Free Republic

Artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into everyday life, from chatbots that offer companionship to algorithms that shape what we see online. But as generative AI (genAI) becomes more conversational, immersive and emotionally responsive, clinicians are beginning to ask a difficult question: can genAI exacerbate or even trigger psychosis in vulnerable people? Large language models and chatbots are widely accessible, and often framed as supportive, empathic or even therapeutic. For most users, these systems are helpful or, at worst, benign. But as of late, a number of media reports have described people experiencing psychotic symptoms in which ChatGPT features prominently. For...

Low-fat dairy and other dairy foods showed no clear association.People who regularly ate higher-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of developing dementia over 25 years, while low-fat dairy and other dairy foods showed no clear association, according to a new study. Those who consumed 50 grams per day or more of high-fat cheese daily – roughly a third of a cup – had a lower overall risk of dementia, vascular dementia, a form of cognitive decline caused by impaired blood flow to the brain, according to the 25-year Swedish study of nearly 28,000 people published in Neurology, the...

Fiat CEO Olivier François said he would "happily" limit the top speed of his company's city cars to 73mph, as an alternative to fitting them with costly safety technology that he considers unnecessary for low-speed driving. He said that most of the ADAS technology that is mandated by current EU regulations is designed to improve safety at higher speeds so has little relevance for cars like the 500, Panda and Grande Panda, which are mainly driven around town. Fitting this equipment is therefore unnecessarily hiking up the price of such models for little benefit to the consumer - and François...

It seems Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has found a Trump administration policy he agrees with: Those darn potheads can’t be trusted with constitutional rights. Nevada is one of 19 states joining the administration in urging the Supreme Court to uphold a federal ban on gun possession by users of cannabis products — including those users who reside in states where medical and recreational use of the drug has been legalized. On March 2, the court will hear a case involving the federal government’s efforts to prosecute a Texas man for violating a federal statute that prohibits gun possession by...

Criminal associates of Chen Zhi who surrender before Feb 15 and "truthfully confess their crimes" could be eligible for "lighter or reduced sentences", China's Ministry of Public Security said.China called on Thursday (Jan 15) for criminal associates of accused scam boss Chen Zhi to surrender voluntarily in return for lighter sentences, after their alleged ringleader was extradited from Cambodia. Chen has been indicted by the United States on fraud and money-laundering charges for allegedly running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from Cambodia. Beijing has also called Chen "the ringleader of a major cross-border gambling and fraud criminal syndicate", and Cambodia deported...

Summary Robert Jenrick, the ex-shadow justice secretary, has joined Reform UK after being sacked by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for "plotting to defect" Speaking after being introduced by Nigel Farage, Jenrick says he first reached out to Farage in September, but "didn't know" then he was going to defect Farage says Jenrick was not certain to defect until he was sacked by Badenoch, saying there was only a "60/40" chance Jenrick says he won't call a by-election in his Newark constituency - while Farage says he will not accept defectors after the elections in May Badenoch says she had "clear,...

On January 15, 1972, a song unlike any other in popular music history soared to the top of the American charts — “American Pie” by singer-songwriter Don McLean reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning a remarkable four-week run at the summit of the pop charts. Recorded in May 1971 and released later that year, “American Pie” was more than just another folk-rock single; it was an epic musical poem that captured the imagination of listeners across generations. At over eight minutes long, the complete version of the song was unusually extended for a single, yet its...

According to a statement released by the University of Vienna, a team of scientists from the University of Vienna, the University of Tartu, Cambridge University, and University College London have reconstructed the genomes of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) from samples taken from human remains recovered from archaeological sites in Europe. Today, HHV-6B infects about 90 percent of children by age two, causing roseola infantum, also known as "sixth disease, " an illness characterized by a rash and a fever. In addition to causing illness, these viruses are capable of integrating into human chromosomes and remaining dormant. Such inherited...

The seemingly deranged governor of Minnesota has effectively declared war on the federal government. Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. – 18 U.S.C. § 2383 While federal law is clear that insurrection and rebellion are very bad crimes, indeed, both Congress and the Supreme Court have steered clear of...

A top Department of Homeland Security official fired back at Joe Rogan after he defended protesters comparing ICE to Hitler’s Gestapo amid ongoing unrest in Minneapolis over the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good. The mega-popular podcaster told US Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that he understands the “point of view” of critics who have likened federal immigration agents’ tactics to those of the Nazi-era secret police. “You don’t want militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching people up — many of which turn out to actually be US citizens that just don’t have their papers on them,” Rogan...

A fight over an Alabama woman's mother allegedly being 'disrespected' ended with two people shot to death at a wake, according to police. Jasmine Allen, 35, has been charged with capital murder in the deaths of her great‑uncle, 76‑year‑old Carlton Rufus Allen, and her uncle, 43‑year‑old father‑of‑seven Sonny Arrington. She is also charged with attempted murder for shooting her sister, Jasmine Ross, who survived a gunshot wound to the leg. Detectives said Allen and her daughter had arrived at the apartment earlier that evening in a Lyft to join relatives gathering at her mother's home in the Tuxedo Terrace complex...

