Free Republic

As we approach another anniversary of the pandemic’s onset, many of us are reflecting on the past two years and thinking about the ways the virus has altered our lives. More than 950,000 Americans have died. Many more have lost a loved one, and millions are still grappling with the lingering aftereffects of infection. As we begin to move toward a postpandemic future, it is vital that we remember the toll this virus has taken. The lessons of this pandemic should be carried with us so that — unlike what happened after the 1918 flu — it doesn’t fade from...

“We do have clarity. I have a fact sheet. That’s what I was just reading from here at the Pentagon.” Video at link.

At this point all I can say is: go and see it. Over the past two years, more than 1,360 people have died from drug overdoses in San Francisco. That is more than double the number who have died from Covid. But you don’t need more stats. You don’t need more numbers about how the tent encampments are exploding. Or about the amount of money that the city is paying for each person doing drugs on the sidewalks. You need to see it. I’m serious. Everyone in San Francisco should make a trip downtown. Walk around. And do not avert...

Footage from a drone of a Russian armored column in a town called Bovary outside Kyiv. The column is getting shelled. Is the language being spoken Ukrainian? There ate a bunch of armored vehicles clustered together just ripe for bombardment.

Is an AI-Driven Social Control System Emerging in America? The gradual merger of Big Tech and Big Government is worthy of close analysisReaders may assume that a “social credit system” where government monitors a citizen’s every move and assigns a score or takes action, could only happen in China. But increasingly, governments can monitor a citizen’s every move in North America too. Technology policy analyst Kara Fredericks explains:As Canada demonstrated, Western governments and tech companies are mobilizing to cut off mainstream citizens from public life and constrain their private lives. Actions like protesting government overreach, expressing “anti-authority” ideologies, or...

I’m amazed at how leftists will continue to lick the boots of their political master, Gropey Joe Biden, even when his decisions have a devastating effect on their financial lives. The price of gas is insane. Your liberal sister-in-law is blaming Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for the price hike. But facts are kryptonite to our bolshie friends and family. Check out this graph from gasbuddy.com that shows just how much gas has gone up since Biden took over (it actually started to rise after the November 2020 election). The energy sector saw the writing on the wall. ... Gas has...

Citigroup Inc. said it is assessing its future presence in Russia as its clients and the global financial system back away from the country. The New York bank has a larger Russian operation than other U.S. banks. It works with hundreds of multinational and American companies on the ground there, part of its reach helping global companies run far-flung businesses and shift money across borders. It said in a statement Wednesday that it was still working with those clients, including helping many who are suspending or unwinding their Russian operations. Citigroup also has a Russian consumer bank, which it had...

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Thursday it was getting out of Russia--the first big U.S. bank to make a move to exit the country after the invasion of Ukraine. The Wall Street bank said that it is winding down its businesses and that it is focused on helping its clients manage their own exposure or get out of the country. Last month, the bank said it had only about $1 billion it total exposures to Russia as of the end of the year, with about $650 million in outstanding credits and $415 million in markets. That makes it a relatively...

60% Disapproval. Lets Go Brandon

(John Ransom, Headline USA) If it wasn’t a sad enough spectacle seeing President Joe Biden kowtow to communist China over the COVID virus, now Biden has overdrawn the humiliation card by pleading with the dictator in Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, a Russian ally, to please sell the US some of the oil, for which Biden won’t let American producers drill for domestic use.Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., ridiculed the Biden administration for another humiliating defeat to a dictator regime, the only type with which Biden and the Democrats seem to like dealing, reported Fox News.“#Biden secret talks with #MaduroRegime isn’t about replacing...

Americans in the lower to middle income brackets are in pain these days because of energy costs – the surging per gallon price of gasoline hits a store clerk much harder than a megamillionaire Washington politician or a movie star. But leftists believe it's not hitting hard enough yet. How do we know? Former Obama Treasury official Mark Mazur told us so. In fact, as the gasoline prices in America reach levels never before seen, there's been discussion of a holiday from the federal gas tax – to cut the costs for consumers. No, said Mazur. That, in fact, "undercuts...

