Free Republic

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose slightly in July to its highest level since February...

250 years ago this month, the British chopped down an important symbol of American freedom—the Boston Liberty Tree. To add insult to injury, they ignominiously turned that once-stately elm into mere firewood. I knew virtually nothing about the Liberty Tree—until I was informed by Dr. Peter Lillback, the founding president of Providence Forum, for which I serve as executive director. Lillback has even begun a project to restore Liberty Trees, but that is the subject for a future column.

“‘But go and learn what this means: “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice”’” (Matthew 9:13). Jesus never shied away from speaking directly and bluntly if the situation demanded such talk. Here He pins the Jewish leaders to the wall by quoting from their own most honored scriptural authorities. Their own prophets rebuke them for their spiritual ignorance and their lack of obedience to God’s clear commands. Jesus paraphrases Hosea’s prophetic and divinely inspired words: “I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos. 6:6). The perfect Word of God should have...

Down in El Salvador in the specialized prisons there sit one of the most dangerous of things. An army of over 70k humans who will stop at nothing. All concentrated together. This is of a huge danger to the entire western hemisphere and particularly the the citizens of the US Mexico and Canada.Since nothing lasts forever I hope there is a plan in place to bomb the prison complex if there is any indication that these animals may go free? I hope there are bombers on standby. Always.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a troubling quarterly statement as the total household debt in the US increased by $185 billion in the past three months, up 1% from last quarter, when total household debt reached $18.9 trillion. Total household debt in the US now sits at $18.39 trillion. Housing debt increased 1.1% from April to June, now standing at $149 billion. Mortgage balances increased by $131 billion, notably the largest cause of household debt. Mortgage originations increased at a modest pace with $458 billion of debt added, while HELOC balances grew by $9 billion to $411...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man is on trial this week, accused of shooting his date after an argument over a dinner bill. It’s a case, now on trial, raising new questions about online dating safety. Jamal Moreland is charged with attempted armed robbery and attempted first-degree murder. Prosecutors say he met the victim through the LGBTQ dating app Grindr in February 2023. According to investigators, the two went to a bowling alley, then a liquor store. At some point, Moreland ordered food and wanted the victim to pay. When the victim refused, prosecutors say Moreland became agitated. The victim...

The proposal would recognize that while Russia cannot continue to push westward, the project for Euro-Atlantic expansion has also run out of steam. It would see the establishment of deconfliction channels, neutral zones, and lines of control that, taken together, would formalize something that resembles spheres of influence, even without naming them as such.

"The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) has obtained new documents through a Department of Defense (DoD) request for proposal revealing the U.S. military’s funding of a controversial self-spreading vaccine program known as DARPA INTERCEPT.The documents reveal, say ICAN, that the animal trials were a success and that the next step of development is to inject terminally-ill humans next." (snip) The controversy around ‘self spreading’ vaccines comes from the fact that once released into a population, they cannot be controlled as to where the vaccine goes, who it reaches, or how it behaves. This goes against long-established public health principles that...

This is one of Rogan's great video interviews of Anna Paulina Luna on far ranging topics, such as inter-dimensional beings, the Arch of the Covenant, JFK's assassination, UFO's, Remote Viewing, CIA, etc., etc. Definitely, worth a listen for a mind expanding experience.

Neo-CONNED is a speech Ron Paul gave on the House floor July 10, 2003.

Gerrymandering wars heat up as both parties redraw districts to cement power, with Republicans flipping liberal tactics and Democrats scrambling to keep their edge. Gerrymandering, the political practice of carving up awkward-looking legislative districts to benefit one party’s political power, has slithered into the public conversation once again. Some of us remember the history behind this political practice, starting with the governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry. Democratic-Republicans want to shore up their new power in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Federalist opponents of the maneuver mocked one of the serpentine-like districts created by the party, christening the shape with claws, wings,...

Not everyone was eager to welcome New York City's Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, to Staten Island on Wednesday afternoon. "Go back to where you came from. We don't want you on Staten Island," a protester wearing a "Trump girl" t-shirt and holding an American flag shouted at the 33-year-old self-described socialist as he exited the backdoor of the Istanbul Bay Authentic Mediterranean Restaurant. Inside the event, as Mamdani kicked off his third anti-Trump event of the week, protesters outside the restaurant drowned out the introductory speeches with their cowbells, sirens and megaphones. Despite the heat in the crowded restaurant...

The Capitol Hill battle over Jeffrey Epstein is poised to heat up when Congress returns to Washington next month. While GOP leaders left town early to avoid the radioactive issue, the conspiracy-ridden saga is set to ramp back up come September for a number of reasons. A bipartisan pair of lawmakers have vowed to force a vote on their resolution requiring the administration to release the federal files it’s withholding and plan to bring survivors of Epstein’s abuse to Capitol Hill in the first days of Congress’s return. Separately, a number of court cases surrounding the fate of those files...

🇺🇸Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem 🇮🇱(8/14/25)[Prayer]Water, Rivers, and Streams in the BibleRevelation 14:6-7The Three Angels 6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights...

Democrats decry “destroying democracy” while dismantling long-standing institutions, weaponizing agencies, and undermining the very systems they claim to defend. "Destroying democracy”—the latest theme of the left—can be defined in many different ways. How about attempting to destroy constitutional, ancient, and hallowed institutions simply to suit short-term political gains? So, who in 2020, and now once again, has boasted about packing the 156-year-old, nine-justice Supreme Court? Who talks frequently about destroying the 187-year-old Senate filibuster—though only when they hold a Senate majority? Who wants to bring in an insolvent left-wing Puerto Rico and redefine the 235-year-old District of Columbia—by altering the...

14 August 2025 Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest, Martyr on Thursday of week 19 in Ordinary Time Saint Maximilian Kolbe Church, Toms River, NJ Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: C(I).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst readingJoshua 3:7-11,13-17The Israelites cross the Jordan dry-shodThe Lord said to Joshua, ‘This very day I will begin to make you a great man in the eyes of all Israel, to let them be sure that I am going to be with you even as I was with Moses. As for you, give this order to the priests...

President Trump has appointed E.J. Antoni, an economist from the Heritage Foundation, to head up the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is an extremely challenging job because the traditional approach -- not going back months, but decades -- has always been terribly partisan. It is, almost by definition, based more on a ton of subjective opinions than on any actual objective facts. The press -- even the allegedly business-minded publications, which ought to know better -- is slamming President Trump for firing the last BLS chief, claiming that she was fired only “because last month's numbers weren't to his liking.”...

resh bodycam footage shows sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson branding her boyfriend Christian Coleman a 'coward' - and even accusing him of assaulting her - before she was arrested. Richardson, the reigning 100m world champion was detained last month for allegedly attacking her fellow sprinter at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The 25-year-old was arrested on a fourth-degree domestic violence offense and booked into the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) in Des Moines, Washington, for more than 18 hours.

The Virginia Beach City Council is trying to ban shops along the famous boardwalk from displaying clothing with raunchy slogans to 'clean up' the family-friendly resort. The southeastern Virginia coastal city has long attracted families for its abundance of activities for all ages and stunning shores. But its three-mile oceanfront boardwalk has always been the star of the show for its games, restaurants and stores.

Click on link