Free Republic

If people have property when they die, who should inherit it? You can't take it with you. Increased inequality reduces government's concern for the general welfare. The public owns all natural resources in common and no one deserves more than an equal share of their fruits. The Alaskan oil dividend could be a model here. Inheritance reform would not eliminate billionaires; it would only eliminate hereditary billionaires.

The crazed gunman who was shot dead after trying to enter Mar-a-Lago with a shotgun and a gas can has been identified as a North Carolina artist who was reported missing by his mom. Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Cameron, North Carolina, was killed by law enforcement in the early hours of Sunday morning, law enforcement sources told The Post. He was reported missing by his family to authorities on Saturday.

MILAN — This wasn’t a miracle. It was a moment of magic.Forty-six years to the day after a bunch of unheralded amateurs stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union en route to winning Olympic gold, the U.S. men’s hockey team engineered another epic victory. The Americans won a battle of the sport’s superpowers on Sunday, toppling longtime nemesis Canada 2-1 in overtime to win their country’s first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”

Meet Katie: This lady is a patriot- fiercely patriotic. She was born in Vietnam but now lives in the USA. She is very appreciative of her new home and is very conservative. I am a huge fan. She has some marvelous videos on her wall. Summerville, SC: Teacher Dinah Chollet busted for fueling an anti-ICE walkout in a student group chat. Her bright idea? Urge kids to threaten, vandalize, and zero in on a target. FAFO Dinah, that’s how you go from “educator” to “defendant” real quick. pic.twitter.com/RW9gvC0X1v — Kim "Katie" USA (@KimKatieUSA) February 20, 2026I particularly like this one:...

it’s been a while since we had a good, old fashioned “cats with stats” around here and seems like high time we remedied that, so here is some data that happened to strike me: michael arouet, whose data and analysis i quite like, posted this yesterday: being a data-driven sort of feline, this seemed a bit of an unfair comparison to me as it pits an urban area against a whole country and as such has the potential to embed a great deal of bias. seeking to eliminate this potential objection to the data and to make a more apples...

The UK’s defence secretary, John Healey, has written in the Sunday Telegraph saying he wants to deploy British troops to Ukraine as it would signal an end to Russia’s war, days before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion. Here is an extract from what he wrote There is no heavier burden on any defence secretary or any government than committing our armed forces on operations. I want to be the defence secretary who deploys British troops to Ukraine – because this will mean that this war is finally over. It will mean we have negotiated peace in Ukraine. And...

Suspect identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed to Fox News that the suspect was 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina. No Secret Service or PBSO personnel were injured, and no Secret Service protectees were present at the location during the time of the incident, officials said. Trump was also not in Florida when the shooting occurred. The FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office are investigating, including the man’s background, actions and potential motive, as well as the use of force. Bradshaw said at a press conference that a deputy...

VIDEOGeorge Conway is running for Congress in the New York district now held by retiring Jerry Nadler on a platform of only ONE issue: removing President Trump from office. In fact he has NO other issues to run on as he openly admits. This video reveals that Trump absolutely haunts poor Conway's mind 24/7. Sleeping gives him no respite because Trump also haunts his nightmares. So pathetically but hilariously consumed is Conway by Trump that after watching this video you will have absolutely no doubt that Conway would eagerly consent to having humiliating public sex (think "Deliverance") with Nepo Baby...

Daily Readings from the USCCBFirst Sunday of LentAt that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” Matthew 4:1–3In His great humility and compassion for us, Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God, allowed Himself to endure something that we sinful human beings encounter every day—temptation. God’s glorious plan from the beginning included the creation of both humans...

We wrote recently about the ongoing effort by Marxists in the United States to raise money on behalf of the Communist government in Cuba. That effort continues. Meanwhile, the same folks, in league with a whole raft of other radical leftist groups, are also working on sending a “flotilla” to Havana’s aid. “A growing coalition of international organizations, including Progressive International, The People’s Forum, CODEPINK, and allied movements across the Americas and beyond is coming together to launch the Nuestra América Flotilla to Cuba in March, 2026, a humanitarian and solidarity mission to the island at a moment of deep...

