Free Republic

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sparked outrage by referring to the Sunshine State as “God’s waiting room” during a briefing about the coronavirus pandemic. “Florida is ground zero for the nursing home — we’re God’s waiting room,” DeSantis said Sunday, using an old joke about the number of retirees who flock to his state, WPLG Local 10 reported. “We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents,” he said, adding that Florida had acted swiftly to protect the elderly. DeSantis said he realized from the beginning, by paying attention to statistics from South Korea, “that not all age groups...

Presumptive Democrat nominee Joe Biden is reportedly taking the advice of Reverend Al Sharpton about his pick for a running mate.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made head-scratching remarks during a CBS Miami interview on Monday night, suggesting that the United States needed more “economic intercourse around the world.” “I would get much more engaged in the world, we can’t step back,” Biden said. “If in fact, for example, we solve the problem in the United States of America and you don’t solve it in other parts of the world, you know what’s going to happen?” “You’re going to have travel bans, you’re going to not be able to do, have economic intercourse around the world,” Biden continued. WATCH:

A new Michael Moore-produced documentary that takes aim at the supposed hypocrisy of the green movement is “dangerous, misleading and destructive” and should be removed from public viewing, according to an assortment of climate scientists and environmental campaigners. The film, Planet of the Humans, was released on the eve of Earth Day last week by its producer, Michael Moore, the baseball cap-wearing documentarian known for Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine. Describing itself as a “full-frontal assault on our sacred cows”, the film argues that electric cars and solar energy are unreliable and rely upon fossil fuels to function. It...

This current balance of power in America is unsustainable and will not hold much longer. We just slinked past the 245th anniversary of the "shot heard round the world," and most Americans were too busy hunkering down and obeying government directives to remember how heavy the price for liberty always is. There is a rumbling right now below our feet, though, and these tremors may well split the earth around us if our elected leadership do not yield to common sense and shared American purpose. This moment in history is opening up before us two paths — one in which...

Mapping China's Biggest Trading Partners - Is Your Country One of Them? The United States and China recently signed Phase I of a trade deal designed to thaw relations between the world’s two largest economies. The ongoing trade war between these two countries led to an overall slowdown of global growth in 2019, with continued weakness in global trade and investment. Despite this, China has maintained a positive trade balance overall and continues to be a major exporter to countries around the world. Our new series of visualizations maps out the relationship between China and its biggest trading partners. The...

Pressure is mounting for 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden to unseal documents related to his time in the Senate as he faces increased scrutiny for allegations of sexual assault leveled against him by Tara Reade. Reade, who worked as a Senate staffer for Biden in 1993, has accused the then-senator of kissing her, touching her and penetrating her with his fingers without her consent. Reade has said that she made harassment complaints to three Biden staffers, none of whom reportedly took action, and that she filed a written complaint with a “Senate personnel office” in 1993, according to The New...

As astronauts explore the Moon during the Artemis program, they may need to make use of the resources that already exist on the lunar surface. Take water, for instance: Because it's a heavy and therefore expensive resource to launch from Earth, our future explorers might have to seek out ice to mine. Once excavated, it can be melted and purified for drinking and used for rocket fuel. But how much water is there on the Moon, and where might we find it? This is where NASA's Lunar Flashlight comes in. About the size of a briefcase, the small satellite —...

So that long farewell from Bernie Sanders wasn't such a long farewell. Actually, Bernie never left the race, even though he said he had suspended his campaign, and New York state, doing what seemed logical, called off its one-candidate primary. Now Joe Biden has another problem. Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign blasted the New York State Board of Elections’ announcement on Monday that his name would not appear on the ballot for the state's presidential primary in June, calling the move an "outrage" and "a blow to American democracy." "Just last week Vice President Biden warned the American people that President...

SANTA FE – New Mexico crossed a grim threshold Monday – more than 100 dead in the coronavirus outbreak, just 35 days after the first fatality in Artesia. The death toll reached 104 on Monday as the state announced five more deaths, all men, ranging in age from their 60s to their 80s. For the most part, New Mexico’s 104 virus victims were older adults with underlying medical conditions – such as diabetes or heart problems. At least 34 lived in group care facilities, where virus outbreaks have proved deadly and difficult to contain. But otherwise healthy New Mexicans in...

