Free Republic

October’s haul set a new monthly high as Treasury data showed soaring customs receipts under President Donald Trump’s tariff program.Tariff revenues surged to $31.4 billion in October, setting a new monthly record as the Trump administration’s trade policies continue to remake U.S. trade flows and reshape the federal government’s balance sheet, according to newly released Treasury Department data. The Monthly Treasury Statement for October, published on Nov. 25 , shows net customs duties totaling $31.4 billion, surpassing all prior monthly readings and marking the strongest single-month tariff haul since the modern reporting era began. Treasury records show gross customs receipts...

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece The Two Towers, he wrote a scene in which the tree-giant Ent named Treebeard prepared to battle against the evil wizard Saruman for his part in the wanton destruction of Fangorn Forest.“Wizards ought to know better: they do know better. There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men bad enough for such treachery.” This quote came to mind as I reflected on the shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C. For two weeks now, a growing number of congressional Democrats played the part of pawns in a well-funded, highly coordinated campaign...

US President Donald Trump expressed optimism after a high-level meeting between US officials and a Ukrainian delegation in Miami on Sunday, suggesting there was a “good chance” of a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Talks were “going along, and they’re going along well,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think that there’s a good chance we can make a deal,” he added. His comments came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast the peace talks as fragile, and underscored that Russia would have a central role to play in any deal.

President Trump gave Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a chance to escape the country with his life — but he had to do it immediately, according to a bombshell report. During a call between Trump and Maduro last week, the South American dictator demanded that he be allowed to maintain control of the military and wanted global amnesty for all crimes, according to the Miami Herald, citing sources. Trump’s response was reportedly blunt, and the talks quickly broke down. Maduro, his wife and son would be allowed to leave Venezuela safely, but they must do it immediately.

The shriek of whistles and a cacophony of cars honking have taken on new meaning on the streets of major U.S. cities in recent months — a warning to all those in earshot that immigration enforcement is nearby. The warning tactics from activists have become popular in cities recently targeted by Border Patrol immigration operations. Jill Garvey, a co-director of the pro-democracy group States at the Core, said during the first nationwide virtual “ICE WATCH” training session hosted with the help of community organizers from Chicago on Nov. 21. More than 500 people attended the online training session from dozens...

ZURICH, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Switzerland on Sunday clearly rejected ​a proposed 50% tax on inherited ‌fortunes of 50 million Swiss francs ($62 million) or ‌more, public broadcaster SRF said in a first results estimate, with an expected 79% of votes against the plan. The proposal from the ⁠youth wing of ‌the leftist Social Democrats, or JUSOs, aimed to fund projects to ‍reduce the impact of climate change, was widely expected to fail, with over two-thirds of respondents ​against the proposed tax in recent polls. Bankers have ‌watched the vote closely, casting it as a litmus test of appetite for...

West Yorkshire Police arrested a British business owner over a picture he posted on social media of himself holding a gun in the United States. IT contractor Jon Richelieu-Booth told the Yorkshire Post that in August, he posted a picture on the networking site LinkedIn of himself holding a shotgun at a friend’s homestead in Florida. He was visited by local police, who warned him about the post and told him to be “careful” about what he says online and “how it makes people feel.” Eleven days after the post, West Yorkshire Police officers returned and arrested Richelieu-Booth over allegedly...

After a monitoring platform reported on the flight, the Brazilian Army Command on the border assured that it had no information indicating a possible escape of the leader of the Venezuelan government, according to CNN Brazil. ================================================================= A plane that had previously been used by the leader of the Venezuelan regime, Nicolás Maduro, traveled to the border with Brazil amid increasing US military pressure in the Caribbean region, CNN Brazil reported this Saturday. The trip information was released by ADSB Exchange, a platform that monitors flight tracking data from around the world, on its website. It details that the aircraft...

Tens of thousands rallied in Paris on Saturday to show support for Palestinians in Gaza, as protesters accused Israel of violating a fragile US-brokered ceasefire and demanded tougher international action amid soaring death tolls and ongoing restrictions on aid. Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas, said Saturday that more than 70,000 people have been killed since the war began. “Gaza, Gaza, Paris is with you.” Marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, tens of thousands of people, according to organizers, marched in Paris on Saturday to show support for Palestinians in Gaza, devastated by more than two...

The Airbus A319 that always flies Maduro touched down in Santa Elena de Uairén, right on the Venezuela-Brazil frontier. No official confirmation he's on board or that he's requested asylum in Brazil, but the timing is screaming "I'm out." Brazilian authorities say they haven't been contacted yet. If Maduro actually bolts, 26 years of Chavismo might die overnight The military splits: some will celebrate, some will try a last stand The opposition (Edmundo González, María Corina) instantly becomes the legitimate government in the eyes of the world Cuba loses its oil lifeline and implodes within months, while the U.S. bombing...

