Free Republic

By Peggy Noonan April 7, 2022 6:48 pm ET [cut] Why can’t we put a strict age limit on using social-media sites: You have to be 18 to join TikTok, Youtube, Instagram? Why not? You’re not allowed to drink at 14 or drive at 12; you can’t vote at 15. Isn’t there a public interest here? Applying such control would empower parents who face “all the other kids are allowed,” with an answer: “Because it’s against the law.” When we know children are being harmed by something, why can’t the state help? In theory this might challenge economic libertarians who...

In an alert to clients this week Bank of America strategists warned in blunt language: "'Inflation shock' worsening, 'rates shock' just beginning, 'recession shock' coming." Why it matters: The ultra-tight job market and high inflation are two sides of the same coin, Axios chief economic correspondent Neil Irwin notes. The super tight-job market is fueling higher wages and strong demand — which is why the Fed is going to have to move more aggressively than it has in decades to try to quash inflation. Driving the news: The recession calls are about what might happen later this year or in...

A member of the Disney dynasty has come out publicly as transgender and expressed regret over not doing more about Florida’s recent, so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Roy P. Disney — the great-nephew of Walt Disney and the co-founder of Walt Disney Co — disclosed recently in a statement that his child, Charlee, is trans. Roy revealed the news while also pledging $500,000 to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) alongside his wife, Sheri.

UPDATE — GARDNER WALKS! On Monday, the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel ruled that Gardner will face no disciplinary action for her lawlessness that resulted in the removal of popular Missouri Governor Eric Greitens.

Two Buffalo police officers were justified in pushing a 75-year-old activist who suffered a skull fracture, an arbitrator ruled nearly two years after the incident. Officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalsk had no other course of action than to push away an approaching Martin Gugino, 75, when he was objecting to a protest curfew. Gugino had been protesting police June 4, 2020, just days after the death of George Floyd.

Frequency Therapeutics bases its scientific approach to treating disorders on harnessing the body’s own biological repair mechanisms to repair or reverse the damage caused by degenerative diseases, including hearing loss. Overstimulation of the cochlear hair cell receptors by noise or chemical exposure, or other insults, leads to their apoptosis. Several non-mammalian species, such as birds and reptiles, are able to spontaneously regenerate these hair cells after damage by the asymmetric division of progenitor stem cells, to form a hair cell and replace the original progenitor. “The system is there, it can be turned on in other species, and we also...

Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt because it offered bondholders payments in rubles, not dollars, credit ratings agency S&P has said. Russia attempted to pay in rubles for two dollar-denominated bonds that matured on April 4, S&P said in a note on Friday. The agency said this amounted to a “selective default” because investors are unlikely to be able to convert the rubles into “dollars equivalent to the originally due amounts.”

A convoy of Russian tanks has been picked off one by one in the Donbas in the latest blow to the Kremlin, footage appears to show. The video allegedly shows an ambush from Ukraine's 54th Separate Mechanised Brigade targeting the invading tanks in Donetsk. Russian forces are focusing their offensive in the eastern Ukrainian region after suffering heavy losses in major central cities, but they are still meeting fierce resistance. The footage shows the tanks exploding into fireballs while they are stationed on a rural road.

snip: ......"As California Governor Gavin Newsom’s incredible unpopularity with his constituents forced him to ease up on mask restrictions for the time being, eight highly controversial, draconian bills are being pushed in the State House by Democratic legislators. They include: SB 871 – would require all children 0-17 to get the COVID -19 vaccine to attend childcare or school potentially without FDA approval. That bill also takes away any personal or religious belief exemptions, SB 866 – would allow kids 12-17 to get the COVID-19 vaccine without parental consent, SB 1464 – would force law enforcement officials to enforce public...

According to a statement published by the British Ministry of Defense on April 8, 2022, the UK will boost the support of Ukraine with new military equipment and weapons including NLAW and Javelin anti-tank missiles, loitering munitions, and Starstreak surface-to-air missiles. Citing information published by the British Ministry of Defense, the United Kingdom will supply more than 800 NLAW anti-tank guided missiles, Javelin anti-tank missile weapons, loitering munitions, Starstreak surface-to-air missiles, and non-lethal military equipment including ballistic helmets, body armor, and night-vision goggles This package amounts to more than £100 million and has been designed in consultation with the Armed...

