Free Republic

Well, the end of the war in Ukraine could be very near—and for the first time since this whole expensive nightmare started, there’s an actual adult in the room. And that’s because President Trump is back in the White House. The truth is, Ukraine has always been one of the most corrupt countries in the world—and their leader is leading the pack. OCCRP: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his partners in comedy production owned a network of offshore companies related to their business based in the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, and Belize. Zelensky’s current chief aide, Serhiy Shefir, as well...

It could take up to five years to develop a domestic supply chain to supplant China’s global monopoly in processing rare earths into materials needed to produce everything from iPhones to F-35 fighter jets. While the United States has most of the 17 rare earth elements and 50 critical minerals underground, it has no industrial capacity to refine them into processed metals and magnets, according to Melissa “Mel” Sanderson, American Rare Earths board member and Critical Minerals Institute co-chair. “Currently in the United States, we have zero magnet manufacturers,” Sanderson told The Epoch Times. She said that’s why China imposed...

In a nutshell Vegan diets support muscle protein synthesis at the same rate as omnivorous diets when protein intake is matched (1.1-1.2g per kg of body weight). How you distribute protein throughout the day (evenly across meals vs. mostly at dinner) doesn’t significantly impact muscle growth. Vegan dieters reported higher energy levels and less fatigue, while omnivorous dieters reported greater meal satisfaction. ******************************************************************* CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Forget what you’ve heard at the gym about needing chicken breasts and steaks to build muscle. Science just delivered a win for plant-based eaters everywhere. Researchers found that vegan diets support muscle growth just...

I live near this event (The April 19th Reenactment of the encounter between Colonials and the British at the Old North Bridge) but had only gone to it once before many years ago, and it was rainy with no visibility of the event due to crowd size. I determined it wasn't worth going to again until this anniversary. I thought this would be something I should go to. In 1976, the 200 Year Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I had no opportunity to see any of it because I was an E2 Airman Apprentice doing Scullery Duty in the...

From ancient Rome to modern America, the impulse to wall off economies in times of crisis has proven consistently disastrous. Whether through tariff wars, currency debasement, or autarkic fantasies, economic nationalism has repeatedly triggered collapse -- not recovery Politicising structural economic fundamentals always leads to chaos, as history tells us. In the early 1930s, American President Herbert Hoover faced an agonising decision. The global economy, already reeling from the crash of 1929 and the calamity of the Great Depression, presented Hoover with mounting demands from his supporters for protectionism as a means of shielding the American economy from further harm....

FOR A COUNTRY known for long winters and high taxes, Finland appears remarkably chipper. On March 20th it came top of the World Happiness Report, an annual UN-backed study, notching its eighth consecutive win ahead of 146 other countries. Not far behind it were Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. What makes the Nordics so happy? The World Happiness Report is more a study of life satisfaction than smiles and laughter. It is based on a survey by Gallup, a pollster, where participants are asked to rate their lives out of ten. Finns are not known to gloat (or, for that matter,...

Stick with me on this, I promise I’m going to deliver the goods! Does the United States already possess teleportation technology? You know, like “Beam me up, Scottie!” I know that sounds crazy at first glance, but you might just change your mind once you see what I’m about to show you. It all starts with this Tweet that caught my attention today, suggesting that President Trump has teleportation technology and so badly wants to let the cat out of the bag: Trump wants to tell people we can teleport stuff so badly.⚡️ https://t.co/4qmUhEEpyG pic.twitter.com/uPR5IF95St— Ashton Forbes (@JustXAshton) April 10,...

The triumphal arch holds a very important place in the annals of Western architecture and urbanism. In Roman times it played a lofty honorific role, even though most Roman arches commemorated civic achievements and personages rather than military victories. The freestanding monumental arch was a syncretic creation, structurally derived from Etruscan gateways and decoratively enriched with Hellenistic architectural and sculptural forms. Its distinctive presence, which accommodated an astonishing variety in massing and detail, enriched towns and cities across the Roman empire, from Spain to Syria. The monumental arch should be regarded as a universal entity—eminently appropriate, one would think, to...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday evening practically empty-handed. Expectations in Israel were high that Netanyahu would be able to secure either a reduction in the 17% tariffs announced by President Trump last week, or a strong stance against Iran for resisting U.S. efforts at negotiations over the country’s nuclear ambitions, or possibly even positive developments in the issue of the hostages, after Netanyahu met with Trump and his special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. However, to the disappointment of many in Israel, Netanyahu left with little good news for Israel. Instead...

Democrats love to portray themselves as the compassionate ones. They just want to help people, especially the poor and downtrodden. When you ask them about illegal immigration, they will tell you that these are just poor people looking for a better life for themselves and their families. That's why they were perfectly okay with a wide-open southern border and letting millions of people into the country. It was all about compassion. However, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to dig into the twisted story of America's finances, we are finding out that the compassion ruse is just that,...

