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I filed my column just after it came out; I cannot claim to have deeply studied the papal document, Querida Amazonia. Given more time, I’d hesitate to study it any deeper. Like many Catholics, who at least aspire to be “faithful” and “traditional,” I simply rejoice in what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t, in itself, advance such campaigns as those for the marriage of priests, or the ordination of women. It does recommend the appalling Amazon Synod Final Report, rather than ignore it, or better, refute it. This is the “footnote” tactic, tried by Bergoglio before. But now it can...

I would like to hear some opinions on survival food suppliers from the crew here on Free Republic, including "Do not buy from". I don't need the best, but I don't want too be disappointed.

If the coronavirus is spreading this rapidly among hospital workers, what chance do the rest of us have? What we are witnessing in China right now is absolutely unprecedented. Despite the lockdown of major city after major city, this mysterious new coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire, and Chinese government officials are becoming visibly frustrated. The number of confirmed cases has nearly doubled over the past seven days, and that is extremely concerning. But even more alarming is the unofficial information which has been leaking out of China. According to the South China Morning Post, “at least 500 hospital staff...

With a win in New Hampshire, a maybe-win in Iowa last week, and a month-long surge into second place nationally, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is now in strong position to win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. It’s been a long road for the curmudgeonly man from Vermont, who spent years toiling on the fringes of official Washington. Of all things, the event that ultimately launched him into the Democratic Party’s mainstream turned out to be a binary 2016 primary contest with Hillary Clinton, a match-up in which the contrast ultimately benefited him more than her. So, here we are, in...

The left went bonkers on Twitter when news broke that Big Tech billionaire Larry Ellison was hosting a pro-Trump fundraiser. Lefty outlet Vox Recode characterized the billionaire founder of Oracle Corporation's decision to support President Donald Trump as "unthinkable for a tech titan" and “a major coup for the Trump team." Recode continued: "Ellison is, after all, the country’s fifth-richest person, with a net worth of almost $70 billion.” Vox Recode also issued a harbinger in its Feb. 12 report: “[T]he fundraiser [to be held in Ellison’s estate] is sure to expose the flamboyant 75-year-old billionaire [Ellison] to a new...

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman will not be investigated by the Army after being ousted from the National Security Council following his testimony against President Donald Trump. This report comes from a top leader in the Army, Secretary Ryan McCarthy...

CN yesterday announced it has initiated a "disciplined and progressive" shutdown of its operations in Eastern Canada until protest blockades on its lines in Ontario are removed, company officials said in a press release. The shut down will include stopping and securing all trans-continental trains across its Canadian network, including intercity VIA Rail service. The Metrolinx and Exo commuter-rail services will not be impacted, CN officials said. Earlier this week, protesters set up the blockades across the country in a show of solidarity for the Wet'suwet'en Nation, whose hereditary chiefs oppose the construction of a natural gas pipeline through northern...

Alyssa Milano will have more time to devote to her left-wing political causes now that her Netflix series has been canceled after two season. Insatiable won’t be returning for a third season after the streamer decided to end the dark comedy series. The show starred Debby Ryan as a formerly fat high school student seeking revenge on her classmates who bullied her. Milano co-starred as the vain wife of the attorney who takes an interest in the heroine.

Police identify woman who died after Kensington fire Shed on Summit Avenue burned, authorities said BY DAN SCHERE | Published: 2020-02-13 21:03 Caroline Gaiser, 34, died following a fire on Tuesday in Kensington, Montgomery County police said Thursday Montgomery County police have identified the woman who died from a fire that happened Tuesday afternoon in Kensington. Caroline Gaiser, 34, died after being injured in the fire, Officer Rick Goodale, a police spokesman, confirmed in an interview Thursday. Montgomery County Fire & Rescue was called to Summit Avenue around 1 p.m. on Tuesday for a “well-involved” shed fire, spokesman Pete Piringer...

The Trump administration is deploying law enforcement tactical units from the southern border as part of a supercharged arrest operation in sanctuary cities across the country, an escalation in the president’s battle against localities that refuse to participate in immigration enforcement. The specially trained officers are being sent to cities including Chicago and New York to boost the enforcement power of local ICE officers, according to two officials who are familiar with the secret operation. Additional agents are expected to be sent to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, New Orleans, Detroit and Newark, N.J. The move reflects President...

