Free Republic

49,963 deaths as of this moment at 10:20 am EST on 4/24/2020. We have plateaued at around 30k daily cases with an average of 2k daily deaths for the past month or so. It is disappointing that we haven't seen a real decline in numbers nationally.

Now we have better data and experience that beg a more sophisticated approach as our nation grapples with balancing public health and the economy. “First, do no harm.” It’s a saying almost as old as the idea of medicine itself. I heard it a lot in medical school. And it’s a saying that our state and national leaders need to think long and hard about right now. In many respects, I am proud of the way our leaders and experts have stepped up to find ways of fighting the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. They acted quickly, on limited information, and based...

With Joe Biden as their presumptive 2020 presidential nominee, the Democrats are headed for a major disappointment. Donald Trump's election in 2016 was an overt rejection of our nation's corrupt political establishment, fueled by a deep-seated popular desire for a genuine leader. Unlike conventional politicians, Trump answers directly to the American people—not to international institutions, establishment power brokers or even his own party's bigwigs. Four years on, whether you agree or disagree with him politically, it's hard to deny that Donald J. Trump is exactly the kind of unscripted, "tell-it-like-it-is" president Americans all over the country were hoping for when...

VIDEO The last time Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared in Congress to denounce the Stimulus package (which she actually voted for despite her claims to the contrary) she simultaneously conducted the 1812 Overture which you can see at the link below. This time, AOC returned to Congress to denounce the aid package for small businesses while also conducting the William Tell Overture.

In 2016, frustration with the nation’s elite fueled a middle-class revolt. Many voters seethed at the way the Washington establishment had bailed out bankers while leaving homeowners underwater. I realize that may sound strange coming from someone with my public profile. I’m rarely described as a fount of compassion—at home or in public. But there’s just no denying that people want the next president to help carry the nation’s pain. This will be a big boost for Joe Biden in November. As a working-class patriot who made good despite enduring a litany of personal tragedies, he has proved himself uniquely...

Left-wing activists made multiple false and misleading claims on Thursday following President Donald Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing in which the president commented on new scientific findings from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The activists falsely claimed that Trump “urged Americans to inject themselves with disinfectant” and “told people to drink bleach.” To understand Trump’s remarks, it’s important to first understand the full context of what was said at the press briefing. Bill Bryan, Under Secretary for Science and Technology at DHS, said at the press briefing, “Our most striking observation to date is the powerful...

DENVER (CBS4)– Top executives at Denver Health Medical Center received significant bonuses this month for their performance in 2019, ranging from $50,000 up to $230,000, one week after frontline hospital workers were asked to voluntarily take leave without pay or reduce their hours as the hospital dealt with the financial downturn resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Chinese government has been “transparent, open” and “very quick” in its response to the coronavirus outbreak, Beijing’s ambassador to the United Kingdom said Thursday. Liu Xiaoming urged international cooperation during the pandemic and said “blaming” and “bullying” would just create a wedge between nations. The United States thinks “they can bully China, they think they can bully the world," he continued in an online news conference with a member of Britain's House of Lords. "If WHO [the World Health Organization] do not act in their way, they stop supplying, they stop support. They criticize WHO to be China-centric, that’s...

French has slandered his Christian brothers and sisters by writing that 'millions of Trump-supporting white Evangelicals no longer care about character.' David French remains very disappointed that many of his fellow evangelicals support President Donald Trump. He has used the Wuhan virus pandemic to reiterate and expand his arguments against the president’s character and competence (spoiler: He still thinks Trump is too wicked and incompetent for Christians to vote for him).But he ignores that evangelical support for Trump, warts and all, is justified by principles French has urged on us — namely, that ours is not a Christian nation...

Very interesting interview. https://youtu.be/a53R9iEKpRc

Not a kitten video, but a chipmunk one I found cute and funny. This one enjoys eating strawberry treats left out by a human. Video, 3 minutes & 41 seconds

At Peachtree Battle Barber Shop in Buckhead, customers waited in line shortly after 7 a.m., Channel 2 Action News reported. And at Studio 151 in Dallas, the first appointment was at 6:30 a.m., according to the salon’s owner. A sign on the door spelled out salon protocols, including those required by the state and additional measures to keep employees and customers safe.

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem (Music in The Bible) Hebrew Worship Words Saphar Psalm 9:14that I may declare your praises     in the gates of Daughter Zion,     and there rejoice in your salvation. Psalm 79:13  Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,     will praise you forever; from generation to generation     we will proclaim your praise. Isaiah 43:21   the people I formed for myself     that they may proclaim my praise. New International Version (NIV)(End of Scripture Passage) . "Saphar" means to "score with a mark", to count, to inscribe, to celebrate, to recount, show, or tell. It is the...

When authoritiarians crystallize the difference between democracies and dictatorships. A few weeks ago, officials in Israel’s Health Ministry were calling for Israel to “medically annex Judea and Samaria” for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. The notion was that while Israel and the Palestinian Authority are separate political entities, from a public health perspective, they are indivisible. On a practical level, the call was superfluous. From the moment the virus arrived in Israel, the PA’s Health Ministry began cooperating in an unprecedented manner with its Israeli counterpart. The Palestinians followed Israel’s lead on virtually all aspects of the coronavirus fight....

Blue states lied: thousands of nursing home patients died. Over 7,000 of the country’s coronavirus deaths emerged out of nursing homes. Of the 4,377 coronavirus deaths in New Jersey, over 1,700 died due to infections in nursing homes. That nearly 40% of coronavirus deaths in one of the hardest hit states took place in nursing homes casts a stark light on the misplaced priorities of blue states battling the pandemic by locking down houses of worship and small businesses, while putting few to no resources into protecting nursing home residents. New Jersey’s coronavirus deaths were part of the coronavirus outbreak...

This week’s words of wisdom from AOC: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was the only Democrat in the House or Senate to oppose the $484 billion coronavirus relief package to replenish the depleted small business loan program.She argued her problem with the bill — which was overwhelmingly passed — was “giving Republicans what they want.” …and to be clear, her problem with them is they don’t want enough: “McConnell is already talking about the deficit the moment we talk about getting people relief,” she told CNN, adding: “That to me is a signal that Republicans are done.” AOC would clearly keep...

Adorable little gray tabby rescue with human daddy. Video, 4 minutes, 19 seconds

A Teamsters boss goes to a convention in Las Vegas for a few days.One night he goes out to a brothel. Like a good union man, he asks the madam if it's a union shop."No", she says. He says "Well, If I were to give you $100 how would you split it?"The madam says "The girl would get $20 and the house gets $80". "Pahh! " he says, and walks off to find another brothel.He asks the next madam "Are you a union shop?" "Oh, yes!" was the reply. He says "Well, If I were to give you $100 how...

By now even the 165,727 "professional investors" who are long the USO ETF on the free, glitch-prone platform Robin Hood, are aware that the problem facing global oil production is that there is simply no storage where to put all the physical oil (as we warned in late March).And if even the army of Robinhood-ers now know how impossible it is to find space for physical oil on the continental US, then Saudi Arabia - which sparked the current crude crisis and which will not stop until shale is completely crushed - is certainly aware.Which is why with the US unable to store...

Morning "And because of all this we make a sure covenant." Nehemiah 9:38 There are many occasions in our experience when we may very rightly, and with benefit, renew our covenant with God. After recovery from sickness when, like Hezekiah, we have had a new term of years added to our life, we may fitly do it. After any deliverance from trouble, when our joys bud forth anew, let us again visit the foot of the cross, and renew our consecration. Especially, let us do this after any sin which has grieved the Holy Spirit, or brought dishonour upon the...