Free Republic

President Joe Biden stubbornly refused to admit Americans' struggles with inflation might cost him the election in a rare interview Wednesday. A growing economy could inspire confidence in Biden's leadership ahead of the election, but the issue of persistent inflation could ruin that. Biden, who was in Wisconsin to tout his record on the economy and to announce an investment by Microsoft to build a factory, defended his handling of inflation.

It's been known for years that cooking indoors can taint the air in a home and cause health problems, especially when cooking without proper ventilation. But a new study found that emissions from cooking may degrade the air quality outdoors as well. "If you can smell it, there’s a good chance it’s impacting air quality," researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Chemical Sciences Laboratory recently wrote about a new study looking at the "unrecognized and underappreciated sources of urban air pollution."

...we need to go back to when agriculture was inefficient. Good idea. There are too many proles anyway, right? Time to thin the herd. ... Climate change hysteria is a magic force in the hands of an elite that has been preaching deindustrialization and mass culling of human beings since the early 1960s. What was once a fringe movement led by the truly insane Club of Rome and Paul Ehrlich has gone mainstream, at least among the Leftists who are at the top of the social pyramid these days. The UN, WEF, IPCC, MSM, and of course the EU and...

During an interview aired on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” President Joe Biden stated that while “corporate greed” has caused an increase in the amount of money people have to spend on groceries and people feel real pain from the cost of groceries and food and he’s angry people have to spend more, “if you take a look at what people have, they have the money to spend.” Host Erin Burnett said, “[T]here’s real pain. Grocery prices are up 30% — more than 30% since the beginning of the pandemic, and people are spending more on food and groceries than...

After the Rodney King riots in LA in the early 1990s, news organizations told us endlessly that citizens were angry about the food deserts in minority communities. I remember thinking there might be another reason why there were no stores in the neighborhoods besides the implied racism. Maybe the burned husks of buildings might have something to do with it… At the time, I was living in Washington, DC and understood all too well what I was seeing. DC had endured extraordinary riots in 1968 and wide swaths of it still resembled a war zone. Riots have a way of...

Gardeners can buy a new seed, a genetically modified tomato the FDA barely looked at and GMO proponents hope will win Americans over to more modified foods. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As spring gardening approaches, a new contender has entered the fray—the genetically modified (GM) Purple Tomato. Unlike its GM predecessors, the GM Purple Tomato is not destined solely for the fields of commercial agriculture—it has made its debut in the backyards of home gardeners across the United States. With claims of heightened antioxidant levels and potential health benefits, this novel creation has stirred both excitement and controversy among consumers and scientists alike....

It's high time we addressed a growing concern in the restaurant industry: portion sizes and the rise of "Fat-flation." Somewhere along the line in American culinary history, the amount of food served in restaurants became a point of pride for many of us. We'd either polish off every last morsel on our plates, take home leftovers, or sadly, let them languish in the fridge for days before tossing them out. What a waste. After four decades of Americans packing on the pounds, and all the health issues that come with it, it's clear we need a change. Both restaurants and...

As a seasoned restaurant consultant deeply entrenched in the industry, I've got my finger on the pulse of what's happening. Running a restaurant has always been a tough gig. Everyone seems to think their family recipe will turn into a gold mine, but sadly, it's not just about the quality of Grandma's lasagna. There are myriad challenges to navigate in this business. From securing the right location and talent to nailing down a winning concept, dealing with everything from theft to insurance, not to mention the endless stream of fees, licenses, and paperwork, the restaurant industry can nickel and dime...

Are you a pickle connoisseur? If so, extreme weather in Mexico may be impacting the availability of the snack in the U.S. Every year, Americans consume more than 20 billion pickles, but recently, consumers have noticed some restaurants warning of a "national pickle shortage." The warnings from restaurants such as Firehouse Subs, local delis and others are generally bona fide, as both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and experts from North Carolina State University say that the combination of reliance on imports and extreme weather could impact supplies.

(Epic Economist)—Over the past four years, many of us have had the unpleasant surprise of learning that our go-to restaurant, coffee shop, or fast food joint was closing doors for good. Thousands of well-established companies have gone out of business since the pandemic accelerated the descent of the U.S. economy, and conditions have been particularly tough in the restaurant industry. Even during the best of times, managing a restaurant comes with plenty of uncertainty. Though a brand can be incredibly popular amongst consumers, there’s a variety of factors that can result in mass closings, and in some cases, bankruptcy. We...

