Free Republic

Jeff Bezos’s Amazon is the latest mega company to claim it is scaling back some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives after such programs began garnering backlash for being ineffective and “woke.” In a December memo to employees obtained by Bloomberg, Amazon senior human resources executive Candi Castleberry said the company was “winding down outdated programs and materials,” and that the consolidation and end of certain programs was on track to be completed by the end of that month. Castleberry’s previous title, vice president of global DEI, was changed in 2023 to vice president of Inclusive eXperiences and...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) revealed that firefighters from Mexico were coming to assist with the ongoing Eaton Fire. In a post on X, Newsom expressed gratefulness for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s “support” as California officials “work to suppress the Los Angeles wildfires.” Newsom has received criticism from California residents who have demanded to know what he is going to do in response to the wildfires. Newsom added that the firefighters coming from Mexico would be “joining more than 10,000 personnel already on the ground.” “Firefighters from Mexico are en route to the #EatonFire — joining more than 10,000 personnel...

We are witnessing, in real time, an end to civilization. Chaos -this is what a world looks like with no law and order. This is the Democrat wet dream.

As I drive towards Pacific Palisades, the heart of the LA wildfires, ash falls like snow. The air is sulphurous and my throat burns. Up ahead in the distance, the sky glows an angry red. On the opposite side of the road, traffic is backed up. Everyone else is trying to get out. An American friend with me struggles to take it all in. ‘This is f***ing unbelievable, man,’ he repeats softly to himself. Even by LA standards these fires are unprecedented. They are the worst not only in the history of California but the history of the United States....

From: A Dream Within a Dream By Edgar Allan PoeI stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand — How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep — while I weep! O God! Can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave?

Hospitalized premature infants who received recommended two-month vaccinations had an increased risk of a short episode of apnea, but no serious complications arose, according to a study. The study confirms previous findings linking apnea, which is a pause in breathing, to vaccinations among premature babies. The potential side effect had been observed in some previous studies and is among those already identified on package inserts for several childhood vaccines. This new study confirms the risk of apnea in the 48 hours following vaccination for hospitalized premature infants. Greenberg noted that hospitalized premature infants have weak immune systems that make them...

Arrogant female African American judge in action. Worth watching,16 mins. Peterson's removal came after an investigation by the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission, which found her guilty of "systemic incompetence" and recommended her ousting. This was compounded by her recent arrest at a nightclub in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood, although the arrest itself was not cited as a reason for her removal from office.

An FDA-approved medication called glucarpidase could serve as an antidote to kidney toxicity in patients receiving the chemotherapy drug methotrexate (MTX), according to a new study. Using data from 28 major U.S. cancer centers, the researchers examined the association between glucarpidase treatment—which rapidly clears MTX from the blood—and outcomes of patients with MTX-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). They found that patients who received glucarpidase had significantly higher chances of kidney recovery compared to those who did not get this treatment. "Glucarpidase is unique because it's one of the very few potential antidotes available to counteract the high rates of toxicity...

House Oversight and Government Reform Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) plans to meet next week with Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-confirmed pick to run the FBI, to discuss how he can be an ally in the new administration’s efforts to root out the so-called Deep State. “I want [Patel] to know that our committee will assist in any way possible to help him disrupt the ‘Deep State,’” Comer said in an interview on Thursday, referring to the conspiracy of illicit power-players running the government. Patel, who if confirmed would replace Christopher Wray as head of the FBI, has come under...

Annual health checkups regularly include urine tests that serve several purposes, including checking for symptoms of kidney disease. The presence of albumin in the urine is one indicator, as is glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In diabetic nephropathy, albuminuria first appears, leading to excessive filtration and eventually a decrease in GFR. In the elderly, however, excessive filtration cannot be detected due to age-related GFR decline. To accurately assess GFR, researchers have come up with a new calculation method. The group led by Dr. Akihiro Tsuda, a lecturer, assessed 180 kidney transplant donor candidates to define a new formula for determining the...

One of the first acts of the Republican-led 119th Congress was to pass a bill that would sanction officials attempting to arrest or investigate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed in Gaza.The "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act" passed on Thursday in a 243 to 140 vote, with 45 Democrats joining the majority of Republicans. Rep. Thomas Massie was the only member of the GOP caucus not to vote in favor of the bill.Via EPA“The US House did only one thing today. We passed a bill to protect Israeli...

