Free Republic

The Round Rock Independent School District (RRISD) in Texas is using its own armed agents to arrest parents who speak out against the school board’s policies, according to Christopher Rufo in the City Journal.

North Korea has banned leather coats that copy the style of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, multiple sources told Radio Free Asia. Kim Jong Un popularized the leather jacket in 2019, with the clothing initially worn by rich people who could afford the pricey item. However, fake leather was soon imported so the jacket could be worn by those with less money, which frustrated the North Korean leader. “When these leather coats became popular, the law enforcement authorities went after the companies that made the coats that look too much like the Highest Dignity’s,” one source said. A military...

Stephen Sondheim, one of history’s most prolific musical theater composers, died at his home in Connecticut on Friday, his lawyer told The New York Times. The Broadway icon behind the music and lyrics for hits such as “Sweeney Todd,” “West Side Story,” “Into the Woods” and “Follies” was 91. His death was sudden, according to his lawyer and friend, F. Richard Pappas.

Weight loss surgery significantly lowers the risk of major adverse liver outcomes as well as major acute cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), compared with similar patients who didn't have surgery, new research shows. "This is the first study in the medical field reporting a treatment modality that is associated with decreased risk of major adverse events in patients with biopsy-proven NASH," senior author Steven Nissen, MD. As the authors point out, obesity is the main pathophysiologic driver of NASH and weight loss — however achieved — is currently the primary treatment for NASH. "However, bariatric...

The global demand for luxury private jets is booming as elites ignore irregular commercial travel options and fly their own way as coronavirus restrictions linger around the world.In the U.S. alone, business jet take-offs and landings are up 40 percent year-on-year on the back of unprecedented demand from the super rich.They’re at their highest point since before the 2008 financial crisis, partly driven by the pandemic as big companies expanded private jet privileges for their top executives, MSNBC reports.The story is the same around the world.More than 4.2m private jet flights have taken place this year, according to aviation data...

Pfizer and BioNTech said Friday that a COVID-19 vaccine could be tweaked and produced within 100 days to counter a "vaccine-escape" variant. [cut] In an emailed statement to FOX Business, Pfizer said the vaccine-makers are "remaining vigilant" and "constantly conducting surveillance efforts focused on monitoring for emerging variants that potentially escape protection from our vaccine." [cut] "As always, we will continue to follow the science as we examine the best approaches to protecting people against COVID-19," Pfizer wrote. "In the event that vaccine-escape variant emerges, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine against...

President Biden said Friday that he delayed implementation of a new ban on travel from southern Africa on the advice of his medical advisers, who are led by Dr. Anthony Fauci. A reporter asked Biden why the emergency precaution will take effect Monday, rather than immediately to contain the potentially more contagious Omicron version of COVID-19. “Why not do it now like other countries have done?” the journalist asked Biden, who is spending a long Thanksgiving weekend in Nantucket. Biden said “because that was the recommendation coming from my medical team.” Fauci is Biden’s chief medical adviser and led a...

A large group of 'young people' wielding sticks and branches stormed aboard a public bus in France and severely beat passengers for no known reason, according to reports.The harrowing incident unfolded at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon in Villeurbanne, a commune in the metropolis of Lyon.A group of around 20 underage 'schoolchildren' reportedly piled onto a bus brandishing improvised weapons and embarked on an "extremely violent attack.""They first threatened and insulted the driver before attacking the passengers directly," Lyon Mag reports. "Several blows were dealt to customers of the TCL network. A rider, who expressed her dissatisfaction with the...

“Making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). Seize opportunities every day to glorify God. In one of the cities of ancient Greece stood a statue carved by Lysippos, a famous Greek sculptor from the fourth century B.C. The statue had wings on its feet and a great lock of hair on its forehead and was bald on the back of its head. This is how it was described: Who . . . was thy sculptor? Lysippos . . . And who art thou? Occasion [or opportunity], the all-subduer . . . Why hast thou...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Americans are appalled after learning the racist President Biden has banned travel from 8 African countries. "If you are able to travel freely to America, then you ain't black," said Biden. "We have a new COVID variant or something like that. All the Africans have gotta stay out." Voters are reporting that they are devastated to learn Biden is just as racist as Trump was when he restricted travel from China. Just like when Trump did it, Biden's racist travel ban is obviously an attempt to keep people of color out of our country while using COVID as an...

James Corbett recently talked with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr of ChildrensHealthDefense.org about his new bestselling book, The Real Anthony Fauci. James Corbett argued, “We are in the fight for our life. We are in the most profound peril towards human liberty that we have seen in our lifetime.”Advertisement - story continues belowRobert Kennedy Jr. responded: “I will go even further than you just went. I think this is historical jeopardy to humanity than we’ve ever seen before. We’ve seen the Black Plague and World War II, arguably rivals for it. I would argue that this is the worst thing that...

