Free Republic

The U.S. war on Iran set up Russia’s economy for a major rescue after oil prices soared after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But if President Vladimir Putin was expecting a huge windfall, that view may literally be going up in smoke. With one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies cut off, Russian oil suddenly became much more valuable. After trading at a steep discount to Brent crude, Urals oil nearly reached parity with the global benchmark. The U.S. also temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian crude, despite warnings that the move would provide a vital influx of revenue to...

A newly reported operation suggests Kyiv may have found another low-cost way to disrupt Russian forces away from the front line: heated insoles allegedly rigged with small explosive charges and sent through volunteer aid channels. According to Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi, operatives from Ukraine’s special services allegedly inserted explosive-filled heated insoles into shipments destined for Russian military units. The items were reportedly moved with the help of Russian volunteers and charitable foundations, allowing them to pass as ordinary humanitarian aid. That is what makes this sort of sabotage effective, Treston Wheat, chief geopolitical officer at Insight Forward, told me: it exploits...

No. 2 seed UConn completed a historic comeback in the Elite Eight on Sunday, roaring back from 19 down to beat No. 1 overall seed Duke 73-72 on a 3-point bomb from freshman wing Braylon Mullins with 0.4 seconds remaining. His shot, which came following a Duke turnover, gave UConn its first lead since the game's opening minute. The Huskies trailed 44-25 late in the first half before overcoming a horrendous 3-point shooting performance to reach the Final Four for a third time in the past four seasons. UConn started just 1 of 18 from beyond the arc but bullied...

.@VP: "I would bet every dollar that I own that the next time the Democrats have control of the Senate, they will break the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, and destroy this country. We have to do it NOW in order to save the country."

Electricity has been cut in parts of the Iranian capital Tehran and in Alborz province after attacks on the area’s infrastructure, Iran’s state media cites the country’s ministry of energy as saying. Shrapnel hit a part of the electricity grid in Alborz province, causing power to be cut in several areas of Tehran and the city of Karaj. Authorities are working on reinstating it, state media adds.

The “American Bad Ass” rocker sent social media into a tailspin after posting footage of a military helicopter hovering just yards away from his Tennessee estate dubbed the “Southern White House.” But while the choppers provided the spectacle, Rock provided the sting, using the moment to deliver a brutal clap back at the Golden State on his X account over the weekend. “This is a level of respect that s— for brains Governor of California will never know,” Rock captioned the viral clip, taking a direct shot at Gavin Newsom. “God Bless America and all those who have made the...

The arrival of 2,500 Marines and another 2,500 sailors is keeping the number of American troops in the Mideast region at over 50,000 — roughly 10,000 more than usual — as President Trump decides on his next step in his month-old war in Iran. While it is still unclear just what the Marines, from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, will be charged with, U.S. officials say the president is weighing whether to try a larger attack, like venturing to seize an island or other ground as part of Mr. Trump’s effort to open the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway,...

Saturday's edition of MS NOW’s The Weekend: Primetime turned its “No Kings” protest coverage into a cringe reel. [snip] Soboroff began by literally grabbing a woman by the arm and pulling her into the camera frame—only to learn she was a federal employee who didn’t want to be identified. SOBOROFF: Come here. Come here. Come on! Come here! Come here! . . . What’s your name? PROTESTER: I work for the federal government. SOBOROFF: Oh… well… stand this way… Sorry to pull you in there like that. Yes—he actually had to apologize for physically dragging a protester into the shot....

Uganda’s military chief has warned the African country’s armed forces could enter the Iran war on Israel’s side after issuing a series of statements on social media that went viral this week. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba — son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni — who is considered to be his likely successor, has spent this week making a barrage of posts on X in support of Israel. "We stand with Israel because we are Christians," he wrote, adding in another post, "Uganda is the David that was forgotten and neglected by the world. We will defeat the giant, Goliath." Kainerugaba began...

Republican politician and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has published an op-ed reiterating his stance that the state of Ohio has too many universities and they should be consolidated. Ramaswamy cited challenges facing some Ohio schools like enrollment declines and budget cuts, rather than celebrating the recent NCAA tournament appearances of programs like Miami University and Akron University. Why it matters Ramaswamy's comments come as a surprise, given the recent success of Ohio universities in the NCAA tournament. His proposal to consolidate schools could have major implications for thousands of jobs and students across the state, especially at smaller regional universities that...

