Free Republic

VATICAN CITY, — Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church for the past 12 years, has died at age 88. The head of the Catholic Church died Monday morning at 7:35 a.m. He had been the pope for 12 years, ascending to the head of the papacy on March 13, 2013.

An Ohio infant was killed by one of her family’s three pit bulls, her parents said on social media. “I will never understand why!!!” mother Mackenzie Copley wrote on Facebook Saturday, posting pictures of her 7-month-old daughter cuddling with the family dogs. “I am so lost and broken. This was the same dog who was side by side with my baby every single day,” she wrote. The father, Kameron Turner, also took to social media to express his grief. “Life is so not fair,” Turner wrote. “How can I continue living without her.” The baby, Elizah Turner, was described as...

Just saw this post on his Facebook page, written by his wife and guardian angel, Mrs Mayor. I’m broken.....💔 We all are. >>>>>He fought the good fight, and he fought the good fight of faith. Rest in peace Rus Thompson, together forever with our Lord.<<<<<

Six years ago, FReeper “dainbramaged” (a guy I eventually knew In Real Life named “Rich”, last name withheld for his family’s anonymity) and I were FReepmailing about firearms. He mentioned he had a Winchester Model 94 in .30-30 that his Great Grandfather had bought new in 1898, and that he had no heirs who would care to have it, having only had one uninterested daughter in his life. So we kinda agreed that if and when he ever considered disposing of it, that he would call me, as I live just 40 miles away. Two years passed, and Rich called:...

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that President Donald Trump is “using” DEI as a way of “ripping out entire aspects of our government.” Host Dana Bash said, “President Trump and Elon Musk are, as you know, taking sweeping steps to reverse DEI initiatives across the United States. The president says he’s actually protecting civil rights and making society, quote, colorblind and merit-based. Your response?” Booker said, “This is stunning to me, especially because they’re they’re really charging this word DEI as if it’s something that undermines the ability for the government to hire...

MILWAUKEE -- Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a short playing career earned the moniker "Mr. Baseball" and honors from the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 90. The team announced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it "one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history." In a statement released by the club, Uecker's family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023. "Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter," the family said.

From the radio discussion site:RIP longtime WMWM, Salem DJ Bob Nelson aka "raccoonradio" at 62QuoteAccording to posts relayed to Facebook by friends from his sister Barbara, Bob Nelson passed away at 62 yesterday, following hospitalization and suffering from multiple health issues including two heart attacks and other problems since just over two months ago. Bob was a DJ, host, and producer at the Salem State University volunteer radio station WMWM 91.7 FM for over 40 years. He hosted several music programs of many sorts, but his main focuses were blues music, and local blues and roots-rock music shows on which...

Jimmy Carter’s melancholy fate was to be a largely derivative figure: He was a reaction against his elected predecessor and the precursor of his successor. Richard Nixon made Carter tempting; Carter made Ronald Reagan necessary.The deceits and crimes of Nixon’s imperial presidency bred Carter’s pompous crusade against pomp. Carter proclaimed “I’ll never lie to you” while claiming that he was a “nuclear physicist.” He denied saying what a tape proved he said about Lyndon Johnson’s “lying, cheating and distorting the truth.”Carter’s signature achievement, peace between Israel and Egypt, diminished the threat of another conventional Middle East war. In his post-presidency...

Jimmy Carter will become the sixth American president to be given an official state funeral at the United States Capitol as the nation prepares to honor its late commander-in-chief. Carter has died at the age of 100, almost two years after announcing he would spend his final days in hospice care. His son Chip Carter, 74, confirmed the former president had died in his Georgia home on Sunday around 3.40 pm ET. President Biden was expected to declare an official 'day of mourning' for the deceased during a speech from the Oval Office on Sunday night. Is there a state...

Former President Jimmy Carter, a man who redefined what a post-presidency could be, died Sunday. He was 100. Carter, who lived longer than any other U.S. president, entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia in February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays. The only Georgian ever elected to the White House, Carter left office after a single term that was highlighted by forging peace between Israel and Egypt, but was overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis. In the decades after, his reputation grew through his and wife Rosalynn Carter’s work at the Carter Center in Atlanta and his...

Sunday evening I received this post on my newsfeed. FROM HER DAUGHTER ON TRACY'S PROFILE PAGE: "This is to let everyone know Tracy past away 9:30pm cst last night {Saturday, December 7th}. She had a long battle with sickness and is now at peace. If you have any questions feel free to message on Facebook on her page. ["Tracy Russell" in search.]Very sad news, and I hope Trussell rests in eternal peace. She was in very ill health. Thank you"

Jacob asked that I let this group know of his passing. Jacob was one of the strongest and bravest persons I have ever known. He chose to be the first autistic person to have a double lung transplant at Henry Ford Hospital so that he could contribute to helping others as well as having an extra 16 months of life. Jacob passed peacefully on 10/6/24 with his family at his side. It brought him great joy to see all the responses and kindness expressed in support for him in this difficult time. He was one of a kind and is...

Theodore Olson, the former conservative lawyer who argued the 2000 Florida vote-recount case on behalf of President George W. Bush, has died at the age of 84, his firm announced Wednesday. There was no immediate cause of death given for the former solicitor general, who is also remembered for teaming up with David Boies – his opponent in Bush v. Gore – to help overturn California’s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriages. "Ted was a titan of the legal profession and one of the most extraordinary and eloquent advocates of our time," Barbara Becker, chair and managing partner of Gibson Dunn,...

One of the great fiddlers just passed away. A real legend.

This from MACVSOG Historical page on FB:Arthur Ray Hines July 14, 2024 (Age 77) Coinjock, North Carolina Special Forces (MACV-SOG, CCC) Arthur Ray Hines, born January 29, 1947, in Virginia Beach, VA, passed away on July 14, 2024, at ECU Health Medical Center. He was 77 years old. Arthur was a proud Special Forces member of the U.S. Army who served in Vietnam. After his service in the Army, he dedicated many years to his community as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. His commitment to his work was unwavering and greatly appreciated by all who knew...

Richard Simmons -- the legendary fitness guru -- has died at 76 ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police and fire responded to a call from his housekeeper just before 10 AM Saturday and pronounced him dead at the scene. We're told no foul play is suspected at this time, and cops are looking into it as a natural death.

This just in.....

Willie Mays, the iconic Hall of Fame center fielder who is known as the greatest all-around baseball player, died Tuesday, the San Francisco Giants announced. He was 93 years old. Mays, nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid,” had a professional baseball career that spanned four decades, beginning with the Negro Leagues in the late 1940s and ending with the New York Mets in 1972. In between, he spent 21 years with the New York Giants, who would later move to San Francisco. Mays was born on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama, and named Willie, not William. Both his parents were...

Nancy D. Wermes, 75, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa and formerly of Tustin, California passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at the Bickford Cottage in Davenport.

May 28 has become somewhat of a sorrowful day for Cincinnatians as it was the day the Cincinnati Zoo’s beloved gorilla, Harambe, was shot and killed eight years ago. It was a catastrophic 10 minutes that caught the world’s attention. On May 28, 2016, a young boy climbed through a barrier at the zoo’s Gorilla World and fell about 15 feet into a moat around 4 p.m., zoo officials wrote. As soon as the zoo was made aware of the situation, the first thing they did was call the gorillas of the exhibit, Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard previously said....