Free Republic

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — At the start of 2022, Thomas Marshall weighed 311 pounds. He had been hospitalized 10 times in five years, including six surgeries. He had an open wound on his left leg that refused to heal — made worse by living in a dirty, moldy house with five other people, two ball pythons, four Chihuahuas and a cage full of rats. Marshall’s story is part of a radical rethinking of the relationship between housing and health care in the U.S. For decades, Medicaid, the joint state and federal health insurance program for people with disabilities or low...

Look people-and THINK! Arizona-lost 49-49. That 11,000 votes.(11 Electoral Votes) Georgia-49-49. That's 12,000 votes.(16 electoral votes) Wisconsin.-49-48. That's 20k votes. (10 EV-shouda won it)) Penn.-49-48. That's 81k votes-too far. (20 EV-forget it). Nv. 34k votes. 6 EV-too many unions.

Research investigated the use of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in diagnosing bloodstream infections (BSIs) for immunocompromised hematology patients. Hematology patients are highly susceptible to BSIs, which can have severe consequences such as septic shock, multiple-organ failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and even death. An accurate and quick microbiological diagnosis of BSI is therefore essential for the control of the infection. In the study, peripheral blood samples were collected from 256 immunocompromised hematology patients suspected of BSI, and both mNGS and conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) were performed. BSI diagnosis was confirmed in 189 out of 256 patients (73.8%). The detection rate of...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — As Ohio’s primary approaches, a strict new photo ID requirement is stirring concerns for military veterans and out-of-state college students, in Amish communities and among older voters. Other Republican-led states are moving in the same direction as they respond to conservative voters unsettled by unfounded claims of widespread fraud and persistent conspiracy theories over the accuracy of U.S. elections. Critics characterize such requirements as an overreaction that could end up disenfranchising eligible voters. Ruth Kohake is among those caught up in the confusion over Ohio’s law, which is going into effect this year. The retired nurse...

(Daily readings from the USCCB)“Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” John 11:43–44The death of Lazarus can be seen as a symbolic representation of the soul that has died from mortal sin. This is similar to the fact that leprosy, physical ailments and the like are also symbols of sin. For that reason, Jesus’ initial reactions reveal how we should respond to serious sin in our lives. When Jesus faced the death of...

For patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), hydrocortisone is associated with a lower risk for death by day 28, according to a study. Pierre-François Dequin, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues conducted a phase 3 trial involving adults who had been admitted to the ICU for severe community-acquired pneumonia to assess whether early treatment with hydrocortisone reduced mortality at 28 days. Participants were randomly assigned to receive intravenous hydrocortisone (200 mg daily for four or eight days, as determined by clinical improvement, followed by tapering for a total of eight or 14 days) or placebo. All...

Two suspected burglars were found dead at a Garland apartment complex after a man said they broke into his apartment and began firing shots. The resident returned fire, fatally shooting both, police said. Just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Garland police were dispatched to a burglary in progress where gunshots were fired. Police responded to Woodlands at The Preserve, an apartment complex in the 4300 block of North Garland Avenue. When they arrived at the scene, officers observed two men who suffered from apparent gunshot wounds, according to police. One victim was found inside the apartment, and the other victim was...

In 17 days, millions of retirees will receive the first round of April's Social Security Administration retirement payments, worth up to $4,555. The first round, for those born between the 1st and 11th of a month, will be released on Wednesday, April 12. Three disbursements are released to retirees each month, but each person only receives one payment that coincides with the 10-day block of the month in which they were born, according to the SSA's schedule. ... The amount of money each recipient gets depends on the recipient's age at retirement. The highest payment is worth $4,555 per month,...

Jonathan Majors has been arrested in connection with a domestic dispute, Fox News Digital can confirm. The "Creed III" actor was charged with strangulation, assault and harassment according to a police report. He was transported to Manhattan Central Booking on Saturday, an NYPD Detective told Fox News Digital. "On Saturday, March 25, 2023 at approximately 1114 hours, police responded to [a] 911 call inside of an apartment located in the vicinity of West 22nd Street and 8th Avenue, within the confines of the 10 Precinct. A preliminary investigation determined that a 33-year-old male was involved in a domestic dispute with...

A transgender woman has called for the dismantling of airport TSA screenings after she claimed an agent punched her in the testicles and 'yelled at me for having a penis'. The flyer posted a since-deleted selfie showing her sobbing in a bathroom stall following the episode, complaining that her 'balls still hurt so bad'. 'I don't want the TSA agent that hurt me fired,' she said in a separate post. 'I want her educated and the entirety of TSA abolished altogether.' After being 'humiliated' in the airport safety check line, she claimed the female agent then followed her into the...

