Free Republic

I’ve written about Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala before. She was one of the leading doctors who dealt with pediatric gender identity patients in Finland and recently she’s become a critic of the model known as gender-affirming care. Monday, the Free Press published a lengthy essay by Dr. Kaltiala in which she outlines her personal involvement in this issue and what she believes about it now.Her story really starts in 2011 when a group of Dutch doctors published a paper arguing that teens (primarily males) could be given hormones to prevent puberty and allow them to pass more easily as women. This...

Even if you're not a loyal reader of mine, you can tell that Disney is in the midst of a slow but sure collapse, and while all of its properties are undergoing some form of trouble, the one undergoing the most noticeable critical failure is Marvel. The once indefatigable Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) went from being a multi-billion dollar golden goose for Disney to becoming one of the stones dragging it to the sea floor. While many heard the alarms blaring now for years and saw the collapse coming for some time, it was common practice for the access media...

Amidst the chaos in the Middle East following Hamas' evil attack on Israel on October 7, there's been growing unrest on college campuses here in the United States. RedState has brought you numerous stories of protests and dueling faculty and student body letters, a disappointingly significant portion of which have espoused support for Hamas and condemnation of Israel. It's clear that the mayhem wrought by the early October attacks has exposed major fault lines running through academia, particularly in the Ivy League. Cornell University hit the headlines in mid-October after one professor proudly declared his exhilaration over the Hamas attacks....

According to a paper, JAK inhibitors, which doctors have used to treat patients with arthritis despite concerns about the effectiveness of such drugs, actually do work quite well. In a multicenter, retrospective study Japanese researchers found that the drugs resulted in impressive remission rates in patients, most of whom choose to continue such treatment. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease. The use of biological disease-modifying drugs enables patients to enjoy the achievement of low disease activity and remission. But clinics must administer such drugs through subcutaneous or intravenous routes, which is unpleasant for patients. Recently scientists have developed Janus...

Mike Johnson‘s new role as House speaker heightens the chances of a major political clash next year over one of the nation’s largest welfare programs and the government’s preeminent aid package for farmers and rural America.The fallout is likely to reverberate in countless congressional races, not to mention President Joe Biden’s attempts to win back rural voters in the 2024 presidential race.

International Man: With nearly $10 trillion in assets under management (AUM), BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager. The company exploded in size after the 2008 financial crisis, and that’s no coincidence. Central banks around the world have printed scores of trillions since then. A significant portion of that freshly created money eventually found its way into the stock market, specifically BlackRock’s exchange-traded funds (ETFs). BlackRock was also responsible for helping the Federal Reserve manage its massive debt portfolio after 2008. It’s another indication of BlackRock’s cozy relationship with the government. BlackRock is a good illustration of the Cantillon Effect—those...

@RWMaloneMD Rasmussen reports polling released today shows that 24% say that they know someone who died from the COVID-19 vaccine. "Nearly a quarter of Americans believe someone they know died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects, and even more say they might be willing to become plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against vaccine makers." "There are almost no political differences on these questions. For example, 25% of Republicans say they know someone personally who died from side effects of COVID-19 vaccine, as do 24% of Democrats and those not affiliated with either major party." This is important - because this shows...

@MarioNawfal This is MAJOR. We were first to report 2 days ago that Hezbollah/Iran warned Israel through the U.S that Hezbollah will join if there is no ceasefire, or at least plans for a ceasefire (see tweet below) This started materializing in the past few hours, as: 1. Hezbollah received weapons and reinforcements from Syria 2. An Iraqi proxy warned Israel and launched a drone against Israel (very symbolic, as it was from Iraq) 3. Syria began preparing for a regional war (leaked documents) Well, a few hours ago, we also reported of a potential 'temporary truce' between Israel and...

Hundreds of protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza swarmed Philadelphia's 30th Street Station this evening... An Iraqi military source tells Russia's RIA Novosti Agency that two drones attacked a US military base in northern Iraq... Crypto-currency financier Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty by a federal jury... There's been an almost unanimous vote in the United Nations General Assembly calling for the US to end its embargo on Cuba... The US House approving an aid package for Israel... US politics new polling from "The Messenger/HarrisX" showing President Trump winning a two-way or a four-way contest.... Tucker Carlson visiting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to try and fight back against former President Donald Trump and beat allegations he wears lifts and high heels that masquerade as boots. Trump and other opponents have put out conspiracy theories that the candidate uses lifts in his boots to look taller. Speaking to Eric Bolling Thursday, DeSantis took on the claims again and tried to hit back at Trump for his lack of attendance at Republican Primary debates. 'This is no time for foot fetishes, we've got serious problems in the country,' DeSantis said, before explaining the myriad problems with the country under...

