Free Republic

President Donald Trump said Friday that he had ordered two nuclear submarines in the "appropriate regions" in response to recent statements made by Demitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the security council of the Russian Federation. Medvedev said Thursday to to remember that Moscow possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort after Trump told Medvedev to "watch his words." Trump posted on Truth Social, "Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to...

Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/60676 Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister warns: “China is preparing to invade Taiwan.” Taiwan urges readiness as PLA activity intensifies near the Strait. (Source: Sky News)

Just over 92% of 2024-25 kindergartners got their required measles-mumps-rubella shots, down slightly from the previous year. U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday. The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1%, up from 3.7% the year before. It's the third record-breaking year in a row for the exemption rate, and the vast majority are parents withholding shots for nonmedical reasons. Meanwhile, 92.5% of 2024-25 kindergartners got their required measles-mumps-rubella shots, down slightly from the previous year....

In 2020, a disgruntled litigant posing as a deliveryman opened fire at the New Jersey home of District Judge Esther Salas, killing her 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl. Five years later, as President Donald Trump steps up hiscriticism of federal judges who have blocked some of his agenda, dozens of judges have had unsolicited pizzas delivered to their homes, often in Daniel Anderl’s name.District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. of Rhode Island, who stalled Trump’s initial round of across-the-board spending cuts, is among those who received pizzas in Anderl’s name. His courtroom also has been flooded by threatening calls, including one...

Gary Busey has pleaded guilty to groping a woman at a 2022 horror movie convention in New Jersey. Busey was accused of inappropriately touching two women's buttocks during a photo shoot at Monster Mania at the Doubletree Hotel in Camden on August 13, 2022 - and trying to unhook another victim's bra, allegedly asking that woman 'where she got them.' Despite previously denying any wrongdoing, the Lethal Weapon actor, 81, admitted one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, saying the assault was 'not an accidental touching' during a virtual court appearance on Thursday, per Court TV... Days after he was...

SummaryUS announces 39% tariff on imports from Switzerland Swiss manufacturers say tens of thousands of jobs at risk Talks to continue ahead of August 7 introduction RUETLI, Switzerland, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Swiss manufacturers warned on Friday that tens of thousands of jobs were at risk after U.S. President Donald Trump hit them with one of the highest tariff rates in his global trade reset, even if there was some relief for now for the key drugs sector. The government said it was "disappointed" and would decide how to proceed after Trump set a 39% tariff on the export-reliant country...

US President Donald Trump on July 30 announced he would increase tariffs on Brazilian imports from 10 to 50 percent citing the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his alleged coup attempt following his loss in the 2022 Brazilian presidential elections. The Trump administration called Bolsonaro's prosecution "politically motivated" and imposed personal sanctions on the Supreme Court judge overseeing the former president's trial.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator and confidant, was moved to a minimum security federal prison camp in Texas, prison officials said Friday. Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in recruiting and trafficking minors for sex, was being held at a facility in Florida. "We can confirm, Ghislaine Maxwell is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Bryan, Texas," the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement. The Bureau of Prisons did not specify why she was transferred.

AI will assess whether an account belongs to an adult or a teen. YouTube is going to start relying on AI to determine whether or not an account belongs to a teen or an adult, and take actions as a result. In a recent blog post, YouTube announced machine learning would "interpret a variety of signals that help us to determine whether a user is over or under 18". If the AI believes the account is being operated by a teen, it will automatically apply age-appropriate protections, including: Disabling personalized advertising Turning on digital wellbeing tools Adding safeguards to recommendations,...

The Hunger Narrative “Israel is starving Gaza.” That’s the line. You’ve seen it splashed across headlines, painted on protest signs, shouted from international stages. The UN calls it a “man-made famine.” Celebrities post black squares with #LetGazaLive. Social media reels show crying children with empty bowls, overlaid with dramatic music and a single, pointed caption: Genocide by hunger. The accusation is explicit, and it’s powerful. What better way to cast Israel as a monster than to say it withholds food from children? No need to mention rockets, tunnels, or terrorists when you can show an empty plate and let the...