Scientists invent a new chewing gum that may help prevent viral transmission. (New Africa/Shutterstock) In a nutshell * A plant-based chewing gum made from lablab beans can trap and neutralize flu and herpes viruses in the lab, offering a potential new way to reduce transmission directly in the mouth, where these viruses often spread. * The antiviral protein in the gum (FRIL) stays stable for over two years at room temperature, making it a promising option for global use without the need for refrigeration or injections. * Though results so far are limited to lab tests, the gum has passed...

Happiness rankings in the Americas have seen notable shifts, with some smaller nations climbing while major economies have experienced steady declines.Despite these changes, the region maintains a relatively high overall happiness level. Across North, Central, and South America, average scores generally range from 5.7 to 7.3.This map, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, showcases the findings for countries in North, Central, and South America from the 2025 World Happiness Report, an annual publication that measures global contentment based on life evaluations, social support, freedom of choice, GDP per capita, and additional indicators of well-being. The data is drawn from the Gallup...

United Nations -- The Israeli military backtracked on its account of the killing of 15 Palestinian medics by its forces last month after phone video appeared to contradict its claims that their vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them in the Gaza Strip. The military initially said it opened fire because the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” on nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals. An Israeli military official, speaking late Saturday on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said that account was “mistaken.” The footage shows the Red Crescent and Civil Defence teams...

He may be in favour with the Trump administration, but Conor McGregor's chances of making the ballot paper in Ireland's presidential poll are close to zero, experts tell Euroverify. Former martial arts fighter Conor McGregor will very unlikely be able to run for the Irish presidency, two experts have told Euroverify, despite widespread media reports claiming the UFC champion will attempt to appear on the presidential ballot, which is due to take place by 11 November. McGregor, who has emerged as a figurehead for Ireland's far right, made headlines last Friday when he announced on Instagram he would run for...

Scientists from Princeton University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have invented a device that seemingly generates electricity from the Earth’s rotation. Although generally accepted theories show that generating electricity from a uniform field like Earth’s magnetic field is impossible, the team believes they have found a “loophole” that allows their device to generate tiny but measurable amounts of electricity. If independent reviews can confirm the team’s work, they say the next steps to building a practical energy-generating device would involve miniaturization and scaling efforts, as proposed in a new paper detailing their current efforts. Device That Generates Electricity from...

The secret to happiness? Doing pretty okay, I guess.For the eighth year in a row, Finland tops the “happiness” league tables — but that doesn’t mean its citizens are feeling the joy.Thursday marked 2025’s International Day of Happiness, a celebration established by the United Nations back in 2012 — which, in stark contrast with today, was a time when the organization seemingly had capacity to do stuff like inaugurate special days for “recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals.”In nearly every year since, Finland has topped the list as the happiest country in the world, and this...

Terry Bradshaw has changed political parties and he's refusing to apologize for it. The legendary NFL quarterback, who won four Super Bowls during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, hasn't shied away from discussing politics. In fact, he's been pretty open about it. The iconic Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, like some other athletes - Danica Patrick, Charles Barkley - has actually switched political parties during his career. Bradshaw, 76, was a longtime Republican. However, he ultimately decided to switch political parties, becoming a registered Independent voter. He has been with the Independent party for the past several years. The former NFL...

Is this another Godfather-esque play to make Ali Khamenei an offer he can't refuse? Is it a reversal on Barack Obama's JCPOA? Or is it a way to de-escalate with both Russia and China and dial down tensions by restoring commerce as the main medium of international relations? Or is this just spitballing to suss out the possibilities? Perhaps Khamenei is asking himself the same questions after receiving a letter from Donald Trump asking to negotiate an end to Iran's nuclear-weapons program:President Trump said he sent a letter on Thursday to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei and stressed that he...

Korean researchers have developed advanced Ni-rich cathodes that improve all-solid-state battery performance, offering longer lifespans and greater energy efficiency. n an era where electronic devices and electric vehicles demand better battery performance, scientists are racing to develop batteries that last longer, charge faster, and store more energy. A promising solution lies in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), which could outperform traditional lithium-ion batteries in both efficiency and safety. At the heart of this innovation is the cathode active material (CAM), particularly those rich in nickel (Ni), which plays a crucial role in boosting battery performance. Role of Ni-rich cathodes ASSBs differ from...

Food prices have been on an increasingly upward trend for the past several years thanks to COVID-19 and inflation. And while U.S. tariffs against Canada and Mexico were on hold, President Donald Trump has now announced that they will go into effect on March 4, "as scheduled." The president made this announcement in a post on the social media platform Truth Social. Those 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico were on hold after the two countries reached an agreement with the United States, but now that they're back on, your grocery budget is likely to be affected—after all, those countries...