Christine A. Jones, a 61-year-old housekeeping supervisor from Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, was shot and killed in a downtown Madison parking ramp last week after being targeted by a former coworker for supporting President Donald Trump. The suspect is her former coworker, 31-year-old Diamond Simone Wallace, who had previously accused Jones of racism because of her support for the president.

Fox News host Mark Levin argued for the White House to deploy "specialized" U.S. ground troops in Iran to secure Tehran's enriched uranium stockpiles, shortly after President Donald Trump urged members of the public to tune into his show late Saturday. The U.S. has sent thousands of elite soldiers and Marines to the Middle East in recent days, widely seen as a sign the White House could greenlight select ground operatio1s on Iranian soil and escalate the conflict with Tehran. Trump has not yet approved ground operations in Iran, according to U.S. media reports. "Why would we need troops on...

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said on Thursday that the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran does not meet the Catholic Church’s criteria for a just war. “No, it does not seem to meet the conditions,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an academic conference at the Vatican Apostolic Library. When asked by EWTN News about the decision of the United States to attack Iran, Parolin referred to recent remarks by Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C. In an interview with his archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Standard, McElroy said the intervention in Iran failed to meet several...

Concern is rippling through the housing market as sellers slash prices at notable rates to attract buyers amid softening demand. In February 2026, about one in five homes across nine major metro areas saw a price reduction, according to a new analysis by the Realtor.com. Pandemic-era hotspots have been hit particularly hard, with all four leading markets for price reductions being former Covid 'boomtowns'. Each of these metros saw at least one in five listings marked down, with Phoenix taking the lead 28.2 percent of homes there carried a price cut. Other markets with steep markdowns included Tampa, San Antonio,...

The abomination that is urban “homelessness” policy rests on the reinforcement of certain unspoken fictions. A recent article on New York’s latest “homeless” outreach program demonstrates how that process works. Before recycling the usual “homelessness” myths, New York Times reporter Emma Goldberg lets loose with a fabrication of her own making. It is a whopper.

A massive 12-ton shipment of Nestle's crunch KitKat bars was stolen in a chocolaty heist that risks causing a shortage in stores right before Easter. KitKat, owned by Swiss food giant Nestle, told AFP on Saturday that "a truck transporting 413,793 units of its new chocolate range has been stolen during transit in Europe." The shipment disappeared last week while heading between production and distribution locations, the company said.

Donald Trump has encountered online mockery after disclosing he completed a cognitive test three times, amidst worries about his well-being. Concerns regarding the president's cognitive health have been escalating recently. Since beginning his second term in office, Trump has displayed a series of unusual symptoms, including bruising on his hands and apparent mental disorientation. Despite performing his duties as normal, many consider that the situation has reached a pivotal point in recent weeks. * * * Multiple individuals referenced a test he allegedly took as a screening tool to detect dementia in patients. @JoJoFromJerz questioned: "Why does he think bragging...

The New York Times Tried Shielding For Iran, Now They're LOSING Their License! (Video)JNS Meira Khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1qa3MyJXyoThis could be categorized as a masterclass on media manipulation.Attempted manipulation. Thank you for your attention to this matter... M

They break into your house and steal the stuff you worked so hard to buy. They rob you on the street in broad daylight. They pull you out of your car at a traffic light and take it. They convince your grandma that they are you and need bail money. They walk into acstore and grab things. They break the jewelry cases and steal the jewelry. They overrun a convenience store and take what they like. They steal your credit card numbers and buy themselves stuff. They steal your bank account numbers and empty your accounts. They convince you to...

Bellingcat's analysis of the strike in Minab on Feb 28th doesn't make sense. At https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/08/video-shows-us-tomahawk-missile-strike-next-to-girls-school-in-iran/ they show a video of a Tomahawk hitting an IRGC facility. Aerial photos show the blast field for that hit and bellingcat draw a red frame around that blast field. That shows the school outside the blast zone and they also say that the Tomahawk only hit a "clinic" and an earth-covered "magazine or bunker". The first paragraph says the video shows a Tomahawk hitting an IRGC facility. People on Bluesky used this to claim that the Tomahawk hit the school, but this shows the...