Free Republic

Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Real. Meira K is your home for honest political commentary and cultural analysis. We’re here to break the echo chamber and expose the lies behind the news.

I’ve been on a small carrier/LHA in a war zone during the first Iranian dust up. We did 105 days continuous at sea. Drank that beer on steel beach. It was hard work, but we could have done another hundred days. The only thing we ran short of was fresh vegetables and milk. I’m more concerned with this concerted effort by media...aided by a dozen pussies aboard...to undermine the esteem these sailors warrant. As always, getting the job done. Bravo Abe Lincoln, BRAVO!!

Ashley Callingbull, the Miss Universe Canada 2024 titleholder, stopped this year’s competition to call out two contestants for their costumes, which featured clothing elements traditionally worn by Indigenous peoples. The contestants have since apologized for their outfits. Callingbull, a Plains Cree woman from the Enoch Cree Nation who was the first First Nations Miss Universe Canada, interrupted the final portion of the pageant’s competition that she was hosting on Aug. 8, addressing the room before the top 20 contestants were announced, according to the CBC Indigenous.

... First Contact and Humanity’s Mental Health Another nonprofit organization has taken a different approach, focusing on the potential psychological and public-health implications of disclosure. The uNHIdden Foundation, whose mission is to support mental health related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), recently released a preparedness framework addressing the societal impact of a paradigm-shifting discovery. ... Developed by healthcare practitioners, physicians, clinical psychologists, and public-health specialists, “Preparing for Disclosure: A Public Health Framework for Paradigm-Shifting Revelations” examines how society might reduce harm, build resilience, and support individuals processing a profound shift in humanity’s understanding of its place in the universe. ......

James Talarico is too radical for Texas.

McDonald’s compiled a 515-page dossier on one of its loyalty-program customers — using years of fast-food purchases to predict how often he would return, how much he would spend and even what he was likely to order. Reece Rogers, a journalist for Condé Nast-owned Wired magazine, discovered the extensive digital profile after requesting the personal data McDonald’s had stored about him. The file revealed a “Minority Report”-style trove of predictions about his future behavior, including that he would visit McDonald’s 2.16 times over the next six weeks and spend an average of $13.49 per order. The fast-food giant calculated Rogers...

Explanation: On August 12th, 2026, the Moon totally eclipsed the Sun and cast its shadow across Siberia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal. Today’s image features two total solar eclipses viewed from Zaragoza, Spain, one over the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar and the other reflecting in the Ebro River. For a few moments, Spain saw its first major total solar eclipse since 1905. Those witnessing totality may experience a chill in the air, the quieting of birds, the confused chirps of insects, and the shared awe of many. It’s the corona’s time to shine as the Sun’s bright...

Archaeologists at Göbeklitepe in southeastern Turkey have uncovered rectangular buildings that may offer new evidence of everyday life and homes at the Neolithic settlement. The structures lie just below the modern surface in a newly opened excavation area. Researchers believe they belong to Göbeklitepe’s second phase of occupation. Unlike the site’s famous monumental enclosures, the buildings contain fewer large stone pillars and have interiors that may have supported domestic activities. Excavation director Prof. Dr. Necmi Karul said the team’s initial impression is that some may have been homes. Researchers, however, say more evidence is needed before they can determine how...

History continues to resurface as unprecedented heatwaves and droughts in Europe push the Danube River to its lowest levels on record. In addition to the dozens of World War II Nazi naval vessels near the Serbian town of Prahavo, archaeologists in Hungary have located an extremely rare Wehrmacht military motorcycle, along with the bodies of its two potential crewmembers. Due to the area’s unique conditions, both the vehicle and the soldiers’ remains are remarkably well-preserved even after over 80 years underwater. The vehicle and possible remains were found in an exposed section of the Danube riverbed near the Hungarian Parliament...

PCU John F. Kennedy departs Newport News for acceptance trials. (Image credit: HII) The John F. Kennedy, the second Gerald R. Ford class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, left Newport News on Aug. 12 to commence acceptance trials before its handover to the U.S. Navy. Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) John F. Kennedy, soon to be the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) will now have its systems and equipment evaluated in these final manufacturer trials to prove it is up to specification before delivery. Previously scheduled for delivery in 2025, the 100,000 ton aircraft carrier was delayed by issues with the new Advanced...

Australian Golfer Jessica Bang died at the age of 18 after suffering a brain hemorrhage ahead of a qualifying event in Thailand, according to the WPGA Tour of Australasia. “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the broader Australian golf community are with Jessica’s family, friends and all those who knew and loved her at this incredibly difficult time,” the organization said in a statement published by multiple outlets. Bang collapsed on Aug. 1 while preparing for the KLPGA Tour’s International Qualifying Tournament and underwent emergency brain surgery at Synphat Ramintra Hospital in Bangkok...She...

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department has pinpointed nearly $5 billion in bank or other transactions linked to suspected human smuggling between 2023 and 2025 — a staggering figure that the Trump administration is vowing to reduce, The Post can reveal. The Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) found $4.9 billion in suspicious exchanges by combing through Bank Secrecy Act data between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2025, according to a forthcoming Financial Trend Analysis report. Much of that amount included “excessive cash activity conducted along the southwest border of the United States,” as well as transfers along other “common...

Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty Friday in his federal case tied to his alleged execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — in an apparent bid to dodge a life sentence, sources confirmed to the Post. The 28-year-old accused killer — who is set to appear at a morning hearing in Manhattan federal court — is charged in the federal case with two counts of stalking resulting in death stemming from his alleged December 2024 cold-blooded murder of the powerful executive on a Manhattan sidewalk. Mangione would still likely face a potential life sentence if he were to plead...

Five people have been arrested following a two-day search for a train car burglary suspect who allegedly fired at an officer from a moving freight train in San Bernardino County, authorities announced Thursday. Officers with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway were attempting to stop several suspects allegedly burglarizing railcars Monday evening when one of the suspects, identified as 21-year-old Angel Castro, allegedly fired a handgun in the direction of an officer, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The officer was not struck, and no law enforcement personnel were injured. The manhunt for the suspects intensified after they were...

I like posting things like this on FR as there is a lot of wisdom from members. I have a fairly new 1/3 hp Zoeller sump pump but considering a backup in case of power outage: 1. Whole house generator connected to natural gas. Depending on model, kW, this can cost $10-25,000. 2. Traditional generator that plugs into utility meter socket or a smaller standalone just for the pump. $500 - $3,000 solution. 3. UPS with two batteries but fairly expensive. $3,000 by my estimation. Allows for software monitoring of system. 4. Two battery system with inverter, charger, inline fuse...

FIRST ON FOX: Harvard allegedly failed to adequately safeguard research collaborations with Chinese institutions, including universities tied to Beijing’s military and defense-industrial base, according to a report from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. 600K more PRC STEM students will definitely fix this ! Trump suspend PRC visas for at least one year NOW!

Link onlyCMP approved to sell more than 100,000 surplus M14 rifles

Kazakhstan's president might be inviting Putin to shove him off an open window

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) added his voice to local politicians and Democrat State Representative James Talarico (D-Austin), nominee in the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Texas, in opposing border security enhancements

An Arabic bookshop in London has been accused of anti-Semitism after it was found selling copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and displaying them "front and centre" of the store. The newly opened shop, Aafaq Bookstore on Edgware Road, had multiple copies of the extremist text on a display table this week, just a five-minute walk away from the West London Synagogue. Featuring a photograph of the Nazi Party leader saluting on its cover, the edition was translated into Arabic and appeared to be published by Aafaq. In addition to owning the London bookshop, the firm is a publishing and...