Free Republic

**SNIP** A study released this week by GOBankingRates calculated the amount of money that a "comfortable" retirement would require without income from Social Security factored in and the associated yearly expenses a retiree would face in each U.S. state. **SNIP** Alabama ($70,492 cost of living per year): $1,409,839 Alaska ($110,457 cost of living per year): $2,209,137 Arizona ($100,281 cost of living per year): $2,005,627 Arkansas ($67,502 cost of living per year): $1,350,045 California ($155,117 cost of living per year): $3,102,333 Colorado ($114,744 cost of living per year): $2,294,882 Connecticut ($105,428 cost of living per year): $2,108,563 Delaware ($94,392 cost of...

New York Gov. Hochul and hubby have between $2.2 million and $4.3 million in the bank– less than they’ve declared in the past, newly released state financial disclosures show. William Hochul Jr. took a job defending white-collar criminals for Manhattan law firm Davis Polk in January 2024, making between $850,000 and $950,000 last year, according to the 2024 filings, which do not include exact income figures but a range. It’s a significant pay cut from the $1.45 to $1.55 million he made the year before as counsel for gaming giant Delaware North, a gig he left in August 2023 amid...

An anti-abortion Rally for Life is taking place in Dublin city center today, calling for the Government to establish an “urgent task force” on what organizers call “spiraling abortion rates”. Around 2,000 people attended the event, which began at 1:30 pm at Parnell Square. The demonstration traveled down O’Connell Street and is to conclude with speeches at Custom House Quay. The rally, according to organizers, is hoped to “kickstart a national campaign” to bring about reform to abortion laws, which were changed in 2019 after a 2018 referendum was passed by 66.4% to 33.6%. …

(WLOS) — In downtown Spartanburg’s Morgan Square in South Carolina, you’ll see the "I Love You” statue created by students from The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, and a statue commemorating Revolutionary War hero Daniel Morgan. But the most talked-about piece of public art on the square may be the one that honors border collie Chaser, known as “the smartest dog in the world.” “She knows a thousand words,” said Spartanburg philanthropist Monty Mullen. “She had 1,000 toys and they were all named, and she could identify them.” Chaser was owned and trained by Dr. John...

Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel — infamously known for pocketing rental income from his Caribbean cottage without disclosing it — has apparently left behind a modest estate, court records show. Rangel, who died May 26 at age 94, had assets worth only $300,000, according to Manhattan Surrogate Court filings. That is far less than his net worth of more than $1.7 million upon his retirement from Congress in 2017, as reported by the watchdog group Open Secrets. The current assets of the once-powerful chair of the House’s Ways and Means Committee were not detailed in court filings. His daughter, Alicia Rangel-Haughton,...

The strangeness began when a research boat known as the Blue Heron started experiencing mechanical difficulties during a trip to Lake Erie and was dry-docked for repairs. While investigating the issue, Captain Rual Lee discovered a strange thick, black tar-like substance that seemed to be oozing out of the rudder. Unable to determine what it was, he sent a sample to the University of Minnesota Duluth. When researchers analyzed the substance, they discovered that it contained 20 DNA sequences and while many could be identified, several were completely novel and unknown to science. They concluded that the substance - now...

This dentist sure has a dirty mouth. Elmo Randolph, 68, turned himself into police in the upscale Bergen County borough of Closter on Thursday after being caught scribbling a swastika on a parked car. Randolph, of Orange, was charged with fourth-degree bias intimidation, according to the Daily Voice, which shared video footage of the alleged crime. In the footage, captured by one of the car’s many cameras, a baseball cap-donning Randolph is seen in his car on June 15, parked next to a Tesla Cybertruck outside Gary’s Liquors in the Closter Plaza. He then opens his car door, leans out,...

Kentucky State Police Trooper James Cameron Wright has finally been indicted by the feds for multiple civil rights violations, which were not only known by his chain of command, but some of which were personally reviewed and approved by the literal head of the Kentucky State Police. This includes beatings, perjury, and more. Kentucky civil rights attorney Chris Wiest gives us the scandalous details, including exclusive new bodycam footage of one of the incidents. This youtuber give more insight on this guy but I'll give a link to the story for those who don't like youtube videos.

Kansas City, MO – With Independence Day and the United States’ 250th anniversary just a year away, one Missouri company is stitching its way into history. Allied Materials, based in Kansas City, has been manufacturing since 1951. The company now makes about 1,000 flags per day, with many destined for military funerals, government buildings and patriotic front porches nationwide. "This is kind of our Christmas," said Tyler Young, president of Allied Materials. "We start preparing months in advance, building extra inventory because we know this is the weekend Americans will show their patriotism most fervently." The company is the largest...

