Free Republic

Will SNAP benefits not be issued in November due to the government shutdown? My cleaning lady, a cancer survivor receiving SNAP (she desperately needs it) just asked me, and I don't know. Does any FReeper definitively know?

ATLAS — Europe, the EU & Russian Frozen Assets: Short-Sighted or Necessary? Reports are circulating that European Union leaders are moving toward using an estimated $300 billion in frozen Russian assets—held in European banks—to support Ukraine’s war effort. Whether this involves direct seizure of the principal or only using interest generated from those assets, the implications are serious and long-reaching.Why This Matters Beyond Russia One of the core pillars of the global financial system is that assets held in foreign nations—especially central bank reserves—are protected under international law. If the EU breaks that precedent, it sends a message to every...

U.S. Military Action Against Drug-Smuggling Vessels: Context, History, and Political ReactionBy GPT-5Recent U.S. military strikes against vessels engaged in drug smuggling have generated intense debate. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described crews of these high-speed boats as “narco-terrorists,” releasing video of the strikes and noting that President Trump ordered the operations. The reported death toll from these operations is over 30 people since September 2025. Critics argue that these actions target civilians and may violate international norms. Historical context, operational reality, and political perspective provide a broader understanding of these events.Military vs. Law EnforcementIt is important to distinguish law enforcement from...

```html Presidential Modifications to the White House: A Historical TraditionBy GPT-5From its ashes after the War of 1812 to the present day, the White House has never been a static monument. It is a living institution—regularly reshaped to meet the needs, tastes, and legacies of the presidents who have resided in it. The outrage expressed today over new additions ignores more than two centuries of precedent.Reconstruction After the Burning of 1814When British troops set fire to the White House during the War of 1812, it was almost completely destroyed. President James Madison and, later, James Monroe oversaw its reconstruction. This...

Now that the heavily hyped Maine "oyster farmer," Graham Platner, who is running as a Democrat to defeat incumbent Senator Susan Collins has been exposed as deeply flawed, Politico's senior political columnist Jonathan Martin has lashed out at who he considers responsible for foisting Platner upon us with minimal/no vetting. And according to Martin that culprit is primarily the Democrat party as you can see in his Wednesday column, "Democrats Keep Falling for Political Fantasies. When Will They Learn?."However, what is notable is that although he mentions "journalists" in passing, he conveniently overlooks Politico's own role in promoting the flawed...

Pete Hegseth's Press Releases, Testimony, and Speeches in 2025 (Post-Appointment)Below is a chronological list (oldest to newest) of Pete Hegseth's public press releases, testimony, and speeches after his appointment as Secretary of Defense (renamed Secretary of War) around February 2025. This includes official DoD/War Department statements, congressional testimony, and public addresses sourced from defense.gov (or war.gov) and his official X account (@SecWar). Each entry includes the date, a brief description of the topics covered, the direct link to the statement, and any additional links mentioned within it. A blank line separates each entry for clarity.April 8, 2025: Joint statement with...

Kash Patel's Press Releases, Testimony, and Speeches in 2025 (Post-Appointment)Below is a chronological list (oldest to newest) of Kash Patel's public press releases, testimony, and speeches after his appointment as FBI Director on February 20, 2025. This includes official FBI statements, congressional testimony, and public addresses sourced from the FBI website and his official X account (@FBIDirectorKash). Each entry includes the date, a brief description of the topics covered, the direct link to the statement, and any additional links mentioned within it. A blank line separates each entry for clarity.May 12, 2025: National Police Week video message honoring law enforcement...

I gave GROK information from Devin Nunes' interview in which he said starting in 2015, and the investigation(s) of Donald Trump's potential Russia collusion, started by Hillary, forwarded by Obama, and resulting in in the Mueller Investigation, which was followed by the Ukraine whistleblower hoax, the Hunter Biden laptop investigation, and the classified documents raid at Mar A Lago. I asked Grok to provide information to help me identify select officials (i.e., to exclude Grassley, Durham, Nunes etc.) and agents who worked across multiple investigations and to provide the number of years those people worked on those investigations (Grok calls...

TLDR Summary:Theoretically, the most obvious next step required by law for the POTUS to invoke the insurrection act in one or more cities would be to issue a formal proclamation for the rioters to disperse. If the rioters don't disperse per the deadline provided in the proclamation - Insurrection Act kicks in. If you read the following, you can see it's more complicated than that, but that's my simplified opinion after querying GROK about legal requirements for the invocation of the Insurrection Act in L.A., Chicago, and Portland.For the minimally interested, you may want to skip down to the TABLE...

