Free Republic

Massapequa Park, LI residents are enjoying some positive vibes, especially when it comes to living there. The US News & World Report’s new 2025-2026 list of the best places to live in America ranked Massapequa Park at the top of the list for the Empire State, although the Nassau County village is still leagues away from the country’s No. 1 spot, which is a plane ride away. The close-knit village on the South Shore of Long Island enjoys a strong public school system, nearby beach access and a convenient commute to New York City for those heading to the office....

As one of the fastest-growing states in the country, Utah has proven year after year that it can sustain its increasing population. According to the latest U.S. News and World Report ranking, the Beehive State has remained at the top. The study focused on over 70 metrics and thousands of data points to determine which states best serve their residents. "Utah has a vibrant, diverse economy and unsurpassed natural beauty, but what truly sets our state apart is our people," said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in a press release about the new ranking.

A country music star shunned so-called “woke” record labels and released a song directly to Donald Trump’s social media app Truth Social and video-sharing site Rumble — catapulting it to No. 1 in the world on the Apple iTunes song chart. John Rich, the Nashville-based musician and one-half of the duo “Big and Rich,” released his latest song, “Progress,” on Friday. Truth Social and Rumble have emerged as alternatives to mainstream sites such as Twitter and YouTube, which have been accused of stifling free speech from conservatives. Rich, an unabashed conservative, saw his song outperform those by hit-makers such as...

BATON ROUGE -- One out of every 55 Louisiana residents is behind bars, a higher incarceration rate than any other state, according to research released today by a Washington, D.C., nonprofit group. One in 26 Louisiana adults is under correctional control, if probation and parole are included, the group found. The Pew Center for the States study of 2007 U.S. Census data found that Louisiana's incarceration rate spiked by 272 percent since 1982. That rate of increase is far from the nation's highest of 357 percent in North Dakota, and not far from Mississippi's 256 percent increase. Neighbor states Texas...