Free Republic

A 74-year-old man living in Akron, Ohio, told police he shot a teenager multiple times after he broke into his home last week. The homeowner, who asked to be identified by his nickname of "Lurch," told FOX 8 Cleveland the home invasion happened around 7:30 in the morning March 29. He said he opened fire when the teen came crashing through his front glass door. The hurt teen rolled down the steps to the basement, where he allegedly grabbed a shovel. "I shot him again," Lurch said. He then kept an eye on the intruder until police arrived. "As far...

We are strange creatures. We see the world and build mental models of how the world works. Soon, those models become more significant to us than reality itself. That is dangerous when so much of our “experience” is from the news and entertainment media. We think our tiny screens show us what is really happening. We want to be carful about what we put into our heads. Here in the USA, there are over a million violent crimes a year. The vast majority of them do not involve the criminal using a gun. At the same time, honest citizens like...

First use of high-speed missiles by Russia in Ukraine sparks renewed urgency for U.S. development. With the first claimed use of a hypersonic weapon by Russia in the invasion of Ukraine, attention is again focusing on defense contractors in the U.S. that are trying to develop their own. Among U.S. defense contractors notable for their efforts are Lockheed Martin (LMT) , Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Raytheon (RTX). The three were picked by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency last November to develop an "accelerated concept design of the Glide Phase Interceptor," to stop incoming vehicles. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are also...

Grizzly bear downed at 10 feet by Jimmy Cox with a 10mm pistolU.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- – The 10mm pistol caliber is gaining supporters as a suitable pistol caliber for defense against bears.The caliber has long been known as an excellent pistol hunting cartridge. In this correspondent’s study of the use of pistols in defense, eight cases have been discovered where 10 mm pistols were used to defend against bear attacks. Six of those cases were with the 10 mm only. One case was in combination with a .340 Weatherby magnum rifle, and one case was in combination with a .45...

The most expensive weapons program in the world is about to experience cuts in the upcoming U.S. Defense of Department (DoD) budget. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a trillion-dollar program to swap out nearly every fighter jet in the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, will experience procurement cuts under DoD's upcoming "Selected Acquisition Report" (SAR), according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with information about the weapon's program cost. DoD is expected to order 61 F-35s in the next budget, 33 less than what was planned. The reduction comes as the F-35 program is expected to exceed $770 billion since...

In the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins at his hands, Alec Baldwin knows who is to blame: Halyna Hutchins.In jaw-dropping court documents filed on Friday morning, Baldwin says she’s the one that asked the gun be pointed at her; that the production was a smooth, well-oiled machine; that her widower, Matthew, has inexplicably gone from amenable to vengeful — and oh, how confusing and upsetting this is to Baldwin; and that hey, no matter what, Baldwin’s contract indemnifies him for any damages.That $1.75 million antique Vermont farmhouse that Baldwin and his wife just bought must be top of mind.That’s...

President Biden on Saturday directed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide $200 million in defense aid for Ukraine, including for military education and training. Biden directed the funding via a memorandum authorizing a drawdown. A drawdown is an order issued by the president to assist countries in an emergency without first seeking approval from a legislative authority or budgetary appropriations, according to a Department of Defense handbook. Saturday's memo notes Blinken can use the aid for military training and to provide general "assistance to Ukraine and to make the determinations required."

There’s little doubt that the growing influence of ‘ESG’ investing helped lead Western Europe to its present unfavorable position, allowing Russia to dominate the energy space. But going forward, a handful of Wall Street analysts are contemplating another ‘ESG’ revamp: allowing “military weapons” and “defense” stocks to be considered “ESG” plays. If you are thinking that this seems a little, well, off, don’t worry – you’re not alone. One prominent ESG investor said he was approached about the possibility last week, but he called the idea “absurd”, according to NYT. Leslie Samuelrich, president of the Green Century Funds, which was...

Life tests our character and we are both the ant and grasshopper from Aesop’s fable. We both prepare and we procrastinate. We face a similar choice when it comes to protecting our children at school. Some of us planned and prepared ahead of time to protect our children, and some of us put that off for another day. What is worse is that some unprepared adults will blame the next mass murder at school on the citizens who took steps to protect their children from harm. Fortunately for all of us we know how to stop mass murder in our...

BETHESDA, MD—Sources within Lockheed Martin confirmed today that loud cheering was heard coming from the defense contractor's executive board room. The cheers coincided with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, as multiple voices within the U.S. condemned the attack and suggested that America intervene in the dispute. "YEEEEEAH!!!!" came a cry echoing through the building. The sounds of high-fives, pounding on the conference table, and a loud, thumping chest bump were also heard. At one point, a chant erupted of, "WAR! WAR! WAR!" Some employees claim they heard the sound of a champagne bottle being opened, while others say confetti...

