Free Republic

Having recently tackled the scourge of “assault” weapons in the Commonwealth, Virginia Democrats now have set their sights on the looming major public health threat of unlicensed art therapy. Citing the risks posed by “toxic chemicals” in paint and glue, by scissors “which have sharp edges capable of causing cuts or punctures,” and with objects like clay that can be dangerous “if thrown,” Democrats are stepping up to correct what surely was an oversight by our Founding Fathers who failed to  envision such dangerous implements in the hands of unlicensed civilians (consider the danger to have one’s skin punctured by...

The latest terrorist attacks in England illustrate the inadequacy of conventional law enforcement and criminology for dealing with ideologically-driven violence. Rehabilitation programs and criminal justice approaches that might work with thieves, muggers or even some murderers have proven spectacular failures when it comes to Islamists. In spite of many attempts, no one has figured out how to rehabilitate jihadis such as Sudesh Amman, the Streatham stabber, or Usman Khan, the London Bridge stabber, or the three London Bridge stabbers before that. With apologies to comedian Ron White, you can’t fix jihad. To be precise, I’m referring not to what Islamic...

"Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10). Your fruitfulness is directly related to your knowledge of divine truth. Every farmer who enjoys a plentiful harvest does so only after diligent effort on his part. He must cultivate the soil, plant the seed, then nurture it to maturity. Each step is thoughtful, disciplined, and orderly. Similarly, bearing spiritual fruit is not an unthinking or haphazard process. It requires us to be diligent in pursuing the knowledge of God's will, which is revealed in His Word. That is Paul's prayer in Colossians 1:9, which...

This study examined homemade masks as an alternative to commercial face masks. Several household materials were evaluated for the capacity to block bacterial and viral aerosols. Twenty-one healthy volunteers made their own face masks from cotton t-shirts; the masks were then tested for fit. The number of microorganisms isolated from coughs of healthy volunteers wearing their homemade mask, a surgical mask, or no mask was compared using several air-sampling techniques. The median-fit factor of the homemade masks was one-half that of the surgical masks. Both masks significantly reduced the number of microorganisms expelled by volunteers, although the surgical mask was...

We’re OK now, but officials at Coca-Cola said if the coronavirus continues to spread, there could be an impact on how much Diet Coke and other low-cal drinks are available. The sugar alternatives Coke uses in Diet Coke and its other zero-sugar drinks have been delayed, the company said in its annual report released Monday, CNN reported. But the good news is, the company has started its contingency supply plans to cover the short-term impact. “However, we may see tighter supplies of some of these ingredients in the longer term should production or export operations in China deteriorate,” Coke said...

“Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club.” And after last night’s cage fight that is a very good rule indeed. However there are actually eight rules of Fight Club: One does not talk about Fight Club. One DOES NOT talk about Fight Club. The fight is over once a person yells ''stop'', taps out, or goes limp. Only two guys are involved in a fight. Only one fight occurs at a time. No shirts, no shoes. There is time allotment associated with the fights. They go on until they...

Reposted from the Fabius Maximus Blog By Larry Kummer, Editor / 25 February 2020 Summary: Epidemics are like wars in that truth is the first casualty. I see comment threads in which misinformation makes most readers know less than when they started. Meanwhile, this blockbuster good news from China is lost amidst the chaff. First, a status report From WHO’s February 24 situation report. Outside China, there are 29 nations infected (1 new, 6 since Feb 3). There are 1,374 cases (261 new, 1,221 since February 3). This does not include the 695 infected and then quarantined on the Diamond...

As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) ascends to the top of the shrinking list of nominees for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, he has come under increased scrutiny to explain how he would pay for his audacious agenda. In response to the pressure, Sanders released a plan to pay for his plans. However, it seems as if Sanders’ plan-payment plan is heavy on rhetoric, more than lacking in detail, and not in line with simple arithmetic. For starters, Bernie claims, “It will cost $2.2 trillion to make public colleges, universities and trade schools tuition-free and to cancel all student debt over...

LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - BP said it will leave three U.S. petroleum trade groups, including the country’s main refining lobby, due to misaligned views over the energy transition to battle climate change. The decision comes after BP Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney, who took office earlier this month, set one of the oil sector’s most ambitious targets for curbing carbon emissions with a vow to “re-invent” the 111-year old company in the face of the climate challenge. The London-based company said in a report on Wednesday that it will quit the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), following similar...

Michael Hertz, the man who helped design New York City's famous subway map, has died at the age of 87. His death was confirmed by his son Eugene, who announced his father died on February 18 at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York. His cause of death has not been revealed. Hertz is best known as the man behind the map of the New York City subway system, which is still used by commuters and tourists to navigate their way round the city today.

