Free Republic

One of Moscow's fighter jets has been shot down by Ukrainian forces, according to a military blogger with links to the Russian air force. Another pro-Moscow milblogger said that the Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft had been downed by a Western-supplied F-16. Neither report has been confirmed and Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment over the unverified claims which have sparked much speculation on social media. The Telegram channel Fighterbomber posted on Saturday a message which looked like a tribute to a lost Su-34 fighter jet. Next to an image of the supersonic medium-range fighter bomber, which...

I have a tough decision to make, very soon. In the face of a powerful lobby that has clearly gained credibility with a critical constituency, I must choose a potentially counter strategy. In something other than Washington-ese, that means that I have to tell my 9-year-old son that the latest Star Wars movie is too violent for him to see, even if every fast-food franchise and every other television commercial is urging him not to miss it. Given my personal affection for the previous five Star Wars movies (even the eye-crossingly dull “Episode II”), I am sorry to find myself...