Free Republic

Car maker draws more than $15 billion from credit lines, sees even bigger loss in the second quarterFord Motor Co. on Tuesday reported a wider-than-expected first-quarter loss and braced for steeper losses in the next quarter as the coronavirus pandemic continued to snuff demand for big-ticket items and kept factories closed. “I never had a business plan that was called pandemic,” Ford Chief Executive Jim Hackett said on a call after the results. “We just never imagined the economy turning off” like it has to curb the spread of the virus. Ford US:F lost $2 billion, or 50 cents a...

...What if the president, governors, and mayors made us all close our businesses and churches and stay home, not for the plausible good of others, but just for our own good? Perhaps they decided that too many of us take risks when we drive, work, or play in the park. We would never have tolerated it! There would have been huge, bipartisan protests from the Atlantic to the Pacific... We’ve complied with the pandemic lockdown because it appeals not just to our vices — our fear and petty partisanship — but to our virtues — our love of elderly parents...

Animal Farm: They Are Culling the Herd -- Time to Wake Up *Video at link*

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis’ confidant: Sunday Mass obligation isn’t ‘indispensable,’ it ‘could fall’ Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández said that 'social distancing and quarantine' will require Catholics to 'reinvent' themselves April 28, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, a papal ghostwriter and personal confidant of Pope Francis, said in a recent interview that the precept of the Catholic Church that Catholics go to church on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation “is not indispensable” and could “fall.”  At the same time, Fernández also mentions the Sacrament of Penance, saying it “has changed a lot over the centuries,” implying a possible...

An artificial depression created around the coronavirus outbreak by American leadership will kill thousands of Americans, explained Jacki Pick, host of the Jacki Daily Show on BlazeMedia, warning of the consequences of varying economic shutdowns across the nation ostensibly aimed at addressing the viral spread. She offered her analysis on Tuesday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow. In her recently-published article, “What a Prolonged Shutdown Will Cost in Human Life,” Pick wrote: A prolonged shutdown could bring tens of thousands of deaths through spikes in rates of suicide, heart attack, missed cancer diagnoses, domestic violence deaths,...

The abortion lobby is using the COVID-19 pandemic to quickly expand access to the abortion pill… and in the process, they are placing women at greater risk. In part one of this series on “no-test abortion,” Live Action News introduced the protocol, which enables abortion profiteers to dispense the abortion pill without conducting any ultrasounds (to rule out ectopic pregnancy and accurately date gestational age) or lab tests/blood work. While the details of this protocol came to light during a recent webinar sponsored by the Society of Family Planning (SFP) — which included Gynuity Health Projects and others with profit...

China has a major reason for pushing the fake news story that the Wuhan coronavirus was created randomly in a wet market. Former New York Mayor and Trump supporter and Trump personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani interviewed former US Attorney Joe diGenova and his attorney wife and partner, Victoria Toensing, about corrupt Joe Biden’s activities in China and around the globe. At the 12:00 mark, Joe and Victoria state that the Bidens are more corrupt than the Clintons. A very shocking statement, indeed. The interview was excellent. After Rudy interviewed Joe and Victoria, he brought in K. T. McFarland, who at...

Republicans are feeling the heat as progressive leaders and liberal dark money groups launch a coordinated, full-throttled initiative demanding universal vote-by-mail in the upcoming general election. Progressive groups are quickly coming out of the woodwork in hopes of using the unprecedented circumstances created by the Chinese coronavirus pandemic to achieve a treasured Democrat Party policy goal of fundamentally changing the way the U.S. conducts elections. “Multimillion dollar programs urging mail voting in November are already coming together,” Politico reported, highlighting the efforts of organizations with ties to Soros-backed, dark money groups. Politico reported, noting the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) commitment...

When Allen Hargrove leaves his Brooklyn apartment to get groceries, he does so with an underlying feeling of worry. It’s not just the coronavirus pandemic: As a black man, he fears he could draw unwanted attention by wearing a mask in public. “I have a sense of anxiety wearing the mask,” said Mr. Hargrove, 33, who described himself as having a “football build,” at 220 pounds. “It makes me more aware of how I’m being perceived.”