A Florida man was arrested for a crime that could be mistaken for a headline in the Onion or the Babylon Bee. As the Smoking Gun reported, 20-year-old Khanye Edrayieze Medley was arrested on Monday by Clearwater Police on a domestic battery charge. He allegedly got into a verbal altercation with his sister, who he lives with, that turned physical in a most unusual way. The police affidavit shows that Medley grabbed a bag of chicken from his sister and began hurling pieces at her during an argument on Sunday. One piece of chicken hit her in the back and...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, plays a pivotal role in shaping the food policies issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), known as the Dietary Guidelines. As it works on the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, it’s important to note that the Academy’s decisions on what is and isn’t healthy for Americans are significantly influenced by its relationship with the ultra-processed food (UPF) industry. This relationship, which has seen the Academy accept nearly $15 million from multi-processed food companies, agribusiness companies, and Big Pharma,...

grocery prices '20 vs '24 January I January Price Item 2020 2024 I Increase Orange juice (128 fl oz) $2.99 $4.29 43.48% Coffee (12 oz) $6.99 $8.99 28.64% White bread (20 oz) $1.49 $1.99 33,56% Eggs (1 dozen) $1.49 $2.99 100.67% Chicken breast (2 Ibs) $4.99 $799 60.12% Ground beef (1 !b) $4.99 $6.99 40.08% Rice (1 Ib) $0.99 $1.49 50.51% Iceberg lettuce $0.99 $1.49 50.51% Tomatoes (4) $2.99 $3.99 33.44% Potatoes (3 Ibs) $2.99 $4.49 50.17% Milk (1 gallon) $2.99 $4.49 50.17% Butter (1 Ib) $3.99 $5.49 37.57% Bananas (2 Ibs) $0.99 $1.49 50.51% Cheerios (18 oz) $2.99 $4.29...

Finland’s Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is questioning a government proposal to raise the VAT value-added tax on sweets and chocolate. The THL, a Finnish research and development institute which is attached to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, announced that it did not agree with the decision to raise the tax from 14 to 25.5 percent. Talking to STT, the Finnish news agency, a senior THL investigator Heli Kuusipalo explained that the institute would prefer to see a sugar taxation system that was health-based rather than a direct VAT hike. The higher the sugar content in any...

Welcome to Delicious or Distressing, where we rate recent food memes, videos, and other entertainment news. Last week we discussed Trader Joe’s hot new mini totes. Lauren Sánchez, vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, announced Tuesday that the fund would commit $60 million to establish Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein. These centers plan to research and create new fake meats that ostensibly taste better, are better for us, and cost less to manufacture. The commitment is part of the $10 billion pledge that Bezos made in 2020 through the Bezos Earth Fund to fight climate...

Dairy cows cannot be moved between states without testing for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, U.S. officials announced on April 24. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a federal order that says “prior to interstate movement, dairy cattle are required to receive a negative test for Influenza A virus.” A strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A, H5N1, has been spreading across the country since first being detected in cows in March. The influenza is commonly known as the bird flu. At this point, no beef cattle are known to have been infected with the virus. The order,...

No need to make a stink: Controlling bovine flatulence could be key to helping curb global warming. New research suggests that breeding dairy cows to fart less — and, therefore, release less methane — could cut down on greenhouse gases. The team from Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute in Australia combed through 27 reports, drawing conclusions about various ways to curb methane emissions in the dairy and beef sectors in the country. Food production is one of the leading causes of climate change — livestock farming accounts for about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions — with one 2020 study finding...

There are so many options that you might feel a little overwhelmed. Nearly every franchise has its own ranch sauce, but who has the best — or, more importantly, the worst? What about those perfect-for-everything, crave-worthy dips that have achieved near cult status? Don't fear, intrepid orderers. We've rounded up our most and least favorite fast food condiments, ranging from those loaded with horseradish to avocado to buttermilk. Whether you're just a casual dipper or an absolute sauce slatherer, we've found something for every nugget, fry, and pizza crust out there.

Could our future meals originate from electricity and air? This intriguing concept has become a reality thanks to a Finnish startup. Recently, Solar Foods in Vantaa, near Helsinki, inaugurated its first facility dedicated to producing food from air and solar energy. The site is set to produce 160 tonnes of food annually, a development that could significantly reduce the environmental footprint of traditional farming. The promise of solein The innovative product at the heart of this venture is solein, a protein-rich powder made from single-cell organisms. These are cultivated using renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, which...