Free Republic

In an abortion debate that is wrongly considered just a “women’s issue,” the pain that men feel about a past abortion is often lost in the shuffle. But millions of men who may have prompted or agreed with their partner’s decision to have an abortion often face regret years later. And often times the baby is killed in an abortion that the father never wanted or supported. Longtime country music singer Kenny Rogers, who passed away today, was known for his romantic touch and everyman approach. But a lesser-known song he sang later in his career highlighted a father’s abortion...

Unborn babies will continue to be killed in elective abortions in Washington state even though most other elective and non-urgent medical procedures have been temporarily banned. A number of states are temporarily banning elective medical procedures to combat the coronavirus. The virus has killed thousands of people across the world, and tens of thousands more are sick. There is no vaccine or proven treatment yet, and hospitals are concerned about a shortage of medical resources and staff. Meanwhile, disability rights advocates and the elderly are concerned about medical rationing. Despite the global health crisis, Gov. Jay Inslee, a pro-abortion Democrat,...

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee issued a sweeping statewide stay-at-home order Monday evening to help stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The emergency proclamation will require people to stay at home for at least two weeks unless it is absolutely necessary to leave for such essentials as groceries or medicine or for an essential job, said a spokesperson for the governor. It will also require a number of businesses to close that have remained open so far. Inslee announced the order Monday evening in a statewide televised address. It is similar to stay-home orders issued in other states,...

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s order Monday banning all elective medical procedures in the state includes an “explicit exemption” for aborting unborn babies. While much of the country is focused on saving lives, abortion activists and their political allies are still intent on killing them – even while medical resources are scarce and people are dying from the coronavirus. “Governor Murphy’s executive order exempting abortion during this global pandemic defies logic and is highly irresponsible,” said New Jersey Right to Life Executive Director Marie Tasy. “97% of all abortions are elective procedures and are not medically necessary.” A press release...

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday ordered non-essential businesses to close and the state’s more than 7 million residents to stay home unless necessary in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. The stay-at-home order will remain in place through April 6. It expands previous actions taken by Inslee last week that ordered the statewide closure of bars, dine-in restaurants, and entertainment and recreation facilities and banned large gatherings. Several other states had already issued similar orders, including California, New York and Oregon.

    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Fort Hunter Liggett, CaliforniaOriginally designated Hunter Liggett Military Reservation in 1941, the installation is named for Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett (1857 - 1935). General Hunter Liggett commanded the 41st National Guard Division, and later, the First Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War 1. He also served as Chief of Staff for General John Pershing. In 1975, the reservation was re-designated Fort Hunter Liggett Military Installation.The varied terrain and weather conditions at Fort Hunter Liggett, provides unique opportunity for continuing training and testing, and makes the installation a valuable...

The Spygate scandal is shaping up to be the most significant political abuse of government power in history. And it may be even larger than people expect. The investigation by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the origins of the FBI’s Russian collusion investigation – or as President Trump prefers to call it, the witch hunt – continues to expand. Durham reportedly opened criminal investigations last fall. And unlike the narrow Justice Department Inspector General’s review of the abuse of the FISA process, Durham is looking into the questionable activities of other government agencies, in particular the CIA and its former...

President Donald Trump recently refused abortion activists’ pressure to expand access to abortion drugs during the coronavirus crisis. Many states are delaying non-essential medical care to devote resources to the virus outbreak, but abortion facilities have been continuing their business as usual. Abortion activists insist that abortion are essential medical care, even though they destroy unborn babies’ lives and put mothers at risk. Though many abortion facilities remain open, abortion activists are using the crisis to push for even more abortions through de-regulation. Recently, a number of abortion activists urged the Trump administration to allow mail-order and telemedicine abortions, according...

For the second time in as many weeks, Speaker Nancy Pelosi is attempting to exploit the coronavirus crisis to push her abortion agenda on the American people. During the development of the first stimulus bill to tackle the coronavirus situation, White House officials caught Pelosi trying to force Americans to fund abortions because she put funding in the bill under a section of HHS where the provisions of the Hyde Amendment would not apply. Now, Pelosi is trying to include funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion company in the bill to provide economic relief for small businesses, even though Planned...

