Free Republic

If you’ve ever seen the iconic “Modern Family” clip where Mitchell is increasingly bothered that people in France know he’s American just by looking at him — that is, until he purchases an outfit from a local store and fits in with the locals — you’ll understand the plight of American tourists. Sometimes, even with the right language skills or a demure presence, our clothes alone give us away. This is because Americans have a specific way of dressing, stylists say, whether they’re visiting Europe, Asia or another locale. And while fashion is different in every city and every country...

A U.S.-Russian ballerina who was not part of last week’s massive prisoner swap between Russia and the West has pleaded guilty Wednesday to a treason charge, reports say... Karelina, a dual-citizen, lives in Los Angeles but was detained while visiting family in Russia in February. Authorities claim that Karelina raised money for the Ukrainian army and took part in "public actions" that supported Ukraine while in the U.S.... authorities reportedly examined Karelina’s phone, producing photos that appear to show her at an anti-Putin and anti-war protest in Los Angeles, where she was holding a sign declaring, "We want peace." One...

As the founder of Best Places in the World to Retire, I’ve spoken with more than a thousand expats, many of whom have told me of instances where they were told that because they lived outside the US, they were no longer entitled to be called “an American,” that they were unpatriotic, or in extreme cases, that they were traitors. Not only do I reject these charges, but I believe that those making them don’t understand what it means to be “an American.” There is no better statement of what it means to be an American than...

George Clooney has signed on for another special guest appearance as the Barack Obama re-election campaign takes its summer fundraising tour across the Atlantic in pursuit of Euro-cash. The Obama campaign posted an invitation on its website Friday revealing that the presidential pal-in-chief will appear at a pair of Americans Abroad for Obama events Aug. 27 in Geneva, Switzerland. Clooney, who usually spends summers at his villa on Italy’s Lake Como, made a similar appearance across the Swiss border on behalf of then-candidate Obama during the run-up to the 2008 general election. Charles Adams, co-president of the campaign’s European outreach...