Free Republic

There’s a global war on information today, and it’s segmented by country, generation, and medium. We used to live in a world where there was a small funnel which all information was strained through. In that funnel was TV, where TV networks essentially had a couple of major news media channels that most of the population tuned into. Nowadays that funnel has been wiped and filled with countless digital platforms, podcasts, and broadcasting. They’re oftentimes populated by international actors, bots, and millions of individuals who want to share their opinions with the world. Social media has democratized influence and blown...

President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed rising gas prices as “peanuts,” even as new polling shows his economic approval rating falling to a new low. The remarks highlight growing pressure on the White House as inflation and fuel costs remain high, weighing on voters and shaping political sentiment ahead of the midterms. The disconnect could have broad implications for U.S. households and the 2026 elections, with rising prices and the Iran war expected to remain central campaign issues.

The Senate advanced a resolution to limit President Trump's war powers in Iran on Tuesday, marking a breakthrough for Democrats after seven failed attempts. Senators approved a motion to discharge the resolution from committee in a 50 to 47 vote. Four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — joined the bulk of Democrats in favor of advancing the resolution. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to oppose. The vote marked the first time Cassidy supported advancing a war powers resolution. It came days...

World Cup fans are banned from bringing in pre-revolutionary Iran flags and apparel to stadiums this summer — while the controversial Palestinian flag will be allowed. FIFA has ruled items with the symbolism will not be permitted at this year’s iteration of the globe’s most-famous soccer tournament, The Athletic reported on Tuesday. FIFA says the flag violates their code of conduct, which states “banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature” will not be allowed at event venues. The Palestinian flag is an “officially approved flag of a member association of FIFA,”...

PARIS, May 18 (Reuters) - Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, said on Monday ​that commercial oil inventories were depleting rapidly with only a few weeks worth ‌left due to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Birol, who is participating in the Group of Seven finance leaders meeting in Paris, told reporters that the release of strategic oil reserves ​had added 2.5 million barrels of oil per day to the market, but ​said these reserves "are not endless". The onset of the spring planting and summer ⁠travel seasons in the northern...

Donald Trump was for the Iran war before he was against it. His latest post on social media about the conflict indicated that he is once more calling off a sweeping military action, this time at the behest of his Gulf allies who are apparently quaking at the thought of a renewed conflict. Trump’s initial sentence was quite a mouthful: I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold...

European security services are investigating suspected Iran-linked attacks on synagogues, Israeli sites, and opposition groups. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has warned that Iran could expand covert operations across Europe once fighting with the U.S. and Israel subsides, raising fears of attacks on Jewish targets, Israeli institutions, and opponents of the Tehran regime. The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) said Iranian dissidents and other individuals regarded by Tehran as “traitors” would face particular danger if the regime increases its intelligence and proxy activities across the continent. One BfV official told Euractiv that the service is monitoring individuals based in Germany who have...

Q Ascension™️@QAscension347·Apr 23Never forget President Trump re-Tweeted this Iran / Clinton-Obama story before getting BANNED from Twitter. Iran harbored known CIA asset Osama bin Laden with the knowledge of top U.S. officials, including Hillary Clinton, via a secret deal.Iran blackmailed the Obama administration, threatening to expose the FAKE KILLING of Osama bin Laden unless the Obama administration paid $152 billion.Audio evidence confirms $2 billion in cash was funneled back to U.S. politicians to keep them quiet."We’ll hold off killing Osama until the time is right to use him as a trophy," a congressman admitted on tape, revealing bin Laden’s survival...

The U.S. Navy is making a renewed emphasis to sailors in the San Diego area to take extra precautions in public in case of personal attacks in light of recent political events and the U.S. involvement in Iran, according to a Navy sailor based in the San Diego area. That sailor, who asked not to be identified, told FOX 5/KUSI that the naval base shared an internal message this week advising them to refrain from wearing clothing or having items on their car that identify them as Navy and could potentially make them a target of attacks.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that at the request of Arab leaders, he’s cancelled an attack on Iran that had been scheduled to take place the next day. “I have been asked by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as...

