Free Republic

Lawmakers need to regulate and develop sound policies regarding today's digital technology, specifically targeting the problems of child pornography, personal data violations, cyber attacks on critical infrastructures and fake news, Pope Francis told Catholic and Christian legislators. "Prudent legislation can guide the development and application of technology in the service of the common good," he said during an audience at the Vatican Aug. 27. "I heartily encourage you, therefore, to make every effort to undertake serious and in-depth moral reflection on the risks and possibilities associated with scientific and technological advances, so that the international laws and regulations governing them...

Celebrity farmer Joel Salatin, known to many from Michael Pollan’s best-selling book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, was one of the most influential figures in the local food movement. So it was a blow to many of his fans when his history of appallingly racist remarks and bigotry toward people of color became public knowledge. After an ongoing social media dispute, Mother Earth News, the go-to publication for devotees of the local and sustainable, cut all ties with Salatin in 2020. To me, the revelation of Salatin’s bigotry was not surprising. I’ve been involved in the local food movement as an eco-grower...

Social media giants banned discussion of the idea that #Covid was manmade, and that it escaped from a lab. Then people realized, there’s a good chance it's true. @RandPaul helped many of us learn that: Video... [5 mins]

A recent study by Iowa State University showed that the administration’s American Families Plan if passed into law, would have a significant negative effect on Iowa’s family farms. In order to pay for new spending in the American Families Plan, the Biden administration has proposed, amongst other tax hikes, taxing accrued capital gains at death. AMAC Action and a number of small business organizations have been pushing back strongly on the proposal. This new Iowa State University study confirms that this issue should be front and center for small businesses and family farms. Kristine Tidgren, director of Iowa State’s Center...

Several of the U.S. service members who were killed in an Islamic State-perpetrated terror attack in Afghanistan were identified Friday as tributes poured in honoring their sacrifice. Marine David Lee Espinoza, a 20-year-old from Laredo, Texas, was reportedly among the 13 servicemen who were killed by an ISIS-K suicide bomber outside the international airport in Kabul, which left another 18 service members injured and more than 100 others dead. The Laredo Police Department, which lowered the flags outside its headquarters in honor of Espinoza, thanked the fallen Marine for his service. “Our thoughts and prayers will remain with the family...

The genomic discovery indicates inflammatory mechanisms may play a role in endometriosiskolapatha/Depositphotos ___________________________________________________________________________________ Decades of research has culminated in a landmark study identifying a novel genetic variant that is associated with severe cases of endometriosis. The gene is known to play a role in several inflammatory diseases and the findings direct researchers toward new non-hormonal drug treatments for the painful condition. Affecting around one in 10 women, endometriosis is a painful condition that can lead to infertility. It is unknown what causes the endometriosis but researchers do know the condition is heritable, suggesting genetics play a notable role. The new...

As Sen. Mitt Romney touted his federal infrastructure bill Thursday, he also took a moment to recognize the deaths of U.S. military members in suicide bombings in Afghanistan, saying it was “wrong” to withdraw troops from the country. “We were wrong, both President [Donald] Trump and President [Joe] Biden, to take our troops out of Afghanistan,” Romney said. “... A tragedy occurred today. I hope there are no more.” The Utah Republican’s remarks came shortly after Biden gave a speech vowing to retaliate for the attack. ISIS-K, an offshoot of the Islamic State group, has been blamed for the bombing....

Fri Aug 27, 2021 - 2:48 pm EDT TOKYO (LifeSiteNews) – The chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association, Haruo Ozaki, held a press conference this week announcing that the anti-parasite medicine Ivermectin seems to be effective at stopping COVID-19 and publicly recommending that all doctors in Japan immediately begin using Ivermectin to treat COVID. Ivermectin has been a source of controversy amongst medical professionals regarding the possibility of therapeutic treatments for those diagnosed with COVID-19.

A case study of a US man who lost vision in his right eye for two days could provide further insight into how SARS-CoV-2 messes with our immune system in ways that cause the body to attack itself. Like tens of thousands of people in the US each day, an unnamed patient aged in his 70s experiencing a runny nose was given a diagnosis of COVID-19. Three weeks later he presented himself to hospital with a whole other batch of symptoms. In a report detailed by a team of doctors from the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons...

