Free Republic

United States President Donald Trump stressed on Wednesday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to stop the war in Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska, his country will face "severe consequences." Speaking to reporters, the US head of state did not specify what types of consequences Moscow would suffer. However, he insisted that he would be putting pressure on the country. The comments come after Trump's phone conversations with the European leaders. According to media reports, the US president told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that territorial swaps might be necessary.

How do you know if that shocking photo in your feed is real, or just another AI fake? Digital forensics expert Hany Farid explains how he helps journalists, courts and governments find structural errors in AI-generated images, offering four practical tips everyday individuals can use when facing the internet’s war on reality. (Recorded at TED2025 on April 10, 2025) 12:31

I LIVE in New York City. “Proud Democratic Socialist” Zohran Mamdani is likely to be my next mayor. I’m not happy about it. But I am outnumbered. Mamdani is popular. He won more primary votes than any other candidate in the city’s history. Minneapolis may also elect a socialist mayor. Why?! How deluded can voters be? In my new video, I explain why their socialist ideas are destructive. Mamdani mocks those of us who fear socialism. He says socialism just means that the state “provides whatever is necessary for its people to live a dignified life.” Sounds nice. But socialism...

Researchers expose problem with arm cuffs and how simple fixes could greatly improve accuracy. In A Nutshell * Standard arm-cuff blood pressure tests often read nearly 6 points too low, missing about 30% of people with high systolic blood pressure (140 mmHg or higher). * Cambridge researchers found the problem stems from a hidden drop in blood pressure in vessels below the cuff during the test. * In lab tests, low “downstream” pressure caused readings to be off by as much as 9–10 points. * Simple fixes, like redesigning cuffs, adjusting arm position, or using small correction factors, could make...

COGAT @cogatonline: 🚨WATCH: 5 Armed terrorists operated under the cover of a fake emblem of @WCKitchen placed on a vehicle in Gaza - and were eliminated from the air. The terrorists deliberately affixed the emblem and wore yellow vests in an attempt to conceal their activity and avoid being targeted, cynically exploiting the status and trust afforded to aid organizations. Representatives from #GazaCLA verified the information with the WCK organization, which confirmed that the vehicle seen in the Gaza Strip bearing the organization’s emblem had no connection to its operations.

A United Airlines flight was cancelled after a female passenger suffered an explosive bout of diarrhoea and vomiting that destroyed the aircraft's tiny bathroom. Writer and actor Meghan Reinertsen freely admitted she was to blame for the mid-air disaster, revealing she spent an hour and a half locked inside the lavatory during the July 2024 flight from Newark to Indianapolis. Reinertsen said the nightmare began moments before boarding her connecting flight home from Portugal, when she suddenly felt the first waves of what she later discovered was severe food poisoning.

The mother of former WNBA player Sophie Brunner was killed in a crash in Illinois on Saturday, Aug., 9, after she was hit by a driver with a history of DUIs who was in the country illegally, authorities said. At 12:38 p.m., deputies in Stephenson County said they responded to a head-on crash on Illinois Route 26 near Oneco Road and found Darcy Connolly-Brunner and Rolando Ico-Choc, both dead at the scene. Ico-Choc, a 30-year-old Guatemalan national was traveling southbound on Illinois Route 26 North when he entered the northbound lane and crashed into a Ford Edge driven by Connolly-Brunner,...

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was slammed on social media Monday after she dismissed President Trump’s efforts to combat crime in Washington, D.C. as "unhinged" with other top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, receiving similar pushback. "As you listen to an unhinged Trump try to justify deploying the National Guard in DC, here's reality," Clinton posted on X on Monday, along with a DOJ press release from early January of this year, in conjunction with Trump’s press conference announcing the federalization of the nation’s capital to combat crime. "Violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low."...

Father Leo discusses the significance of holy water and the spiritual implications of spitting in a holy water font, emphasizing respect for sacred objects and the seriousness of desecrating religious symbols. He explores the possible motivations behind such an act, including rebellion, lack of understanding, or spiritual confusion. Father Leo also touches on the importance of repentance and the sacrament of confession for those who may have committed such offenses. He encourages viewers to approach the faith with reverence and to seek guidance when struggling with doubt or anger toward the Church. Finally, he reminds the audience that sacred spaces...

As a macchiato devotee for many years, I have a few ideas on what a true version of the drink should be. It's one of those espresso drinks that's often misunderstood, even amongst Starbucks baristas. Depending on location, there's about a 50/50 chance of having to very politely request a re-do. The first thing to realize is that an authentic Italian macchiato consists of merely 2 espresso shots "marked" with a dash of frothy milk -- thus the name "macchiato," which means "marked" or "stained" in Italian. There's no caramel in the equation… But Starbucks has its own interpretations of...

