Free Republic

The U.S. oil industry is divided on whether it could or should contribute to production cuts in an effort to stabilize pricesThe virtual meeting between OPEC and its allies scheduled for Monday has been postponed, sources familiar with the matter told CNBC, amid mounting tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia. The meeting will now “likely” be held on Thursday, sources said. The Monday meeting was set after President Donald Trump said to CNBC on Thursday that he expected Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to announce a deal to cut production by up to 15...

Texas Bishop Robert Coerver had declared that 'No priests are to make themselves available to hear Confessions'LUBBOCK, Texas, April 2, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A Texas bishop today reversed his Sunday order banning priests from hearing confessions after the Governor of Texas deemed churches as “essential services” on Tuesday. “No priests are to make themselves available to hear Confessions,” Bishop Robert M. Coerver of Lubbock, Texas, had originally ordered priests within his diocese in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Coerver noted in an April 2 statement that Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday “with which we are to comply...

Self-isolating Americans are bringing glimpses of normalcy to a locked-down world. In this week’s edition: Merciful landlords, a dedicated schoolteacher, a cul-de-sac troubadour, hundreds of Teddy bears and moreThe COVID-19 pandemic has thrown daily life across the U.S. into chaos. Families suddenly losing loved ones cannot come together to mourn. Health care professionals are putting their lives at risk to treat the untreatable. And the leaders to whom we turn in times of crisis don’t have all the answers. One bit of good news is there is still good news: Self-isolating Americans are rising to this unprecedented challenge to bring...

...Contrary to what critics argue, “America first” does not mean “America alone.” That Trump might be introducing needed correctives to the hyper-globalization pursued by earlier administrations is generating serious cognitive dissonance in some quarters. And the reality is that only one organization in the entire world has as its sole responsibility the American people’s safety. That institution is the U.S. government. Whether led by Republicans or Democrats—or by Donald Trump or anyone else—it should always put the American people first.

Last week, scientist Yuen Kwok-yung, who has been the chief advisor to Hong Kong on the new coronavirus, published a widely controversial op-ed along with his colleague David Lung. The two microbiologists defended the use of the term “Wuhan virus,” stating that the Communist Party’s effort to distance China from the virus is an attempt to evade responsibility. But their other points were more shocking and disappointing. Especially when Yuen is a local hero of many Hongkongers, including myself, having earned respect for his efforts in battling the 2003 SARS and the current coronavirus. They argued that “inferior Chinese culture”...

“This is what happened on 9/11 — on steroids. Mexico has locked down a lot of their country … and then they [migrants] think if they come to the U.S., they’re going to catch the virus.” To put this in perspective, in February border officials apprehended 30,000 illegal aliens, whereas in May of last year they apprehended a whopping 132,000 illegals. Yet at the current rate of an estimated 150 apprehensions per week, border officials are slated to apprehend fewer than 1,000 by the end of the month... “The onslaught of the coronavirus has not only sent the global economy...

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations in New York have dropped, but he cautioned it’s too early to tell if the new figures will become a trend. New York state has now seen 4,159 virus deaths as of Sunday, an increase of 594 fatalities in the past 24 hours, Cuomo said in a news conference. A total of 122,031 people in New York state have tested positive for the virus, up by around 9,000 cases in the same time-frame. Cuomo said New York City, the hardest-hit area in the United States, has experienced 67,551...

The Obama administration withdrew updated quarantine regulations in 2010, prompting questions about how the policy change may have impacted the current Ebola situation. In April 2010, Politico reported the administration “quietly dumped quarantine rules that would have required air passengers to submit more information to airlines and strengthened the government’s authority to detain travelers suspected of carrying disease.” Politico initially reported in August of 2009 that the Obama administration examined Bush administration 2005 quarantine regulations, which were criticized by civil liberty advocates. “The proposals to limit liberty represent a dangerous precedent to constitutional theory, particularly when there’s almost no evidence...

