Free Republic

Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore has expressed solidarity with anti-Israel protesters and condemned Israel’s military campaign against Hamas terrorists, choosing a sellout crowd in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, to deliver his pro-Palestinian views. He told the gathered 5,000 Kiwis in a short speech 40 minutes into his two-hour set: I stand here today and every day forward for the rest of my life in solidarity with the people of Palestine, with an open heart, in the belief that our collective liberation is at stake – that we all deserve freedom in this life of ours. Yesterday [Tuesday], I put out a song...

On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Jose Diaz-Balart Reports,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) reacted to the Biden administration reportedly looking to increase oil imports from Venezuela by stating that there is no need to go to the Maduro regime in Venezuela that President Biden declared a national security threat five days ago for more oil when there are other nations the U.S. can get oil from and domestic production that is already licensed.

The White House unsuccessfully tried to arrange calls between President Biden and the de facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the U.S. was working to build international support for countering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and contain a surge in oil prices, said Middle East and U.S. officials. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the U.A.E.’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan both declined U.S. requests to speak to Mr. Biden in recent weeks, the officials said, as Saudi and Emirati officials have become more vocal in recent weeks in their criticisms of American policy...

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday declined to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, while departing from his government's official stance at the United Nations to say Brazil would remain neutral. Bolsonaro, a far-right populist, recently snubbed U.S. entreaties not to visit Putin in Moscow ahead of the invasion, and angered Western allies by saying he was "in solidarity with Russia," without elaborating. On Friday, Brazil voted for a draft UN Security Council resolution that would have denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine, despite reluctance by Bolsonaro. Ata press conference, Bolsonaro said he spoke for two hours with...

A renewed schism in Christianity: Ukraine is fighting for its independence from Russia in the churches as well as in the streets. And Kyiv has a surprising model for its struggle for sovereignty and religious identity"If Ukraine is ground zero in the tensions between Russia and the West, religion is ground zero in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Grappling with the conflict with Russia made Israel a model for Eastern Christian churches in Ukraine. Now that a full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been launched by Russian forces and Ukrainians find themselves surrounded by hostile countries, they will look to...

Texas Will Fully Defund Planned Parenthood Abortion Business TomorrowStarting Tuesday, the nation’s largest abortion chain, Planned Parenthood, will not be taking tax dollars from Texas anymore.Texas leaders have been trying to defund Planned Parenthood from the state Medicaid program for years, and, in November, they won a victory in court.Now their efforts finally are coming to fruition.Medicaid is the largest stream of taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood, and, in Texas, that funding will be cut off starting Tuesday, Breitbart reports.Jennifer Allmon, executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, celebrated the news. She said Texans have much better options...

Antifa protesters in Portland clashed with authorities Wednesday as they gathered to voice dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden, forcing officers to retreat and taking at least one police bicycle, authorities said. The Portland Police Bureau said several events were planned in the city just hours after Biden was sworn in and implored the nation to come together. A crowd of up to 150 people gathered at Revolution Hall around 2 p.m. and marched to the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon, Portland police Sgt. Kevin Allen said. The so-called J20 protest was a demonstration against Biden and law enforcment....

Thank You, Delaware!