Free Republic

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. -- Okaloosa County is reapplying for permits required to sink the SS United States.The county said they are reapplying for the permitting area where the SS United States will be deployed. This results in the original permit being modified.The historic ocean liner is set to become the world's largest artificial reef. The only thing standing in the way now is final approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers."There's people that want to come from all over Europe, Australia, Asia all different locations wanting to hit it," says Mason Ousley, the manager at Dive Pros.>>>The ocean liner...

Imagine a woman driving across state lines alone at night, fearful that her car might break down and leave her vulnerable. Or picture a truck driver hauling valuable cargo across the country. In states such as California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Oregon – five of the ten states that refuse to recognize concealed handgun permits from other states – these travelers can find themselves defenseless. Nine states also either deny non-residents permits altogether or make them extremely difficult to obtain. Last week, President Trump again called for passage of national concealed carry reciprocity. The legislation would allow anyone...

President Donald Trump's plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz appears to be working, as transits show the strongest signs yet of returning to normal operations. Commercial shipping is steadily increasing under the 60-day U.S.-Iran ceasefire, easing fears of prolonged global oil supply disruptions and driving crude prices lower. New maritime data shows vessel traffic through the strategic waterway has more than quadrupled over the past week as shipping companies cautiously resume voyages through the Persian Gulf. According to maritime intelligence platform Signal, the number of traceable daily voyages entering and leaving the Gulf increased from just one or two...

The real story of the Declaration of Independence - the secret conversation between Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOOQfGWt8Hc

Extra special feature: Kate Smith leading the singing of "God Bless America." Dean Martin & Kate Smith - America Medley & Show Ending [video- with Barbara Eden, Mickey Rooney & Norm Crosby]

Video at link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pZ1brENIjw

In this video, The Electric Viking details Tesla's record-breaking Q2 2026 performance. Despite broader market skepticism, Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in the second quarter of 2026, marking a significant 25% year-over-year increase and crushing Wall Street's consensus estimates by roughly 74,000 units (0:13-0:28). Key takeaways from the report: Strong Rebound: This quarter marks Tesla's strongest second quarter ever and the first year-over-year growth following two straight years of decline (0:36-0:47). Production vs. Deliveries: Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles while producing 451,758, indicating that they successfully cleared out excess inventory (0:51-1:03). Model Mix: Deliveries were heavily dominated by the Model Y and...

Young Washington is a 2026 American epic historical war drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Jon Erwin. It is based on the early life of the Founding Father and first president of the United States, George Washington and focuses on his experiences and command in the French and Indian War between 1753 and 1755. William Franklyn-Miller stars as the titular character, alongside Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis and Ben Kingsley.The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2026, and was released in the United States by Angel Studios on July 3, 2026. The film received mixed...

President Donald Trump has been warning recently that communism will pose a threat to the U.S. if Democrats win in the upcoming midterm elections. Last week, he referred to Democrats as “hard core, godless Communists”. But experts say his claims, echoed by Vice President J.D. Vance and other Republican leaders, are off base. Here’s a closer look at the facts. THE FACTS: No candidate openly belonging to the U.S. Communist Party has ever been elected to state or federal office, according to experts. Although there are fringes of the Democratic Party that have expressed support for communist ideas, experts say...

Visegrád 24 @visegrad24 Palestine Action US founder Calla Walsh attends Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral and calls him the “greatest anti-Imperialist leader” in her lifetime. This is the brainwashing going on in the far-left, making them to unite with Islamists and terrorists.

Tomorrow is July 4, 2026, and if you’re a student of American history, you know what that means: It means I’ll be trying to recover from celebrating my 79th birthday, which is today. But it also means that tomorrow the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday, the anniversary of that fateful day in 1776 when the Founding Fathers adopted the Declaration of Independence, an act for which they could have been hanged. Imagine being that brave. Granted, you and I routinely accept “Terms of Service” agreements that, for all we know, give Google and Microsoft the right to harvest...

America 250 has become another front in the culture war, exposing a fundamental divide over patriotism and American exceptionalism. Earlier this week, I walked around the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Despite the heavy negative press coverage, I thought it was impressive and inspiring. The event boldly portrays American patriotism and exceptionalism across our great nation to celebrate our country’s 250th birthday. It runs from June 25 through July 10, featuring more than 150 exhibits from all 56 U.S. states and territories, along with businesses, innovators, and civic organizations. There is a towering Ferris...

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence happens to also coincide with the 200th birthday of composer Stephen Collins Foster. A songwriter who achieved remarkable success in the late 1840s and 1850s with “Oh! Susanna,” “My Old Kentucky Home” and many others, Foster was born near Pittsburgh on July 4, 1826. A portrait of a young man with a comb-over, pursing his lips. Stephen Foster. University of Pittsburgh Library System, CC BY-SA Though he died destitute in 1864, his memory was revived in the 1890s, when he started variously being referred to as “America’s troubadour,” “America’s folk-song composer” and...

While news reports have focused on the Middle East for most of 2026, the war in Ukraine has intensified and its potential for continental spillover increased. Also, there is evidence suggesting the globalists are fomenting escalation. Writers for the Council on Foreign Relations say that America should prepare to join Central and Western Europe in an eventual war against Russia. A Russian spokesperson recently appeared on a popular American podcast saying that, at this rate, the conflict is indeed heading toward another world war.State-controlled Russian media reported on Friday that a Ukrainian drone attack killed five Russian civilians and injured...

Abigail was born to William Smith, a minister, and his wife, Elizabeth, in 1744 in Massachusetts. Despite having no access to formal education, she became an avid reader with access to many books through her father and grandfather. Philosophy, government, law, and theology were all subjects she enjoyed and would serve as the foundation for her values and passions. Concerning women’s education, she is known for writing, “If we mean to have Hero Statesmen and Philosophers, we should have learned women.” She strongly opposed slavery and there are several letters to her husband on the subject. She wrote, “I wish...

A Wisconsin Transgender Democrat DSAer is urging leftists to “Kill Your Local Republican” and is calling for the left to wage war. He calls it “Trans Jihad” and says Republicans and MAGA should be made to live in fear of being killed. He’s a former staffer for another transgender DSAer running for office in the state.So much for “moderate” Democrats. A Wisconsin Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) transgender staffer named Teha Delaruelle, who worked for another transgender DSA Democrat named Katrina DeVille and was fired recently, is now calling for a ‘Trans Jihad,’ urging leftists to “Kill your local Republican.”...

Too good to be true? On July 4, 1826, the very day on which America celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Independence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died. While this fact - dramatic enough - is beyond dispute, the ninety-year-old Adams's last words as they have come down to us,"Jefferson survives," seem a bit too perfectly constructed. Yet no historian ever questioned them. ... Further investigation turned up the one and only person known to have been present when Adams last spoke: Louisa Smith, the never-married, fifty-three-year-old niece and adopted daughter of Abigail Adams. Smith at some point told the...

Cyborg cockroaches have actually been a thing for a while - with researchers attaching electrodes to the brain and sensory organs, enabling them to direct the insects like a remote-controlled car. Now, though, scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have taken things one step further by creating a cybernetic diving suit that can enable a cockroach to breath underwater. A 3D-printed 'backpack' attached to the insect contains a chemical oxygen generator and pumps the breathable air through special tubes. Experiments showed that the system provided enough of an oxygen supply for the insect to survive and swim around underwater...

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EVERYONE!!!!!!

The Bartender's Thinking BIG! 😆