Free Republic

8 Apr 2025 U.S. President Donald Trump shot down the European Union’s offer of a zero-tariff trade relationship on some goods, demanding that the bloc do more to rectify the significant trading imbalance, such as purchasing more American-produced energy. With markets putting pressure on politicians worldwide, leading Eurocrats came out on Monday, attempting to appease Washington with concessions. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Brussels had relayed an offer of “zero-for-zero” tariffs on industrial goods, while trade envoy Maroš Šefčovič suggested a “boost in strategic areas” like semiconductors and minerals. 8 Apr 2025 U.S. President Donald Trump...

President Trump said after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday that India will increase its purchases of American oil and military hardware, culminating in India’s purchase of the advanced F-35 fighter jet. “We’ll be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We’re also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters,” Trump said at a joint press conference with Modi. Trump also said the U.S. will become “a leading supplier of oil and gas to India” under a new agreement that will help reduce America’s trade deficit with India. The...

Students cite privacy concerns, ‘risk of collecting biometric information’ New biometric palm recognition scanners in a Dartmouth College dining hall have prompted privacy concerns among some students. The “biometric recognition technology” recently was installed in all but one entrance gate to the Ivy League school’s Class of 1953 Commons dining hall ahead of the winter term, The Dartmouth reports. Instead of scanning or swiping an ID, students can use the new technology to scan the unique palm of their hand to record their entry into the dining hall and purchase a meal. One remaining gate allows students “to swipe in...

During an interview with C-SPAN on Friday, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) stated that people are still worrying about the high prices of groceries, seeing rent increases, and “can’t afford to buy a home.” Dingell stated, “I go to Kroger on Sunday mornings. I have a routine. And when I’m in that — in the store, people know I’m going to be there. They come and talk to me about what — the price of eggs is what’s really, I think has not still quieted down, how they’re worried about their grocery bills, about people that can’t afford to buy a...

Did you know Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to have an armored limousine? At the height of World War II, the Secret Service decided that the president needed a safer means of transportation. And that tradition still stands today. Getting your hands on a presidential limo, though, is no easy feat—they don't just hand them out to civilians. But, if you head to the Mecum Kissimmee auction on January 18, 2025, you might be able to drive home in a rare armored Cadillac originally built for President Bill Clinton. This fully armored 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was one...

By getting governments to over-regulate farming, elite oligarchs like Bill Gates and Klaus Schwab aim to take control over food production in the name of sustainability. Besides ‘degrowth’ and ‘net zero,’ one other dangerous buzz phrase being bandied about by proponents of the Great Reset is “nature-positive food systems.” The stated goal of moving to new food systems is to reduce nitrogen emissions, livestock production, and meat consumption. This is to be achieved by consuming plant-based products, lab-grown foods, and insects (as a source of protein). The moot question, however, is whether such a change is at all necessary? The...

Many people dream of moving abroad, whether it's to experience a different culture, a desire for a slower life, or as am escape from the ever changing political climate. But one road block you'll consistently hit, no matter your nationality, revolves around your visa status. Even if you have a work visa, being able to put down permanent roots in a country where you don't have citizenship is not at all stress-free. There are some loopholes, however, specifically around international real estate that make the moving (and remaining) process so much easier.

I may or may not be guilty of taking a trip to my nearest Trader Joe’s at least once every week. It’s like going on a treasure hunt, except the treasure in question is a variety of delectable baked goods, crave-worthy snacks, and deliciously unexpected cheeses. Sure, it may be at least a 30-minute drive, but what’s a little distance when a pint of Salted Maple Ice Cream is involved?

Vodka is perhaps the spirit with the least personality. It doesn't bring much by way of tasting notes to the table, but when you're looking for a clean, clear liquor to serve a boozy kick without dominating the flavor profile of your drink, vodka is what you want to reach for. Around the world, vodkas are made from grains, potatoes, sugar cane, and even maple sap. There are some pretty cheap ones on the market, leaving you wondering which of them are worth the buy? Bottom shelf is a term that can come with some stigma, but here we use...

Former Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said Tuesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that he did not believe Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris had suddenly become a “centrist.” Toomey said, “We need Republican control of the Senate and that is absolutely essential. If the other side runs the table, then Katie bar the door, they they will repeal the filibuster and they will be dragged by their left wing, which is clearly in charge now. I think Kamala Harris proved that with her vice presidential selection. It is huge tax increases, it’s probably some version of Medicare for all and...