The Chinese capital Beijing on Friday imposed a 14-day self-quarantine on people returning to the city from holidays to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, and threatened to punish those who failed to comply. It was not immediately clear how the restriction, relayed by the official Beijing Daily newspaper, would be enforced, or whether it would apply to non-residents of Beijing or foreigners arriving from abroad. In cities such as Beijing and the business hub Shanghai, streets and subways remain largely deserted with many shops and restaurants empty or shut. Government employee Jin Yang, 28, made it to his...

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said Friday on CNN that while he was grateful the Department of Justice is dropping its investigation into him, it is an “absolute disgrace” it took two years. McCabe said, “You know, it was traumatic to leave the FBI, certainly in the way that I did. And that’s been tough to live with. And this, the added insult and suspicion that comes with being under criminal investigation, just made the entire experience a million times worse. And I have to say that as glad as I am that the Justice Department and the DC...

Today's Quotefall Puzzle features a quote by Rush Limbaugh. Click puzzle (or click here) for full size rendition, then use your browser's print command to print puzzle. The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit and less nuts. All hints, along with the answer, are provided in the first reply comment below, using filtered font to prevent accidental spoilers. Please refrain from disclosing the full answer in comments to prevent spoilers.To solve the puzzle: Enter the letters in the top half (letter columns) of the puzzle into the white squares on the bottom half (answer grid)...

A road trip may be the classic way to traverse the United States, but cyclists will eventually be able to make the cross-country bike trip a reality on a newly created trail system. Once it is completed, the Great American Rail-Trail will connect more than 3,700 miles of repurposed train routes and multi-use trails—all separate from vehicle traffic—across 12 states from Washington, D.C., to Washington State. Here’s everything we know about it so far. Where Will the Route Go? In May 2019, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) revealed the route that will connect 125 existing trails with another 90 “trail gaps,”...

A leftist at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) was caught on video getting into a physical altercation with members of the school’s College Republicans student group, as well as with free speech activist Hayden Williams. Moments later, the individual was seeing spitting on an American flag, which had fallen to the ground during the scuffle. Free speech activist Hayden Williams — who was punched in the face at UC Berkeley while helping Turning Point USA recruit conservative students last year — posted a video to his Twitter account on Thursday, which depicts an individual attacking the College Republicans...

A prominent Chinese scholar has published an article criticising the country’s leadership for failing to control the coronavirus outbreak that has infected almost 25,000 people around the world. Xu Zhangrun, a law professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, who has been under close surveillance by the authorities, blamed Communist Party leaders for putting politics ahead of the people in his strongly worded piece, which was published on several overseas Chinese-language websites this week. “The political system has collapsed under the tyranny, and a governance system [made up] of bureaucrats, which has taken [the party] more than 30 years to build...

Three Connecticut high school track runners filed a lawsuit against their athletic conference Wednesday to block born-male athletes from competing against them. Selina Soule, Alanna Smith, and Chelsea Mitchell argue the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) is accommodating an unfair advantage for transgender athletes by allowing biological males to compete against girls. Connecticut is one of 17 states that currently allows transgender athletes to compete without restriction according to their gender identity, reports the Connecticut Post. “It is not fair for any boy to compete against girls,” Smith told the Connecticut Post. “That biological unfairness doesn’t go away because of...

After voting to convict President Donald Trump in the Senate impeachment trial last week, the Republican Senate race has tightened. A new poll from Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy published in the Alabama Daily News on Wednesday shows former Attorney General Jeff Sessions narrowly leading current Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. The poll shows Sessions at 31 percent followed by former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville at 29 percent and Rep. Bradley Byrne at 17 percent on the Republican side. The poll also showed Jones trailing Sessions, Tuberville and Byrne in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups. In the hypothetical general election match-ups, Sessions beats...

Delta Air Lines, the world's second-largest carrier, announced plans Friday to mount an ambitious 10-year strategy during which it will spend at least $1 billion and become the world's first carbon-neutral airline. The Atlanta-based carrier said it will launch the effort next month, which will include investments in green air travel technologies, methods to reduce carbon emissions and waste and development of projects to mitigate emissions it does produce. "There is no substitute for the power that travel has to connect people, which our world needs today more than ever before," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. "It...

U.S.—New, modern Valentine's Day cards for the woke are including long forms asking for your partner's consent to continue your advances. The updated, modernized Valentine's Day cards say things like, "I love you!" and "Be mine!" Then, when you open them up, a 300-page contract falls out, requiring your signature and initials to confirm that you consent to being pursued romantically. Some even have consent-minded slogans like "Be Mine -- if you want! No big deal if not. Let me know. Whatever." "Nothing says 'I love you' like making your S.O. sign hundreds of pages confirming she consents to your...