investigators said Valliere tried again in March with a cashier’s check from another closed account, but the bank notified the business too...
  • Rhode Island passes law restricting number of self-checkout lanes allowed in stores

    07/03/2026 8:40:43 AM PDT · by V_TWIN · 85 replies
    notthebee.com ^ | Jul 3, 2026
    Rhode Island has become the first state to take on big ... self-checkout? Legislation passed and signed in the Ocean State limits the number of self-checkout lanes a store is allowed to have, and it's based on the ratio of normal checkout lanes with cashiers. The goal is to protect jobs. Here's WPRI: 'Today, we're protecting jobs and strengthening customer service,' [Rhode Island Governor Dan] McKee said. 'Whether it's helping a customer with an issue, assisting a senior, or ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities, this law is about preserving choice and keeping people at the center of the shopping...
  • He Got A Big Shock (UK. White male attacked by blacks. White male arrested)

    07/03/2026 7:56:24 AM PDT · by yesthatjallen · 23 replies
    Youtube ^ | 07 02 2026 | Paul Joseph Watson
    Check out the utter state of policing in the UK. The guys surrounded. The mob circling him are clearly the aggressors. Right. So, he's being closelined to the floor, punched in the face. Guess who the female cop decides to tackle? Oh, you just knew it was coming, didn't you? The people who attacked him get away. Then this happens. I mean, fair enough. That was pretty dumb. Some people in the comments claimed he was just reacting and didn't even know it was a copper. I don't know about that, but if she hadn't charged into the wrong guy,...
  • Friday Silliness Thread

    07/03/2026 2:57:12 AM PDT · by Nateman · 35 replies
    Free Republic ^ | July 3, 2026 | Nateman
    Grumpy Cat
  • Appeals Court Upholds New York ‘Gas Stove Ban’ That Chuck Schumer Insisted Wasn’t Even Happening

    07/03/2026 2:56:58 AM PDT · by Adder · 27 replies
    Gateway Pundit ^ | 07/02/2026 | Mike LaChance
    A federal appeals court just upheld a New York state ban on gas stoves, which is very strange, considering the fact that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York insisted that the ban on gas stoves wasn’t even happening. This has all been unfolding quietly in the background for about two years now. Groups which are part of the gas industry challenged the ban but a federal court just sided with the state.
  • Today's Cryptogram

    07/03/2026 2:40:16 AM PDT · by FroggyTheGremlim · 12 replies
    UP QIDV WQPOP WYAWQO WI CP OPDK-PRFVPGW,WQNW NDD LPG NYP TYPNWPV PSAND,WQNW WQPM NYP PGVIUPV CM WQPFY TYPNWIYUFWQ TPYWNFG AGNDFPGNCDP YFZQWO,WQNW NLIGZ WQPOP NYP DFKP,DFCPYWMNGV WQP JAYOAFW IK QNJJFGPOO.- WQP VPTDNYNWFIG IK FGVPJPGVPGTP
  • Rare copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archives

    07/03/2026 2:09:37 AM PDT · by RandFan · 16 replies
    BBC ^ | July 3 | Joe Coughlan
    A rare surviving copy of the Declaration of Independence has been discovered at The National Archives in Kew, the only known example of its kind outside the US. The document was uncovered by a volunteer in February while cataloguing the papers of Royal Navy captains from the American Revolutionary War. It is one of 11 copies printed in Exeter, New Hampshire in July 1776 to spread news of American independence through the colonies before it was seized by British forces. Volunteer Michael Scurr, recalled feeling butterflies in his stomach after he opened up the paper and realised what it was....