Free Republic

Trump noted that the U.S. was the top user of the canal, with more than 70% of the ships that move through the port “heading to, or from, U.S. ports.” President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that Panama must stop taking advantage of the U.S. or else America is going to take the Panama Canal back. “The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America’s Economy and National Security,” Trump said in a statement posted to social media. “A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid...

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI Those of you who are more "mature" Marines & Sailors will remember one of the pre-eminent TV series of the '50's, Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. Many of these programs were quite scary, but they usually had a good moral and made the point in a rather unforgettable manner. On one episode, an astronaut is readying for his blast off on a fifty-year mission to outer space. He is to be placed in a state of suspended animation and will not age one day by the time he returns to Earth. As fate has it,...

[Catholic Caucus] Chapter 6: ModernismEditor’s note: we continue our weekly serialisation of Dr. Edward Schaefer’s new book A Simple Man’s Case for Tradition. This book is an excellent introduction to Traditionalism and provides an easy way for Trads to introduce the movement to fellow Catholics who are seeking deeper answers to today’s questions. Proceeds from the book sale also help promote the Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum, one of only two traditional Catholic colleges in the United States. Read the IntroductionRead chapter 1: Equally Valid and HolyRead chapter 2: the New MassRead chapter 3: LatinRead chapter 4: Practice & BeliefRead chapter 5:...

Musk and Ramaswamy are swamp creatures who want to lay waste to the federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that are working with great care to protect Americans from greed, graft, and unfairness. Donald Trump’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is a classic Orwellian institution. It isn’t a governmental department, nor is it designed to promote efficiency. A genuine executive department would require an act of Congress, including the ability to overcome the Senate filibuster. Its leadership would also require senatorial approval, and — as in some cases — assurances that it can operate in a bipartisan...

They think immigrating to America is a right. It isn’t. For a couple of days now, I’ve had a video sitting in my inbox about a huge pro-illegal alien protest in Los Angeles. On the one hand, it shows that illegal aliens and their supporters are worried about Trump’s administration, as they should be. But on the other hand, what’s so striking about the video is the sense of entitlement. As far as the illegal aliens and their leftist allies are concerned, coming to America is a right. It isn’t, and the Supreme Court has said so in no uncertain...

Officials in Russia say drones launched by Kyiv have hit Kazan, a city more than 600 miles from Ukraine which hosted an international economic summit two months earlier. Video on social media shared Saturday showed the drones striking apartment blocks in the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan where a meeting of the Moscow-led BRICS bloc took place in October. (snip)Tatarstan is a multiethnic Russian republic which is home to a significant Muslim minority. Between October 22 and October 24, its capital, Kazan hosted the summit of BRICS countries which include Brazil, India, China and South Africa, and is...

More evidence is piling up that Russia's military-industrial complex is nearing the brink after nearly three years of fighting in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin mobilized the economy for Russia's invasion, resulting in massive amounts of state funds for defense contractors along with low unemployment as working-age people build weapons in factories or serve on the front lines. But that also stoked inflation, which has hit 9% and even forced Putin to acknowledge that it's "alarming." Russia's central has hiked its benchmark rate to 21% to rein in prices, but businesses are feeling the strain of all that monetary tightening. In...

Scott Presler speaks exclusively with Breitbart News at Turning Point’s Americafest about his efforts to flip Pennsylvania for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Americafest 2024 is being held in Phoenix, Arizona, from December 19 to 22. President-elect Donald Trump will appear as the keynote speaker on Sunday, December 22.

The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America’s Economy and National Security. A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports. The United States is the Number One user of the Canal, with over 70 percent of all transits heading to, or from, U.S. ports. Considered one of the Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal opened for business 110 years ago, and was built at HUGE...

The House passed the bill Friday evening following a 366-34 vote with one Democrat voting “present.” The Senate voted 85-11 shortly after midnight Saturday. President Joe Biden signed the bill Saturday morning. The legislation did not include any language either raising or suspending the debt limit, rejecting a demand by Trump that it be addressed. Congress and Trump will have to deal with that next year when they control the House, Senate and the White House. The 118-page bill will extend programs in the five-year farm bill through September, giving the House and Senate more time to broker a deal,...

