Free Republic

Hey folks. Some time back I submitted the first few chapters of a book I'm writing (with an idea initially created by a friend). I had a few reviews, but the one that I found most useful was a private email, outside of Free Republic, that started: "I made it to page 28. Not gonna sugar coat this... it was a slog. " ...and, frankly, it was. When I re-read it, it was almost horrible. No real conflict to speak of. Chapters that simply made NO sense to the overall arc. So I re-wrote it. I punched it up quite...

Key PointsAlphabet reported Thursday that Waymo, its autonomous vehicle unit, is now delivering more than 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in the U.S.That figure is up from 200,000 in February, before Waymo opened in Austin and expanded in the San Francisco Bay Area in March.Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said Waymo is building partnerships with ride-hailing app Uber, automakers and operations and maintenance businesses that tend to its vehicle fleets.Alphabet reported Thursday that Waymo, its autonomous vehicle unit, is now delivering more than 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in the U.S. CEO Sundar Pichai said Waymo has options in...

They were after "CROSSFIRE HURRICANE" Documents!............ 3:01 Video at link................

This is the 5th top Pentagon official to leave in the last few days. WHAT IS GOING ON?

An antibody from an Ebola survivor may be the key to fighting the virus more efficiently. The mAb 3A6 antibody binds to a hidden part of Ebola’s structure, stopping infection in its tracks, even at record-low doses. Credit: SciTechDaily.com A team of scientists has uncovered the remarkable potential of a human antibody, mAb 3A6, in fighting Ebola virus infections. Sourced from a survivor of the devastating 2014–2016 outbreak, this antibody binds to a key structure on the virus known as the “stalk,” effectively neutralizing it. Notably, mAb 3A6 provides potent protection even at ultra-low doses, making it cost-effective and easier...

Measured in Trump time, it took them eons to get around to it, but the White House has finally taken the most important step it can to restore meritocracy to American society: eliminating disparate-impact theory from civil rights analysis and enforcement. Disparate-impact theory holds that if a neutral, colorblind standard of achievement or behavior has a disproportionately negative effect on underrepresented minorities (overwhelmingly, on blacks), it violates civil rights laws. It has been used to invalidate literacy and numeracy standards for police officers and firemen, cognitive skills and basic knowledge tests for teachers, the use of SATs in college admissions,...

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. FReeper Canteen Come on in, we're open Need a place just to hang out? This is it. It's casual FRiday here at the Canteen. Pull up a seat and relax. We serve coffee, tea, conversation and music. Our AWESOME military, our AWESOME allies, and their families are welcomed and honored here. No worries in the FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe. Grab a cup or a glass, and start a conversation. You...

A reengineered bacterial protein may finally pave the way for a human Lyme disease vaccine. It exposes a weak spot that our immune system can target, offering real hope after decades of failed attempts. For decades, scientists have searched for a way to outsmart Lyme disease, a stealthy infection that affects nearly half a million people each year in the U.S. Now, a breakthrough may be within reach. Researchers have zeroed in on a bacterial protein called CspZ that helps the Lyme bacteria hide from the immune system. By cleverly reengineering this protein to expose its most vulnerable part, they’ve...

I wish I could remember who, but someone I recently corresponded with through American Thinker told me about a book called Bureaucratic Bombs by J.B. Morris, which detailed a collection of “true stories from America’s self-serving city”—so I immediately bought it and read it. The beginning of the book includes a number of quotes from media personalities, politicians, and federal workers, one of which was particularly striking, from Jay Leno: “Obama said if you are having trouble with the Obamacare website you can apply by mail. Only the federal government would develop a website that is slower than the mail.”...

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/breaking-department-defense-branch-chief-caught-undercover-video/Nicolas Turza, the Department of Defense Branch Chief who was caught on undercover video calling President Trump “illegitimate” has resigned. The O’Keefe Media Group on Wednesday released undercover video of a Defense Department Branch Chief attacking President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Nicolas Turza, a Department of Defense Branch Chief, called President Trump “illegitimate” and vowed to “resist him, everything he does.” Turza also attacked Hegseth and said the 44-year-old is “insanely young” and unfit to lead. “The same guy who tried to overthrow an election is just, like, truly setting us down a path of dictatorship. He’s illegitimate....

The steel scandal behind the collapse of Thailand’s State Audit Office (SAO) building has deepened after fresh test results revealed another failure by Chinese manufacturer Xin Ke Yuan Steel — marking the second time its materials have failed to meet Thai industrial standards. Yesterday, April 23, Industry Minister Akanat Promphan confirmed the findings, citing results from the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand (ISIT). The substandard steel sample was taken from the collapsed SAO building on April 11 and subjected to rigorous testing. “The Chinese company’s SD40T 20-millimetre steel bar failed the mass-per-metre test, consistent with the previous results,” said...

