Free Republic

Don’t brush off this warning. As a flurry of holiday gifts arrive on people’s doorsteps this season, unsuspecting shoppers could also receive packages addressed to them that they never ordered. With a scam known as “brushing,” cybercriminals will ship packages with no return address that contain a QR code, prompting the confused recipient to scan the code to reveal who sent the package. Unbeknownst to the recipient, the code could expose sensitive information from their smartphones or download malicious software onto the devices. “A scammer’s QR code could take you to a spoofed site that looks real but isn’t. And...

President Biden on Wednesday discussed U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and announced a new $425 million military aid package. Included in the package are additional air defense capabilities, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles and munitions, the White House said in a readout of the president’s call. “President Zelenskyy updated President Biden on his plan to achieve victory over Russia, and the two leaders tasked their teams to engage in further consultations on next steps,” the statement read.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a $2.3 billion security assistance package for Ukraine ahead of a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Tuesday. The package will include critical air defense interceptors and other weapons. A spokesperson for the Pentagon said more details on the package would be made available soon. Austin met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon Tuesday and underscored the U.S. commitment to defending the country against a Russian invasion. “Ukraine is in a tough fight,” Austin said in remarks ahead of the meeting, adding “make no mistake, Ukraine is not alone.” The Pentagon chief also...

Vice President Kamala Harris announced a $1.5 billion aid package for Ukraine in its war against Russia at the Summit for Peace Saturday in Switzerland. “This war remains an utter failure for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” Harris, said during a meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. “I am here in Switzerland to stand with Ukraine and the leaders from around the world in support of a just and lasting peace,” she added. “As we look forward to that peace and work toward that, the United States is committed to helping Ukraine rebuild.” Of the new aid total, $500 million of...

President Biden on Saturday signed a $1.2 trillion government funding bill to stave off a government shutdown, capping a frenetic sprint by lawmakers to pass the final batch of appropriations measures. Biden praised the measure as a compromise, and “good news for the American people.” “This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” Biden continued, emphasizing that it rejected “extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border that my Administration...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the recent discovery of a letter containing white powder that was sent to U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson's home church in Louisiana.The package was sent to Cypress Baptist Church of Benton, a suburb of Shreveport-Bossier, located in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, which the Republican lawmaker represents.Louisiana State Police handed the investigation over to the FBI on Monday, according to The Shreveport Times. After testing, the powder was determined to be harmless. The FBI says that even sending a "hoax letter" is a "serious crime." "Speaker Johnson was made aware...

UPS fell short of Wall Street revenue estimates Tuesday, reporting drops in shipping volume, both internationally and domestically, in its fourth-quarter earnings report. The company also announced 12,000 layoffs as part of an effort to align resources in 2024. The workforce reductions will save the company about $1 billion in costs, CEO Carol Tomé said on a company earnings call. “2023 was a unique, and quite candidly, difficult and disappointing year. We experienced declines in volume, revenue and operating profits and all three of our business segments,” Tomé said. Shares of the package giant dipped 8% in early trading.

The U.S. on Monday released a new $100 million aid package for Ukraine, announcing more artillery rounds and anti-aircraft munitions as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to Kyiv. The package includes 155 millimeter artillery shells, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, small arms ammunition and Javelin and AT-4 launchers. DEFENSE US announces new Ukraine package as Pentagon chief visits Kyiv BY BRAD DRESS - 11/20/23 1:56 PM ET SHARE TWEET A soldier of the Ukraine’s National Guard 1st brigade Bureviy (Hurricane) ride an APC during combat training at a military training ground in the north of Ukraine Friday, Nov. 3,...

The U.S. on Monday announced a $200 million security assistance package for Ukraine, providing Kyiv with another round of munitions and tactical vehicles for use in the fight against Russia. The latest package places total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine at roughly $43 billion since Russia invaded in February 2022, meaning the remaining funds for Ukrainian forces is fast approaching their limit. The Biden administration unveiled the critical assistance for Ukraine in the midst of a major counteroffensive operation. The package includes more munitions for advanced weapons systems coveted by Ukraine, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Patriot...