Stephen Sondheim, the dominant voice in American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century and the composer with the most Tony Awards, has died. He was 91. His shows, from the comedic “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” to the ground-breaking “Company” to the operatic “Sweeney Todd” to the experimental “Pacific Overtures,” transformed the Broadway musical stage, influencing and advancing the medium. Sondheim, a protege of Oscar Hammerstein II, slowly moved away from that melodic tradition to incorporate complex and dissonant themes and structures of 20th century classical music into his works.

The FBI launched an ad campaign to encourage people to report hate crimes. Hate crime reports have been rising all across the country. According to the FBI, last year saw a 13% increase of hate crimes nationally. The FBI's new public awareness campaign will feature ads with hotline numbers on public places, encouraging residents to come forward with reports on hate crimes. Attacks on people based on how they look, how they act or how they worship are considered hate crimes. "The FBI defines a hate crime as a criminal offense against an individual or property that’s motivated by bias...

The Salvation Army has followed the lead of other woke organizations in entering the establishment media-manufactured race war and is asking donors to offer a “sincere apology” for whiteness, as detailed in a resource guide “developed to guide The Salvation Army family in gracious discussions about overcoming the damage racism has inflicted upon our world.”The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission crafted the guidance, which seeks to urge donors to “understand and acknowledge the definitions of race and racism and how the social construct of race has affected society” and ultimately “lament, repent and apologize for biases or racist ideologies...

Explanation: Rain clouds passed and the dome of the Lick Observatory's 36 inch Great Refractor opened on November 19. The historic telescope was pointed toward a partially eclipsed Moon. Illuminated by dim red lighting to preserve an astronomer's night vision, telescope controls, coordinate dials, and the refractor's 57 foot long barrel were captured in this high dynamic range image. Visible beyond the foreshortened barrel and dome slit, growing brighter after its almost total eclipse phase, the lunar disk created a colorful corona through lingering clouds. From the open dome, the view of the clearing sky above includes the Pleiades star...

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke raised $2 million dollars in the first 24 hours of his bid, his campaign told the Texas Tribune. The former congressman has previously reported impressive fundraising numbers in unsuccessful bids for the Senate and the White House, leaving some asking if this race is any different. The O'Rourke campaign called the sum a record "for any Democratic gubernatorial candidate for the first 24 hours" of a campaign and the most raised in the "first 24 hours of any campaign in 2021." But O'Rourke’s reputation as a fundraising powerhouse doesn’t make his candidacy any less...

Isobel Frodsham Fri., November 26, 2021, 10:34 a.m.·3 min read Watch: South Africa angered by travel restrictions due to new variant Scroll back up to restore default view. The chairwoman of the South African Medical Association has described the travel restrictions imposed on the country as “hasty” and the reaction from other countries as “a storm in a teacup”. Dr Angelique Coetzee said it was too early to tell what impact the B.1.1.529 variant would have. She told BBC News: “We think it is a premature decision that has been taken, I think it is a hasty decision. “I would...

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Golf, cricket and rugby became the first major sports to be affected by the new COVID-19 variant on Friday, prompting fears of renewed travel restrictions and disrupted events just as they were returning to normal nearly two years into the pandemic. European golfers withdrew midway through the season-opening DP World Tour tournament in Johannesburg and were scrambling to catch flights out of South Africa. Visiting cricket and rugby teams were doing the same. Golf was the first to be hit by the emergence of the new B.1.1.529 variant that was initially identified in South...

A walrus the size of a fridge was spotted ‘chilling’ on the Northumberland coast this morning – but is it Wally? The wandering walrus has ventured from the North Atlantic ocean to Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, France and the Isles of Scilly. He was last seen in Iceland in September when marine experts identified his scars on his front flippers. The 800kg titan has proven to be a bit of a vandal – causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to boats across the UK. Read More While stopping off in the Welsh town of Pembrokeshire in March, he capsized a...

A world-renowned cardiology expert warned of a link between the hastily developed COVID-19 injections and heart disease. He said on UK television that cardiology researchers have found evidence to support this, but are too afraid of losing money from the drug companies to publish the proof.Speaking to GB News’ Alex Phillips, Dr. Aseem Malhotra referenced a recent publication by cardiac surgeon Stephen Gundry, noting that COVID-19 injections “dramatically increase” inflammation of blood vessels, heart muscles, and “may account for the observations of increased thrombosis, cardiomyopathy, and other vascular events.”Gundry’s paper revealed that following the mRNA COVID injections, the chance of...