Hot Pockets heiress Michelle Janavs has been sentenced to five months in prison for paying $300,000 to get her two daughters into prestigious schools as part of the college bribery scandal. She told the judge that she was ' so very sorry' trying to 'create an unfair advantage' for her children. Prosecutors had asked that she be put away for 21 months. The judge went on the lower end of their request but also imposed two years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

SACRAMENTO (AP) – California will consider legislation that would wipe the low-level criminal records of about 2 million people going back decades, part of a lawmaker’s second attempt to remove barriers to finding work or housing. The measure is part of a provision that was removed from a bill approved last year that would expunge records of certain arrests and crimes starting in 2021.Its author, Assemblyman Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat, proposed the new bill on Monday with the backing of district attorneys from San Francisco and San Joaquin County. Officials said records like being arrested for domestic violence...

“I want to be clear,” Foxx said during a Democratic candidate debate. “This race is not about one case.” You gave a break to a TV star who faked a racist, homophobic hate crime in Chicago and blamed it on Trump supporters, a wild, irresponsible claim that stoked racial and political tensions. He had Obama White House friends. One called you on his behalf. He was indicted on 16 counts, but you cut him loose and dropped the charges, and lied about “recusing” yourself. I agree that this race is about more than Smollett. It’s about people in Cook County...

In a three-and-a-half-hour speech at the Nation of Islam's annual Savior's Day conference, Louis Farrakhan charged President Trump killed his "brother," Iranian terror leader Qassem Soleimani, without justification. "You know America is going to go to war. They killed Qassem Soleimani, and America is so powerful she has the right to define others," Farrkhan said at the conference Sunday in Detroit, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI. Farrakhan said he thought he had met Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force. "Mr. Trump killed my brother Qassem Soleimani," he said.

Coronavirus fears have been raised on board a new cruise ship after it was blocked from docking in Jamaica because a member of its crew was sick. The MSC Meraviglia, which is carrying more than 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew from Miami, was barred from making port in Ocho Rios on Tuesday when officials discovered that a member of the crew was in isolation with flu-like symptoms. Health minister Chris Tufton said the decision was taken because the person had a fever, cough, muscle pains and had been to a 'country of interest' linked with coronavirus. The ship is now...

American, Delta and United all charge big fees for families to sit together. And in some cases, they knowingly separate kids from their parents on board – even 2-year-olds! Airlines can easily fix this, but they haven’t. Doing so would mean giving up millions of dollars in fees from parents who simply want to keep their kids safe. Sign our petition demanding airlines put safety over profits! Children should sit with their parents on a plane.

February 26, 2020A Feb. 22 ceremony in South Sudan's capital, Juba, brought two enemies face to face. That's one reason the ceremony may prove to be a major political step toward ending the country's terrible six-year-long internal war. Terrible doesn't adequately describe South Sudan's war. The conflict, which still flickers, has killed an estimated 400,000 people, though no one knows precisely. Accurate body counts involving forensic analysis of mass graves require peace. However, 400,000 dead and over 3 million displaced are conscience-shocking numbers. They are big enough to demand attention.

A San Diego judge said that the grocery delivery app Instacart has misclassified tens of thousands of its California gig workers who pack and deliver groceries as independent contractors. While the preliminary injunction does not go into effect immediately and is currently limited to San Diego, the decision is a historic first step in enforcing the new California law AB5. The controversial statute, which went into effect on January 1, was written to reclassify hundreds of thousands of gig workers in California as employees, making them eligible for basic labor rights and protections that tech platforms have conveniently circumvented for...

Brian was a 15-year-old big man on campus. Good-looking and witty, he had a way with the girls, and the guys thought he was fun, too. But Brian’s party spirit included consuming lots of alcohol. Soon he was smoking pot, and then even that was not enough. In a few months he was not only using hard drugs but selling them as well. For awhile he was able to maintain his charm and respectful attitude at home. Inevitably, his personality and health quickly plummeted along with his school attendance and grades. Thankfully, his parents finally recognized the problem before it...

President Donald Trump blatantly dodged the public pressure by Indians for more H-1B visas, so indicating that he is concerned that his administration’s support for white-collar visa workers will alienate the U.S. college graduate voters he will need in 2020. “We’re talking about the H1-Bs,” Trump told an Indian journalist at a February 25 press conference in India. Trump continued by changing the topic: We are, and look the relationship we have, this is not from me, this is from almost everybody. They say the history of India, which has a long history and a brilliant history in so many...