Free Republic

Karina is six months pregnant, but the foetus inside her womb is not her own. The 22-year-old from eastern Ukraine is a surrogate, pregnant with an embryo from a Chinese couple's egg and sperm. At the age of 17 Karina's home was destroyed when her city, Bakhmut, became one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds in the early phase of Russia's full-scale invasion. With most of the city turned to rubble and ash, she and her partner moved to Kyiv but they struggled to find steady work. It was when Karina was in a shop one day, with barely enough...

CINCINNATI — A concerning situation unfolded on Wednesday at Cincinnati’s City Hall, when a woman tried to bring a sword into council chambers. It happened on Wednesday afternoon during the public comment portion of the Cincinnati city council meeting, causing a serious scare. Police said the suspect had the sword hidden inside a cane and made it past City Hall security. Councilmembers said the sword wasn't pulled from the cane but it surprised them that the sword made it through security. According to Cincinnati Police, Alexandra Dalton, 29, was arrested. She was charged with resisting arrest, inducing panic, carrying concealed...

She seems to have been on these drugs since she was about 12, and Kamala Harris has been her stepmother since 2014. I would assume she has had access all her life to the very best medical care, and yet look at her. She seems lost, trapped inside of a drug experience that she never competently chose for herself and unable to test what lies on the other side of a disturbing withdrawal experience. She responds to commenters who push her to give up the drugs with lines like "y'all… I will not be getting off my meds." [video at...

A new Harvard/Harris poll finds that former Vice President Kamala Harris has opened up a significant lead in the race for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Ms. Harris is the choice of 50% of Democrats surveyed, while her next closest competitor, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.), gets the nod from just 22% of the donkeys. Bringing up the rear is a cast of characters each polling in single digits. Oddly, this new presidential polling momentum for Ms. Harris arrives just as some Democrats wonder out loud if she really should be running for governor of California.

Terms such as "historic" and "game-changing" were used by to describe the outcome of the nationally watched Republican primaries for state Senate in the Hoosier State. No less than five of the Trump-backed challengers unseated incumbents. Only two GOP senators have been defeated in primaries in the last 40 years. The outcome of the primaries will not affect the shape of Indiana's U.S. House districts until 2027.

SOUTH CARIBBEAN — A couple trapped on a hantavirus-infected cruise ship reportedly have declined to be rescued by a nearby Carnival cruise, saying they'd rather take their chances with hantavirus instead. "We appreciate the offer, we really do," cruise passenger Arthur Pendleton shouted down to rescue workers through a megaphone while wearing a hazmat suit. "But we've weighed our options. On one hand, we have fever, severe muscle aches, potential respiratory failure, and death. On the other hand, we have the deafening DJ deck, a hundred guys on board named Chaz, and the inevitable all-out violent brawl ending in death....

The billionaire died on Wednesday, according to the cable news network he founded. Turner was nicknamed the 'Mouth of the South' for often being outspoken, and built a media empire that included movies and sports channels, as well as owning the Atlanta Braves.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday argued the War Powers Act is unconstitutional, adding that the Trump administration is only complying with “elements” of it to maintain good relations with Congress. “The War Powers Act is unconstitutional, 100 percent,” Rubio told reporters during a White House briefing, claiming that his position has been shared by “every single president” that has occupied the Oval Office since the law passed in 1973. Also known as the War Powers Resolution, the federal law requires the sitting president to seek congressional authorization for foreign conflicts. Meant to function as a check on the...

LH ZKR K CBYASD. K CBYASD HY XKPD K CLRJYV PLUP K JYBD LA K RHKLADS-MBKRR ZLASYZ. - NKQXYAS UJKASBDN, WKNDZDBB, XQ BYFDBQ -- NKQXYAS UJKASBDN, WKNDZDBB, XQ BYFDBQ Clue: Change C to B

How time travel could work: Scientists have uncovered a way to send messages into the past Time machines may seem better suited to science fiction than the physics lab, but experts say this futuristic technology could become a reality. Researchers have revealed how time travel could really work by using the laws of quantum physics. While their method won't let you hop back to the time of the dinosaurs, scientists say it could be possible to send messages into the past. The researchers even say this mind–bending technique would work just like in Christopher Nolan's sci–fi epic, Interstellar. In the...

