Free Republic

Maybe it's the insatiable need for attention, maybe it's the desperation felt by unimpressive also-rans to come up with anything provocative enough to generate some kind of reaction, or maybe it's the obnoxious preoccupation that DC-dwellers have with their own egos that prevents the exercise of basic human decency. But whatever it is, the penchant far too many politicians demonstrate to crawl on top of freshly dead bodies - particularly those of innocent children - puff their chests out and use soul-searing pain as a perch for their own pet agenda remains one of the most deplorable social cancers plaguing...

With the crazy weather we have been having (fires, floods, heat, etc). I thought it would be nice to start to a thread with recommendations for the sake of preparedness.RecommendationsBest Overall App: AccuWeather for its balance of accuracy, usability, and short-term forecasts.Best for Storm Chasing: RadarScope for professional radar data.Best Overall Weather Radio: Midland WR400 for reliable, localized alerts and home use.Best Portable Radio: Sangean MMR-88 for emergencies or outdoor activities.Best Budget Radio: Kaito Voyager KA500 for affordability and versatility.

A slow-moving storm that dumped more than a foot of rain in the Texas Hill Country has killed 27 people, with dozens more missing, and officials are saying they weren’t prepared because the National Weather Service got the forecast wrong. Wonder if Donald Trump and Elon Musk laying off 600 National Weather Service staffers earlier this year could have had anything to do with that? …Deadly flash floods are, unfortunately, not uncommon – 10 teens at a summer camp died during a flash-flood event from a storm that dumped 11 inches of rain in Kerrville in 1987, and 13 people...

London has been thrown into chaos after a massive power outage crippled the city’s subway system. Commuters were left stranded as multiple Underground lines shut down, forcing thousands to seek alternative routes. The disruption, attributed to a failure in the National Grid, caused widespread delays and station closures, with Waterloo, Tottenham Court Road, and Holborn among the worst affected. The outage struck during the afternoon rush hour, bringing the city’s transport network to a standstill. Transport for London confirmed that the Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines were completely suspended, while the Elizabeth, Jubilee, and Northern lines suffered severe delays....

United States government agencies have come together to advance the understanding of persistent contrails and their impacts to inform future decision making. Current models indicate that persistent spreading contrail cirrus has a significant net warming impact on the global climate; however, the magnitude of this impact is uncertain. Research is needed to improve scientific understanding, reduce process-level uncertainties, develop integrated decision support tools and mitigation strategies, and demonstrate and assess prediction and operational capabilities. Improved understanding will allow the U.S. to make informed decisions that will ensure U.S. competitiveness in the aerospace sector while managing the impacts of civil aviation...

Today, the Washington Post is reporting the EPA Administrator is considering recommending to the White House that the EPA’s 2009 CO2 Endangerment Finding be rescinded. Let’s look at a few of the reasons why this might be a good thing to consider. The Science The science of human-caused climate change is much more uncertain that you have been led to believe. The globally-averaged surface temperature of Earth seems to have warmed by 1 deg. C or so in the last century. The magnitude of the warming remains uncertain with a 30% range in different thermometer-based datasets, and considerably weaker warming...

Anna R is a deeply patriotic citizen of the Republic Of Indonesia. Anna embraces the modern world and international friendship. As a student of tourism, her decade long commitment to international engagement has won deep respect from all who know her. This commitment from Anna reminds me of the words of the Javanese Princess, R A Kartini written on February 1, 1903, “I am also glad to do what I can for “East and West.” I feel that I am only doing myself a service, for it is for our people, and I and my people are one.” But, like...

A polar vortex sent a wave of very cold air over much of the US for the next few days. This includes Washington, DC. By inauguration day below freezing temperatures were expected near the Capitol where the ceremony is traditionally held. This forecast persuaded President-Elect Donald Trump to move the ceremony indoors. "On such a joyous occasion I don't want to see people have to run a guantlet of cold and snow just to be present at this historic moment," Trump said. "Expecting the tens of thousands of law enforcers, first responders, police K9s and horses, and hundreds of thousands...

A Malibu resident is telling his story about how he captured a now-viral photo of a Volkswagen Bus that survived the deadly Palisades Fire. “Get out of the house, now! There’s a massive fireball heading your way,” Pacific Palisades resident Matt Baker said of a friend calling him to give him this urgent warning as the fire started. “I stayed in the danger zone far longer than I should have. I was determined to make sure all my neighbors safely evacuated,” Baker said about staying to fight the flames.

True to his Party's belief that crises are opportunities to advance the interests of Democrats, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif) has used the state's wildfire disaster to launch a campaign website. "So far there has been a lot of finger pointing about who's to blame for the magnitude of the fire damage being done in our state," Newsom complained. "What is needed is an honest assessment of the facts. We're calling on folks to help out by donating funds to ensure that those of us who have been diligently governing the state do not suffer undeserved blame." The Governor insisted that...