When the coronavirus first swept across Florida last year, Angela Gambrel did everything she could to lock down her home in Sumter County, northeast of Tampa. Her 10-year-old grandson Jayden has a rare brain disease that disrupts his immune system and impairs his memory, making it harder for him to process complex tasks. His doctors urged her to take every possible precaution against the virus. No more supermarket runs. No more football scrimmages with his Special Olympics team. Fact-based, independent journalism is needed now more than ever. Donate Jayden’s school, like others across the state, halted in-person instruction, distributing worksheets...

A national eviction moratorium that protected millions of Americans who have fallen behind on rent payments is unconstitutional, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled. In a 6-3 opinion announced late Aug. 26, the court's conservative majority agreed with a coalition of landlords and real estate groups who challenged the extension of a moratorium put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decision raised concerns among advocates of affordable housing. They called for state and local governments to speed up the distribution of $46.5 billion in federal emergency rental assistance funds made available in response to the coronavirus...

We’re considering the advice you’ve given that we should start earlier,” Biden stated as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Oval Office. “Should it be as little as five months and that’s being discussed.” Biden’s remarks follow a report which stated regulators were likely to approve a booster shot for vaccinated adults beginning at the six-month gap following the previous shot instead of eight months.

The left thinks its power is so broad as to be essentially limitless, and so singularly vested as to be checked virtually solely at its own discretion.Interested to know what the top liberal legal minds of the United States Supreme Court think about government power and your private property? First, take 10 minutes to read Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s opinion, written for the majority, in the court’s Thursday night decision to stop the ban on rental income; then spend another 10 minutes on Justice Stephen Breyer’s dissent.Here’s a hint: The left thinks its power is so overarching as to impact nearly...

A Minnesota School Board member was caught unmasked at a concert with thousands of people just one day after voting to mask children.A Minnesota local school board member who voted to force children to wear masks was caught unmasked at a concert with nearly 10,000 people the very next day.The Red Wing, Minnesota School Board had just voted for a mask mandate for children in their schools during a special school board meeting on August 23. One very liberal member of the board who voted in favor of child mask enforcement, Jennifer Kizer Tift, was caught unmasked at a...

Kent State University on Friday announced it is requiring all students and non-union employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 20. The university is also in talks with union faculty and staff members and is hoping to extend the requirement to include them as well. The mandate comes as the Food and Drug Administration this week fully approved the first COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech. The vaccine will be marketed as Comirnaty and is approved for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 16 and older. An approval of the Moderna vaccine is expected next month. The university said in a statement by...

School districts in Florida will be allowed to impose mask requirements after a district judge on Friday blocked an executive order from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) banning the mandates. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper ruled in favor of a group of parents who sued DeSantis over his executive order, arguing it was unconstitutional. He ruled the order is "without legal authority" and is by definition "arbitrary" and "capricious." Cooper issued an injunction stopping the Department of Education from taking any action against local districts that require masks in schools without a parental opt-out. Cooper said the state's new...

Prominent footballer and Black Lives Matter activist Benjamin Mendy has been charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.The Manchester City star is accused of rape and sexual assault by three women, according to the BBC, including a minor. The alleged attacks took place between October 2020 and August 2021. The BBC reports that Mendy "showed no emotion" following an appearance at Cheshire Magistrates Court in which he confirmed his name, address, and date of birth. He is set to appear at Chester Crown Court on September 10.

A woman who is a servicewoman under the name of “Bronson” released a TikTok video bragging about how the American people must submit or they will “become the enemy” in an impending “martial law” scenario. “Understand that if active-duty military actually get deployed within the United States, that weapon is not just pointed at other people, other countries. It is pointed at you. If you do not get in your house when I tell you to, you become the enemy. Martial Law!” she said. Her TikTok account can be found under the handle, @nuggets_n_chicken. She has posted many other videos...

Researchers discovered another coronavirus symptom that might appear after surviving COVID-19. Some patients who experienced severe cases of COVID-19 complained of hearing loss and ringing in their ears (tinnitus). It’s unclear whether the virus infected the ear directly, impacting hearing, or whether other factors caused the hearing problems. Just when we thought we knew everything about the way COVID-19 impacts the human body, a new study reveals another puzzling symptom that may affect patients infected with the novel coronavirus. And, like most COVID-19 symptoms, this one wouldn’t be strong enough to allow physicians to diagnose the illness without a test....

"I have been fighting for 17 years. I am willing to throw it all away to say to my senior leaders, I demand accountability." - Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller on the failures in Afghanistan that led to American servicemen dying. https://twitter.com/dhookstead/status/1431225824099848192