The Yemeni channel Al-Masirah, affiliated with the Houthi rebel group, reported a strike in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. According to reports, the international coalition is behind the strike. CENTCOM reported: "US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana'a, Yemen, on Dec. 21 Yemen time." "CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden. "During the operation, CENTCOM...

2. While the contemporary world has converted to the theory of ‘less is more’, some people take the concept way too far. This terribly frail, one-branched tree seems like a killjoy for any Christmas gathering. The tree is so small that gifts the size of ring boxes will barely fit underneath the branch-less stem. Maybe that is the whole idea though?

Nativity scene removed from lobby of top military hospital after ‘religious freedom’ group complainsA Nativity display at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was removed. A nativity displayed in a lobby of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) was removed within minutes after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) dispatched an email complaining about the presence of the scene depicting the night Jesus Christ was born.MRFF complained to the medical center’s chief of staff, demanding that hospital administrators “immediately remove this unconstitutional, illicit and clearly sectarian Christian nativity scene display from your America Building facility.”“The in-your-face presence of this...

Yet another senior CNN staffer is fleeing the station following dismal election ratings - this one a 17-year veteran. The network on Wednesday confirmed word of the 72-year-old Gloria Borger's departure - bidding goodbye to the longtime political analyst in the process. As of writing, there's been no word on the journalist's future plans yet, as she's already served stints at CBS News and CNBC. Prior to that, the Westchester native worked as a contributing editor and columnist for U.S. News & World Report magazine. She also worked as a reporter for Newsweek. Her exit comes days after CNN anchor...

[Catholic Caucus] Francis: "Synod Church No More Top Down" - "Female Prefect is Coming"In an interview with the Argentinean television channel 'Canal Orbe 21' on December 20, Francis spoke [not about Christ but] about the war in Ukraine."There is a great hypocrisy. And it worries me a lot, because right now Ukraine is sending 20-year-old boys to the front. The thing is, they don't have that many men, while Russia has plenty. A peace treaty is urgently needed, but when someone talks about peace, they start dancing around secondary issues," he said.When asked about conflict resolution, the troublemaker and tyrant...

PRINGFIELD, OH — In an unfortunate development discovered last night, all of the animals from the live nativity scene in Springfield, Ohio have suddenly gone missing. Goats, sheep, two donkeys and a camel are among the missing, last seen on the lawn in front of First Baptist Church of Springfield. "How do a dozen animals all walk off from their pens at the same time?" said local man Thomas Masterson. "It just seems so unlikely. I hate to suspect foul play, but there was a little guard dog out there and he's gone too. This can't be good." The church...

The biggest War Hawk in the Senate, Lindsey Graham, is now chair of the Budget committee. At the same time, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell are in control of key funding committees. The swamp RINOs control the Senate, wars, and borders. Expect billions and billions to go to the war unless the DOGEs can do something or the House starts using their powers over appropriations. Lindsey is mostly a Democrat when it comes to Liberty and voting. Global elites will run the Senate. There is not one actual conservative. Barrasso and Cotton are on some things. They are all warmonger...

Millions of Americans dutifully fill their recycling bins each week, motivated by the knowledge that they're doing something good for the environment. But the sad fact is that much of what is tossed in the recycling bin is eventually heaped into landfills. John Stossel brought attention to the issue in a video segment shared on X Thursday morning, to which Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk replied, "Recycling is pointless." While this bombshell might be jarring – especially if you're someone who dutifully cleans their recyclables before caringly placing them in bins – Thomas Kinnaman, an environmental economist from Bucknell...

President Joe Biden and his White House were “largely absent” from the government funding negotiations in Congress this week, according to the Hill, which cited statements from political strategists and lawmakers. As President-elect Donald Trump and his camp grappled with congressional Republicans over a resolution while the threat of a government shutdown increased as the year comes to a close, Biden and his administration officials have mostly been silent.