Free Republic

On Dec. 6, 2023, UN Sec. Gen. Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, which allows him to ask the UN Security Council to restore the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas because the war is threatening “peace and security” on earth. On Dec. 8, 2023, officials from Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia visited Washington to urge U.S. support for a ceasefire when it came up for a vote in the UN Security Council. When the issue came up for a vote later that day, the U.S. vetoed it. Iran’s Foreign Minister responded by warning that America’s veto...

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee that Israel is engaged in a war on seven fronts, and all of Israel’s enemies are potential targets. “We are being attacked from seven different arenas: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, [Judea and Samaria], Iraq, Yemen, and Iran,” Gallant said. He added, “We have already responded and acted in six of these areas, and I say here in the clearest way: Anyone who acts against us is a potential target, there is no immunity for anyone.” Gallant conceded that the road to victory for Israel isn’t going to...

U.S. — Sources across the country indicated that with the joyous start of the Kwanzaa season, white liberals all over the nation began wishing each other a happy Kwanzaa. White progressives young and old gathered for a time of honoring the celebration of African-American culture, though sources confirmed they were having a tough time finding any actual African-Americans celebrating the holiday, "which is probably Trump's fault," as one white college student put it. "Happy Kwanzaa!" said Michael Smith, 27, to his group of friends as they gathered at the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade for their traditional Kwanzaa gathering. "I...

The war in the Middle East that began in 2023 is going to go to an entirely new level in 2024. As you will see below, fighting along Israel’s northern border has escalated significantly in recent days, and this is causing a great deal of concern. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly stated that he plans to finish the conflict in the south before dealing with Hezbollah, but he may not have a choice in the matter. Hezbollah forces continue to fire at targets in northern Israel and the IDF continues to carry out strikes in response. In fact,...

Popular anti-anxiety medication could be putting more than 1 million pregnant women at risk of miscarriage, a new study suggests. Researchers from Taiwan studied more than 3 million pregnancies in 2 million women and found 4.4 percent - or 136,130 - resulted in miscarriages. They analyzed the medical history of all the women studied, and found those prescribed a class of drug called benzodiazepines - used to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia - were, on average, 70 percent more likely to miscarry compared to those who didn't take the pills. Benzodiazepines, also called benzos, are a group of sedative drugs....

The year began with a tale of oysters and college lesbianism, via Bon Appétit magazine, in which Brooklynite pronoun-stipulator Isha Maratha was keen to overshare. For Ms Maratha, “My first time eating an oyster was an act of queer intimacy.” Indeed, we were told by an obliging editor, “The act of eating an oyster uniquely and intimately expresses her queerness.” And so, we were regaled, at length, with descriptions of mollusc-gobbling, stolen glances, and lemon wedges being squeezed. “There is something uniquely unspoken,” we learned, “between the eater and the eaten.” We also pondered mass fare-dodging, now at record levels,...

They've been powering FRee Republic all year long. Let's power it for them the rest of the way to 2024.Donate by CC or by PayPal or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Free Republic 4th Qtr 2023 Fundraising Target: $75,000Receipts & Pledges to-date: $70,737

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) said Wednesday “CNN This Morning” that the current migrant influx into his city was “not sustainable” without “significant federal support.” Johnson said, “Since taking office a little bit over seven months ago, my administration has responded to this humanitarian mission with the full force of government. We have roughly 15,000 people living in shelters, temporary shelters here in Chicago, nearly 27 shelters. A total of 4500 children are in our Chicago public schools system, providing health care and also making sure that we are screening individuals as they come through the city of Chicago, providing,...

A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators temporarily blocked access to New York’s JFK airport on Wednesday, protesting on the Van Wyck Expressway and provoking police to make arrests. New York’s local Fox affiliate reported: At least 26 people were arrested Wednesday morning after an apparent pro-Palestinian demonstration blocked a portion of the Van Wyck Expressway inside John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority said. Several demonstrators were seen holding banners reading “Free Palestine” and “Divest From Genocide,” creating gridlock traffic and forcing travelers to exit their ride-share vehicles and cart their luggage to their gates. In a statement to FOX...

Explanation: Yes, but can your aurora do this? First, yes, auroras can look like rainbows even though they are completely different phenomena. Auroras are caused by Sun-created particles being channeled into Earth's atmosphere by Earth's magnetic field, and create colors by exciting atoms at different heights. Conversely, rainbows are created by sunlight backscattering off falling raindrops, and different colors are refracted by slightly different angles. Unfortunately, auroras can’t create waterfalls, but if you plan well and are lucky enough, you can photograph them together. The featured picture is composed of several images taken on the same night last month near...

