Free Republic

Col. Douglas Macgregor is at pains to emphasize how the Narcotraficante Cartels pose a substantial risk to the security of the U.S. through its "soft underbelly". And Azerbaijan, as a remote government strongly involved with organized crime, has emerged as an important player in military attacks on U.S. opponent, Iran. Contrasts between these two criminal governments. The comparison between the Azerbaijani regime under Ilham Aliyev and the Mexican state nominally led by Claudia Sheinbaum, yet heavily penetrated by the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, is not a contrast between a corrupt and a clean government—but rather a study in...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Tuesday that he had allocated $101 million in new spending on low-income housing in the areas devastated by the Palisades and Eaton Fires, confirming residents’ fears. Residents have long worried that state and local authorities would use the opportunity provided by the fires to build low-income housing — perhaps even for the homeless population, or for housing for illegal migrants. When Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appointed Steve Soboroff as “chief recovery officer,” without any kind of public process, some residents suspected that Soboroff’s role would be to push for “affordable” housing. Many residents...

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Beat,” House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) responded to a question on whether he thinks the 2026 midterms will be rigged by saying that “in many of the states where there will be competitive gubernatorial elections and certainly in the overwhelming majority of the states where the House will be decided, there are Democratic governors, Democratic attorney generals, and Democratic secretaries of state” “And I’ve got trust in those leaders to make sure that there are actual free and fair elections.” But he’d “be far more concerned…if we were looking at a situation...

During an appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Monday, failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams alleged President Donald Trump was taking steps to cancel elections in the United States. Abrams outlined 10 steps to guest host Anthony Anderson in her book, which she was promoting, that would ultimately lead to an “autocracy.” “[Y]ou criticize the media, and you create your own echo chamber of propaganda,” Abrams said. “You call it truth even though you know you’re lying. Then you go to the next step, and I call that step seven. It’s at step seven you have to blame someone....

Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) said Tuesday on CNN’s “News Central” that Congress has a “responsibility” to look into whether the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Weather Service affected the amount of deviation of the deadly central Texas floods. Co-host Kate Bolduan said, “To is these deadly floods in Texas as these the search continues for the missing there are big questions being raised about the warnings that happened and the impacts also of cuts to — that the Trump administration had made to the National Weather Service.” Swalwell said, “I do think as lawmakers, we have a responsibility to...

During an interview with FOXLA on Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that she didn’t know what the mission of federal agents in MacArthur Park was but wanted to get them to leave and “having it look like there are troops on the ground, that could create a crowd, and then we could have a lot of problems. So, instead of solving problems, they’re creating problems.” Bass began by saying, “I was horrified. What went through my mind was those occasions when I would travel overseas and see a city or a country under siege by their military in...

The Secretary General of NATO pushes through criticism for his compliments for U.S. President Donald Trump, pointing to higher spending by the alliance’s members and noting this “would not have happened” without Trump pushing the matter. America is “completely right” that NATO’s other members — Europe and Canada — had not been paying enough into the alliance, but that is now improving and its states are now heading towards equilibrium and President Trump is to thank for that, Secretary General Mark Rutte said. The remarks came in an interview with the New York Times at the weekend which tried very...

Muslim leaders from across Europe met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem to promote a message of peace on Monday. In a statement, Herzog said: President Isaac Herzog met this morning, Monday, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, with a delegation of Imams and Muslim community leaders from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The delegation, led by ELNET, brought together leading Muslim figures who came to Israel to promote a message of peace, coexistence and partnership between Muslims and Jews, and between Israel and the Muslim world. The President stressed the importance of the delegation,...

Dr. Joseph Giordano, the surgeon credited with saving President Ronald Reagan’s life after a 1981 assassination attempt and remembered for one of the pithiest comebacks ever uttered in an operating room, has died at the age of 84. Giordano’s family announced this week that he passed last month at a hospital in Washington, DC, from an infection caused by a lengthy illness. Giordano was in charge of the George Washington University Hospital (GW) trauma team that worked on the president after he was shot by would-be assassin John Hinkley Jr. on March 30, 1981, as the president emerged from the...

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that President Donald Trump’s spending bill has given the Democrats a message to run on. Christie said, “This is what happens when you have events as the president has pushed them in a way that he wanted to see it done, and you have a very compliant majority in the Congress, as we saw on the bill that got passed this week.” He continued, “So this is a great couple of weeks for the president in terms of what he wants to accomplish, short-term wins. Long-term concerns, though,...

Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he was considering running for president in 2028. Host Dana Bash said, “Governor, you’ve committed to serving out your term as governor, which is slated to end December 2027. Your name frequently comes up as a contender for the 2028 Democratic primary for president. You said, I’ll think about it after next year. What will make you decide that that’s going to be a yes, you’ll run for president?” Beshear said, “So my primary obligation and what I’m putting all my energy towards is to be the...

Friday on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) claimed many of her Republican colleagues “don’t understand” the “Big, Beautiful Bill” they just voted for. Co-host Wolf Blitzer said, “I spoke with your colleague and I think a friend of yours, Republican Congresswoman Lisa McClain, the chair of the Republican conference, fellow Michigander, about the impact that this bill could have on Medicaid in your state of Michigan. I want to highlight some of what she told me about the Medicaid changes that are in this bill.” Representative Lisa McClain (R-MI) said, “My constituents applaud us for what we’re...

Former President Joe Biden made a rare reentry into the spotlight Thursday to attack President Donald Trump’s landmark legislative victory, posting on X just hours after the “One Big Beautiful Bill” cleared the House. “The Republican budget bill is not only reckless — it’s cruel,” Biden wrote. “It slashes Medicaid and takes away health care from millions of Americans. It closes rural hospitals and cuts food assistance for our veterans and seniors. It jacks up energy bills. And it could trigger deep cuts to Medicare while driving up the deficit by $4 trillion. All of this to give a massive...

The U.S. private sector lost 33,000 jobs in June, according to new data from payroll-processing firm ADP, marking a sharp reversal from expectations of continued employment growth and raising fresh concerns about the labor market’s trajectory. Economists surveyed by Econoday had forecast a gain of 103,000 jobs for the month. Instead, the report released Wednesday morning showed the first monthly decline in private-sector employment since January 2021. Manufacturing, which had been a weak spot in the labor market, added a solid 15,000 jobs. Construction added 9,000 jobs. Natural resources and mining, which includes oil and natural gas extraction, added 8,000...

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and President Trump are scheduled to take place on Tuesday in most major cities across the country. The well-organized campaign at “SICKOFICE.ORG” urges people to call out sick in solidarity with illegal aliens facing deportation. Much like the “No Kings” protests held in June to denounce the Trump administration’s efforts to conduct mass deportations of illegal aliens, Tuesday’s protests are being supported by the same activist organizations. The Party for Socialism and Liberation is actively promoting the “Sick of ICE” events nationwide on social media. The website associated with...

In a stunning political and medical upheaval, 12 U.S. states have ignited a firestorm by pushing legislation to ban COVID-19 vaccines — declaring them unsafe, ineffective, and a symbol of misplaced trust. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently triggered a major policy shift by removing the vaccines from CDC recommendations for children and pregnant women, citing new findings. For years, critical questions have been silenced. The promise that COVID-19 vaccines were “safe and effective” is now being called into serious doubt — and the consequences may be far worse than anyone imagined. Could the vaccines themselves...

So I just got back from a neurologist for a little more of a precise diagnosis of what for a couple of decades has been called "ADHD." It was actually a very in-depth series of IQ tests. Turns out I'm "genius" level in comprehension, verbal abilities, short-term memory, and so on. But seriously below average in long-term memory. Like 145, 143, 141, 139, 147, 151... 86??? Fortunately, it doesn't fit any profiles of dementia or Alzheimer's, especially since I'd be incredibly young for that. Could be brain damage, given my history. Could just be a weird roll of the dice,...

Based on the recent events in Iran, and our recent Supreme Court decisions, we can rest assured that our one true Judeo Christian God still has his hands in the affairs of His Blessed Israel and this new divinely inspired free nation called the United States of America. Hallelujah! And just in time for Independence Day!

Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) said Monday on MSNBC’s “All In” that he was not bothered by President Donald Trump’s criticisms because he had developed what he called “Trump antibodies.” Host Chris Hayes said, “You obviously, you’ve taken some votes that have really put you on an island, I think it’s fair to say. You’re the single, solitary, no vote on that on that Big, Beautiful Bill that was coming through the House.” He asked, “I’m not going to read the entirety of this long post from the president, but he said he’s called you a simple minded grandstander. That MAGA...

Rosie O’Donnell took to social media on Monday to promote a “recount” of President Donald Trump’s landslide victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. The comedian shared a post to her Instagram Story from social media influencer Joe Braxton, who claimed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk “hacked and stole” the 2024 presidential election in his demand for a “recount.” “We Demand A Recount!” the online influencer exclaimed in the caption of his Instagram post, which was shared by O’Donnell. Braxton went on to bizarrely alleged that “Elon hacked and stole the election, then created a department...