Free Republic

If Valentine’s Day yesterday wasn’t enough of a blow, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny to be by your lonesome in the Big Apple. New York City has been marked as the most expensive place to live as a single person, according to a new study by the real estate firm Zillow. The heartbreaking truth, the study says, is that singles pay on average $19,500 more across all boroughs a year for a one-bedroom, compared to someone living with a partner in the same area. In Manhattan, this figure rises even higher, to $24,000 — making it the...

Connecticut is set to become a “place of refuge” for those who get an abortion after the state Senate passed a bill on Friday increasing abortion rights. The Connecticut Senate passed the bill by a 25-9 vote, weeks after the bill passed through the state House. The bill now goes to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont for his signature, which he has already promised to provide.

Norway has taken over as the best place to be currently during the pandemic, bumping the United States from the top, according to a tool used by Bloomberg. Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking tracks a country’s economic standing, vaccination coverage, quality of healthcare, mortality rate and easing of restrictions during the pandemic. Norway moved up the pack to the number one spot with an overall rating of 77.2. That is up ten spots from the last update of the chart.

With the global coronavirus death toll topping 1 million, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave a grim assessment of the pandemic’s impact in the US — which he said “is not in a good place” with more than 205,000 lives lost, according to a report. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has warned repeatedly that the country is reporting more than 40,000 new cases each day, an “unacceptably high” number that should be below 10,000 at this point, CNBC reported.

A tiny, old star just 12 light-years away might host two temperate, rocky planets, astronomers announced today. If they’re confirmed, both of the newly spotted worlds are nearly identical to Earth in mass, and both planets are in orbits that could allow liquid water to trickle and puddle on their surfaces. Scientists estimate that the stellar host, known as Teegarden’s star, is at least eight billion years old, or nearly twice the sun’s age. That means any planets orbiting it are presumably as ancient, so life as we know it has had more than enough time to evolve. And for...

While Savoie was undergoing a strip search during his processing into the Lafourche Parish sub-station, deputies found a small gun concealed in his buttocks. The caliber and make of the gun has not been released.

Al Jazeera English’s senior political analyst is under fire for telling a prominent Jewish writer that he “gives Jews a bad name” and should know his place by showing “some Jewish humility.” Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst and host of its show Empire, made the comments on Twitter after Bloomberg columnist Jeffrey Goldberg complimented Al Jazeera. Goldberg had tweeted a link to an article in the left-leaning Israeli publication Haaretz headlined, “Why all Jews are cowards,” with the commentary: “Haaretz publishes headlines that al Jazeera never would, in part because al Jazeera is often more sophisticated.” This prompted...

Over the last several months, it has become pretty clear that when it comes to ratings, MSNBC struggles during breaking news events, while CNN and Fox both receive boosts. In an interview with the New York Times this morning, MSNBC chief Phil Griffin essentially conceded the “breaking news” mantle to the other networks, telling viewers that his network is not focused on that sort of coverage. In what seems like a stunning admission, Griffin said: “We’re not the place for that,” he said of breaking news. “Our brand is not that.” Instead, he explained, MSNBC’s bread and butter is progressive...

Patrick said Boston residents should stay home and "shelter in place."

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to usher in what he hopes will be a second four-year term in the White House at an election-night rally at a huge convention center near downtown Chicago, campaign and city officials said on Wednesday. The event will likely draw thousands of supporters to the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, Obama's hometown and the site of his re-election campaign headquarters. Supporters are expected to watch the voting results come in and then hear a speech by the incumbent Democrat who faces Republican Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and private equity executive, in the...

Saturday, February 18, 2012 Atheist Brian Bridson of "Philosopher's Haze": Catholics are bigots who should be told to shut up and who should be put in their place Brian Bridson, the same atheist mental midget who has referred to Pope Benedict XVI as "Ben-the-Dick," (which in itself reveals his adolescent mindset), is angry at the Catholic Church and is calling for Catholics to be "put in their place." And what is their place? For Bridson, it would be better for all Catholics to live at the Vatican because their views do not belong in the public square. Maybe he would...

