Free Republic

The cost of living is up, prompting a growing number of Americans to flee big cities and opt for small-town life instead. A tiny, tight-knit community might seem like heaven to those who want a slower pace of life, but that doesn’t mean that smaller towns are sleepy, cultural wastelands. Many towns across the country offer the same top-notch amenities found in larger cities—they just come with a more laid-back, know-your-neighbors vibe at an affordable price tag.

Saving for retirement is a huge challenge. Knowing where you stand in comparison to peers can help to gauge whether your efforts are on track, or whether tweaking your approach is in order. Recently, Vanguard looked at 2023 account balances by age in its defined contribution plans. Vanguard then calculated both the average balance and the median balance for each age cohort. The average balance can be skewed by those with higher levels of wealth. So, in some ways, the median balance — the number midway between the high and the low — can be a more accurate measure of...

Many plan to work well into their 60s or even 70s, thinking they can compensate for years of undersaving. But according to recent surveys, retirement may come earlier than expected for many Americans – whether they're ready for it or not. The average retirement age in the U.S. is about 62 years old, even though most workers expect to retire around 67. In fact, more than 56% of retirees left the workforce earlier than they planned, according to a Transamerica survey. So, what's causing this gap between expectations and reality?

The mom of the 14-year-old alleged Apalachee High School shooter is now facing charges of abusing her own mother. The New York Post reported that Marcee Gray was indicted for allegedly abusing Deborah Polhamus. WSB-TV noted that Gray’s specific charges are “exploitation and intimidation of a disabled adult or elderly person, false imprisonment, criminal damage to property in the second degree, and theft.”

An ambitious effort to understand the Earth’s climate over the past 485 million years has revealed a history of wild shifts and far hotter temperatures than scientists previously realized — offering a reminder of how much change the planet has already endured and a warning about the unprecedented rate of warming caused by humans. The timeline, published Thursday in the journal Science, is the most rigorous reconstruction of Earth’s past temperatures ever produced, the authors say. Created by combining more than 150,000 pieces of fossil evidence with state-of-the-art climate models, it shows the intimate link between carbon dioxide and global...

Autumn is prime time for enjoying ales and lagers, and there's no shortage of fall beers waiting to be tapped—be it while watching a football game, reading up on IPA beer history, or raking leaves (we'd also recommend hoisting lager steins at your local Oktoberfest bash). Fall’s cooler weather welcomes a bounty of fall beers. There are plenty of heartier styles suited for taking off the chill and pairing with that bubbling pot of chili. Stouts, porters, and nitro beers are once again fair game, and coolers swell with fleeting releases such as fresh-hopped pale ales and pumpkin everything. We...

I'm not making fun of it but these guys certainly are. I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the memes that have been going around the Arab and Iranian world after the recent Israeli, uh, attacks on communication devices. I'm granniopteryx...

Grammy-winning artist Stevie Wonder recently announced a 10-stop tour across the U.S. ahead of Election Day, now less than two months away. The concert tour — dubbed “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart,” will kick off in October, according to an announcement. “Now is the moment to understand where we are and what it will take to win: win the broken hearts, win the disenchanted, win the angry spirits — now is the time,” Wonder said last month, during an appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, when Vice President Harris was confirmed as Democrats’...

Joe Germanotta — the father of Lady Gaga and a prominent New York City restauranteur — has publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump, saying he supports Trump’s policies regarding the economy, the border, and policing. In an appearance on Fox & Friends on Thursday, Joe Germanotta also slammed Kamala Harris, saying she will “say whatever she needs to say to get elected.” He also blasted Harris for the “invasion” of illegal immigrants that has occurred under her watch. Germanotta is the owner of the restaurant Joanne Trattoria, located on New York’s Upper West Side not far from Lincoln Center. Since...

Wild video shows an 8-year-old Ohio girl swerving her family’s SUV across lanes on a 25-minute joyride to go shopping in Target. Dashcam footage released Wednesday shows alarmed motorist Justin Kimery calling 911 on Sunday, assuming it was an adult driving dangerously in a 2020 Nissan Rogue, WSAZ reported. “There’s a guy in a car, he’s like right behind me. He’s swerving all over, he’s swerving everywhere like in all the lanes,” Kimery said — not realizing at first it was a young girl behind the wheel. Kimery keeps up with the swerving SUV for several minutes, at one point...

