Free Republic

In the aftermath of Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive, President Volodymyr Zelensky decided to replace Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov, who was mired in multiple accusations of corruption in his Ministry. This comes as Kiev needs to demonstrate to the Western powers that finance the country that the democratic institutions are alive and well – even though it is unclear whether elections will take place. Zelensky couldn’t get his first pick choices for substitute, because some applicants wanted to take their own teams to the Ministry. By choosing the head of the State Property Fund (SPF), Rustem Umarov, he felt he made a...

A judge on Friday denied former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows' bid to move the Georgia criminal case against him to federal court, ruling that his alleged involvement in efforts to pressure state leaders to overturn the 2020 election results was not a part of his official duties as a government official. U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones issued the ruling after holding a hearing on the matter in Atlanta federal court last week that included five hours of testimony from Meadows, who along with former President Donald Trump was charged last month in Fulton County District...

Nine gold pendants with rare horse symbols, ten gold beads, and three gold rings from the 6th century were recently discovered by a metal detectorist in Southwestern Norway. Erlend Bore just wanted a hobby. So just before this summer, he bought a metal detector. To get him off his couch and go treasure hunting. He was searching around the shore of the island Rennesøy in Stavanger, in Southwestern Norway, when the metal detector started to beep. In a lump of soil, he saw something that looked like gold coins. “At first I thought I’d found chocolate money with a gold...

Cabrillo trustees to vote on Monday whether to delay renaming the college until 2028On Monday, Cabrillo Board of Trustees will vote whether to delay renaming Cabrillo College until 2028. In a report published Thursday afternoon, the board’s Name Exploration Subcommittee suggests deferring changing the college’s name until 2028, in favor of addressing the need for greater inclusion of Native American studies, students, and faculty. “We recommend postponing further investigation and discussion on renaming the college until at least 2028 and potentially longer,” the report states. The report acknowledges the conflicting opinions over the name-change, which have proved to be...

Lindsey Graham said of the news, “This is troubling for the country. We can’t criminalize SENATORS….” “We are opening Pandora’s Box here,” he added.

Soon, I'll be moving into an HOA neighborhood. I have repeatedly vowed I would never live in one again, but I actually ended up going the complete opposite direction and buying a home in a place with the most extreme homeowners association I've ever lived under. Here are some of the rules I'll have to comply with when I buy my new house. 1. Any exterior changes to your house must go to a vote If you want to make any exterior modifications to any public areas of your house in my new neighborhood, you must get prior approval first....

The Biden administration is proposing making immigration judges’ authority to pause qualifying removal cases a permanent policy. Referred to as administrative closure, the authority is not explicitly stated in regulations. The Biden proposal goes a step further, suggesting judges gain the authority to close deportation matters as well. The proposal includes a list of circumstances that immigration judges may refer to while considering a request for relief. Included in the list is why administrative closure is requested and if the individual may be eligible for immigration relief with USCIS. For case termination, specific instances are also noted, however, the Department...

The shocking moment three women beat an Asian man with a metal pipe before taking off with his car has been caught on camera. Danxin Shi, a rideshare driver, is no longer able to work after his vehicle was stolen by the gang about 5:30pm on Tuesday evening in crime-ridden, Dem-led Chicago. Footage shows the moment the Chinatown resident, who lives West 22nd Place, parking his vehicle and walking along the street when he is struck with a weapon and shoved to the ground - where he is beaten repeatedly. 'They're holding me, you know, three people, three girls hitting...

Sometimes, to make change, you have to infiltrate the enemy’s domain, or at least that’s what the Greeks thought during the Trojan War. One homeowner used a similar technique to bring change to their neighborhood by joining the board of their homeowners association. The gardener posted on Reddit about how they became president of their HOA to convince people that natural gardens aren’t so bad after all. In their post are photos of their lawn filled to the brim with flowers, vegetables, trees, and clovers. The poster said: “I’ve convinced people that this kind of lawn is better than theirs!...

When Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas began sending migrants and asylum-seekers from the southwestern frontier to New York, Washington and Chicago, he vowed to bring the border to the Democratic cities he said were naively dismissing its costs. A year later, the migrant waves he helped set in motion have put northern “sanctuary” cities increasingly on edge, their budgets stretched, their communities strained. And a border crisis that has animated Republican politics for years is now dividing the Democratic Party. Humanitarian impulses are crashing into desperate resource constraints, and once-loyal Democratic allies have reluctantly joined Republicans to train their fire...

