Free Republic

The Meltdown of Commercial Real EstateIn case you’ve still got money in a bank, Bloomberg is warning that defaults in commercial real estate loans could “topple” hundreds of US banks.Leaving taxpayers on the hook for trillions in losses.The note, by Senior Editor James Crombie, walks us through the festering hellscape that is commercial real estate.To set the mood, a new study predicts that nearly half of downtown Pittsburgh office space could be vacant in 4 years. Major cities like San Francisco are already sporting zombie-apocalypse downtowns, with abandoned office buildings baking in the sun.So what happened? The Fed’s yo-yo interest...

An unruly passenger aboard an American Airlines flight was detained by police after being put in a headlock then thrown off the plane for hurling anti-Semitic slurs at an attendant. The fracas happened on American Airlines Flight 2506, destined for Philadelphia, and started before the plane left the airbridge at Tampa International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. In a video of the incident, the passenger can be seen verbally assaulting staff and fellow passengers as the unrest developed.

The hate-spewing American Airlines passenger seen in a viral video being put in a headlock and marched off a flight also drunkenly ranted about “blue-eyed white devils” — and threatened to “take this plane down with all you ------–kers on it,” according to court documents. The passenger, identified as 29-year-old Florida man Shail Patel, had already been accused of hurling an antisemitic slur at a flight attendant during the wild scuffle on American Airlines Flight 2506 from his hometown of Tampa to Philadelphia on Tuesday. He had bloodshot eyes and reeked of alcohol — and yelled at other passengers, “F–k...

JOHNSTOWN — Joe Burkhart is busy working at his job as a maintenance manager at a processor here in Cambria County. Like many people who have spent their career working with their hands, he knows that unexpected layoffs and companies who have been around for decades suddenly shuttering their doors is part of today’s technological revolution.Like many people around here born in the 1960’s, Burkhart says he was born and raised a Democrat. “Everyone in my family was a Democrat, its just what you did,” he said, adding when he first started looking for work as an adult being a...

A Drag Queen Story Hour event at Lancaster Public Library that sparked both protests and an outpouring of support has been canceled after a suspicious package was discovered nearby. "We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, the Lancaster Pride event: Drag Story Hour with Miss Amie in collaboration with the Lancaster Public Library has been canceled," the LGBTQ+ group stated on social media. "The safety and well-being of our community are of utmost importance to us. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding." Lancaster Pride Director Tiffany Shirley said around 9 a.m....

An 18-year-old transgender woman has pleaded guilty to the brutal murder of a 12-year-old girl she allegedly had a sexual relationship with. Ash Cooper will spend at least 15 years in prison after she admitted to the shooting death of Morgan Connors in the trailer she shared with her father in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in November 2022. Police say the teen called a female friend on Instagram video after the murder and showed off Connors' body covered in blood and asked for help disposing of it. When she was arrested Cooper reportedly told cops the murder was an accident and that...

If you don't follow far-left Massachusetts Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren on X, you should — if only for 24 hours. Hilarity reigns, as Warren never misses a concocted opportunity to rail against "profiteering" corporations, "the rich" not paying their "fair share," and "free" this and "free" that.Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have long pushed for a wealth tax that would begin with billionaires. Unlike Sanders, who believes billionaires shouldn't even be allowed to exist, Warren "only" thinks they should be taxed to smithereens (See: wealth redistribution).Now Warren, along with leftist Democrat Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA) and Brendan F. Boyle...

Law enforcement called the anti-police Pennsylvania Indivisible’s endorsement of Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) “alarming and extremely dangerous” on Wednesday. Indivisible Pennsylvania hosted a campaign event with Casey on Tuesday, and the anti-police organization endorsed Casey in a statement on Wednesday. Christine Adams of Indivisible Outcry in Clarion County said, “In his [Casey’s] nearly two decades in office, he has demonstrated his commitment to the values that guide the membership of Pennsylvania Indivisible — justice, inclusion, compassion, and equity. Senator Casey is deeply committed to defending our rights and our freedoms.”

Amos Miller, an Amish farmer in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, will be allowed to sell his raw milk products out-of-state following a ruling this week by Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle. Attorney and podcast host Robert Barnes, who represents Miller in the case, labeled the decision a “major win” for the farmer. “Court agreed to modify injunction so that it only applies within the state of Pennsylvania removing the ban on sales to customers outside state,” he wrote, thanking Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for their support. ...........

