Free Republic

The recent analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget regarding the 2025 Medicare Trustees’ Report highlights the looming challenges with Medicare and Social Security, but it only scratches the surface of the deeper fiscal issues our country faces. To understand the full financial reality, we must go beyond trust fund “solvency” and examine the actual commitments the federal government has made—and continues to make—without fully accounting for them. As the Congressional Budget Office has noted: “In the public debate, ‘solvency’ means keeping the trust funds from exhausting their balances and ensuring the ability of the funds to finance...

For much of the past century, the Dalai Lama has been the living embodiment of Tibet’s struggle for greater freedoms under Chinese Communist Party rule, sustaining the cause from exile even as an increasingly powerful Beijing has become ever more assertive in suppressing it. As his 90th birthday approaches this Sunday, the spiritual leader for millions of followers of Tibetan Buddhism worldwide is bracing for a final showdown with Beijing: the battle over who will control his reincarnation. On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama announced that he will have a successor after his death, and that his office will have the...

Senegal has pulled the plug on Akon City, reclaiming almost all of the 55-hectare seaside concession after seven years of missed deadlines, fading crypto fortunes and a single half-finished welcome centre that now shares its lot with grazing goats. The $6 billion “real-life Wakanda” once promised luxury towers and flying-car parking is now the most expensive visitor kiosk on the continent. Ambitious Beginnings Announced with Marvel-level fanfare in 2018, Akon called it a “real-life Wakanda” inspired by Black Panther -the plan promised soaring hotels, a 5,000-bed hospital and streets that ran on renewable energy and Akoin. The project aimed to...

This dentist sure has a dirty mouth. Elmo Randolph, 68, turned himself into police in the upscale Bergen County borough of Closter on Thursday after being caught scribbling a swastika on a parked car. Randolph, of Orange, was charged with fourth-degree bias intimidation, according to the Daily Voice, which shared video footage of the alleged crime. In the footage, captured by one of the car’s many cameras, a baseball cap-donning Randolph is seen in his car on June 15, parked next to a Tesla Cybertruck outside Gary’s Liquors in the Closter Plaza. He then opens his car door, leans out,...

Vatican steps up battle against climate change, especially since it can dramatically harm the “most vulnerable” people.Vatican City • As record‑breaking heat scorches much of Europe — with triple‑digit temperatures, wildfires and deaths reported — the Vatican released a new liturgy Thursday for Mass reflecting concern for the environment, offering prayers, readings and hymns that highlight the church’s responsibility to protect the Earth.This new Mass “can be used to ask God for the ability to care for creation,” Cardinal Michael Czerny, who heads the Vatican’s Dicastery for Integral Human Development, said at a news conference.The new Mass, Pro Custodia Creationis...

Praying daily since 2015:Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. 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 debate of any kind.

Kamala Harris has been derided over her gloomy Fourth of July message with eagle-eyed viewers spotting a swipe at her former running mate Joe Biden. Harris, 60, took to X to share a downbeat message about the state of the country for the national holiday. 'This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better,' Harris posted Friday on X. 'But I love our country - and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the...

Hans Braunfisch wants Americans to invest in Ukrainian startups, but there's a problem: there's no clear path for individual investors to put money into the more than 26,000 Ukrainian startups out there.The former PwC consultant plans to change that with Pravo Venture, a platform streamlining foreign investment for Ukrainian startups. Think of it like a meeting point for Ukrainian companies and U.S. investors accredited by the Securities and Exchange Commission who want to support the country with capital instead of aid.While co-heading PwC's Ukraine Taskforce, Braunfisch attempted to persuade clients to invest in Ukraine’s entrepreneurs to help its economic recovery....

BlackRock, a U.S. investment firm, suspended work on a multibillion-dollar Ukraine recovery fund following U.S. President Donald Trump's election victory, prompting France to work on a replacement, Bloomberg reported on July 5.The plan nearly secured the initial support of institutions backed by the governments of Germany, Italy, and Poland, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.Kyiv has sought to secure investment in Ukraine's reconstruction as Russia's war continues to destroy infrastructure across the country.BlackRock halted its search for institutional investors in January, causing the planned funding that sought to secure $500 million from governments, development grants, and investment banks, and...

They brought the hammer down on the worst of the worst. Federal authorities have swept up 264 wanted criminals — including two illegal migrants wanted for sex crimes — in New Jersey in an ongoing mission dubbed “Operation Apex Hammer” that nabbed suspects wanted for murder, robbery and sexual offenses, including those against children. Those arrested include 17 homicide suspects, 95 gang members, including several others wanted for serious violent and sexual offenses, federal officials said. U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr. and Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba called the collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement “a major success...

