Free Republic

The head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said he was satisfied with the outcome of the talks and Moscow is ready to continue communicationISTANBUL, May 16. /TASS/. Russia and Ukraine wrapped up talks in Istanbul, Turkey. The sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each country and present a vision of a potential ceasefire. TASS has put together key facts about the meeting. Statements by the Russian sideThe head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said he was satisfied with the outcome of the talks and Moscow is ready to continue communication. The...

Nicusor Dan leads George Simion with four percent in voting intentions, according to a poll conducted by IRSOP ...

Researchers have found reductions in carbon dioxide saturation during circular breathwork sessions were correlated with the emergence of altered states of consciousness. Altered states resembled those reported in psychedelic experiences and were associated with improvements in psychological well-being and reductions in depressive symptoms. These practices involve continuous, deep breathing without pauses between inhalation and exhalation, often conducted in communal settings and accompanied by emotionally evocative music. Early studies suggest circular breathwork may alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, while enhancing self-awareness and life satisfaction. A total of 61 participants with previous breathwork experience took part and 43 participants engaged in...

Taking up space in my kitchen is a G.E. dishwasher. We rarely use it because, frankly, it sucks. Too often, dishes must be rewashed after a cycle long enough that it might scrub the glaze from the ceramic, obviating the point of having an appliance dedicated to that task. My complaint isn't isolated; Americans have complained for years that appliances which once saved time and energy now produce frustration—largely because of regulations that hobble their ability to function. To their credit, the Trump administration and members of Congress are rolling back red tape and liberating appliances. The result should be...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for closing another prison as part of his newly revised budget proposal. If that happened, it would be the fifth state prison that was closed during the Newsom administration. The Criminal and Judicial Branch portion of the Democratic governor’s budget, presented on Wednesday and subject to legislative approval, called for $13.6 billion for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It also called for closing one of the state’s prisons by October 2026 to save an estimated $150 million. Newsom’s budget didn’t say which prison would be closed. In his budget, the governor noted...

The Jalisco State Attorney General's Office denied that Ricardo Ruíz, alias “El Tripa,” a known hitman of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), had ordered the murder, according to early investigations. Authorities stated that, so far, Ruíz Velasco's name does not formally appear in the case file and has not been mentioned in any of the testimonies gathered. Nonetheless, despite the Jalisco Prosecutor's denial, social media users continue to claim that Valeria Márquez had some type of connection to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and are calling on the authorities in charge of the case to thoroughly investigate any...

About ten years ago, I spoke with a friend from Austria. They were visiting the U.S. and we had the typical "Second Amendment" conversation that we usually have with Europeans. Then we talked about NATO and how Europe has been riding for free, i.e. very low, if any, military spending. I politely pressed them and they admitted that they couldn't afford all that "free stuff" if they had to build their military. And then the lady joked about depending on the U.S. to protect them. (snip) It's refreshing to see that some voices in Europe are sounding the same theme....

The United States Secret Service (USSS) has initiated an investigation into former FBI Director James Comey following allegations that he incited violence against President Donald Trump in a now-deleted Instagram post. The controversy arose after Comey, who was dismissed by Trump early in his first term presidency, shared an image featuring seashells arranged to form the numbers “8647.” The number “86” is colloquially associated with the act of removing or eliminating something or someone — such as when a patron is “86’d” from a bar or restaurant after being too intoxicated or rowdy. Therefore, the phrase “86 47” appears to...

Socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani refused to sign onto a pair of resolutions recognizing Israel and the holocaust — as the state lawmaker vies to lead a city with the largest concentration of Jewish people outside Israel. Mamdani skipped out on one resolution earlier this week that celebrated the Jewish state on its 77th anniversary. Last year, he declined to sign onto another resolution that denounced the holocaust. Thousands of resolutions are introduced each year and are almost always non-controversial signs of respect to groups or countries. Last month, the assembly honored Fort Drum with a measure when members of...

Why does James Comey’s daughter still work for the DOJ? Why hasn’t Blondi fired her?

By Charlie Garcia What do central banks know that the rest of us don't? Something suspicious is happening with gold. Not the kind of suspicion when your neighbor suddenly buys a Ferrari. I mean the kind when a guy in dark glasses unloads mysterious crates at 2 a.m. In the first two months of 2025, America quietly imported more than 600 tons of gold from London and Switzerland, according to World Gold Council data - enough to make King Midas blush. Officially, economists at many major banks waved it away as a statistical oddity. "Relax," they said. "It's just bullion...

I'm looking for a service or app that will take a book in text form and make an audiobook of it. I know there are some quality voice generators now days. I'm just looking for one that is legit and not too expensive. I reread a large number of books I loved from years ago but many aren't in audio format. More are getting converted all the time but I'd use a good app for some others if it had good feedback.

"The Ukrainian side has requested direct negotiations between the two leaders. We have taken notice of this," Russia’s chief negotiator saidISTANBUL, May 16. /TASS/. The Ukrainian delegation has requested direct negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, and Moscow has taken note of this request, Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator, told reporters. "The Ukrainian side has requested direct negotiations between the two leaders. We have taken notice of this," Medinsky said, following a meeting with Ukrainian negotiators. Earlier on Friday, Istanbul hosted direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, their first since 2022. Before those, the...

History on 🔥🔥🔥! Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana is currently burning out of control. There are no signs of Yankees anywhere so the cause of the fire is still undetermined! 👀 VIDEO AT LINK.......................

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ripped NJ Transit engineers for going on strike Friday — blasting their actions as a “slap in the face” to commuters and a “mess of their own making.” The Democrat lashed out after roughly 400 rail engineers walked off the job after marathon contract talks stalled ahead of a midnight deadline, setting off the first strike to hit the major transit system in more than 40 years. “It did not have to come to this,” Murphy told a news conference after the morning commuter rush got underway. “A small handful of locomotive engineers have walked...

Russians and Ukrainians sat face-to-face for under two hours Friday in Istanbul for the first direct talks in over three years aimed at ending their war, with expectations low for breakthroughs.Kyiv is seeking an "unconditional ceasefire" in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II which has also destroyed large swathes of Ukraine and displaced millions of people.Moscow says it wanted to address the "root causes" of the conflict and revive failed 2022 negotiations in which it made sweeping territorial and political demands of Ukraine.

Dramatic body camera footage shows the moment a police officer begs for her life after a deranged, half-naked suspect stole her gun moments before a fatal shooting in California. In the disturbing video, the unidentified officer is heard pleading, “Please don’t shoot me!” following the confrontation with 26-year-old Osean McClintock in Fountain Valley, Orange County.

Charter Communications has agreed to merge with Cox Communications in a $34.5 billion deal that will combine two of the top three cable companies in the U.S. Cox is the third-largest cable television company in the country, with more than 6.5 million digital cable, internet, telephone, and home security customers. It has a strong foothold in states spanning from California to Virginia. Charter Communications, known more widely as Spectrum, has more than 32 million customers in 41 states. The cable industry has been under assault for years from streaming services like Disney, Netflix, Amazon and HBO Max, as well as...

The usual story of Europe's endless wars, this time at the start of WWI at begining of the 20th century. Only thing is America paid for a big chunk of European war costs in Europe since WW I, later WW II, then recently Yugoslavia war etc. 8 million died in Europe in WWI and achieved exactly nothing at the end. Today, the Europeans are back cap in hand, demanding huge amounts of US tax payer dollars for their stupid war in Ukraine again. Answer must be NO. Enough of this stupidity already.

Pope Leo XIV affirmed Friday that the family is founded on the “stable union between a man and a woman,” and that the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God’s creatures, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the start of his pontificate.