Free Republic

The budget can’t be balanced without reform to Social Security and Medicare. Why won’t politicians admit it? America’s entitlement programs have morphed into something their creators never intended: an intergenerational wealth transfer sustained by promises that are completely removed from fiscal reality. The numbers are no longer debatable. Social Security and Medicare are on a collision course with insolvency that polite political rhetoric cannot wish away. While rooting out fraud and improving efficiency should be one of Washington’s top priorities, that alone cannot close the gap. The baby boomer generation benefited from favorable demographics, strong wage growth and affordable homes...

The picturesque shores of Lake Geneva are bracing for a diplomatic storm, with an ornery President Donald Trump flying to France in a combative mood fresh off hosting a UFC cage fight on the White House lawn. When world leaders gather in Evian-les-Bains for the three-day G7 summit, they will do so under the suffocating shadow of global war and financial panic, sparked by Iran's closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz and Trump's ongoing threat of sweeping tariffs. Trump is set to go face-to-face with traditional foils like France's Emmanuel Macron and the UK's Keir Starmer, while navigating freshly...

An Orthodox Jewish man in Ohio is taking his legal dispute with his hometown to the Supreme Court after he was told he couldn't host a prayer gathering at his house. Daniel Grand invited a dozen of his friends by email to come to his home in University Heights in January 2021. A neighbor saw the email and informed then-Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan about it, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, a law firm. Grand claimed the following day he was hit with a cease-and-desist order by the city's law director. He said the city accused him of operating an illegal...

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, the war he had hoped would secure his legacy — Israel and the United States together attacking Iran — may be ending in a way that could sully it. The framework agreement to end the war in Iran, which was announced on Sunday, omits some of the most important things Israel wanted. The full text of the deal has not yet been released and Israel was not directly involved in the negotiations. Initial details suggest that the agreement does nothing to curb Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, or its funding of regional proxies like...

Millions of Britons will jet off to Spain this summer - but holidaymakers should make sure they're financially solvent before they touch down or face being denied entry. Tourists visiting for up to 90 days could be asked to present proof of having sufficient means for the duration of their proposed stay, after regulations were first introduced post-Brexit in 2021. Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs quietly announced earlier this year that every visitor to the destination in 2026 will now be required to have €122.10 (£105.53) per person per day, The rule changes mean travellers must also have a minimum...

An ICE agent in New Jersey was struck by a van driven by a fleeing suspect and opened fire on the vehicle, striking it several times, authorities said. The incident happened Monday morning around 9:30 a..m. near Mermaid Drive in Stafford Township’s Manahawkin community, about 60 miles east of Philadelphia as the agency was trying to capture a suspect. The officer’s condition was not immediately known, but sources told NBC Philadelphia that he is expected to recover. ICE has not released a description of the suspect or revealed whether the driver was injured. The outlet reports the van’s back window...

Libtards were so desperate to stop President Trump from hosting UFC America 250, they tried to MANIPULATE the weather forecast. The leftist anti-Trump Weather Channel reported: - 30mph winds - Torrential rain - Lightning storms - Swarms of mosquitos I was actually at the White House. I can promise you none of that happened. Now they just look like idiots. Better luck next time, libs.

Ed O’Keefe, CBS News’ senior White House and political correspondent, spoke with Vice President JD Vance on Monday morning and pushed him on whether or not Iran’s claim that it will have access to $300 billion for reconstruction from the Trump administration’s peace deal is accurate. “Walk through some of this. The Iranians are saying that they’re gonna have access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund, true or false?” O’Keefe began. “Well, Ed, that’s the sort of thing they could have access to, funded by the Gulf coast coalition, so long as they honor their end of the obligation. I...

The London Borough of Harrow wants you to know it's aware of a video that's gone viral on social media of two Muslim civil enforcement officers turning off their body cameras and threatening to rip a Brit's teeth out and more. Fortunately, the man was wearing Meta glasses with a built-in camera and caught the whole thing on video.

African American Contractors Association president Omar Shareef said that a total of seven separate subcontractors have contacted him for help with pursuing missing payments in the past several months. Some of the contractors are owed seven figures. They’re willing to settle for less, as long as they can keep their businesses running.

