Free Republic

Former White House press secretary turned-cable news host Jen Psaki noted former President Trump’s “affection for dictators” during an interview that aired on her MSNBC show this weekend. During a conversation with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Psaki asked the Democratic leader about a federal indictment the former president is facing over his handling of classified documents in the context of his dealings with some foreign leaders. “As you just alluded to, I mean reading the itemized list of 31 documents and the clearance levels as a former ranking member on the Intel Committee, there were Five Eyes classifications...

Radical leftist Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva encouraged his Latin American counterparts to treat the violent, terrorist-linked dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela with “great affection” on Monday. Lula made the remarks in a press conference in Buenos Aires alongside Argentine President Alberto Fernández. Fernández, a fellow hardline socialist who has paid an honorary visit to the corpse of mass murderer Mao Zedong, is currently hosting the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a regional coalition. Lula’s predecessor Jair Bolsonaro had abandoned the bloc in 2020 on the grounds that it was too sympathetic...

In American culture, we believe that men can never be entirely trusted in the realm of the physical. We collectively suspect that, given the opportunity, men will collapse into the sexual at a moment’s notice. That men don’t know how to physically connect otherwise. That men can’t control themselves. That men are dogs. There is no corresponding narrative about women. And where does this leave men? Physically and emotionally isolated. Cut off from the deeply human physical contact that is proven to reduce stress, encourage self esteem and create community. Instead, we walk in the vast crowds of our cities...

At the end of this past summer, I dropped my partner off for a year of dissertation work in Spain. On the flight back, I decided that if I was going to make it through this period of lame but ultimately necessary physical separation, I would need to get a handle on my emotions. (This became acutely apparent after an in-flight viewing of Pixar’s Inside/Out that left me sobbing over my complimentary plastic cup of vino rojo.) Because I am a Virgo or Type A or whatever, I tried to divide the unwieldy mass of sadness I was feeling into...

When Robbie Mullen planted an innocent peck on his girlfriend’s cheek over Sunday lunch, he never imagined it would see him bundled into a police van and warned about his behavior. Mr. Mullen’s romantic gesture offended one diner so much that she complained to staff, who then asked the civil engineer and his partner Natalie Potter to move tables. When he refused, the 43-year-old said he was “shocked” to see four police officers arrive and march him outside where he was told he was not welcome in the restaurant. …

Study: Shy Swedes are habitual huggers Thu Nov 29, 5:09 PM ET STOCKHOLM, Sweden - While Swedes have a reputation of being reserved, a new study shows they'll hug just about anyone except their boss. Nine out of 10 Swedes embrace somebody at least once a week, with women aged 30-44 being the most active huggers, according to the study presented Thursday by the Swedish Red Cross. About 70 percent of the 1,036 people interviewed between Nov. 5-8 said they had hugged their partner or spouse that week, while 59 percent said they had hugged a friend or acquaintance. One-quarter...