Free Republic

Newark Liberty International Airport is “not safe” for travelers, one air traffic controller at the has reportedly warned. “It is not safe. It is not a safe situation right now for the flying public,” the federal air safety employee reportedly told NBC News correspondent Tom Costello. “Really an incredible statement, unsolicited. He just said that to me, and separately, ‘Don’t fly into Newark. Avoid Newark at all costs,’” Costello recounted on MSNBC. The airport, which saw 24.3 million passengers and is the second busiest in the New York City area, has been drowning in delays and cancellations for days. Federal...

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation on Saturday to create a $1 billion fund for school voucher programs — the largest day-one school choice bill in the nation’s history. Abbott was joined by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, the bill’s author State Sen. Brandon Creighton, and school choice advocates. The governor celebrated the bill’s passage by a vote of 85-63 in the Texas House two weeks ago. “Today is the culmination of a movement that has swept across our state and across our country,” Abbott said before signing the bill. “A movement driven by parents...

Just months into Donald Trump's second term, a new round of polling has delivered a jolt to Democrats, revealing that Trump is more trusted than them in Congress. Why It Matters Recent polls have shown Trump's approval ratings declining and his popularity at an all-time low. Despite this, polls still seem to show that Trump is commanding more trust than his main opposition party. This dynamic not only strengthens Trump's hand as he advances his second-term agenda but also signals a daunting challenge for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms—one that could further erode their influence at both state and...

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia did not initiate its military operation in Ukraine any earlier because it believed in the Minsk agreements and aimed to resolve the Donbass issue peacefully.Russia did not prepare specifically for a military operation, but instead sought a peaceful resolution to the Donbass conflict, Vladimir Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin in a documentary dedicated to the 25th anniversary since the president's first inauguration. The country could not proceed with drastic action on Ukraine without first addressing key issues in the spheres of security and the economy. The president pointed out that the United States is...

John Fetterman’s camera-thirsty wife has done him dirty. New York Magazine published a hit piece on the Pennsylvania senator Friday, airing grievances from his staffers who are concerned about his mental health, his views on the Israel-Gaza War. The piece also shed light on Fetterman’s relationship with his left-wing wife, Gisele, who secretly communicated with his staff and made a political disagreement into a full-blown argument. ... Gisele visited her husband’s senate office in November 2023, weeks after Hamas attacked Israel, and got into a heated debate about the burgeoning war and her husband’s support for the Israeli state. Gisele...

Just moments into President Donald Trump's latest sitdown at Mar-a-Lago with NBC News' "Meet the Press," Trump was forced to rebuke bias by host Kristen Welker's line of questioning, even if the interview ultimately featured Welker changing her tone and even smiling and adopting Trump's messaging."Whoa, whoa, whoa, this is such a dishonest interview already," Trump told Welker in a wide-ranging interview to mark his administration's 100 days milestone this week, blasting her for cherry-picking data points to tarnish his work in contrast to massive Biden-era inflation – by suggesting using tariffs to leverage a reworking a global trade order...

Last night, President Donald J. Trump renewed his call for Congress to pass the “one big, beautiful bill” and once again deliver the largest tax cuts in history to the American people.Loading…In addition to finally exempting tips, overtime, and seniors’ Social Security from taxes, here’s what else that means:Real wages will go up by as much as $3,300/year.Take-home pay for median-income households will increase by as much as $5,000/year.Short-run real GDP will be boosted by 3.3-3.8% and long-run real GDP by 2.6-3.2%.4.1 million jobs will be saved.

By making extensive gains in a set of local elections held on Thursday in England, Nigel Farage, one of Britain’s best known supporters of President Trump and the leader of the anti-immigration Reform U.K. party, consolidated his reputation as the country’s foremost political disrupter. But he may have done something bigger still: blown a hole in the country’s two-party political system. For nearly all of the past century, power in Britain has alternated between the governing Labour Party, now led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the opposition Conservatives, who last year selected a new leader, Kemi Badenoch. ...Still reeling...

Ukraine's internal security bureau said on Tuesday that it had detained four people after investigating the supply of 120,000 defective mortar shells to its troops. The Security Service of Ukraine, also known as the SBU, wrote on its Telegram channel that the people arrested included a military official, a quality control official, and two heads of a defense manufacturing business. The announcement came six months after Ukrainian media reported complaints from some frontline units that their 120 mm mortar shells weren't firing or would fail to explode.