Butter is having a moment. No longer just a bit player in baking or a back-of-fridge standby, it’s taking center stage — whipped into sculptural boards, swirled into pastas, slathered generously on crusty bread. And yet, most of us still toss the same familiar yellow box into our grocery carts week after week. What actually makes a butter “better,” and which store-bought slabs are worth the splurge? To find out, we talked to chefs, cheesemongers and cookbook authors obsessed with butter — not just for the flavor, but for the science and soul behind it. We asked about butter for...

California used to be a place where you could get ahead. Work hard, save up, buy your first home, and build a life. That path is disappearing. A generation ago, buying your first home was something many Californians could imagine doing in their 20s. Today, the median first-time homebuyer is 40. Today, first-time buyers are being shut out of the market entirely. The homes that do get built are too big, too expensive, and completely out of reach for young, middle-class families. Starter homes, the foundation of a healthy housing market, have almost vanished. That’s not just a housing issue....

The ceasefire in the Gulf is four weeks old and showing its age. The US and Iran's determination to keep the pressure on each other has put it in serious jeopardy. This is a dangerous moment. The ceasefire opened up a chance for diplomacy that looked for a short time as if it might make progress. Americans and Iranians faced each other across a conference table in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, but came away empty-handed. The Pakistanis are trying to revive the process, without much success so far. Both America and Iran want to have a deal. But they have different...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Elizabeth Warren was seen riding into town Monday morning bearing the scalp of her defeated enemy, Spirit Airlines. The senator from Massachusetts previously opposed a merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, arguing that Spirit Airlines "made mockery of Great Spirit" and only its defeat would "bring'em return of buffalo." "Me no make'em deal with palefaces," Warren said at the time. "Call for anti-trust. Me anti-trust white man." At the time, others argued in favor of the merger, saying it would save thousands of jobs and enable the two budget airlines to join forces against the...

India wants to fence the border with Bangladesh badly – even if it takes venomous snakes or crocodiles. Analysts and activists have expressed alarm at the prospect of dangerous animals such as crocodiles being used to deter refugees and migrants. “This would be hilarious if it weren’t sinister and dangerous,” said Angshuman Choudhury, a researcher with a focus on northeastern and eastern Indian border states. “It’s absurd, right?”

Listen to those like leftist podcaster Hasan Piker and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan, who openly support Hamas, and they’ll tell you that while they support the destruction of Israel, they want to assure Jews in the Diaspora that they have nothing to fear from them. Or, at least, not as long as they don’t support Israel. They are adamant in asserting that anti-Zionism—a movement that denies rights to Jews that no one would think to deny to any other group or people—is not the same thing as antisemitism. Indeed, like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, they are proud...

**McCormick (especially Mayonesa con Jugo de Limón) dominates the Mexican mayonnaise market, holding roughly 70% share.** It is the clear #1 due to its creamy texture, distinctive lime flavor (popular for elotes, tortas, and other Mexican dishes), and widespread availability. It has long been a household staple. Here are the **top 5 mayonnaise brands in Mexico**, based on market dominance, popularity/sales (e.g., Amazon bestsellers), consumer mentions, and quality evaluations from Profeco (Mexico's consumer protection agency): 1. **McCormick** (Mayonesa con Jugo de Limón) The undisputed leader and most popular brand. It stands out for its lime-infused flavor that Mexicans prefer over...

CBGL HBG YNIGPLAGLH YGHX MLINZIGV ML TPMQMLY, M VNL'H HBMLE MH'X HBG PMYBH CRW HN ZNNE RH R KJXMLGXX. — ORAMG VMANL

This is absolutely mind blowing! When Karin Bass was in Ghana as Los Angeles burned, the deputy mayor she left in charge was at home on house arrest. For phoning in a bomb threat. We are indeed governed by criminals. From @spencerpratt on @joerogan

When it comes to storing food, many of us follow the practices our parents and grandparents used. Who cares about reading the package instructions when Grandma left her butter in the butter bell all day, every day, right? So, maybe your butter's home is on the counter in a dish. Or if not on the counter at all times, perhaps you leave your butter sitting out overnight to soften before baking. But, should you leave butter sitting out, unrefrigerated? And, if so, how long can it be on the counter before it becomes unsafe to eat? We asked the experts...