Free Republic

Donald Trump absolutely lit up his own Coronavirus Task Force press briefing with a more than six-minute, tour-de-force media takedown that had CNN and MSNBC sputtering and reaching for the plug. Trump said hello and turned the media briefing over to the NIH's Dr. Anthony Fauci to clarify his words uttered on CNN on shutting down the country earlier to prevent more deaths. Then, Trump took over and it was ON. He listed the timeline of his response to the coronavirus and presented a video of incorrect statements by the press on COVID-19. It was more than the Trumpiest of...

Ralph Wendorf says his secret to a long life is simple. "I put two cherries in my Manhattan," he told KQRE-TV. He celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday. Because of a stay-at home order in New Mexico, like most other states, Wendorf's friends organized a drive-by birthday party. Many had birthday wishes for the World War II Army veteran, including first responders and motorcycle clubs. "It just took my breath away," Wendorf said. "I'm absolutely speechless."

NEW YORK — (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak has fueled attempts to ban abortions in some states, but providers where the procedure remains available report increased demand, often from women distraught over economic stress and health concerns linked to the pandemic. “The calls we’ve been getting are frantic,” said Julie Burkhart, who manages clinics in Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City. “We’ve seen more women coming sooner than they would have because they’re scared they won’t be able to access the services later.” Some clinics are seeing patients who traveled hundreds of miles from states such as Texas, which has banned...

I'm posting this reference study due to the reckless disregard for public safety with the CDC's recent 'recommendation' for EVERYONE to wear masks, in particular homemade, cloth masks. If you believe that you are at-risk (lifestyle disease or immune-compromised/disorder, etc) and harbor the belief that a cloth mask will protect you, you're egregiously in-error. I missed the "recommendation" from federal health authorities for "everyone" to wear masks. Asinine from my perspective, but that's not the point. CDC made the April 3rd announcement on the basis of research surrounding "asymptomatic" people spreading the virus. There are several problems with this approach:...

The action comes after the Florida attraction closed last month because of the coronavirus pandemic. About 200 employees who are considered essential will remain on the job. Walt Disney World in Florida plans to furlough about 43,000 workers after it closed last month because of the coronavirus pandemic, the company and a union coalition representing the workers said. In mid-March, Disney theme parks worldwide closed, including Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. The furloughs, which are set to begin on April 19, were part of an agreement between Disney World and the Service Trades Council Union, a...

    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, CaliforniaMarine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego. MCRD San Diego's main mission is the initial training of enlisted recruits living west of the Mississippi River. Over 21,000 recruits are trained each year. The Depot also is the home to the Marine Corps' Recruiter School and Western Recruiting Region's Drill Instructors...

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A women's health clinic is suing Arkansas over a state order banning elective abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little Rock Family Planning Services says in the complaint that 20 potential patients will have their appointments canceled this week because of the order. It says the ban endangers the lives of patients because they might leave the state to seek an abortion elsewhere. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit in federal court Monday on the clinic's behalf. Arkansas on Friday ordered health providers to postpone abortions that aren’t immediately necessary to protect the life or...

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman accused President Trump of using “misleading” audio of her coronavirus reporting during a White House video at Monday’s press briefing meant to defend his response to the pandemic. In the audio clip from her late March appearance on the Times podcast “The Daily,” which was played as part of an administration video of generally positive news coverage, Haberman said the president was “widely criticized” for stopping flights from China from entering the U.S., adding he was accused of “xenophobia” and racism. “At the end of the day, it was probably effective, because it did...

he so-called “drive-by” demonstration – in order to maintain social distancing -- aims to bring traffic to a gridlock in Lansing and protest the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order by Whitmer, a Democrat, mandating what businesses could stay home, what some businesses could sell and ordering people in her state against any gatherings – no matter the size or family ties. “Quarantine is when you restrict movement of sick people. Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people,” Meshawn Maddock, an organizer of the protest with the Michigan Conservative Coalition, told Fox News. “Every person has learned...

You'd best not be out and about after sundown in Hillsborough County. A curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. is set to go into effect beginning Monday night after dozens of large gatherings took place over the weekend. Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said there were 24 calls to police Saturday concerning large groups getting together and not paying attention to social distancing, and another 14 calls on Easter Sunday. At a meeting Monday of the Hillsborough Emergency Policy Group, County Commission Chair Les Miller said officials need to send a more urgent notice to people to stop congregating...

