Free Republic

Zelensky, who had previously rejected a ceasefire proposed by Russia, says that "it is necessary to put pressure on the side that does not want to put an end to the war"MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has exerted more pressure on Ukraine than on Russia, said Vladimir Zelensky at a briefing after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "From the very beginning, you saw the position of the United States, the position of President [Donald] Trump, and that was to put pressure on both sides. I think there was more pressure on us than on Russia....

SACRAMENTO, CA — The next race for the White House already showed signs of being in full swing, as, eyeing a potential 2028 presidential bid, California Governor Gavin Newsom took steps to distance himself from California Governor Gavin Newsom. Recognizing the polarizing effect Governor Newsom's liberal policies could have on voters across the country led Governor Newsom to publicly disavow many of the initiatives Governor Newsom implemented in the Golden State. "Let me be clear — I cannot, in good conscious, condone my leadership of California," Newsom told reporters in a brief speech outside the state capitol. "Some of the...

The chestnut trees of Europe tell a hidden story charting the fortunes of ancient Rome and the legacy it left in the continent's forests. The ancient Romans left an indelible imprint on the world they enveloped into their empire. The straight, long-distance roads they built can still be followed beneath the asphalt of some modern highways. They spread aqueducts, sewers, public baths and the Latin language across much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. But what's perhaps less well known is the surprising way they transformed Europe's forests. ... Romans had something of a penchant for sweet chestnut...

Lawmakers are investigating whether Pfizer waited to share results of the Covid vaccine in 2020 until after that year’s presidential election, based on new allegations that a former Pfizer scientist has said he was part of an effort to “deliberately slow down” the testing, according to a new letter from the House Judiciary Committee. The House panel is seeking information from Pfizer and from the scientist, Philip Dormitzer, after learning he allegedly told colleagues in 2024 at a subsequent job he was worried he would face an investigation of his role in the vaccine’s release and asked to be relocated...

Jake Tapper dropped an absolute bombshell this week, reporting that despite all evidence to the contrary, former President Joe Biden actually suffered severe physical and mental decline during his presidency. How did we all miss this? Looking back in hindsight, here are ten shocking signs we can't believe everyone overlooked: When he appeared at a press conference with burn marks on his shirt from where they used the paddles: In retrospect, a bit concerning. Started narrating his own life in the third person, but referring to himself as "Ben Matlock": It seemed so innocent. Could only make public appearances...

“Oh, sure,” I hear you say. “We knew that already. We already knew that all our clothing and toys and housewares and home décor is made in China. We can live with that. It’s not like it’s a national security problem.”But that’s the problem. It is national security.We make our own washing machines and dryers, our own cars and planes, our own metal working machines and food processing equipment. That’s what counts, and it’s made here.Yes. But these machines are made here only if we can get the parts. And far too many of the parts, for far too many...

Who wrote this, and who authorized it, and who posted it? The House GOP should probably fire all three of those people: AWESOME REPLIES AT THE LINK..................

Ben Cohen, the Ben in the famous ice cream company Ben & Jerry's, was one of several people who disrupted a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday when US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr was speaking. The co-founder of Ben & Jerry's has been arrested after disrupting a Senate hearing with a pro-Gaza protest. Ben Cohen, Ben of the famous ice cream company Ben & Jerry's, was one of seven people arrested at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sky News' US partner NBC News reported. Robert F Kennedy Jr was speaking to the committee...

Boys enter kindergarten lagging behind girls in both academic readiness and behavior. A majority of teenagers agree that boys are more disruptive...girls get better grades, have more leadership roles and speak up more in class.Source: Pew Research Center | Survey was conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10. Home-schooled teens were not included. Shares of respondents who did not offer an answer are not shown. | By The New York TimesIn interviews, young men say that school never felt like a good fit for them, or that they got the sense that teachers didn’t like boys, and that this left them feeling discouraged...

HENCHMAN a short story by Piytar McPherson I am a “henchman.” Someone who gets hired to provide protection when much more powerful people are doing something significant. You’ve all seen the movies. Us henchmen get killed off all the time and nobody really notices let alone cares. We are those people who just get blown away. Now this job: It’s stereotypical. We have the Hero – typical over-large muscle type. The mage – all white hair and radiating power. The Princess – looks frails but tough as nails. Then a few of us henchmen – cannon fodder. Do have a...

