Free Republic

And so it begins. Nine months still to go before the next US presidential election and already the Republican party favourite and former President Donald Trump is sending eyebrows and blood pressure skywards in Nato capitals with his provocative statements. And yet they will delight many of his supporters. Suggesting at a rally in South Carolina that he would "encourage" aggressors (for example Russia) "to do whatever the hell they want" with Nato countries that fail to pay their dues has prompted an immediate condemnation from the White House. A spokesman called the comment "appalling and unhinged", saying it was...

The Cathedral of Hope, the world’s largest LGBTQ-friendly church, hosted a “Drag Sunday” service honoring the satanic Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. While the churches argue that their actions are a step towards inclusivity, many conservatives see this as a blatant disregard for the sanctity of religious spaces and the teachings of the Bible

President Trump says he is having “serious discussions” with congressional leaders about “meaningful” background checks.

The international arbitration tribunal, constituted under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”), issued its final Award on July 12th in the so-called “compulsory” arbitration instituted by the Republic of the Philippines against the People’s Republic of China. The Philippines had sought rulings on a number of issues, including the source of the parties’ rights and obligations in the South China Sea and the effect of UNCLOS on China’s claims to historic rights within its claimed ‘nine-dash line.’ The tribunal’s decision found in the Philippines’ favor on these two key issues, and most...

Before taking the extreme step, he told his mother who, after consulting an astrologer, said that praying at a temple would help. But the youth was not convinced. Anand V H was all of 23, and an engineering graduate to boot. But he was superstitious too — so superstitious that he ended his life on Thursday, all because a crow perched itself on his head -- twice -- the previous day. Anand committed suicide allegedly by consuming poison at his rented accommodation on 3rd Cross, 5th Main, Manjunath Nagar in Rajajinagar. The incident came to light Thursday morning after his...

This might be a good time to invest in the paper industry and in companies that produce government forms. Republicans and moderate Democrats in the Senate have been unable to roll back a vast expansion in the role of IRS Form 1099. In the past, 1099s mostly were submitted to independent contractors who provided services to businesses, and to the IRS. Under the new law — slipped into one of the Obamacare law's many hidey-holes — a 1099 will have to be submitted for any business-to-business transaction exceeding $600. That means a landscaper who buys some rakes, lawn-mower blades and...