Free Republic

NEW YORK – Former President Donald Trump has broken political norms by visiting one of the most deep-blue areas in New York City, a town not necessarily known for its kindness to Republicans. Trump rallied a crowd of what his campaign estimated to be 25,000 supporters at Crotona Park in the Bronx on Thursday, far more than the initial 3,500 it said were expected to attend. Those numbers appeared to also include those lined up outside the event – who waited hours for a shot at getting inside even after the event began. "I'm here tonight to declare we are...

The Big Apple has become so unaffordable, even six-figure salary earners are finding themselves priced out. That’s according to a new report from real estate listings website StreetEasy, which says that New York City apartments have become so expensive, it’s not just lower income households struggling to pay rent. Those in the tech sector, where annual wages are $135,089 — 52% higher than average — could afford only one in three NYC rentals on the market in 2023. For entry-level tech workers, who make an average salary of $75,262, only 2.1% of studio and one-bedroom rentals were within reach, which...

Already facing scandal, the Washington Post's new-ish CEO and publisher, Will Lewis, has announced that the newspaper will be pivoting to artificial intelligence to turn around its dismal financial situation. As Semafor media industry editor Max Tani tweeted, Lewis told Post staffers today that the newspaper will be looking for ways to use AI in its reporting as it seeks to recoup some of the $77 million it lost last year.

“CNN suffered its worst ratings among primetime viewers in the most coveted demographic by advertisers” since 1991, reports the New York Post. Glorious. “The [disgraced] cable channel … drew just 83,000 viewers aged 25 to 54 during the week of May 13-19 from 8 to 11 p.m. — its lowest-rated week since 1991, according to Nielsen.” Glorious! “Fox News garnered more than twice the audience in the key demo, with 186,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. Left-leaning MSNBC was a distant second with 111,000, the data showed.” GLORIOUS. Struggling CNN dropped into fourth place behind Newsmax for prime time viewership ratings...

The Big Apple is still seeing fewer tourists than before the COVID pandemic amid concerns about crime, according to a report released by the state comptroller’s office Thursday. The number of people who visited New York City last year — 62.2 million — was about 7% less than the 66.6 million tourists tallied in 2019, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli found. “Our city and state leaders need to focus on keeping New York a desirable and safe destination for individuals and families from around the world,” DiNapoli said in a statement accompanying the report. DiNapoli’s analysis cited “high prices” as an issue...

U.S. plans antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster parent Live Nation The Department of Justice and a group of U.S. state attorneys general on Thursday plan to sue ticketing giant Live Nation on antitrust grounds, a source familiar with the DOJ's plans told Axios. Why it matters: The outcome of the legal battle with one of the largest ticketing and live events companies in the U.S. could fundamentally upend the industry. Details: The DOJ plans to announce in a midday press conference on Thursday that it is suing Live Nation alongside several states for illegally abusing its monopoly power in live ticketing...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville councilmembers have rejected plans for a glowing sign to be erected at Morgan Wallen’s new bar along the city’s neon-lit strip of honky tonks, citing his use of a racial slur that caused controversy in 2021 and recent criminal charges accusing the country star of throwing a chair off a rooftop near two police officers. The Nashville Metro Council voted 30-3 Tuesday evening against the proposed sign at Morgan Wallen’s This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen, which is set to open this weekend. The sign would have hung over a public sidewalk, similar to those at...

Ewe-turnOn Saturday, the Australian government announced plans to ban its live sheep export trade by 2028, a move praised by animal rights groups but condemned by farmers who were “shocked” at the 4-year timeline, even as the government offered a ~$71M package to help impacted businesses make the transition.Farmers in neighboring New Zealand, renowned for its shearling natives, will have taken notice.Indeed, NZ’s own sheep population continues to dwindle, with new data released by Stats NZ in early May revealing that the nation’s total number of sheep fell by 3% to ~24M for the year ended June 2023. That’s roughly...

Californians pay more at the gas pump than residents of any other state in the United States despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) so-called “plan” to crack down on windfall oil profits. “Is Gavin Newsom trying to help Donald Trump?” Is Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley question, citing his plan to raise fuel prices in Nevada and Arizona just before the November presidential election. Nevada and Arizona’s gas prices heavily reflect those in California due to them being significantly reliant (90 and 50 percent) on California for their fuel supply. According to recent reports, the California Energy Commission is looking to...

President Joe Biden revealed that his administration will be canceling more than $7 billion in student debt for 160,000 people. The White House issued a statement Wednesday announcing that 160,000 people in the United States would have their student loans canceled, erasing a total of $7.7 billion in student debt for those people. In June 2023, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision to block Biden’s plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt for almost 40 million people.