Iran has reportedly begun dumping oil into the Persian Gulf after running out of storage capacity for excess crude. Images allegedly showing oil residue in the waters around Kharg Island began circulating around 10 days ago, with more continuing to emerge as time has gone on. Some reports warn that the situation is rapidly becoming an environmental disaster, as Iran’s coastline has reportedly become heavily coated in oil, which is now said to be spreading to the shores of neighboring countries, including Kuwait.

"They will be the ones suffering the so-called consequences," the Oscar-winner said. "This is a major change"Javier Bardem believes the tide is turning for actors speaking up for Palestine, and has said that “everyone is beginning to realise” that Hollywood blacklisting was “unacceptable”. The Oscar-winner is at Cannes for his latest film, The Beloved, and was asked today (May 17) if he ever feared the consequences of denouncing the war in Gaza. Bardem has long been a vocal supporter of Palestine, most recently using his platform at the Oscars to declare “no to war and free Palestine”. “The fear...

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz means virtually no gas has left Qatar’s shore for more than two months. The nation is also cut off from the sea routes through which it imports everything from vehicles to produce. Fears of regional instability have hurt tourism and eroded business sentiment. Ras Laffan, Qatar’s industrial center for gas production, is shuttered, and roads are blocked. At the vast Hamad port south of Doha, loading cranes stand paralyzed. Throughout the capital, hotels and boutiques sit in noticeable silence. Qatar’s growth forecasts have been slashed amid the cessation of L.N.G. trade. For Qatar,...

Code Pink has endorsed Thomas Massie.Code Pink traveled to Iran to support the Ayatollah. Code Pink stormed a restaurant while President Trump was inside and tried to physically attack him.

President Donald Trump is back from China with a very clear message to the Iranian regime. “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/33gyF0c0O5 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 17, 2026 “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Before Trump left for China, it was clear that his patience with the Iranian regime was wearing thin. So if...

Amid talk that war with Iran may be renewed, President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated Truth Social video that showed him seemingly ordering the destruction of an Iranian naval vessel. “OK we have it in our sight. Fire – boom!” Trump says in the video as a U.S. destroyer blows an Iranian aircraft out of the sky. “I’m sure preparations are underway for more escalation,” said Jon Hoffman, a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, said, according to the New York Post, which said “intense preparations” are under way to resume fighting. “Trump has refused...

"A large blast was heard near the Jerusalem-area city of Beit Shemesh this evening, at a testing ground belonging to the state-owned Tomer defense firm." "In a statement, Tomer — which develops engines for rockets and missiles — says that the blast was “a pre-planned experiment that was carried out according to plan.”

Alex Saab fell out of favor with the new administration that took power since Maduro’s ouster and capture by US forces in January.

It's [k]eerie, Carter's failed Iran policy seems to be the template for the Kerry Iraq plan... "Remember Carter's human rights program, where he demanded the Shah of Iran step down and turn over power to the Ayatollah Khomeini? No matter that Khomeini was a madman. Carter had the U.S. Pentagon tell the Shah's top military commanders – about 150 of them – to acquiesce to the Ayatollah and not fight him. The Shah's military listened to Carter. All of them were murdered in one of the Ayatollah's first acts. By allowing the Shah to fall, Carter created one of the...

More Iranian militia types are in the news, sad to say. Even worse, they're not doing their thing on their home turf - they're in the export business. Breaking News: An Iran-backed militia commander was arrested and charged with plotting to attack Jewish sites in the U.S., including one in New York. Prosecutors say he is a leader of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia with ties to Iran. https://t.co/5FyiNgseXk— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 15, 2026Iran-backed Iraqi terrorists Kata’ib Hezbollah are reportedly seeking negotiations with the Iraqi government for the release of kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson.The group is...