Free Republic 3rd Qtr 2025 Fundraising Target: $81,000 Receipts & Pledges to-date: $34,168
42%  
Woo hoo!! And we're now over 42%!! Thank you all very much!! God bless.

Latest Articles

Brevity: Headers | « Text »
  • Scraping the Barrel: Attrition and Cannibalization [Ukraine]

    08/16/2025 9:41:53 AM PDT · by EnderWiggin1970 · 20 replies
    Big Serge Thought ^ | 8/13/25 | Big Serge
    After three years of war, with the commentariat on both sides eagerly predicting the looming collapse of the enemy, it behooves one to develop a prudent aversion to histrionic predictions. However, it seems fairly obvious that the war in Ukraine is at a critical juncture, and August 2025 will receive considerable play in retrospective accounts of the conflict, as perhaps the last opportunity for Ukraine to cut a deal and slither out of its strategic grave. On Friday, August 15, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are slated to meet in Alaska to discuss steps to end the war. Whether those...
  • In maps: The territory Ukraine could be told to surrender in a 'land for peace' deal

    08/16/2025 9:40:26 AM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 89 replies
    Sky News ^ | Saturday 16 August 2025 | Michael Drummond
    Any agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin following their historic summit could leave Ukraine in an impossible position after three years of brutal, grinding war for survival. While no deal was struck when they met in Alaska on Friday, the two leaders are believed to have discussed the possibility of Ukraine giving up territory in exchange for an end to the fighting. That would effectively be an annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory by Russia by force. Russia currently occupies around 19% of Ukraine, including Crimea and the parts of the Donbas region it seized prior to the full-scale invasion...
  • VP Breaks the Law [semi-satire]

    08/16/2025 9:30:23 AM PDT · by John Semmens · 8 replies
    Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 17 August 2025 | John Semmens
    While on a mission to conduct diplomatic discussions in the United Kingdom earlier this month, US Vice-President JD Vance and his children went fishing with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Both Vance and his children broke the law because they didn't have a fishing license. Lammy called the lack of a license "an administrative error, which I made up for it by purchasing it later." Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif) called for an investigation, saying "this latest example of lawbreaking by a member of the Trump Administration must not go unpunished. That the Vice-President of the United States of America would...
  • Shasta County board, county staff looking into reasons behind recent mental health trends

    08/16/2025 9:22:12 AM PDT · by cuz1961 · 9 replies
    Krcr ^ | Fri, August 15th 2025 | nds by Devin Herenda
    SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — The Shasta County Mental Health, Alcohol & Drug Advisory Board (MHADAB) is taking a deeper look at mental health in the area. Board member Chris Webber told the Northstate’s News, according to information from the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), suicide, schizophrenia and adolescent mental health issues....
  • Disaster Strikes As Trump Accidentally Rips Putin's Arm Off With Macho Handshake

    08/16/2025 9:14:24 AM PDT · by V_TWIN · 25 replies
    babylonbee.com ^ | Aug 15, 2025
    ANCHORAGE, AK — Peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine were reportedly off to a bad start after President Donald Trump accidentally ripped Russian President Vladimir Putin's arm off with a super macho handshake. "Oh, wow! I'm so strong. I tried to tell you, Vlad. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen," witnesses heard Trump say. "My hands are just so large and manly. Not like other hands. Not that you have to worry about them anymore. To tell you the truth, I did you a favor." According to witnesses, the incident occurred as Trump came out...
  • A Cold Peace: Trump, Putin, and the Birth of a New U.S.–EU Security Framework

    08/16/2025 9:14:15 AM PDT · by EBH · 43 replies
    8/16/2025 | EBH
    History rarely repeats itself, but it often rhymes. The Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was not a Munich 1938 moment of appeasement, as some critics argue, but rather a Yalta-style recognition of spheres of influence. Two Cold War titans, both seasoned in brinkmanship, showed they had no interest in burning the world to the ground for the sake of Ukraine’s Donbas. The real obstacle is not Moscow or Washington—it is younger European politicians, NATO bureaucrats, and President Volodymyr Zelensky himself, who have mistaken perpetual escalation for strategy. The outlines of a deal are already visible, and they...
  • Banana Ball Thread - August 16

