Free Republic

As wellness conversations broaden beyond abstinence, new research explores cannabis through a harm-reduction lens and what it could mean for moderating alcohol consumption.-A 2025 Brown University study found that inhaling cannabis with active THC reduced short-term alcohol consumption and delayed drinking among heavy drinkers in a lab setting. Participants also reported a decreased urge to drink compared to a placebo. -The study used cannabis containing 7.2% THC and does not address long-term drinking habits or effects in people who don’t already use marijuana. -Experts warn that replacing alcohol with cannabis poses risks, including dependency and psychiatric side effects, especially with...

A Dutch cheese has claimed top honours at one of the world’s most respected dairy competitions, winning the title of World Champion Cheese 2026 in a field of thousands of international entries. Beemster Royaal Grand Cru, a rich, cow’s‑milk cheese produced by CONO Kaasmakers in Westbeemster, The Netherlands, was named the best cheese in the world at the World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin, this week. With an outstanding score of 98.68 out of 100, the cheese topped a competitive field of 3,375 entries from 25 countries and 34 U.S. states. The World Championship Cheese Contest, organised by the...

Former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said on Saturday that President Trump has not been invited to participate in the opening ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center. According to a press release, the Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening celebrations will begin on June 18 and last through June 21, including "a series of events that bring together the changemakers, community members, volunteers, and supporters who made the Obama presidency a reality and that welcomes visitors to celebrate the power of hope and change." Jarrett spoke about the upcoming opening ceremonies for the center on MS Now’s "The Weekend" with...

Deep within the frozen ground of Devon Island in Canada’s High Arctic, researchers found the nearly complete skeleton of a rhinoceros, Epiaceratherium itjilik, that lived there around 23 million years ago. The discovery, made by a team from the Canadian Museum of Nature, reveals that rhinos once roamed much farther north than anyone imagined. The fossils were found inside Haughton Crater, a 23-kilometer-wide impact site now locked in ice and silence. Millions of years ago, this same place held forests, lakes, and life. The team named the new species Epiaceratherium itjilik, or “frosty rhino,” combining Latin and Inuktitut to reflect...

The United States began a large military exercise with South Korea involving thousands of troops on Monday (Mar 9) while also waging an escalating war in the Middle East. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has said about 18,000 Korean troops will take part in Freedom Shield, which runs through Mar 19. US Forces Korea hasn’t confirmed the number of American troops participating in the training in South Korea. The allies’ combined exercise comes amid South Korean media speculation that Washington is relocating some assets from South Korea to support fighting against Iran.

Iran continues to launch hundreds of drones towards the Gulf nations, including new rounds of attacks on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain over the last few days. “13 drones [were] downed east of Riyadh city and eight [were] destroyed upon entering Saudi airspace.” The report added, “Drone attacks continue despite an apology given by Iranian officials to Gulf states.” Additionally, “Saudi Arabia’s air defenses neutralized a fresh wave of drone attacks on Sunday Iran also targeted Aramco’s Shaybah oil field with 21 drones. on Saturday, Saudi defenses intercepted five ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base in...

The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden has issued a security advisory urging American citizens to exercise increased caution after an explosion occurred outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway in the early hours of Sunday. The advisory was published on the embassy’s official website on March 8, following reports of the overnight incident. The embassy guidance is aimed at U.S. nationals residing in or travelling through Sweden. It asks Americans to maintain good personal security, avoid large gatherings, keep a low profile and exercise vigilance in public spaces, particularly near foreign diplomatic facilities. The advisory also refers to existing travel...

"We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. . . . We have not listened to Thy servants the prophets. . . . Open shame belongs to us, O Lord . . . because we have sinned against Thee. . . . Indeed all Israel has transgressed Thy law and turned aside, not obeying Thy voice. . . . Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us" (Dan. 9:5-16). Others should be the primary focus of your prayers. In verses 5-16 Daniel identifies with his people and intercedes...

Following our bombing of Iran, we are hearing the usual caterwauling from the Left about international law. Of course, no one invokes international law when Iran kills our servicemen, or when Hamas massacres Israelis, or when Iran launches missiles against the United Arab Emirates, and so on. There is a certain asymmetry in the invocation of international law.I took a course in international law when I was in law school. It was taught by a distinguished scholar in that field. As I recall, the first section of the course was devoted to the question, is there such a thing as...