Pray the Rosary Daily to Rid the United States of this Corona Crisis. Praying the Rosary kept Europe free from being invaded at Lepanto, and having Arabic as their national language. It can work here, too. Please join us at your convenience, but three times have been suggested: 11:40 before a noon Mass 3:00 PM 6:00 with your family.

President Xi Jinping is under growing political pressure from within the ranks of the ruling Chinese Communist Party over his handling of the coronavirus crisis. An open letter circulating online since last week calls for an emergency, expanded meeting of the Politburo to discuss "Xi's issues" and to decide if he should step down from his leadership of party, government and military. The letter says Xi's handling of the coronavirus epidemic should be discussed, but also the trade war with the U.S. and his fueling of mistrust of China in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The letter was shared to WeChat...

ORANGE COUNTY (VINnews) — A Hasidic man who had an appointment at a Toyota Service Center in Orange County on Monday morning, was asked to leave without getting service. When he confronted them, pointing to the fact that he had an appointment, and they were clearly servicing other customers, he was told “because you are spreading the virus.” The Toyota center has been identified as Johnstons Toyota in New Hampton, NY.

The social justice set has been shrieking about “lives being at risk” for almost a decade. But now that we’re faced with actual devastation to the human way of life, it becomes clear that it was always only rhetoric. Social justice is the culture that cried wolf. Now that lives are truly at risk as a result of a global pandemic, quick action is being implemented in North America to protect our most vulnerable. Instead of supporting these common sense, ideally temporary changes, required to get through this unprecedented time, the church of social justice is actually jealous of coronavirus....

Mechinoh School says issues related to sexuality must be 'the domain of the parents'A strictly Orthodox secondary school in Salford has been threatened with removal from the register by the Department for Education because it will not teach openly about LGBT people. Mechinoh, a small independent boys school, was rated as good in three out of four areas by Ofsted a year ago but was told it was not complying with requirements on equality. This week it was warned by the DfE it could be permanently shut unless it produced an action plan to address the issue. The school insists...

The coronavirus can survive on surfaces for up to 17 days, a study published Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Mark is feeling a little under the weather today, so in lieu of a brand new Song of the Week we thought we'd re-publish his thoughts on a boffo global hit of the Sixties. This essay first appeared a little over two years ago to mark the passing of Mel Tillis. We reprise it now to mark the passing of Kenny Rogers. This story starts with Mel and ends with Kenny, the man who gave Mel's song its most perfect expression: The Vietnam War cast, as they say, long shadows. It left, as they also say, deep scars in the...

Hoping to stem the toll of the state’s surging coronavirus outbreak, New York health officials plan to begin collecting plasma from people who have recovered and injecting the antibody-rich fluid into patients still fighting the virus. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the plans during a news briefing Monday. The treatment, known as convalescent plasma, dates back centuries and was used during the flu epidemic of 1918 — in an era before modern vaccines and antiviral drugs. Some experts say the treatment, although somewhat primitive, might be the best hope for combating the coronavirus until more sophisticated therapies can be developed, which...

TYLER, Texas, March 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As Catholics throughout the western world have been cut off from the Sacraments and often find themselves locked out of their churches due to the coronavirus, Bishop Joseph Strickland stationed himself at the busiest intersection in his city, armed with the Blessed Sacrament held high. Early in the day on Saturday, Strickland announced via Twitter, “I plan to stand at the busiest intersection in our city this evening with a deacon, vested in a cope & bless the people of God with the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in His Blessed...

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin discusses the steps the White House is taking to mitigate economic pain and suffering being felt by businesses and workers. The U.S. economy has essentially been shut down In an effort to deal with the spread of the Chinese coronavirus; there are worries that parts of the economy will never recover if a rescue package doesn’t quickly reach businesses and workers. [Important Conversation] Mnuchin helped design a relief bill to protect the economy and U.S. workers, and ensure the economy is able to restart quickly. Democrats are blocking proactive the emergency bill to take advantage of...

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira of the Greek Orthodox Church was arrested on Friday, March 20, for defying the government’s order and continuing to celebrate the Divine services. The Holy Synod of the Greek Church earlier announced that it would reduce its parishes’ schedules to just one-hour Liturgies on Sunday, though the state then overruled the hierarchs and ordered that all services be canceled until March 30 in an effort to contain the coronavirus. According to the Greek newspaper Lifo.gr, the Metropolitan was arrested after celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the Holy Cross Cathedral in defiance of the state’s...