Free Republic

When Senator Susan Collins of Maine appeared at a ribbon-cutting in the small town of Searsport this week, protesters awaited her. A now-viral video of the event shows Collins, a moderate Republican, at something of a loss. “Shame! Shame! Shame!” protesters shouted at her, until she said, “I have a suggestion. Would you listen to the suggestion?” One protester had an idea of their own. “Vote Graham Platner!” they replied. Platner was national news by the time Collins arrived in Searsport. On August 19, he announced that would run as a Democrat to unseat Collins, who has been in the...

Writing elsewhere last month, I suggested that Donald Trump end the National Endowment for Democracy once and for all. Like most so-called “non-governmental organizations,” the NED is in fact an all-governmental organization. It depends absolutely on a subsidy from the state department, i.e., from the federal government, i.e., from the taxpayer, i.e., from you. The NED began life in the Cold War as a way of projecting “soft power” against our Communist adversaries. But as James Piereson noted in February of this year, the NED has undergone a familiar process of mission creep and moral and political entropy. “With the...

Chicago's far-left leadership just made its priorities crystal clear—criminal illegal aliens first, federal law second. Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) has signed an executive order aimed at blocking federal immigration authorities from doing their jobs in the city, even as Chicago grapples with out-of-control crime, an illegal immigration crisis, and mounting public frustration. The order openly declares that city police will not assist federal agents in arresting or removing illegal immigrants, even those with criminal records. Instead, the city’s law department has been instructed to use “any and every legal mechanism” to target the federal government for trying to enforce immigration...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian Bishop: Every Homosexual Has Right To Receive EucharistBishop Francesco Savino of Cassano all’Jonio, the vice president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, will preside over the Eucharist in the Jesuits’ church Il Gesù in Rome for the homosexual pilgrimage to St Peter’s basilica on September 6.Saint Ignatius of Loyola is buried in this church. When asked about this event, Savino told Gionata.org on August 15 that no one is excluded from the Eucharist: "The bread broken on the altar knows no barriers of birth, language, social condition, or life path."And: "The Eucharist is a welcoming womb, not a...

VIDEOThe DNC should demand a refund back from its PAID shill, Harry J Sisson. Why? Because not only is he making himself a FOOL yet again with his absurd conspiracy theories because of President Trump's "disappearance" for a few days (Hey, it's called Labor Day Weekend) but he is not eveh the least bit original. You can seen scores of similar videos of TDS TikTokkers going full Hopium that their sick "When It Happens" fantasy has finally happened because, SHOCKER, Trump announced he would be out of the public view for Labor Day Weekend. The funny thing is that when...

Notice how all of the people attacking Steve are on background? That means it's two or three deep staters who are angry that Witkoff has succeeded where they've failed. You know what this "reporter" left out to make room for anonymous quotes? The full quote from the sitting vice president, on the record. A quote from the secretary of the state, on the record. A quote from Jared Kushner, on the record. The full quote from the UK's Jonathan Powell, one of the most respected national security people in the Western World, who defended Steve vigorously from these malicious...

A decade ago today, on 31 August 2015, Angela Merkel made the unilateral decision to open Europe’s borders. The rallying cry of the German Chancellor has gone down in history: ‘Wir schaffen das’ – ‘We can do this’. If we can’t, she added, ‘if Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for’. Merkel was motivated by conflict in the Middle East, notably in Syria and Iraq, but her invitation to seek refuge in Europe was seized on by many others. Of the estimated 1.3 million people who flooded into Europe in 2015,...

In the wake of the horrific mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on August 27, 2025, where 23-year-old Robin Westman (formerly Robert) murdered two innocent children—an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old—and wounded 17 others before taking his own life, a vile wave of misinformation has surged online. Far-right extremists, white supremacists, and self-proclaimed "Christian nationalists" have peddled the baseless lie that Westman was Jewish, attempting to twist this tragedy into fuel for their antisemitic agendas. This claim is not just false—it's a deliberate distortion designed to deflect from Westman's own rabid hatred of Jews and to perpetuate Nazi-inspired tropes...

Surge in immigration and weak economic growth spark voter backlash in France, the U.K. and GermanyLONDON—For the first time, populist or far-right parties are leading the polls in the U.K., France and Germany, the latest sign of growing voter discontent in much of the continent following years of high immigration and inflation. Far-right and anti-immigration parties have already entered government in countries such as Italy, Finland and the Netherlands. But this year marks the first time that they have been ahead in Europe’s biggest economies at the same time. That could provoke a period of political turbulence in all three...

Researchers from the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Brighton and Sussex Medical School investigated how fast, deep breathing performed rhythmically to music can affect both subjective experiences and brain physiology. The Study The study included 42 participants across three categories: 15 who practiced breathwork remotely, 8 in a laboratory setting, and 19 inside an MRI scanner. Each participant completed a 20- to 30-minute session of cyclic breathing with no pauses while listening to music. Afterward, they completed questionnaires about their emotional and psychological state. Results showed that HVB consistently induced ASCs, often described as “oceanic boundlessness” (OBN)—a term referring to...

