Free Republic

Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Ben Cohen told Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson on Monday that, due to the Pentagon’s inflated budget, the department is a “huge demonic sucking tube.” -snip- Cohen went on to highlight Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s 1967 speech, in which he criticized the U.S. for prioritizing the Vietnam War over dedicating “necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor.” “Martin Luther King gave this speech, and he talked about the Pentagon being this huge demonic sucking tube that sucks out the lifeblood of things like housing, schools,” Cohen added. “Everybody’s school budget...

Ukraine fired drones at Moscow days before Vladimir Putin was set to host world leaders at a Victory Day parade through the capital. Russia was forced to cancel Second World War anniversary events in occupied Crimea because of security concerns. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, has said he cannot guarantee the safety of delegates attending the march through Moscow on Friday, which will be attended by Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader. ...It came as Ukrainian forces launched a second incursion into the Russian region of Kursk, breaking across the border and destroying bridges. On Monday Kyiv fired dozens of drones...

Moscow closed all four of its main airports for several hours into Tuesday after state media reported the military had shot down 105 Ukrainian drones overnight. Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said that at least 19 drones were destroyed on their way to the capital as it prepares for Victory Day celebrations this week. Debris fell on a major avenue in the city's south without causing injuries, Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. Governors in other Russian cities, including Penza and Voronezh, said they had also been targeted by Ukrainian drones. It was the second night in a row that Russia...

Russia's oil price in roubles has fallen to a two-year low below the 4,000 rouble per barrel mark and some 40% lower than planned in the federal budget, data showed, piling pressure on the Kremlin, already saddled with a burgeoning budget deficit. -snip- According to Reuters calculations, the average price of Russia's mix of Urals and ESPO blends dipped on May 2 to $48.92 per barrel, or 3,987 roubles, which is more than 40% below the 6,726 roubles the government had originally planned for this year. That's the lowest since May 2023, according to Reuters data. It is also still...