Free Republic

California officials are warning foragers after an outbreak of poisoning linked to wild mushrooms that has killed one adult and caused severe liver damage in several patients, including children. The state poison control system has identified 21 cases of amatoxin poisoning, likely caused by death cap mushrooms, the health department said Friday. The toxic wild mushrooms are often mistaken for edible ones because of their appearance and taste. “Death cap mushrooms contain potentially deadly toxins that can lead to liver failure," Erica Pan, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “Because the death cap can...

Notre Dame Withdraws from Bowl Game Consideration After CFP Committee Snub 5 PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Head Coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish lDavid Madison/Getty Images Dylan Gwinn7 Dec 2025296 2:55 On Sunday, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee told Notre Dame that its presence in this year’s playoff was not needed. A couple of hours later, Notre Dame informed college football that if they weren’t competing for a national championship, they weren’t interested in playing at all. “We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th...

Jasmine Crockett: "Violence doesn’t come from Democrats. It’s MAGA. The assassination attempts with Donald Trump were Trump supporters. It’s only MAGA that does this."

The House of Representatives passed multiple bills targeting the Social Security Administration’s services for potential retirees, for victims of identity theft, and for children whose cards were stolen or lost. On Monday, the House passed the Claiming Age Clarity Act, which will change “certain terms that are used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to describe the ages at which a worker may claim Social Security retirement benefits,” according to the bill. The SSA under the measure will have to use the term “minimum monthly benefit age” instead of “early eligibility age,” the text of the measure said. “This refers...

More than 1.5 million bags of shredded cheese sold at retailers including Walmart and Target have been recalled after the Ohio-based manufacturer warned the products may contain metal fragments. Great Lakes Cheese Co., the Hiram, Ohio-based firm, initiated the voluntary action affecting multiple brands sold at major retailers. The recall, which began on Oct. 3, stems from potential metal fragments in supplier raw material — prompting what regulators describe as a downstream recall across several product lines. The FDA classified the action on Dec. 1, and the recall remains active. The affected cheese — including mozzarella, Italian-style blends, pizza blends...

Manhattan-based psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert told Fox News on Friday that "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS) is a real psychological issue he has seen firsthand in his practice, with three-quarters of his patients exhibiting symptoms. During an interview with "The Faulkner Focus," Alpert said patients have come into his office exhibiting symptoms of mental distress stemming from their fear or anger toward President Donald Trump. "This is a profound pathology, and I would even go so far to call it the defining pathology of our time," Alpert said. TDS is a term generally used by Trump supporters to disparage what they view...

Once again, the United States is using lethal force off its shores. In recent weeks, American drones and warships have sunk or disabled a string of speedboats in international waters off Venezuela. Washington says the vessels belonged to narcoterrorist networks tied to the Maduro regime and Tren de Aragua and that they were carrying cocaine and fentanyl precursors bound for the United States. At least 83 alleged traffickers and others are dead. Caracas calls this extrajudicial murder. Human-rights groups call it assassination. Cable-news panels and UN press releases are already rehearsing the same ritual question: Is this legal under international...

Doing the rounds on social media is the most disturbing ad I’ve ever seen. And I’m telling you about it because you need to be forewarned, just in case this Christmas a child or a grandchild happens to mention that it might be an idea to record a video for posterity, and opens the 2wai app. 2wai is the company responsible for the ad, and the service it offers is the creation of AI versions of family members so that relatives can talk to them after they’re dead. Catch ’em while they’re still alive, says 2wai; film a three-minute interview...

An emotional parody tribute for our favourite American congress woman: Ilhan Omar!

I'm opening this thread as a tribute to a imperfect man with a genius set of pipes and sense of melody. It was 45 years ago when I was walking through the gate at Subic Bay to get a cold San Miguel and some pizza at Shakey's. I heard Beatles songs playing from every venue and the girls were out on the sidewalk and in the street, sobbing and hugging. That's when I heard what was surely a lightning bolt from the heavens: John Lennon is dead!