BuzzFeed’s stock is soaring after former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramasamy revealed that he’s taken an activist stake in the beleaguered media company in a bid to adjust the firm’s strategy. Shares of BuzzFeed gained about 20% on Wednesday after a securities filing revealed that Ramaswamy has acquired a 7.7% stake in the company. The stock popped more than 82% earlier in the day at its highs. “Stay tuned,” Ramaswamy told CNN through spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. In a statement, BuzzFeed Inc said: “BuzzFeed is purposely structured to protect its editorial integrity. We are always open to hearing ideas from our...

Thirteen fed-up counties in liberal Oregon have voted in support of measures to start negotiations to secede from the state and join conservative Idaho. Crook County became the latest to approve the 'Greater Idaho Measure' following a vote on Tuesday. The proposal seeks to move the Oregon border 200 miles to the west, meaning that 14 counties and several partial counties would fall under Idaho state lines. Organizers behind the Greater Idaho movement say east Oregonians are being alienated by the state's progressive policies which they blame for high crime rates. They claim a move to Idaho would allow residents...

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday said it is not Joe Biden’s job to secure the US border amid an invasion of millions of military-age men from the most dangerous parts of the world. More than 10 million illegal aliens – mainly military-age men – have invaded the US since Joe Biden was installed in January 2021. Illegals from the most dangerous parts of the world including the Middle East and Africa, have crossed over the border. Illegal aliens are raping and murdering innocent Americans. And what does the White House say about the invasion and carnage: It’s...

China’s latest test shows commitment to perfecting electromagnetic tech while US waffles between defunding or reviving its efforts The Type 072 destroyer (pictured) was spotted in 2018 carrying what military experts believed to be the PLA Navy’s first electromagnetic rail gun. Photo: Handout / SCMP China’s latest electromagnetic railgun test ultimately failed but underscored its relentless pursuit of the weapon, contrasting sharply with the US’s uncertain commitment to the potential game-changing technology. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) tested an electromagnetic railgun by firing a smart bomb 15 kilometers into the...

Nvidia (NVDA) reported first quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday that topped expectations while also announcing a 10-for-1 stock split and an increased dividend, following some of its Big Tech peers in doling out heftier quarterly payments to shareholders. The company reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $6.12 on revenue of $26 billion, a jump of 461% and 262%, respectively, from a year ago. Analysts were expecting adjusted EPS of $5.65 on revenue of $24.69 billion, according to data from Bloomberg. The company reported adjusted EPS of $1.09 on revenue of $7.19 billion in the same quarter last...

A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday said Exxon Mobil can sue to bar a climate change proposal from an activist investor, in a case that has raised concerns about its future effect on shareholder resolutions. U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman for the Northern District of Texas ruled that Exxon’s lawsuit can proceed against Boston-based Arjuna Capital, but dismissed the oil major’s claim against a second activist shareholder, Follow This, because the firm is based in the Netherlands. Exxon sued the two investors in January after they submitted a proposal to be tabled at the May 29 annual shareholder meeting...

Bill Maher locked horns with the hosts of ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday, expressing how refusing to criticize President Biden risks sacrificing one’s integrity with their audience. “I’m nervous about saying anything against Biden, because I feel as though – not that I have so much power, and you have some more than I do, obviously – but are you afraid that you might, you know, influence the people who are on the fence?” co-host Joy Behar asked Maher. “I think you lose all credibility,” Maher replied. “I do. My bond with my audience has always been I don’t pull...

American Airlines is being criticized for its legal team’s response to a civil lawsuit against the company and one of its flight attendants, who is accused of secretly recording five girls in airplane bathrooms. American Airlines is blaming a 9-year-old girl for being filmed by one of their flight attendants in the plane’s bathroom. Estes Carter Thompson is accused of recording multiple girls by taping his phone to plane toilet seats. In a new court filing, American Airlines says the young girl should have known that there was a recording device on the toilet. “Defendant would show that any injuries...

Popular artificial intelligence tools are becoming more covertly racist as they advance, says an alarming new report. A team of technology and linguistics researchers revealed this week that large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini hold racist stereotypes about speakers of African American Vernacular English, or AAVE, an English dialect created and spoken by Black Americans.... (more)

Cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. keep getting older, hitting a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people hang on to their vehicles largely because new ones cost so much. S&P Global Mobility, which tracks state vehicle registration data nationwide, said Wednesday that the average vehicle age grew about two months from last year’s record. But the growth in average age is starting to slow as new vehicle sales start to recover from pandemic-related shortages of parts, including computer chips. The average increased by three months in 2023. Still, with an average U.S. new-vehicle selling price...