Meet the worst Times Square interloper since the Elmos invasion — the “limited edition” anchovy-cheese donut at weirdly punctuated I’m donut ? The Japanese bakery chain, which set up its first US store at 154 W. 45th St. last spring, will stop at nothing to get attention from TikTok influencers. This month, the “chef’s inspiration” is to lay a single anchovy across the top of a donut filled with three (count ’em, three) types of cheese — white cheddar, Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano — and creamy Béchamel sauce. It makes for a dairy debacle. The mutant munchie tastes like a salt slick...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (also known as “GSEs”) have released their November reports on their mortgage portfolios and mortgage delinquencies. Both Fannie and Freddie report that serious delinquencies in multifamily are rising to multiyear highs.(These numbers reflect the condition of mortgages in each agency’s portfolio, which are a major part of the overall mortgage market. Nearly half of the multifamily mortgage market are part of GSE portfolios.) For November, seriously delinquent multifamily mortgages (90+ days delinquent) at Fannie Mae rose to 0.75 percent. That’s up from October’s total of 0.71 percent, and it was up from November 2024’s total...

[Catholic Caucus] Roche’s Consistory Manifesto: The Liturgical Revolution Still Demands Its VictimsEvery few months the postconciliar machine produces another document that pretends to be calm, pastoral, historically informed, even reverent toward “Tradition.” Then the mask slips. The target is always the same. The old Mass must not merely be regulated, not merely “balanced,” not merely “integrated.” It must be starved, shamed, and finally buried.Cardinal Arthur Roche’s consistory report is that pattern distilled. It is written for cardinals, packaged as a neutral overview, and built around the same three moves the regime has used for decades. First, a selective timeline where...

Scenes of chaos unfolded in Minneapolis on Wednesday night as rioters flooded the streets to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city. The unrest quickly escalated into dangerous territory, forcing ICE agents to abandon multiple vehicles. In the chaos, sensitive personal information was stolen and left scattered across city streets. One independent reporter who was present during the unrest said he was able to intercept “most” of the personal information stolen by rioters; however, it remains unclear how much sensitive information may still be in their possession. In one alarming incident, rioters broke into...

Amazon wants a federal judge to reject Saks Global’s bankruptcy financing plan, writing in court papers the beleaguered department store “burned through hundreds of millions of dollars in less than a year” and failed to hold up their agreement. When Saks acquired Neiman Marcus for $2.7 billion in December 2024, Amazon invested $475 million into the venture on the grounds the retailer would start selling its products on Amazon’s website and the tech company would offer technology and logistics expertise. “That equity investment is now presumptively worthless,” Amazon’s attorneys wrote in a Wednesday filing, hours after Saks filed for Chapter...

Verizon offered a paltry $20 credit to customers who experienced hours-long outages Wednesday — with the “pathetic” handout prompting even more outrage over the massive disruption. The telecoms giant said on X that the credit was to “help provide some relief” to affected users, claiming the refund “covers multiple days of service.” “This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened,” Verizon wrote.

VIDEO Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara has had to put up with a lot considering that most of his city leaders are completely CORRUPT. However, the mayor, Jacob Frey, might have taken the situation in Minneapolis one mental hurdle too far when he claimed the city residents wanted the police to FIGHT ICE. You can see O'Hara's reaction to that claim by the way his eyebrows JUMPED the moment those words left Frey's mouth. Don't be too surprised if a police chief resignation letter will soon follow Frey's rant.

[Catholic Caucus] Ten Reasons Why Cardinal Roche’s Document is Only Good for Lining Your Parrot Cage WithCardinal Roche’s defense does not represent continuity with the Catholic tradition but represents a rupture disguised as historical inevitability.The document that, according to an article by Diane Montagna, was presented by Cardinal Arthur Roche to the Extraordinary Consistory of January 2026 purports to defend “sound tradition” while simultaneously advocating a theory of perpetual liturgical reform.If Roche’s treatment of the concept of Catholic Tradition is sound, then I am a time traveller from the planet Zorg.Upon examination, the theological foundations of this two-page document, which...

If over the last two weeks Iran had been killing civilians at the rate Israel did during the recent war with Hamas, around 475 Iranian civilians should be dead right now, just over two weeks into the conflict.Instead, CBS (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-protest-death-toll-over-12000-feared-higher-video-bodies-at-morgue/)is reporting 12,000 civilian deaths (with one source going as high as 20,000). ...In the Israel-Hamas War, it took Israel just under 13 months to reach that civilian death toll (or 5 months, if you believe Hamas' figures, which I do not). And again, it took Iran just two weeks.So why all the silence? Where are the college protesters that we...