Free Republic

A week ago, Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, sounded optimistic about the region. Updated at 3:12 p.m. ET on October 7, 2023 What a difference a week makes. Just eight days ago, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking at The Atlantic Festival, rattled off a long list of positive developments in the Middle East, developments that were allowing the Biden administration to focus on other regions and other problems. A truce was holding in Yemen. Iranian attacks against U.S. forces had stopped. America’s presence in Iraq was “stable.” The good news crescendoed with this statement: “The Middle East...

Food banks across the U.S. are reporting a massive uptick in demand as Americans continue to struggle with inflation. Several food banks told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the volume of requests for food has risen to levels even higher than during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people struggle to afford their daily expenses. Many food banks credited the increase in demand for food to inflation, which has cut into real wages and made purchasing everyday goods, including groceries, much more expensive. (RELATED: Did Bidenomics Kill The American Dream? Homes And Cars Are Becoming Increasingly Unaffordable For The Middle...

The world still overflows with opportunities however we are lacking committed takers. Those who are willing to explore the opportunities as opposed to wait for them to show up at the door. It seems like, for the new generation, working hard has turned into the enemy of dreams and a roadblock to life’s journey. The anti-work phenomenon, quiet quitting, is encouraging people to withdraw privately and silently. It is an utterly un-American act that will create an avalanche of self-destruction at a critical time for our nation. It is a movement that cannot be stopped by force but may ultimately...

Move over rage quitting, “quiet quitting” is the latest workplace phenomenon. It may sound like the act of someone silently resigning, but it actually refers to the rejection of “hustle culture” — the expectation to go above and beyond in your job, rather than simply doing the requirements of the job. It’s a term that has gained traction since a wave of TikTok posts recently emerged from people who consider themselves quiet quitters. TikTok creator Zaid Khan, @zkchillin, posted on TikTok about his own discovery of the term in late July — a video that went viral. In the video...

House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) took to Facebook Wednesday to shame those Republicans remaining quiet “while Democrats in Washington are abusing their power[.]” The McCarthy post comes in the wake of Monday night’s outrageous and unprecedented raid of former President Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago. The next day the feds seized Rep. Scott Perry’s (R-PA) cellphone.

The world’s loneliest house, stuck on the side of a remote mountain range, had lain empty for 100 years — but its mystery remains. Savvy Italian soldiers are said to have built the shelter as a place to rest while battling the Austro-Hungarians across the rugged terrain.

Former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) advised former President Donald Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to "keep quiet" and "stay off of TV" in an interview Tuesday with Hugh Hewitt. "If I were their lawyer, I would tell all them to keep quiet and not do anything that can help this government make a case against you," Christie said. "And that’s just the basics of criminal defense law. And it’s more difficult for public figures like Mayor Giuliani or President Trump, but first and foremost, if I were their lawyer and that’s the basis you’re asking me this question,...

Any other Freepers still enjoy watching the movie 'The Quite Man' on St. Patrick's Day as I do?

For every story of people finding their perfect match miles above the Earth’s surface, there are countless (and we do mean countless), stories of sexual assault and uncomfortable situations that can occur midflight. Nevertheless, Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines decided to hand out napkins encouraging passengers to give out their phone numbers to fellow fliers after the complimentary drinks were served. Both Coca-Cola and Delta are now apologizing for this marketing mistake. “Be a little old school. Write down your number and give it to your plane crush. You never know…” one napkin read. “Because you’re on a plane full of...

I am currently in the midst of a fiery trial. The events of the past six months have tested my faith like never before. I had always heard about people going through storms like this one; I just never realized how bad it could get. Thanks be to God, all is not lost. I am not lost. The wind and the waves are finally abating. And I am thankful for the many valuable lessons I have learned throughout the ordeal. One of these important lessons has been on the importance of silence. Have you ever tried being silent for a...

7 Days, Magnitude 2.5+ U.S. 178 of 178 earthquakes in map area. This is a very low number for the 7 day window. It has been running in the high 200s for the past year.

