Free Republic

(Reuters) - More states in the U.S. South and Midwest signaled readiness on Wednesday to reopen their economies in hopes the worst of the coronavirus pandemic had passed, but California’s governor held firm to sweeping stay-at-home orders and business closures.

Expanded and frequent Covid-19 testing has emerged as a necessary precondition for reopening America and resuming something like normal life. But political leaders and citizens need a better understanding of how testing works, how testing can go wrong, and why tests don’t necessarily indicate immunity to disease. As we move into the next phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, we also need a better understanding of viral antibodies and how serological tests differ from tests for the novel coronavirus itself. Tests can trick us into thinking we were never infected when we were, and vice-versa, which in some cases can present...

[Catholic Caucus] For and Against Mass on TV. A Letter from the United Kingdom The cry of alarm raised by Pope Francis against the danger that “virtual” Masses, televised in this time of pandemic, will replace the real and open the way to a “gnostic” Church no longer made up of people and sacraments, true body of Christ, has reanimated a discussion already underway:> The Pope Against Masses on TV: "This Is Not the Church"Evidence of this is in the letter reproduced below, from the United Kingdom.The five cases that the author of the letter examines, in reality - contrary...

This year, 2020, marks the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. When I was growing up—not that long ago I might add—Earth Day was mostly focused on community trash pickups, planting trees, and other activities meant to make the entire planet, and one’s neighborhood, more beautiful and less polluted. My, how things have changed. In recent years, it seems that Earth Day has transformed into a day less about nurturing Mother Nature and more of an occasion for angry environmentalists to point their fingers at anyone and everyone who opposes their radical agenda. According to EarthDay.org, the mission of Earth Day...

~ The FReeper Canteen presentsÂ…. ~ ANZAC DAY - April 25th Last Post - click Come home! Come home! The last post is sounding for you to hear. All good soldiers know very well there is nothing to fear while they do what is right, and forget all the worries they have met in their duties through the year. A soldier cannot always be great, but he can be a gentleman and he can be a right good pal to his comrades in his squad. So all you soldiers listen to this - Deal fair by all and youÂ’ll...

The core of Fallout 76 still has numerous issues that need fixing... but adding in functioning non-playable characters is probably the most important and necessary update the game’s needed to make. The difference it creates is so huge that you have to wonder what the original thinking behind the NPC free launch was. NPCs change that, having someone else there in the wasteland alongside you simply because having someone else there adds a layer of meaning to everything you do beyond aiming for better gear. There are ramifications and results that affect more than your loadout now. And, if nothing...

As early as next week, Gov. Greg Abbott said Texans could be allowed to go back to movie theaters, hair salons, dine-in restaurants and return to church under a new executive order he is working on. On a Dallas-area radio program, Abbott said he’ll make an announcement on Friday this week or on Monday that will re-open “massive amounts of businesses” that have been closed since he issued a statewide stay-at-home order March 31. When he makes the announcement, Abbott said he will give businesses a week to do what they need to get ready to re-open.

UNREST broke out in parts of South Africa amid chronic food shortages sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. Looters raided shops, attacked each other, the army and police after breaching one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. Police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse the mobs but local community leaders fear more outbreaks of violence are imminent. The unrest comes after a report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa warned that the coronavirus death toll across Africa could reach 3.3million people.

The Wuhan coronavirus in four countries In this post, I want to discuss pandemic related developments in four countries I have mentioned from time to time on Power Line. They are: Austria, Sweden, Singapore, and South Korea. My post draws no conclusions. I leave it to readers to draw, or not draw, them. All numbers I cite are from Worldometer.Austria has partially reopened its economy. It did so a little more than a week ago. Thus, it’s probably too early to look for trends in Austria’s reported coronavirus case numbers (the number of new cases is declining daily) and it’s...

No, not a Free Republic "opus" but the Flashback Quarantine song of the night. Whatever happened to this band? They had one great song back in 1985 and then just...disappeared. Opus - Live Is Life"

As Hillary Clinton delivered her concession speech, her supporters could not hide their emotions. CNN's Jeanne Moos has the faces of concession. Tears, hugs as Hillary Clinton delivers concession speech

There has already been reason to suspect that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is daydreaming more than usual about creating a socialist utopia in the midst of this crisis. The other day she said on Twitter that the collapse of oil prices was wonderful to see, ignoring the fact that it could mean hundreds of thousands of people will be out of work soon.AOC quickly pulled down the tweet in question and never really tried to defend the idea massive job losses were good news. But today there’s a preview of an interview she did with Vice in which she suggests...

The question, of course, is not whether unemployment is worse than death. The question is whether the unemployment of millions is worth a very slight risk of death. But Andy Cuomo is not a very intelligent person. Mr. Cuomo was then asked if a fundamental right to work exists if “the government can’t get [citizens] the money” they need in a timely manner. “You want to go to work?” Mr. Cuomo replied. “Go take a job as an essential worker.” turns out that there are a lot of “essential” workers, beyond those who are obviously needed, like truck drivers and...

PROTECTING AMERICAN WORKERS: President Donald J. Trump is taking action to temporarily pause immigration and protect American workers as we confront the coronavirus. President Trump is suspending new immigrant visas to put American communities and workers first as we move toward safely reopening the economy.President Trump has a duty to ensure we help Americans regain their jobs and livelihoods.This is a temporary pause demanded by the crisis we are facing as a Nation. The pause will be in effect for 60 days, and the Administration will continue to monitor the labor market to amend or extend the proclamation if needed.There...

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has significantly disrupted the livelihoods of Americans.  In Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020 (Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak), I declared that the COVID–19 outbreak in the United States constituted a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020.  Since then, the American people have united behind a policy of mitigation strategies, including social distancing, to flatten the curve of infections and reduce the spread of SARS–CoV–2, the virus that causes COVID-19.  This needed behavioral shift has taken a toll on the United States economy, with national unemployment claims reaching historic levels.  In the days between the national...

A senior US government doctor who worked on the search for a coronavirus vaccine has claimed he was fired after resisting Donald Trump’s push to use the unproven drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. Trump stops hyping hydroxychloroquine after study shows no benefit Read more Rick Bright was this week ousted as director of the US health department’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or Barda, and as the deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response. In a stunningly candid statement, Bright highlighted his refusal to embrace hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug relentlessly promoted by...

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda claims the country suffered a relative handful of infections during the coronavirus pandemic compared to other countries around the world and has all but eradicated the virus across most of China, but state media this week tacitly admitted the disease is still raging and told readers to prepare for preventive measures remaining necessary far into the future. The Global Times on Tuesday wrote an editorial quoting the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) warning that “the worst is yet ahead of us.” The primary thrust of the editorial was to chastise American and European officials who want...

Always look on the bright side because it could always be worse!!

Our planet cannot afford four more years of Donald Trump. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 23, 2020

The United States has assessed that Iran successfully launched a military satellite into orbit for the first time on Wednesday, two US Defense Department officials said, according to CNN. The move is seen as a significant step because the country's space program utilizes the same technology that would be needed to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile, which would increase Tehran's capability to strike enemy targets. US Space Command is tracking two objects in orbit that were launched from within Iran, one of the officials said, according to CNN. One is a rocket body and the other is assessed to be...