Prostate-targeted, engineered nanoparticles made of amorphous silica are effective in killing prostate tumors directly while enhancing antitumor immunity, according to a preclinical study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering. The particles, derived from silicon dioxide, a common component of healthy foods or fossilized sedimentary structures from single-celled organisms, induced several complete remissions of aggressive tumors in mouse models, supporting the further investigation of their use in clinical trials. Originally developed for medical imaging applications, these particles – known as ultrasmall fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles, or Cornell Prime dots (C’ dots) – have...

Australia's wealthiest person, mining baron Gina Rinehart, has taken a stake of more than $1 billion in the record-setting $75 billion SpaceX (SPCX.O), the Wall Street Journal reported on ​Monday, citing a person familiar with the matter... Hancock is a significant investor in ‌a swathe ⁠of rare earths companies including U.S.-based MP Materials, and Rare Earths Americas (REA.A), and Australia's Lynas Rare Earths (LYC.AX), as well as lithium producer Liontown Resources (LTR.AX), among many others. It bulked up its defence, gold and rare-earths holdings in its $3.3 billion U.S. portfolio this year, filings showed last month... While commending Musk's entrepreneurial...

Japanese World Cup fans put American sports culture to shame over the weekend as videos circulated across social media showing Japanese supporters staying behind after matches to clean up trash throughout the stadium. Many even brought their own trash bags, viewing it as a sign of respect for the host country, the players, fellow fans, and the venue itself. Their display of courtesy was quickly contrasted with the aftermath of the New York Knicks' NBA Finals victory over the weekend, when crowds poured into the streets, smashing vehicles, setting fires, and causing widespread destruction across parts of the city.

Dow Jones Industrial Average Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. EDT 51,907.71 Up 705.45 1.39% Previous Close 51,202.26 Day Range: 51,364 to 51,927

Today, 1:59 am Share 10 The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy say they are prepared to lift sanctions on Iran in response to steps on its nuclear program after the US and Iran say they reached a deal to end their war. The deal, to be signed on Friday, will reportedly kickstart 60 days of talks over Iran’s nuclear program. “Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA to this end,” the leaders of the countries say in a joint statement, referring to the United Nations’ nuclear agency.

In seemingly the blink of an eye, the gerrymandering wars have turned against Democrats — all because of unelected judges imposing their views over the will of voters and elected officials. If Democrats are able to win back power despite the new electoral hurdles the courts have placed before them, there is only one path forward: judicial reform and, in particular, adding new justices to the Supreme Court. Indeed, packing the court may soon become a new litmus test for Democratic politicians — and it should be. Any hope of Democrats holding power and enacting their agenda will rely on...

The United Kingdom, the land of ninnies and nannies, made a good call for once, announcing Monday a social media ban for citizens under 16. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was reportedly hesitant to follow in Australia’s footsteps and ban social media for under-16s in 2025, said “a full ban is the right choice” during a press conference at Downing Street. The ban will block Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and Facebook, and will also clamp down on livestreaming platforms and other social media tools that allow kids to communicate with strangers. “I want this message to be heard...

An exclusive beach club in the Bahamas descended into chaos after a group of bikini-clad women were seen throwing punches. Around a dozen people were involved in the brawl, which appeared to take place at the sun-soaked Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island, according to footage posted online.

@ZiaYusufUK Serco - the government contractor that runs large parts of Britian's immigration and justice operation - has taken the extraordinary position of saying it would oppose Reform's plan to deport illegal migrants from Britain. Having read the Telegraph's report making this claim, I have written to Serco's CEO asking him to urgently clarify their position. Serco is the firm the Home Office uses to deposit unvetted men from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq into British housing estates without the knowledge nor consent of local residents. Serco is the firm that launches huge bids for rental homes, outbidding local residents...

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg apparently got the message this week that he cannot hope to win the Democratic nomination without promising radical measures, including the packing of the Supreme Court. After denouncing the current Court as “rogue” for not ruling as the left has demanded, Buttigieg endorsed the plan of Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren to pack the Court to reverse adverse constitutional interpretations. For years, the Supreme Court had a liberal majority that overturned dozens of long-standing cases. That was not viewed as the work of a rogue court. Yet, even as President Donald Trump attacks this Court...