    08/16/2025 9:12:41 AM PDT · by moviefan8 · 12 replies
    Bananas vs Firefighters in Chicago Start time is 7pm Chicago Time This broadcast is simultaneously being aired on TruTV and HBO Max. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HMvc2qQV_8 Party Animals vs Tailgaters in Fayetteville, Arkansas (Will have to update later) Stats https://bananaball.com/stats/ Rules https://bananaball.com/rules/
  • Top British Army Officer Predicts Civil War as ‘Rabbit in Headlights’ Leaders Incapable of Political Solutions

    08/16/2025 9:06:52 AM PDT · by Mr. Mojo · 77 replies
    Breitbart ^ | 16 Aug 2025 | OLIVER JJ LANE
    Retired British Army Colonel Richard Kemp has said the primary risk the UK faces is from an alliance “of the hard left and Islamist extremists” and that he fears civil war because politicians are too myopic to take action. Colonel Richard Kemp, a high-profile Infantry officer who fought counter insurgency on home ground in Northern Ireland in the 1980s, served in the Gulf war and Bosnia, commanded an Afghanistan operation, and who had political-facing senior roles in Westminster including the powerful Joint Intelligence Committee and the Cabinet Office crisis centre COBRA, has expressed concern about unrest and even civil war...
  • Japanese Are Fed Up with Chinese, Who Rush to Grab McDonald's "Pokémon" and Throw Food as Trash

    08/16/2025 8:53:38 AM PDT · by Morgana · 47 replies
    China Observer Youtube ^ | August 16, 2025 | China Observer
    In August 2025, McDonald's Japan launched a limited-time promotion offering Pokémon cards with Happy Meals, aiming to bring joy to children. However, the event unintentionally sparked a "Pokémon chaos." A large group of Chinese scalpers flooded into Japanese stores, frantically buying up the meals,. Despite a clear rule limiting purchases to five sets per person, one customer from China attempted to buy 40 meals, just to collect the Pokémon cards. When questioned about violating the rule, the customer responded casually, "Each person can buy five sets; I have eight people.” Join this channel to get access to perks:
  • Bondi backs off initial order to take over D.C. police, issues new directive that keeps chief in place

    08/16/2025 8:49:26 AM PDT · by cuz1961 · 26 replies
    NBC ^ | 8/15/2025 | By Ryan J. Reilly, Gary Grumbach and Tim Stelloh
    WASHINGTON — Washington, D.C.'s police chief is the force's top official once again, ... / ...Chief Terry Cole will now be considered Bondi’s “designee"...
  • Trump: Putin ready to sign non-aggression deal, wants Ukraine's Donbas in return

    08/16/2025 8:23:15 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 125 replies
    EspresoTV ^ | 8/18/2025 | Anna Fechan
    During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the Alaska summit with Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the Russian leader insists on gaining control over the entire Donbas region Bloomberg reported the information. According to sources, during the phone call, Trump noted that the final decision on the territories should be made by Kyiv, but Putin’s position remains unchanged. Russia wants full control over Donetsk and Luhansk regions, even though its forces have currently captured only part of these areas. If Kyiv agrees, Moscow is ready to drop claims to the parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson...
  • How Did the Protestant Reformation Influence European Art?

    08/16/2025 8:20:18 AM PDT · by CondoleezzaProtege · 13 replies
    The Collector ^ | May 25, 2024 | Anastasiia Kirpalov
    The Protestant Reformation triggered one of the most violent and dramatic events in the history of art. In the 1520s, violent anti-Catholic crowds raided churches in England, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, pillaging and destroying all artworks and decorations. The iconoclasm of the Reformation gave birth to an era-specific painting genre that represented church interiors stripped of their treasures, often with hooks and nails used to support works of art still attached to the barren walls. In 1566, a wave of iconoclastic attacks led to a full-blown revolution that freed a large part of the present-day Netherlands from Spanish Catholic...
  • Dear FRiends, Our FReepathon is way behind. Please help us catch up by getting your donations in as early as you can. Thank you very much and God bless you.