If you grew up in the '70s and '80s, there's a good chance that you had at least one Fisher-Price toy sitting on the living room floor, waiting to trip your dad. But these weren't just toys. Fisher-Price had a knack for shrinking the world down to kid size. A ringing doorbell on the Play Family House, an incredibly realistic "mooo" from the toy barn doors, or the oddly loud bell on the parking garage elevator, these sounds all played an important part in the soundtrack of our childhoods. FISHER-PRICE FARM Part of what made Fisher-Price toys so special (and...

President Donald Trump’s recent focus on urban crime presents a classic dilemma for Democrats. If they point out that his lurid portrait of a violent epidemic is inaccurate, they risk turning off voters who agree with him on an emotional level. But if they go along with it, they risk legitimizing his power grab. Trump and his Republican allies clearly hope to ride this issue all the way into next year’s midterms, so Democrats need to come up with a counteroffensive soon. Fortunately for them, there is a group of Democrats who know exactly how to run — and win...

It may be appropriate to mention that something like rugged individualism is said to have been at the root of the brutal anarchy, characterized by rape, murder, civil war, genocide, and the nearly total disintegration of what had been the emerging nation of Israel that obtained during the latter part of the Period of the Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.”[3] Several biblical texts emphasize the importance of caring for widows and other vulnerable persons in the community. Laws intended to assist such persons can be...

First the scientists dress dead swine in clothes, then they dispose of the carcasses. Some they wrap in packing tape, others they chop up. They stuff the animals into plastic bags or wrap them in blankets. They cover them in lime or burn them. Some are buried alone, others in groups. Then they watch. The pigs are playing an unlikely role as proxies for humans in research to help find the staggering number of people who have gone missing in Mexico during decades of drug cartel violence. Families of the missing are usually left to look for their loved ones...

Rudy Giuliani seriously injured in car accident in New Hampshire, hospitalized with fractured vertebrae & multiple cuts - NYP "Mayor Giuliani was flagged down by a woman who was a victim of domestic violence prior to the accident. He rendered assistance and contacted 911, remaining on scene until responding officers arrived to ensure her safety," a spokesperson said. "The accident occurred after he re-entered his vehicle, which was then hit from behind at high speed."

In order to ensure voter integrity in all states, investigations should take place and laws with significant punishments passed.One of the many infuriating problems that I have seen with conservatives is that they often do not have stamina. They don’t go the distance. After an initial win, they relax and don’t pursue the advantage, letting the enemy regroup and recover, and then conservatives become easily distracted by the next shiny object. Often, they do not even punish opponents who have clearly broken the law. Trump and his army of combatants are the exception and they are turning over rocks...

Tony Pirouet and his two pals had gone to pick up a new boat from Burnt Island before sailing back to North Queensferry on Saturday evening.This is the incredible moment when three friends captured a dolphin coming up to their boat in the Firth of Forth. Tony Pirouet and his two pals had gone to pick up a new boat from Burnt Island before sailing back to North Queensferry on Saturday evening. The trio, who are all in their early 50s, stopped off at St David's Bay for a spot of fishing - with little success - and then headed...

Rep. Ro Khanna is optimistic that Congress will approve the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and says some of the late sex trafficker’s victims are slated to speak out for the first time this week on Capitol Hill. Mr. Khanna, California Democrat, and Rep. Tom Massie, Kentucky Republican, have teamed up to introduce the “Epstein Files Transparency Act,” which would require the Department of Justice to release its files on sex-trafficking investigations of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.Asked if he believes the bill will pass, Mr. Khanna said, “ I’m very confident it will.”“We have all 212 Democrats...

Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, 32, her husband Roberto Carlos Gil Licea, 36, their 13-year-old son Gael Santiago, and seven-year-old daughter Regina were discovered dead in an abandoned grey Ford Ranger in Guadalajara, Jalisco, last FridayEsmeralda Ferrer Garibay, 32, her spouse Roberto Carlos Gil Licea, 36, their 13 year old lad Gael Santiago, and seven year old daughter Regina were found dead in a deserted grey Ford Ranger in Guadalajara, Jalisco, last Friday. Mexican authorities only confirmed the victims' identities yesterday. The family had moved to the Guadalajara metropolitan region for employment just months earlier. Roberto was involved in vehicle trading and...

U.S. naval buildup framed as anti-smuggling push, but invasion rumors swirl. Venezuelans struggle to keep daily life steady amid fear and uncertainty. Venezuelan president rallies militias and denounced Washington’s “imperialist” threats. CARACAS, Venezuela — U.S. warships steam toward the southern Caribbean. The Trump administration denounces embattled “narco-president” Nicolás Maduro and doubles a bounty on his head to $50 million. Rumors of an invasion, coup or other form of U.S. intervention flood social media. For the beleaguered people of Venezuela, mired in more than a decade of crisis — hyperinflation, food shortages, authoritarian rule and rigged elections — a new phase...