Free Republic

Washington state Democrats are magicians! In the time it takes to say abracadabra, they made millions upon millions of dollars disappear just like that!As if it weren’t bad enough that Seattle is under the reign of a communist mayor, statewide radical Democrats passed a bill masquerading as a “millionaire tax,” ushering in the state’s first-ever income tax.As I reported in a recent West Coast, Messed Coast™ report, this "millionaire tax" was always going to change — POOF! — into a thousandaire income tax, and the Washington Policy Center has the email receipts. But now, as night follows day, as thunder...

You might feel like you're seeing a lot of stories about strategic oil reserves on Wednesday. That’s because the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran has caused volatility on the market, and the International Energy Agency (IEA), a Paris‑based intergovernmental organization that counts over 30 countries among its members, is releasing 400 million barrels to tackle the problem. Senate Minority Chuck Schumer (D-NY) meanwhile has been “demanding” that we tap into our reserves (why does a minority leader get to “demand” anything?), and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), is, as RedState’s Becca Lower wrote, “asking the Energy Department (DoE) to look into what...

The economic significance of Kharg Island to Iran renders it especially susceptible to potential military threats. However, experts suggest that any effort to capture it would likely necessitate a ground troop operation, which the U.S. seems hesitant to pursue. Experts further state that if Washington aims to intensify pressure beyond airstrikes, capturing or incapacitating Kharg Island’s oil infrastructure could strip Tehran of one of its most crucial financial resources. Given its pivotal role in global energy supply chains, any assault on the island might also cause a sharp increase in international oil prices, rendering it one of the most critical...

Assassinating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly all of Iran’s top military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers on the first day of the war was an incredible turning point in which all of the IDF’s air and intelligence power combined to change the course of history, an IDF senior officer told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. “Assassinating the supreme leader and all of the top echelon of the Iranian military and the IRGC in around half a minute was made possible by a giant and incredibly coordinated airstrike, which took months of planning,” the senior officer said. In 40 seconds...

“The United Nations Security Council has overwhelmingly condemned Iran's recent attacks on civilian infrastructure and targets across the Middle East, including hotels, airports, oil refineries, and cargo ships. In a resolution drafted by Bahrain and co-sponsored by a record 135 countries, the Council called out Iran's practice of "targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure" as "reprehensible" and a threat to international peace and security.”

What's Going On With Shipping?

[Catholic Caucus] Fr. Ripperger: Mary, the Mother of God can convert corrupt Church leadersDuring exorcisms, demons have revealed to Fr. Chad Ripperger that some of the Catholic Church’s leadership is ‘very morally compromised, and some of it is involved in stuff that’s very dark.’Exorcist Father Chad Ripperger told former U.S. Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is the one who can convert corrupt Church leaders. During a four-hour interview on The Shawn Ryan Show, Ripperger affirmed that during his exorcisms demons at times have called out the sins of people “very high up...

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is ditching his longtime residence in Seattle for Florida, just as Washington Democrats are nearing the finish line on a proposed "millionaires tax." Schultz, who served as board director of the coffee chain until 2023, said in a statement on social media that he and his wife are moving to Miami as part of the "retirement phase" of their lives. Schultz, who has lived in Seattle for more than four decades, purchased a $44 million penthouse in Surfside, Fla., according to reports, and will relocate his private family office to Miami. Schultz, who owns roughly...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Congratulations! U.S. Airmen, Guardians and Soldiers begin the Norwegian Foot March at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Part of the equipment necessary to safely complete the march is a flashlight or headlamp to illuminate the path in the early morning hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stefan Alvarez) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. Pucks Out! The University of Alaska Anchorage's Brett Bamber and U.S. Air Force Academy’s...

Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was a no-show at his own succession rally in Tehran — and observers speculate that he’s either wounded or hiding out in fear. As thousands gathered on Monday to celebrate Khamenei’s appointment as the country’s new supreme leader, the nepo-baby mullah was represented by a mere portrait — one that was half the size of dad Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s. The portrait of the dead leader took up the center of the stage, according to state media footage of the event. “It’s either he’s out cold in a hospital, or he’s scared and hiding...

