Free Republic

Google co-founder Sergey Brin reportedly confronted California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over a billionaire tax being proposed in the Golden State while both attended a posh Christmas party last year, according to three sources who were briefed on the conversation who spoke to The New York Times. The argument allegedly took place at fintech exec Chris Larsen’s “treehouse” holiday party last December, where Brin was accompanied by girlfriend Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto. Gilbert-Soto, a Donald Trump supporter who the Times described as a “gut-health influencer,” reportedly tried to ease tension between the California power players by joking that she would forgive Newsom...

Plenty of people are concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence, or AI. Two of our four kids are freelance graphic artists, and they are (legitimately) worried about their incomes being yanked as more people use AI for simple graphics chores like designing logos, and increasingly for more complicated work, like graphics for television programming and websites. It's a fair thing to be worried about, but as I have advised them both, that genie ain't going back in the bottle, so they'd best figure out how to work with it - or find another line of work. These kinds of...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business; End to Sex Slavery; Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14) 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. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to...

Barring regime change in Iran or a durable diplomatic resolution to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the West is now facing its most fundamental challenge to its energy security since the Arab-Israeli wars of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. To escape the Hormuz trap—a crisis in oil, gas, and petrochemicals transit that will slowly degrade the global economy over the months and years to come—the West must revisit a familiar pattern. For nearly three decades during those wars, Arab states seeking to pressure Israel and its Western backers repeatedly weaponized Middle Eastern oil transit chokepoints by blocking canals...

Political violence in America is on the up but the targeting of Trump tells its own tale. No American leader in modern history has been as polarising: hated and adored in equal measure. Trump has contributed to this state of affairs by using insult, threats and contempt as a weapon in his daily rhetoric. His political opponents are right to suggest he has degraded and coarsened public discourse, and to call him out on his frequent derogatory remarks aimed at anyone who dares to oppose him. But what they fail to acknowledge is that the disgust and outrage they aim...

The Queer Youth Leadership Awards (QYLA) has, in the decades since its inception, honored young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people (LGBTQ+) whose advocacy and activism have made notable impacts in their communities. That work comes at a time when, across the United States, roughly 525 bills are moving through legislative processes that would in some way affect the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested on Monday that Ukraine may have to accept that parts of its territory could remain outside Kyiv's control in ​a future peace deal with Russia, linking such concessions to ‌the country's prospects for joining the European Union. "At some point, Ukraine will sign a ceasefire agreement; at some point, hopefully, a peace treaty with Russia. Then it may ​be that part of Ukraine's territory is no longer Ukrainian," Merz ​told students at the Carolus-Magnus-Gymnasium in Marsberg, a town in ⁠North Rhine-Westphalia, on Monday. "If President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy wants to communicate this to his ​own population...

For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair. We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home while, at the same time, stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. It fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals... We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own...

Millions of Britons are clamouring for the chance to kick out Labour with many voters wanting the opportunity to go to the polls long before the due date for the next election. The United Kingdom must choose new MPs by August 15, 2029, but 43% of Britons want the opportunity to change the Government much earlier. Fifteen per cent of Britons want an election this year, 20% would like a contest next year and 8% think the nation should head to the polling station in 2028. The polling by Techne found 45% want to stick with 2029. Last year Reform...

The U.K. Parliament Tuesday passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that will permanently ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, ultimately phasing it out for the entire population. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a "historic moment for the nation’s health." The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. For Americans watching from across the pond, the question isn’t just whether this policy will work in Britain. It's whether anything like it could ever take root here in the United States. The short answer is no — not...

Diego Pavia was not drafted over the weekend, but there’s still some potential demand for his services. The undersized Vanderbilt QB accepted an invite to Ravens minicamp on a tryout basis after not being selected during the three-day, seven-round 2026 NFL Draft. “I’m sure that he’s disappointed that he didn’t get drafted, of course,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “The Ravens minicamp is this weekend, but there are other teams that have their minicamps the next weekend. …” McAfee also posited the Heisman Trophy finalist could spend a few weeks in the...

In the end, the only 'king' who matters in Washington is Donald Trump] Local DC government workers replace the Australian flag with the Union Jack along 17th Street next to the White House on April 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. The DC government mistakenly placed both flags around the White House in preparation of King Charles visit to Washington on April 27, 2026. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/Getty Images) A Union Flag is up and an Australian flag taken down near the White House. The slip-up is a pretty good summation of how much attention America as a whole is...

His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.

Texas Tech transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby, one of college football's top returning players, is checking into a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction, the school announced Monday. Sorsby's decision to seek treatment, according to sources, came in the wake of the discovery of Sorsby making thousands of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app, which jeopardizes his eligibility with Texas Tech. The NCAA is investigating Sorsby's gambling, according to sources, as the organization forbids athletes from betting on both college and pro sports. Texas Tech said in a statement that the university "is committed to...

BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 27, 2026 — Plaintiffs have filed a motion for summary judgment in Roberts v. ATF, one of the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) three supported lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the National Firearms Act’s (NFA) registration requirements for short-barreled firearms and silencers. Until President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the NFA established a $200 tax and registration regime on certain classes of firearms including silencers and short-barreled rifles, purportedly drawing from Congressional authority to levy taxes. After the One Big Beautiful Bill eliminated the $200 tax on those arms, SAF and its partners filed...

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Port, North CarolinaMilitary Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (MOTSU) is one of the largest military terminals in the world. It serves as a transfer point between rail, trucks, and ships for the import and export of weapons, ammunition, explosives and military equipment for the United States Army and is operated by the 596th Transportation Brigade.The terminal lies between the small town of Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina, and the Cape Fear River a few miles upstream of Fort Johnston (North Carolina) and the small city of Southport, North Carolina. Built...

UNN @UnityNewsNetSubscribeClick to Subscribe to UnityNewsNet TOTAL Media Blackout on Starmer Ukraine Rent boy trial starting today. ZERO mentions on BBC News, GB News, Daily Mail. Clearly some kind of D-notice in place. What are they covering up? April 27, 2026

WASHINGTON — Democrats faced tough questioning before the Virginia Supreme Court on Monday during oral arguments on a redistricting referendum that narrowly passed last week, though most of the justices were oddly quiet. Republicans have challenged the referendum, which paved the way for the Dems to pick up as many as four local congressional seats — potentially leaving them with a 10-to-one margin over GOPers — arguing that the Democrat-led General Assembly flouted procedural rules to get it on the ballot. A constitutional amendment was needed to put it to voters — and state lawmakers have to approve a resolution...

A massive hyperscale data centre project tied to investor Kevin O’Leary is moving forward in Box Elder County, Utah after receiving approvals from a state military development authority, with final local authorization now the only remaining hurdle, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The Military Installation Development Authority, known as MIDA, approved multiple steps on Friday to advance the multibillion-dollar development project, which is being pitched as a major economic engine for rural northern Utah. The project is expected to include 2,000 permanent jobs and large-scale infrastructure tied to military installations in the state. It is expected to consume more...

Host Bill Hamblet speaks with Admiral Harry Harris on how a war with Iran could reshape global strategy across two theaters. The discussion explores impacts on U.S. commitments, Indo-Pacific stability, China’s role, and regional security dynamics, highlighting how crises in the Middle East reverberate across East Asia’s strategic and economic landscape.