Javanese Princess, Raden Ajeng Kartini, is revered in Indonesia, the fourth biggest nation on earth by population, for advancing nationalism and women's rights by upholding family values. Her observations of the weather during a severe drought in 1903 make interesting reading: "For three longs weeks not a drop of rain has fallen. It is boiling hot as it has never been before, even in the dryest Oostmoesson. Father is in despair; the young rice in the fields is turning brown, Oh, our poor people! So far they have had enough to eat here and they do not know the most...

On January 7, 2019 Gavin Newsom became the governor of California. In November of that year President Trump urged Newsom to make a greater effort to prepare the state to deal with its frequent wildfires and warned that "if California doesn't get their act together there will be a disaster of major proportions. Don't expect the federal government to bail you out." Armed with an AP "fact check" pooh-poohing Trump's warning, Newsom disregarded the risk. Though voters had approved $2.7 billion in bonds to increase the state's water storage capacity back in 2014, none of this money was invested in...

The moment any kind of natural disaster happens, Democrats immediately begin screaming about climate change. Of all the boogiemen the left has in their closet of scary monsters, "climate change" is arguably their most successful as it's allowed the left to use it as a way to frighten people into voting for them, and allowed them to manipulated billions and billions of dollars to their liking. With the California wildfires raging around LA, you can bet the Democrats immediately pointed to climate change as the culprit. Is it? Did the fires start because of the prophesied coming of mother nature's...

A woman speaking to ABC 7 amid the ongoing Palisades fire disaster revealed her parents home recently had its fire coverage removed by an insurance company after living at the home for 75 years. Legendary Hollywood actor James Woods, whose home is in danger from the fires, also stated a major insurance company canceled all policies in his neighborhood “about four months ago.” Speaking with the media, a local woman said her 90-year-old parents “got canceled from their fire insurance,” blaming the state of California for leaving taxpaying citizens without coverage. “They’ve lived in this house for 75 years and...

A powerful winter storm is set to sweep through the nation’s capital, potentially delivering the heaviest snowfall seen since January 2022, or even as far back as 2019. This looming weather event threatens to disrupt Monday’s planned certification of the 2024 presidential election results. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Washington, D.C., effective from 10:00 PM Sunday until 1:00 AM Tuesday, forecasting heavy mixed precipitation and urging residents to avoid travel during this period. ..... Snip..... The severe weather is likely to impact aviation and render roads impassable, posing significant challenges for the Monday morning...

These were the words President Joe Biden used when counseling his fellow Americans "not to lapse into anger and hatred. The man who drove a vehicle into a crowd celebrating the new year in New Orleans was an American citizen, not one of Trump's dreaded undocumented visitors to our country. We shouldn't use this one errant act to conclude that he was a terrorist. By all accounts he was a devout believer in Islam. A man of faith can't be all bad. The fact that he used an electric vehicle to run over two dozen people--fourteen of whom died of...

The biggest change between the launch of President Donald Trump’s first and second terms is that he’s picking far better people to fill his administration. A close second are his bold plans to be initiated by his team. On Sunday, he brought back a talking point that was briefly floated during his first term, saying he is interested in acquiring Greenland. His post was pure Trump: I am pleased to announce Ken Howery as my choice for United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Ken is a World renowned entrepreneur, investor, and public servant, who served our Nation brilliantly...

DEMOCRATS HAVE ZERO SELF AWARENESS. Biden announces $1 billion gift to Africa to help the homeless displaced by non-existent climate change. 1) This is simply a grift that enriches NGOs. 2) Helene victims are currently homeless in North Carolina. VIDEO AT LINK.....................

Biden administration's "climate envoy," John Kerry says "it's time we acknowledged that the world is facing a climate emergency. In less than 50 years the CO2 parts per million is projected to reach 500. That means for every million molecules of air 500 of them are CO2. This will be the highest concentration since humans evolved. We must make sacrifices to avert this disaster." One of the sacrifices Kerry suggests "is for Africans to skip past the mistakes the West has made by using fossil fuels to produce energy. The Industrial Revolution took place during the so-called 'little ice age'...

The Small Business Administration's Disaster Relief Program has NO FUNDS. I was told this by their representative as well as from a disclaimer when you apply for a disaster loan. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is sending hundreds of millions to the Ukraine and Gaza while Florida and North Carolina are reeling from devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton. Such BS when they say they are doing everything they can. FEMA is being its usual dysfunctional self, failing TWICE to activate the Blue Roof Program, preventing rented dumpsters with storm refuse from dropping off material, leading to additional damage when the second...