Free Republic

Most know the expression: “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” As much as the Democratic leadership wants to attack President Trump in the coming new year, they first must deal with a much larger problem: the mirror. To begin with, who is the “Democratic leadership?” It is a question a number in the media have asked of former Vice President Kamala Harris and others without getting many good answers. Republicans will be all too happy to keep spreading the message that the “leaders” of the Democratic Party heading into the midterms and beyond are Zohran Mamdani, the...

Every three years, the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) evaluates how well 15-year-olds can apply reading skills to real-world situations.This visualization, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, ranks the top-performing countries based on their average reading scores.The data for this visualization comes from the OECD’s PISA 2022 results.PISA measures reading proficiency in a student’s native or primary language of instruction, focusing on comprehension, interpretation, and evaluation of written texts. Top-performing systems typically score in the 550–560 range, while the OECD average is 476.Singapore Leads by a Wide MarginSingapore ranks first globally with an average reading score of 543, placing...

NOTE: This post is very long, and the videos included are even longer. If you choose to watch only one, I would suggest the third one that specifically covers the Trump class. A lot of people instantly hated the new Trump-class Battleship because it has the name "Trump" attached to it, and especially hated it because Trump wants to have a hand in the design for "aesthetic" reasons. After all, if Trump likes something, it must be a bad idea. But of course, that's a terrible reason to have an opinion about whether a weapons system, which would likely be...

One man in his 20s blew open a nationwide scandal exposing how criminals stole billions of dollars from taxpayers. A week after the scandal broke, newspapers in Minnesota won't cover the story that has hit international headlines. More than 79 million people have seen a story that newspapers in Minnesota have refused to cover. But thanks to Elon Musk buying Twitter, now X, anyone with a camera can do the job that many media outlets won’t. And content creators can reach more people than a single newspaper. Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz has downplayed the scandal and blamed it on the...

Even by the standards of the past few turbulent years, 2025 was a taxing time for chief executives. The return of Donald Trump to the White House brought trade war and plenty of chaotic policymaking besides. The battle for technological supremacy between China and the West became fiercer. At the same time, the task of turning excitement over artificial intelligence (AI) into profit remained frustratingly elusive. Amid the turmoil, however, some bosses have had a stellar year. For the third time, The Economist has examined which chief executive did best of all. As in past years, we began by ranking...

What angers me most about the Minnesota situation is not even the fraud, but the sheer ingratitude behind it. I just spent several weeks in Vietnam, a country where people genuinely love America. History makes that fact almost surreal, but it is absolutely true. For so many people, their greatest dream is to see the United States, not even to immigrate, just to visit. Take the night watch guy at the studio I rent in Saigon. Every night he sat there reading English books. But he was not studying English. He had already mastered that. He was studying American history,...

There was a time when PBS and Sesame Street were considered the most wholesome and educational content for children. However, over the years PBS has moved so far to the left that many conservative parents do not want their children watching anymore. Parents and lawmakers have called for defunding because they don’t want their tax dollars supporting left-wing political and social causes. One of the original intents of Sesame Street was to present red, green, blue, and yellow monsters so that children could not relate to them on ethnic lines. Very quickly black and later Asian and Latino muppets were...

Moonbats like Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan gush obsequiously over how Somalis enrich Minnesota. One example of how they have done this is by introducing the concept of child-free childcare centers. From the New York Post: A YouTuber found no children inside a Minnesota daycare that has received $4 million in state funding — and couldn’t even spell “learning” correctly on its own front door. The Somalis in charge cleverly saved on lettering by spelling it “learing.” The apparent revelation comes amid the exploding welfare scandal involving the state’s Somali community, which the feds have said could top $9 million. In...

[Catholic Caucus] The Holy Innocents gave their lives for Christ, and God honors them with eternal gloryThe Feast of the Holy Innocents honors Bethlehem’s children slain by King Herod, whose sacrifice was a real martyrdom for Christ.The Massacre of the Innocents – Niccolò Bambini, circa 1700The feast of the Beloved Disciple is followed by that of the Holy Innocents. The crib of Jesus – where we have already met and venerated the Prince of Martyrs and the Eagle of Patmos – has today standing round it a lovely choir of little children, clad in snow-white robes, and holding green branches...

