Free Republic

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia belongs among the ranks of self-respecting nations and will not act under external pressure, responding to new US sanctions and Western efforts to isolate Moscow. More to come ...

Oil prices jumped and energy companies helped the FTSE 100 to a record high after Donald Trump announced new sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil producers.Brent crude increased by 5.2% to $65.83 a barrel – a two-week high – after the news of the fresh restrictions on Rosneft and Lukoil, as the US president ramps up pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.The jump in oil price also boosted shares in the energy companies Shell and BP by about 3%, which in turn helped to drive the FTSE 100 to a record high of 9,594.82.

I Thought I Didn’t Need God. I Was Wrong.Is the West experiencing a religious revival? Some say yes—or at least, that it needs one. Young generations have become spiritually bankrupt, they say, consumed by technology and social media, desperate for something bigger than themselves.But how can religion compel the secular? Political scientist Charles Murray knows the answer better than most—because it happened to him. For much of his life, he explains in his new book, Taking Religion Seriously, out October 14, he was one of the “well-educated and successful people for whom religion has been irrelevant.”But that’s changed. And in...

Several major Democratic donors declined the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) invitation to host a California fundraiser featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris, with one reportedly responding with a “profanity-laced rejection,” the Washington Free Beacon reports. According to the Wall Street Journal, while the DNC eventually secured a host, the event raised significantly less than expected. Many potential hosts cited scheduling conflicts or said they wanted to see clearer, more effective election strategies before donating again. The rejection comes amid steep financial struggles for the DNC, which entered October with about $12 million in cash on hand—far less than the Republican...

Key Points President Donald Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao one week after he commuted the prison sentence of former New York congressman George Santos. Zhao had pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering while CEO of the huge cryptocurrency exchange. Zhao’s plea was part of a $4.3 billiion settlement Binance reached with the DOJ in 2023. ============================================================== President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who had previously pleaded guilty to enabling money laundering while heading the cryptocurrency exchange, the White House said Thursday. “President Trump exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao,...

The first video “Richard LA” posted to TikTok appeared on Aug. 21, 2024. “Accident at 27th and San Pedro,” he wrote in Spanish under video clips showing two damaged cars and paramedics pushing a man on a gurney into an ambulance. “2 people were taken to the hospital.” “Richard LA” was actually Carlitos Ricardo Parias, 44, a father of two living in southern Los Angeles. His TikTok feed soon filled with similar clips. A fire at a home on 36th and Trinity streets. A car crash on 29th Street and Maple Avenue. His audience grew steadily over the ensuing months....

Someday in the future, when the causes of the Second American Revolution are discussed, at the top of the list might well be President Trump's decision to build a new White House ballroom. If you believe Jon Meacham, that is. On today's Morning Joe, panel regular and former Biden speechwriter Meacham began by warning the panel, and liberals at large, "Let's not bang on our high chairs here," i.e., let's not overreact to Trump's ballroom moves. But, ignoring his own advice, Meacham proceeded not merely to bang on his high chair, but to do the rhetorical equivalent of filling his...

The Texas Education Agency will remove the Fort Worth Independent School District’s elected board members and may appoint a new superintendent to oversee its operations, Commissioner Mike Morath announced Thursday morning. The decision to assume control of the North Texas district follows months of speculation about how the state would respond to one of the Fort Worth campuses not meeting Texas’ academic accountability standards for five consecutive years. The district closed the sixth-grade campus at the end of the 2023-24 school year, but Morath indicated in the spring that state law still required him to intervene. Dallas’ local news station...

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev claimed on Thursday that United States President Donald Trump, whom he described as a false peacemaker, has set himself on a "warpath" against his country by introducing new sanctions on its oil sector. "They will, of course, say he could not help but be pressured in Congress, etc. This does not change the main point: the decisions taken are an act of war against Russia," the former president wrote on Telegram. "And now, Trump has fully aligned himself with insane Europe." Moreover, Medvedev noted a "latest swing of the Trump pendulum," claiming that...

My tip to those who want to follow Republican protocol for Halloween and dress up in the sombrero-and-mustache meme popularized by trendsetters like President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance: Don’t! Don’t even think about sinking down to their level of using racist tropes in lieu of policy or to attack the country’s largest ethnic community

Four major state-owned Chinese oil companies have suspended their purchases of seaborne Russian oil in response to the new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on Rosneft and Lukoil, according to a Reuters report, citing anonymous trade sources. The suspension, if confirmed, would put Russia under major economic pressure to end its war on Ukraine. China is a key strategic partner of Russia. Beijing's large-scale oil purchases have aided Moscow through punishing Western sanctions related to its invasion of Ukraine. The four oil firms involved are PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Zhenhua Oil, per Reuters.