I have repeatedly stated -- in this forum and elsewhere — that Republicans must not gloat over their rare and recent victory in the 2024 elections. The incumbent party typically loses numerous House and Senate seats in mid-term elections. Moreover, things can change fast. Unforeseen circumstances routinely arise. (See COVID-19.) Arrogance can turn many voters off. The mainstream media is 100.0% in the tank for Democrats, as is the education establishment and other institutions. The Deep State is ever lurking. And Democrats cheat … whenever and wherever they can. That is why they are so rabidly against the concept of...

The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was a bizarre Cold War experiment: a tiny, egg-shaped “parasite fighter” designed to be carried inside the bomb bay of a massive B-36 bomber. The plan was to launch the Goblin mid-air to defend the bomber from interceptors and then retrieve it on a trapeze. The concept was a complete failure.

More than three years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainians across the country retreat each night to bomb shelters and metro stations in a nightly ritual necessitated by the long reach of Moscow's drones and missiles. This summer, Ukrainians are spending more time in such shelters than ever before. The first bombardments of Kyiv and other major cities began in the early morning of Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian troops surged across Ukraine's borders on several axes. In the years since, the attacks have never stopped. Through July, Russia launched a record 6,443 drones and missiles into the country, according to...

"Imagine taking your toddler to the mall—and a man with 43 priors rips them away from your family." A suspect involved in over 30 previous criminal cases, including malicious wounding as well as assault charges, was released without bail by officials in Fairfax County, Virginia. Just days after being arrested earlier in July, he was taken into custody after being caught on camera picking up and carrying away a toddler in a mall. Andres Caceres Jaldin, 26, was arrested at an Extended Stay hotel in Chantilly, Virginia on July 18 after being caught on camera taking the small girl, only...

Adrian Mardell, the Jaguar Land Rover chief who steered the luxury car maker’s disastrous rebrand and new ad campaign, is out after after three years in charge. “Adrian Mardell has expressed his desire to retire from JLR after three years as CEO and 35 years with the company. His successor will be announced in due course,” the company owned by India’s Tata Motors said in a statement as reported by the Financial Times. The 64-year-old took on the role of interim boss of the iconic marque in late 2022 after his predecessor Thierry Bolloré resigned after just two years in...

A recent analysis by Catholic commentator Phil Lawler points to a sobering conclusion: The dramatic drop in Mass attendance across the Western world can be traced to the Second Vatican Council. In a July 28 article for Catholic Culture, Lawler cited new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) that challenges long-held assumptions in the ongoing debate over whether the Second Vatican Council or broader cultural trends caused the decline in Catholic practice.“Throughout the Western world, Catholic Mass attendance has declined dramatically since Vatican II. That is an established fact,” Lawler stated. The new NBER working paper, “Looking...

At a United Nations conference in New York this week, the Holy See reaffirmed its longstanding support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling it the “only viable and equitable path” to a just and lasting peace. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the UN, stressed that peace must be rooted in “secure and internationally recognized borders,” according to Vatican News. He also condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas, stating that “in the light of the profound anguish and terrible human suffering that has befallen the region,” the Holy See “unequivocally” denounces such violence. “Terrorism...

President Donald Trump warned that reaching a new trade deal with Canada will be “very hard” after the country moved to recognize Palestinian statehood — just one day before a key tariff deadline. “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine,” Trump posted on social media July 31. “That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.”Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh’ Canada!!!(TS: 31 Jul 00:29 ET)​​​‍​​‌‍​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​‌‍​​​‌‍​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​‌‍​​​​​​​​​‌‍…— Trump...

There has been a spate of mysterious fires and explosions across Iran in recent weeks. Naturally the Iranians suspect, with reason, that agents of Israel are responsible. But Iran doesn’t dare to accuse Israel publicly, because that would then require that Iran respond with an attack on the Jewish state, and then Israel would answer back with a far more devastating attack. In fact, Israel may well be engaging in sabotage in order to prevent Iran from renewing its aggressive campaign against Israel, thus giving Israel all the excuse it needs to renew its bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic,...