Free Republic

Iranian suicide/loitering drones (kamikaze UAVs) typically have modest payload capacities, in the range of 30–50 kg for the most common types, with some variants or larger models reaching higher. Key Examples Shahed-136 (most prominent, widely exported/used): ~200 kg total weight, payload ~30–50 kg (commonly cited as ~40 kg warhead). Russian variants (Geran-2) have reached ~90 kg in some modified configurations by reducing fuel/range. Shahed-131 (smaller variant): ~10–20 kg payload. Other types like Ababil series or Hadid-110: Often 30–40 kg. Larger systems (e.g., Arash series): Up to ~225–260 kg in some reports, but these are less common for pure "suicide drone"...

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries publicly embraced a new crop of congressional nominees Saturday, including three Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates whose primary victories have fueled fresh debate over the Democratic Party’s leftward shift ahead of the 2026 midterms. The powerful New York lawmaker’s post highlights the challenge facing the top House Democrat as he works to unite his party ahead of the general election. If Democrats take back the House in November, Jeffries is expected to become the next speaker. That means he’ll likely be leading a Democratic caucus with more self-described Democratic Socialists than ever before. So far,...

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville and his podcast co-host Al Hunt lamented a recent primary winner in New York as part of a movement they say does not belong in the Democratic Party. Democratic socialist candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier was one of three candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani who won shocking primary victories in New York Tuesday. Hunt suggested on Thursday’s episode of “Politics War Room” that they may “complicate the politically existential question of winning in November.” Carville and Hunt agreed that Republicans are overplaying these three candidates as somehow representing the broader Democratic Party...

The author of a new book about William Shakespeare is claiming that the works of the famed playwright were actually written by a black, Jewish woman. The book, The Real Shakespeare: Emilia Bassano Willoughby by Irene Coslet, argues that Shakespeare was actually Emilia Bassano, a dark-skinned Jewish woman who was an English poet during the Elizabethan period. The Amazon description for the book, which says it is set to be released on March 30, questions if Shakespeare was indeed “a white man from Stratford.” “Debate still rages over the identity of the most beloved poet of all time and ‘father’...

Two juveniles have been arrested after investigators accused them of sparking a devastating six-alarm blaze that tore through an empty Pennsylvania factory before leaping across the street and destroying houses, leaving dozens of people homeless. The two youths, whose names have not been released due to their young ages, are being held on charges including arson, conspiracy, recklessly endangering another person and causing a catastrophe. The arrests came two days after the massive inferno erupted in Allentown, sending towering flames and thick black smoke into the night sky as more than 100 firefighters battled to stop the blaze from swallowing...

The decisive primary sweep by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s left-wing comrades gave Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez such an ego boost that Democratic insiders predict it could spur a White House bid in 2028. The “Squad’s” queen bee may ditch her long-anticipated plot to unseat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for bigger game after three radical Mamdani-backed insurgents running for House seats on Tuesday defeated old-guard Dems, pushing the party even further left, the insiders said. “New York’s clean sweep was a political earthquake that shows voters generally want to shake up the system,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change...

This is a short excerpt on Free Republic's entry in Grokipedia. It far outclasses Wikipedia's perverted, overly long entry. Read the whole entry at the link. I did. And I approve. "Free Republic is a moderated online forum and discussion platform founded in 1996 by Jim Robinson, a private citizen and computer programmer from Fresno, California, serving as a gathering place for self-identified conservatives to post links to news articles and participate in commentary ..."

In 1995, remarkable contents of a 17th-century shipwreck began to be discovered by divers of the South West Maritime Archaeological Group off Salcombe Bay. The finds consist of over 400 gold coins of the Sa'dian Sharifs of Morocco in addition to ingots, jewellery as well as other items including Dutch pewter and pottery subsequently acquired by the British Museum. Although the ship has not survived, the divers discovered remnants of wood, rope and lead that were parts of its infrastructure. The finds from this shipwreck are significant for several reasons: the gold is clearly a bullion hoard and the number...

A Democratic House hopeful vying for one of the nation's most competitive districts is staying silent after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., voiced support for her campaign. Ocasio-Cortez, a leftist firebrand with growing influence in the Democratic Party, congratulated former Biden administration official Cait Conley on her primary victory in a social media post Wednesday. "I look forward to working together as a delegation as we fight for working families across New York," Ocasio-Cortez wrote. The post also celebrated a Democrat vying to succeed retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., alongside three socialist candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani....

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner took shots at incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins while unveiling a series of policies he said would root out fraud, waste and bribery in Washington. At a press event outside Collins’ office, the Sullivan oyster farmer cited recent campaign finance reports showing the five-term Republican has received nearly $10 million from individual billionaires and political action committees to fuel her reelection campaign. According to reporting by the Maine Monitor, the amount billionaires gave in support of Collins is similar to the amount that small-dollar donors — those giving $200 or less — contributed to the...

