Free Republic

The Western-led freeze on half of Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves after its invasion came as shock to Moscow -- and an unwelcome surprise to Beijing. The move underscored a brutal truth for China, the world's largest holder of foreign reserves: One day, its international assets could be a tempting target, too. Despite previous U.S. sanctions on dozens of Chinese corporations including Huawei and ZTE, Chinese policy advisers never believed Washington would go so far as to weaponize the entire world's financial system. However, that thinking has changed. In the space of a month the United States went from...

Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk acknowledged Thursday he is “not sure” he’ll actually be able to buy Twitter, hours after he revealed a $43 billion offer... ....Asked by TED’s Chris Anderson if there was a “Plan B” if his current offer were rejected, Musk said, “there is.”

What Covid Crimes Will Victims Not Forgive?History has altered course. Lockdowns saw the belittling of whole populations by a neo-feudal elite, while that elite, with astonishing frequency, was stoutly defended by those same belittled populations. Monocultural autocracies allied with powerful corporate barons have now emerged within Western governing institutions, yielding a system that approximates Benito Mussolini’s concept of fascism.The struggle against this darkness will surely take many years. Who and what will keep that struggle alive? What hurt will fuel the fight, keeping the fires of resentment burning, and what hurt – real as it may have been – will...

Elon Musk’s Big Move on TwitterAs you undoubtedly have heard, Elon Musk – ever the rebel – has offered to buy the whole of Twitter for more than $43 billion. He says that the offer is final. No negotiation. If it is rejected, he will likely sell his 10% stake. I’m personally excited about the prospect because so many of my friends have been canceled by the platform. I’ve seen the way this has affected their lives. Yes, they move on eventually but the platform has become poorer in their absence. The range of opinion is more narrow and the...

Dollar stores across the United States and Canada are selling products that contain a large number of toxic chemicals, including children’s toys, according to a new study published on April 12. The study was conducted by the consumer advocacy group, Campaign for Healthier Solutions, and focused on all of the leading dollar store retailers in the United States and Canada: Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Dollar General, Five Below, and 99 Cents Only Stores. It found that more than half of the items purchased by researchers at the stores contained one or more chemicals of concern. At the start of 2021,...

A stunning sight at Buffalo's Naval Park at Canalside Thursday morning. The USS The Sullivans is taking on water. "If you look at the stern of the ship, where it normally reads, The Sullivans, it now reads The Sull," said WBEN's Tim Wenger at the Naval Park. "The rest of the name has disappeared under the water." The World War II era destroyer is listing to its starboard, or right, side. The stern is further into the water than the bow (or front of the ship). The gangway that leads onto the ship from the pier is laying in the...

Today, the US Treasury 10-year yield exploded upwards by over 12 basis points. With it, the 30-year mortgage yield is above 5%. And MBA Mortgage Purchase Applications are actually increasing. Today’s bond market summary shows the 10-year Treasury yield up 12.7 basis points. Its the same all over the western world. Asia? Not so much. Fear of further Fed fireballs coming from removal of the monetary punchbowl.

BEIJING -- China on Thursday said it would reject “any pressure or coercion” over its relationship with Russia, in response to a call from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for Beijing to use its “special relationship with Russia” to persuade Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian defended China’s position on the war, saying it had “made considerable efforts to de-escalate the situation, defuse the crisis and rebuild peace." “China is playing a constructive role in the Ukraine issue," Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing. “We oppose unfounded accusations and suspicions against China, nor...

RNC promises to work through 'newer, better debate platforms' for GOP nominees.The Republican National Committee unanimously voted to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Depates. The RNC clarified that it is not moving away from the presidential debate format, but is rather objecting to the CPD's control over the process. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel made the announcement in a statement Thursday. "Debates are an important part of the democratic process, and the RNC is committed to free and fair debates," McDaniel said in the statement. "The Commission on Presidential Debates is biased and has refused to enact simple and commonsense...

Offshore trust bought $18M oceanfront estate, known as Mille Fleurs, in 2013It's been an international enigma for the last two years: Who really owns the lavish Vancouver Island estate where Prince Harry and Meghan wintered in 2020 as they reportedly hashed out their plan to step back from official royal duties? Is it the Russian-born billionaire who several media outlets linked to the property? Is it Canadian mining magnate Frank Giustra, as (erroneously) reported by the New York Post's Page Six? CBC and Radio-Canada found the answer, and it does indeed involve a Russian, but it wasn't easy — it...