He and his brother, Dick, "turned television upside down" on 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' before they were canned. Tom Smothers, the countercultural comedy icon admired for the 1960s variety program he created and hosted with his younger brother, Dick, and for the tenacity he displayed in frequent clashes with CBS censors, has died. He was 86. Smothers died peacefully Tuesday at his home in Santa Rosa, California, after a battle with cancer, his brother said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter by a spokesperson for the National Comedy Center. “Tom was not only the loving older brother...

Last month U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg ruled that a lawsuit against Georgia’s use of electronic voting machines must go to a non-jury trial in January. She ordered Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to defend the state’s utilization of electronic voting prior to the upcoming presidential primary election because the lawsuit questions whether Georgia’s current system of computerized voting is safe or whether it is vulnerable to potential hacking. However, the state (spending taxpayer money) is now appealing to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to keep Raffensperger from testifying. Says one lawyer to James Magazine Online familiar with the...

Blessed with good looks and charisma, members of the Kennedy clan have courted the spotlight ever since Joseph P. Kennedy first made the family a fortune back in the 1920s. Wild speculation about the so-called crimes of the Kennedys followed soon after — with everyone from the family patriarch, to President John F. Kennedy himself becoming the subject of scandalous rumors. Known as one of America's foremost political dynasties, their fame has gone hand-in-hand with their infamy, and today they are as associated with sleaze as they are with glamour. From assassinations to organized crime, the family has been...

What was once considered one of the most unappetizing snacks has now become one of the most popular foods in the United States. Canned sardines are now many Americans’ go-to quick snack when they want a healthy option that will keep them satisfied from hunger throughout the day. However, sardines provide so much more than just nutritional benefits for your body internally. Many women claim that eating the slimy fish slivers will clear acne and blemishes, and credit the food for providing them with glowing, smooth skin. Tinned sardines have become so popular that anyone can now partake by visiting...

Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked access to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Wednesday morning, disrupting travel during the busy holiday season. Local Fox affiliate KTTV-11 reported: Authorities declared an unlawful assembly Wednesday morning after chaos ensued when a group of pro-Palestine protesters blocked traffic outside the entrance of the Los Angeles International Airport amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. … The protest took a turn when the Los Angeles Police Department got involved around 9:30 a.m. when the group attempted to block the roadway with cement blocks and other objects. As officers moved in, the protesters took off running in different...

House Republicans are seeking information from President Joe Biden's counsel about whether the president knew in advance that his son Hunter Biden planned to defy a congressional subpoena this month. Reps. James Comer (R-KY) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) asked White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday to provide them with any communications Joe Biden had with his son or his son's defense attorneys related to the subpoena. "We are compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the President engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress," the congressmen wrote in their letter. They cited comments...

Former President Trump on Wednesday demanded the Maine secretary of state recuse herself from her upcoming decision on the former president’s ballot eligibility under the 14th Amendment, citing her past statements about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Unlike other states, where plaintiffs have sued over Trump’s eligibility in court, Maine’s system first allows the secretary of state to weigh in. Challengers can then appeal in state court. In response to three petitions challenging Trump’s ballot eligibility, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, is set to issue a decision in the coming days.

Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties have reported 45 cases of the bacteria in December, with nine different strains observed in the Portland metro area since October. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Multnomah County is encouraging residents to watch their hygiene after a boost in shigella cases was observed in Old Town Portland. Shigella is a bacteria that spreads via fecal matter, and creates symptoms that include fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. It can last anywhere from three to 10 days. “Shigella spreads when one person’s infected poop gets into another person’s mouth through food or water, from objects or surfaces with shigella bacteria...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination continues to slide in the latest Rasmussen poll, as he plunged to a tie for third place with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The poll released Tuesday showed former President Donald Trump with a commanding lead of 51% of those who were asked which candidate they would vote for if the GOP presidential primary were held today. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, was next with 13%, followed by DeSantis and Christie at 9% each, and Vivek Ramaswamy at 1%.

The Federal Reserve’s recent dovish turn, suggesting a possible recession or political strategy, has added a layer of complexity to the challenges faced by the Biden administration. President Biden, grappling with declining poll numbers and economic uncertainties, relies on the Fed’s decisions to shape the narrative leading up to November’s elections. Amid positive economic indicators, such as low unemployment and robust growth, the unexpected move towards falling rates strategically aims to bolster the administration’s appeal to voters. The potential of seven rate cuts underscores the severity of the looming economic downturn.