The orbits of long-period comets suggest a star passed by our Sun and caused some havoc we're still seeing. Hale-Bopp, the Great Comet of 1997, is a very famous long-period comet. Image Credit: ESO/E. Slawik ================================================================= The closest star to the Sun is Proxima Centauri, about 4.2 light-years away. This has not always been the case, as all stars in the galaxies move about. Observations suggest that just 2.5 million years ago, there was a star that passed very close to the Solar System, and this passage might still have consequences we can see today. Data from the ESA Gaia...

Here are 100 reasons to love the comedy writer, director and star who’s celebrating a milestone on Sunday. No. 1 He started a novel titled “Springtime for Hitler.” No. 2 He turned that into a play. No. 3 He turned that play into a flop film titled “The Producers.” No. 4 He won a screenplay Oscar for that flop … No. 5 … turned that flop into a Broadway hit … No. 6 … then tried to destroy “The Producers” on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” No. 7 He never did a serious movie because to him comedy was serious. No. 8...

Former Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) DNA analyst Yvonne "Missy" Woods pleaded guilty to four felonies (cybercrime, perjury, attempting to influence a public servant and forgery). She faces 8 to 16 years in prison, bringing an end to a scandal that impacted more than 1,000 criminal cases across the state. Woods was a forensic scientist with the CBI during the 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey and was tied to evidence files in the case. Unidentified foreign male DNA found on the child's clothing has historically been used to clear the Ramsey family, but has yet to identify a perpetrator....

WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional leaders downplayed wins for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s handpicked challengers in primary races Tuesday, as moderates clamored for results to be a wake-up call for the party establishment. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed the elections showed “a great united party,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) touted his “great working relationship” with Mamdani, while stressing there was still some “work to do” in easing tensions with congressional Democrats. “We’re seeing tremendous energy from all different areas of our party. You’re seeing centrist energy in Virginia, Iowa, and NJ. Progressive energy in...

Mayor Zohran Mamdani promised to never accept the US Supreme Court’s ruling allowing President Trump’s administration to strip deportation protection for Haitian and Syrian migrants. “To have people who frankly taught the world about freedom have their own freedom put into jeopardy by the actions of a Supreme Court and federal administration — it is not only cruel, it’s not something we will ever accept,” Hizzoner said in a video statement after Thursday’s bombshell 6-3 ruling. The high court ruled that the “temporary protected status” statutes don’t allow for judicial review and that lower courts can’t intervene in the Trump...

In Part 1 (link below), I argued that the House of Representatives was designed to grow. For most of American history, it did. Then, in 1929, Congress froze the House at 435 seats. It has remained there ever since. Part 2 asks a different question: If the House is supposed to grow, how large should it be? At first, I thought the answer might have something to do with human nature. Maybe there was something buried deep in our DNA — some limit on how many people we can know, trust, manage, or represent. I was wrong. The deeper I...

80 years before Lexington and Concord, before the founding fathers were even children, Americans used events in the mother country to engineer a little remembered revolution that transformed the colonies and helped to define the nation we know today. Forgotten Revolution: The 1689 Boston Revolt | 16:32 The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered 1.64M subscribers | 4,480 views | June 26, 2026

Today, the word colonialism is treated almost like a curse word. Mention it in a classroom, on social media, or in many political circles, and you’ll immediately hear words like exploitation, racism, oppression, genocide, and theft. For many people—especially younger generations—colonialism has become history’s ultimate villain, the so-called “original sin” from which nearly every modern problem supposedly springs. As a conservative, I’ve always thought this view was far too simplistic. Now, before anyone starts sharpening their pitchforks, let me be clear: colonial powers absolutely committed injustices. Wars were fought. Peoples were conquered. Resources were taken. Some populations were devastated. These...

Keeping up with the prom joneses. Gone are the days of posing in gowns and tuxes at a designated classmates’ house while snacking on some chips and soda before hitching a ride to prom. Today, highfalutin parents are spending upwards of $30,000 on over-the-top pre-prom parties that are in the same realm as an A-lister jetting off to a fancy award show. Think professional photographers, stunning decor and catered food so good it could tempt high schoolers to skip prom altogether. Proud Philadelphia mom Lanise Gartei spared no expense when it came to her daughter Lakyia’s prom send-off. She not...

Michigan lawmakers are investigating a childcare provider that received more than $1.1 million in taxpayer-funded childcare reimbursements despite allegations that it does not appear to operate at its listed address. The investigation centers on 1st Premier Learning Academy & Daycare in Clinton Township and was launched by the Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on State & Local Public Assistance Programs. According to an investigative report, the facility received $1,121,641 in Child Development & Care (CDC) Program reimbursements between fiscal years 2023 and 2026, yet committee staff said repeated site visits found no evidence that children were being cared for at the...