Free Republic

Forget the notion of “sell in May and go away.” There are a set of dynamic metrics at work within the economy framed by “Trumponomics,” which refers broadly to his administration’s approach, that includes tax cuts, deregulation, protectionism and trade policies that the stock market is embracing.Nearly halfway through 2025, the U.S. equity market has endured a 20% correction, a radical set of tariff policies employed or threatened, sweeping D.O.G.E. actions, the DeepSeek torpedo into the AI port bow, followed by a reaffirmation of the historical capex spending binge by the hyperscalers and sovereign governments (Saudi Arabia, etc.) and two...

Paperwork with the word "USAID" was found in the car of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who's accused of allegedly throwing explosives at a group in Boulder, Colorado, peacefully protesting for the release of Hamas' hostages. The incident happened on Sunday as the pro-Israel group "Run for Their Lives" was protesting on Pearl Street. Boulder police said eight people were injured in the alleged terror attack, adding that they initially received reports of a man setting people on fire. According to an arrest affidavit, law enforcement officials found paperwork with the words "USAID" inside Soliman's 2015 silver Toyota Prius. Other paperwork with...

Five tornadoes rated EF4 have struck the U.S. so far in 2025 after two more were confirmed following the most recent siege of severe weather in mid-May. Tornadoes in the violent category like these makeup less than 1% of twisters this century, so how does this year's number stack up compared to the average? Big Picture -Defining Violent Tornadoes: While all tornadoes are dangerous, meteorologists reserve "violent" for those with the two highest ratings on the Enhanced-Fujita scale - EF4 or EF5. That's because these strongest tornadoes are capable of devastating damage, such as crushing and throwing vehicles, leveling well-built...

The U.S. State Department has determined and certified Cuba as a "not fully cooperating country" (NFCC) for not helping with counterterrorism efforts after the island nation failed to turn over at least 11 fugitives in 2024 to U.S. custody. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce made the announcement on Tuesday that the certification, which falls under Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, will result in the prohibition on the sale or license for export of defense services to Cuba. "In 2024, the Cuban regime did not fully cooperate with the United States on counterterrorism," Bruce said in a statement....

Donald Trump once again works his magic. A group of white South Africans has been granted refugee status in the US The first group of white South Africans arrived in the United States on Monday, the State Department announced following the prioritization of the Afrikaner refugee resettlement program.State spokesperson Tammy Bruce argued in a statement that the group is vulnerable and facing unjust racial discrimination in South Africa, saying taking them in is an action to protect victims of racial discrimination. They thank Trump. They wave the American flag. This has democrats ablaze in outrage. Representative of the left, Al...

PUTIN has stayed deafeningly silent after Kyiv claimed that two Chinese nationals were captured fighting in Ukraine. Beijing responded to Zelensky's call for answers and vowed to investigate the alleged reports of Chinese involvement in the conflict. Russia has chosen to stay silent on the matter, sparking fresh fears that Putin has been working with China all along. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: "I cannot comment on this information in any way." Zelensky demanded an official response from Beijing after claiming that Kyiv captured two Chinese nationals fighting in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman...

MIAMI - President-elect Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday after the brief detention of prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado, who had been leading massive protests against Maduro's government. On Truth Social, Trump called on Maduro to ensure the safety of opposition leaders, writing: "Venezuelan democracy activist María Corina Machado and President-elect González are peacefully expressing the voices and the WILL of the Venezuelan people with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against the regime. The great Venezuelan American community in the United States overwhelmingly support a free Venezuela and strongly supported me....

Last fall, Egor Redin was in hiding at a Baptist church in Tajikistan, two thousand miles from home. The pastor advised him not to leave the building because the secret police might be watching. Redin had hoped to apply for asylum in Tajikistan but was warned not to. If Tajik authorities found out he was Baptist, he would likely be deported back to Russia, where he would face criminal prosecution for protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a father of two little girls aged two and four who was also a pacifist (historically Russian Baptists have refused to serve in...

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) paid homage to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and introduced “the ‘assault weapons’ ban of 2025” Wednesday morning. In an X post, Schiff explained that his legislation would “ban the sale, manufacture, import, and transfer of military-style ‘assault weapons.'” He claimed there have been “486 mass shootings involving ‘assault weapons'” since 2006, but did not provide any sources to substantiate the figures. He did reference Feinstein’s introduction of the first “assault weapons” ban over three decades ago, then claimed her ban “had a dramatic impact on mass shootings” during the ten years in which it...