A significant shift is underway in American healthcare as more people embrace alternative therapies that focus on identifying and addressing the root causes of health issues. This transition, often referred to as “root cause medicine,” represents a departure from traditional reactive medical practices toward a preventative and holistic approach. A movement that is expected to expand in 2025.According to a JAMA study, 37% of adults sought alternative treatments such as acupuncture, yoga, and specialized diagnostic testing —a sharp rise from just 19% two decades ago. This movement is also gaining traction among patients of all ages, particularly those over 55,...

International air traffic increased steadily in 2024, with global demand growing 7.1% year-on-year as the aviation industry continues to recover post-pandemic.Amid this steady increase in passenger volume, punctuality has become more important than ever, distinguishing top-performing airlines from the rest.This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, shows the 10 airlines with the highest percentage of on-time arrivals in 2024 and their total number of flights. Data comes from Cirium.Which Airline was the Most Punctual in 2024?Below, we show the top 10 airlines by on-time arrival rate in 2024, along with their total flights last year.Aeroméxico tops the list with the...

Alternate headline: Author Announces Sequel to Blockbuster "The Art of the Deal."During his first term as president, Donald Trump expressed interest in buying Greenland from Denmark, to the bemusement of many. Although at the time he also noted that it wasn't "number one on the front burner" of his foreign-policy focus, Trump continued to pursue it. None other than Joe Manchin cautiously supported the idea for strategic purposes, especially with China's campaign to woo the Greenlanders even in 2018 becoming a concern. Denmark put a stop to that, but Trump was not convinced that China would let it go, especially...

Trump will be inaugurated as the nation’s 47th president on January 20, and reports indicate that he plans to arrive at the Oval Office armed with over 100 executive orders dealing with border and energy security. He met with Republican senators Wednesday and talked about his plans, and some of the participants are revealing what he said.During a Thursday morning appearance on "Fox & Friends" Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said that Trump indicated that there are almost 100 executive orders to address issues like border security and U.S. energy."He threw that out — 100 — there could be like 100...

Why was the Los Angeles California arson suspect (arrested yesterday) carrying FIVE cell phones and a United Nations prepaid debit card?? ... Syrian Illegal Alien ... If you speak Arabic, please feel free to translate and correct in comments. ... LAPD says there is no probable cause to charge the man walking around with a large blowtorch in LA with arson. He must have just been trying to light a cigarette with a massive blowtorch! The man was detained by local residents after they accused him of trying to start fires. "There was not enough probable cause to arrest this...

A study conducted by researchers has uncovered a pivotal role of asparagine metabolism in regulating B cell homeostasis and immune response. Germinal center (GC) B cells are responsible for producing antibodies. The cells have some of the highest proliferation rates of all mammalian cells, yet their metabolism is unusual and incompletely understood, so a team from the Kennedy Institute and collaborators set out to understand more. The findings identify the non-essential amino acid asparagine as a critical regulator of germinal center (GC) B cell function, structures critical for refining antibodies to target infections effectively. "When asparagine is scarce, B cells...

In a video taken by Sky News reporter David Blevins on Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass refuses to answer his questions, a moment which has since gone viral.

The first job of the government is to keep people safe. Failing that, its job is to show that someone is in charge when crisis erupts. On 9/11, there was nothing then–Mayor Rudy Giuliani could do to keep the World Trade Center from falling. Yet he became, in that long-ago era, the most popular person in America by staying on the scene and leading at his city’s moment of greatest danger. That brings us to the fires in Los Angeles—the most devastating in the history of the city, with a reported 27,000 acres burned and the fires mostly uncontained. There,...

By John BergsmaThe end of the Season of Christmas arrives this Sunday, as we celebrate the event that marked the end of Jesus’ early life and the beginning of his public ministry: The Baptism. The Christmas decorations coming down in our churches and homes inevitably leaves a feeling of sadness and nostalgia. We don’t want to move on from meditation on all the joyful aspects of Our Lord’s early life, the incidents of wonder and mystery, like the angels singing to the shepherds, or the visit of the Magi. Nonetheless, as we leave the Christmas Season behind, today’s readings remind...