    08/16/2025 8:05:19 AM PDT · by Jim Robinson · 7 replies
    Dear FRiends, We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. This means no spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers. And because we are not a 501C, we have preserved our God-given, constitutionally protected right to free speech without government intervention. All of the above means Free Republic remains an independent, grassroots, user-funded, conservative forum. If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile God-Family-Country endeavor, please consider making a contribution today: Click here: to...
  • EU weighs sanctions relief if Russia agrees to truce

    08/16/2025 8:03:50 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 15 replies
    Baha Breaking News ^ | 8/16/2025 | Christian Baha
    The European Union officials are weighing the possibility of easing sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin agrees to a ceasefire in Ukraine, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. EU ambassadors are considering what concessions might persuade Moscow to accept a truce, though no timeline has been set for the potential offer. The news follows reports that an extraordinary meeting of ambassadors was held in Brussels shortly after United States President Donald Trump met with the Russian leader.
  • Gavin Newsom and His Hair Gel Aren't Going to Be Happy About This Appeals Court Ruling

    08/16/2025 8:02:53 AM PDT · by rktman · 22 replies
    townhall.com ^ | 8/13/2025 1430 hrs | Jeff Charles
    And another one gone, another one gone, another one bites the dust! The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has laid waste to California’s ridiculous “one-gun-per-month” law in yet another victory for gun rights. The law, passed in 2019, prohibited individuals from purchasing more than one handgun or semi-automatic rifle within a 30-day period. The court had declared that the law violated the Second Amendment because the state “has not demonstrated that the one-gun-per-month law is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.” The historical test was established by the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in New York Rifle &...
  • Starmer says peace in Ukraine 'closer than ever'

    08/16/2025 8:00:51 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 17 replies
    Baha Breaking News ^ | 8/16/2025 | Christian Baha
    United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that United States President Donald Trump's efforts have "brought us closer than ever before" to ending the war in Ukraine. Starmer emphasized that the next steps must include talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, noting that peace cannot be decided without his involvement. The British prime minsiter also confirmed that he spoke with Zelensky, Trump and European partners on Saturday, noting that all parties are ready to support the next phase. Starmer also pledged continued sanctions against Russia until it ends it military operation.
  • Meloni sees 'glimmer of hope' for Ukraine peace talks

    08/16/2025 7:59:01 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 7 replies
    Baha Breaking News ^ | 8/16/2025 | Christian Baha
    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a "glimmer of hope" has opened for peace talks in Ukraine after the summit between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. "A glimmer of hope has finally opened for peace talks in Ukraine. Italy is doing its part, along with its Western allies," Meloni said. Her remarks followed a joint European Union statement on the talks, which she also endorsed.
  • Why Trump’s Alaska Summit Was a Masterstroke of Leadership And Why the Left Can’t Handle It

    08/16/2025 7:58:40 AM PDT · by RoosterRedux · 42 replies
    American Thinker ^ | Yassin Fawaz
    No matter what President Trump does, they will twist it into failure. The recent Alaska Summit is no exception. They say Trump “left no deal struck,” “made no progress,” or worse, that he “failed.” But here’s the reality they don’t want you to see: Donald Trump showed what real leadership looks like—he took the first steps toward peace in a world desperate for it, put the ball firmly in Russia’s court, and sent a message that America under Trump means business. ... The Alaska Summit wasn’t a press conference or a reality TV stunt; it was real diplomacy. Trump went...
  • Media: Putin demands Ukrainian army to completely leave Donbas in exchange for a ceasefire

    08/16/2025 7:55:26 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 78 replies
    APA ^ | 8/16/2025 | Toghrul Guluzade
    During his meeting with Trump, Putin demanded Ukrainian troops to completely withdraw from Donbas in order to achieve a ceasefire, anonymous sources told Bloomberg, APA reports, citing UNIAN. US President Donald Trump informed the Ukrainian president and European leaders about this.
  • 75 homeless camps in DC cleared by US Park Police since Trump’s ‘Safe and Beautiful’ executive order

    08/16/2025 7:49:00 AM PDT · by BenLurkin · 41 replies
    ny post ^ | 08/16/2025 | Diana Nerozzi and David Propper
    Federal officials have cleared about 75 homeless camps around the nation’s capital under President Trump’s effort to clean up Washington, DC — and they’re not done yet. United States Park Police have removed dozens of tents since the president penned the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order in March, the Department of the Interior told The Post Friday. Authorities have also scrubbed up to 80 graffiti sites from Capitol Hill Parks as of Aug. 6, Interior officials said. Interior leaders, led by Secretary Doug Burgum, are revising guidelines so there is a no-tolerance policy for illegal...