Free Republic

Memorial Day brings together people from all political persuasions in remembrance and celebration of dead American soldiers. Libertarians, however, should reject a holiday that consecrates and immortalizes the names and lives of those who sacrificed themselves in unnecessary wars. The National Memorial Day was originally a national day of prayer for peace. Prior to President Richard Nixon’s declaration, there were many regional memorial days established and spontaneously practiced for a similar purpose. Unfortunately, it has become less about ending wars and more about worshipping conflict.

ransomnote: Two images from the slide show at the article link: https://i.imgur.com/HzHfPGU.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/OxXBtGY.pngOSLO, Norway (AP) — A Norwegian man awoke to find that a cargo ship had run aground and narrowly missed crashing into his home along the Trondheim Fjord’s coast.Johan Helberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he’d slept through the whole thing and only woke up when a neighbor started ringing his doorbell.Images show the ship’s red and green bow just meters (yards) from Helberg’s house. He told NRK the only damage was to a heating pump’s wire.Authorities say they received reports that the NCL Salten had run aground shortly...

A middle-aged Nebraska surgeon ruined his enviable life after deciding to take part in a street-racing contest that left a 22 year-old woman dead. Mark Carlson, 63, was sentenced to 10-14 years in prison after he was convicted of the manslaughter killing of Anna Bosma in September, 2023. The thrillseeking medic was racing another driver when he lost control of his Mercedes and slammed head-on into Bosma's car at over 100mph, killing her on impact. Bosma's boyfriend was in the passenger seat and survived the deadly collision. The couple, who lived in South Dakota, was in Omaha for a Labor...

The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional active-duty troops to deploy to the U.S.-Mexico border, bringing the number of service members there close to 10,000.The troops will mainly help with sustainment engineering, logistics, medical and construction, U.S. Northern Command said in a statement Thursday.The additional service members mark another increase in the military’s role in supporting President Trump’s aggressive immigration control agenda.There are already just shy of 8,000 active-duty troops at the border, with the added 1,115 bringing the total to nearly 10,000, a figure approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year.

No Surrender chose to perform at another venue after a Toms River bar owner told them his city “is red and won’t stand for [Springsteen’s] bullshit” Over here on E Street, it’s pretty quiet now that a Jersey Shore bar owner questioned whether No Surrender, a Bruce Springsteen cover band, should perform at his establishment after the real Springsteen openly criticized Donald Trump. The group had booked a gig at Riv’s Toms River Hub, in Toms River, New Jersey, on May 30 (a Friday night, always a great night for Springsteen), but found out Sunday night the concert was in...

Home | America Tags: cbs | 60 minutes | lawsuit | scott pelley | liberal | bias | donald trump CBS News' Scott Pelley Rips Trump at Commencement By Charlie McCarthy | Tuesday, 20 May 2025 01:29 PM EDT Comment| Print| A A CBS News' Scott Pelley condemned President Donald Trump and his administration during a commencement address at Wake Forest University. Pelley, a "60 Minutes" correspondent, spoke to Wake Forest graduates Monday, the same day CBS News President Wendy McMahon said she was stepping down amid a Trump lawsuit aimed at the network over the editing of an interview...

If the supermarket is your favorite place in the world, you might be a “Groceryhead.” Kroger knows where you’re coming from. And now it’s launched a social content series from Dentsu Creative starring Chrissy Teigen and positioning its stores as the perfect place for Groceryheads to nerd out. Throughout the campaign, Chrissy—a self-described Groceryhead—will answer common questions, break down her favorite products and reveal grocery-loving truths that the Groceryhead community will relate to. The work launches this week with the “Cart Confessions” spot above. The campaign is running on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. “Since 2020, grocery stores have become...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Campus mentors. Move-in events. Scholarships. Diversity offices that made them feel welcome on predominantly white campuses. As U.S. colleges pull back on diversity, equity and inclusion practices, students of color say they are starting to lose all of these things and more. The full scope of campus DEI rollbacks is still emerging as colleges respond to the Trump administration’s orders against diversity practices. But students at some schools said early cuts are chipping away at the sense of community that helped open the door to higher education. “It feels like we’re going back. I don’t know how...

Introduced from South America, mathenge was intended to halt desertification, but now three-quarters of the country is at risk of invasion by the invasive tree For his entire life, John Lmakato has lived in Lerata, a village nestled at the foot of Mount Ololokwe in northern Kenya’s Samburu county. “This used to be a treeless land. Grass covered every inch of the rangelands, and livestock roamed freely,” he says. Lmakato’s livestock used to roam freely in search of pasture, but three years ago he lost 193 cattle after they wandered into a conservation area in Laikipia – known for the...

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Kermit the Frog knows it's not easy being green — or graduating from college and entering the real world, especially during a time of economic uncertainty and political turmoil. Members of the University of Maryland's class of 2025 received their diplomas Thursday evening with sage advice from the amphibious Muppet ringing in their ears.

