Free Republic

Soybean oil appears to cause obesity in mice by producing oxylipins that alter liver metabolism and fat processing. Only mice with altered enzymes avoided weight gain, suggesting genetics and modern diets play a major role. Credit: Shutterstock Soybean oil is the most commonly used cooking oil in the United States and appears in a wide range of processed foods. Research is now shedding light on how this highly consumed ingredient contributes to obesity in mice. In a University of California, Riverside experiment, most mice fed a high-fat diet rich in soybean oil put on substantial weight. A separate group of...

Gen Z is hopping on planes for more than adventure—they’re doing it to have babies. A growing number of young American parents are choosing to give birth outside the U.S., often in countries with better healthcare, more generous parental leave, and cheaper delivery costs. According to a new survey from Greenback Expat Tax Services, more than one in four Gen Z expats have already given birth abroad—and nearly two-thirds say they’re planning to. Among all U.S. expats surveyed, 54% had already had a child while living abroad. Millennials lead the charge with nearly 3 in 5 reporting overseas births, but...

A third shape hidden in the infamous Vitruvian Man drawing suggests an even deeper understanding of human anatomy than previously known. Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: * A London-based dentist spotted a “hidden in plain sight” third shape within Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man drawing. * The 1490 illustration was originally created to demonstrate a principle theorized by the Roman architect Vitruvius—that the human body could proportionally fit within both a circle and a square. * The dentist noticed that a third shape in the drawing—a triangle between the figure’s legs—was reminiscent of a dental...

US President Donald Trump expressed optimism after a high-level meeting between US officials and a Ukrainian delegation in Miami on Sunday, suggesting there was a “good chance” of a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Talks were “going along, and they’re going along well,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think that there’s a good chance we can make a deal,” he added. His comments came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast the peace talks as fragile, and underscored that Russia would have a central role to play in any deal.

A century after its discovery, asteroid 433 Eros is back—gliding past Earth this weekend in a rare, mesmerizing show! The legendary asteroid 433 Eros, a rocky world that once transformed our understanding of near-Earth space, is making its long-awaited return. This weekend, skywatchers will get a rare chance to glimpse this celestial traveler as it makes a close approach to our planet. The event will be live-streamed globally, allowing enthusiasts to witness history in real time through virtualtelescope.eu. For astronomers and casual stargazers alike, it’s a rendezvous with one of the most storied objects in the solar system. A Historic...

A long-dormant supervolcano on the Nevada-Oregon border is now at the center of a trillion-dollar energy battle. Beneath its surface lies a lithium discovery so massive it could redraw the global battery map. © The U.S. May Be Sitting On A Lithium Treasure Beneath A Supervolcano. Credit: Shutterstock ==================================================================================== In the high desert along the Nevada–Oregon border, a quiet basin formed by an ancient supervolcano is rapidly becoming a global focal point. Hidden beneath the McDermitt Caldera lies what scientists now believe is the world’s largest known deposit of lithium, the element driving the battery revolution behind electric vehicles, smartphones,...

I absolutely love seeing the left-wingers and corporate media squirm and whine about deportations, I really do. Every little story about how someone who “never did nothing to nobody” that ends with someone here unlawfully makes me smile. “No one is above the law,” Democrats routinely say without irony, which is fighting harder than they fight for anyone other than child genital mutilation to keep gang members, wife beaters and any other kind of illegal alien from being subjected to our laws. They hate you, they hate us, they hate everything and want to see whatever they can’t control be...

In a bizarre attempt at gaining online fame, 29-year-old Keith Castillo, who goes by the handle “povwolfy” on social media, has gone viral for distributing large machetes and bottles of alcohol to homeless individuals in Austin and New Orleans. The stunt, which Castillo claims is meant to “keep them safe,” has drawn sharp criticism from the public and law enforcement experts for its potential to incite danger and violence. Castillo, hailing from Corpus Christi, Texas, began his nationwide tour in October, traveling from city to city to film content for clicks and views. He currently has nearly 400,000 followers on...

It is an annual tradition on our Ringside Politics TV and radio programs to award a “Turkey of the Year” during Thanksgiving week. This designation is bestowed on an especially worthy politician, bureaucrat or celebrity who deserves such special recognition. Our previous winners have included both Republicans, such as former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, and Democrats, such as former President Joe Biden. Most of our Ringside Politics ‘Turkey of the Year” winners are distinguished by foolish behavior, an ornery disposition, and idiotic actions, just like their ugly bird namesakes. This year, as usual, we asked our audience members to submit...