Flagler's death was an accident that resulted from "cardiopulmonary arrest, due to or as a consequence of suffocation." Also noted in the report are "other conditions contributing but not related to the immediate cause of death." Listed in this section are "effects of methamphetamine, COVID-19 positive. Lawyers for Flagler's family released a statement Wednesday, alleging that Flagler's death, "was caused when on-scene commanders failed to keep track of the firefighters inside the burning residence, maintain radio contact with those firefighters, and promptly rescue Jonathan." The statement continued, "the autopsy concluded Jonathan died because he suffered a heart attack when he...

“The Eternal Passover That Jesus Desired to Eat” (Luke 22:14-20) During this season of Lent, we’ve tried to be realistic as we learn again to trust our God. The realism has to do with evil--the evil that betrayed, condemned, and crucified Jesus long ago, and the evil in our world and in our lives also today. In the face of that evil, we trust our God and the plan he carried out in Christ. We can say to Satan, to the world, and even to ourselves, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” This evening’s service...

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) has announced she has tested positive for COVID-19, joining a number of lawmakers who have recently tested positive for the virus. “Today, I was experiencing very mild symptoms associated with COVID-19. I got tested as a precaution and tested positive for COVID-19,” Moore said in a tweet on Wednesday. “I’m following guidance from my doctors and quarantining.” In her Twitter thread, Moore also asked members of the public to remain “vigilant” amid the pandemic, advising them to get vaccinated, follow mask mandates and practice social distancing.

Antiviral Nasal Spray A single inhaled dose treated or even prevented infection by COVID-19 and its variants. Current antibody treatments block SARS-CoV-2 by binding to one of three binding sites on the spike protein New antiviral binds to all three sites on the spike protein, making it more effective than current therapies Antiviral is also low-cost, easy to manufacture, does not require complicated supply chains with extreme refrigeration and potentially could be self-administered A new protein-based antiviral nasal spray developed by researchers at Northwestern University, University of Washington and Washington University at St. Louis is being advanced toward Phase I...

After horrendous battlefield losses [snip], Vladimir Putin is concentrating his efforts in Ukraine in the eastern provinces of the Donbas. {snip] [since] his original plan for a blitzkrieg against Kyiv nor his plan for multiple operations in the north, south and east worked, [snip] [Putin] seems ready now to embrace longstanding principles of war: simplicity, unity of effort and focused logistics. [snip] No more disputes among commanders over logistical resupply. Rather, the Russians will pursue a single coordinated effort with, initially, more-limited aspirations in the Donbas. Unity of command has long been recognized as an indispensable prerequisite for victory. Battlefield...

Democrats, who have continuously had messaging problems through the current election cycle, have now blamed messaging itself for their failures months before the general election. Democrats across the country are claiming they have “done a lousy job at highlighting their accomplishments in a year plus of unified power in Washington” and are using that as the source of their problems leading up to the November midterm elections, according to the Hill. In fact, the Democrats believe they are in so much trouble that one strategist told the Hill, “I’m not going to BS. We’ve done a f—ing horrible job, and...

CAIRO, April 14 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on Thursday that as one of the major shareholders in Twitter he rejected a takeover bid by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. "I don't believe that the proposed offer by Elon Musk ($54.20 per share) comes close to the intrinsic value of Twitter given its growth prospects," the prince said in a Twitter post. Musk took aim at Twitter Inc with a $43 billion cash takeover offer on Thursday, with the Tesla CEO saying the social media giant needs to be taken private to grow and become a...

It was the alleged attack heard around the world – the "Empire" star told police he was attacked by people shouting racial and anti-gay slurs. While the police continue their investigation, Dr. Oz revisits the interview he did with Jussie Smollett in December to see if there were any clues as to what might have happened to the actor. Then, can your addiction to athleisure wear be a gateway to weight gain and health issues? Plus, join The Dish crew for their Oz-car party as they share their favorite movie-inspired recipes.

No, they were not. You can read the original version of my answer to this question, which appeared on the AskHistorians subreddit, here.Were the Roman Aqueducts used as Water Slides? | April 1, 2022 | toldinstone

Resurfaced video of TV host-turned U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz saying how much he “adores” and “loves” his friend, hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett is now going viral online after former President Donald Trump endorsed Oz in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race. “Jussie Smollett, who has been on the show, who we all adore, was recently injured. It’s been called a hate crime,” Dr. Oz said on his show.