A Toronto Police constable who took a photo with Mayor Olivia Chow while on the "Muslim Liaison Unit" has been suspended after being arrested by Peel Regional Police and charged with multiple criminal offences. Peel police confirmed that Farhan Ali, 39, faces several charges following an investigation. Officials said Ali “has been arrested and charged” with “three counts of sexual assault, three counts of assault and four counts of mischief.” Authorities have not released further details about the allegations. Sources told the Toronto Sun that the accusations are not directly connected to Ali’s duties while in uniform or on active...

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the war with Iran had already been decided in America's favor. He told supporters in Hebron, Kentucky, that the conflict was effectively over almost as soon as it began. Trump said U.S. forces knocked out 58 Iranian naval vessels and eliminated the country’s air force. “Let me say we’ve won. You know, you never like to say too early you won. We won. We won, in the first hour it was over, but we won,” the president said. He added, “We don’t want to leave early, do we? We’ve got to finish the job."

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables government and commercial customers to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for responsive space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with an approximate 24-hour notice. Firefly is also the only company to achieve a fully successful landing on the Moon. Established in 2017, Firefly’s engineering, manufacturing, and test facilities are co-located in central Texas to enable rapid innovation. The company’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles are built with common...

The Drinker doesn't like much but he likes this highly anticipated sci-fi flick.

KEY WEST, Fla. — A former Key West businessman is now set to spend the rest of his life as a state prison inmate. A judge sentenced 60-year-old Lloyd Preston Brewer III to life without parole on Thursday, a little more than a month after he was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Garrett Hughes, 21, on Feb. 13, 2023. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. Investigators said Brewer, then 57, gunned down an unarmed Hughes after he left Conch Town Liquor & Lounge, located at 3340 N. Roosevelt Blvd., after confronting the former Key West...

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on Wednesday dismissed the SAVE America Act, the controversial elections bill being pushed by the Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers, criticizing what he sees as the GOP's about-face on mail-in voting. "I don't support it…in its current state," Fetterman told CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett in an interview Wednesday. "The president is constantly critical on mail-in voting, and that's ridiculous," Fetterman said. "It's safe. Some of the best examples in the country are from red states like Ohio and Florida."

President Donald Trump was gravitating toward endorsing Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn last week. But he and some top advisers grew frustrated after his intentions leaked to the press, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, and the plan stalled. Then Cornyn’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, announced on Friday that if the Senate passed the president’s voting restrictions bill — something Trump has grown particularly fixated on in recent weeks — he would consider dropping out of the runoff race. Paxton specified the GOP should lift the filibuster to do so, an idea many Republican senators oppose. White...

Catholic Caucus] German bishops slammed for naming priest involved in homosexual scandal to abuse victims boardThe German Bishops’ Conference is facing backlash for promoting heterodox Fr. Wolfgang Rothe, an LGBT activist linked to a major homosexual seminary scandal, with multiple bishops reportedly criticizing the appointment.The German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) has faced massive criticism for naming a heterodox priest, who has been accused of having a homosexual relationship with a seminarian, to its advisory board for sexual abuse victims.A recently published exposé by the German magazine Cicero revealed that Fr. Wolfgang Rothe’s appointment to the DBK’s advisory board for sexual abuse...

Joel Rosenberg recently released a video in which he argued that the current war in Iran is a fulfillment of a Bible prophecy contained in Jeremiah 29. This is not a new discovery. In 2014, Bill Salus published a book in which he suggested that a military attack on Elam might prove to be one of the end-time wars (Nuclear Showdown in Iran: Revealing the Ancient Prophecy of Elam, 2014). Salus is what I call an “eschatological sleuth.” He searches the Scriptures for passages that have been overlooked or forgotten, which he believes relate to the end-times. He was the...

Why the End Times Confuse So Many Christians For a topic that occupies nearly a third of the Bible, the end times remain one of the most misunderstood areas of Scripture. Many Christians care deeply about God’s Word, attend church faithfully, and read their Bibles regularly, yet still feel uncertain when the conversation turns to prophecy. For some, the subject feels intimidating. For others, it feels divisive. For many, it simply feels overwhelming. Conversations about the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Antichrist, the Millennium, or the eternal state can quickly become technical or emotionally charged. Instead of clarity, believers often walk...