Dozens of police reports show allegations that Islamic clerics have been sexually harassing, raping and physically abusing children in religious schools throughout Pakistan. There are allegations of rampant and pervasive child sex abuse against Islamic clerics who teach in Pakistani religious schools, First Information Reports investigated by The Associated Press show. The reports, as well as interviews between law enforcement officials and the victims and their parents, said these clerics sexually harassed, raped and physically abused children, according to the AP. Clerics will often target boys who have not reached puberty because Pakistani culture views male interaction with girls and...

The "new normal" the left wants for America is a lot like the old secular socialism. I wrote two weeks ago about New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who let slip his private fantasy of seizing and confiscating churches and synagogues — but no other institutions — if they violated New York’s belated quarantine laws. (snip) Two Viruses Now, Just as in 1918 There’s a virus in the air, all right, alongside the Wuhan Flu. It’s potentially more deadly. It breeds in the souls of our elites and spreads via the schemes of our politicians. The “Tyrannovirus” is not...

Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky unseated Justice Daniel Kelly in a hotly contested race last week that drew national attention from both major political parties, according to Monday evening reports. The Wisconsin primary took place on April 7 despite health fears from the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a surge in absentee ballots that delayed the results for about a week. While the race was technically nonpartisan, Karofsky drew support from national Democrats, while the GOP fell in line behind Kelly, who was appointed to the court in 2016 to fill a vacancy and was running for his first...

The Treasury Department has requested that the largest U.S. airlines pay back 30% of the payroll grants, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s decision to essentially convert some of the grants to loans comes as he wants to make clear that he is not offering ailing industries a bailout as they struggle with the coronavirus pandemic. It comes amid the backdrop of the presidential election and memories of bank bailouts during the financial crisis. The Treasury Department is sending a message to large companies weighing government aid to weather the coronavirus pandemic: No free...

Fauci said during the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing that his comments Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” were incomplete and that the president was not to blame for the havoc COVID-19 has wreaked on the country. Fauci on Sunday said: “I mean, obviously, you could the White House logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives. Obviously, no one is going to deny that. But, what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated." Summoned to the podium by Trump, Fauci tried to...

BEIJING — Chinese officials have begun inspecting every shipment of N95 respirators, ventilators and other medical supplies for quality issues before export, a policy likely to delay the arrival of critical gear at hospitals around the world that are struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. The policy, announced by the General Administration of Customs on Friday, produced immediate delays on Saturday as manufacturers, freight agents and traders tried to understand how to comply. Depending on the city, they said, the delays could range from a few hours to a few days or longer as government officials rush to comply....

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines on Wednesday expressed solidarity with Vietnam after Hanoi protested what it said was the ramming and sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat by a Chinese coast guard ship in the disputed South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila expressed deep concern over the reported April 3 sinking of the boat carrying eight fishermen off the Paracel Islands. The incident happened at a time when a common approach was crucial in confronting the coronavirus pandemic, it said. “COVID-19 is a very real threat that demands unity and mutual trust,” the department said. “In...

Kentucky Christians who attended drive-in services on Easter — despite warnings from the governor to stay home over the coronavirus pandemic — were met by police presence and nails dumped in the road, the pastor of a Kentucky church said. Democratic Kentucky Andy Beshear had announced that the state would enforce a stay-at-home measure by recording the license plates of any person attending Easter services. Americans in other states, such as in Nevada, Colorado, California, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, similarly gathered to observe the Christian holiday through drive-in church services. “This is a time and weekend, a whole week for multiple...

As thousands of restaurants across the country close down over the coronavirus pandemic and stop discarding their leftovers outside, rats are becoming so starving that they are resorting to all out battles and even cannibalism to survive, according to a rodentologist.

[Catholic Caucus] Police Comes - Bishop Whines Several Easter masses around the globe were raided by police under the pretext of the coronavirus.Gloria.tv has learned from priests that police also gathered in front of churches to keep the faithful from entering.The gravest incident happened in Granada Cathedral, Spain, when Archbishop Javier Martínez celebrated Good Friday Liturgy with about twenty faithful attending. The church holds about 900 people.Police raided the church during the homily, interrupting the liturgy and escorting the faithful out.Martínez reacted cowardly like a bishop and apologised, “I am sorry. We have done this with the best intention.”He thought...