Free Republic

U.S. officials have released video that shows a Russian Su-27 fighter jet colliding with the propeller of a U.S. MQ-9 reaper drone. The video was released by the U.S. military's European Command on Thursday, allowing the public to view the widely-reported aerial incident. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin summarized the incident Wednesday in a press conference, saying, "Two Russian jets dumped fuel on an unmanned U.S. MQ-9 aircraft conducting routine operations in international airspace. And one Russian jet intercepted and hit our MQ-9 aircraft, resulting in a crash." Austin sharply criticized the Russian military for its actions, stating that the Black...

As the nation awaits a verdict by the jury in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, President Biden said on Tuesday he is "praying the verdict is the right verdict." Briefly speaking with reporters at the White House, the president discussed his call on Monday with the family of George Floyd, the Black man in Minnesota who died after he was seen on video – handcuffed – saying "I can't breathe" as Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck. His death sparked nationwide protests last spring and summer over police brutality against minorities and systemic racism.