A pregnant Pennsylvania woman is afraid her unborn daughter is going to have an attitude just like her after the baby girl flipped her off while in the womb.The ensuing footage shows the baby squirming around her mom’s womb before clearly flashing the camera a middle finger. The unborn child then makes amends for her rude gesture and gives viewers a two-finger peace sign.

U.S. consumers boosted their expectations for inflation and household spending in the year ahead as the price of gas and food steepens, but tempered their view of inflation over the medium-term, according to a survey released on Monday by the New York Federal Reserve. Expectations for where inflation will be in one year rose to 6.6% in March, the highest since the survey was launched in 2013 and up from 6.0% in February. Household spending was seen growing 7.7% in the year ahead, also a series high. Just 23% saw their household finances improving in the year ahead, the smallest...

.......“In addition, Defendant Wood made many fantastical and obviously false and defamatory statements about Plaintiffs, including, for instance, that they are ‘deep state’ communists being paid by nefarious actors to bring litigation against him,” the 56-page complaint states. Since battling him in court, the ex-partners claim that they faced a “torrent of threats” from Wood. The lawsuit quotes Wood telling them that they “have now subjected [themselves] and [their] families to the fact that you all are guilty of federal crimes.” Wood told them they “are going to be ruined financially, if necessary, in civil and criminal lawsuit[s],” and “are...

This White House is the most corrupt administration in modern history. It is high time to impeach President Biden. The Biden family’s rampant self-dealing, bribery and influence-peddling around the world is as shameless as it is obvious. Nobody even disputes the evidence anymore. Instead, they simply claim that it is “old news.” After more than a year of claiming that all the evidence of family corruption contained on Hunter Biden’s laptop was “stolen” or “Russian disinformation” aimed at swaying the U.S. election, the media now admits that it is all true. But, they insist, it is no longer newsworthy since...

Former Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) predicted on Monday that just a slight uptick in President Biden’s approval numbers could spare Democrats a thrashing in the Senate in this year’s midterm elections. But whether Democrats can retain their paper-thin Senate majority may come down to a few factors, Israel said, warning that if Biden’s approval rating stays where it is now and the party’s voter base heads into Election Day unmotivated, it could cost Democrats at the polls.

When Mike Pompeo announced his political action committee last June, he set off a wave of news stories heralding the move as a potential step toward a 2024 presidential campaign. But the former secretary of State kept his next big launch behind the scenes. Two months later, Pompeo allies including Ulrich Brechbuhl, a close friend, West Point classmate and former State Department official, quietly formed a nonprofit group — Champion American Values Fund — to work alongside Pompeo’s Champion American Values PAC. According to corporate records from Delaware and Virginia, Brechbuhl serves as president of the organization, which can raise...

MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK JOHN 12:1-11 Friends, in today’s Gospel, Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet with perfumed oil, preparing him for burial. This gesture—wasting something as expensive as an entire jar of perfume—is sniffed at by Judas, who complains that, at the very least, the nard could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Why does John use this tale to preface his telling of the Passion? Why does he allow the odor of this woman’s perfume to waft, as it were, over the whole of the story? It is because, I believe, this extravagant gesture...

Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) was confronted over the weekend about election integrity during a Fulton County GOP event, and he responded by saying he was not responsible for Georgia's consent decree, which some Republicans claim abolished signature verification and allowed for voter fraud in the state. "I had nothing to do with the consent decree," said Kemp, whose reelection bid faces a challenge in the Georgia Republican primary by former Sen. David Perdue, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. "Kemp allowed himself to be bullied into a disastrous consent decree that effectively abolished signature verification and allowed...

A law in the works in the California Assembly would create a four-day workweek for companies with more than 500 employees. Assembly Bill 2932 would shorten the standard workweek from 40 hours a week to just 32 hours. Companies would not be able to reduce how much you earn. Supporters say it would lead to more productive employees. Meanwhile, opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, say it would increase labor costs and kill job growth at a time when businesses are recovering from the pandemic and also face higher prices for supplies. Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia, (D) Bell Gardens and...

On Sunday, about 1,000 bikers rolled into Hollister for their motorcycles to be blessed on Palm Sunday. It’s a tradition hosted by the Top Hatters club and has been going strong for 29 years. “You want to get your bike blessed. You want be safe on the road, have the Lord protect you on your travels,” said Robert Poelker, Top Hatter club chairman. Bikers say it’s a day that’s not just a blessing for them but also for the community, bringing in some much-needed business. Bike event promoter, Bob Richards said, “It’s a blessing for businesses as well in this...