Free Republic

Some older adults may be able to stop taking statins with little added risk over two years, but a new study raises concerns about longer-term safety.That’s according to a randomized clinical trial that was presented on Nov. 7, 2026, at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago, and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Statins are prescription medications that lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol by reducing how much cholesterol the liver makes. They are known to help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The study —...

An extensive investigative report from The City Journal examined the labor practices connected to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s wine holdings in Napa County. The report, which cites n court records, federal labor data, state oversight files, and interviews with industry sources, focused on the PlumpJack Collection of Wineries and its relationship with a vineyard management contractor. PlumpJack, which Newsom co-founded, holds more than 400 acres of vineyards in Napa. In 2022 the company purchased the 129-acre Oso Vineyard in Pope Valley for $14.5 million. Field operations at Oso are handled by Renteria Vineyard Management (RVM). RVM was established in 1987...

WASHINGTON—Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has avoided impeachment for now. Democrats are pointing fingers at each other over how it happened.Republican leaders’ push to block the impeachment process passed 211 to 204 in the GOP-run House late Tuesday. Republicans stayed united—except for impeachment instigator Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.)—and only a handful missed the vote, despite fears that their midterm-election drubbing last week would dent their column. But on the Democratic side, 11 members weren’t present for the roll call—potentially more than enough to have swung the result their way, angering activists and bewildering colleagues who wanted to maintain the pressure...

Actress and director Einat Weizman, who identifies as anti-Zionist and is a member of the Balad party, has announced that she will move to Athens, Greece, in the coming days with her partner and their two daughters. In an interview with Haaretz, Weizman, who appeared in the films Operation Grandma and Colombian Love, said the decision followed years of professional and personal difficulties stemming from her political views and public criticism of Israel. "I've been thinking about it for three years, and now the time has come to do it," she said. "It has become harder for me to be...

Every year, the most anticipated advert of the Christmas season comes courtesy of John Lewis, the favoured retailer of the nation’s middle classes. And, every year, there is keen discussion as to whether the store has pulled it off. The formula has now been in place for two decades, including a cover of a well-known song by a modish artist (this year, Sam Fender and the Stones’ ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’), a central idea that might or might not tug heartstrings and, of course, a less-than-subtle plug for the company that is actually paying for the advertisement....

The issue, which took years to diagnose, may cause an unintended arm workout in the middle of a drive. * More than 635,000 Honda Pilot, Acura MDX, and Acura TLX vehicles have been recalled due to a software issue that could disable power steering while the car is in motion. * Honda has received one injury report and 146 warranty claims related to the issue so far, according to NHTSA documents. * Owners of affected vehicles will be notified via mail by December 14 and should schedule an appointment with a dealer to install the software fix at no cost....

Mexicans throughout Texas are severely mocking Greg Abbott on his election loss, publishing violent/inflammatory comments on social media. One image shows a person pushing someone's wheel chair to the edge of a cliff and throwing the crippled individual over the edge with the comment in Spanish, "Make Texas Great Again". Comment after comment which are very ugly are on one post with this meme. That is only the tip of the iceberg. I have not mocked them nor mistreated them after any election losses nor advocated for their demise. This is more solid evidence why we meed mass deportations. This...

The American Catholic vote, once a decisive source of support for Donald Trump, has become one of the clearest indicators of the political discontent confronting his presidency. In the November 3 midterm elections, Catholics divided almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans, marking a dramatic reversal from the 2024 presidential contest. According to NBC News exit polls conducted with other media organizations across 45 states, 50% of Catholic voters supported Democratic candidates and 49% backed Republicans. The result is particularly striking because Catholics account for approximately one in five American voters. Just two years earlier, Trump had won their support by...

Not all methods of cooking broccoli are created equal, and some simple tips can ensure you get the most nutrients out of it. Whether it’s steamed, roasted or added to a stir-fry, broccoli is a healthy option packed with vitamins such as A, C and K, minerals such as calcium, potassium and iron, fiber and even a potentially cancer-fighting compound, The Washington Post recently reported. But certain ways of cooking broccoli can ensure you get the most out of the cruciferous vegetable and preserve those compounds. Boiling broccoli can cause water-soluble nutrients and compounds to leach into the cooking water,...

The 41-year-old man was arrested “as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing” near the ⁠city of Gloucester, ​in the west ⁠of England, British police said. LONDON — A senior U.S. Army soldier was arrested in the U.K. on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence, British police said Tuesday. The 41-year-old man was arrested “as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing” near the ⁠city of Gloucester, ​in the west ⁠of England, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement, adding that he remained in custody at a police station in London. He was ​arrested ⁠on suspicion of ‌offenses under...

