Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back at critics of her recent gaffe-filled attempt to show off her foreign policy bona fides in Germany, contending it was proof she thinks before she speaks. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was noticeably hoarse as she responded to the blowback she received after stammering over a question about how the US should respond to a hypothetical Chinese invasion of Taiwan is due to the public being conditioned to President Trump’s impulsiveness. “If you think I don’t understand foreign policy because out of hours of discourse about international affairs, I pause to think about one...

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been epically trolled as she cruised through Chinatown in a convertible during Lunar New Year celebrations. The LA Mayor was perched atop the vehicle Saturday, smiling and waving while wishing spectators a happy New Year. “Today is the day we all contribute and show our support for Chinatown,” Bass says in one video. But the tone quickly turned sour. A man filming the mayor — who appeared to identify himself as a journalist — pressed her about city budget cuts and crumbling roads, accusing her of “defunding our city.” “Make sure you vote against...

There is a growing body of evidence that marijuana causes a number of health problems, but this study is especially sobering, as it encompassed 463,396 adolescents: Adolescents who use cannabis could face a significantly higher risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders by young adulthood, according to a large study published in JAMA Health Forum. The longitudinal study followed 463,396 adolescents ages 13 to 17 through age 26 and found that past-year cannabis use during adolescence was associated with a significantly higher risk of incident psychotic (doubled), bipolar (doubled), depressive and anxiety disorders.Good Lord. Cannabis use preceded psychiatric diagnoses by an...

An exploration of Rome's travels in the far east. Get "The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization" https://mdsh.io/invictahistory and use code "Invicta" for 10% off.In this history documentary we seek to answer how far to the east did the Romans go? In previous episodes we covered the preceding links between the east and west which had been formed. Now we follow Roman traders into India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China, and beyond! How Far East Did the Romans Go? (India, Vietnam, China?) DOCUMENTARY | 29:11 Invicta | 1.66M subscribers | 131,135 views | February 1, 2026

The gold medal hopes of one pair of U.S. athletes were dashed this week, as the American women's bobsled team came in last place after stopping to ask for directions. Elana Meyers Taylor and Jadin O'Brien, competing in the 2-Woman Bobsled event, were considered strong contenders to reach the podium but suffered a shocking fall in the standings after briefly stopping during the middle of their run to ask for directions to the finish line. "They just wanted to make sure," one spectator said. "They were given clear directions before the competition… and a map… but they ended up not...

Explanation: What if you saw your shadow on Mars and it wasn't human? Then you might be the Opportunity rover exploring Mars. Opportunity explored the Red Planet from 2004 to 2018, finding evidence of ancient water, and sending breathtaking images across the inner Solar System. Pictured here in 2004, Opportunity looks opposite the Sun into Endurance Crater and sees its own shadow. Two wheels are visible on the lower left and right, while the floor and walls of the unusual crater are visible in the background. Caught in a dust storm in 2018, Opportunity stopped responding, and NASA stopped trying...

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Sunday said the Trump administration would need guidance from the courts on how to handle tariff refunds after the Supreme Court struck down duties authorized under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. “Well, we need the court to tell us what to do. They’ve created a situation where they struck down the tariffs and gave zero guidance on this,” Greer said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” “Historically, you know, as a trade attorney, in my experience, courts will normally give you some instruction on what to do, when.” “The Court of International...

If you have any incredible comebacks when a liberal spouts its nonsense at you, post your best ones. This will be a fun thread. I'll start: Liberal Spouting Nonsense: "I apologize to all the Kid Rock Americans for my insensitive words. Any rich man should be allowed to live action role play as working class to sell records." My Succinct Response: "(Bruce Springsteen enters the chat)"

If people have property when they die, who should inherit it? You can't take it with you. Increased inequality reduces government's concern for the general welfare. The public owns all natural resources in common and no one deserves more than an equal share of their fruits. The Alaskan oil dividend could be a model here. Inheritance reform would not eliminate billionaires; it would only eliminate hereditary billionaires.

it’s been a while since we had a good, old fashioned “cats with stats” around here and seems like high time we remedied that, so here is some data that happened to strike me: michael arouet, whose data and analysis i quite like, posted this yesterday: being a data-driven sort of feline, this seemed a bit of an unfair comparison to me as it pits an urban area against a whole country and as such has the potential to embed a great deal of bias. seeking to eliminate this potential objection to the data and to make a more apples...