Our neighbor to the north has a lot going for it. Beautiful scenery, some decent food (if you like poutine), a few decent beers, and great hunting and fishing. But their voting patterns? Hoo boy. Now, after some months where we were hoping the Conservatives might win the next Canucki-lection and put Pierre Poilievre in the Prime Minister's chair, now the Canadian Liberals - the party of Justin Trudeau - seem to be resurging. On Monday, could Canada be about to make the wrong choice, again?At a rally in London, Ontario, on Friday, the crowd booed as Mark Carney delivered...

Trump’s Blackrock deal is far from over. Generations of sending American jobs, tech, and manufacturing to China was equivalent to feeding wild tigers near the local kindergarten. And now jungles are full of tigers used to getting their way. I made the tiger photograph in the wilds of India. I made the video below in the wilds of Darien Gap. At an Embera village called Bajo Chiquito. Notice the Georgia Bulldogs tattoo. Maybe this guy is going to Georgia. And the man to his right. Wearing the cross. As many do. And the nice watch. After crossing through Darien Gap....

President Trump issued a faith-filled presidential message on Palm Sunday in honor of Holy Week as Christians around the world commemorate the holiest time of the year. And now there are reports that his administration is also planning a unique Easter staff worship ceremony at the White House with Rev. Franklin Graham as well as Pastors Greg Laurie and Jentezen Franklin. Trump's Holy Week message wasn't a typical, obligatory, official government statement. Instead, it was filled with the type of language used by Christians, pointing to this week as being sacred to his personal faith, as his own post to...

Overall Progress... 301 Total 96 Done 58 In Progress

The adjusted firearm sales for March 2025 are the eighth highest in the 26-year history of the National Instant Background Check System (NICS), administered by the FBI. The numbers before 2016 are not as accurate because the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) started adjusting the number to account for the large number of firearm permit checks and rechecks in 2016.No permit rechecks were entered before 2016, and total permit checks were less than 10 million a year. Permit and permit rechecks peaked at about 20 million a year in 2021. Illinois alone had almost 8 million permit and permit rechecks...

Republicans are pulling out all the stops ahead of the special election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District as worries of a narrower-than-expected margin grow in the district President Trump won by more than 30 points in November. Trump called into two tele-town halls for state Sen. Randy Fine (R) in an effort to drive out the Republican base ahead of Tuesday. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s America PAC spent roughly $10,200 in the race earlier this week and dropped another $66,000 into the race on Thursday. The efforts come as Democratic candidate Josh Weil has outraised Fine, while an internal poll from...

The Atlantic hurricane season is fast approaching, and early indications have forecasters worried that it will have similarities to the 2024 season, which was one of the most devastating and costliest on record. "Super-charged" encapsulates the ferocity of last year's deadly hurricane season. Beryl entered the record books as the earliest Category 5 on record, Helene pummeled the Southeast with biblical rain and flooding, and Milton tore across Florida with deadly flooding and dozens of tornadoes. AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva warns it could be another year with volatile hurricanes, with the season officially starting on Sunday, June 1.

The Atlantic coast of the United States is set to experience an active and dynamic hurricane season in a possible repeat of last year’s lineup of devastating storm systems, experts warn. As many as 18 hurricanes are expected to sweep across the eastern United States after the stormy season begins on June 1, according to a report from Accuweather. Experts say three to six of those named storms will reach or exceed Category 3 strength in the continental United States in 2025. The regions most at risk for the powerful storms will be the Gulf coast, the ocean-side of Florida’s...

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is set to close dozens of offices across the U.S. this year as part of the advisory Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to shrink the size of the federal government and cut waste. The closures, which will span 18 states, have raised concerns over their possible impact on the agency's efficiency and the delivery of benefits that millions of Americans receive every month. Why It Matters According to the SSA, more than 72.5 million of Americans receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, including some of the most vulnerable individuals in U.S....

The National Instant Background Check System (NICS) for February 2025 shows a drop in both Firearm sales and overall background checks. Firearm sales are down about nine percent from 2024. NICS background checks are down about five percent from February 2024. Handgun and “multiple” sales moved up a bit from January to February while long gun and “other” sales dropped a bit. In the graphic below, the lines are for 2024. The bars are for 2025.President Trump has been in his second term in office for over a month. The rapid pace of corrections produced by the Trump administration signals...

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who infamously tore up President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in 2020, had to watch in frustrated silence from the House benches as he addressed Congress on Tuesday. Pelosi, gripping her cane, resigned her leadership post after the 2022 congressional elections, in which Republicans retook the House. She had held a firm grip on power in her party — even after leading it to historic defeat in 2010. In 2020, she was in the midst of an effort to impeach and remove President Trump from power. When he delivered a...