Free Republic

Republican Utah Sen. John Curtis introduced a bill this week that would let states run their own migrant worker visa programs, with a legal-status pathway for some illegal immigrants tucked inside. Curtis rolled out the legislation Monday alongside Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, according to the Deseret News. The measure would let state legislatures build voluntary visa programs sized to local labor demand, a reworking of federal immigration law that, according to the outlet, mirrors a 2011 Utah guest-worker proposal Washington never signed off on. The bill contains language the Deseret News described as a possible pathway to legal residency...

President Trump halted new US strikes on Iran as he weighs whether Tehran is ready to cut a deal — while a wider regional war appears to be spreading into another critical shipping corridor. After 13 consecutive days of attacks, Trump instructed the US military to pause any additional strikes against Iran Friday, Axios reported Saturday, which cited two people familiar with the decision. But the president has made clear that the temporary halt does not mean Washington is backing down. In a brief phone interview with France’s LCI news, Trump said he was still prepared to restart a major...

Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine both raised concerns about escalating the war in Iran as President Donald Trump weighed the possibility during a White House meeting on Friday, a source familiar with the matter and a US official told CNN. On Friday night, the US appeared to pause its bombing campaign on Iran after nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of strikes. Operations are “on a hold,” a Department of Defense source told CNN on Saturday. On Friday, Caine specifically raised concerns about the US munitions stockpile and other potential...

A week after Iran killed American troops in Jordan, crossing President Donald Trump's red line for restarting all-out war, the U.S. military didn't launch airstrikes on the regime.Friday came and went without an announcement from U.S. Central Command about a new attack, breaking a nearly two-week streak.Sources told Axios that Trump received plans from the military yesterday to conduct strikes in Iran but didn't give a green light and instead ordered them to hold off.U.S. forces are still preparing for major combat operations to potentially resume, but Trump hasn't issued orders to move in that direction, the report added.The White...

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have attacked the port city of Jazan, Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the strike, but a Saudi civil defense alert was issued for Jazan on early Saturday and bystander videos purporting to show fire damage are circulating on social media. NASA FIRMS fire monitoring data shows five substantial thermal anomalies - infrared signatures not present in previous time periods - located in the eastern half of the Jazan refinery, all within the last 3-6 hours. FIRMS infrared detections may stem from natural or routine events, like flaring, but the new...

ISTANBUL—The conflict between the U.S. and Iran is escalating just as the two warring parties are running up against the limits of what they can achieve through military force.The conflict widened this week after Iranian-allied militants in Yemen began striking ships transiting a key Red Sea chokepoint, helping drive oil prices above $100 a barrel for the first time in two months on Thursday.The U.S., meanwhile, has escalated its bombing campaign in Iran in recent days, striking throughout the country during the most intense period of fighting since President Trump and Israel began bombing Iran in late February.Trump and other...

Former Trump White House official Marc Short told Politico’s Dasha Burns that the Democratic Party will likely dominate the 2026 midterms. In an appearance on CSPAN’s Ceasefire alongside Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod, Short said that the Republican Party is already set to endure heavy losses in the upcoming elections. “I think it’s going to be a really steep climb, Dasha,” said Short, in relation to GOP midterm efforts. “The reality is that Americans like divided government. They don’t want one party in control. Each time there’s been one party in control, there’s been a backlash.” The once chief of staff...

Rarely do we get to see a man’s dignity leave his body in real time, but on Tuesday night, there was South Carolina senator Tim Scott, clapping along as Donald Trump hurled insults at Nikki Haley, whom he had just defeated in the New Hampshire primary. At one point, Trump turned the microphone over to aspiring Trump best friend and professional irritant Vivek Ramaswamy, who claimed the former president’s win Tuesday was “America First defeating America Last.” As Ramaswamy, who quit the race before Haley, accused a woman who has spent her adult life in public service of being “America...

How far can gratitude for what former President Trump accomplished — and rage against the Deep State/Democrats — take you in an election? That's the existential question Republicans need to be asking right now. Is it worth going down with the ship to send a message to those persecuting Trump? What should be our goals at this pivotal moment in history? Avenging Trump or winning the 2024 election at all costs — even if Trump has to take one for the team? Radio talker Steve Deace warned yesterday that if Republicans don't start living in reality, there won't be a...

Trash talk is common in sports. Whether it’s lighthearted or nasty, the purpose is the same: to intimidate your opponent and make them lose focus and feel less confident in their ability to win. Democrats and their friends in the media are engaging in their own form of trash talk when it comes to the midterm elections. They wave around some meaningless poll or quote an “expert” who would have us believe that Republican Senate candidates are weak, President Joe Biden has had some great successes, the Democrats’ fundraising numbers give them a huge advantage, and Republicans can’t possibly win...

Andrew, ever since I ran into a spot of bother in Canada, I’ve found myself giving speeches in defense of freedom of expression in Toronto, London, Copenhagen, etc. I did not think it would be necessary quite so soon to take the same stand in the land of the First Amendment against craven squishes of the political class willing to trade core liberties for a quiet life. I have no expectations of Harry Reid or the New York Times, but I have nothing but total contempt for the wretched buffoon Graham. A mob of deranged ululating blood-lusting head-hackers slaughter Norwegian...