Free Republic

Key Points - The SIG Sauer P226, a 9mm DA/SA pistol, became the trusted sidearm of US Navy SEALs (as the Mk.25) for over thirty years after they experienced issues with the Army-adopted Beretta M9 in the late 1980s. -Though the P226 initially lost the military's MHS competition to the Beretta due to cost, the SEALs independently selected it for its superior reliability, corrosion resistance crucial for maritime operations, smooth trigger, and excellent tritium night sights. -Renowned for its robust construction and dependable performance in numerous combat zones, the P226 solidified its reputation as an outstanding combat pistol. The Sig...

President Trump on Tuesday threatened to cut federal funding to California if the state continues allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. Trump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom in an early morning post on Truth Social saying the state under his leadership “continues to ILLEGALLY allow MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.” “I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go???” Trump said of Newsom. “In the meantime I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!” The...

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev warned on Tuesday United States President Donald Trump to the possibility of World War III. "Regarding Trump's words about Putin 'playing with fire' and 'really bad things' happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing - WWIII," Medvedev posted on his X account, regarding Trump's earlier remarks, and added "I hope Trump understands this!"

The justices left in place a lower-court decision that allows the transfer of land in central Arizona known as Oak Flat that is sacred to Western Apache Indians.The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the federal government to transfer thousands of acres of national forestland containing a Native American sacred site to a copper-mining company. The justices left in place a lower-court decision that allows the transfer of land in central Arizona known as Oak Flat. The land, which has great spiritual value to the Western Apache Indians, sits on the world’s third-largest deposit of copper ore. Justice...

Fired Federal Attorney who wrongfully sent Jan 6 prisoners to prison cries about losing job.

It is one of the more baffling story lines of Donald J. Trump’s second term. The president has said he wants to personally visit Fort Knox to ensure that no one has stolen the government-owned gold bars that are stored there. Mr. Trump has not explained why any gold might be missing from the nation’s heavily guarded reserves. His own Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has insisted that there is no reason to worry. “All the gold is there,” Mr. Bessent emphatically told Bloomberg in February, at one point looking directly into a camera and addressing the American people. Mr. Trump’s...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that there’s a “new sheriff in town” and that the Senate is prepared to act regardless of the next steps the Russian leader chooses to take. In a pair of X posts and in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Tuesday, Graham said Putin’s dramatic escalation in military strikes over the weekend and his two-hour phone call with President Trump last week reflect the “same ol’, same ol’ from Putin’s Russia.” “Escalate to de-escalate,” Graham said in a post on X, naming Putin’s first strategy, before naming Putin’s second: “Drag it...

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge suggested the Trump administration was “manufacturing” chaos and said he hoped that “reason can get the better of rhetoric” in a scathing order in a case about government efforts to deport a handful of migrants from various countries to South Sudan.In the order published Monday evening, Judge Brian Murphy wrote that he had given the Trump administration “remarkable flexibility with minimal oversight” in the case and emphasized the numerous times he attempted to work with the government.“From the course of conduct, it is hard to come to any conclusion other than that Defendants invite...

In his first full week as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney, Ed Martin personally reviewed a pardon application for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. Peter Ticktin, a lawyer and former classmate of President Donald Trump’s at New York Military Academy, hand delivered a collection of 11 pardon applications to Martin at the Justice Department on Thursday, including one for Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. “I know Ed Martin and I felt it was important to bring these particular applications to his attention,” Ticktin...

NATIONAL GRAPE DAY Today is May 27 and we are celebrating the sweetness of National Grape Day by encouraging everyone enjoy one of natures most delicious foods. #NATIONALGRAPEDAY Grapes are one of the most popular fruits from around the world. National Grape Day on May 27 celebrates the juicy and flavorful varieties available for snacking, sharing, and even drinking. Archeologists say grapes have been around for 130 million years. In fact, they are one of the oldest plants on earth. Early records indicate grapes were originally cultivated 6,000 to 7,000 years ago for trading in western Asia, including Egypt, Iran,...