April 29 2020 Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 Acts 8:1b-8 There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria and...

Conservative Twitter feeds and websites exploded with mirth Tuesday when Joe Biden appeared to fall asleep during a virtual town hall meeting with Hillary Clinton. The livestreamed event was designed to highlight Mrs. Clinton’s endorsement of Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. At one point, Mr. Biden closed his eyes, put his head down, and remained motionless for some 15 seconds or more, video of the event shows. Eventually, the 77-year-old candidate appeared to be startled awake, and he jerked his head up, eyes blinking.

Thousands of homeless New Yorkers have continued to seek shelter in the city’s subways, avoiding an overwhelmed and crowded shelter system that poses its own dangers during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, both Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the presence of the homeless in the subways, but they offered little in the way of solutions to the problem. Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling for the MTA to close ten subway stations so NYPD and homeless outreach workers can help get the homeless into shelters, and so the MTA can clean the stations thoroughly. “We'll devote...

In late March it was reported that a 68-year-old man died after ingesting chloroquine. Only he didn’t ingest chloroquine — he drank fish tank cleaner and poisoned himself to death. But the media ran with the lie anyway, because orange man bad. You can read more here. But the story was a bit strange and now the Mesa Police Department are investigating the death of Gary Lenius as a homicide.

And on the 28th day of April during the pandemic, I heard God open Heaven, and the angels sang a familiar song, “It is time for these four kids of mine to go back to school.” In a conference call with governors regarding procedures to safely open up the states, Trump suggested that they consider opening up public schools. This is something that parents all over the country are wondering about to various degrees. All joking aside, I think kids should go back to school during May. Students would benefit socially and emotionally a lot more than academically, but I...

A retired professor known for espousing antisemitic views to his students has died in a house fire. That’s no moon A 79-year-old Woodbury resident died early Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in the 19th century house on Route 32 where he had lived for 34 years. Clyde Magarelli, a retired professor who had taught sociology for five decades at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J., lived alone and was the only person in the house during the fire. Woodbury Fire Chief Scott McClennan Jr. said at the scene that the fire initially was reported around 4:15 a.m. by passing...

The independent Michigan congressman announced an exploratory committee on Wednesday, a clear indication he is serious about initiating a bid for president. "We’re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together. I’m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president," Amash said in a tweet Tuesday evening. "Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people." He must secure the party's nomination at its national convention. While the party has held some state presidential preference contests, the primaries and...

Our country is going completely batsh*t right before our very eyes, y’all. There are simply not enough eyerolls. And now that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has mandated that Illinois residents wear masks starting May 1, there are communities freaking out about what this means for safety. One community in particular has launched a new initiative called “Tip Your Mask” in order to “help prevent confusion and racial biases.” I’m not even making this up. IL folks are now being asked that when they enter a store with their trusty face mask on, they tip it down and make eye contact...

Former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams has strongly defended former Vice President Joe Biden in response to questions about sexual assault allegations against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. “I believe women deserve to be heard, and I believe that has happened here,” Abrams told HuffPost in an article published Tuesday. “The allegations have been heard and looked into, and for too many women, often, that is not the case. The New York Times conducted a thorough investigation, and nothing in the Times review or any other later reports suggests anything other than what I already know about Joe Biden: That...

**SNIP** The primary was the first major test of statewide elections via mail amid an outbreak. And the results were mixed. There were reports of confusion but no widespread disruption. It wasn’t like Wisconsin earlier this month, when voters were forced to overlook social distancing guidelines to stand in line wearing masks to cast a ballot. Still, overall turnout appeared to be off. The secretary of state’s office said that about 1.5 million votes had been cast as of midday Saturday, down sharply from the 3.2 million cast in Ohio’s 2016 presidential primary. “Within the context of the threat of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden was cleared in federal court today of charges that some claimed were based upon credible allegations of sexual assault when the judge quickly realized that Joe Biden was not a Republican. “Well, this looks pretty serious… let’s see who is on—wait a minute. He’s a Democrat! I can find no fault with him,” declared a fourth circuit federal judge hearing preliminary claims. “It is well established in this court that Republicans are the ones who want to silence women and control their bodies. Haven’t you seen The Handmaid’s Tale?” the judge further added...