The minimum income required to buy a home now hovers at $116,000 nationwide, according to a new Realtor.com® report—but this threshold varies greatly based on where you live. On the high end is San Jose, CA, where homes are listed at a median of $1,467,000 and homebuyers need a salary of $361,000 to comfortably cover these massive mortgage payments. On the low end, homebuyers in Pittsburgh need to make just $67,000 to snag a property at a more modest median of $250,000. In April, mortgage rates started rising again, pushing up the cost of buying a home by 6.9% compared...

"It’s a great business and I’m going to put together a group to buy TikTok," Mnuchin said. Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary under the Trump administration, said Thursday that he is organizing a group to buy TikTok as a bill proceeds through Congress that would force the popular social media app to either be sold or be banned. "I think the legislation should pass and I think it should be sold," Mnuchin said on CNBC's "Squawk Box," one day after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill that would force the ByteDance, TikTok's Beijing-based parent company, to sell the...

Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Marco Rubio of Florida are teaming up to push the Biden administration to review the planned acquisition of Forbes magazine. The pair sent a letter Wednesday to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warning her that the planned buyout involves entities tied to Russia and the Chinese Communist Party, which previously tried to purchase the outlet. "Forbes reportedly holds a significant market share among younger Americans, with tens of millions of monthly users," the lawmakers wrote. "This puts Forbes in a unique position to collect and store sensitive personal data on these populations and influence...

It is not a secret that over the past decade, hundreds of large U.S. corporations have adopted woke policies, regularly injecting left-wing ideals into their products, services and employment practices. But some of these businesses have recently gone much further than merely promoting social justice causes; they have chosen to target conservative customers and employees, coercing or forcing Americans to abandon their deeply held beliefs in order to receive important goods or services or to stay employed. Although many conservatives have heard stories about corporate discrimination in recent years, they have often struggled to keep track of which businesses have...

The shifting sands of Democrat gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke’s gun control plans have solidified, for now, into a pledge to buy back AR-15s and AK-47s from Texans if the state legislature will support doing it. O’Rourke spoke with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith on Saturday and KVUE reported O’Rourke’s comments.

Here in Florida, we could deal properly with Joe Biden as per F.S. 104.061(2): "104.061 Corruptly influencing voting.— (1) Whoever by bribery, menace, threat, or other corruption whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, attempts to influence, deceive, or deter any elector in voting or interferes with him or her in the free exercise of the elector’s right to vote at any election commits a felony of the third degree... (2) No person shall directly or indirectly give or promise anything of value to another intending thereby to buy that person’s or another’s vote or to corruptly influence that person or another...

Would partner with Big Tech to use spy data from Amazon, Google and Apple.The Trump administration is considering launching a social credit score-style system in coordination with Big Tech that would use spy data collected from Amazon, Google and Apple devices to determine whether or not an individual can own a gun.“The proposal is part of an initiative to create a Health Advanced Research Projects Agency (HARPA), which would be located inside the Health and Human Services Department,” reports the Daily Caller. “The new agency would have a separate budget and the president would be responsible for appointing its director.”HARPA...

After what my wife had to endure Monday in a Fort Worth Mitsubishi dealership, I thought it might be wise to reinforce the notion that pond scum still exists in the new car buying market. Thank God I was only a phone call away. To make a long story short, they started by offering her dirt for her trade, which I already prepared her for. (NADA trade-in value is one thing, but they weren't even in the ball park.) They next tried to sell her the car for over a thousand dollars ABOVE what they were offering it on their...

Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff lost the Georgia special election Tuesday despite the fact that his campaign received unprecedented funding from the deeply liberal state of California. The young Democrat received 8.9 times as many many donors from California than from any other state in the union, including all of the totals from Georgia itself. The failed Democrat received 7,218 private donations from California residents. He benefitted from only 808 donations from inside of Georgia’s sixth congressional district. Hollywood insiders like Chelsea Handler and Georgia Takei donated to Ossoff’s campaign, and other celebrities like Jane Fonda, Sam Waterston, and Kyra Sedgwick...

In a presidential election year, there will, of course, be political biographies. But political biographies for children? This month three children's books about one candidate — Hillary Clinton — hit the shelves. Aimed at a variety of age groups, the books deliver a similar message of female strength, though admittedly one likely to go down easier in Democratic-leaning households. Jonah Winter's picture book "Hillary" (Schwartz & Wade, ages 4 to 8) begins with a slightly tongue-in-cheek overview of history's notably strong women: Queen Elizabeth, Joan of Arc ("she was kind of intense"), Rosie the Riveter, "and now there is Hillary."...