Free Republic

Ron DeSantis’ Immigration Moves Not Limited to Martha’s Vineyard: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been trying to establish himself as a conservative leader on a number of issues. The latest is immigration. Like other Republican governors, DeSantis is trying to contrast himself with the policies of President Joe Biden. Before inflation, there was no greater flashpoint than immigration.

Rumors circulated this week that the White House was considering giving Ukraine the long-range missile systems it has asked for since the early days of the Russian invasion, but it became clear on Thursday that President Joe Biden ultimately decided against the idea. Sources close to the White House reportedly told CNN this week that the Biden Administration is unlikely to “significantly change” its approach to helping Ukraine, even as Russia retreats and the war looks to be winnable for Ukraine. Those rumors, however, appear to have scared the Kremlin, prompting a response this week that the supply of longer-range...

Trump And Pence Still At (Polite) War – For Now?: As President Joe Biden approaches the end of his second year in the White House, Republican contenders are preparing their presidential campaigns behind the scenes. Even with the prospect of a third Donald Trump campaign lingering, the Republican Party expects a large slate of candidates vying to go up against Joe Biden in 2024 (or potentially another Democratic pick, if the party’s voters get what they want). Among those candidates is former Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to make an announcement about his plans next year. We don’t...

Is this what a party does when it can’t keep voting on articles of impeachment? It’s been almost two years since former President Donald Trump’s defeat, yet House Democrats have managed to build an entire legislative agenda around Trump Derangements Syndrome. The House Oversight and Reform Committee alone has been firing away Trump-obsessed legislation, as Democratic sponsors for bills on the Census, civil service, and whistleblower protections all cite Trump as a key part of the justification for the proposals. The common line connecting all the bills is to curb executive power that should be in the hands of an...

Hello from the third National Conservatism conference, meeting in Miami. Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed the conference on the first night, and blew everyone away. It helped that he followed a dull but half-hysterical rant by Sen. Rick Scott, who fired a barrage of Republican cliches at the audience (watch it here). A conservative writer friend sitting across the room texted me during the speech to joke that this thing was so bad it's causing him to rethink all his convictions.

Could Russia still fight NATO? The war in Ukraine has proved catastrophic for the Russian military thus far. In almost seven months of war, the Russian forces have suffered one humiliating defeat after another, losing tens of thousands of troops in the process and thousands of pieces of equipment. As a result, the capabilities of the Russian military have been seriously degraded, and Moscow’s ability to fight the U.S. and NATO has been dramatically degraded.

Speed can do many things for an aircraft. It can allow an airplane to get to its target quickly and complete its bombing run. Speed can help outmaneuver enemy fighters and shoot them down. It enables survivability to outfox air defense systems. Spy planes such as the SR-71 Blackbird could really boogey. The Blackbird had MACH 3 speed that allowed the bird to outrun surface-to-air missiles. That’s 36.55 miles per minute or 3,216.4 feet per second. In fact, when the SR-71 streaked by, SAMs could barely lock on to target, and if they did the Blackbird was already out of...

Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the eastern part of the country has been very successful so far. They have retaken about 3,000 square kilometers of territory from Russian forces. The operation, so far excellent and aided by U.S. intelligence, bears all the hallmarks of a U.S. Special Operations Command deception operation, according to a former U.S. official.

How the Situation in Ukraine Could Get Far More DangerousAfter days of a withering Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Russian defense ministry announced that it was withdrawing its forces from two areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. In a video statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quipped, “The Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back.” Ukrainians celebrated, and rightly so. While Russian spokesmen said that Russian forces were “repositioning” ahead of a new offensive, reporters on the ground cast doubt on such pronouncements both because they mirror Russian statements as it abandoned its drive...

Ukraine has made some impressive progress on the battlefield, but let us hold the applause for a moment: It’s too soon to tell whether Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive heralds a Ukrainian victory in the war with Russia, but the remarkably rapid Ukrainian advance on the one hand and the equally remarkable rapid retreat by the Russians on the other do testify to Ukrainian military prowess and, perhaps more critical, Russian military incompetence. It should be amply clear by now that, expert expectations to the contrary, Russia cannot win the war. In fact, the irony is that Russian troops have responded to...

