Free Republic

On the day he was sworn in as governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, an ambitious white peanut farmer from rural Sumter County, announced that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” The declaration landed like the carefully calculated bomb it was intended to be in the South of 1971 — and landed Mr. Carter on the cover of Time magazine, along with the blurb, “Dixie whistles a different tune.” But in his ensuing half-century of public life, Mr. Carter, the one-term Democratic president who died Sunday at 100, would be forced to listen rather helplessly as Republicans mostly called the...

The Government has made “diplomatic contact” with the rebel group that toppled the Assad regime in Syria. It comes after the US said overnight that it had also made direct contact with the rebels, following earlier reports that Joe Biden had sent messages to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) via Turkey. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said the UK had made contact as he announced £50 million of humanitarian aid for Syria. He said that HTS, which now runs most of Syria, remained a banned terrorist organisation, but that Britain “can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact,...

Explore the dark history of the Ku Klux Klan as it grew to become the most notorious white supremacist group in the world. Uncover the reasons behind its widespread terror, its impact on American society, and its continued existence today. Inside Secret Societies is a captivating six-episode series delving into the enigmatic and perilous world of historical underground societies. Unveiling the identities, beliefs, and objectives of infamous groups such as the KKK, The Priory of Sion, and The Order of Assassins, the show exposes a shadowy realm encompassing sectarian cults, zealous religious organizations, esoteric societies, and militant political factions. Prepare...

Anti-Trump Republicans within the party offered a variety of reactions to Daniel Cameron’s loss in the Kentucky governor’s race as backers of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as others, used the opportunity to attack former President Donald Trump.NBC News called the race for Kentucky Democrat incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear Tuesday evening, as did several other outlets.Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wins re-election over Republican Daniel Cameron, NBC News projects. https://t.co/BGTk0Rd4wB pic.twitter.com/ymP200ER3G— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 8, 2023CBS News projects Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, will win reelection and is performing better in counties Donald Trump won in 2020."When people...

The Ku Klux Klan or KKK is deeply rooted in the post Civil War history of the United States. They are three of the most familiar words and letters in almost any language, synonymous with hatred, intimidation and murder. Hosted by Colin D. Heaton. The Forgotten History Channel is a 10th Legion Pictures Production.

Eleven months after a catastrophic collapse into a Frick Park ravine, a new Fern Hollow Bridge was celebrated Wednesday as a model of unprecedented intergovernmental cooperation and an engineering marvel, completed in the fraction of the time needed for similar projects. Final railing installation work continued as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and other elected officials gathered in the cold sunshine for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the four-lane Forbes Avenue span, which links Regent Square and surrounding neighborhoods to Squirrel Hill. The bridge could be open for traffic as early as Thursday, but the completion date PennDOT...

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck noted on Thursday, at the sidelines of the G7 trade ministers meeting in Brandenburg, that Ukraine will need around $350 billion to reconstruct itself.Habeck stressed that the "reconstruction of Ukraine requires more than public money can offer" and urged the international community to "create a global fund with money from private investors, hedge funds and so on."Habeck stated that trade should also be utilized to "stabilize Ukraine once again." Finally, the German economy minister assured that Berlin will supply Kiev with more weapons.

BRUSSELS, September 9, 2022—In a joint assessment released today, the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the World Bank, in cooperation with partners, estimate that the current cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine amounts to $349 billion (€349 Billion). This figure is expected to grow in the coming months as the war continues.President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Ukraine is fighting for democracy and our common values. The EU cannot match the sacrifice Ukraine is enduring but we are mobilising all our instruments to address the most immediate needs, including for housing for internally...

Jersey City officials and a coalition of Hudson County bike groups have opposed the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s plans to widen the Hudson County extension through Bayonne and Jersey City to the Holland Tunnel and replace the aging Newark Bay bridge. The opposition is based on concerns the project won’t alleviate congestion and would create more traffic and air pollution from vehicles cutting through Bayonne and Jersey City neighborhoods when traffic backs up on the extension. Bike advocates have a powerful ally, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who had a letter sent on the city’s behalf, asking the Turnpike Authority...

Group sets sights on Manchin in effort to abolish ICE, advance reparations and single-payer health care A left-wing advocacy group funded by George Soros and backed by 30 House Democrats is planning a yearlong campaign for a "Third Reconstruction" that includes abolishing ICE, expanding welfare for illegal immigrants, and removing criminal penalties for violent protesters. The Poor People’s Campaign, which received a grant from the Soros-backed Open Society Foundations following the death of George Floyd as part of the organization’s $220 million "anti-racist" initiative, held a Day of Action on Monday to kick off its crusade. The group counts Democratic...

