Free Republic

ATLANTA (AP) — CDC researchers are being forced to skip a pivotal conference on infectious disease this week due to the government shutdown, missing out on high-level discussions not long after surges in measles and whooping cough hit the U.S. IDWeek, the largest annual meeting of infectious disease experts in the nation, is the leading venue for experts to trade information about diagnosing, treating and preventing threats including bird flu, superbugs and HIV, among many other topics. The CDC typically sends scores of researchers and outbreak investigators. But of the hundreds of speakers listed in the printed program for the...

Here in New York City, our mayoral election is less than 3 weeks away. Crazed “Democratic Socialist” candidate Zohran Mamdani continues to hold a commanding lead in the polls, with no signs of any tightening. Among Mamdani’s announced policies are a substantial increase in the city income tax on “millionaires,” a multi-year rent freeze on rent-regulated apartments, having social workers instead of police respond to domestic violence calls, and having Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he shows up in town. Meanwhile, at both the City and State levels, destructive and impossible “climate” policies remain in place, like mandates to have 70%...

“‘Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live’” (John 5:25). Jesus begins this emphatic, unarguable declaration with the seemingly paradoxical statement “an hour is coming and now is.” The hour of the believers’ resurrection “now is” in the sense that when they “were dead in [their] trespasses and sins . . . [God] made [them] alive together with Christ, and raised [them] up with Him” (Eph. 2:1, 5–6). Yet the hour is still “coming” in the sense...

21 October 2025 Tuesday of week 29 in Ordinary TimeBridlington Priory Church, Bridlington, East YorkshireReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: C(I).First readingRomans 5:12,15,17-21Divine grace, coming through Jesus Christ, came as an abundant free giftSin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned; but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant...

Two new studies are helping to shed light on the extent Canadians feel climate change is impacting their mental health. A national study published today suggests about 2.3 per cent of people in Canada experience climate change anxiety at a level the authors considered “clinically relevant,” causing meaningful distress and disruption in their lives. The severe manifestation of climate anxiety was more common among people who had directly experienced climate change impacts. The study suggests Indigenous people had the highest prevalence of severe climate anxiety of any group, at almost 10 per cent. The paper suggests that number could reflect...

FIRST ON FOX - A former longtime Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer who is backed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared his candidacy in the state's 4th Congressional District, as he challenges Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in next year's GOP primary. "I’ve dedicated my life to serving my country, and I’m ready to answer the call again," Ed Gallrein said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. And pointing to Massie, a frequent GOP critic of the president during his second term in the White House, Gallrein emphasized, "This district is Trump Country. The President doesn’t...

The male flight attendant had just arrived at Atlanta Airport and was in his uniform when he began accusing the female gate agent of displaying unprofessionalism and being 'ghetto.' As the pair walk through the terminal, he says: 'This is ridiculous. This is the worst airport, and y'all make Southwest look horrible. 'That customer service is ridiculous.' As the woman veers away from him and walks toward the gate, the Delta employee follows behind her, rolling his suitcase after her as he adds: 'It's ghetto. 'That's because it's Atlanta, y'all have no respect for customer service. Y'all need to clean...

Click on link

The controversial President-elect of the Oxford Union has been dramatically sacked following outrage over his remarks over the death of right-wing US influencer Charlie Kirk. A resounding vote of no confidence by the membership of the prestigious debating society in George Abaraonye resulted in a more than 2:1 majority, with 1,228 votes in favour and only 501 against, well beyond the two-thirds majority needed to force his resignation. The 70 per cent no confidence majority means he will be deemed to have resigned, effectively having been sacked after calling the vote himself to try and shore up his support.

URHBW OXSUULJB HO M AHJXSR ZIRB PLS'JR JHWIX; HX'O LBCP M EIMJMEXRJ VCMZ ZIRB PLS'JR ZJLBW. — EISED BLCC

Conservative New York City residents (yes, they do exist), contemplating the ascension of 33-year-old, never-held-a-private-sector-job, intifada-globalizing red diaper baby socialist Zohran Mamdani to the mayoralty of one of the world’s great, and some may say greatest, cities may be wondering whether the Big Apple’s prospects could get any worse. Let me assure you: They can. And, very likely, will. ... Of the seven mayors who governed (or should that be tried to govern) through my New York years, Rudy Giuliani was the best by far. Armed with a strong law enforcement background; a great police commissioner, William Bratton; and a...