How the Situation in Ukraine Could Get Far More Dangerous: After days of a withering Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Russian defense ministry announced that it was withdrawing its forces from two areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. In a video statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quipped, “The Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back.” Ukrainians celebrated, and rightly so. While Russian spokesmen said that Russian forces were “repositioning” ahead of a new offensive, reporters on the ground cast doubt on such pronouncements both because they mirror Russian statements as it abandoned its...

Is AOC Dropping Hints Of A Future Presidential Campaign? – Progressive New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez famously refused to confirm that she would back President Joe Biden in a 2024 campaign earlier this year, sparking rumors that she may be considering a run of her own. Since then, we’ve heard little else about it. There are no rumors of Ocasio-Cortez launching an exploratory committee and no signs that she is preparing to take on the Democratic party’s incumbent president. That doesn’t mean, though, that the leader of the party’s progressive wing is ruling it out forever.

The Pentagon has halted deliveries of the highly advanced F-35 Lighting II stealth fighter jet after discovering that a small part of the aircraft was made in China. An alloy magnet used in the engines of the F-35 fighter jet was sourced in China and has triggered a significant stand-down. Pause the Deliveries The F-35 program office has paused deliveries to the U.S. military and international participants in order to determine any potential implications to the operations and security of the stealth fighter jet.

A Trump Indictment Could Change Everything: The question of whether the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home means he will either be indicted or reelected might be the wrong question. The answer in this topsy-turvy political climate should be: Why choose? An indictment wouldn’t legally preclude Trump from running and most certainly wouldn’t discourage him. It has likely strengthened him politically, at least in the short term.

On Thursday, BBC News presenters wore black suits and ties as they announced the latest information on the health of the Queen – though much of what is still being reported remains vague, as no additional information has been provided by the Palace at this time. The BBC’s online graphics also switched from red to black, suggesting the possibility that Britain’s public service broadcaster has already been informed of the Queen’s passing.

In July 2020 ,the United States Air Force contracted with Boeing for the delivery of new F-15 fighters, to be dubbed the F-15EX. The idea behind the F-15EX is remarkable in its simplicity: We have a great fighter plane, but our existing fleet is old, so why not just buy some new ones?

Fentanyl and more – How China and Mexico are poisoning our military: The Army is in the midst of a recruiting shortfall, despite a record retention rate, and the recent news isn’t going to help its recruiting matters anytime soon. Still smarting over a sexual assault crisis that rose by 13 percent, there is an alarming increase in drug overdose deaths, even among elite units. A recent article in Rolling Stone magazine highlighted the problem that Ft. Bragg, NC, has with illicit drugs, and death by drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for soldiers at the sprawling...

With Hunting Season Just Around the Corner, Ammo Prices Are Set to Increase: Labor Day is now in the rearview mirror and that means the unofficial end to summer. Kids are heading back to school, the weather is going to cool down quickly in parts of the country, and it won’t be long until the leaves begin to change colors. With the arrival of fall comes football season and also the fall hunting season. With the pandemic largely under control, this year promises to be among the biggest hunting seasons ever – but that also could mean that ammunition prices...

To stimulate the economy, China’s regulators are forcing Chinese banks to meet high loan quotas. To hit the difficult-to-attain targets, ingenious bankers are lending and simultaneously allowing borrowers to deposit identical amounts with their institutions at identical interest rates. Companies no longer want money to launch new projects. Pessimism about the economy dominates thinking in Chinese boardrooms and throughout the rest of society. The big story is not that the Chinese economy is falling apart.

The World’s Best Sniper Rifles Of All Time There are a lot of factors that go into producing a truly dedicated sniper rifle, and those have evolved over time. Back in World War II, the combatants used either current or obsolescent infantry rifles that were outfitted with scopes. As time wore on, the world’s armies began developing and producing dedicated sniper rifles, and the weapons improved by leaps and bounds over their grandfather’s weapons. But the rifle is only a part of being an effective sniper or dedicated marksman. The training and experience that goes into training today’s snipers worldwide...