Free Republic

A new variant has been detected in a Kentucky nursing home, infecting 45 residents and health care personnel. Many of these infections arose in fully vaccinated individuals. The variant, which originated in Japan, has over 10,000 entries in the GISAID SARS-CoV-2 database. The variant contains five mutations previously noted in variants of concern or interest, two of which are in the Spike protein (Figure 1). It also contains many unique mutations. Here we describe the potential effects of each mutation on replication, immune evasion, and pathogenesis. Mutations in R.1 found in other variants. Those in red are unique to R.1....

With the Biden administration a lost cause and Indiana passing only limited vaccine protection measures, St. Joseph County citizens were wise to take matters into their own hands.On April 4, the commissioners of St. Joseph County, Indiana passed a resolution against vaccine passports, saying they would “unduly and unnecessarily restrict the freedom of Americans; harm patient privacy; and have a negative financial impact of individuals of color and other marginalized communities.” It is a bold move for a community, and taking ownership of an issue where you live is smart. That’s why I’ve worked to help this resolution pass in...

The coronavirus lockdowns are America’s most regressive government actions since the draft. Even as liberals have quickly noted the virus’s disparate incidence, they have ignored the inequities of government responses. Ironically, these responses have been most regressive in states with the most “progressive” governments. In just four months, coronavirus has gone from takeoff to lockdown in the U.S. America’s first Wuhan virus case appeared on Jan. 21, and the first American died Feb. 12. California went into lockdown March 19, followed by New York the next day, and New Jersey on March 21. Two months later, America is only now...

In times of crisis, the audience needs to trust that the journalists tasked with interviewing leading officials will do so without fear or favor.I get that we’re all desperate for levity in these terrible times, and the banter of two loving brothers is a welcome balm to the stressful media coverage. A lot of us are missing our own families right now. I understand, I do. But the conventional wisdom boosting New York’s Cuomo Brothers to hero status right now misses some problematic elements of their schtick. At risk of raining on everyone’s parade, this is a glaring conflict of...

We most certainly are living in coronavirus hell, but Christians aren't the ones who got us here. If Murphy’s Law promises that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong,” what we’ll call the law of religion — which could rightly be attributed to Jesus himself — assures that “if Christians can be blamed for something, they will be.” It has become abundantly clear the coronavirus is no exception.Heroic nurses, doctors, and first responders are risking their safety to save others. Many private businesses are doing everything they can to preserve their payrolls, with some even stepping up in innovative...

Originally set for April 25, this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been postponed. A new date will be announced at a later time. The White House Correspondents’ Association made the announcement on Sunday afternoon. “The White House Correspondents’ Association regrets to announce that it is unable to go ahead with its 2020 dinner on April 25. We will get back to you soon with our alternative date. Thanks for your support,” the organization said. Long-running “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson was set to host the dinner, and Hasan Minhaj, host of Netflix’s “Patriot Act,” was slated as...

The Senate’s massive economic stimulus deal to counteract the coronavirus includes a massive bailout for New York’s transit system and a ban on aid for President Trump’s holdings and those of members of Congress. The lesser-known provisions were stuffed into the $2 trillion package during marathon negotiations between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Republicans, which ended early Wednesday in a deal. Schumer’s office said Democrats won a $150 billion boost in hospital funding, a $150 billion relief fund for state and local governments and $25 billion for transit systems. Of the transit dollars, $4.35 billion is...

The State of Minnesota's Public Defender's Office has been pushing for the release of jail inmates throughout the State, in order to protect them from the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Chief Public Defender Bill Ward sent an email to all staffers, urging them to get on board and demand that their clients be released. Some of the clients have not yet been convicted. He also said that the jails are a "petri dish" of infections. This looks to only impact the local and county jails, no mention of releasing inmates early from within the prison system. This plea has...