The SS United States is facing eviction from its mooring at Pier 82 in Philadelphia in a lawsuit filed by Penn Warehousing, the pier’s landlord. The ocean liner has been rusting away in the Delaware River since 1996 but has a storied past. In 1952, it broke the once-highly sought record for the fastest transatlantic crossing, the last passenger ship to do so. The SS United States Conservancy, a non-profit attempting to restore the ship, admits that relocation will be necessary but is still aiming to preserve the vessel. The potential eviction stems from rent increases that could be against...

Congressman Fitzpatrick: "1 armed person who broke into 2 residences. It appears to be targeted and not random. It may have been family members. Multiple crime scenes. 3 people were reported dead, and 1 victim was in the hospital. It is still an active situation."

Twenty-three Democrat run states and the District of Columbia, the home of our nation’s capital, filed amicus briefs in support of government censorship and banning of free speech in the United States. These 23 states and the District of Columbia filed amicus briefs in support of the Biden administration in the SCOTUS case is Murthy, et al v. Missouri, et al, 23-411 (Missouri v. Biden) case. The states essentially argue that they have an interest in collaborating with tech companies to “encourage” the public to behave themselves and “discourage” the public from believing alleged “disinformation” or engaging in online predatory...

Two-way: Trump 49, Biden 47. Five-way: Trump 42, Biden 42, RFK Jr 9, Stein 2, Cornel West 2

Republicans are gearing up for what could be an epic showdown for majority control of the Senate with several contentious elections around the country later this year. Democrats control the U.S. Senate with a 51-49 majority, but Republicans are looking at a favorable Senate map in 2024, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. Three of those seats are in red states former Donald Trump carried in 2020 - West Virginia, Montana and Ohio. Five other seats, one of which is held by an independent, are in key swing states narrowly carried by President Biden in...

A Pennsylvania woman is recovering in a hospital after a vicious assault by a mother bear .. The incident reportedly took place around 8:30 p.m. just outside the victim’s house. Lee Ann Galante, 55, stepped out to let her dog, a small black Pomeranian, enjoy the backyard, ... With injuries across her arm, face, neck and head, Galante’s condition necessitated urgent medical attention, police said,.. She was rushed to the nearby hospital following the attack ... "I thought I was going to die." A woman who was hospitalized after being mauled . ... Galante shared her ordeal from her hospital...

WHITE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Three men are facing charges after they allegedly passed counterfeit $100 bills at several businesses in Indiana County over the weekend. Pennsylvania State Police said the following businesses in White Township had instances of counterfeit $100 bills being passed or attempting to be passed: Advanced Auto Parts, Aroma Joe’s, AutoZone, Bath & Body Works, Dunham’s Sports, Harbor Freight Tools, Kohl’s, Staples Police say three men suspected of passing the counterfeit money were arrested at various locations. Two of them were identified as Brian Stalin Castro-Ortega, 22, from Flushing, New York, and Jordan Alexan Alvarado-Garrido, 21, with...

A transgender Philadelphia city official got in a scuffle with a Pennsylvania State policeman after her husband was detained and played the race card during a traffic stop on Saturday. As The Daily Mail reported, Celena Morrison, Philadelphia’s executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, was arrested on Saturday along with her husband, Darius McLean. Pennsylvania State Police said that the officer initiated a traffic stop on I-76 westbound at roughly 9 AM for Morrison’s gray Infinity sedan, which reportedly had several vehicle code violations. The Mail reported a green Dodge driven by McLean then pulled up behind the...

Just two days after saying they had no suspects Pennsylvania State Police have arrested a 52-year-old local man and charged him with the murder of Amish mother of two, Rebekah Byler. The 23-year-old was six months pregnant when she was gunned down in her home in Spartansburg on Monday morning. Now, after what cops described as an 'exhaustive' five-day investigation the man charged with the murder of Byler and her unborn child has been named as Shawn Cranston. Cranston, pictured here for the first time, is married to nurse Jamie, 46, was taken into custody Saturday morning when he was...

A Norfolk Southern train derailed along the Lehigh River in Lower Saucon Township on Saturday morning, sending part of two engines into the water. The derailment happened in the area of Riverside Drive, across the river from Nagy’s Landing in Bethlehem Township, around 7:15 a.m. Two other trains were involved in the incident that led to the derailment, though only one derailed, officials said at an 11 a.m. news conference. Photos from the scene showed the front edge of at least two engines sticking into the water, with multiple other cars off the track. Norfolk Southern is investigating, and the...

Greg Stenstrom and Leah Hoopes, alongside former President Donald Trump, emerged victorious in a high-profile defamation case in Pennsylvania. The lawsuit, known as “SAVAGE VS TRUMP ETAL,” alleged malicious and defamatory statements against the Plaintiff, James Savage, following the 2020 Presidential election. The case was one of the only remaining 2020 election cases on the books.