Free Republic

Stock markets across Asia and Europe have been hit with significant lows, as tariff announcements by US President Donald Trump continue to be felt across the markets. If you're just joining us now, here's what you've missed so far this morning: In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index closed down 13.22% which marks a 28-year low for the exchange In Taiwan, a 9.7% drop at close resulted in a record low for Taipei's TAIEX index In Europe, the UK's FTSE 100 index opened nearly 6% down and Germany's Dax plunged almost 10% at the start of trading European markets have...

Miami Beach's annual Pride Parade celebrates the LGBTQ community's impact in South Florida, but attendees said that this year feels different with government policies they feel roll back some protections... Since Jan. 20, the Trump administration has rolled back DEI programs in the federal government and frozen grants. The president also signed an executive order declaring that the U.S. government will only recognize two genders: male and female. "We have had to go back into our federal contracts," said Daniel Molloy of Pridelines, an LGBTQ community center. "We've had to go back into our state contracts. And redact any mention...

I didn't know Dave Rubin used to be a hard core Leftist. In this interview, he gets DNC fundraiser Lindy Li to eviscerate the demonicRAT Party and DEI and illegal immigration and other issues near and dear to Conservatives' hearts. She acknowledges that 99.5% of Conservatives have been kind and loving to her but, for some inexplicable reason she thinks we don't care about clean air and water. Maybe one day she will see the light.

In Alice Springs in 1989, an Englishwoman seeing Australian Rules football for the first time on television said to me, “There are no rules.” I said to her “You cannot understand Australia without understanding this game.” But I couldn’t explain why. I still can’t. It’s something to do with freedom. Freepers, I need your thoughts.

At least three dozen more international students and recent alumni of pristine California universities have had their visas revoked by the Trump administration as it continues to zero in on anti-Israel protesters. Stanford University and several colleges part of the University of California system all confirmed to NBC News members of their school communities were caught up in the ongoing crackdown that began last month with the high-profile detainment of Columbia University alum and activist Mahmoud Khalil. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last month he’s pulled back 300 visas from foreign students, claiming they should be kicked out of...

Let’s be honest—anytime the word “tariff” shows up in the news, most folks either glaze over or get caught up in the shouting matches about trade wars. But if you strip away the noise, something pretty interesting is happening. President Trump’s approach to tariffs isn’t just some off-the-cuff political move; it’s part of a much bigger strategy aimed at resetting the economic playing field. Let’s walk through it. Why are these tariffs happening? The simple answer is leverage. Trump’s worldview, and really his entire economic posture, is built around one foundational belief: America has been getting the short end of...

...Since the start of February the Trump administration has ended two federal programs that together allowed more 700,000 Venezuelans to live and work legally in the U.S.... ....A federal judge ordered on March 31 that temporary protected statuswould stand until a legal challenge’s next stage in court and at least 350,000 Venezuelans were temporarily spared becoming illegal. Escaray, the owner of the restaurants, said nearly all of his 150 employees are Venezuelan and more than 100 are on TPS.

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President Trump stood by his wide-scale tariffs, calling them a “beautiful thing to behold” that will eventually be largely supported even as the stock futures dropped Sunday evening. “They are already in effect, and a beautiful thing to behold. The Surplus with these Countries has grown during the ‘Presidency’ of Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump blasted out on Truth Social Sunday night as he attempted to justify the action he took against around 90 nations last week. “We are going to reverse it, and reverse it QUICKLY. Some day people will realize that Tariffs, for the United States of America, are...

Until five weeks ago, Arturo Suarez was a professional singer, performing in the United States as he waited for his asylum claim to be processed. Originally from Venezuela, he had entered the US through proper, legal channels. But he is now imprisoned in a notorious jail in El Salvador, sent there by the Trump administration, despite seemingly never having faced trial or committed any crime. The White House claims he is a gang member but has not provided evidence to support this allegation. His brother, Nelson Suarez, told Sky News he believes his brother's only "crime" is being Venezuelan and...