As of this writing, the year is 2020. But what if the year was ACTUALLY 1722? What if hundreds of years ago there was a conspiracy by a few European noblemen to change the modern calendar? This may sound crazy, (and, admittedly, it is a little crazy), but is it possible? Stranger things have happened. It all has to do with the Holy Roman Empire, the Pope, and (maybe) the Byzantine Empire circa AD 1000 (that’s important for later). There's this weird theory called Phantom Time Hypothesis suggests that Dark Ages (614-911 A.D.) never happened...The Phantom Time Hypothesis was first...

Vice President Kamala Harris accused Russia Thursday of committing “atrocities of unimaginable proportion” in Ukraine — while warning the US will “defend every inch of NATO territory” if the war spreads. Harris made the commitment while also saying that Russia “absolutely” should be investigated for war crimes.

@VP Harris awkwardly starts laughing when asked about the Ukrainian refugee crisis

We need a strong and measured president to lead America in these precarious times. One who doesn’t bandy loose threats of annihilation or petty insults against foreign leaders on social media. One who doesn’t necessarily embrace his role as being the most polarizing figure in American politics. One who passionately rebukes the media and demolishes their lies, but remains grounded in logic, reason, and facts. We need a leader who can’t be tied to leading America into COVID lockdowns or, right or wrong, the mythological January 6 “insurrection.” And most importantly, we need a leader that doesn’t come with the...

Even wearing a cloth mask made someone more attractive than not wearing anything at all on their face. But it wasn't just the high-quality masks that affected how participants ranked appearances. "We also found faces are considered significantly more attractive when covered by cloth masks than when not covered," Lewis said. "Some of this effect may be a result of being able to hide undesirable features in the lower part of the face—but this effect was present for both less attractive and more attractive people." Even though it may obscure your features, Lewis speculates that current events may have turned...

The head of a U.S.-funded biolab in Tbilisi, Georgia has spoken about how the facility is battling Russian disinformation and conspiracy theories as it tests for coronavirus in the country. On the outskirts of Tbilisi, staff at the U.S.-funded Lugar Research Center are helping to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia by testing hundreds of samples and turning results around in under 24 hours. The lab, funded by $350 million in American taxpayer dollars, has been at the center of Georgian media coverage for weeks. But for years prior to this pandemic, it’s been the subject of media attention...

Making your entire economy a Landfill Economy dependent on the fantasy of infinite replacements and substitutions is the height of hubris and folly. Very few people ask: what if it breaks? It's a question we can ask of a great many things: touchscreens, motherboards, tools, vehicles, supply chains and entire systems: what if it breaks? The first thing we notice is the great number of things which can't be repaired, they can only be replaced. Good luck repairing the touchscreen or motherboard in your vehicle. Oops, the puncture in your tire is in the sidewall, no repair possible, buy a...

Last month, Austria became the first country in the world to make it illegal to be without proof of COVID vaccination, but the European nation has suspended its law after protests and reports the measure had no effect. The government said Wednesday the law was "not proportionate to the threat" of the omicron variant of the virus that caused COVID-19, which while more contagious presents with mild symptoms. The Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung reported the announcement was made only days before the government was set to impose fines of up to 3,600 euros, about $4,000, for the unvaccinated. However, Austria's...

Former Florida Dunkin’ manager Corey Pujos, 27, accused of fatally punching an elderly customer who called him the “‘n-word,” was given two years of house arrest as part of a plea deal. Pujos will undergo three years of probation following house arrest, must attend an anger management course, and must complete 200 hours of community service. He was initially charged with aggravated manslaughter before cutting a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a felony battery charge in exchange for the sentence. The incident occurred last year after 77-year-old Vonelle Cook went through the drive-thru at the Dunkin’ located at...