Ireland: Catholic priest invites Muslims to Mass, Muslim proclaims supremacy of Islam from pulpit APR 5, 2020 4:00 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER Father Stephen Farragher is no doubt a loyal follower of Pope Francis, who has made the risible claim that “authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.” Although this is not and could not ever be a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, it is assumed to be some kind of superdogma by the Catholic hierarchy worldwide, superseding all reason, all common sense, all fact, and all prudence, and is...

Ten mayors from across Wisconsin — along with dozens of local and state officials throughout the state — are calling on state Health Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to ban in-person voting during Tuesday's election due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The British Prime Minister revealed his positive coronavirus test on March 27, but at the time described his symptoms as mild. United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hospitalized on Sunday, nine days after revealing that he had tested positive for coronavirus, according to reports in the U.K. media. On March 27, when he announced his positive test, Johnson said that he was experiencing only mild symptoms. But according to a report from The Guardian, his hospitalization followed “days of rumors that his condition has been worsening.” According to a source cited by a state-run Russian news agency, RIA-Novosti, Johnson’s...

Worldometer: 1,165 deaths for April 5 report. IHME model for April 5: Low 1228, High 1760

Leading US manufacturers of medical safety gear told the White House that China prohibited them from exporting their products from the country as the coronavirus pandemic mounted — even as Beijing was trying to “corner the world market” in personal protective equipment, The Post has learned. Now, the Trump administration is weighing legal action against China over its alleged actions, a lawyer for President Trump said Sunday. “In criminal law, compare this to the levels that we have for murder,” said Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to Trump’s re-election campaign.

Fair play in the Olympics or in politics means balancing freedom and discipline: https://freedom-demokrasi-and-civilised-humanity.com/2020/04/06/please-stay-free/ What do Freeepers have to say about evaluating presidents through their use (or overuse/underuse?) of the veto. We want leaders to protect freedom while being disciplined (i.e. not too free ) themselves. The first thing I noticed was POTUS 45’s low rate of use of the veto compared with other eras. How do Freeepers evaluate Trump’s use of the veto? Here are some facts: 298 years ago, on April 5, 1792, President Washington exercised the first presidential veto. He blocked legislation that would have given Northern...

For me, it is now week three of self isolation. A bum immune system has kept me from leaving my house much, but luckily, I have an absurd array of inane solo hobbies to keep me occupied (plus, you know, writing these blogs), and I’m here to share one of my favorites with you all in these boring times. This is a 12" x 12" piece of plywood populated with model railroading supplies and $7 worth of Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars that I had sitting around. This is the ultimate sweet spot hobby of dollars spent/time invested, in that it is...

Season 10 episode 15 "The Tower"

Clinical trials are key to effective treatments, even if it means LONG DELAYS IN THE USE OF the MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WHO NEED THEM, said Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “There are any number of drugs in the laboratory that seem to have some kind of anti-viral effect,” he said. “That’s very intriguing. But there’s a long distance between what works in the lab and what works in humans.” But some experts are pushing back against the hype, warning that none of these...

WATCH: A drone was seen flying over a Manhattan park on Saturday, urging pedestrians to “maintain social distancing.”

Some commerce and industries in Iran will likely be able to resume activities in a week’s time, President Hassan Rouhani has announced, signaling that the Islamic Republic has survived the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Under the supervision of the Health Ministry, all those low-risk economic activities will resume from Saturday,” Rouhani said in a televised meeting. He added that two-thirds of Iranian government employees will work from their offices starting next weekend, adding that the easing of anti-coronavirus measures does not conflict with the country’s health advisories. Businesses deemed “high-risk” for Covid-19, as well as most of the education...

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that if the coronavirus outbreak does not get “globally under control,” it is likely to become a recurring problem. Fauci echoed officials who warned that the coming week will be a bad one with the number of deaths expected to increase to a “shocking” degree, but said that social distancing practices will help flatten the curve of cases. “Unless we get this globally under control there’s a very good chance that it will assume a seasonal nature,” Fauci told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. Fauci...