A knife-wielding gang of shoplifters is terrorizing supermarkets across New York City, making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods – and store owners gripe that cops are ignoring the rampage, The Post has learned. The crew of five has hit dozens of stores since July, brazenly stuffing backpacks with pricey beef, salami and seafood – and flashing their blades at workers who dare try to block their exit before they speed off in getaway cars, store owners told The Post. “Every time they come in, they are stealing about $800 worth of Dominican salamis,” Efrain Castro, who...

Some new research from the Center for AI Safety makes one thing abundantly clear: the entire mainstream AI industry is fundamentally anti-White and anti-Christian by design. These studies provide shocking quantitative evidence that confirms what discerning observers have long suspected. Silicon Valley's creations are systematically biased against the very people and values that built Western civilization. You can find a detailed analysis of the study here. What the research found was that every major AI model consistently devalues White lives while elevating every other racial group. GPT-5 values White lives at one twentieth of non-White lives. Claude Sonnet 4.5 values...

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been charged in an alleged illegal poker scheme tied to organized crime, sources told the Post. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was charged as well, in a separate but related illegal gambling case, ABC reported. Prosecutors and FBI Director Kash Patel are announcing further details about the alleged schemes at a press conference in Brooklyn on Thursday morning. LA Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers involved in sports-rigging scheme: US attorney By Patrick Reilly Four NBA teams have been named as having games involved in the FBI's sweeping investigation into...

President Donald Trump is presented with the Richard Nixon Architect of Peace Award, Tuesday, October 21, 2025, during a ceremony in the Oval Office. In attendance are Richard Nixon’s daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, and her husband Edward Cox.

It seems Volkswagen is having a tough time selling its latest passenger vans, the ID. Buzz and Multivan. According to German media, VW's historic Hanover plant, the home of the iconic Microbus, has been paused for the period October 20-24. A company spokesperson told Germany's DPA press agency that the pause will allow VW to adapt production to “changed market conditions.” This follows the automaker already extending its summer shutdown at the plant by an extra week and reducing hours during September. The spokesperson added that VW expects the current “intense competition” in the market for both electric vehicles and...

Four family members of Illinois gubernatorial hopeful Darren Bailey were killed in a helicopter crash in Montana on Wednesday, according to reports. Bailey’s son, Zachary, his son’s wife Kelsey, and two of their children —Vada Rose, 12, and Samuel, 7 — perished when the helicopter went down. The Bailey campaign released the following statement on Thursday morning: On Wednesday evening, Darren and his wife, Cindy, received the heartbreaking news no parent ever wants to hear. Their son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, age 12, and Samuel, age 7, tragically lost their lives in a...

In recent weeks, the world has witnessed a defining moment in the Xi Jinping era—a moment when the full weight of China’s political and military machinery has turned inward. From sweeping purges within the People’s Liberation Army to the Communist Party’s latest five-year planning session, it is clear that Xi is tightening the reins of control across every lever of state and society. Xi Jinping is not merely the head of state; he is the state. As General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, he holds the...

“Follow the money trail” was a comment made on an October 12, 2025 article describing Chicago politics as a gangster movie rerun. Well, both Jesse Watters of Fox News and the Chicago Sun-Times decided to “follow the money trail” for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, now that he is standing in the way of arresting criminals and blocking President Trump’s heroic attempt to shut down crime in Chicago. Jesse Watters reported that Pritzker made over a million dollars playing blackjack in 2024 while staying in Sin City Las Vegas. Senior National Correspondent Kevin Corke stated Pritzker made “$1.425 million bucks in...

Maduro described the Igla-S as "one of the most powerful weapons that exist," adding that the nation's air defense operators were fully trained to use them. Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro said his regime has "more than 5,000" Russian-made Igla-S surface-to-air missiles positioned across the country, warning that they stand ready to defend the country from what he described as growing military threats from the U.S. "Any military force in the world knows the power of the Igla-S," Maduro said during a televised address. "Venezuela has nothing less than 5,000 of these at key air defense posts to guarantee the...