Free Republic

Key Points: The US Army's M10 Booker armored vehicle program is criticized as a prime example of a flawed requirements process. -Initially intended as a lightweight, C-130 airdroppable "light tank" to support airborne and light infantry units, successive requirement additions ("creep") resulted in a 42-ton vehicle too heavy for airdrop and even some base infrastructure, like bridges at Fort Campbell. -Despite failing its original key criteria, the airdrop requirement was dropped, and the program continued. -Critics argue the Army now fields a vehicle lacking its intended mission and unique deployability, representing bureaucratic inertia over battlefield need. -The M10 Booker has...

Ryan Matlock died of a fentanyl overdose after seeking addiction treatment. Today, his mother is urging lawmakers to get tougher on health insurance plans.

Christopher Schurr was a Grand Rapids Police Officer who got into a fight with Patrick Lyoya in the early morning of on April 4, 2022. During the struggle, Lyoya fought Schurr for control of Officer Schurr’s Taser and was fatally shot by the Officer during the scuffle.

The arrest of 10 individuals involved in a birth certificate forgery syndicate is about more than just corruption or criminality, says Southeast Asian politics expert Sophie Lemiere.The recent arrest of 10 individuals involved in a birth certificate forgery syndicate – linked to human trafficking and the smuggling of undocumented children – has exposed a deep and troubling flaw in Malaysia’s legal and bureaucratic framework. While authorities frame this as a case of corruption and criminality, the scandal is, in reality, a symptom of a much larger problem: a system that fails abandoned and adopted children, pushing desperate families into illegality....

It is no secret that Russia ‘recycles’ wounded soldiers, sending them back to the front line as soon as they are mobile. Commanders have made sure that getting wounded is not a ticket out of danger. But now we are seeing more extreme cases, with soldiers still on crutches or even in wheelchairs being pushed forward in assaults. What is behind this bizarre phenomenon? There may be method behind this gruesome madness, but there are competing explanations. It would be easy to dismiss this sort of claim as Ukrainian propaganda. Except that apart from the many cases captured on drone...

On Monday, authorities arrested more than 30 individuals who seized and occupied the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building at the University of Washington to protest Israel and its war against Hamas terrorists. Among those arrested was a King County public defender and several affiliates of the left-wing extremist group Antifa. All of them were booked into local jails on criminal trespassing charges, with a bail set at $1,000, according to records. It's unclear if the apprehended individuals were students and/or outside agitators. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said in a statement that more than two dozen protesters have been charged with...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois drivers: brace yourselves. The annual gas tax increase is about to kick in on July 1st, 2025. The automatic Motor Fuel Tax increases to account for inflation. Currently, Illinois residents pay the second-highest gas tax in the country, behind California. The gas tax is now 45 cents per gallon, but on July 1st it will go up to 48.3 cents per gallon. The average car holds between 12 and 16 gallons of gas, meaning drivers should expect to spend between .24 and .32 cents extra at the pump. The Motor Fuel Tax will account for...

A district court judge, appointed by former President Joe Biden, is requiring President Donald Trump to bring roughly 12,000 refugees to the United States in a new court order issued this week. Judge Jamal Whitehead, appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in 2023 by Biden, says Trump must admit thousands of refugees who had been approved for resettlement in the U.S. before he signed an executive order to halt the refugee resettlement program. “This Court will not entertain the Government’s result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says,” Whitehead writes:...

The newly announced free trade deal between India and Britain is already coming under major fire just hours after it was proudly announced by both Prime Ministers. While Sir Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi lauded the post-Brexit deal as “a new era for trade and the economy”, a key element regarding tax is being condemned. Under the terms of the deal, Indians coming to Britain to work will be exempt from paying National Insurance for three years. While this deal is reciprocal, Sir Keir Starmer is under fire for granting the exemption after hiking the same tax for hard-working Brits....

Michelle Obama says she’s back in therapy as she begins her “transition” to the “next phase” of her life. I’m not kidding; that’s exactly what People magazine is reporting. According to the article, during a recent appearance on Jay Shetty’s "On Purpose" podcast, Obama opened up about her current focus on mental health. She revealed that after years in spotlight — including eight in the White House as first lady — she’s now turning to therapy to help guide her through this personal transition. “At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know?”...