SummaryMerz and ministers sharpen criticism of Israel Germany traditionally feels special responsibility after WW2 German public opinion also shifting More than half of Germans oppose weapons exports, survey finds TURKU, Finland/BERLIN, May 27 (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister threatened unspecified measures against Israel on Tuesday and said Berlin would not export weapons used to break humanitarian law, as he and Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered their most severe rebuke yet over Gaza. Germany, along with the United States, had long remained in support of Israel's conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, even as Israel became increasingly isolated internationally....

Reality check: Trump has singled out ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, for federal scrutiny of possible illegal foreign contributions. ActBlue has admitted to more than 200 such questionable donations. Democrats fear that they’re being targeted for political retaliation, and that a probe could force ActBlue to shut down. But AP’s Brian Slodysko and Steve Peoples sifted through Trump’s records and found that he got 1,600 similarly maybe-problematic contributions since 2020 — many through WinRed, Republicans’ answer to ActBlue. The response: The White House didn’t specifically address the AP’s findings, but said House Republicans had “uncovered specific evidence of potentially unlawful...

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily thwarted the Trump administration’s bid to kill Manhattan’s congestion pricing — ensuring the controversial program will stay in place until at least next month. US District Judge Lewis Liman issued a restraining order that prevents the US Transportation Department from fining or punishing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as the court battle over the toll rages on. The ruling came down just one day before Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had threatened that the government could start withholding federal funding and approvals for New York projects if the toll wasn’t nixed. We’ve won — again,” Gov....

South Africa inherited a complex, functioning system in 1994 — but did the ANC use that opportunity wisely? In this deep dive, we compare post-independence leadership choices in Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew and Botswana under Seretse Khama with South Africa’s approach post-1994. While Botswana and Singapore prioritized meritocracy, mentorship, and long-term development, the ANC rushed transformation — purging thousands of experienced professionals in the name of political loyalty. This video explores the devastating consequences of cadre deployment, early retirements, and the erosion of institutional knowledge in government. From destroyed infrastructure to bloated, dysfunctional departments, we trace the long-term impact...

Explanation: Behold one of the most photogenic regions of the night sky, captured impressively. Featured, the band of our Milky Way Galaxy runs diagonally along the bottom-left corner, while the colorful Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is visible just right of center and the large red circular Zeta Ophiuchi Nebula appears near the top. In general, red emanates from nebulas glowing in the light of excited hydrogen gas, while blue marks interstellar dust preferentially reflecting the light of bright young stars. Thick dust usually appears dark brown. Many iconic objects of the night sky appear, including (can you find them?) the...

In 2020, the United States faced the shock of a new pandemic -- but also a baffling medical mystery: the disappearance of the seasonal flu. While COVID-19 cases dominated headlines and hospital beds, flu diagnoses plummeted to "too low to estimate," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with later estimates at a mere 2000.

At the Harvard Kennedy School, the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard’s eligibility to enroll international students — temporarily blocked in court — could eliminate nearly 60 percent of the student body. HKS is Harvard’s most international school, and the proportion of international students there has grown over recent years, reaching a record high of 59 percent in 2024. The announcement that international students might have to transfer or face deportation sent shockwaves across the Kennedy School — as students feared being displaced and faculty worried that the Kennedy School’s identity as a global center for public policy scholarship could...

I'm not a rap fan but this really hits. Now things are getting interesting. I'd argue England is not lost, yet. Something is coming to a head with the working/middle class...as expressed in this video.

In a controversial appearance on “Alex Witt Reports,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) expressed her plans to serve as the Democratic side of the critical House Oversight Committee. She concluded her work rant by thanking God for supporting her amidst supposed death threats and other such nonsense. For context, Jasmine Crockett, a far-left representative, has become infamous for her controversial and often inappropriate behavior since taking office in 2023. In the past, she has threatened Senator Ted Cruz, been accused of assaulting a journalist, and generally embarrassed herself at every opportunity. Starting her May 25, 2025, remarks, she reacted to a...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal from a Massachusetts middle school student who was forced to remove a T-shirt that claimed “there are only two genders.” Two conservative justices — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — dissented from the decision to not hear the case. So long as the appeals court’s decision remains on the books, Alito wrote, “thousands of students will attend school without the full panoply of First Amendment rights. That alone is worth this court’s attention.” The student, Liam Morrison, wore the shirt to Nichols Middle School in Middleborough, Massachusetts, in 2023 to...