Free Republic

President Joe Biden’s administration was directed on Monday to reply to a flurry of fresh challenges to its private employer COVID-19 vaccine mandate.Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump nominee, told administration officials to file responses to applications from faith groups, companies, and attorneys general from over half the states in the country by 4 p.m. on Dec. 30.That’s just days before the mandate’s deadline.“This case is finally where it belongs: the Supreme Court. OSHA has threatened to start punishing employers like our clients starting on January 10, and we’re grateful the court has ordered a briefing schedule that will...

With at least 22,478 positive COVID-19 cases confirmed on Sunday in New York state, New York City’s health director said that cases are rising quickly but hospitalizations are not.“Right now, there are about a thousand people hospitalized with COVID-19 across New York City. That’s about a quarter of where we were at the peak of last winter’s wave and less than a tenth of where we were in the spring of 2020,” health commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said on Monday, blaming the rise in infections on the “Omicron wave.”Chokshi echoed a narrative that has been repeated by federal health officials...

A federal judge in Missouri has issued a temporary hold on the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors in 10 U.S. states while litigation plays out.“We just beat the Biden Administration in court again,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced on Twitter late Monday. “This afternoon, we obtained a preliminary injunction against the vaccine mandate on federal contractors, halting enforcement of that mandate in Missouri and the other states in our coalition.”The preliminary injunction, issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge David Noce, applies to Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Schmitt...

What could possibly go wrong?That’s right — what could go possibly wrong with legislation that would, if passed into law, grant the far-left governor of New York — or any government official or entity — the unilateral authority to detain anyone “indefinitely” even suspected of posing “a significant threat to public health”? No way could that be abused.It hasn't gotten nearly enough attention that New York is considering a bill that would literally give the state the authority to detain people it considers "potentially dangerous to the public health"https://t.co/UxQUrRRsR5— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 20, 2021You can read the bill on...

Today has been sort of a banner day in the annals of the Wuhan pandemic. Several prominent personalities announced they had tested positive for the virus.BREAKING: Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she's tested positive for COVID-19 in a breakthrough case, indicating that she is fully vaccinated and had the booster. https://t.co/4AOFYhsTID pic.twitter.com/v5GhDW1doz— ABC News (@ABC) December 19, 2021I learned today that I tested positive for COVID-19 after first feeling symptoms on Saturday. My symptoms are relatively mild. I’m beyond grateful to have received two doses of vaccine and, more recently, a booster – I’m certain that without them I would be...

Suburban Detroit teacher Johnna Rhone was charged Monday with making a false threat against Jefferson Middle School, which is where she works. Rhone, 59 wrote a minimum of three notes with threatening language at the school in St. Clair Shores, said Macomb County prosecutor Pete Lucido. Lucido said one of the notes said: "Start break early. He's gonna do it. Just don't be in the hall after lunch. Boom! Get it?"... ...Rhone is the latest to be charged regarding threats against schools. Since the Oxford High School Shooting, there have been 73 people charged in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — State regulators who three years ago issued an air quality permit for a proposed copper-nickel mine in northwestern Minnesota stood by their decision in a report released Monday that said the mine did not provide misleading information on its plans. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report...does not clear the way for construction. Other major permits remain up in the air because of ongoing court cases or administrative work. Even so, PolyMet CEO Jon Cherry said the action on the air permit “moves us one big step closer” to building the estimated $1 billion mine, which...

Places with highest daily reported cases per capita Seven-day average of daily new reported cases per 100,000 residents

In Israel today a pitch from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to keep unvaccinated children out of school and have them study remotely... Trump Reveals Third Jab Before Biden Pitch For Jabs, Wants China To Pay COVID Reparations... Meanwhile money pundit Jim Cramer putting out word he got COVID after his third "booster" shot... Tonight in Germany widespread protest involving tens of thousands over vaccination mandates and the coercion to vaccinate at a dozen or more locations... A vaccine board in New Zealand ruling that a man's death was "probably due to vaccination"... She had COVID-19 earlier this year giving her...

