Free Republic

Key PointsA new twin-engine, carrier-capable jet trainer developed by Hongdu Aviation was spotted during flight tests in China.The aircraft features reinforced landing gear, twin vertical stabilizers, and structural adaptations for naval aviation.China has conducted the maiden flight of a new jet trainer aircraft, as shown in recently published images circulating on Chinese social media.The prototype aircraft was spotted during pre-flight preparations and later airborne, marking its debut in the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s expanding aviation program.The jet, produced by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIG), features design elements tailored for naval operations, including twin engines, a reinforced landing gear system, and...

Key PointsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Shahed drones now pose a greater challenge than ballistic missiles, requiring the use of interceptors, F-16s, and helicopters.The Armed Forces are deploying helicopters and modified civilian aircraft to intercept drones and preserve limited missile defense stockpiles.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Iranian-designed Shahed drones now pose a more persistent and unpredictable threat than ballistic missiles, forcing the Armed Forces to use a wide range of countermeasures under increasingly difficult operational conditions.“Shaheds have now become more dangerous in some cases than ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy said during a press briefing, according to Suspilne. “We can shoot down...

While many of the largest tech companies race to build massive data centers for their artificial intelligence ambitions, Apple is taking a more modest approach. In its fiscal 2025, which ended in September, Apple spent $12.72 billion on capital expenditures. Compared to Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, Apple’s barely spending at all. Apple’s different approach to AI hasn’t hurt its hardware sales yet. CEO Tim Cook told CNBC Thursday that consumer response to the company’s iPhone 17 models was “off the chart.” While many of the largest tech companies race to build massive data centers for their artificial intelligence...

In the publication’s 70th anniversary issue, the magazine undercut its own important legacy by attacking one of the right’s biggest icons.National Review is turning 70. The legacy of that publication is hard to sum up, but suffice it to say, its impact on American politics has been enormous, and it’s one I certainly feel personally. I worked there for a couple of years, and I was very grateful for the job and the experience it gave me. My tenure at NR only overlapped with the last few months of William F. Buckley’s life, though I had met him once earlier...

Thune last week dismissed the possibility of nuking the filibuster as a “bad idea," but on Thursday night President Donald Trump urged the Senate to use the tactic. Senate Majority Leader John Thune's office on Friday indicated that the leader's position has not changed on whether to use the nuclear option to bypass the filibuster and end the government shutdown, despite pressure from the White House.Thune last week dismissed the possibility of nuking the filibuster as a “bad idea," but on Thursday night President Donald Trump urged the Senate to use the tactic, which would circumvent Democratic opposition to...

Islamic No-Go Zones in AmericaThe story about the ‘terrorist’ raid in Dearborn, Michigan, is still developing but there’s an interesting footnote to it that should really be the lead.Normally the FBI coordinates with local authorities if it’s planning a raid and major arrests in a city.Not so much in Dearborn, a city with a governing body that is infamously not only Muslim, but Islamists, and openly supportive of Islamic terrorism to such an extent that a Wall Street Journal editorial called it ‘America’s Jihadist Capital’.FBI Director Kash Patel says a “potential terrorist attack,” allegedly targeting Halloween weekend in Michigan, was...

The South African government has criticised the US's decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.It highlighted an open letter published by prominent members of the Afrikaner community earlier this week rejecting the narrative, with some signatories calling the relocation scheme racist.The limited number of white South African Afrikaners signing up to relocate to the US was indication that they were not being persecuted, it added.On Thursday, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced its lowest refugee annual cap on record - to just 7,500.The...

https://babylonbee.com/news/prodigal-son-returns-after-snap-benefits-expireGALILEE — A local family rejoiced after a wayward son returned in repentance to his father, though subsequent reports claimed that this was because he just ran out of SNAP benefits. Sources said that the father ran out to his son, who looked a little pudgy after living on government-subsidized junk food for months, and embraced him. "My father! I have sinned, and am no longer worthy to be called your son," said the young prodigal to his weeping dad. "Is there anything in the fridge? My EBT card hasn't been working since this government shutdown stuff happened." Witnesses said...

Zohran Mamdani was an inevitability for the Big Apple. It was the night after Inauguration Day. Not a creature was stirring, not even a socialist résumé. The moon hung low over the iconic New York City skyline, casting eerie shadows on boarded-up storefronts along Broadway, First Avenue, and Park Row. Aware of the economic and societal horror about to unfold in the City That Never Sleeps, the fat cats fled to their Hamptons mansions – or under Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R) desk. Uber drivers roam the streets, enjoying higher fares from rocketing demand spurred by working-class customers who...

Make no mistake, Mamdani has embraced Marxism and jihadism.The first rule of a Marxist revolution is that it must always eat its own. We’re beginning to see that even before Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor of New York, which has a very high likelihood according to the betting markets.The supposed heartburn is already setting in because here is the problem: Once people begin to govern, there are actual rules to governance. You have to be a person capable of carrying out the office of the mayor, and there are obstacles to that.Thus, all of the bizarre, radical signaling that Mamdani...