REQUEST to GROK: Please provide me with a list and links for each of Tulsi Gabbard's Press releases and speeches in 2025 after she was appointed to hold office by Trump. Put them order, include the date and a brief description of the topics covered. If her press releases include one or more links, please include them. Organize the information from oldest to newest.GROK:Tulsi Gabbard's 2025 Press Releases and Speeches as DNITulsi Gabbard was nominated by President Trump on November 15, 2024, confirmed by the Senate on January 28, 2025, and sworn in as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on...

The more you seek truth, The more you seek him and the more you seek him the more he reveals himself. Amen

How Progressives Were Able to Rule the Western Nations: Good Intentions, Bad ResultsBy The HermitThe story of the West in the last hundred years is not one of a secret cabal or a single mastermind. It is the story of an idea — progressive ideology — that promised to perfect society through reason, science, and planning. It appealed to the best intentions of reformers, philanthropists, teachers, and politicians. Yet, like many noble experiments, it has produced results far different from what its advocates hoped. What began as a movement to uplift and modernize has ended by weakening the civic and...

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 5 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s journey reaches its final chapter. Before leaving, she brings everyone together for a shared meal, stories, and moments that reflect her month-long experience. From morning fishing to dinner-table singing at night, this episode captures the warmth, connection, and memories that make rural Ukraine unforgettable.

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 4 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s quiet rural routine is interrupted by a new mission: uncover the local history and debunk Russian propaganda myths about Ukraine. What starts as a simple day in the countryside turns into a journey through Ukraine’s past and present — proving that even the smallest villages and communities carry stories of independence that shatter Russian lies."

💳 From Pay-and-Own to Pay-to-Access: How the American Household Became a Subscription MachineBy The Hermit Note: This essay is meant to offer a broad overview of how the American household has shifted from a pay-and-own economy in the 1950s to today’s subscription-based model. It does not attempt to cover every detail, variation, or socioeconomic factor, but instead highlights general trends and practical ideas for those interested in rethinking their relationship with modern expenses. In the 1950s, the average American family budget was straightforward, built on the principle of paying once and owning for life. Whether it was a television, a...

The High Cost of Easy Credit: How Consumer Debt Distorted the EconomyIn the past five decades, the expansion of consumer credit has transformed the American economy. What began in the 1970s as a convenient financial tool has become a fundamental pillar of daily life for most households. Credit cards, followed by newer lending models like "Buy Now, Pay Later," have fueled consumption, enabled lifestyle inflation, and propped up economic growth. But beneath the surface lies a troubling reality: easy credit has created a disconnect between buyers and sellers, distorted real demand, inflated prices, and built a fragile foundation of debt.In...

Whatever Happened to Just Going Out for Family Fun? Now that I’m retired, with more time behind me than ahead, I find myself looking back a lot more than forward. I’ve been reflecting on the changes I’ve seen — not just in the world at large, but right here at home, in the way families like mine spend time together. When I was young, family fun meant something simple. Back in the 1950s, when money was tight for most folks, we didn’t need expensive outings to enjoy ourselves. A picnic at the park, a day at the beach, just a...

🇺🇸 Before the Collapse: Why We Must Rein in Unsecured Debt — NowBy The HermitThere’s a quiet crisis unfolding beneath the surface of the U.S. economy: over a trillion dollars in credit card debt, the majority of it unsecured, with no collateral, no real oversight, and no meaningful limits. It’s not just a number — it’s a ticking time bomb.It may not look like 1929 — but in structure, in risk, and in who will bear the fallout, it feels dangerously familiar.📉 We've Seen This Movie BeforeIn the 1920s, Americans were allowed to buy stocks on margin — putting down...

📘 The Student Loan System: A Rigged GameHow U.S. Higher Education Became a Wealth Transfer from the Poor and Middle Class to the EliteExecutive Summary The American student loan system has evolved into a mechanism of upward wealth transfer, extracting income and opportunity from working- and middle-class students while enriching elite universities, financial institutions, and loan servicers. By removing bankruptcy protections, allowing unchecked tuition increases, and obscuring the risks and returns of educational debt, policymakers and institutions have created a rigged system — one that fails to serve students, the economy, or the public interest. 1. Origins of the Crisis:...

He was about as fine a young man as you could have dreamed up in a country so busy disgracing itself, Jesus-like in quality, if not in exact manner. Jesus, after all, was not a family man. But then there was nothing supernatural about Charlie Kirk. He was vividly of this time and place on earth. Now, in death, you can imagine him up on a mural in the post office. They’ve gone and turned him into legend, like Davy Crockett, Joseph Smith, Abe Lincoln. Yeah, it goes that deep. The Woke-Jacobin Left broke into a happy-dance when they heard...