Now, authorities — who’ve faced accusations that they’ve used excessive force in response to demonstrations — will be taking a different tack in an effort to calm tensions, officials said Thursday...As groups of protesters grew Thursday night, the demonstrations were calm.

The situation in Syria has grown increasingly complicated for President Barack Obama and his party, raising serious questions about the White House’s credibility on foreign affairs and forcing Democrat lawmakers to choose sides on the controversial issue. AP. And public statements made in opposition to the president’s proposal have prompted the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to ask that its members “limit public comment” on the situation until they have been briefed by White House officials, The Cable reports. A CBC aide in an interview referred to the request as “eyebrow-raising,” adding that it “was designed to quiet...

More than seven months after the attack Sept. 11, 2012, on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the Obama administration continues to defend itself against allegations from House Republicans that the administration has not fully cooperated with Congress on the investigation into the attack. On Tuesday, both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry addressed claims being made by House Oversight and Foreign Affairs Committee leaders that the administration is impeding the Congressional testimony of State Department and CIA employees who survived the attack. “I’m not familiar with this notion that anybody’s been blocked from testifying,”

As Navy SEALs bask in the limelight for daring missions, some in the Army are wondering whether the other half of the nation’s counter-terrorism covert warriors - Delta Force - is being upstaged and left in the shadows. Adm. William H. McRaven, a SEAL who commanded the Joint Special Operations Command when SEAL Team 6 killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last year, favors his guys over Delta, some say. “All I’ve heard and observed is that he is obviously pro-SEAL and that explains why Delta has been sidelined,” said a retired ArmyGreen Beret who still conducts special operations as...

Iran to Family of American 'Spy': Keep QuietBy LEE FERRAN Dec. 20, 2011 The family of Amir Hekmati, the Arizona-born ex-Marine currently held in Iran accused of being a CIA spy, said today the Iranian government told them to "remain silent" about Hekmati's arrest should they want him released. "The Iranian government detained Amir on Aug. 29, 2011 without any charges, and urged our family to remain silent with the promise of an eventual release," the family of the U.S.-raised veteran said in a statement. "Amir has never had any affiliation with the CIA, and these allegations are untrue. Amir's...

There were no balloons, no banners, no rallies or slogans. The official Chinese press maintained radio silence and even the country's looser-lipped bloggers didn't dare to speculate on what happened behind closed doors. No matter that 365 of the most powerful people in China, the members of the Communist Party's Central Committee, had wrapped up a four-day session Tuesday, presumably including discussions for a hand-over of leadership in 2012. Politics, particularly personnel matters, receives scant coverage from Chinese media. ... The official New China News Agency said the Central Committee's meeting included discussion of how to improve the nation's "cultural...

The end of an era is at hand. Today marks the last day of BBC World Service Broadcasts to China and Russia after 70 years on the air. Voice of America (VOA) may not be far behind. VOA several years ago closed down its Russian broadcasts, and, according to the President’s 2012 budget request, broadcasts to China are soon to follow. Already shortwave service in Cantonese has been closed down, and in October, Mandarin is to follow. Next year, television as well as AM and FM radio are on the cutting block. The Chinese people have been able to rely...

If you don't like crowds and prefer the decibel level of a monastery, we've got a spot for you to spend Election Day today: Your local polling place. "It's going to be pretty quiet there,'' said David Tom, San Mateo County's elections manager. There are two main reasons: More and more people every year are casting their ballots by mail. And at the same time, an antiquated California law requires counties to staff polling places as if that weren't the case. The state has decreed that each polling precinct should have no more than 1,000 voters. And even if a...

As the leadership in the House tries to persuade fence-straddling Democrats to push health care reform over the finish line, a "talking points" memo is being widely circulated in Washington that purports to show that those same leaders and the Obama administration are secretly planning to push for an increase in Medicare payments -- an increase that would alter the cost of the bill. As the leadership in the House tries to persuade fence-straddling Democrats to push health care reform over the finish line, a "talking points" memo is being widely circulated in Washington that purports to show that those...