<p>It’s hard to decide which one of these takes the cake for being the most deranged, but Sirius/XM radio host Howard Stern’s remarks to Trump voters were remarkably terrible. Over the weekend, the radio shock jock skewered Trump’s comments on experimental coronavirus treatments and invited his supporters to try them so that they might incidentally kill themselves.</p>

By inserting DNA obtained from the mushroom, the scientists were able to create plants that glow much brighter than previously possible. This biological light can be used by scientists for observing the inner workings of plants. In contrast to other commonly used forms of bioluminescence, such as from fireflies, unique chemical reagents are not necessary for sustaining mushroom bioluminescence. Plants containing the mushroom DNA glow continuously throughout their lifecycle, from seedling to maturity. The new discovery can also be used for practical and aesthetic purposes, most notably for creating glowing flowers and other ornamental plants. And while replacing street lights...

The Democrats are taking their stand on the coronavirus crisis in an untenable position. It is like building a defensive redoubt in a valley surrounded by hills in the hands of the enemy (like the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1955, as President Eisenhower warned them). Whether this is tactical stupidity by the president’s enemies or strategic genius by the president or — more likely — a bit of both, is not clear except to insiders. Readers will recall that the Democrats charged out of the gate on the issue of taking science seriously and reacting comprehensively; the president...

A Native American man in Montana has what may be the oldest DNA native to the Americas, according to news reports. After getting his DNA tested, Darrell "Dusty" Crawford learned that his ancestors were already in the Americas about 17,000 years ago, according to the Great Falls Tribune, a Montana newspaper.

All worthwhile activities always involve risk of death—to oneself and others. That is no excuse for assuming a fetal position and failing to live one’s life. Jonathan AshbachBy Jonathan Ashbach There is a moral core to the argument against draconian use of stay-at-home orders that has yet to be well articulated in the public sphere. Reactionary governmental responses to the spread of coronavirus have been catastrophic. We have inflicted job loss upon tens of millions of American workers. We have put a quarter of small businesses at risk of permanently shutting down. And we have inflicted untold mental distress upon...

Gov. Cuomo doubled down Sunday on the state’s controversial directive ordering nursing homes to admit COVID-19 patients. The governor — who himself has described nursing homes as a “feeding frenzy’’ for the deadly coronavirus — said that the facilities can’t challenge a state regulation forcing them to admit patients with the contagion. But he insisted that nursing homes could transfer those ill with the virus to another facility if the centers lacked such things as quarantine space, proper protective equipment and staff. Asked by a reporter at his daily briefing Sunday if there was anything contradictory about his statements, the...

Former WWE star Jesse Ventura has admitted he is considering jumping in the ring with a wildcard presidential run — only days after bashing rumors about it. “OK, I’ve decided I’m going to test the waters. IF I were going to run for president, the GREEN party would be my first choice,” the 68-year-old wrestler-turned-Minnesota governor tweeted Monday. “To be clear: I haven’t filed anything. I authorized a letter of interest that was sent on my behalf to the Greens and I’m testing the waters for Green Party nomination,” he said. “I’m an independent. I’m not a Democrat or a...

Mark Dice destroys Dr. Mark Shafa and the rest of the media who ridiculed Trump for suggesting the possibility of using of UV light "inside the body"

Rep. Steny Hoyer has changed his mind about the House schedule. After speaking with the House physician about the COVID-19 risks, the Democratic Whip decided that the chamber will not return next week. Emily Cochrane ✔@ESCochrane !!! Hoyer says House will NOT come back on Monday, telling reporters he spoke to the House physician: "We made a judgment that we will not come back next week." 102 8:04 AM - Apr 28, 2020 Jake Sherman ✔@JakeSherman WOW https://twitter.com/ESCochrane/status/1255150930657292294 … Emily Cochrane ✔@ESCochrane !!! Hoyer says House will NOT come back on Monday, telling reporters he spoke to the House physician:...

Just over two months ago, I spoke with an infectious disease doctor who not only believed that millions of Americans had already been exposed to COVID-19, but that the lockdowns were counterproductive and we needed to let herd Immunity take hold in our nation. Two months ago. With each passing day, we are told that multiple more Americans were in-fact exposed to the virus than the “experts” suspected. Or more to the point…guessed. I will keep asking this question until the groupthink-thought-police come to arrest me: “When has it ever been sound medical or governmental practice to sacrifice – and...