Jen Renfroe, senior vice president of group fitness for the Crunch Fitness gym chain, says that over the past two years, more men have taken Pilates-based classes as a complement to their traditional strength-based or high-intensity interval workouts. “There’s an unspoken bond when you see another guy in the studio,” he says. “It’s like we’re in on this secret workout that makes you strong and feel good. But with more men, especially athletes, finally talking about how great it is, I don’t think it will stay a secret that much longer.”

I have had a google voice number for years. If you use the dreaded GMail then you can get one. While logged onto Gmail. https://voice.google.com/ Just do a search for Google voice. Then select a phone number with your area code. Easier done on your computer. When you have done all this, you can also install Google voice on your phone. For the past two years my phone has two phone numbers. Only problem was that I got lots of spam phone calls on the Google Voice number./// For the last week I just got one. I can only conclude...

Public health authorities are investigating an outbreak of bacterial infections believed to be associated with “artificial tears” eye drop usage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it is working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other state and local health authorities to investigate a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that the agency says is “extensively drug-resistant.” The CDC wrote that the strain, called VIM-GES-CRPA, had not previously been seen in the United States but has now been identified in 68 patients across 16 states, with 37 cases linked to four healthcare facility clusters. Of these cases,...

At least 26 people have died in Mississippi and Alabama after a tornado tore through the southern US states. Search and rescue efforts are continuing, and the Mississippi state government has declared a state of emergency. In Rolling Fork, crushed cars, bricks and glass litter the streets - the town has been almost entirely wiped out. Mississippi state governor Tate Reeves visited Silver City and Winona on Saturday to meet affected residents who had been hit by the tornado's fury. One resident told the BBC he was lucky to survive after seeking shelter in his bath tub. ... Then, suddenly,...

AUSTIN –– Transportation Security Administration chief David Pekoske said the agency wants to use technology to reduce the number of screening officers in checkpoints and speed up travel processes as passenger volumes increase. At Tuesday’s panel at South by Southwest, which focused on accelerating aviation security, he boasted about the agency’s computed tomography technology and biometrics. Despite struggling with staffing a year ago, Pekoske said that nearly 2.4 million people are screened on a given day by TSA. Pekoske said that TSA’s purpose is to make sure it maintains its security and transportation system at the same time, while staying...

Lately, Glenn Reynolds has been sounding the theme that liberals are trying to make the lives of ordinary Americans worse. As here, for example:MAKING ORDINARY PEOPLE’S LIVES WORSE IS THE GOAL, THE ENVIRONMENT IS JUST THE EXCUSE.I wavered on this. Does it go too far?No. No, it doesn’t. These are horrible people–sadists, basically–who want to make your life worse. Not their lives, your life. I imagine this scene:Hey, I’ve got a good one–let’s make them eat bugs!Bugs? How in Hell are we going to do that?To save the environment, of course! How else?Yes, yes, that’s genius! Bugs!Ha Ha Ha Ha...

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Philippians 1:29 (King James Version) Just like ever monstrous lie the Worldwide Communist Party has plagued America with, it is time to stop taking their word and make them prove their claims. If the Cold-19 caused 300,000 deaths let's see their death certificates and treatments. If the Vax cured over 200 million Americans with no deaths or serious side effects like many groups have found or seriously suspected, show the proof. How difficult would it be...

The future of humanity's "lifeblood" -- water -- is under threat worldwide, the UN secretary-general warned Wednesday at the opening of the global body's first major meeting on water resources in nearly half a century. "We've broken the water cycle, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated groundwater," Antonio Guterres said at the three-day summit in New York, which gathers some 6,500 participants including a dozen heads of state and government. "We are draining humanity's lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use, and evaporating it through global heating," Guterres told the conference. A report by UN-Water and UNESCO released Tuesday warned of too...

As I once wrote in The Stream, the premise of almost every horror movie is: Don’t mess with the Natural Law. Starting with Frankenstein and going through The Exorcist and Hereditary, horror films often reinforce positive social norms and warn against violating them. (Yes, most are too violent and crazy to recommend to Christian audiences.)Greed, pride, defying God’s natural order and dipping into the occult all get punished. As I noted:Frankenstein warns us not to play God and try and reverse the inevitability of death. The Exorcist teaches us to not dabble with demons, as Regan did via a Ouija...

WACO, Texas — Former President Donald J. Trump spent much of his first major political rally of the 2024 campaign portraying his expected indictment by a New York grand jury as a result of what he claimed was a Democratic conspiracy to persecute him, arguing wildly that the United States was turning into a “banana republic.” As a crowd in Waco, Texas, waved red-and-white signs with the words “Witch Hunt” behind him, Mr. Trump devoted long stretches of his speech to his own legal jeopardy rather than his vision for a second term, casting himself as a victim of “weaponization”...