From smallpox to covid-19, a new book offers a fascinating story of vaccines’ spreadThe first recorded vaccine—for smallpox—was administered by Edward Jenner, an English doctor, in 1796 to an eight-year-old boy, James Phipps. Jenner (pictured) took fluid from the lesions of a dairymaid who had become infected with cowpox and used it to inoculate Phipps against cowpox and smallpox. That people could become immune to diseases after being exposed to them had been known for more than a thousand years before Jenner carried out his experiments. But the idea that people could be purposely infected as a way to ward...

Former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial has been charged with murder for killing a 27-year-old driver last month after surveillance footage showed him shooting him through his car window. Mark Dial fatally shot motorist Eddie Irizarry through his car window in North Philadelphia on August 14 - just five seconds after he got out of his patrol car. Police have now also released bodycam footage of the incident, previously seen through surveillance video from a nearby home collected by the alleged victim's family. Dial, who was fired a week later, has now been charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault,...

An elementary school in Oklahoma is facing a huge backlash after hiring a drag queen as school principal - with the superintendent denouncing the decision as complete 'insanity.' Ryan Walters, superintendent of the State of Oklahoma, has called for the immediate termination of the drag queen who goes by the name 'Shantel Mandalay' and reads story books to children at local libraries while in costume. Walters, a vocal opponent of the move, slammed the hiring decision by Western Heights School District, and told Fox News Digital: 'It's outrageous to have a drag queen running a school, you know, here in...

Shepherd dogs are highly versatile and intelligent working canines that have been bred for centuries to excel in herding livestock and protecting property. There are several different types of shepherd dogs, each with their own distinct characteristics and specialties. Although all the dog names mentioned in this article include the term "Shepherd," it is worth noting that not all of these dogs are specifically bred for herding purposes. This may lead one to question why certain dogs bear the name "Shepherd" despite not being classified as herding dogs.

It was just fine when Biden's open-door flood of illegal aliens was overwhelming Texas. It's just Texas, after all. Biden smugly making Texas bear the burden of millions of illegals was terrific. Liberal idiots in New York and Chicago were blathering on about how they were sanctuary cities- right up until they were forced to become sanctuary cities. Then OMG things went sideways. Eric Adams made very clear what a flaming hypocritical moron he is: (Bloomberg) -- In August 2022, after greeting one of the first buses of immigrants arriving in New York City with handshakes and boxes of food,...

Mexico's Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on abortion Wednesday, indicating the procedure can no longer be penalized because it is unconstitutional and violates the rights of women. Under the unanimous decision filed by 11 judges, the federal public health service and all federal health institutions are obligated to provide abortion access to any person who seeks it. The ruling was one that the Information Group for Chosen Reproduction, or GIRE as it is known by its Spanish initial, and other human rights groups had been championing. 'No woman or pregnant person, nor any health worker, will be able...

Newly-released store surveillance video shows Ta'Kiya Young putting liquor bottles in her bag inside a Kroger store shortly before she was shot in the parking lot by a Blendon Township police officer.

*** A year later, the migrant waves (Abbot) helped set in motion have put northern “sanctuary” cities increasingly on edge, their budgets stretched, their communities strained. And a border crisis that has animated Republican politics for years is now dividing the Democratic Party. Humanitarian impulses are crashing into desperate resource constraints and once-loyal Democratic allies have reluctantly joined Republicans to train their fire on President Biden. Eric Adams, the mayor of the nation’s largest city, declared this week that without a federal bailout and clampdown at the border, swelling migration “will destroy New York City.” The nation’s second-largest city, Los...

Former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley emerged as the only Republican presidential candidate who can decisively beat Joe Biden in 2024, a new poll shows. Results: Haley, 51, struck a commanding 49% against Biden’s 43%, according to the CNN/SSRS poll released today. This is the only result to exceed the margin of error. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump received 47% to Biden’s 46%; former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott both received 46% to Biden’s 44% and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received 44% to Biden’s 42%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tied with Biden at...

Republican 2024 hopeful Ron DeSantis believes his success made him less of a target during the first GOP debates. DeSantis spoke with The Blaze’s Dave Rubin about the first debate and the heated race between him and front runner, former President Donald Trump on the Thursday edition of The Rubin Report. “I do think you’re going to see a smaller stage because I think some of those folks aren’t going to qualify for this next round,” DeSantis said regarding the second debate. “It’s far be it from me to tell anyone who to run or not run, but you either...