Their record isn’t just spotty; it is downright awful. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986 was designed to prevent “patient dumping” by hospitals of emergent patients without insurance. The unintended consequences of that law are hotly debated. What is not in controversy is the hospital lobby’s insistence that the law drives up their operating costs.That argument has done decades of service to protectionist policies that limit competition and protect prices.Then there is the Affordable Care Act. It was a compromise between advocates of “universal health care” and the “Third Way” or “New Democrats” who viewed big...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), Community Capital Partners (CCP), and several of their leaders, alleging that they engaged in an illegal land development scheme that violated Texas securities laws.Promotional materials allegedly described the development as the “epicenter of Islam in North America” and implied it would be reserved for Muslims, despite assurances to the contrary.According to the lawsuit, CCP—formed by EPIC as a vehicle to purchase and develop more than 400 acres in Hunt and Collin counties—engaged in fraudulent practices while soliciting investments for the EPIC City project. Promotional...

Rocky thinks Trump is a really great guy. From the Kennedy Center.

“Cooked.” “Low-key.” “Sus.” And now, the cryptic “6-7.” In her recent article, “What Does ‘6-7’ Mean? Maybe Tweens Don’t Want You to Know,” Callie Holtermann explores the latest slang trends baffling adults and taking over classrooms. She highlights the phenomenon of “6-7,” a phrase as ubiquitous as it is meaningless. “‘Six-seven’ feels a bit like a nonsense grenade,” Ms. Holtermann writes. She asks if today’s slang is simply “brain rot” or rather a “gleeful obfuscation” designed to keep older generations in the dark. We asked students to weigh in. Is “6-7” actually funny? Is it annoying? And what does it...

SummaryThe video is a commentary about a large-scale COVID-era welfare fraud case in Minnesota involving the Somali community.Key points covered:Nearly 90 individuals (mostly Somali) have been charged with embezzling up to $1 billion (some estimates claim up to $8 billion) in government funds intended for child nutrition, homeless services, and autistic children. Prosecutors allege none of the intended beneficiaries received aid; money was used for luxury cars, mansions, and overseas real estate.The host accuses Somali fraudsters of intimidating investigators by threatening racism accusations and lawsuits.Connections are drawn to Minnesota Democratic figures: some convicted fraudsters donated to Rep. Ilhan Omar, Gov....

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 ~ On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. By planning his attack on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the Aircraft Carriers and one of the Battleships were not in port. (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake Island, where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS...

A lost 16th-century ship buried deep in a Namibian desert has stunned archaeologists with a treasure haul that rewrites the story of early global trade. In Namibia’s remote Sperrgebiet—a name that translates from German as “forbidden zone”—miners looking for diamonds stumbled upon something far more valuable: the buried wreck of a 16th-century Portuguese carrack, laden with gold, ivory, and copper. Preserved beneath the hyper-arid sands of the Namib Desert, the ship, identified as the Bom Jesus, disappeared in 1533 while en route to India. Discovered in 2008 within a high-security mining concession near Oranjemund, the site quickly drew attention from...

A remarkable resistance to venom has been discovered in a frog that feasts on hornets despite their deadly stingers. This frog could potentially serve as a model organism for studies on mechanisms underlying venom tolerance. Image: Kobe University ecologist SUGIURA Shinji discovered that the black-spotted pond frog seems to be unharmed and undaunted by venomous stings from hornets such as the Asian giant hornet, the largest in the world. ============================================================== While just the sight of a hornet’s stinger is enough to fill many of us with dread, some animals, such as some birds, spiders and frogs, are known to prey...

An Islamic group hoping to build a 'Muslim city' in eastern Texas has rebranded their project after Governor Greg Abbott accused them of wanting to enforce Sharia law. Developers looking to push forward with the large community have opted to change the name from EPIC City to The Meadow, according to the Houston Chronicle. The East Plano Islamic Community (EPIC) is behind the development and have yet to move beyond the planning stages, break ground or even submit permits. The cleric behind the community, Yasir Qadhi, has a decades-old record of preaching hatred, homophobia and Holocaust-denial to his followers. In...

Dick Van Dyke revealed how he’s been able to live a long life. The “Mary Poppins” star, who’s set to turn 100 years old on Dec. 13, recently recalled giving up alcohol and smoking in his 50s. Van Dyke credited the choice for why he’s “still here.” The comments came when he spoke about working with Walt Disney, who died of lung cancer in 1966, at a Vandy High Tea event held at his home in Malibu, Calif., on Nov. 30. Van Dyke recalled that Disney “smoked too much,” per People.