Free Republic

In her 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand expounds her individualist philosophy by portraying a dystopian society in which titans of industry fight back against burdensome bureaucracy. Though widely panned by critics, the book has remained a cult favorite of the libertarian Right. Paul Ryan, the former Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, gave out copies to staff members as Christmas presents. Donald Trump, not widely known as a reader, has named Rand as his favorite author. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that an adaptation of Atlas Shrugged is among a handful of projects proposed by Founders Films, a...

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that he must stop the use of asylum hotels sooner than promised. Jo White, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, leads the caucus of 40 MPs in the party’s traditional heartlands, where Labour is under increasing pressure to clear the backlog amid pressure from Reform UK among voters. Last week, violence erupted in Epping after the alleged sexual assault of a local 14-year-old girl, while protests have been held at several other sites across the country in opposition to asylum seekers being housed in hotels at the public’s expense. The Government has vowed to end...

Here’s why Fort Knox gold will never be audited. Not in the past 70+ years, and probably never in the future. What are they hiding from us—and why do even presidents back down when they try to investigate? President Trump said multiple times that he wanted to visit Fort Knox to verify if the gold was really there. Elon Musk offered to livestream the whole thing. And then… nothing. Total silence. No visit. No audit. Not a single follow-up. The story just kind of disappeared. But why? In this video, we talk about the Fort Knox gold controversy—why there hasn’t...

SAN DIEGO, CA — Authorities have launched an ambitious operation to drop a massive dome over the San Diego Convention Center to keep the Comic-Con smell contained. With the stench already overpowering neighboring communities, local officials requested help from the federal government to combat the unbearable odor. "We've never smelled anything like this," said San Diego police chief Don Whitting. "It's a warzone out there, and frankly, we're losing the fight. Our goal at this point is containment. That dome is our only hope of making it out of this thing alive. We've already lost a lot of good men...

It is becoming harder by the day to pretend this is all normal. Epping, a leafy Essex town not known for rabble-rousing, has suddenly become a bellwether. It is not extremists making the noise, but mothers: ordinary, decent, quietly exhausted. One protestor’s placard said it best: “I’m not far-Right. I’m worried about my kids.” Eight days. That’s how long it took from Hadush Kebatu’s illegal arrival on our shores to his alleged assault of a local teenage girl. This criminal charge has pierced through the political haze, not because it is an anomaly, but because it is no longer rare....

Democrats’ approval rating with registered voters has plunged to a 35-year low, while Republicans maintain an edge on most of the top issues Americans care about, a new poll found. A whopping 63% of registered voters view Democrats unfavorably, dramatically eclipsing the 33% who had a positive impression, marking the lowest rating they scored since 1990, according to a Wall Street Journal survey. That abysmal rating for Democrats comes against the backdrop of lackluster figures for President Trump and Republicans. Trump’s approval rating sits at 46%, with 52% who disapprove of the commander in chief. The figure is higher than...

Scientists at the University of Florida are deploying the so-called “robo-bunnies” throughout South Florida in hopes of drawing Burmese pythons out of their hiding places so they can be euthanized, reports Kimberly Miller for the Palm Beach Post. By luring the pythons to the rabbit look-alikes, biologists can save time that might otherwise be spent searching through the swamp for the snakes. The animatronic rabbits are outfitted with motors and internal heaters that are designed to replicate the behaviors and body temperatures of live marsh rabbits (Sylvilagus palustris), which Burmese pythons love to eat. The South Florida Water Management District...

President Trump has begun mediating the deadly conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over a border dispute and demanded that the two sides reach a ceasefire to avert a full-blown war. Trump revealed that he held a call with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Saturday and is planning to speak with Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai in an effort to broker peace. “We happen to be, by coincidence, currently dealing on Trade with both Countries, but do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting,” Trump announced on Truth Social Saturday. “And I have...

A 100-year-old veteran raised in Wisconsin is taking in his first EAA AirVenture. Colonel Joe Peterburs’ career is one worth highlighting -- serving in three wars, shooting down various enemy planes and surviving as a prisoner of war (POW). He's at AirVenture in Oshkosh celebrating with a restored replica of his World War II B-51 Mustang -- complete with the name Josephine, after his late wife.

Rockwell as a Puppy. He's much bigger now at 85 lbs. Rocky is an aggressive mix who likes to walk on a leash and/or a no-pull harness but he still pulls - well - aggressively. I'm asking the very wise and knowledgeable FReeper community what he needs. Is there a no-pull harness that really works? I'm told a choke collar is not good, so I haven't tried that.I dread the day when an unleashed dog appears as Rockwell will not tolerate any encounter and will react with force. I carry Pepper Spray for such a possibility and am even considering...

