Free Republic

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) is the latest lawmaker to announce he has tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement on Thursday, Coons said after testing regularly for COVID-19 in recent weeks with rapid and PCR tests, he received a positive diagnosis Wednesday night. “I have minimal symptoms so far and am optimistic I will recover well after isolating and following CDC guidelines. Like millions of other families, it seems we’ll also be wrestling with another holiday spent on Zoom and cancelled plans for travel or gathering,” he said.

Stocks traded higher Thursday, as studies on the Omicron coronavirus variant revealed infected people were at less risk of being hospitalized. Stronger U.S. economic data also buoyed markets ahead of the Christmas holiday, and set major stock indexes on track to erase Monday’s steep drop and close the holiday-shortened week in the green. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 222 points, or 0.6%, in midday trading Thursday. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% to 4,729, above the index’s all-time closing high of 4,712, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.9%. The latest Omicron headlines were net positive. A study from the...

[Catholic Caucus] Bye Christmas: Archdiocese Cancelled ALL EucharistsDue to the Covid hysteria, Quebec Archdiocese cancelled all Christmas Eucharists.Cardinal Gérald Lacroix announced December 22 that from midnight December 23 to January 10 all public Masses are canceled. Funerals are the only exceptions.“I am aware that it will be very disappointing not to gather in church this year for Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations, but I consider that it is our duty to participate in the collective effort to avoid the further spread of the coronavirus,” Lacroix feigned.Lacroix allows “personal visits” to churches. He encourages Catholics to “celebrate the Nativity in...

On the rebound a month after his acquittal on murder charges, Kyle Rittenhouse indicated Monday night he is not likely to forget the way media outlets trashed him. "There's going to be some media accountability coming soon," Rittenhouse said told Fox News in an interview Monday while he was in Phoenix for the AmericaFest conference hosted by the conservative group Turning Point USA. It was a one-sentence warning that should have mainstream news organizations scrambling.

[Catholic Caucus] Italy: “Francis Spring” Makes Excellent ProgressOver the last ten years, the number of seminarians in Italy went down by 28%.According to the Italian Bishops, today there are 1,804 seminarians while in 1970 – when the number of vocations had already dropped because of the failed Vatican II - there were 6,500.Father Marco d’Agostino, the rector of Cremona seminary told IlGiornale.it that seminarians are not “heroes against the tide,” rather “anything but that.”This may explain why so many priests are dead fish tossed around by the empty waves made by the oligarchs’ media.

Last week, the world glimpsed a future in which vaccine passports are implanted under the skin. A viral video from South China Morning Post profiled a Swedish start-up hub, Epicenter, that injects its employees with microchips. “Right now it is very convenient to have a COVID passport always accessible on your implant,” its chief disruption officer, Hannes Sjöblad, told the interviewer. Oddly enough, he repeatedly spoke of chipping “arms” when we clearly see a woman opening doors with her hand. Two years earlier, Sjöblad told ITV, “I want us humans to open up and improve our sensory universe, our cognitive...

Officials said the move will give schools more access to devices and replace damaged laptops as a spike in cases — and a subsequent move to online classes for some classrooms — is anticipated in the new year. Through this past July, CPS bought 100,110 laptops and tablets for a combined $31,846,853 to add to the district’s existing supply and help bridge that gap, according to district records. ... Lost or unreturned devices have also contributed to the need for more laptops, though officials didn’t say how many fell in that category.

Cook County will follow Chicago in imposing a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for patrons 5 and older of restaurants, bars, gyms and an assortment of other businesses, officials announced Thursday. The mandate for suburban Cook County takes effect Monday, Jan. 3, as does Chicago’s. The indoor establishments that will be required to ask for proof of vaccination status also include gyms and anywhere else food and drink are served, according to a copy of the COVID-19 order from the Cook County Department of Public Health. That encompasses movie theaters, concert venues, arcades, sports arenas and more. ...

Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly expressing discontent with the news coverage surrounding her performance as the nation's second-highest office holder, citing her race and gender.According to a piece by The New York Times, Harris has been privately complaining to her allies that the media's coverage of her would be better if she were any of her 48 White male predecessors,[snip]The Times' piece, which focused on Harris' struggle to "define herself" within the Biden White House, noted that she held no "headlining role" when it came to some of the administration's most difficult decisions[snip]The Times noted Harris' historically low approval...

