Free Republic

Covid vaccine mandates and a lack of transparency by public-health experts produced many unintended effects—or what scientists call “off target” responses. One is a political turn against mRNA technology that could damage U.S. innovation and pandemic preparedness. The Health and Human Services Department recently scrapped 22 mRNA-related vaccine investments. “These vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.” Let’s dissect these assertions. Start with his claim that mRNA vaccines fail to protect against...

Comedian Kathy Griffin revealed that she has downloaded the dating app Hinge in order to find herself a date, adding, “I have a lot of fear about men, the entire gender.” Griffin shared in a Monday Substack post that what “started out as a joke” between herself, singer Sia, and actress Nia Vardalos turned into her downloading the Hinge dating app and creating a profile. Why can’t I find a nice partner at a law firm or a semi-retired fireman?” the comedian asked

... A rising coalition of health activists warns that mRNA vaccine ingredients—including spike protein and SV40 DNA plasmids—may be circulating in donated blood. Meanwhile, hospitals are cracking down on patients’ rights to choose unvaccinated donors, mirroring the infamous 1980s AIDS blood scandal. With 22 U.S. mRNA vaccine projects scrapped due to safety concerns, the debate now centers on whether life-saving blood transfusions are becoming vectors for hidden health threats...

CACHE, Okla. (KSWO) - Cache Public Schools had an unveiling on Aug. 11 where they showed their brand new electric buses. School officials say this is a vital step in modernizing transportation for students in their district. A ribbon cutting was held this afternoon to showcase the 6 brand new electric vehicles. Officials say the move to electric is more affordable and reliable in the face of volatile diesel prices and shows a real step in improving the students’ experience.

After 17 years in the US Army, Maj Kara Corcoran, 39, was preparing to graduate from an elite military leadership programme. But there was a complication. Two days before the ceremony, Kara was told that she would need to conform to male regulations, which meant wearing male uniform and cutting the long blonde hair she had grown since she told the Army she identified as a woman in 2018. The directive had come from the Pentagon, and filtered down through her chain of command at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. "Nothing about me is a man, but we're going to force me...

On the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationally, supporters say they are secure but also wary and watchful.Could same-sex marriage be next?Gay Americans and their allies have much to celebrate on Thursday, the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Same-sex marriage has, by almost every indication, become ingrained in everyday American life. Since the decision, there have been 591,000 same-sex marriages, and today, nearly two-thirds of Americans approve of the policy. Same-sex couples are staples in contemporary movies and television shows, and reside, often with their...

<p>Country star Tim McGraw's daughter has confirmed her sexuality during Pride Month.</p><p>Oldest daughter Gracie, 28, who he shares with wife Faith Hill, recently took to Instagram to proudly post about her sexual orientation.</p><p>She re-shared a post that read, 'EVERYONE GET MORE GAY NOW!'</p>

Neil Young is facing criticism for a new song he wrote about “fascists” buying Teslas. The 79-year-old singer-songwriter debuted the song, reportedly titled “Let’s Roll Again,” at the Light Up the Blue charity concert in Los Angeles over the weekend. “If you’re a fascist, get a Tesla / It’s electric, it doesn’t matter / If you’re a Democrat, taste your freedom / Get whatever you want, taste your freedom,” Young could be heard singing in clips circulating on social media. “Come on Ford, come on GM / Come on Chrysler, let’s roll again,” the song continued. “Build something special that...

Airyn De Niro, the daughter of Robert De Niro, has revealed she is a transgender woman and opened up about her journey. Airyn was born in 1997 during De Niro’s relationship with her mother, Toukie Smith. She also has a twin, Julian De Niro. Despite her father’s status as an A-lister, Airyn has kept herself out of the limelight until recently, when recent tabloid articles accused her of nepotism, which she has denied in a new interview. Speaking to Them, Airyn said: “Not only did they get information wrong about me… They just sort of reminded me that people really...

Sen. Ron Johnson is actively investigating 9/11. A day after the Wisconsin Republican went on a far-right podcast promoting conspiracy theories about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, a spokesperson for Johnson said the lawmaker is currently seeking information and documentation in order to hold hearings on the event nearly 25 years later. He would do so in his capacity as chair of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, one of Congress’s most storied and powerful panels with far-reaching jurisdiction that gives its chair wide latitude to probe a diverse array of matters. It has...