Ukraine is getting more help in its war with Russia. A Patriot air-defense system that was based in Israel will be sent to Ukraine after it is refurbished, four current and former U.S. officials said in recent days, and Western allies are discussing the logistics of Germany or Greece giving another one. ...The White House’s National Security Council does not provide details on the strength and placement of defense systems, said James Hewitt, a spokesman for the council The delivery, which has not been previously reported, comes as Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine, including an April 24...

Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) said President Donald Trump’s tariffs caused the world to see the United States as an “unreliable partner.” Host George Stephanopoulos said, “I think you identified the tariffs as the number one issue. Liberation Day is probably the most consequential day of the first 100 days. Is there an exit strategy for Donald Trump on this? He asked, “Can he make this sort of series of deals that limit the damage?”

President Donald Trump said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the tariffs would make the United States a rich nation. Trump said, “The tariffs are going to make us rich. We’ll be a very rich country.” Host Kristen Welker said, “At your cabinet meeting, you said, ‘Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls would cost a couple of bucks more than you would normally.’ Are you saying that the tariffs will cause some prices to go up?” Trump said, “No, I think the tariffs will be great for us because...

Troops located weapon stockpiles approximately 80 meters from a building that previously served as a school and approximately 100 meters from a building that previously served as a hospital in Rafah.

May 4, 2025 marks 55 years since the Ohio National Guard opened fire on university students during an anti-war protest. The shooting, which killed – Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder – and those wounded – Alan Canfora, John Cleary, Thomas Grace, Dean Kahler, Joseph Lewis, Donald Mackenzie, James Russell, Robert Stamps and Douglas Wrentmore, sparked a turning point in the nation’s history.

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s “kowtowing” to President Donald Trump had been disappointing. Host Jake Tapper said, “Is Secretary Rubio able to do the two main jobs there?” Warner said, “I don’t know how anybody could do these two big jobs, and they’re frankly very different. One is actually trying to diplomatically work with friends and adversaries around the world. And unfortunately, the number of adversaries has gone up dramatically as Trump’s approach has been so awful to our allies. The other are our national security adviser...

The Department of Justice filed lawsuits Thursday against Hawaii and Michigan over planned climate-based litigation against fossil fuel companies. The DOJ also filed separate lawsuits against New York and Vermont over those states’ “climate superfund” laws, that levy fines against fossil fuel companies for producing legal products that consumers willingly and needfully purchase. Citing President Donald Trump’s “Protecting American Energy from State Overreach” executive order, Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement that these laws and lawsuits “threaten American energy independence and our country’s economic and national security.” States, cities and anti-fossil fuel nonprofits like Our Children’s Trust have...

I didn't read the original article, nor should you. Rules, you know. I think it's a day dedicated to omelettes, buffalo wings, thighs, drumsticks, breasts, tenders and nuggets and the fine chickens who/which/that literally make them. (Respect chickens, respect their pronouns.) Some of my best FRiends have chickens for pets. Others are glad to egg them on. Posted as news because it's an actual official day, a worthy global cause. And Chicken Little was an optimist. Big Bird was not available for comment, he's now panhandling and probably mugging Bert and Ernie for lunch money, thanks to Trump. Or, maybe...

The 46th News & Documentary Emmy Awards nominations are out, and it seems that everyone is talking about just one of them. The “Outstanding Edited Interview” category is hardly a common draw for public or even industry attention. However, one of this year’s nominees is CBS for its primetime special featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The interview is the basis for a $20 billion lawsuit by President Donald Trump against CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, alleging election interference due to the biased editing out of an embarrassing answer by...

Case: 25-1211201 Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025 Time: 6:59 p.m. Location: 2001 E. Riverside Drive. Victim (deceased): Marcos Valerio-Rodriguez, Hispanic male, 5/27/87 On Thursday, May 1, 2025, at approximately 6:59 p.m., Austin Police Department (APD) officers and Austin Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) responded to a call that reported someone was shot at the Shell station located at 2001 E. Riverside Drive. Officers arrived on scene and located an unresponsive man with apparent gunshot wounds to his torso on the ground in the parking lot. Another man and a woman were also on scene. The injured male was later...