Two “forever chemicals” have been associated with a higher risk of aggressive breast cancer, according to research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Forever chemicals, known as PFAS, are a group of synthetic chemicals that break down extremely slowly and can build up in the environment and the human body. PFAS have been used in nonstick cookware, upholstery and clothing, as well as some food packaging and personal care items. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that women with higher blood levels of two types of PFAS — perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)...

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib @afalkhatib: REVEALED: The scandal surrounding Gaza's failed winterization efforts lays bare a grim reality: Hamas obstructed attempts to protect Palestinian civilians before the devastating winter storms that flooded tens of thousands of tents. Palestinian Authority employees inside Gaza have reported that professionals from the Ministries of Public Works and Relief Affairs were intimidated, summoned, and coerced by Hamas into signing pledges not to undertake humanitarian projects without the group's approval. According to their accounts, those who defied Hamas risked so-called "field justice," including beatings and worse. Several officials, including Najla Hammad, Ihab Al-Bahtiti, Khaled Abu Safiya, Wiam...

President Donald Trump defended the war in Iran and said it will be over "soon" during his Veterans Day address on Wednesday. Trump made the statement while speaking to a crowd of veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. He highlighted the 1983 Iran-backed bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut and argued that Iran has been at war with the U.S. for decades. "America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. They should have been taken care of a long time ago," Trump said. "And it was...

Military officials from China and the United States met at a ceremony in Chengdu, China on Tuesday for the ceremonial return of the remains of American airmen who were killed during Himalayan supply missions in World War II. The ceremony was the culmination of decades of effort by American and Chinese officials to locate all of the air crews who died while flying “The Hump,” a supply route from India to southwestern China that was crucial for Chinese and American forces fighting against Imperial Japan. Japanese forces were able to cut off the land supply routes through Burma in the...

Democrats are calling for his resignation but the MAHA leader is looking at stronger alliances in the White House.Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seemed destined for a short tenure in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Now, the Make America Healthy Again movement’s footing looks surer in the administration and those around Kennedy say they believe the health secretary is here to stay. Incoming White House chief of staff Stephen Miller is friendlier to Kennedy’s priorities than ousted chief Susie Wiles, who former Kennedy advisor and MAHA activist Calley Means excoriated over the last few days for shutting down MAHA...

ransomnote: Here's the link to the online Vietnam Memorial website: https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ NOBUNAGA🇯🇵🏯@japan_nobunaga·14hThere are 58,281 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and for decades thousands of those American dead were only letters cut in black granite.Even the man who founded the Wall doubted a photograph could be found for every one. On August 9, 2022, the last face was found.It began small. Janna Hoehn, a floral designer on Maui with no personal tie to the war, visited the Wall, picked a name at random and made a rubbing of it.She wanted a photo of that man and could not find one....

Two Democrat lawmakers have filed bills to repeal a Texas law that required county sheriffs to enroll their departments in a federal immigration enforcement participation program. Senate Bill 8, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2025, required sheriffs of counties with populations of 100,000 or greater to participate in ICE’s 287(g) program. However, House Bill 123 and Senate Bill 99 filed Monday by State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D–San Antonio) and State Sen. José Menéndez (D–San Antonio) respectively seek to repeal these laws. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Section 287(g) Program authorizes the delegation of “state and local...

Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia, Ukraine and the US aimed at ending the war in Ukraine have concluded after a second day. Although the American side said they saw "some openings", there was no hint of any breakthroughs to end the nearly five year-long war sparked by Russia's invasion. However, both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed that a large-scale prisoner of war exchange was in the works and could be carried out soon. Davyd Arakhamia from Ukraine's negotiating team said that this round of talks - the first since February - "was one of the hardest." "I believe the...

The Canadian-based gold mining company, Allied Gold, recently announced that it has poured its first gold at the Kurmuk mine in Ethiopia, marking the start of production at a project expected to significantly increase the company's output over the next two years. Allied Gold has poured its first gold at the Kurmuk mine in Ethiopia, commencing production expected to significantly boost the company's output by 2028. Kurmuk is targeted to reach full production capacity by early 2027, with gold recovery rates expected to improve over time. Gold output is projected to increase from 25,000-35,000 ounces in 2026 to about 300,000...

Explanation: Don’t judge a galaxy by its size. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 100,000 light years across. This huge expanse of space contains hundreds of billions of stars! The smallest galaxies, called dwarf galaxies, are about 1/10th the size of the Milky Way and only contain a few billion stars. They are also the most common type of galaxy in the whole universe. Today’s image shows one such dwarf galaxy, NGC 4449, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 4449 and similar dwarf galaxies are missing more oxygen than models predict. This suggests their stellar winds and...