BOSTON – A Colombian woman, unlawfully residing in Boston, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for identity theft offenses, including receiving rental assistance, Social Security and SNAP benefits, as well as voter fraud under the stolen identity. The defendant also allegedly applied for a United States passport and obtained a Massachusetts Real ID and eight other state IDs. Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 59, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of false representation of a Social Security number; one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport; one count of aggravated...

[H/T ExTexasRedhead]SNIPComparing Drug Side Effect Information for 2 Identical Drugs (Ozempic and Wegovy):You have, no doubt, heard about the GLP-1 agonist drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. They are both semaglutide. Ozempic was approved for diabetes and Wegovy was approved for weight loss. From our perspective, the clinical trials should have produced somewhat similar side effect profiles.The official prescribing information reports that 20.3% of the patients on Ozempic complained of nausea while only 6.1% of those on placebo reported nausea. Contrast that with the identical medicine Wegovy: 42% to 44% of subjects on Wegovy reported nausea. Those getting placebo shots of Wegovy...

Russia is going after TV series Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, and the Harry Potter franchise in an effort to purge what it claims is the promotion of "childfree ideology." The development comes months after Russia passed a bill banning what state-run news wires describe as the "public propaganda of the ideas of voluntarily choosing not to have children." It comes as Russia grapples with a dwindling birth rate and as President Vladimir Putin scrambles to encourage women to have children.

Department of Government Efficiency@DOGEDuring the previous administration, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded the following grants to spend taxpayer dollars, all of which have been cancelled ($163M in overall savings). NEH grants will be merit-based and awarded to non-DEI, pro-America causes:- $350k for interactive gay travel guides to better understand historical LGBTQ+ spaces - $350k to create a Spanish version of http://Homosauras.org (https://en.homosaurus.org)- $247k to digitize stories of transgender adults in the Pacific Northwest- $75k to examine the relationship between internet live streaming and LGBTQ+ communities- $60k to research how LGBTQ+ cartoonists innovated comics in the 1980s &...

The growing popularity of suppressors among both hunters and tactical shooters has brought increased attention to the various mounting systems available on the market. When selecting a suppressor, the mounting system is a critical consideration that directly impacts performance, convenience, and versatility. The two primary mounting types—direct thread and quick-detach (QD)—each offer distinct advantages and disadvantages depending on your specific needs and usage scenarios. This comprehensive comparison examines both systems through the lens of practical application, helping you determine which option best suits your particular requirements. Whether you’re a hunter seeking noise reduction in the field or a tactical shooter...

May 22 (UPI) -- A New York park is celebrating one of the city's most iconic animals next month with Pigeon Fest, a day-long event featuring art exhibitions, science demonstrations and the city's first Pigeon Impersonation Pageant. The High Line, an elevated park on the West Side of Manhattan, announced Pigeon Fest will be held from noon to 8 p.m. June 14, coinciding with National Pigeon Appreciation Day.

A divided Supreme Court rejected a plan on Thursday to allow Oklahoma to use government money to run the nation’s first religious charter school, which would teach a curriculum infused by Catholic doctrine. The court split 4 to 4 over the Oklahoma plan, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett recusing herself from the case, and the decision provided no reasoning. That deadlock means that an earlier ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court will be allowed to stand. The state court blocked a proposal for the Oklahoma school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which was to be operated by the...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was involved in yet another heated exchange on Capitol Hill Wednesday as the department readies its budget proposals for the fiscal year 2026. This time, Rubio sparred with Rep. Pramilia Jayapal (D-WA) over the administration’s immigration policies, particularly the revocation of student visas for individuals who demonstrate animus towards the United States and its people. Jayapal — who enthusiastically supported former President Joe Biden’s de facto open border policies that saw more than seven million illegal aliens flood the United States — took issue with the Trump Administration’s decision to resettle a small number...

In a high-profile incident reported by the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's attempt to launch a warship became a fiasco under the watchful eyes of Kim Jong-un. The supreme leader attended the impressive unveiling of the 5,000-tonne vessel at Cheongjin Shipyard on May 21, which quickly went awry due to an unfortunate blunder during the launch process. He lambasted the occurrence as a "serious accident that could not have happened, could not be tolerated," and branded it as a "criminal act caused by pure carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism." The North Korean leader made it abundantly clear that those...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A federal trial started in Denver on Monday for two people accused of staging a burning cross and defacing a campaign sign to allegedly boost attention around a then-candidate’s race for office. Leading up to the 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral election, a photo circulated showing a racial slur written across a campaign sign for Yemi Mobolade, and a burning cross placed in front. Federal prosecutors charged three suspects, saying they each had roles in staging the scene to look like a hate crime in order to gain support for Mobolade, who is now the city’s...