Free Republic

A growing culture of Third Worldism—the belief that you’re entitled to use public spaces without any responsibility to care for them—is corroding civic life in cities. Immigrants from poor countries like my own, Venezuela, often joke that Americans complain too much about “First World problems.” Back home, we don’t worry about microaggressions; we’re too busy figuring out how to put food on the table or stay safe from crime and government censorship. But here’s the irony: increasingly, Americans aren’t complaining enough about Third World problems. Trash-strewn streets, loud music in public, brazen shoplifting, rising disorder, and a general decline in...

"When will my trash get picked up?" was surely the top question on many Philadelphians' minds after hearing the DC 33 strike, including sanitation workers, was over on Wednesday morning. And now we know: regular trash pickup in the city of Philadelphia will resume Monday, July 14, Mayor Cherelle Parker and Director of Clean and Green Initiatives Carlton Williams said in a news conference. Here's more about what to know about trash disposal in the city now that the strike is over. Where do I drop off my trash in Philadelphia? Remember those 63 temporary drop-off sites? Williams says those...

Around 1,000 people gathered Saturday morning at Santa Cruz Main Beach to spell out the word “Resist!” The event, organized by Indivisible Santa Cruz County, aimed to protest the Trump administration and celebrate Santa Cruz Pride’s 50th anniversary.

Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Monday rolled out his “Canada First” response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, borrowing Trump’s branding strategy while insisting his tariffs on Canadian goods are “unjustified.” Part of Poilievre’s strategy includes faulting the Liberal Party of outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for doing “nothing” to make Canada less dependent upon the U.S. economy, even though the threat of Trump’s tariffs was painfully clear. “They’ve left us helpless,” Poilievre complained before debuting his own strategy, blasting the Liberals for weakening the Canadian economy with high taxes and heavy regulations that pushed Canadian businesses across the border...

An Ohio judge has blocked a common sense law that stopped Planned Parenthood from dumping the bodies of aborted babies in landfills. The Unborn Child Dignity Act was first introduced in 2016, following an investigation by then Attorney General Mike DeWine into Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facility practices in Ohio. The investigation found that Planned Parenthood’s Ohio locations had been dumping the bodies of aborted babies in landfill Because the Ohio Revised Code did not define “humane” disposal, the state of Ohio was unable to take legal action. In 2020, DeWine, as Ohio’s governor, signed into law a new pro-life...

Fans of fanciful, history-inspired books like Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter will surely find Lincoln and Darwin – Shared Visions of Race, Science and Religion a tough slog through the mid-19th century. This book seriously searches for, and finds, common ground for two intellectual giants, separated by an ocean, who never even met. But once you’re in to Lincoln and Darwin, well, you’re into it. At least I was. Author James Lander teaches history at TASIS American School in England. His previous books include one on Roman stone fortifications. Still he manages, at times, to get into the heads and even...

Save the crop tops for Florida's beaches and keep your feet in your shoes as Spirit Airlines is cracking down on 'inadequate' clothing on its flights. On Wednesday, the company quietly updated its contract of carriage for passengers, which includes updating its dress code for passengers flying the budget airline. The new rule dictates that a guest 'shall not be permitted to board the aircraft' if they are 'barefoot or inadequately clothed.' Among the examples of inappropriate travel outfits include: see-through clothing, exposed breasts, buttocks, or other private parts; lewd, obscene, or offensive clothing and tattoos. The new regulation comes...

They don’t like the trash talk. Washington DC’s District Department of Transportation denounced a transit ad that was spotted near the Capitol that likened MAGA hat wearers to garbage. “Keep DC trash free,” reads the incendiary ad spotted by Capitol Hill Baptist Church pastor Caleb Morell. The ad featured a red circle with a line through it over an image of a MAGA hat wearer holding a book labeled “Project 2025.” The bottom of the ad includes the logo for the District of Columbia Department of Public Works and the Mayor’s Office of the Clean City program. DDOT DC quickly...

Hidden for centuries, a forgotten chapter of the Bible has emerged from the shadows of history. Researchers, armed with ultraviolet light and meticulous scholarship, have uncovered a 1,750-year-old text that offers a fresh glimpse into the evolving nature of scripture. This find isn’t just a historical curiosity; it’s a profound insight into how faith and tradition were shaped in early Christianity. Preserved in an ancient Syriac manuscript, the chapter challenges long-held assumptions about biblical texts and their seemingly static nature. With its subtle variations and expanded narrative, this rediscovery raises compelling questions: What does this mean for the modern understanding...

https://freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/4283195/posts?page=23#23 This comment deserves its own thread. I will post the transcript from this podcast in this thread for AI purposes. This podcast released on 10 December 2024 provides all the whose who in Syria with historical context

Tech billionaire Elon Musk was handed a major win Tuesday evening when President-elect Donald Trump announced that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO would co-lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” with Vivek Ramaswamy. The announcement reinforces the closeness that Musk has managed to achieve with Trump, even after the election. But for some people in Trump’s orbit, Musk’s presence has felt overbearing. Musk has been so aggressive in pushing his views about Trump’s second term that he’s stepping on the toes of Trump’s transition team and may be overstaying his welcome at Mar-a-Lago, according to two people familiar with the...