WASHINGTON, DC (July 14, 2011) – The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is investigating fraud and abuse in the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) program. Specifically, GAO is looking for information on cases in which federal employees are currently abusing workers compensation benefits. For example, fraud schemes might include a beneficiary working a second job, overstating their workers’ compensation claim, or collecting benefits for a deceased individual. Anyone with information regarding fraud or abuse of the FECA program by federal employees is encouraged to contact us at workerscompfraud@gao.gov. All information about individuals who contact us will be kept confidential.

Former US vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin disagrees with the Obama administration's demand that Israel halt settlement construction, although her reason for that opinion is puzzling to some (or at the least demonstrates she's not familiar with the term "natural growth" that much of the debate has revolved around). Palin debates Biden in St.... She told Barbara Walters on ABC's Good Morning America this week that she disagrees with the White House because all the Jews moving to Israel need a place to live. "I disagree with the Obama administration on that," Palin told Walters. "I believe that the Jewish...

WASHINGTON, Sep. 3, 2006 -- An early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq would give victory to the terrorists and put the American people in danger, President Bush said here yesterday. “If America were to pull out before Iraq can defend itself, the consequences would be disastrous,” Bush said during his weekly radio address to the nation. “We would be handing Iraq over to the terrorists, giving them a base of operations and huge oil riches to fund their ambitions.” Bush said violent terrorist groups such as al Qaeda want to overthrow western-style democracies in the Middle East -- and...

8/21/2006 - BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- U.S. Army and coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan rely on a special team of Air Force officers to help provide airpower at the right time and place. The Air Component Coordination Element, or ACCE, is relatively new to operations involving more than one branch of service and other nations, but supports Combined Joint Task Force-76, which oversees Operation Enduring Freedom. "We help the CJTF planners integrate air and space power into the development of their campaign plan," said Brig. Gen. Christopher D. Miller, the ACCE director here. According to Air...

Iran's place at summit raises fears of anti-West alliance By Richard Spencer in Beijing (Filed: 15/06/2006) Iran's hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, arrived in China last night for a summit of Asian states and Russia that Washington fears is forming a new anti-western alliance. Mr Ahmadinejad will seek support for his country's nuclear programme, fuelling US concern that Iran is being protected by its growing friendship with Russia and China, who both sit on the UN Security Council. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in China for the summit He is also believed to be pushing to join the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, which...

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2006 – Detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are dangerous men, and the best place to deal with them is in military courts, President Bush said here today. Bush addressed the subject in a lengthy news conference in the White House Rose Garden today. He said he'd like to see Guantanamo closed but is awaiting a Supreme Court decision on how to proceed with war crimes trials. "I'd like to close Guantanamo," he said. "But I also recognize that ... we're holding some people that are darn dangerous and that we better have a plan to...

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2006 – The Pentagon Memorial will be an important way to remember the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, and will be a place for their family members and others to gain solace and inspiration, a top Defense Department official said here today. "This is a very important event here at the Pentagon because this was the first time the Pentagon had been targeted in a serious attack by terrorists, and it hit home for everybody that works here on a daily basis," said Michael Donley, director of administration and management in the Office of the Secretary...

Mon Jun 5 09:31:01 2006 Pacific Time New Mexico's Chaco Canyon: A Place of Kings and Palaces? BOULDER, Colo., June 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- Kings living in palaces may have ruled New Mexico's Chaco Canyon a thousand years ago, causing Pueblo people to reject the brawny, top-down politics in the centuries that followed, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder archaeologist. University of Colorado Museum anthropology Curator Steve Lekson, who has studied Chaco Canyon for several decades, said one argument for royalty comes from the rich, crypt-style burials of two men discovered deep in a Chaco Canyon "great house"...

ARLINGTON, Va., May 29, 2006 – America's top military leaders -- the commander in chief, secretary of defense, and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff -- commemorated this Memorial Day by paying tribute to generations of Americans, past and present, who have "answered the call to serve and stepped forward to protect the nation they loved." Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace, accompanied by Pres. George W. Bush and the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, addresses the audience during Memorial Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery May 29. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles...