Free Republic

The Ukrainian military is widely expected to launch its spring counteroffensive any day now, though what approach it will take and how the situation will unfold is anyone’s guess. According to Zelensky administration adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, Moscow’s anxiety surrounding the war’s next stage is one reason the Russian army has increasingly launched missiles at civilian targets in recent days: the sooner Ukraine can be provoked into starting the offensive, the less prepared it will be. New guidelines sent by the Putin administration to Russia’s pro-government media outlets and obtained by Meduza confirm that the Kremlin is preparing for multiple scenarios....

A lot has changed since 2007, and the very medium that inspired the strike — streaming — may help insulate viewers from the effects of the walkout.Hollywood writers are on strike for the first time in 15 years. But the dramatically changed landscape that inspired the walkout — an industry that’s focus-shifted to streaming content — is also going to make it tougher for viewers to even notice their protest, hardship and sacrifice. At least in the near term. This isn’t to weigh in on the writers’ reasons for striking. As their outraged reactions to the current round of talks...

San Francisco residents ripped into city leaders Tuesday after District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that her office would not be filing charges against the private security guard who allegedly shot and killed 24-year-old Banko Brown in front of a Walgreens store last week. Nowhere was the anger more visible than at City Hall. More than two dozen community members rose to speak during a Board of Supervisors meeting, where they called on elected officials to do something in response to Brown's killing. Many were visibly emotional and didn't mince words when speaking to the board. “The death of Banko Brown...

The man accused of fatally shooting five people, including a 9-year-old boy, was caught hiding underneath laundry in a Texas home Tuesday after a four-day manhunt. Alleged gunman Francisco Oropesa, 38, was arrested in Montgomery County around 6:30 p.m. – just 75 minutes after a tip came in that alerted law enforcement to the fugitive’s whereabouts, authorities said. The suspect, a Mexican national who’s reportedly been deported four times, was taken into custody without incident. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers called the suspect a “coward” in a Tuesday night press conference and said Oropesa was “caught hiding in a...

Nordstrom is the latest retailer to depart downtown San Francisco, announcing plans to close both of its stores in the coming months, a spokesperson for the company told SFGATE Tuesday morning. The 40,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack on 901 Market St. is set to shutter July 1, while the 312,000-square-foot Nordstrom at Westfield San Francisco Centre, one of the mall’s flagship stores, will follow suit and close for good by the end of August, the spokesperson said. “Decisions like this are never easy, and this one has been especially difficult,” read a statement from Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom. “We’ve spent more...

The New York Times revealed the message that so worried executives that it precipitated the shock exit of the anchor.A racially charged and bloodthirsty text sent by Tucker Carlson about the assault of a protestor by Trump supporters was reportedly a key factor that precipitated the anchor’s shock exit from Fox News last week. The New York Times reported Tuesday night that the discovery of Carlson’s message, and the language it contained, “set off a panic” amongst Fox executives on the eve of the defamation trial brought by Dominion Voting Systems against the cable news network. Carlson’s text, published in...

The exercise was simple: inhale for a count of five, then exhale for a count of five. Do that for 20 minutes, twice a day, for four weeks. Volunteers' heart rate variability increased during each exercise period and the levels of amyloid-beta peptides circulating in their blood decreased over the four weeks of the experiment. That's because the way we breathe affects our heart rate, which in turn affects our nervous system and the way our brain produces proteins and clears them away. A 2020 study found that heart rate variability drops on average 80 percent between twenty and sixty...

An explosive device derailed a Russian freight train in a region bordering Ukraine for a second straight day Tuesday ahead of an expected counteroffensive by Kyiv. Russian territory and Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, have been hit in recent days by a series of attacks. The last four days have seen two trains derailed by explosions, a suspected drone hitting an oil depot in Crimea that caused a huge blaze and power lines blown up near Saint Petersburg. The strikes come as Russia gears up to celebrate May 9, a holiday marking the Soviet victory over the Nazis that...

Though retail chains fleeing woke cities in solidly blue states like California for safer areas is nothing new, the announcements just keep on coming and at an especially inconvenient times for Democrats as the 2024 election campaign season heats up.The latest entrant into the “let’s get the hell outta Dodge” movement is Nordstrom department store, which confirmed Tuesday that they were shuttering two San Francisco locations due to “the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market” and how they have “changed dramatically” in recent years:The retailer confirmed the closures on Tuesday. In an email to employees, the company’s chief stores...

On Monday, a brief glimmer of hope emerged that Joe Biden might set his arrogance and senility aside to do what’s right for the nation. As RedState reported, the president invited House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to the White House in a move that seemed like a path back toward sanity.Unfortunately, that hope has been dashed. Biden is apparently planning to tell McCarthy what he’s already told him. Namely, that he won’t negotiate any deal to raise the debt ceiling (Yahoo News).WHITE HOUSE: BIDEN WILL MAKE CLEAR TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS HE IS NOT GOING TO NEGOTIATE ON DEBT CEILING— *Walter Bloomberg...

1. Prevents Expansion of Radical Shiite InfluenceFollowing the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his radical Islamic Shiite supporters, the newly created Islamic Republic of Iran sought to expand Shiite governance throughout the Middle East, creating chaos and disorder. After the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Baathist leader Saddam Hussein, the Islamic Republic sought to clone its success in Iraq just as it did in Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria, attacking American forces through Iraqi-terrorist proxies and suicide bombers. Despite the casualties inflicted against Iran, the United States government has targeted Iraqi terrorist networks, sanctioning the...

Russia’s war with Ukraine is likely to impact the Chinese military, especially its fighters jets, due to its over-dependence on Moscow.On May 17, experts at the China Aerospace Studies Institute conference predicted that Russia wouldn’t service or provide engines and components for up to 40% of China’s fighters. This is likely to impact the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s fleet in the near future, as reported by Air Force Magazine. During a panel discussion on military cooperation between China and Russia, experts highlighted that China has not been able to fully develop engine technology, despite all the claims. With Russia...

Dramatic new video shows a strap-hanger taking matters into his own hands, pinning down an unhinged man in a deadly incident at a Manhattan subway station this week. The 24-year-old passenger stepped in after the vagrant, identified by sources as Jordan Neely, 30, began going on an aggressive rant on a northbound F train Monday afternoon, according to police and a witness who took the video. “He starts to make a speech,” freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez said in Spanish during an interview Tuesday, referring to the disturbed man. “He started screaming in an aggressive manner,” Vazquez told The Post....

In another reckless escalation, Britain has confirmed delivery of depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine. DU munitions should be banned. They partially vaporize on impact, poisoning the environment with uranium dust that causes cancer and horrific birth defects.

Child rapists will be eligible for the death penalty and Florida will crack down on drug dealers targeting kids. TITUSVILLE, Florida (LifeSiteNews) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed tough new legislation that will beef up penalties for drug-dealers who target kids and make child rapists eligible for the death penalty. Another measure will shield Floridians from left-wing bail reform policies that have led to increased crime rates by softening penalties for law-breakers. Gov. DeSantis’ office announced the approval of the laws in a Monday afternoon press release, touting the measures as a means to “strengthen public safety...

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A House bill that would have granted people experiencing homelessness in Oregon the right to sleep in public spaces and the right to be compensated $1,000 if they’re denied access to the public space is dead.Lawmakers say House Bill 3501, known as the “right to rest” bill, is not moving forward in the legislative session because it has missed several key deadlines. The bill has received attention from national news outlets, prompting House Majority Leader Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, to issue a public statement about the bill Tuesday morning.“House Bill 3501 doesn’t have the support or...

Actress and novelist Mary Astor was born on May 3rd, 1906. In making the 1941 movie “The Great Lie”, Bette Davis insisted that a difficult to cast role be given to Astor because Davis liked to work with good actresses who would bring out the best in her. Astor understood this type of risk taking, as opposed to dull self-protective caution, later writing: “Our security must be threatened in order for us to appreciate it.” Astor won the movie's only award, the supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of pianist Sandra Kovak. In her acceptance speech, Astor thanked Bette Davis...

This week we delve into the life and career of Richard Warner Carlson, a prominent American journalist, diplomat, and lobbyist who played a pivotal role during the last six years of the Cold War. Carlson's impressive career spanned across various media outlets, and he was a prominent figure in the broadcasting world, particularly in Radio Marti broadcasting to Cuba.The video takes us through Carlson's journey, from his early beginnings as a journalist, to his appointment as the Director of the Voice of America (VOA) in 1982, a position he held until 1988.

St. Louis, Mo., May 2, 2023 / 07:25 am (CNA). Advocates for persecuted Christians in Nigeria are criticizing a new report prepared by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that they say ignores the many documented atrocities perpetrated against Christians by the Fulani ethnic group in Nigeria and instead paints the Fulani as persecuted victims. The April 27 report prepared by USCIRF — a nonpartisan federal body — asserts that Fulani civilians have been subjected to “xenophobic sentiment” because “Christian communities often equate Fulani Muslims with Salafi jihadist beliefs because of their Muslim identity.” The report goes on...

Rick Beato discusses the life and music of Gordon Lightfoot. This is a recorded livestream from earlier in the day.