The Supreme Court late Wednesday agreed to hear legal challenges to the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates for large employers and health-care facilities.The court, in an order, said that its consideration for requests to stay those mandates would be deferred until oral argument on Jan. 7.The Supreme Court consolidated the applications of both challenges, which were considered by Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito, and both will be heard on Jan. 7.Lower court orders, which allowed the employer mandate and partially allowed the health-care worker mandate, will remain in effect until then.

Five people were arrested hours after Pennsylvania Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-5th District) was carjacked at gunpoint in South Philadelphia. Scanlon, 62, was walking back to her parked car, an Acura MDX, at FDR Park around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday when she was approached by two armed men who demanded that she hand over her keys and other belongings, including her personal cell phone, federal cell phone and ID.

Sen. Ted Cruz may be cruising toward another bid at the presidency. In an interview with the Truth Gazette, Cruz was asked if he would consider running for the White House, and the Texas Republican said his race in 2016 puts him in a good position to win the GOP nomination. "Absolutely, in a heartbeat. You know I ran in 2016. It was the most fun I've ever had in my life," he said. "I ended up placing second. You know, there's a reason historically that the runner-up is almost always the next nominee." Cruz lost his bid for the...

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11). The proper response to Christ’s exaltation is to worship Him. Philippians 2:10-11 gives the only proper response to Christ’s exaltation: everyone is to bow before Him and acknowledge Him as Lord. Verse 10 begins with the Greek word hina (“that”), which indicates purpose or result. God’s express purpose is that Christ’s exaltation will result in our worshiping Him. We might translate the sentence, “He was given the name that is above every name in...

Restoring the true meaning of Christmas goes far beyond having Christian carols or manger scenes in public places. How many of you know you can have a manger in a courthouse or carols in a mall and still have a heathen nation? Something more has to change in our nation, and it’s not just the externals but the internal. We might argue that ‘the internal’ is making sure that we remember baby Jesus in the manger. That’s certainly part of it, but I want to go one step more and say that it’s not just remembering Jesus’ birthday. Jesus isn’t...

Although Israel is the world’s only Jewish state, it is home to a free and thriving Arab community. For decades, anti-Israel activists have decried Israel as an illegitimate state which represses Arabs and Muslims. Israel has been incorrectly labeled as a state for “settler colonialism” and apartheid. These baseless claims could not be further from the truth. Researchers have conducted surveys to shine a light on the true treatment of Arabs living in Israel. According to these surveys, there is a growing trend of Israeli Arabs ditching their former Palestinian identity and starting to identify more heavily with their Israeli...

Amid low approval ratings and continued press attention on her role, Vice President Kamala Harris has turned to another powerful woman who clashed with critics, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for guidance. And she has concluded she would get better treatment in the media if she were white and male like all of her predecessors, telling her allies as much. Harris has contended with departing aides and gripes about her leadership style, amid complaints from within her circle about that difficult tasks she has been assigned, including dealing with 'root causes' of the border crisis. For guidance she has...

[Catholic Caucus] Dirty Game: Archbishop Sabotages Mass By Appointing Hostile CelebrantNaples' Catholics will not have a Christmas Mass which had been celebrated for over 20 years in San Ferdinando di Palazzo Church, reports Ansa.it (December 21).The organisers asked Naples Archbishop Domenico Battaglia, 58, for the continuation of the Masses in accordance with Traditionis Custodes. Those attending the Mass include members of ancient Neapolitan families, professors, students and entrepreneurs.Battaglia granted the request but nominated Monsignor Lino Silvestri, the Church's rector, as the celebrant. When the faithful contacted Silvestri, he declined to celebrate saying on the phone that “there is no more...

I saw this picture circulating on #FreePalestine Twitter. I’m very upset that:1. The Russians are now selling AK-47’s to the @IDF; and2. The IDF is disguising themselves by wearing different camouflage uniforms. You’re not fooling anyone with your disguises 🧐 pic.twitter.com/DNq4eUt915— Rabbi Linda Goldstein 🇵🇸 (@RabbiLindaGold1) December 14, 2021

Counterfactuals, like "conspiracy theories," are frowned upon by those who look guilty when they are posed. Here are three to chew on during the holidays:...Some people despise "what if" hypotheticals. What if those people are the same ones who can't face the overwhelming evidence for their own hypocrisy?

President Biden Wednesday made a big announcement about his reelection plans, admitting that it will depend if he is in good health, but if his predecessor, former President Trump, does run, it would "increase the prospect" of him running. In an exclusive sit-down interview with ABC "World News Tonight," host David Muir asked Biden if he plans to run for a second term. "Yes," Biden said. However, Biden left room for doubt, revealing that a lot could happen between now and 2024, pointing out that his health will play a huge factor in whether he will or won't run for...