The New York Post reports: Mamdani blasted for requiring 5 forms of ID to shovel while DSA opposes Voter ID. Snowcialism has hit The Big Apple. Lefty Mayor Zohran Mamdani opposes requiring ID’s to vote — but mandates no less than five forms of identification in order to shovel snow. The New York City Sanitation Department website says that in order to register as an emergency snow shoveler, an applicant must provide two small photos sized 1-1.5 square inches, two original forms of ID plus copies, and their social security card. Mamdani called on New Yorkers to sign up to...

If you haven't heard, New York City has been struggling this winter to clear its streets of snow. Communist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been blamed for mishandling the city's response. To "fix" the problem, Mamdani is asking the residents of what used to be a First-World city to shovel the streets themselves. But in order to do that, he is requiring them to fill out paperwork, including two forms of identification.

Democrats cheer or jeer the Court as convenience dictates; their lone consistency is power—pursued relentlessly, defended fiercely, and projected onto opponents.“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote. The Democrats might repeat Emerson’s motto, but they go one better. They eschew all forms of consistency—except one. Today, since the Supreme Court just ruled against Trump’s use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs, the Dems are in a festive mood and are happy to praise the Court. No worries, Trump has recourse to many other statutes to pursue his economic policies....

A newly granted patent to Meta is raising unsettling questions about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital identity. The company’s developments suggest that social media users could continue posting, commenting, and even interacting with loved ones after death.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is set to invalidate about 1,700 driver’s licenses held by transgender residents and roughly as many birth certificates under a new law that goes beyond Republican-imposed restrictions in other states on listing gender identities in government documents. The bill prohibits documents from listing any sex other than the one assigned birth and invalidates any that reflect a conflicting gender identity. Florida, Tennessee and Texas also don’t allow driver’s licenses to reflect a trans person’s gender identity, and at least eight states besides Kansas have policies that bar trans residents from changing their birth certificates. But...

Ilhan Omar and her husband Tim Mynett, a political consultant and now a businessman as well, have done remarkably well these last few years. When she began her career in Congress in 2019, Omar had a negative net worth, consisting of between $45,000 and $150,000 of credit card and student loan debt. And now, in 2026, she apparently has a net worth of close to $30 million. She has some ‘splainin to do, especially since she is a Somali from Minnesota, where 98 people, almost all of the fellow Somalis, have been charged with fraud, and so far 60 of...

A man was shot and killed by law enforcement personnel at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., early Sunday morning. Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi said the man, in early 20s, was killed after “unlawfully entering the secure perimeter” at the resort around 1:30 a.m. local time Sunday. Two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the incident, where shots were fired by law enforcement officials, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw said at a Sunday presser. Local and federal officials are investigating whether it was a Secret Service...

Many people saw the triumphant figure skater Alysa Liu win gold for the U.S. yesterday. Liu skated a nearly flawless program to become the first American woman to claim the gold medal in 24 years. Most people don't realize that Arthur Liu, Alysa's father, participated in the Tiananmen Square protest as part of the 1989 democracy movement, which led to his persecution. At 25, he went into exile in the U.S. as a political refugee and shortly after became a lawyer. Alysa is the oldest of his five children. Liu was a primary female recruitment target for the CCP's...

USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

What drives a Hollywood legend to trade red carpets and fame for a deeper search for meaning? In this inspiring episode of The Greg Laurie Show, Pastor Greg Laurie sits down with acclaimed actor Dennis Quaid for an unfiltered and honest conversation about faith, fame, addiction, and personal transformation. From iconic roles in films like "The Big Easy" and "I Can Only Imagine," Dennis Quaid opens up about his unconventional spiritual journey—from his Baptist upbringing to exploring Eastern mysticism in India, and ultimately, a life-changing encounter with Jesus. The episode dives deep into the heart of Quaid’s story, revealing the...