Free Republic

Even before President Trump was re-elected, the Heritage Foundation, best known for Project 2025, set out to destroy pro-Palestinian activism in the United States.In late April, the Heritage Foundation dispatched a team to Israel to meet with power players in Israeli politics, including the country’s foreign and defense secretaries and the U.S. ambassador, Mike Huckabee.The conservative Washington-based think tank is best known for spearheading Project 2025, a proposed blueprint for President Trump’s second term that called for reshaping the federal government and an extreme expansion of presidential power.Now the Heritage contingent was in Israel, in part, to discuss another contentious...

Over the past three months, a growing number of universities have added or dropped entire sports programs on the eve of dramatic changes coming to college athletics under the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement.UTEP dropped women’s tennis, Cal Poly discontinued swimming and diving, Marquette added women’s swimming and Grand Canyon shuttered a historically dominant men’s volleyball program. It was a dizzying set of decisions that appears to offer no pattern except one: Every school is facing a choice on which programs to carry forward once the money really starts flowing.While top-tier athletes in high-revenue sports like football and basketball can look...

SummaryTrump's Gulf tour sidelines Netanyahu, marks new Middle East order Netanyahu's stance on Gaza, US-Iran talks creates rift with US Massive arms and financial deals signal US pivot to wealthy Gulf Domestic critics say Netanyahu's policies leave Israel paralysed Dubai, May 18 (Reuters)- - Nothing captured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's isolation more starkly this week than the image of U.S. President Donald Trump shaking hands with Syria's Islamist leader Ahmed al‑Sharaa - a man Israel has branded "an al‑Qaeda terrorist in a suit." "He's got the potential. He's a real leader," Trump told reporters after talks with Sharaa on...

A 25-year-old Southern California man has been identified as the attacker who detonated a car bomb outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs Saturday — killing himself and injuring four other people, according to sources. Guy Edward Bartkus, of Twentynine Palms, is believed to have detonated an explosive device in his car outside the American Reproductive Centers, which performs IVF treatments, egg collections and other procedures, law enforcement sources told The Post. On Saturday, FBI agents swarmed his home and evacuated the neighborhood, declaring it a “blast zone” over concerns that he could have left explosives behind, ABC7 reported. During...

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that President Donald Trump should not accept a jet from Qatar to use as the next Air Force One. Pence said, “First, we’ve got to remember who Qatar is. We’ve got a military base there. I have members of our immediate family that have deployed to the region. But Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas. They supported Al Qaeda. Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on American campuses across the United States.” Host Kristen Welker said, “So you are saying President Trump...

As part of the latest Republican push in red states to promote ideologies sympathetic to Donald Trump, Oklahoma’s new social studies curriculum will ask high school students to identify “discrepancies” in the 2020 election results. The previous standard for studying the 2020 election merely said: “Examine issues related to the election of 2020 and its outcome.” The new version is more expansive: “Identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record...

The action at a rally on Saturday called on the Scottish Government to immediately appeal the ruling to the European Court of Human Rights. Each protester appeared topless with a red-painted right arm, symbolising solidarity with anti-fascist feminist movements across Europe, including actions by groups such as Femen France. Protesters also carried white roses, mourning what they describe as the death of transgender rights in the UK, and wore tape over their mouths to represent the censorship and silencing of trans voices in the legal process. One protester, Sugar, commented: “This ruling is not just a setback of humanitarian rights;...

The IDF has confirmed that over the past day, IDF troops under the Southern Command—including both active duty and reservists have begun extensive ground operations throughout the northern and southern Gaza Strip as part of “Gideon’s Chariots". Over the past week, the Israeli Air Force conducted a preliminary wave of strikes, striking over 670 Hamas terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip to disrupt enemy preparations and support ground operations. Among the targets struck were weapon storage facilities, underground terrorist infrastructure sites, anti-tank missile launchers, as well as terrorists. The Israeli Air Force continues to provide consistent support to operating troops...

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Walmart not to raise prices, two days after the retailer said price hikes were possible. "Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. "Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!" On Thursday, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said it would do its best to keep prices down, but with the...

A new minimum wage proposal has Los Angeles hotels in a panic ahead of the 2028 Olympics, as it may drive businesses to discard deals or shutter plans completely. The proposal of a $30 minimum hourly wage has hospitality corporations in the area preparing to slash expansion plans as well as deals in the works for the next Games. The Olympics holds the potential for the hosting city to draw in thousands of tourists and spectators who come to watch the games from across the globe. LA28, the private, non-profit company organizing the Games, has a budget of $6.9billion funded...

Britain’s biggest trade union has allowed a trans woman to run for a senior female role despite the landmark Supreme Court ruling on gender. Ellie Waple is running for the female disabled member’s seat on the Unison national executive committee.