Ping! Out to the Victor Davis Hanson list FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FRTown Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town HallAmerican Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American GreatnessHis website: Victor Davis Hanson The Sword of PerseusOne of his sponsors' website: The Daily SignalPlease let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list. As a reminder, Professor Hanson has asked that we do not post the full article of his writings. Thank you for following the link to finish his article.Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without...

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — A 13-year-old girl who went missing from her home in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, in October has been found. According to a post from the Rockcastle County Sheriff's Office, 13-year-old Wynter Wagoner was last seen on Oct. 14. Officials posted a month later, announcing that they were continuing to look for Wagoner, working with Kentucky State Police, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals. On Dec. 27, Montgomery County, Maryland, police announced that Wagoner had been found. MCPD said that Wagoner was found in a home in Silver Spring, Maryland, which is just outside of Washington, D.C. Officers...

In 1995, 60 Minutes made a decision that nearly destroyed the program. Producers killed an interview with Jeffrey Wigand, a tobacco industry whistleblower who had evidence that cigarette companies knew their products were addictive and carcinogenic. CBS’s lawyers were worried about a potential lawsuit, so the interview got shelved. The story eventually came out anyway, the lawyers’ fears proved overblown, and 60 Minutes spent years trying to rebuild its credibility. The whole debacle became the basis for The Insider, a 1999 film starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino that portrayed CBS executives as cowards who caved to corporate pressure at...

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s defense of Somalia’s territorial claims and her opposition to the recognition of an independent Somaliland has been criticized as authorities ramp up investigations into alleged mass fraud in her home state. One analyst argued the corruption scandal allegedly involving Somali communities in Minnesota is relevant when contrasting failures in Somalia and the stability of Somaliland, an autonomous region that Omar has opposed recognizing. Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, claimed highlighting the difference between the two regions "mattered." "The corruption exposed in Minnesota mirrors the governance failures that have plagued Somalia for decades,"...

Two helicopters collided in mid-air and crashed in South New Jersey, killing one person and critically injuring another, according to reports. Harrowing video circulating on social media filmed from the parking lot of a Tractor Supply Co. store in Hammonton shows a large black plume of smoke in the distance as shocked onlookers reacted to the crash. The collision happened just after noon Sunday at 100 Basin Road in Hammonton, less than three miles from Hammonton Airport, according to Atlantic County Fire and EMS radio traffic. “We got one helicopter fully involved, I’m looking for the second one, I...

Please join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media.1 Timothy 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.Religion Forum threads labeled “Prayer” are closed to debate of any kind.

ransomnote: Video at the link. I captured the text of the clip in two segments below.https://x.com/iluminatibot/status/2005237732285751723 illuminatibot@iluminatibot·14hTop 10 dark quotes from The World Economic Forum.You can't say they didn't warn you...

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - For five months, Fox 9 has been investigating what appears to be rampant fraud in a massive state program. This fraud is suspected of costing Minnesota taxpayers as much as $100 million a year…… ……These sources have a deep fear, and there is evidence to support their concerns, that some of that public money is ending up in the hands of terrorists…… … Sources in the Somali community told Fox 9 it is an open secret that starting a daycare center is a license to make money

Our Troops Rock! Thank you for all you do! For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today! ~ Hall of Heroes ~ The Berlin Airlift Part 3: Operation Little VittlesAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part 1 Link to Part 2 "DER SCHOKOLADEN FLIEGER" OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES 40K JPEGGeneral Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is shown presenting the 1948 Cheney Award to 1st Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen, USAF, former...

AI continues to reshape the job market for both employers and job seekers, as candidates turn to ChatGPT to help with writing and employers use fully AI-driven interviews to screen applicants. Some experts say AI leaves both sides of the job market in a “doom loop” of dissatisfaction as technology fails to help the right people find the right job. The integration of AI into the hiring process has become increasingly prevalent this year, with more than half of the organizations surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management utilizing AI to recruit workers in 2025. Additionally, an estimated third...

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is offering a bit of cheeky dating advice. (snip) Harris shared advice for single people looking to meet a partner. “The important piece of this, though, for anyone who is single, who wants to be in a relationship, is to be kind to yourself and choose to be with someone who is kind,” she began. "That's really important. Choose to be with someone who allows you to laugh at yourself and them.” As she continued, she emphasized the importance of being with someone you can enjoy all of life's moments with. “Choose to be with...