Diversity, equity and inclusion in the military are necessities for the United States, Bishop Garrison, the senior advisor to the secretary of defense for human capital and diversity, equity and inclusion said. Garrison spoke to the Center for a New American Security today about the progress being made by the department and what still needs to happen. Some 41 percent of the military identify as members of minority groups, and that number will grow larger, Garrison said. The military must be able to attract, train and retain them for the services to retain competitive edges, he said. ...

An Adams County man is dead after police say he broke into an older couple’s home and attacked them, resulting in the homeowner shooting him. The man was identified as Steven David Shaffer, who first got on state police’s radar when residents in the 800 block of Green Springs Road, Berwick Township, reported that a man was trying to get into homes and banging on the windows of vehicles around 11:22 a.m., state police Lt. Mark Maygar said in a Wednesday press conference. Shaffer then went to the next block and entered the home of a married couple in their...

The Progressive left has complained vociferously about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. One of their strident hypotheticals is to claim a black man in Kyle’s situation would never have made it to trial, let alone been found not guilty by a jury. From Julian Castro on twitter: You know damn well that if Kyle Rittenhouse were Black he would have been found guilty in a heartbeat—or shot dead by cops on the scene.This is demonstrably false.A case that received no attention in the national media has numerous similarities to the Kyle Rittenhouse case. Davion L. Jones was found not guilty in...

What’s Happening: We’ve been covering Biden’s border crisis since the beginning of the year. Over one million migrants have jumped the border since Biden took over. Many of them were bussed by his administration to all corners of the country. When Texas Gov. Abbot asked for help to defend our border, Biden ignored him. Texans, fed up with the federal government, took matters into their own hands. From The Western Journal: A new Texas law is attracting armed groups with body armor, long guns and high tech drones to the border… The new law allows migrants to be arrested for...

LAKELAND, Fla. — An investigation is underway after a Lakeland homeowner shot an intruder who broke into his home Wednesday afternoon. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said shortly before 1 p.m. Steven Stillwell, 42, broke into a home near Gibsonia-Galloway Road. Stillwell, according to the homeowner, used a flower pot to break the glass back door of the home before making his way inside. Once inside, the homeowner said he shot Stillwell three times with his legally owned gun. Upon arrival, deputies said the homeowner gave them his gun and led them to Stillwell, who was on the floor of...

On March 5, 2019, Officer Nathan Heidelberg and another officer responded to an alarm call at about 1:16 a.m. The officers checked the backyard of the residence. They did not find a problem. The residence is a large single-family home with outbuildings. Then the officers checked the front door. They found it was unlocked. An alarm went off. The officers backed off. Then Officer Heidelberg announced himself and attempted to enter the residence. The homeowner, David Charles Wilson, now alerted, fired a shot in the direction of the front door. The shot struck Officer Heidelberg. He was pronounced dead about...

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced Thursday it had "successfully" modernized the first B61 nuclear gravity bomb to increase the nation's air-delivered nuclear deterrent capability amid threats of war with Russia in Ukraine and China in the South China Sea and or in the Taiwan Strait. Over the years, we've been documenting (read: here & here) NNSA's $12 billion program to modify aging B61 thermonuclear gravity bombs for the modern battlefield. The weapons first entered service in the late 1960s and needed upgrades to be more effective and increase lifespan by another two decades. The...

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Those who follow the debate on restoring Second Amendment rights have probably heard the other side proclaim some variant of:“Most victims are murdered by people they know.”The implication is defending yourself from a murderer is futile, because there is no point in trying to defend yourself from a person who is close to you.This is a way of lying with statistics. The truth is far different.Few Victims Are Murdered By Someone They Live With.In 2013, this correspondent published an essay on the Misleading Murderer that you Know. The numbers were from 2010. This update uses the latest numbers....

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate blocked the National Defense Authorization Act on Monday amid objections from Republicans and some liberal Democrats, although lawmakers will keep working on the massive annual defense policy bill, which has become law for 60 straight years. The vote was 45-51, meaning the measure could not get the 60 "yes" votes needed to advance toward passage in the 100-member Senate. The NDAA, which normally passes with strong bipartisan support, is closely watched by a broad swath of industry and other interests as it determines everything from how many ships are bought to pay increases for soldiers...

VALDOSTA — Four teenagers have been indicted for murder and other charges in the wake of a fatal shooting. Jeremy Tucker, Jushon Ramsey, Zhamari Jacquis Williams and Mickey Stallings, all of Valdosta, were indicted recently by the Lowndes County Grand Jury, court records show. All four were indicted for felony murder in the death of Steven Boothe, said Brad Shealey, district attorney. The four were also indicted for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony armed robbery, criminal attempt to commit a felony and aggravated assault, records show. Tucker and Ramsey were 17 at the time of...