A historical, funny look at some elite, sharp witted members of the New York City media from back in the 20’s, 30’s etc, including Dorothy Parker. Long, long before the media started hating Trump and being stupid as a profession. Worth watching when you have a bit of time.

Embattled CNN anchor Jake Tapper has enlisted a PR crisis guru amid scathing criticism of his new book, which claims to expose former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline—despite spending years attacking conservatives for making the same argument. Tapper and co-author Alex Thompson hired crisis communications expert Risa Heller and her firm Heller Co., to help in their May 20 launch of Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. Heller is no stranger to scandal. She represented disgraced figures like former CNN boss Jeff Zucker, who resigned after a secret affair with an employee,...

The Texas House on Wednesday passed with strong bipartisan support a bill to address what’s been called the “sexual abuse crisis” in Texas public schools. HB 4623, filed by state Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville, seeks to provide redress in response to tens of thousands of complaints filed against Texas educators. “We have a sexual abuse crisis in our public schools in Texas. It’s indisputable and we can’t look away,” Little said when discussing his bill on the House floor Tuesday night. “In 2019, this chamber established a mandatory educator misconduct reporting portal. Between September 21, 2021, and July 2024, there...

Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials. These reported preparations indicate Moscow's efforts to escalate the war despite expected ceasefire talks this week and calls by Kyiv and its partners for an unconditional 30-day truce. Russia has rejected ceasefire proposals unless accompanied by a halt on military aid for Ukraine and continues ground assaults along the front and long-range strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. Some 163 clashes were recorded at the front over the past...

Daily Readings from the USCCBWhen Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” John 13:16–17During this, the Fourth Week of Easter, we return to the Last Supper and will spend a few weeks considering the discourse Jesus gave that Holy Thursday evening to His disciples. The question to ask yourself today is this: “Are you blessed?” Jesus says that you are blessed if you...

The Trump administration has escalated its battle with Harvard University, freezing all future grants and threatening to strip the school’s tax-exempt status. In response, Harvard has adopted some conciliatory measures— rebranding its DEI office and cancelling its racially segregated graduation ceremonies—but, behind the scenes, the university’s discrimination machine continues to operate at full capacity. We’ve obtained a trove of internal documents that reveal Harvard’s racial favoritism in faculty and administrative hiring. The university’s DEI programs are more than “unconscious bias” training. They are vectors for systematic discrimination against disfavored groups: namely, white men. As one Harvard researcher told us, “endless...

The U.S. Department of Justice is carrying out a criminal investigation into UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N), opens new tab for possible Medicare fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. UnitedHealth said it had not been notified by the DOJ about the "supposed criminal investigation reported," and the company stood by "the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program." The stock fell 8% in after-hours trade following the report. The health insurer has been under pressure for months. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth Group's CEO, Andrew Witty, stepped down unexpectedly, and the company simultaneously suspended its 2025 financial forecast due to rising medical costs....

A new executive order targets hidden criminal laws and restores basic due process to federal enforcement. On May 9, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Fighting Overcriminalization in Federal Regulations,” addressing one of the most insidious threats to American liberty: the unchecked expansion of criminal penalties through regulatory sprawl. For decades, this trend has eroded the separation of powers, undermined due process, and transformed the federal legal system into a maze where ordinary Americans risk criminal liability for unknowable infractions. While largely ignored by the corporate press, civil liberties advocates should see this order as a long-overdue...

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order for all California State Employees to return to the office (RTO) four days a week does not currently have a price tag for California taxpayers. Increased costs for expenses such as rent, furniture, moving services and supplies has not yet been calculated, but as a state employee at CalRecycle, I can tell you that the cost for state employees is very clear and very dramatic.

Pete Buttigieg is clearly laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, even going so far as to grow a beard in what looks like a transparent rebranding effort. And frankly, it’s no wonder he thinks he needs a makeover; his time as Transportation Secretary was a train wreck — sometimes literally. His four years in the Biden administration were a nonstop showcase of incompetence and misplaced priorities. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single transportation crisis he didn’t bungle. Now, we've got one more. Do you remember how the Democrats and the media tried to blame Trump for January's...