Suspect identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed to Fox News that the suspect was 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina. No Secret Service or PBSO personnel were injured, and no Secret Service protectees were present at the location during the time of the incident, officials said. Trump was also not in Florida when the shooting occurred. The FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office are investigating, including the man’s background, actions and potential motive, as well as the use of force. Bradshaw said at a press conference that a deputy...

We wrote recently about the ongoing effort by Marxists in the United States to raise money on behalf of the Communist government in Cuba. That effort continues. Meanwhile, the same folks, in league with a whole raft of other radical leftist groups, are also working on sending a “flotilla” to Havana’s aid. “A growing coalition of international organizations, including Progressive International, The People’s Forum, CODEPINK, and allied movements across the Americas and beyond is coming together to launch the Nuestra América Flotilla to Cuba in March, 2026, a humanitarian and solidarity mission to the island at a moment of deep...

If you haven't heard, New York City has been struggling this winter to clear its streets of snow. Communist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been blamed for mishandling the city's response. To "fix" the problem, Mamdani is asking the residents of what used to be a First-World city to shovel the streets themselves. But in order to do that, he is requiring them to fill out paperwork, including two forms of identification.

A newly granted patent to Meta is raising unsettling questions about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital identity. The company’s developments suggest that social media users could continue posting, commenting, and even interacting with loved ones after death.

A man was shot and killed by law enforcement personnel at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., early Sunday morning. Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi said the man, in early 20s, was killed after “unlawfully entering the secure perimeter” at the resort around 1:30 a.m. local time Sunday. Two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the incident, where shots were fired by law enforcement officials, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw said at a Sunday presser. Local and federal officials are investigating whether it was a Secret Service...

Many people saw the triumphant figure skater Alysa Liu win gold for the U.S. yesterday. Liu skated a nearly flawless program to become the first American woman to claim the gold medal in 24 years. Most people don't realize that Arthur Liu, Alysa's father, participated in the Tiananmen Square protest as part of the 1989 democracy movement, which led to his persecution. At 25, he went into exile in the U.S. as a political refugee and shortly after became a lawyer. Alysa is the oldest of his five children. Liu was a primary female recruitment target for the CCP's...

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What drives a Hollywood legend to trade red carpets and fame for a deeper search for meaning? In this inspiring episode of The Greg Laurie Show, Pastor Greg Laurie sits down with acclaimed actor Dennis Quaid for an unfiltered and honest conversation about faith, fame, addiction, and personal transformation. From iconic roles in films like "The Big Easy" and "I Can Only Imagine," Dennis Quaid opens up about his unconventional spiritual journey—from his Baptist upbringing to exploring Eastern mysticism in India, and ultimately, a life-changing encounter with Jesus. The episode dives deep into the heart of Quaid’s story, revealing the...

“Luckily, it worked,” McGraw added. “And I think that what kept me from being just sort of a novelty act with this sort of funky, weird song that made some noise was being able to come right behind it with ‘Don’t Take the Girl.’

Will this week’s Supreme Court decision limit the use of tariffs as a foreign policy tool of presidents, or did it set up a firewall against future leftist chief executives while allowing this president to continue to utilize other means to the same end? Is the decision momentous or of little consequence? A lot of attention this week was focused on Alysia Liu’s stunning Olympic performance and the tale of a baby monkey in a Japanese zoo (name Anglicized to “Punch”). Punch was abandoned by his mother, had been raised and bonded to his caretakers who needed to integrate him...