Brazil—According to a CNN report, the plane frequently used by Nicolás Maduro landed near Brazilian territory, according to the flight tracking platform ADSB Exchange, and the event prompted speculation that the Venezuelan president may have fled. What we know The information was disseminated by CNN based on public data. ADSB Exchange, a flight tracking platform, identified the landing near Brazil. The aircraft reported is the one that, according to the report, Maduro regularly used. The report raises the possibility of an escape, without providing additional evidence in the cited text. Detection on ADSB Exchange The ADSB Exchange platform published records...

US President Donald Trump has warned Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to step down or risk potential American military action, a report says. Tensions between Washington and Caracas have surged after US President Donald Trump warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that refusal to step down voluntarily could trigger the use of American military force. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump delivered a stark ultimatum during a hotline call on 22 November, telling Maduro he could take the “easy way or hard way," offering safe passage to a friendly capital or face direct US action. Trump’s warning coincided with a...

Sources claim Maduro might leave Venezuela due to a potential U.S. attack. According to CCN, he could have reached the Brazilian border this afternoon.

Will Trump negotiate with Maduro and refrain from military action? While the US has deployed the largest military force to America Latina since the 1990’s, the naval siege of Venezuela will not necessarily devolve into a bloody confrontation. After President Donald J. Trump stated that negotiations with dictator Nicolas Maduro was a real possibility, a report arises that Trump has already spoken with Maduro last week. The two leaders reportedly discussed a possible meeting between them in the United States, according to the New York Times. Reuters reported: “The newspaper added that there were no plans at the moment for...

Did Joe Biden forget that he is no longer in the White House or is he engaging in shadow diplomacy? The Biden family took over Nantucket against this year and enjoyed a lavish Thanksgiving vacation while staying at billionaire David Rubenstein’s sprawling mansion. The Bidens completely shut down Main Street of Nantucket on Wednesday to shop at ritzy stores. Wednesday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year when people are trying to get ready for Thanksgiving. Joe Biden completely shutting down Main Street of Nantucket on one of the busiest days of the year when people are...

Illegal immigration is detrimental to the U.S. economy, in so many ways. Not only do illegal aliens steal jobs from American workers, but they frequently send a large portion of their earnings back to their home countries. Essentially, they siphon money from the American economy back to wherever they are originally from. This sums up the issue: These kinds of 'remittances' are basically international theft.Illegal immigrants are siphoning wealth from this country, and it cannot be allowed to continue. pic.twitter.com/vG4iozXMbM— The Conservative Alternative (@OldeWorldOrder) November 28, 2025But, it all ends now. Today, the Trump administration announced a big move to...

At least two people were killed and dozens injured after Russia launched a drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv which lasted through the night and left some 600,000 people without power.Video SummaryRussia struck Kyiv with drones and missiles before dawn, killing at least two and injuring dozens in residential areas—the second attack on the capital this week. Residents call it terrorism meant to exhaust civilians and force acceptance of a US-Russia 28-point peace plan widely seen as Moscow’s wishlist. A Ukrainian delegation is traveling to the US for talks after Zelensky replaced his scandal-hit chief of staff...

It is often said that “the first casualty when war comes is truth.” A criminal warrant just issued in Germany shows that war continues to claim its victims. However, this warrant could prove to be as great an indictment not just of the government of Volodymyr Zelensky, but also of former President Joe Biden.This week, a German court issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian Serhii Kuznietsov, which may finally confirm what was long suspected: that Ukraine was responsible for the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in the waters near Denmark and Sweden.The Biden administration may have been given...

Here in Germany, thousands of demonstrators have gathered in the western city of Giessen to protest against the founding meeting of the far-right Alternative for Germany's new youth wing. 6-thousand police are standing by. Generation Deutschland, as the new group is expected to be called, replaces the AfD's previous association, which was confirmed by the courts as right wing extremist. The changes aim to allow the AfD to exert more control over it's youth movement. Video SummaryIn Gießen, Germany, thousands protested against the founding meeting of the AfD's new youth wing, "Generation Deutschland," which replaces the previous youth organization officially...

New satellite imagery shows China testing its landing barges, which analysts say appear tailor-made for an invasion of Taiwan. Among these new vessels are landing docks, more advanced amphibious assault ships, and specialized landing barges analysts have dubbed Shui Qiao, or "water bridges," that appear purpose-built for a potential beach landing in an attack on Taiwan. Satellite imagery shared by open-source analyst Brady Africk on X showed three of China’s so-called Shui Qiang landing barges off the coast of Ningbo in Zhejiang province on November 20. A separate photo captured by European Space Agency satellites and reviewed by Newsweek shows...