Mexican sailors were seen dangling from a navy training vessel's main mast moments after the ship smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge. The sailors had been standing atop the Cuauhtémoc's 150-foot masts in the lead up to the ship striking the iconic structure on Saturday as part of a traditional greeting. The massive Navy vessel, reportedly carrying nearly 300 passengers, hit the iconic New York City bridge, triggering a colossal rescue response and leaving two dead and dozens more severely injured. In multiple eyewitness videos, the towering masts are seen snapping and partially collapsing as they crash into the bridge's deck....

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has refused to bail out Los Angeles, which is facing a $1 billion deficit, in his latest budget proposal, as the state itself faces a massive $12 billion deficit. The Los Angeles Times reports: Deeper in the budget proposal, no salvation was found for L.A. And at a news conference Wednesday, Newsom said flatly that he did not plan to provide cash to help dig the city out of its budget hole. The city is facing a $1-billion shortfall due to inflated personnel costs, higher than ever liability lawsuit payouts and below-expected revenues. “The state’s...

Gaza Strip — It cost a fortune, she said, but Asmaa Fayez managed to buy a few zucchinis in a Gaza market. She cooked them with rice and brought it to her 4-year-old son, who has been in the hospital for the past week. The soup was his only meal of the day, and he asked for more. "It's all finished, darling," Fayez replied softly. Still, it was an improvement from the canned beans and tuna she brings on other days, she said. Hospital patients are among the most vulnerable as Palestinians across Gaza struggle to feed themselves, with Israel's...

Hannah Dugan’s supporters have created a legal defense fund to fight what the group calls an “unprecedented attack on the independent judiciary by the federal government” as the judge fights charges she interfered with immigration officers. The defense fund also announced today Dugan intends to return to the Milwaukee County bench. In anticipation of that, there will be a series of restrictions on donations, including no contributions from Milwaukee County residents or any parties with matters pending before the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Dugan’s case has drawn national attention. Ahead of her announcement, legal observers expected a legal defense fund...

James Comey's Instagram post sheds light on "The 8647 Movement" It has been exactly 9 years, 11 months, and 2 days since Donald Trump announced for president in 2015. For 9 years, 11 months, and 1 day, Democrats and their allies have slandered, conspired against, and impeached Trump. They tried to bankrupt him, steal his wealth and destroy his business empire. Perverting, even rewriting, the law, they tried to imprison him, and, yes, they even tried to assassinate him, and still the man stands -- and he's doin' deals like no man before him -- ever! That upset Big Jim...

It was a bad week for Democrats, who are already gearing up for a 2028 primary season that promises to be an even bigger shitshow than the last one. That's a really high bar, even for Democrats, but we're confident they can deliver the goods. The 2020 primary was so insane it rendered a widely heralded candidate, Kamala Harris, unelectable in the general election due to the ridiculous left-wing policies she embraced (on camera) to placate party activists. Even a competent candidate would have struggled to defend her enthusiastic support for taxpayer-funded sex-change operations for incarcerated illegal immigration. Egg prices...

Chinese government snoops - hiding behind the guise of fake consulting companies - are actively trying to recruit the thousands upon thousands of US federal employees who have been fired since President Trump took office. Cyber and information warfare experts at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) uncovered five companies they say are part of a larger Chinese intelligence operation that posted ads on LinkedIn, Craigslist, and other smaller job boards and websites targeting former government employees on the hunt for new gigs. One Craigslist ad pitched: "Job Opportunities for Recently Laid-Off US Government Employees." It says: "We understand...

Washington, D.C. – In a bombshell report released Tuesday, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence accused the FBI of deliberately downplaying the politically motivated 2017 shooting that nearly killed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and injured several others. The shooter, James Hodgkinson, was a far-left extremist who opened fire on Republican congressmen practicing for the annual charity baseball game—but the FBI called it “suicide by cop.” That decision, the report says, wasn’t just wrong—it was dishonest. The 27-page unclassified report, compiled from more than 3,000 pages of FBI records recently turned over by new Director Kash Patel, reveals that...

The Talk ShowsMay 18th, 2025 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows:FACE THE NATION (CBS): Margaret Brennan anchors: : former Obama admin. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; retired US Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal. FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Anchor Shannon Bream: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.); Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA); Adam Boehler, Trump administration special envoy for hostage response. Legal panel: Ilya Shapiro and Tom Dupree. Sunday special: Modern Warrior Live. Panel: Kevin Roberts, Susan Page, Tiffany Smiley and Whiney Juan Williams. MEET THE dePRESS (NBC): Hosted by Kristen Welker: Former Vice...