Saudi Arabia has made the biggest drop in oil prices in two years — it has reduced the price of its main oil grade, Arab Light, to $2.30 per barrel for Asian customers. According to Bloomberg, this decision came just a few days after OPEC+ decided to increase oil production by 400,000 barrels per day more sharply than expected. In addition, “Trump’s tariffs” have also dealt a serious blow to world oil prices — oil prices have fallen by $10 in one day: from $75 to $65 per barrel. This is the lowest level in three years. For Russia, whose...

Japan down 7.83% - Hong Kong down 12.02% - England (UK) down 4.95% - Dow Futures down 4.17% - SP 500 down 4.9% - Nasdaq down 5.7% - USA WTI Oil down 4.2% ($59.26 - six year low)

British Hindu groups have condemned a leaked police report which allegedly states that "British Hindu extremists" are forming alliances with far-right groups in Europe "over their common hatred of Muslims", saying it is completely untrue, misleading and baseless. The Mail on Sunday claimed to have got hold of a secret UK intel report which says Hindu groups have met with far-right activist Tommy Robinson to "promote anti-Muslim campaigns" and pockets of Hindutva supporters are aligning with the extreme right in Europe. The study claims that Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik was inspired by "Hindutva ideology", that Hindutva extremists are interfering...

Happiness rankings in the Americas have seen notable shifts, with some smaller nations climbing while major economies have experienced steady declines.Despite these changes, the region maintains a relatively high overall happiness level. Across North, Central, and South America, average scores generally range from 5.7 to 7.3.This map, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, showcases the findings for countries in North, Central, and South America from the 2025 World Happiness Report, an annual publication that measures global contentment based on life evaluations, social support, freedom of choice, GDP per capita, and additional indicators of well-being. The data is drawn from the Gallup...

A horde of a thousand protesters marched to border czar Tom Homan’s residence in New York to demand the release of a mother and her three children who Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested during a search at a dairy farm. The Jefferson County Democratic Committee organized the protest. New York Attorney General Letitia James supported the demonstration, issuing a message saying she was “heartbroken and angry” over the decision to detain the family on March 27 as authorities executed a search warrant for a separate investigation, NBC News reported.The three children and mother were detained after Immigration and...

In a bold move signaling America's renewed strength on the global stage, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is set to visit Panama as President Donald Trump declares the U.S. is "reclaiming" control over the Panama Canal. With the Trump administration focused on asserting American influence and safeguarding vital national interests, this trip marks a significant step in strengthening ties with Panama and reinforcing the strategic importance of the canal to U.S. trade and security. As the president takes decisive action on the world stage, Hegseth's visit underscores a broader push to reclaim America's leadership role in global affairs. Hegseth is...

Barack Obama has lost his mojo and ruined his brand. It used to be said that Joe Biden was serving Obama’s third term, that his former boss was controlling him from the home he had bought in DC’s ritzy Kalorama neighborhood, two miles from the White House. The feeling was that Obama was the real leader of the Democratic Party and his wife Michelle was the secret weapon they would whip out in 2024 to replace Biden and trounce Donald Trump. Well, none of it came to pass, and judging by his irrelevant poll numbers, Obama’s star has long faded....

For the first time in decades, the United States will see fair trade as President Donald J. Trump announces tariffs to level the playing field for American workers and businesses.Despite the rhetoric from politicians and the media, studies have repeatedly shown tariffs are an effective tool for achieving economic and strategic objectives — just as they did in President Trump’s first term.A 2024 study on the effects of President Trump’s tariffs in his first term found that they “strengthened the U.S. economy” and “led to significant reshoring” in industries like manufacturing and steel production.A 2023 report by the U.S. International...

The formula used by the Trump administration to levy reciprocal tariffs contains a serious math error that over-inflates the impact by about a factor of four, economists at the American Enterprise Institute said. Why it matters: The conservative think tank says the error led to tariff rates massively higher than they should have been to achieve the goals the administration sought.

United Nations -- The Israeli military backtracked on its account of the killing of 15 Palestinian medics by its forces last month after phone video appeared to contradict its claims that their vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them in the Gaza Strip. The military initially said it opened fire because the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” on nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals. An Israeli military official, speaking late Saturday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said that account was “mistaken.” The footage shows the Red Crescent and Civil Defence teams...