President Joe Biden will soon ask Congress for a Ukraine aid package that could exceed $10 billion, a report released Tuesday found. Punchbowl News reported the Ukraine aid battle will resume when Congress returns from recess. The incoming request, which could be “north of $10 billion,” follows as Ukraine continues its slow-moving counteroffensive against Russia, and America and other NATO countries have pledged support for Ukraine. The Army’s acquisition chief told reporters on Monday that the Department of Defense was working on a funding package for lawmakers to consider. The package would be used to replenish American weapon stockpiles which...

The Pentagon is set to announce another military aid package for Ukraine valued at more than $2 billion, according to a report. The new package would come about a week after the Pentagon announced a $300 million package for Ukraine on May 31. Bloomberg News reported Friday morning that the Pentagon could announce as early as Friday that the package would include air defense munitions.

A bipartisan House duo has introduced a new immigration measure that would offer a pathway to citizenship for undocumented migrants in the U.S. while investing in border security. The bill comes on the heels of a GOP-passed House bill all but guaranteed to fail in the Senate, which places severe limits on asylum. Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) see their legislation as having a better chance for success that the hardline GOP bill, charging undocumented workers a “1.5 percent dignity levy” in taxes and other fees that will pay for both border security and job training...

Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s $226 million pay package in 2022 has ignited controversy among employees following the tech giant’s aggressive cost-cutting measures, including the elimination of 12,000 jobs and reductions in employee services. CNBC reports that Google’s $226 million pay package for CEO Sundar Pichai in 2022 has sparked a firestorm of debate among staff members, who have taken to internal forums to vent their resentment and disappointment. This backlash follows Google’s aggressive cost-cutting initiatives, which included the axing of 12,000 jobs, scaling back on employee benefits, and reducing employee services.

The House on Thursday passed an energy package that was the Republican conference’s top legislative priority, sending the measure to the Senate where the Democratic leader has said it is “dead-on-arrival.” The legislation, titled the Lower Energy Costs Act, passed in a 225-204 vote. Four Democrats — including Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) and Jared Golden (Maine) — voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) was the only Republican to vote against it. Broadly, the bill seeks to bolster fossil fuel production and exports, as well as domestic mining. It also...

The United States will send Ukraine another $350 million in military assistance including more missiles and air defense ammunition, the Biden administration announced Monday. The lethal aid package includes more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and howitzers, as well as ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, High-speed Anti-radiation missiles, anti-tank weapons and riverine boats, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. A separate Defense Department release said the package also included grenade launchers, heavy fuel tankers, mine clearing equipment, mortar systems and rounds and additional artillery. “This week, as Russia’s unconscionable war of aggression against...

The U.S. on Friday announced a $400 million security aid package for Ukraine, providing more ammunition, equipment and munitions for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. The State Department said the latest package includes munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and howitzer artillery guns, as well as ammunition for the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles the U.S. first announced for Ukraine in January. The latest round of security aid also includes demolitions munitions, equipment and other material, as well as services for maintenance, training and support of Ukrainian troops, who have been fighting against a Russian invasion for...

The Biden administration will send $3.75 billion in new military assistance to Ukraine and other countries related to Russia’s war that has lasted more than 10 months. We’ll share what’s in it plus details on a trip two U.S. senators took to Ukraine, the new U.S. sanctions targeting Iran and a day of remembrance on the second anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol Building.

Amid concerns that a new Congress could take a more skeptical view of aid to Ukraine, lawmakers from both parties are looking to lock in billions of dollars in military assistance to Kyiv before newly elected members are sworn in in January, according to a lawmaker and congressional staffers. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who is poised to take over as speaker if the GOP wins a majority in the House in the November midterm elections, warned this week that his fellow party members are “not going to write a blank check to Ukraine.”The new aid package, which...

ONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Authorities investigated a reported suspicious package Wednesday at the entrance of the U.S. Department of Energy Campus (DOE) on Germantown Road in Montgomery County. A FedEx truck was being searched. Montgomery County Police Department said the county's emergency communications department received a call around 11:15 a.m. reporting the possibility of a suspicious package inside of a delivery truckThe Montgomery County Fire and Rescue (MCFRS) Fire and Explosive Investigations Unit responded to the scene assisting police and the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a search of the truck, police said. Germantown Road is closed between...

House Democrats could vote as soon as this week on a pruned-down package of police and community safety bills, according to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who said the negotiators are close to the deal that’s eluded them for months. While the talks are continuing on Tuesday, Hoyer said party leaders are “hopeful that those discussions will prove fruitful in the near-term — meaning the next 24 hours.”