Former British senior army officer Lord David Richards has told UK newspaper The Independent that Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia without NATO military support and should instead negotiate peace terms with Moscow. Speaking to The Independent’s “World of Trouble” podcast, the “five star” ranked former Chief of Defence Staff who led NATO forces in Afghanistan, said: “What we have done in the case of Ukraine is encourage Ukraine to fight, but not given them the means to win.” The former commando added that even with the right resources, Ukraine “would not win” as “they haven’t got the manpower.”...

Afaxys Pharma — which supplies "family planning clinics" and Planned Parenthood facilities, universities, and others with birth control and emergency contraceptives — has received $8 million in funding from an abortion pill investor, allegedly for "improving access to affordable contraceptives across the United States." And a former Planned Parenthood manager is set to lead the for-profit company. Key Takeaways: * A 'contraceptive' pharmacy heavily tied to Planned Parenthood and at least one abortion pill distributor has received millions from two foundations — one of which is one of the largest global funders of abortion. * The funding, from the Packard...

Everyone knows staying hydrated is important, but new research highlights just how important it is for a less obviously related area of health—sleep. In the hypohydrated state, participants slept about an hour longer than their baselines on average, but, they reported having a significantly harder time falling asleep and feeling more fatigued the next morning. The study had 18 college-aged males report to the lab for four consecutive days. On the first day, they established a baseline hydration status. On the second day, they were euhydrated, meaning they were well-hydrated from having consumed 500 milliliters of water the evening prior....

Tipping culture in the US appears to have become so extreme that some staff now think that customers who do not leave a gratuity are breaking the law. At least, that's what some restaurant workers seem to think, judging by a viral video this week that shows a dramatic confrontation between employees and a customer. The clip has reignited a broader debate over whether tipping in America has spiraled out of control, raising questions about 'tipflation,' social pressure, and the expectations placed on diners. It shows the tense aftermath after a man allegedly left a restaurant without tipping his wait...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would honor the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and have him arrested if he traveled to Canada in an interview published on Friday. Asked during an interview on Bloomberg Podcasts, aired Friday, whether Canada would arrest Netanyahu, Carney decisively responded, “yes” but did not elaborate. The Canadian prime minister also said that recognizing a Palestinian state had been a priority for his policies but that it was not the end. “The end is a free and viable Palestinian state living side by side, peace and security, the State...

A new study shows that the widely used antidepressant fluoxetine does more than boost serotonin levels: it changes how brain cells manage their energy and rebuild their connections, potentially helping the brain "loosen up" and adapt during depression treatment. Using cell type–specific transcriptome profiling, researchers found that after two weeks of treatment, a special class of brain cells, called parvalbumin interneurons, which help keep brain activity balanced, became less rigid in the prefrontal cortex. Their mitochondria showed reduced expression of genes linked to energy production, while genes related to plasticity were upregulated. At the same time, the protective perineuronal nets...

A combination of metformin, a common diabetes drug, and clemastine, an antihistamine, can help repair myelin—the protective coating around nerves, which gets damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) causing symptoms like fatigue, pain, spasms and problems with walking. This is according to early findings from the phase two clinical trial, CCMR-Two. Previous evidence from animal studies showed that metformin enhances the effect of clemastine on myelin repair, but until now the two drugs had never been tested together in people. "I am increasingly sure that remyelination is part of the solution to stopping progressive disability in MS," said Dr. Nick Cunniffe....

A single course of low-dose radiation therapy may provide a safe and effective alternative treatment option for people with painful knee osteoarthritis according to a new randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The study showed patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis reported significant reductions in pain and improved physical function in the four months after receiving the low dose of radiation, which was just a small fraction of what's used to treat cancer. The study included a control group with simulated treatment. Low-dose radiation is regularly used for joint pain in European countries such as Germany and Spain. The doses were...

The U.S. doesn’t produce the minerals and metals needed for renewable energy, microchips or military technology. Authorities want to change that as quickly as possible.Major oil companies are drilling in East Texas again, but not for oil. This time, they're after lithium for batteries and other rare elements.Chevron and Halliburton announced East Texas projects this summer. Exxon has acreage across the border in Arkansas. Smackover Lithium, a joint venture of a Norwegian oil giant and a Canadian miner, announced in late September the discovery of the most lithium-rich fluids ever reported in North America, measured deep beneath its Texas claims...