Free Republic

The Republican-controlled Arizona State Senate failed to pass an election integrity bill that tightens the rules for maintaining lists of voters who automatically are mailed absentee ballots Thursday when State Sen. Kelly Townsend (R-16) surprised her colleagues by joining with all 14 Democrats who voted no when the bill came to the floor. The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, said on the floor it was “disappointing to be on the receiving end of someone’s temper tantrum.” Townsend said she wouldn’t vote on any of the other proposed election changes until after the audit was completed, and complained that...

The Maryland’s Attorney General’s Office said Friday it believes there should be a review of “in custody” death reports produced by the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner during the tenure of Dr. David Fowler, nine days after Fowler testified that an ex-Minneapolis police officer was not responsible for the death of George Floyd in police custody. The announcement came less than 24 hours after the attorney general’s office received a letter from the former medical examiner of Washington, D.C., Roger A. Mitchell, signed by 431 doctors from around the country, saying Fowler’s testimony and conclusions were so far...

Angry over anti-rioting legislation under debate in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, a couple of dozen Black Lives Matter activists noisily invaded the capitol building. The legislation under discussion seeks to increase the penalties for intentionally blocking street traffic and to protect drivers who unintentionally hit persons blocking traffic, A separate bill would establish penalties for "doxxing," i.e. publishing the names and addresses of police officers. While she was famously public and strident in her condemnation of the January 6 "storming" of the US Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) refused to criticize the Oklahoma incident. "Look, there are several...

New research suggests that rocks in the Martian crust could produce the same kind of chemical energy that supports microbial life deep beneath Earth's surface.

Ivermectin's effect on hospitalization of outpatients All studies: 74% reduction in hospitalization CI: 64-81% Single-dose studies: 69% reduction in hospitalization CI: 57-78% Multi-dose studies: 95% reduction in hospitalization CI: 80-99% Data source: http://ivmmeta.com

Four-year-old Max Pratt is known for bringing packages into the house for his mom. That task turned dangerous on Thursday when a 100-pound box was delivered to the Chicago-area home and fell on Max as he tried to carry it inside. "I was scared I was going to fall down the stairs," Max told WBBM. Doorbell camera at the home captures Max screaming for help. Then, it shows the UPS driver who had just delivered the package rushing to the rescue. "I was saying help and the package man just came back," Max said. The driver, Marco Angel, didn't hesitate...

A Disney theme park superfan wrote a scathing op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel declaring that “wokeness” is ruining the Disney experience. Jonathan Vanboskerck takes yearly family vacations to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and takes a Disney Cruise every one to two years. The fan claims that Disney’s shifting political priorities have broken the magic of “immersion” at the famous theme park. According to Orlando Weekly, Disney Park Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced that the company would allow park employees to showcase different hairstyles and tattoos to create a more “inclusive” atmosphere. “Our new approach provides greater flexibly with respect to...

The office of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo refused to say what it told the Department of Justice regarding CCP virus outbreaks in nursing homes, in part because the disclosure would be an “invasion of personal privacy.” The DOJ sent requests to several states last year concerning statistics on deaths and infection in nursing homes from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. The initial request was expanded in December following news reports that the state’s nursing home numbers were significantly undercounted. Cuomo has been cooperating with the DOJ since last year, but his office...

Joy Behar, age 78, blamed a lack of sleep for using the incorrect pronouns in referring to Caitlyn Jenner on Friday’s The View. Behar referred to Jenner three times as “he” while discussing Jenner’s announced bid for California governor. “He’s got this guy Brad Parscale running his campaign. What do you think about that?” Behar asked co-host Sunny Hostin. “I mean, that guy was accused of using campaign funds to enrich himself. That’s who is running his campaign — or her campaign, rather.” She made the same gaffe one more time and again corrected herself. “I think that he should...

China’s population is aging and the number of births has plummeted. The Central Bank of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has published a paper calling for full liberalization and encouragement of childbearing. Some experts say that for economic reasons and overall war preparedness, Chinese Leader Xi Jinping may fully lift the birth restrictions. On April 14, the CCP Central Bank published a working paper titled “Understanding and Countermeasures on Population Transition” on its official WeChat account. The paper pointed out that compared with developed countries, China is facing a more rapidly growing aging population and a more serious declining birth...

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the lone senator to vote against an Asian hate crimes bill on Thursday, said he could not approve the measure because the wording of the legislation was too broad and would infringe on the First Amendment. On Thursday, the Senate approved 94-1 the measure that would combat violence against Asian-Americans and Pacific islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure would allow for more police resources to be dedicated to hate crimes against Asian people by creating expanded reporting for the crimes. It would also create a position within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review hate...

When lockdown grounded his air travel YouTube channel, Nik Sennhauser got creative. Airplane food may not have the greatest reputation, but dining on a plane is undeniably an experience. And for many people who have seen their travels grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, even the most mediocre of airline meals may suddenly have a nostalgic appeal. In fact, a cottage industry has sprung up of airlines offering their food for at-home consumption—like Finland's Finnair and Russia's Ural Airlines. Nik Sennhauser has certainly missed dining on planes. For six years, the Glasgow, Scotland, resident who daylights as a business support...

On April 21, the Australian government intervened to cancel the state of Victoria’s controversial Belt and Road deal with Beijing stating that the arrangement was inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy and national interests. The move was criticised by a Chinese diplomat who noted it would not help improve bilateral relations which became tense over the last year as Australia refused to kowtow to economic coercion and took measures to protect itself from Beijing’s interference. While Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ state Labor government has been relatively silent since the federal government’s intervention, many experts and politicians who support classical liberal values...

Athletes who try protesting by kneeling or raising a fist at official Olympic sites will face punitive measures, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced this week. The Olympic Charter already says that any kind of demonstration or political, religious, or racial propaganda is barred in any Olympic sites, venues, or other areas. But athletes from America and other countries began kneeling protests in recent years, inspired by sports players in the United States. The IOC Athletes’ Commission examined the matter and found that roughly seven out of 10 athletes of nearly 3,500 polled feel it is not appropriate to demonstrate...

The Hustler 1/5

Defendant spent months communicating online regarding sexual abuse of childrenSeattle – A Brooklyn, New York, man was arrested late yesterday in SeaTac, Washington, on criminal charges related to his alleged plan to travel to Washington State for sexual abuse of a minor.According to court documents, Rajesh Singh, 28, began communicating with an undercover officer in August 2020 about his desire to travel to Washington State to sexually abuse a child under the age of 12. The undercover officer was participating in an internet-based chat platform known to be used by individuals interested in child exploitation and child exploitation imagery. The...

China's strength must be questioned by people without an agenda if we truly wish to understand the world. In the same way, the strength of the Soviet Union was overestimated before its fall in December of 1991 or the Japanese economy from 1986 to 1991, today people tend to exaggerate the strength of China. When Japan's massive bubble burst in early 1992, its real estate and stock market prices crashed causing the "lost decades" and the problems that still haunt them today. It seems Americans tend to supersize anything they can conjure up as a challenge to their supremacy. This...

"Who Drew The Map of Canada??" - Jim Gaffigan Stand Up

So apparently a ship, sailing under the Panamanian flag, owned by a Japanese company, operated by a German company, staffed by Indians and stuck in Egypt has no international guarantees of rights for its workers not to end up in a kind of floating solitary confinement. The world literally runs on this kind of shipping and it’s only possible because of these sailors that companies can apparently abandon if that’s how the spreadsheet shakes out. That’s fairly discouraging. Hopefully, the crew of the Ever Given can get some justice, and a flight home, soon. Apparently, it isn’t unusual for crew...