The BRICS+ coalition is finalizing their plans for a financial system independent of the U.S. dollar.These plans will become clear during their scheduled summit this July in Rio de Janeiro, which people have nicknamed the “Rio Reset.”5-6 July 2025This move represents what may be the most significant challenge to U.S. financial dominance since the 1944 Bretton Woods Agreement established the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.What Is the Rio Reset?The Rio Reset marks the culmination of a decade-long effort by BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). These nations, now joined by Iran, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and...

About a month ago, the world was treated to the spectacle of a little punk named Karmelo Anthony stabbing to death a young White man named Austin Metcalf in a dispute that took place at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. Anthony was inside another school’s tent and was asked to leave by Metcalf, but refused to do so. When Metcalf went to pick up Anthony’s backpack to encourage him to leave, he pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf multiple times, who died on the spot. For reasons that are inscrutable to the average normie but apparent...

All the narratives are wearing off. Vietnam was a pointless war and we lost. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Afghanistan was a waste. And we gained nothing from any of those wars. Saudi Arabia has nuclear weapons and the 19 terrorists from 9/11 were all Saudis. Did we go to war with them? Nope. North Korea has nukes. Little rocket man hasn’t blown us all up yet but we were told he was going to. Pakistan and China have nukes as well. And big bad Russia has nuclear weapons. We were told Putin was going to...

A federal judge ordered North Carolina to certify Democrat Allison Riggs as the winner of the hotly contested Supreme Court race. Last month the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that most of the 65,000 questionable ballots must count in the hotly contested judicial race. The North Carolina Supreme Court race previously headed for a recount due to a close final tally as the Democrat pulled ahead two weeks after Election Day. Democrat incumbent Sarah Riggs closed the race with 2,770,818 votes to GOP challenger Jefferson Griffin’s 2,770,193 votes. The race went to a recount since the vote difference is fewer...

There are always four phases to the Left's argument against an issue: 1. That thing isn't happening; it's a Right-wing conspiracy. 2. Okay, that thing is happening, but it's not happening much. 3. Yeah, that thing's happening and it's a good thing. 4. It's happening, it's a good thing, and we're not gonna let you stop us. Bigots. This story is somewhere between Steps 2 and 3. ne of the women accused of stealing and fraudulently casting more than a dozen ballots ahead of last November’s election pleaded guilty Monday. Vicki Stuart, 64, was charged with 34 counts related to...

The head of the largest independent oil producer in the Permian Basin predicts US shale production has peaked and will likely decline from here as oil prices hover near four-year lows."We have a very good view of what the US looks like. And right now that's a business that's slowing dramatically and likely declining in terms of production," Diamondback Energy (FANG) CEO Travis Stice said during the company's earnings call on Tuesday morning.Stice, who is slated to step down and become executive chairman later this month, issued a shareholder letter on Monday in which he pointed to declining crew count...

Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 @julie_kelly2 Remember when ⁦@SenThomTillis.fought to protect Robert Mueller’s job? But now wants to fire Ed Martin? 3:58 PM · May 6, 2025

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he asked President Trump during their meeting Tuesday to stop calling his neighbors to the north the 51st state, insisting the president will not get his “wish.” In a press conference at the Canadian Embassy following his meeting at the White House, a reporter asked Carney if he pushed Trump to stop calling Canada the 51st state because it offends Canadians, and the new prime minister responded “yes.” “Today,” he said of when he pushed back on Trump’s 51st state remark, and added “exactly what you just said” when pressed for specifics on the...

When Americans were experiencing inflation and shortages during the Biden presidency, there was an internet meme going around that juxtaposed a paltry egg with the iconic 2019 image of a grinning Donald Trump, welcoming the national championship–winning Clemson Tigers to the White House, spreading his arms to display a massive bounty of burgers piled in front of him. The underlying message behind that joke became a central part of the 2024 campaign: Under Trump, Americans had plenty; under Biden-Harris, they had less. Yet bizarrely, the man who for decades has been a symbol of unapologetic American excess is now defending...

Indian forces have attacked Pakistan with missiles in three locations, Pakistan’s military spokesman is quoted by the country’s state TV as saying. There are also reports of intense shelling and loud explosions in border areas of the Pakistan-administered state of Kashmir, according to Reuters news agency. Relations between India and Pakistan have declined sharply following a deadly militant attack on tourists in Kashmir last month. India accuses Pakistan of backing cross-border terrorism - a charge Islamabad flatly denies. Stay with us, as we’ll be bringing you all the latest news and analysis from our correspondents on the ground.