A drive through McDonald’s steered by a pair of babies stole the show at the White House on Thursday night as Donald and Melania Trump played host to an army of trick-or-treaters.The US president smiled and joked while passing out Hershey chocolate bars wrapped in custom blue boxes emblazoned with the presidential seal alongside the First Lady.Dozens of carved jack-o-lanterns filled with lights decorated the White House’s sprawling staircases while a military string ensemble played an array of spooky covers.Mr Trump emerged from the White House’s southern entrance to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ just two hours after returning from a gruelling...

Key Points The FAA issued a temporary flight restriction off Puerto Rico for “special security reasons” effective November 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. The restriction coincides with increased U.S. military operations in the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), acting under the direction of the Department of Defense (DoD), has issued a new Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) establishing temporary flight restrictions over an area off the southeast coast of Ceiba, Puerto Rico.The order, identified as FDC 5/9106, takes effect on November 1, 2025, and will remain active through March 31, 2026.According to...

In a significant move, the USA has temporarily closed off the airspace surrounding Puerto Rico, following the issuance of a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) to facilitate hot pit refueling operations. This specialized refueling technique, which involves refueling military aircraft with their engines still running, allows planes to take off quickly and efficiently, making it a critical part of military operations that require immediate readiness. As the USA and Puerto Rico ramp up their military preparedness, the closure serves as a key strategy in ensuring rapid response capabilities.What Is Hot Pit Refueling?Hot pit refueling is a highly specialized technique used in...

The deployment of USS Gettysburg comes as a carrier strike group is also heading to the region, while Trump denies he is about to strike.The U.S. Navy is continuing to build up its forces in the Caribbean amid reported claims that an attack on Venezuela could be imminent. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg is now in the region, a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone. The Gettysburg adds to a current force of eight other warships deployed as part of enhanced counter-narcotics operations also aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. In addition, as we have previously...

In July 2024, I flew to a pop-up city named Vitalia that aimed to “make death optional.” Situated in the heart of a special economic zone on Roatan, a Honduran island, Vitalia advertised itself as a place to fast-track drug research outside of America’s burdensome regulatory constraints.The AI-generated pictures I’d seen made it look sleek and futuristic, like a cross between South Beach Miami and The Jetsons. Since its launch seven months before, Vitalia had attracted scientists, entrepreneurs, and crypto enthusiasts—among them longevity guru Bryan Johnson and Balaji S. Srinivasan, the author of The Network State. The special economic zone...

The left wing and media rage hysterically from one Trump psychodrama to the next, while President Donald Trump trolls both on social media. But all that is verbiage. What matters is the data and facts of Trump's first nine months since January 20, 2025, in comparison to either former President Joe Biden's prior year or the averages of his four years in office. Take the border. No one knows how many illegal aliens entered -- or stayed in -- the U.S. during Biden's four years of open borders. What is clear is that he set a presidential record of well...

Trump cannot be president again. But he and his loyal followers have every reason for wanting to make people think he can. Can Donald Trump legally run for a third term as president of the United States? No. Can Trump serve as president for a third term? No. Is there some untried or untested constitutional theory that could potentially allow Trump to serve again? No. Can he run for vice president? No. Can he run for Congress, get elected as speaker of the House, and serve as president after the president and vice president resign? Well, he can run for...

Republicans are winning the shutdown, and even CNN has to admit it. We turn now to my favorite pollster, Harry Enten, who has some shocking news for his colleagues at the network. Take a look. That’s right: GOP poll numbers are actually up! The way Republicans are choosing to handle the shutdown is actually resonating with voters. And not just their own voters, but also with independents. Republican voters, the MAGA base, they’re excited that the party is sticking to its guns, and independents are also rewarding them for it. I think that’s very telling. GOP voters do not want...

In an interview on Stephen A. Smith's SiriusXM political show "Straight Shooter with Stephen A.," former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) said the Democratic Party is fighting a civil war. STEPHEN A. SMITH, HOST: What about your thoughts about Governor Kathy Hochul endorsing him, supporting him? It's one thing for Bernie Sanders to do it. He's a progressive leftist and doesn't mind socialism at all. It's one thing for AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, doing the same thing. It's another thing entirely for your former lieutenant governor to be willing to do that. What should that say to New Yorkers in your...

A key strategy in the Trump administration’s crackdown on gender medicine is identifying and prosecuting insurance fraud. A common form of potential billing fraud involves use of the diagnosis “Endocrine Disorder Not Otherwise Specified” (E34.9 in the International Classification of Diseases handbook), instead of “Gender Identity Disorders” (F64), for patients who do not have or are not being treated for endocrine disorders. Critics of gender medicine might argue that fraud exists even with appropriate diagnostic coding. The “gender dysphoria” diagnosis, the reasoning goes, was created in 2013 for the purpose of ensuring insurance coverage for medical interventions.Finally, a reason to...