Repaired cracks cover the walls of every large New York Thruway rest stop near Rochester, according to a recent News10NBC investigation. The damage is visible at sites like Clarence, Pembroke, and Clifton Springs — all finished in 2023. The walls were built by Nexii, a Canadian company promoting eco-friendly materials. Applegreen, the Irish firm that rebuilt 27 rest stops with private funding, says the cracks aren’t a safety concern and repairs are ongoing. No toll or tax money funded the construction, officials confirmed.

The text of the Commandments is found in two places in the Bible. In Exodus 20.1–17, God speaks these words after the people of Israel have consecrated themselves at Mount Sinai. They are inscribed on two tablets of the covenant, ‘written with the finger of God’, the first and most important part of the Law of God, and they are a gift of God to the people of Israel – and through them to the whole of humankind.

IZNIK, Turkey (AP) — Pope Leo XIV joined Eastern and Western patriarchs and priests Friday in commemorating an important anniversary in Christian history, gathering at the site in Turkey of an unprecedented A.D. 325 meeting of bishops to pray that Christians might once again be united. Leo, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and other Christian leaders met on the shores of Lake Iznik, the site of the Council of Nicaea that produced a creed, or statement of faith, that is still recited by millions of Christians today. Standing over the ruins of the site, the men recited the creed, which Leo...

In a photo provided by the then Attorney General’s office, Brian Ognjan straightens the tie of David Tyll at Tyll’s wedding.The two went missing on a hunting trip in 1985 and were last seen at the former Linkers Lodge about 5 miles west of Mio. (Courtesy of Detroit Free Press) ============================================================== * Forty years ago, two metro Detroit friends vanished after heading Up North to hunt * They never returned, launching a decadeslong mystery that focused on a ‘feral crew of hard-drinking brawlers’ * Two brothers were eventually convicted but bodies were never found. Police fear they were fed to...

"There's a report right now that we're following up on of an older gentleman and his daughter who were arrested who had nothing to do with anything and were just walking. So, this is a moment for all of us to ask the question of 'does the NYPD protect New York City residents or is it going to continue to harm them through collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement?'" said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition.

The Burtele Foot with its elements in the anatomical position. (Photo by Yohannes Haile-Selassie/ASU) In A Nutshell * Scientists matched a mysterious 3.4-million-year-old fossil foot discovered in Ethiopia to Australopithecus deyiremeda, a human ancestor that lived alongside Lucy’s species but retained tree-climbing abilities. * The discovery shows human evolution wasn’t a straight path from trees to ground. While Lucy’s species evolved rigid feet for walking, A. deyiremeda kept feet that could both walk and climb, plus ate different foods from forest environments. * A juvenile jaw with distinctive teeth from the same site as the foot provided the missing link....

President Trump gave Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a chance to escape the country with his life — but he had to do it immediately, according to a bombshell report. During a call between Trump and Maduro last week, the South American dictator demanded that he be allowed to maintain control of the military and wanted global amnesty for all crimes, according to the Miami Herald, citing sources. Trump’s response was reportedly blunt, and the talks quickly broke down. Maduro, his wife and son would be allowed to leave Venezuela safely, but they must do it immediately.

Last week’s surprise release of a draft Ukraine war peace plan has raised hopes that the nearly three-year bloody conflict may finally come to an end. Ukraine has suffered horrible losses that may change the demographics of that country for decades to come. If this peace plan can be negotiated in a way that satisfies all sides and the guns finally go silent, I will be the first to cheer. However, the continued failure to understand the nature and origin of the current conflict leaves me skeptical that a real peace can be reached this way. From the Orange Revolution...

A group of over 400 Minnesota Department of Human Services employees has turned the spotlight on Governor Tim Walz, charging that his administration turned a blind eye to rampant fraud draining the state’s coffers. In a blunt statement on X, the workers declared, “We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response. Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports.” Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Tim Walz know of...

Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Sunday declined to retract her claim that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin received money from deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Crockett made the false suggestion on the House floor Nov. 18, but the contributions in question were from a different Jeffrey Epstein. On MS NOW’s (formerly MSNBC) “The Weekend,” host Jacqueline Alemany offered Crockett a chance to correct herself, but the congresswoman declined to retract her accusation. WATCH: VIDEO AT LINK................... Cartelville Text “You made a little bit of news last week when you mistakenly accused Lee Zeldin and other Republicans— ” Alemany...

Zelensky might be next after Yermak was just taken down unless he complies with Trump’s demands for peace, in which case it’s not unforeseeable that he too could be formally implicated in this scandal as the catalyst for a US-backed regime change carried out in collusion with his domestic allies. Zelensky’s warmongering grey cardinal Andrey Yermak, who formally serves as his Chief of Staff, submitted his resignation after his apartment was raided as part of the investigation into Ukraine’s $100 million energy graft scandal. Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik believes that he was fired, however, to protect Zelensky as the walls...