BREAKING: We have received reports—and video evidence—of two potential New World Screwworm (NWS) infestations in U.S. cattle: one in Texas, one in Oklahoma. We have chosen not to share the videos, because the last time we did, locked us out of our account for 4 weeks. Reports conflict on whether these cases tested positive or negative for NWS. We sincerely hope they are negative, but we are seeking clarification from the USDA. We call on @USDA_APHIS to immediately release the results of all recent NWS tests, as it is a requirement that all potential NWS specimens go to National Veterinary...

JD Vance, the vice president, sat down with Nigel Farage, a longtime supporter of President Trump whose party, Reform U.K., is leading in British polls.Vice President JD Vance began his family vacation in England last Friday with a lightning round of carp fishing. He hasn’t slowed down since, taking part in conference calls about Ukraine, huddling with Britain’s foreign minister, David Lammy, and meeting fellow right-wing political figures.On Wednesday morning, it was the turn of Nigel Farage, the leader of the insurgent, anti-immigrant party Reform U.K. He sat down with Mr. Vance, according to an official familiar with the vice...

In the race to develop Silicon Valley‘s dominant large language model, Grok ... remains the least predictable. A month after the company unveiled Grok 4 ... it was briefly suspended today from Musk’s social platform, X. A notice appeared on @grok’s blank profile: “X suspends accounts which violate the X rules.” But no further information was immediately available. The ban lasted roughly 15 minutes, after which @grok was reinstated without a blue verification check mark. However, that soon reappeared as well. X users were left to speculate about how a prized Musk product had potentially violated the rules of a...

Despite claims by President Donald Trump that American cities are being overrun by criminals, Democrat mayors across the country reported that violent crime was actually down 40% since they redefined the words "violent" and "crime." Trump vowed to clean up America's streets, starting with ordering the National Guard into action to bolster law enforcement efforts in Washington, D.C., eliciting an outcry from mayors who pointed to a sharp drop in crimes now that the definition of crime had been completely changed. "There's actually almost no crime when you look at it a certain way," said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. "Ever...

Perry recalled traveling to Tijuana, Mexico in September 2023 and spending 12 hours hallucinating that he was flying through space, seeing hieroglyphics and escaping the devil. 'I woke up very clearheaded, with this very warm feeling in my body,' Perry told the paper. 'I was as calm and as happy as I'd been in memory.' During his time serving as Texas governor, Perry knew that many veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were in trouble, but he first heard about ibogaine through a Navy SEAL he had hired in 2017 during his time running the Energy Department. The

United States President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during their call earlier today that territorial exchanges between Russia and Ukraine will be needed to achieve a peace deal, Axios reported on Wednesday. On the other hand, the US president stressed that he cannot make final decisions on territorial issues because he's "not from the region." The alleged remark echoes similar statements previously made by Trump, stressing the importance of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev to achieve a lasting solution to the long-standing conflict. "Trump said it's Vladimir and Volodymyr who have to discuss territories with each...

Crime is down in Washington, DC, just ask the fake news media. Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon revealed that a homeless man in DC almost robbed her as she was walking to the DOJ on Tuesday afternoon. The Gateway Pundit’s White House Correspondent Jordan Conradson chatted with Harmeet Dhillon near the White House shortly before the attempted robbery on Tuesday afternoon. A homeless man harassed Harmeet Dhillon and Jordan Conradson. The vagrant verbally accosted Harmeet Dhillon and demanded that she hand over her water bottle. Shortly thereafter, Harmeet Dhillon was almost robbed as she walked from an appointment to the...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19–20This is a bold and awe-inspiring promise from our Lord. This passage reveals Jesus’ desire that we pray with others, uniting our prayer as one and offering it to the Father. Jesus says that when we do this in union with His prayer, our prayer...

The White House says those living in homeless encampments in the nation's capital will have two choices in the coming days: accept treatment at a homeless shelter, or go to jail. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the ultimatum during a Tuesday press conference as reporters prodded about President Donald Trump's federal takeover of Washington, D.C.'s law enforcement. She said many of the homeless encampments across the city have already been dismantled, and those that remain she expected to be dealt with this week. "Seventy homeless encampments have been removed by the U.S. Park Police," Leavitt said, adding that...

VIDEOPerennial LOSING candidate Robert Francis (who calls himself "Beto" for political reasons) O'Rourke continues his LOSING streak. Not content with being a LOSING punk rocker dressed like a lamb in white tights, O'Rourke went on to become a three time election LOSER in the past few years. His latest shtick is remaking himself as a leader of the resistance to redistricting in Texas by paying for the Democrat legislators of that state to split to highly Gerrymandered Illinois. Unfortunately for poor Beto this latest effort is also LOSING since those legislators are now reported to be returning to Texas where...