The liberal group Data for Progress conducted the survey of likely Democratic voters. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is leading Chuck Schumer by double digits in a new head-to-head poll of the 2028 New York primary. The survey by the liberal firm Data for Progress, first shared with POLITICO, found that 55 percent of Democratic likely voters said they supported or leaned toward supporting Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, while 36 percent backed or leaned toward backing Sen. Schumer. Nine percent were undecided. The poll is the latest sign that Schumer’s standing among the Democratic base has taken a hit since he voted to advance a...

BREMEN, Maine (AP) — Commercial fishermen and seafood processors looking to switch to new, lower-carbon emission systems say the federal funding they relied on for this work is either frozen or unavailable due to significant budget cuts promoted by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. The changes are designed to replace old diesel-burning engines and outdated at-sea cooling systems and are touted by environmentalists as a way to reduce seafood’s carbon footprint. Decarbonization of the fishing fleet has been a target of environmental activists in recent years. That is far less than agriculture, but still a significant piece of...

NEW YORK — Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, will host a new weekly podcast series starting this month featuring a special guest pulled from the world of entertainment, sports, health and business. "IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson" will address "everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships and the world around us," according to a press release. IMO is slang for "in my opinion." Some of the guests slated to speak to the former first lady and Robinson, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, include the actors Issa Rae and Keke Palmer and psychologist Dr....

WASHINGTON (AP) — Giving a new meaning to the phrase mad scientists, angry researchers, doctors, their patients and supporters ventured out of labs, hospitals and offices Friday to fight against what they call a blitz on life-saving science by the Trump administration. In the nation’s capital, a couple thousand gathered at the Stand Up for Science rally. Organizers said similar rallies were planned in more than 30 U.S. cities. Politicians, scientists, musicians, doctors and their patients made the case that firings, budget and grant cuts in health, climate, science and other research government agencies in the Trump administration’s first 47...

Judicial Watch announced today it received 115 pages in this first production of records in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which show the Biden administration, following the Dobbs decision which overturned Roe v. Wade, considered declaring a “public health emergency” and using federal lands to provide abortion services. The records also show that millions of taxpayer dollars were used to establish an office to protect against “grave health threats” allegedly caused by climate change, and for facilitating then-Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine’s extreme focus on LGBT and “gender-affirming” health...

A luxury resort in San Diego County may be violating California laws after banning guests under the age of 18.In a note on its website, the Alila Marea Beach Resort in Encinitas, north of San Diego, said it “plans to transition to an adults-only resort, welcoming guests aged 18 and over.” The policy change, effective Feb. 14, is to “provide a serene and tranquil environment tailored to adult travelers seeking relaxation, exploration and a peaceful stay by the beach.”However, the decision to essentially ban children could put the hotel in hot legal water. Chris Dolan, owner of Dolan Law Firm...

NASA's stranded astronauts have put on a brave face throughout their uncertain nine-month stay on the International Space Station - but that appeared to slip in a recent interview. Barry Wilmore seemed to suggest he and his crewmate Sunita Williams had been caught up in political games in Washington. SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, whose spaceflight company was tasked with bringing Williams and Wilmore home later this month, has repeatedly said the Biden administration 'abandoned' them for 'political reasons.' Musk has also said that former president Joe Biden rejected his offer to bring the astronauts home early because it would've...

WASHINGTON — Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will headline the fifth annual Principles First summit in Washington, D.C., an event bringing together prominent conservative figures focused on defending classical liberalism and pragmatic governance. The summit can be called the GOP’s “Biggest Loser” event of the year, featuring the who’s who of the far-left wing of the Republican Party and progressive mainstreamers. The featured speakers roster is a d-list of anti-Trump current and former politicians and bureaucrats.

CNN - President Donald Trump keeps lying not only about the 2020 election he lost but the 2024 election he won. In a Saturday speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump correctly noted that he earned 77 million votes in 2024 — then falsely said his vote total was “actually much more than that,” since unspecified people “cheated like hell.” There’s no basis for this claim. Trump’s official vote total is his actual vote total, and there is no evidence of unsuccessful cheating by vote counters or by his Democratic foes. Trump made various other false claims at CPAC,...

Barack and Michelle Obama are quietly carving up their $70 million empire and edging closer to confessing that their 32-year marriage is kaput, Knewz.com can reveal – with their sensational split set to be the first-ever post-White House divorce between a former president and first lady. Hard-nosed lawyers and mediators for the former Democratic Party power couple are attempting to come to terms and divvy up their dollars and assets before the estranged spouses come clean with the American people later this year, said sources. "They want to have everything ironed out in advance," an insider with knowledge of the...