Former President Barack Obama argued Saturday that “everything a president says is serious,” a point he raised in an attempt to marginalize former President Donald Trump. Obama’s moral authority to lecture Trump is suspect due to his continued coverup of President Joe Biden’s health. Biden, who special counsel Robert Hur characterized as “an elderly man with a poor memory,” repeatedly delivered statements for years that raised eyebrows.

A Dutch museum had to pick artwork out of the bin after a member of staff thought that the display, which consisted of two empty beer cans, was leftover rubbish. All The Good Times We Spent Together by French artist Alexandre Lavet shows two dented beer cans on the floor. They were exhibited inside the museum’s lift as if left behind by construction workers. However, a closer look "reveals that these dented cans were meticulously hand-painted with acrylics", the LAM museum in Lisse said. But a lift technician thought the art was simply the leftovers of lazy visitors and threw...

As the Los Angeles Lakers broke from their huddle, LeBron James and Bronny James walked onto the floor and into NBA history books. The Jameses opened the second quarter of the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first father-son duo to play with one another in NBA history. “Not real,” LeBron said postgame of his feelings as a father and player. “Still trying to get a little bit used to it, but pretty cool. It’s pretty cool for the both of us and especially for our family.” Bronny said he was “pretty psyched” once he knew...

The Arizona Cardinals are taking heat for forcing a season ticket holder to throw away her MAGA hat to get into State Farm Stadium last weekend. Susan Rosener, who has owned season tickets for 34 years, told KPNX-TV that on Sunday, stadium security flagged her down and told her she could not enter the facility with her “Make America Great Again” hat. Rosener said the security officials told her that political gear is not allowed in the stadium. The long-time fan said she asked the security worker why the hat was prohibited. “She’s like, ‘no political hats or shirts.’ And...

Incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris closed out what was already a terrible week with a desperate flail trashing 13 Gold Star families that then blew up spectacularly in her stupid and incompetent face. First, let’s review the last seven days. As I said last week, Kamala Harris is running a terrible presidential campaign. After six of the best weeks any presidential candidate has ever enjoyed, six weeks filled with billions and billions of dollars in free corporate media cheerleading and propaganda, it all fell apart at the Democrat National Convention.

A Texas city has been flooded with mountains of plastic waste that hasn't been touched in a year and a half as the facility continues to fail fire inspections. Wright Waste Management, located 20 miles outside of downtown Houston, has hundreds of pounds of plastic trash just sitting behind a locked gate. The garbage hasn't been touched in more than a year and a half, according to CBS News. To tackle the ongoing plastic pollution problem, the Houston Recycling Collaboration - made up of the City of Houston, ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, Cyclyx International and FCC Environmental Services - was born. It...

US politics a Fox News poll showing Joe Biden the leader nationally... Israel strikes in southern Syria killing a Syrian officer.. US Central Command reports two drone boats destroyed along with... US Central Command says that it killed an Islamic state leader... The relatives of the hundreds of victims of two deadly Boeing 737Max crashes want the US Justice Department... The Governor of Louisiana signing legislation mandating display of the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament of the Bible in all public school classrooms... With Israel messaging plans for war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, its leader warning his group would...

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday dropped the f-bomb at an event live-streamed on the White House Web site as she discussed how minorities should advocate for themselves. “We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open,” Harris, 59, said at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit. “Sometimes they won’t, and then you need to kick that f–king door down,” Harris said. Harris quickly added, “Excuse my language,” as the audience laughed. The veep’s remarks came during an exchange with comedian Jimmy O. Yang from the...

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) granted an interview to establishment media only “a few hours after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) attempt to oust him” to trash Donald Trump — the man Johnson conveniently clung to when his speakership hung in the balance. Johnson sat down for an extensive “deep dive” interview Wednesday night with Politico so quickly after the vote to end his speakership that Johnson claimed he was not even aware which eleven Republicans voted against him. In what Politico called an “SNL-worthy” send up, Johnson used the interview to caricature Trump praising Johnson: Johnson was impersonating Donald Trump...