Free Republic

Top White House aides set up a "wall" to shield President Biden from unscripted events and long interviews amid fears of the president’s testiness and habit of mangling statements, according to a new book. "Peril" by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa cited a number of incidents from the gaffe-prone president in the early days of his administration, including a back-and-forth with a CNN reporter for which he later apologized. "That side of Biden -- his tendency to at times be testy or mangle statements -- was still with him and now part of his presidency," the book says. In turn,...

As we lurch into pandemic year two, I find myself strangely reluctant to leave my pandemic cocoon. Not a week goes by without someone asking if I’ve gotten my “Get Out of Jail Free” card — the vaccine — but until recently, I’ve told almost no one that I got the shots last month. How could it be that now, with my escape route in sight, I shrink from the exit

Wilford Brimley, who worked his way up from stunt performer to starring roles in films such as “Cocoon” and “The Natural,” has died. He was 85. Brimley’s manager Lynda Bensky said the actor died Saturday morning in a Utah hospital. He was on dialysis and had several medical ailments, she said. The mustached Brimley was a familiar face for a number of roles, often playing gruff characters like his grizzled baseball manager in “The Natural.” Brimley’s best-known work was in “Cocoon,” in which he was part of a group of seniors who discover an alien pod that rejuvenates them. The...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 October 14 IC 5146: The Cocoon Nebula Credit & Copyright: Jean-Charles Cuillandre (CFHT), Hawaiian Starlight, CFHT Explanation: How did this nebula get created? The Cocoon Nebula, cataloged as IC 5146, is a strikingly beautiful nebula located about 4,000 light years away toward the constellation of Cygnus. Inside the Cocoon is a newly developing open cluster of stars. Like other stellar nurseries, the Cocoon Nebula is, at the...