In the wake of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the regime appears to be turning inward — escalating repression with chilling speed. According to Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, the Islamic Republic is accelerating toward what he said is a "North Korea-style model of isolation and control." "We’re witnessing a kind of domestic isolation that will have major consequences for the Iranian people," Aarabi told Fox News Digital. "The regime has always been totalitarian, but the level of suppression now is unprecedented. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before." A source inside Iran...

Chicagoans can’t catch a break when it comes to the cost of living—at least, according to a new study from home-goods pros Highland Cabinetry, which ranks the most overpriced cities in the U.S. Analyzing a diverse range of metrics that consider not only the cost of living but also the quality of life in the Windy City—including the exorbitant expense of housing, earned income, relative safety, traffic and so on—the study sourced its data from the likes of the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Zillow real estate stats. While Newark, New Jersey earned the number one spot for being the...

A man was killed in Los Angeles after commercial-grade fireworks caused a massive fire at his home, investigators said. Officials also said a woman, believed to be the man's wife, is hospitalized and fighting for her life after the incident on Thursday night in the Pacoima neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, FOX 11 LA reported. Crews discovered the man and woman trapped in a home as they were evacuating people in the area. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition. The fire was reported on Thursday at...

WASHINGTON — Eight migrants with violent criminal convictions detained by the feds will be sent to South Sudan following a legal skirmish in two separate federal jurisdictions trying to halt their deportation. Lawyers for the migrants filed another lawsuit on July 4 in Washington, DC, to pause their flight to the African nation after the Supreme Court ruled against them Thursday as part of an earlier suit that determined the Trump administration could proceed with the removals. DC District Court Judge Randolph Moss, in response to the most recent suit, temporarily blocked the flight Friday — but shifted it back...

Critics piled on former Vice President Kamala Harris for issuing a gloomy statement on the Fourth of July — while sharing a picture of last year’s festivities that cropped out her onetime running-mate Joe Biden. “This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better,” Harris posted Friday on X. “But I love our country — and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the ideals of our nation.” X users were quick to point...

**SNIP** California celebrations cancelled Several communities in the Los Angeles area have cancelled Independence Day festivities due to safety concerns over Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The raids have triggered weeks of protests across the city and led Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines. The Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno cancelled its parade after 90% of participants dropped out. Organizer Genny Guerrero said the majority Latino community is “very patriotic.” But many people are avoiding events out of fear of immigration agents. “The fact that they’re taking anyone that is brown, regardless of citizenship, that puts everyone in...

President Trumps new mega prison called 'Alligator Alcatraz' has only just opened, but apparently there are so many people in america illegally, if ice continues deporting 3k+ people per day, this place could soon be filled. Initial reports indicate the facility could hold 5000 detainees, however recent reports say 3000 will be held here on a revolving basis, necessitating the need for other states to follow Florida's lead and build facilities like this for the federal government. Journalistic report, includes news footage, commentary and analysis. There really is a sign outside that reads "Alligator Alcatraz" it's not just a nickname.

NEW YORK (AP) — State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein has won the Democratic primary for a New York City Council seat in lower Manhattan, thwarting former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s long-shot attempt to return to the political stage. Voting concluded June 24, but the winner wasn’t established until Tuesday when ranked choice voting results were released. Epstein now moves to the city’s general election in the fall. Weiner had entered the race in the hopes of restarting his political career after it was derailed by sexting scandals. He was eventually sent to prison for sending sexually explicit messages to a...

NEW YORK (AP) — The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest is back, and famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is hoping for a comeback 17th win on Friday. The 41-year-old, from Westfield, Indiana, was not in last year’s event due to a contract dispute involving a deal he had struck with a competing brand, the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods. But now he’s back, saying things have been ironed out. Patrick Bertoletti, of Chicago, won the title in Chestnut’s absence and is the defending men’s champion. In the women’s competition, defending champion Miki Sudo, 39, of...

Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has built his political profile on a promise to transform the city’s housing landscape — arguing for rent freezes, tax reform and redistribution from “richer and whiter neighborhoods” to low-income, outer-borough communities. But the Democratic socialist could face scrutiny over the home history of his own family — specifically, his mother, award-winning filmmaker and Columbia University professor Mira Nair. Nair, best known for directing “Monsoon Wedding” and “The Namesake,” quietly owned a luxury loft in Manhattan’s West Chelsea neighborhood for over a decade, The Post has learned. She purchased the unit at 420 W. 25th St....

President Trump stunningly announced that there would be a UFC fight with up to 25,000 spectators at the White House within the next year to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th birthday. “Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight — think of this — on the grounds of the White House,” Trump said in a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. A bloody cage-match on the White House grounds is likely to draw criticism from the Republican leader’s political opponents — while offering the president an unconventional...