Former California Rep. Katie Hill has tested positive for COVID-19 nearly 8 months into her pregnancy. Hill, who resigned from Congress in 2019 amid a highly publicized “throuple” sex scandal, announced the diagnosis in a Saturday tweet. “I’m boosted and got COVID and am now quarantined for Christmas while almost 8 months pregnant and though my symptoms are mild I really wish I’d cancelled my plans for the couple weeks before this,” the former lawmaker wrote.

[Catholic Caucus] FSSP tells ‘Successor to Peter’ to shove it!In response to the Congregation for Divine Worship’s December 18th offensive against the one true Roman Rite, the FSSP has issued a statement that perfectly illustrates the cognitive dissonance of those persons who claim that the “conciliar church” is the Holy Roman Catholic Church, and its leader, Jorge Bergoglio, is Holy Father. According to the statement – which in addition to being published online was read aloud in FSSP parishes this weekend – insists that the CDW directive “does not directly address” them.In other words, the FSSP just told the Congregation...

Excerpts from the opening mass for Synodality in the Diocese of San Bernardino. Presided by Bishop Alberto Rojas.

Proof of vaccination against coronavirus will be required to enter city bars, restaurants, gyms, theaters and sports venues under a new mandate announced by Mayor Michelle Wu during a raucous press conference. “Vaccination is the most powerful tool we have to fight this pandemic,” said Wu Monday, announcing the city’s new rules as protesters flowed inside shouting “USA, USA!” In addition, all city workers will be required to get the vaccine if they want to keep their jobs, Wu said. Workers must have at least one dose by Jan. 15 and two doses by Feb. 15. The new, stricter requirement...

Just days after the Sun blasted Earth with an M-Class solar flare which created an unexpected G1-Class Geomagnetic Storm, the sun erupted another M-class solar flare towards the Earth earlier today. Today’s flare blasted the Earth with X-rays and UV radiation, triggering a shortwave radio black out over portions of the globe. On Saturday, NOAA forecasters said there was a risk of additional solar flares through today and as predicted, it occured. While Saturday’s solar flare erupted from sunspot Active Region-2911; today’s flare came from Active Regions 2908. In a statement released by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center today, they...

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it received eight pages of email communications from the U.S. Department of State revealing concerns by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing that U.S. diplomatic personnel were being asked to submit to an anal swab COVID testing policy. The redacted documents show that at as many as two people were either asked or required to take an anal test for COVID by the Chinese government. Judicial Watch obtained the records in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the State Department for non-identifying records of U.S. diplomatic personnel being subjected...

Beijing has succeeded in recruiting spies from the island’s armed forces TAIPEI – For more than 20 years, Xie Xizhang presented himself as a Hong Kong businessman on visits to Taiwan. He now stands accused of having another mission: recruiting spies for China. On one trip in 2006, Xie met a senior retired Taiwanese navy officer, Chang Pei-ning, over a meal, according to official documents accusing the pair of espionage. Chang would become one of Xie’s agents, the documents allege, helping him penetrate Taiwan’s active military leadership as part of a long-running Chinese operation to build a spy ring among...

In a letter to both Yellen and President Biden, the group of lawmakers said that failure to relax international restrictions on Afghanistan’s banking system risks creating “economic pain and humanitarian collapse,” as fears mount that a crumbling economy will spur a new refugee and hunger crisis. The Biden administration in August froze the majority of the Afghan central government’s $9.4 billion in assets — most of which is held in U.S. bank accounts — after the Taliban took control of Kabul and the country. The Biden administration has said recognition, and release of funds, will not come until the Taliban...

Russia upped the ante Monday in its dangerous standoff with Ukraine, openly warning of military action if President Biden and America’s NATO allies ignore a list of demands Moscow announced late last week — a far-reaching list that some key U.S. lawmakers have dubbed a “pretext to war.” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said his country is fully prepared to respond through “military-technical means” if Western powers fail to address those demands. He said NATO must not expand to include Ukraine or Georgia and the U.S. must not base additional military assets in former Soviet republics in Central Asia....

A person with direct knowledge of discussions said the NHL is beginning a leaguewide shutdown Wednesday amid an increase of positive COVID-19 test results among players across the league. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the pause on the season had yet to be announced. Beginning the annual holiday break two days early means five additional games will be postponed, bringing the total this season to 49.

Join together with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media.I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holi-ness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2Religion Fo-rum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.