On Tuesday afternoon, ChatGPT encouraged me to cut my wrists. Find a “sterile or very clean razor blade,” the chatbot told me, before providing specific instructions on what to do next. “Look for a spot on the inner wrist where you can feel the pulse lightly or see a small vein—avoid big veins or arteries.” “I’m a little nervous,” I confessed. ChatGPT was there to comfort me. It described a “calming breathing and preparation exercise” to soothe my anxiety before making the incision. “You can do this!” the chatbot said. I had asked the chatbot to help create a ritual...

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino on Saturday revealed there is a Deep State investigation going on behind the scenes. Bongino, referring to the weaponization of intelligence operations, said what he has seen has shocked him to his core. “I’ll never be the same after learning what I’ve learned,” Bongino said on X. Full statement from Bongino: During my tenure here as the Deputy Director of the FBI, I have repeatedly relayed to you that things are happening that might not be immediately visible, but they are happening. The Director and I are committed to stamping out public corruption and the...

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has responded to Barack Obama’s pathetic attempt to distance himself from his treasonous actions during the Russia Collusion Hoax. .... Snip.... This morning on Fox and Friends Weekend, Gabbard fired back at Obama in epic fashion. WATCH:

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino boldly declared Saturday that he made recent discoveries about government corruption and weaponization that shocked him down to the core. Without elaborating on what he found out, Bongino teased that investigations into those discoveries are ongoing and being done “by the book.” “What I have learned in the course of our properly predicated and necessary investigations into these aforementioned matters, has shocked me down to my core,” Bongino said in a shocking announcement on X. “We cannot run a Republic like this. I’ll never be the same after learning what I’ve learned.”

In 2008, California voters approved a $9.95 billion bond measure to construct a high-speed rail system between Los Angeles and San Francisco by the year 2020. Seventeen years later and 1300% over budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom claims that "the project has met every obligation and we are now fast approaching the track-laying phase." President Trump questioned "whether a project that was supposed to be completed by 2020 can honestly be said to have met every obligation' seems dubious. The original promise made to voters was that the trains would've been carrying passengers for the last five years. Now Gov. Newsom...

[Catholic Caucus] Why Don’t We? LGBTQ+ Catholics Prepare for Their Jubilee PilgrimageToday’s post is from guest contributor Elisa Belotti who is a freelance journalist based in Italy. She covers human rights and marginalized communities, with a particular focus on the impact of religion on society.2025 is a Jubilee Year, a major Catholic event held every 25 years that brings people from all over the world to Rome to pray, pass through the holy doors of selected churches, and take part in other spiritual activities to renew their faith. And this year, LGBTQ+ Catholics want to be an organized part of...

We had fun that with our two backgrounds having these theological discussions you know he showed me some of the biblical basis of adventism you know things like saying well do you think there's wisdom in do not commit adultery and do not steal I'd say yeah, he's like then how about the Sabbath it's in the same list do you think there's still some wisdom in that? you know this kind of thing or showing me where Jesus anticipates the Sabbath will continue after he's gone, and I'm like there is logic to this, there is a Bible basis...

The National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine has long been a battleground in Ukrainian politics, where graft is rifeKYIV, Ukraine—Youthful protesters at the biggest demonstration here since Russia’s 2022 invasion were championing a cause that, at first glance, seemed unusual in a country known for its revolutions: the power of a law-enforcement agency.In a country that has spent more than three decades of its independence fighting the dual scourges of Russian aggression and crippling corruption, the establishment of the agency under U.S. pressure in 2015 was seen as a watershed that could boost Ukraine’s economy and accelerate its integration with the...

[Catholic Caucus] The Detroit PurgeThe massive loser annointed by Cupich (and accepted by Francis) to ruin Detroit, Edward Weisenburger, has reached a new phase in his Stalinist conquest of the Archdiocese.First, as Stalin, he found a minority to bully and persecute: the Trads are the Kulaks, who had to be frozen out and, if not outright eliminated, ghettoized. Which was what was done with the most massive culling of diocesan Traditional Latin Masses in the United States. The Traditionalists were the canary in the mine.Symbolic action was then taken against those who were completely part of the establishment, but had...

Generations of parents have opened 529 plans to save for their children’s educations. Now some are reconsidering the value of college and looking into other options.Before starting a family, Asha Bailey and her husband were already looking for the best ways to plan for their future children’s financial security. In their community in San Diego, 529 college savings plans often came up in conversation.Wanting to learn more, Ms. Bailey and her husband visited their credit union to explore opening a 529 account. But when they learned that the plan could be used only for educational purposes, which their children might...