The stage is set for what has been referred to as the “Oscars of Spirit Competitions.” Back in April, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition convened for its annual multi-day judging. Since then, we’ve seen a steady rollout of all the Double Gold winners minted during that time. To receive the honor, multiple judges must score an expression 90-or-higher out of 100. There have been hundreds of examples across a dozen spirit categories. But now it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. We’ve been waiting patiently for the “Best In Show,” the absolute top title amongst all 2024 spirits...

Radio shock jock Howard Stern once again shared his disdain for Trump supporters this week when admitted to hating those who voted for the former president. Stern went off about Trump when discussing the former president’s “I hate Taylor Swift” post on Truth Social last weekend. “This whole idea of you like me, you are good, and if you don’t, you are bad… I’ve been the victim of this,” he said on Sirius XM show. “I don’t agree with Trump politically, I don’t think he should be anywhere near the White House. I don’t hate the guy. I hate the...

Hopes were high that the International Wine and Spirits' first-ever Global Judging event of North American whiskey on home soil would unearth some fantastic bottles. Well, it didn’t disappoint. An expert panel sampled almost 500 bottles in Kentucky in early September, and the results were just announced. Over 430 medals were awarded, including 30 golds and four outstanding golds. The judges were wowed, to say the least.

On the one hand, 2023 was a great year to be a brandy. While many other categories saw slides for their one-million-case sellers, brandy producers went in the opposite direction with positive growth across the board. According to Euromonitor International data, the total volume of brandy grew from 163.4 million nine-litre cases in 2022 to 169m in 2023. It’s a sign that perceptions of the category are changing for the better, with brandy now featuring more prominently on cocktail menus and producers being more progressive with innovations. On the other hand, two of Cognac’s biggest producers, Hennessy and Martell, had...

What has 101 suites and villas, views over Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river and costs from $600 per night? Capella Bangkok, 2024′s ‘best’ hotel in the world, according to ’50 Best.’ That’s the collective view of 600 anonymous global voters, comprising travel journalists, hoteliers and seasoned travel specialists, which determined the results of “The World’s 50 Best Hotels,” announced Tuesday in London’s historic Guildhall. The hotel climbed 10 places, up from No. 11 on the 2023 list. It has five dining options, including a one Michelin-starred restaurant by chef Mauro Colagreco, plus a “spa sanctuary” called Auriga, and seven riverside villas...

The best IPAs of the year were announced by The U.S. Open Beer Championship in mid-July. The competition was founded in 2009 in Ohio and is considered one of the three most prestigious beer competitions in the U.S. alongside the World Beer Cup and The Great American Beer Festival. Even though this year’s Grand National Champion, Third Eye Brewing, won based upon its dark beers, the IPA remained the most popular style of beer overall in this year’s competition, which divided IPAs into more than a dozen subcategories. “The hazy IPAs had the most entries [with] 176,” Dow Scoggins, the...

When it took to the sea in 1912, the RMS Titanic was not only a luxury liner transporting society’s upper crust from England to the U.S.; it could also be described as a floating gallery of fine art and design, populated with high-end objects from a Renault Coupe de Ville to irreplaceable books and a 1912 painting by Merry-Joseph Blondel that would be worth over $3 million dollars today. Now, an unmanned mission to the floor of the North Atlantic Ocean where the ship lies has revealed a long-sought two-foot-tall bronze statue showing the goddess Diana that stood atop the...

Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest people in the world with a net worth of $142 billion, according to Bloomberg, is also known for his generosity. He has donated billions to charity over the years, but when it comes to his kids, handouts aren’t part of the deal. In the HBO Becoming Warren Buffett documentary, Susie Buffett shared a story that gives a glimpse into her father's frugality. This wasn't the first time she had discussed it. Back in 2011, a Globe and Mail article mentioned that Susie once asked her father for a $41,000 loan to renovate her kitchen...

Immortal mystery man reported in 18th Century London, Paris, virtuoso violinist, multilingual, never explained his origins. Voltaire mentions him as a man who never dies.

Hard seltzers are refreshing, come in a variety of flavors, and are super easy to drink. But if you’re anything like us, you go to the liquor store and experience the paradox of choice. There are so many hard seltzer brands that make so many flavors. Should you get White Claw or Truly? Cherry or Lime? Why does hard seltzer have to be so… hard? We did the work for you by rounding up some of the most popular hard seltzer brands and some newcomers. After an extremely scientific taste-test of 15 brands and over 60 flavors, our team of...