Jack Posobiec hosted Owen Shroyer’s legendary lawyer, Norm Pattis on Human Events Thursday to give the inside scoop on what’s happening to Shroyer behind bars at Oakdale federal prison in Louisiana for his 60-day sentence. Posobiec described Pattis as “one man who has been fighting against that tooth and nail fighting for rights of American citizens, right fighting for rights of journalists fighting for the rights of those who have been wrongfully accused in America.” Pattis revealed that Shroyer was placed back in solitary confinement without any means of communication since Tuesday after being previously held in solitary for a...

@RepThomasMassie Yesterday Congress passed a resolution (354 to 53) that claims Iran possesses all it needs for a nuclear weapon. The same resolution says the U.S. should “use all means necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” Seems like a call for war on Iran. I voted No. @RepThomasMassie We should remember the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which midwifed the disastrous Vietnam War. Yesterday’s Congressional Iran Resolution is eerily reminiscent of that resolution as well as the claims of WMDs that were used justify the second Gulf War.

Now this… Jessica Anderson, the far-left Democrat running as Delegate for the 71st District of Virginia, which includes the City of Williamsburg and parts of James City and New Kent Counties, recorded herself peeing in public and posted it to TikTok. Anderson, 41, is the Democrat nominee for the Virginia House of Delegates. Let that sink in. “Avoid yellow snow,” Anderson said as she recorded herself urinating in public. WATCH: New from the #JessicaAndersonCringeCollection: "Yellow Snow": the world's unsexiest pee tape because it's totally normal to record yourself narrating a urination experience like a complete psycho then post it to...

A study reveals a direct link between high insulin levels, common among patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. The study provides the first detailed explanation of why people with obesity and type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. The research demonstrates that excessive insulin levels overstimulate pancreatic acinar cells, which produce digestive juices. This overstimulation leads to inflammation that converts these cells into precancerous cells. "Alongside the rapid increase in both obesity and type 2 diabetes, we're seeing an alarming rise in pancreatic cancer rates," said Dr. James Johnson. "These findings help...

The Talk of the Town is a 1942 American comedy-drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman. It received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. "The Talk Of The Town" (1942, Comedy) Full Movie - Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman

President Joe Biden and his top advisers are warning Israel with growing force that it will become increasingly difficult for it to pursue its military goals in Gaza as global outcry intensifies about the scale of humanitarian suffering there. Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken – who departed Thursday for Israel with a message on protecting civilian lives – have all explicitly pressed the case in recent private conversations with the Israelis, telling them that eroding support will have dire strategic consequences for Israel Defense Forces operations against Hamas. Behind the scenes, American officials also...

Initial nonsurgical treatment, including the use of orthotics and exercise therapy, provides satisfactory long-term outcomes for patients with osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMC-1 OA), with a low rate of conversion to surgery, reports a study. Osteoarthritis of CMC-1 is a common condition in older adults, causing pain and stiffness at the base of the thumb. Current guidelines call for initial nonsurgical treatments. Ms. Esteban Lopez and colleagues analyzed long-term follow-up data for patients with CMC-1 OA. Nonsurgical treatment focused on the use of orthotics, physical therapy sessions focused on exercises and achieving more stable thumb opposition, and daily...

A New Jersey high school is grappling with the fallout from a scandal involving AI-generated explicit images of female students circulated by their male peers. It is just the latest example of the disastrous consequences of unrestrained AI on American culture. The New York Post reports that Westfield High School, a well-regarded school in Westfield, New Jersey, has become the center of a troubling controversy. AI-generated pornographic images of female students were reportedly created and distributed among male students, sparking a police investigation and widespread parental concern. Images and videos created by AI, known as deepfakes, can be very difficult...

IBM is set to shake up its retirement benefits in 2024 much to the alarm of at least some staff. The IT giant on Wednesday informed its US workers that starting on January 1, 2024, the corporation will no longer match employee contributions to their 401(k) retirement plans. Instead, it will offer a new benefit called a Retirement Benefit Account (RBA).

Some Americans rallied behind House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday after a report nitpicked his personal finances and put a harsh spotlight on the possibility that he lives paycheck to paycheck. The Daily Beast published a report headlined, "Does New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Have a Bank Account?," which featured a subhead that said he "has never listed a bank account on his financial disclosure. In fact, on his newest disclosure he doesn’t list a single asset at all." "Over the course of seven years, Johnson has never reported a checking or savings account in his name, nor...