WILLIAMSPORT — Shane Burkett has been watching the Interstate 81 Potomac River bridge work from the cab of a tractor-trailer. Now that the new third lanes are open in each direction, the semi driver likes what he sees. "I think it's great. I-81 is a massive highway. ... It's a big help having that third lane now," the Williamsport resident said. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration formally announced completion of the $104.6 million project Thursday. The work, which has been years in the making, widened the interstate from two lanes to three lanes in each direction from...

FARMINGTON — In terms of the sheer magnitude of work that will be taking place, Northern Utah’s 2021 road construction season will be unlike any other. Sometime this spring, the Utah Department of Transportation will be working simultaneously on three highway projects in Weber and Davis counties, worth a combined $1.4 billion. Two of the projects — the $163 million Interstate 15 Express Lanes work and the $493 million U.S. 89 reconstruction — are being carried over from 2020. The third, and most expensive, is the $750 million West Davis Corridor. To put the 2021 dollar value in perspective, UDOT...

Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) is one of the most noteworthy men America has ever produced. Born into slavery in 1856, Washington would make the most of his newfound freedom after the Civil War, procuring an education through hard work and rigorous study that would have even the most dedicated modern students fainting with exhaustion. He would go on to devote his life to lifting up others of his race in the South, founding Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1881. A firm believer in the principles of hard work, personal merit, entrepreneurship and Christian charity toward all, Washington would eventually achieve...

In 1857, the Supreme Court, with 7 of the 9 Justices being Democrat, decided that Dred Scott was not a citizen, but property. Chief Justice Roger Taney was appointed by the first Democrat President, Andrew Jackson. Taney wrote in his Dred Scott decision that slaves were "so far inferior ... that the Negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for their own benefit." Abraham Lincoln rejected this. He did not believe in "stare decisis" - that he had to honor the precedent of the Dred Scott decision, stating June 28, 1857: "We think the Dred Scott decision is...

Social restrictions and lockdown measures in France due to the coronavirus have pushed reconstruction for Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral even further, despite already running months behind schedule. The prized Parisian church became engulfed in flames on April 15, 2019, resulting in the collapse of its iconic spire and significant damage to one of its landmark towers. It has been suspected that an electrical short circuit or a cigarette butt caused the fire that began in the attic of the structure. “The restoration phase will no doubt begin during 2021,” said Monsignor Patrick Chauvet... Work on the building had been slated...

After years of work, the Interstate 35 reconstruction project in Bell County is pretty much done, while a similar project to widen Interstate 14 still has years of work ahead. “Overall, the I-35 Reconstruction Project ... particularly in Waco, is continuing at an aggressive pace, well on track for a 2023 completion. Bell County work remains substantially complete with minor ‘punch list’ items such as completion of the Temple Welcome Monument and the standard establishment of vegetation along the corridor within the Temple/Troy area remaining, prior to final acceptance of the project,” Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Ken Roberts said...

Widening and improvements to a 27-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Robeson and Cumberland counties are being sped up due to a grant. The N.C. Department of Transportation plans to accelerate the improvements because of a $22.5 million federal grant awarded this week. It is the second major federal grant the NCDOT has received since the summer of 2018 to help fund major improvements along I-95 corridor. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the grant through its “Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development,” or BUILD, program, which helps states and cities build and repair critical pieces of the transportation network....

Dive Brief: In what Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is calling "a monumental and historic achievement," the three-member state Board of Public Works voted Wednesday to approve amendments to the public-private partnership (P3) that will deliver Hogan's $9 billion Traffic Relief Plan. The plan includes implementation of Maryland and Virginia's Capital Beltway Accord, which allows for a new American Legion Bridge between the two states near Washington, D.C., and the approval will allow the state to solicit bids. In order to win a majority vote for the plan, Hogan agreed to eliminate from the first phase of the project the widening...

The Twin Ports Interchange reconstruction project through Lincoln Park soared $100 million over budget this month, forcing planners to defer indefinitely portions of the work scheduled for 2020-23. The $343 million project is scheduled to begin in May. Minnesota Department of Transportation figures released Monday at a regular public meeting about the project showed a $443 million price tag. "This is what happens with every big project," Duane Hill, district engineer based in Duluth, said Monday. "You have to manage it as you go along. We thought we did a good job initially coming up with a budget for this...

Maryland and Virginia will partner to rebuild and widen the American Legion Bridge in a ­billion-dollar project to relieve congestion at the Washington region’s worst traffic bottleneck, the states’ governors announced Tuesday. In an unusual example of interstate cooperation, Virginia has agreed to help pay for the project even though most of the bridge — like the Potomac River flowing beneath it — belongs to Maryland. The plan marks a breakthrough in a years-long impasse over widening the bridge on the northwestern stretch of the Capital Beltway. In the past, Maryland has said it didn’t have enough money for the...