Free Republic

Many prosthetic feet use blades. Here’s why adding toes could help. The human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Yet, most prosthetic feet on the market a consist of a single blade. A new concept from the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa offers an intriguing alternative. SoftFoot Pro is a flexible prosthetic prototype that was inspired by the anatomical structure of the human foot. It is made up of five durable plastic chains, each composed of various interlocking elements to reflect individual bones, and arranged in parallel to mimic the skeletal structure...

The British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been confirmed dead by search and rescue authorities after a yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm, according to two news agencies. Lynch, 59, the founder of Autonomy Corporation, was among six people missing after the British-flagged 56-metre sailing boat Bayesian capsized at about 5am local time off the coast of Palermo when the area was hit by a tornado. Both Reuters and AFP news agencies reported that Lynch’s body had been recovered from the wreck, citing sources close to the rescue operation. ... Once described as Britain’s Bill...

Russian firefighters are battling a three-day inferno in the southwest of the country, after a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil storage depot ignited the facility's diesel reserves. On Saturday Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev said that Russian air defense forces had repelled an attack by a Ukrainian UAV in the town of Proletarsk, located around 150 miles from the Ukrainian border. A day later, however, Golubev said that fallen debris from the UAV had landed on the industrial warehouses at the Proletarsk state reserve fuel facility, igniting a fire which Russian authorities have since struggled to contain. Golubev also...

There is little to differentiate the kooks setting things on fire outside the Democrats’ convention from the kooks setting rhetorical fires inside. The more I see of Tim Walz, the more I realize he’s just a fatter, whiter version of Kamala. They both laugh at inappropriate times. They both say weird things. They both yearn for a communist America. They’re both on the wrong side of the IQ bell curve. If we lived in a society that encouraged talented people to run for political office, Tweedle-Kam and Tweedle-Tim would not be known. Because our political system excels at promoting mediocre...

The “Uncommitted” movement, which has threatened to withhold votes from Vice President Kamala Harris unless she promises to end U.S. support for Israel, is furious at Democrats for allowing Israeli speakers but not Palestinians. The Democratic National Convention heard a moving speech on Wednesday evening from Ron Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the American-Israeli parents of hostage Hersh-Goldberg Polin, 23. Like the delegates at the Republican National Convention in July, who heard from the parents of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra, Democrats welcomed the hostage family and gave them a standing ovation, chanting “Bring them home! Bring them home!” But the “Uncommitted”...

On August 14, 2024, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article about research done exploring the relationship between the opening of deer hunting season and “shootings.” The article found that there was a significant increase in “shootings” in rural counties associated with the opening of deer season. At first glance, the premise appears to be one of establishing by statistics of the obvious. Of course, there are more “shootings” when deer season opens. The entire point of deer season is to harvest deer by shooting them.More shooting is done prior to deer season because many hunters...

It happened again. The Democratic National Convention can’t keep to their schedule properly, which nearly derailed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s address. The left-wing governor accepted his party’s nomination for the vice presidency in front of a raucous crowd. He brought horsepower to the convention for all the wrong issues. For a party that prides itself in promoting the joy and the promise of America, Walz attacked Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, for overcoming poverty, obtaining a higher education at an elite college, and making a life for himself that would not be possible anywhere else. It’s a shoddy and...

A clip has emerged online showing Russian warlord Vladimir Putin kissing a copy of the Quran during his visit to Chechnya this week, as Ukraine continues its shock cross-border incursion. Putin also met with Chechnya leader and attack dog Ramzan Kadyrov, with whom he visited the newly constructed "Prophet Jesus" mosque in the capital, Grozny. There the Kremlin leader was presented with a gold-encrusted copy of the Holy Quran, before planting a kiss on it for the cameras.

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Another Biden-Harris Bureau of Labor Statistics scandal. Three banks quietly obtained key payroll data from the BLS as it delayed posting the jobs report for 30 minutes due to ‘technical issues’ on Wednesday. Wall Street was thrown into chaos and there was confusion at trading desks on Wednesday morning after the BLS failed to post its jobs report revealing nearly 1 million jobs vanished in the last year. The BLS was supposed to post its report online at 10 am ET. The report wasn’t posted until 10:30 am ET, however, at least three banks obtained the key payroll data as...

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Christian Solidarity Worldwide has learned that the commander of Brigade 20 of the Syrian National Army visited the local Christian community in Ras Al-Ein in northern Syria on 22 June and promised to support and protect the few remaining Christians in the town. Ras Al-Ein is close to the Syrian border with Turkey and is currently under the control of a coalition of Islamist militias. Abdulaziz Al-Sawadi, who is also known as Abou Barzan, controls an area 25 miles west of the town. Commander Al-Sawadi visited St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Church and the church's library. He expressed his commitment to...

A woman at the DNC was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Oprah Winfrey mentioned 'childless cat ladies' during her speech Wednesday night. Winfrey was endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris when she referenced J.D. Vance's resurfaced criticism that the US was being run by 'a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives'. 'When a house is on fire we don't ask about the homeowners race or religion... We just try to do the best we can to save them,' Winfrey began. 'And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat...

CHICAGO — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vehemently declared in his first major address to voters Wednesday that he and Vice President Kamala Harris “owe it to the American people” to detail the policies they would enact — despite Harris still lacking a policy page on her campaign website. “I think we owe it to the American people to tell them exactly what she’d do as president before we ask them for their votes,” Walz, 60, said in his address to the Democratic National Convention. The pair has come under persistent Republican criticism for not clearly outlining what policies voters can...

Ukraine, NATO have no way to follow up or support their short-lived invasion, participants will surrender or die.

The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) has unanimously voted to refer a complaint against a Bridgeport Democrat party official and the president of the Bridgeport City Council to the Office of the Chief States Attorney for possible prosecution. The complaint, obtained by The Epoch Times, was filed against party official Wanda Geter-Pataky and city council president Aidee Nieves on Sept. 15, 2023, in reference to the 2023 mayoral primary election that took place between incumbent mayor Joe Ganim and challenger John Gomes. “The commission authorizes counsel to refer this matter for consultation to the office of the Chief State’s...

Tulsi Gabbard is a politician, military veteran, and former U.S. Representative. Our elected officials are supposed to be in charge of the country we live in. But the more we learn about the inner workings of government, the less that seems to be true. So, who is really running the show, and what will the future of America look like for those who truly hold the power? Expect to learn what Joe Biden is actually like behind the scenes, why RFK Jr’s campaign didn't succeed, the reason that Elon Musk’s X platform was so important during Trump's assassination attempt, the...

US officials believe that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wants to strike a deal with Israel since he is "trapped" underground and running out of ammunition and supplies, Washington Post journalist David Ignatius wrote in an opinion column on Wednesday. With their desire for a deal to end their misery, Ignatius notes that Hamas is "playing a waiting game," hoping that Iran or Hezbollah will attack Israel, a move that would transform the battlefield. However, he writes that Iran will likely disappoint Hamas. He reports that US officials estimate that Iranian leaders have decided to delay their strike on Israel, deterred...

Former President Bill Clinton spoke with a raspy voice and said he may be unable to attend future Democratic conventions in a Wednesday night speech to delegates — as stunned viewers noted his hands trembling during his remarks.