AN HONEST DOUBTER The often heard quip, "He or she is a doubting Thomas," usually is given in a negative way...someone who can't get with the program or is not a team player. The origin of this statement goes to the passage in John's Gospel. Thomas, who somehow missed the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus to the rest of the disciples, states he will not believe until he sees and touches the Lord. He is a realist, a man who is shattered in his faith after witnessing the arrest and death of Jesus. He is honest enough to...

The war in Ukraine has thrust advanced air defense systems like the Patriot missile into the spotlight, creating a unique confluence of geopolitical urgency and defense sector opportunity. As Russia's relentless drone and missile strikes escalate, Ukraine's reliance on Western military aid has exposed both the strategic importance of advanced air defense systems and the fragile global supply chains supporting their production. For investors, this dynamic presents a compelling narrative of growth for defense contractors—but also risks tied to production bottlenecks and shifting geopolitical alliances. The Demand Surge: Patriots as the New “Must-Have” Asset The U.S. decision to pause Patriot...

The mayors of three major cities in southern Turkey were arrested Saturday, state-run media reported, joining a growing list of opposition figures detained since the mayor of Istanbul was imprisoned in March. Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adiyaman, and Zeydan Karalar, who heads Adana municipality, were detained in early morning raids, according to Anadolu Agency. Both are members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP. The CHP mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Bocek, was arrested with two other suspects in a separate bribery investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Anadolu reported. CHP officials have faced waves of...

Two of the nation’s Ivy League institutions have yet to produce documents related to a congressional tuition price-fixing investigation launched earlier this year. This, according to a subpoena issued by House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to the University of Pennsylvania and Brown University, both of which have been accused of colluding with the nation’s six other Ivy League schools to inflate tuition prices and maximize profits. Citing authority vested by the U.S. Supreme Court, committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said the documents requested – regarding communications with other universities – will give lawmakers insight into crafting legislative reforms. Some may...

A slow-moving storm that dumped more than a foot of rain in the Texas Hill Country has killed 27 people, with dozens more missing, and officials are saying they weren’t prepared because the National Weather Service got the forecast wrong. Wonder if Donald Trump and Elon Musk laying off 600 National Weather Service staffers earlier this year could have had anything to do with that? …Deadly flash floods are, unfortunately, not uncommon – 10 teens at a summer camp died during a flash-flood event from a storm that dumped 11 inches of rain in Kerrville in 1987, and 13 people...

A Chicago man has been jailed after allegedly robbing a 14-year-old boy of his iPhone, gym shoes, and hoodie at a West Side bus stop—then getting beaten up by the victim’s relatives when they tracked him down minutes later. Dnario Brown, 18, is charged with robbery in connection with the June 16 incident, which unfolded near a bus stop at Roosevelt Road and Central Park Avenue, according to a Chicago Police Department arrest report and court documents reviewed by CWBChicago. Authorities said the 14-year-old was walking at 2:40 p.m. on June 16 when four males approached him. One of the...

Kentucky State Police Trooper James Cameron Wright has finally been indicted by the feds for multiple civil rights violations, which were not only known by his chain of command, but some of which were personally reviewed and approved by the literal head of the Kentucky State Police. This includes beatings, perjury, and more. Kentucky civil rights attorney Chris Wiest gives us the scandalous details, including exclusive new bodycam footage of one of the incidents. This youtuber give more insight on this guy but I'll give a link to the story for those who don't like youtube videos.

A Texas police officer was shot in the neck late Thursday night during an apparent coordinated attack outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility, according to authorities. Just before 11 p.m., officers from the Alvarado Police Department responded to reports of a suspicious person near the Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas, CBS News reported. Upon arrival, officers encountered what appeared to be an armed individual, and when one officer attempted to engage, several suspects allegedly opened fire and struck the officer in the neck, police said The officer was airlifted to a hospital in Fort Worth,...

Carnival Cruise Line is under fire after implementing a series of new onboard policies that some Black passengers say are restrictive at best and racist at worst. The rules, introduced in June, have triggered a wave of cancellations and a broader debate about how cruise culture is evolving. According to Carnival, the changes are meant to enhance safety and improve the overall guest experience. But for some travelers, the message feels exclusionary. “We got the message loud and clear, we are not your demographic anymore,” said one TikToker who shared that she canceled her reservation for a friend’s birthday celebration....

Twenty-seven girls attending Camp Mystic in Kerr County are missing following intense flooding in Central Texas, officials said on Saturday. The camp for girls has two sites less than a quarter mile apart near Hunt, Texas. The missing girls are believed to have been staying at the Guadalupe River site. Several girls who are reported missing were in the low-lying cabins on the “Flats,”