Canada is in the midst of a national election that will determine the future of Canada and of the Canadian-American alliance. At this critical juncture, it’s essential that the United States and President Trump secure the best tariff deal with Canada. This will maximize U.S. leverage in tariff negotiations and will provide Canadians critical information about how to end tariffs on their country. While the election in Canada is next Monday, April 28, well over 7 million Canadians have already voted early, with an estimated 10–11 million Canadians yet to vote. It is essential that Canadian voters be informed which...

Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign spent thousands of dollars after the election on childcare expenses for the California Democrat, raising potential ethics concerns for a lawmaker who has been accused in the past of using his campaign war chest as a "personal piggybank." According to campaign finance records, the Swalwell campaign spent at least $20,000 on "childcare" from Nov. 8, three days after the election, to March 31. The payments went to two of the Swalwell family’s longtime babysitters as well as a Washington, D.C.-area Spanish language immersion preschool where tuition is around $3,000 per month. The payments raise potential ethics...

State Dept. to close woke programs. The Department of State revealed on Tuesday the Trump administration’s plans to slash the agency’s bloat. Internal documents obtained by the Free Press revealed that the State Department will close 132 agency offices — a 17% reduction. The office terminations also reportedly involve eliminating 700 positions, including civil service and foreign service employees. The news outlet reported that the offices earmarked for closure include those dedicated to advancing human rights, democracy overseas, and thwarting extremism and war crimes. The State Departmen's new shake-up will consolidate 137 offices by transferring them to other parts of...

New York's education department said certain names disrespect 'entire groups of people.' President Trump publicly directed his secretary of education to intervene with a New York high school that is being forced to change its mascot. The Massapequa Chiefs of Massapequa High School from Long Island, New York, have been forced to change their mascot name and logo after a judge ruled in March against the school over a statewide mandate from 2023. According to the New York Post, the New York State Board of Regents declared in 2023 that schools must remove Native American team names and imagery from...

A former judge and his wife were taken into custody after authorities raided their home in Las Cruces following accusations that they had an alleged Tren de Aragua member living in their home. KFOX14/CBS4 were on the scene Thursday afternoon when the home of former Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a search warrant and a probable cause arrest warrant, and both were taken into custody. A spokesperson for ICE confirmed they were both taken into custody as part of an ongoing investigation led by Homeland Security...

The University of Louisville has agreed to pay nearly $1.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a former professor after he was fired for criticizing sex change surgeries and hormone therapies for children. Dr. Allan Josephson worked for nearly 15 years as the chief of the University of Louisville’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology. In his lawsuit, Josephson asserts that he successfully revitalized the underperforming department during his tenure, earning exemplary marks in his annual performance evaluations from 2014 to 2016. In spite of his professional accolades, the complaint alleges that he was demoted in 2017,...

Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) says the Trump administration should drop nuclear negotiations with Iran and finish off the country's nuclear facilities with a military strike. "Waste that s—t," the Pennsylvania Democrat told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview on Wednesday. "You're never going to be able to negotiate with that kind of regime that has been destabilizing the region for decades already, and now we have an incredible window, I believe, to do that, to strike and destroy Iran's nuclear facilities." Fetterman dismissed the foreign policy experts who warn that striking Iran would lead to the outbreak of...

Meta’s Oversight Board expressed indignation at the social media giant for its January policy overhaul that axed fact-checking and eased restrictions on discussions about immigration and gender identity. The independent oversight board railed against the company for implementing the changes “hastily” with supposedly no transparency about “what, if any, prior human rights due diligence” was performed. Zuckerberg acknowledged that previous content moderation efforts had resulted in “too many mistakes and too much censorship.” President Trump had frequently criticized Facebook during his first term, culminating in his platform suspension following the January 6, 2021, Capitol events — a ban eventually lifted...

'We don’t tolerate that kind of stuff around here.' Vigilantes beat up a male accused of trying to rape an elderly woman in the Bronx last week — and an anonymous caller helped out police, telling them they could find the suspect in the hospital, WNBC-TV reported. The NYPD released video of the man in question, who's seen wearing no pants just after he allegedly attempted to rape a 70-year-old woman near Creston Avenue and 184th Street around 12 p.m. Friday, the station said. Police told WNBC that the vigilantes found the suspect less than 24 hours later, as word...