The Trump Organization signed a deal to construct a skyscraper in Australia that will immediately become the tallest building Down Under. The 91-story tower, which will cost just over $1 billion to build, will loom over the Gold Coast in the state of Queensland, per a Feb. 23 report from NBC News. “Australia’s tallest building will be a Trump Tower, right in the middle of Surfers Paradise — it’s great for Queensland tourism, and fantastic for Australia,” Altus Property Group, the company developing the property, said in a statement. The Trump Organization, in partnership with Altus Property Group, is proud...

At least four U.S. service members have died. ... Respondents who identified as MAGA Republicans are 30 points more likely than non-MAGA Republicans to say they strongly approve of the military action and 34 points more likely to say it will reduce the threat Iran poses to the United States, CNN reported. They were also 50 points more likely to say they have a “great deal of trust” in Trump to make the right decisions regarding Iran... Among Republicans, 77 percent said they approve of the decision to take military action in Iran, while 23 percent disapproved. Fifty-eight percent said...

President Trump said Sunday that increasing prices of oil are “a very small price to pay” for “safety and peace” amid the U.S. conflict with Iran. “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,” Trump said in a Sunday evening Truth Social post. “ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!” he added. The U.S. conflict in Iran caused a recent surge in domestic oil and gas prices, with the U.S. national average for a gallon of regular gasoline...

This wasn't exactly unexpected; as Operation Epic Fury continues the systemic destruction of Iran's theocratic regime, one of Iran's proxy terror groups has entered the chat. In Yemen, the Shiite, Iran-backed Houthis are now putting out the same kind of gaseous emissions we're accustomed to hearing from groups like this. Iran is apparently trying to talk them back a little. We'll see how that works out.The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist movement has yet to enter the conflict on Iran's side but in recent days has been ratcheting up its rhetoric in support of Tehran, with its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, declaring...

One of the concerns about the military action against Iran is whether it would put the transport of oil in danger regarding things like traversing the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the global energy supply moves. The Trump administration had the national average gas price down below $3.00 a gallon, but due to those concerns gas prices rose last week. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright hit the Sunday shows to reassure people that the spike would be temporary. Here's what he said to Fox's Shannon Bream:.@SecretaryWright: "The plan is to get oil, and natural gas, and...

With forecasts predicting a high of 84 degrees on Sunday, Los Angeles Marathon organizers will offer medals to runners who complete 18 miles. "If you're having a tough day and want to end your race before 26.2, you can choose to take the turn at Mile 18 and head into the finish line early," the McCourt Foundation, which organizes the race, wrote on its website. The McCourt Foundation said runners do not need to tell anyone about their decision and just take a detour. Organizers told racers to look for the Charity Half Finish signage on the left side of...

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.

Fireman in a raft pulling a wolf out of a river After being lifted from the water, the wolf was immediately examined by a team of veterinarians. Photo credit. Vigili del Fuoco Firefighters in San Giovanni Lupatoto, near Verona, sprang into action on Wednesday after an animal was spotted struggling in a local canal. The rapid response by emergency crews drew attention from residents and highlighted the challenges of rescuing wildlife in urban-adjacent areas. The operation involved careful coordination with veterinarians to ensure the animal’s safety once it was removed from the water. Officials praised the swift action of the...

This year California voters will choose a new governor, fill other statewide offices, elect 100 state legislators and 52 members of Congress and weigh an array of knotty ballot measures. Meanwhile, officials in the state’s largest urban centers, Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area, will test voters’ appetite for raising sales tax rates — already among the nation’s highest, — to levels never before seen in California. Los Angeles officials are asking voters in the June primary election to add another half percentage point to rates that already top 10% in most of the county’s cities, raising...

Defiant Iran hardliners rejoiced this morning as Ali Khamenei's son was named the new Supreme Leader - while vowing to increase missile attacks on infrastructure. Mojtaba Khamenei, excluded from a list of three senior clerics his father reportedly identified last year, was on Sunday announced as the Ayatollah's successor after being appointed by the regime's 88-person assembly. The leader has strong links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was chosen by Iran's Assembly of Experts 'under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards', according to Iranian media. And the 56-year-old Khamenei's potential impact on the escalating conflict in the Middle...

Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment as Iran’s supreme leader is the kind of hereditary transition that his father once rejected.Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has been appointed to succeed his father as the new head of the Islamic Republic. The younger Khamenei was named supreme leader by the top clerical body - the Assembly of Experts - in a statement published shortly after midnight on Monday (Mar 9) in Iran. Other contenders for the top position had included Alireza Arafi, one of the three members of the interim council running the country, hardliner Mohsen Araki, and...