Free Republic

Blinken Says 20M Tons of Grain Stalled in Odessa U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said pre-existing conditions, like COVID-19 and climate, in addition to the conflict in Ukraine, have created a "perfect storm" for a global food insecurity crisis. Blinken said there were already about 160 million people facing food insecurity around the world. An additional 40 million people has joined that group as a result of Russia's invasion into Ukraine. As Russia continues to attack one of the world's "breadbaskets," its ships are forming a blockade in the ports around Odessa. There are between 20 and 25 million...

A descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee argued in favor of removing a statue of his ancestor at the Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland during a House subcommittee hearing Tuesday morning. Reverend Robert Wright Lee, who identified himself as a distant nephew of the Confederate general, said the statue at Antietam and others "must be removed for a more perfect Union." He spoke before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands to weigh in on the proposed Robert E. Lee Statue Removal Act, a bill Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland introduced nearly three years ago.