Free Republic

At about 1am on February 24 last year, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, received a troubling phone call. After spending months building up a more than 100,000-strong invasion force on the border with Ukraine, Vladimir Putin had given the go-ahead to invade. The decision caught Lavrov completely by surprise. Just days earlier, the Russian president had polled his security council for their opinions on recognizing two separatist statelets in the Donbas, an industrial border region in Ukraine, at an excruciatingly awkward televised session — but had left them none the wiser about his true intentions. (snip) Later that day, several...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today (Thursday) welcomed the authorization for Israeli planes to fly over Oman. "The Far East is not so far away and the skies are no longer the limit. This is a day of great news for Israeli aviation. Israel has, in effect, become the main transit point between Asia and Europe," Netanyahu said. "We have worked to open the airspace, first over Saudi Arabia, and from 2018 when I visited Oman, to add Oman as well so that we can fly directly to India and on to Australia. This was achieved today, after considerable effort, including...

[…]Japanese culture is one that demonstrates great respect for the elderly, so for Narita to even suggest something as ghastly as sacrificing those who are older is blasphemyNarita’s research centers around the design of decision-making algorithms in policy and business, with a particular interest in education policy. However, in December of 2021 he made his first caustic comments during an interview stating:“I feel like the only solution is pretty clear, in the end, isn’t it mass suicide and mass ‘seppuku’ of the elderly?”Seppuku is an honorable death or ritualistic suicide by disembowelment that can only be conducted by a samurai....

The goal of "fair housing" would seem to be quite straightforward. As spelled out in the Fair Housing Act of 1968 — and found in realtors’ offices across the country — it precludes "discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings … based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), familial status, and disability." In other words, those who can afford to rent or buy should not be precluded from doing so for reasons having nothing to do with the ability to pay. But for the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban...

23 February 2023Thursday after Ash Wednesday St. Polycarp Church, Smyrna Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingDeuteronomy 30:15-20 ©I set before you today life or death, blessing or curseMoses said to the people: ‘See, today I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin on you today, if you love the Lord your God and follow his ways, if you keep his commandments, his laws, his customs, you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you...

Electric vehicles (EVs) are all the rage. They are touted as a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles. The United States government has passed numerous legislative actions to phase out gas-powered vehicles and make sure that, within the near term, all vehicles are electric. The common belief is that electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly and, in general, a safer form of energy. The dark secret: neither are true. Currently the gold standard for all major electronic products, EV’s included, are batteries which are made of lithium-ion. The inventor of lithium-ion himself, after receiving the Nobel Prize, warned...

Mark Wahlberg wore an ash cross on his forehead in observance of Lent during an interview with “Today’s” Samantha Guthrie, where he spoke about the significance of his Christian faith in his own life despite its relative absence in Hollywood. Wahlberg spoke about his dedication to Catholicism and how his faith has transformed his life during the interview conducted on Ash Wednesday. He said his belief system entirely “popular” among the Hollywood company he keeps. “I don’t want to jam it down anybody’s throat, but I do not deny my faith,” Wahlberg said. “That’s an even bigger sin. You know,...

Just four years after Florida’s Legislature made sure politicians would have to resign before running for federal office, they seem poised to change the rules again. The impetus is Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely speculated to be eyeing a presidential run, especially following this year’s landslide reelection victory. “Candidly, we have gone back and forth based on the circumstances of the moment,” House Speaker Paul Renner said in a statement when asked about his support for changing the rules. “In this case, it’s an honor for someone from Florida to even consider running for President.”

"After the first dose, we were surprised to find the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine elicits an unexpected memorylike response in the immune system, recognizing the vaccine as if it's something it's seen before," says Professor Lynn, from the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University. "This response is targeted against the adenovirus vector in the vaccine, not the Spike protein and the intensity of this response correlates with the expression of proteins that act as a pre-cursor to thrombosis, or blood clotting.

Meehan claims a key finding of his investigation is that the “country club” GOP leadership checks the power of the party’s noisy MAGA wing, in part, by keeping an estimated 100 to 200 committee seats empty, of some 600 seats available. Without those seats filled, the required two-thirds quorum can’t be attained, and the by-laws the party has used since 1972 stay in place. The empty positions, Meehan said, are disproportionately located in Falls and Bristol townships. That’s crucial, he said, since Lower Bucks, while heavily Democratic, is Ground Zero for the middle- and working-class men who voted for former...

A Hunter Biden business associate received a records request with a Wednesday deadline to give the House Oversight Committee business records. The records sought by Oversight members pertain to business dealings that allegedly generated millions of dollars for the Biden family. The Daily Caller further reported: The House Oversight Committee will “soon” receive documents from top Hunter Biden associate Eric Schwerin, a committee spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Schwerin is a close friend and business associate of Hunter Biden, the New York Post reported. The committee, led by Chairman James Comer, requested Schwerin provide any records, documents or...

President Biden and members of his administration are knowingly making false statements about the rampant illegal immigration taking place along the U.S.-Mexico border as the problem continues to get much worse. Take, for example, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas who told a Congressional panel last year that he still believes that America’s southern border is secure, saying in response to a question about his confidence, “Yes, and we are working day in and day out to enhance security,” Fox News reported. Then there is Vice President Kamala Harris, the White House’s anointed ‘Border Czar,’ who told NBC News’...

A new report reveals that Bill Gates purchased 3.76% stake in Dutch drinks giant Heineken Holding NV last week in spite of the billionaire Microsoft founder’s previous admission that he was “not a big beer drinker.” A filing by the Netherlands’ Financial Markets Authority said the shares were purchased on Feb. 17. Heineken Holding owns a controlling stake in brewer Heineken NV. Gates purchased the shares from Mexico’s FEMSA, which is selling out of the brewing company. A separate filing from the same day showed that FEMSA sold all 18 million shares it held in Heineken Holding. Shortly after, Gates...

"To the glory and praise of God" (Phil. 1:11). To glorify God is to reflect His character in your words and deeds. Paul's prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 closes with a reminder that love, excellence, integrity, and righteousness bring glory and praise to God. God's glory is a recurring theme in Paul's writings, and rightly so because that is the Christian's highest priority. But what is God's glory and what does it mean to bring Him glory? After all, He is infinitely glorious in nature, so we can't add anything to Him. His glory is never diminished, so it doesn't have...

“Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’” (John 5:8 NKJV). The crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda had likely heard some of the stories about a man named Jesus healing people throughout the region. What he didn’t know was that Jesus knew about him too. He came to this poor man, lying by the pool in his misery and sorrow, and was moved with compassion. All Jesus asked was that the man believe his words and act on them. “Rise! Take up your bed. Walk away from this scene.” Now this man, helpless and in...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal wildlife officials on Wednesday announced a proposal to classify one of two dwindling California spotted owl populations as endangered after a lawsuit by conservation groups required the government to reassess a Trump administration decision not to protect the brown and white birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that California spotted owls that have their habitats in coastal and Southern California be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The other California spotted owl population, which lives in Sierra Nevada forests in California and western Nevada, would be classified as threatened, the agency said. The...

(Last Updated On: February 21, 2023) NATIONAL CHILI DAY National Chili Day on the fourth Thursday in February honors one of America’s favorite winter dishes–chili. It’s also known as chili con carne (chili with meat). #NationalChiliDay In Spanish, chili refers to “chili pepper” and carne means “meat”. Chili is most commonly made up of tomatoes, beans, chili peppers, meat, garlic, onions, and cumin. However, cooks offer up so many variations to the basic chili recipe. And, with so many varieties, chili cook-off competitions love to feature chili as a favored entry. American frontier settlers used a “chili” recipe of dried...

Sam Brinton was one of the Biden regime’s showcase appointments. When he became deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the U.S. Department of Energy, Brinton himself told us about how history was being made, as he was “one of if not the very first openly genderfluid individuals in federal government leadership.” He loved to prance around in women’s clothes, and even noted proudly that he “has worn stilettos to Congress to advise legislators about nuclear policy” and even to the White House to talk to Barack and Michelle about the gay life. But...

KEY TAKEAWAYS * The Biden administration seems bent on forcing defense contractors to comply with new climate pledges instead of protecting Americans from our enemies. * The FAR Rule doesn’t just put America’s defense in second place, it actively takes money away from defense priorities. * With one rulemaking, the rule could establish new priorities for about half the department’s budget by conscripting major contractors into a war on fossil fuels. ... At issue is a new rulemaking called the “FAR Rule” that uses a change to the Federal Acquisition Regulations to bulldoze federal contractors—including defense contractors—into compliance with the...

Technically speaking, guns don’t kill people — bullets do. Yet we rarely hear about “bullet control.” Ammunition regulation hasn’t been a top priority for gun reformers and lawmakers, and public opinion polls and surveys rarely include questions about it. But a reader recently asked The Trace: “Why aren’t bullets regulated like pharmaceuticals, with a database and license to purchase that will tip off law enforcement when large quantities are purchased?” First, a quick fact-check: While the reader’s question presupposes that police are notified if a patient is prescribed a lot of pills in a short time period, that’s not actually...