Free Republic

Millions of Americans could face an unwelcome surprise when Medicare open enrollment begins October 15. Major insurance companies are eliminating plans, reducing benefits and pulling out of markets, leaving older Americans with fewer choices and potentially higher healthcare costs in 2027. For retirees already struggling with rising living expenses, the changes could make healthcare an even bigger financial concern.According to healthcare research organization KFF, the average Medicare beneficiary will have access to approximately 35 Medicare Advantage plans in 2027, down from 39 in 2026. Meanwhile, at least 3.8 million enrollees are expected to need new coverage as insurers discontinue plans...

Seven ancient coffins containing human remains — including a toddler’s — were mysteriously discovered near the North Dakota’s governor’s residence by archaeologists, state officials confirmed. The caskets and an empty wooden box were found while contractors were performing security upgrades at the Bismarck property and resulted in a months-long excavation process, according to the state Office of Management and Budget. The remains appear to be that of two women, two men, two teenage boys and one toddler, People magazine reported. The shocking discovery was made in the area of what was Bismarck’s first cemetery from 1873 to 1877, but many...

Family members of those killed in a January 2025 crash in which an Army Black Hawk helicopter hit a civilian airliner are irked over a new report that lets leaders off the hook. Sixty-seven people died in the incident in which the helicopter and an American Airlines jet collided, with pieces of the wreckage falling into the frigid Potomac River. An Army report listed multiple long-standing issues that contributed to the disaster, but did not say whether anyone was punished, according to The Washington Post. When families of those killed on American Airlines Flight 5342 were able to preview the...

Here's your reminder that the judges are out of control: Post The Vigilant Fox 🦊 @VigilantFox A 19-year-old charged with stabbing a man in Pittsburgh so badly his intestines were hanging out was released the SAME DAY without posting a dime. Eight days later, he’s the prime suspect in ANOTHER stabbing. District Judge Dan Butler let Delvin Dobbins walk on a non-monetary bond. Just a promise to show up to court. Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando couldn’t believe he was out. “How can that be? I mean, he just stabbed someone in the stomach a week ago.” And it’s happened...

Christa Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate who survived a failed attempt to execute her nearly a week ago, is awake, her attorneys told reporters after a court hearing Wednesday. Prosecutors and Pike’s legal team were at the Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville regarding a motion by the defense to require the state to preserve evidence from the botched execution, including syringes, drugs, IV lines, and other medical equipment. Pike’s attorneys also complained that state corrections officials had “put up roadblocks” inhibiting them from having access to her hospital room, according to a report by The New York Times....

The following stats are results from Gemini.ai searches. It, as well as perplexity.ai were basically asked to elaborate on future societal negative effects that can be reasonably expected as a result. Their answers help reveal the current state of their respective programing, and you can judge their expectations. 67% of today's adults say they went to church every week when they were children. A Gallup tracking poll found that only 31% of parents with minor children attend church weekly or nearly weekly. Evangelical Protestant families have the highest rates of attendance; 64% of evangelical teenagers say they attend church weekly....

Gov. Kathy Hochul was one of a handful of Democratic governors to stockpile pills used in medication abortion amid fears the U.S. Supreme Court could restrict access three years ago. But a feared shortage of the drug never materialized. Now, 150,000 pills in the state’s possession have all expired — and not a single one was distributed. The state Department of Health says it will soon destroy its reserve of misoprostol pills, which is enough for 12,500 doses. That’s in contrast to California, which took steps to distribute its supply to providers, and Oregon, which reupped its stock at no...

AI firms say simulations are being used to identify which pharmaceutical programs are worth moving forward and to assess the value of acquisition targets. As AI tools get better at flagging clinical risks, they say unexpected trial failures may become less frequent. Novartis' experimental del-desiran for a rare type of muscular dystrophy was expected to be a winner, with the Swiss company's CEO predicting annual peak sales of $5 billion. When a late-stage trial missed its goal last month, shares fell 11%, erasing $30 billion in market value. AI start-up BioinvestGPT was not surprised. In July, it ran a simulated...

The FBI arrested a 30-year-old Bellingham, Washington resident on Tuesday and charged him with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country for allegedly coaching, funding, and agreeing to broadcast the February 10 slaughter at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, the attack that left 8 people dead, including 5 children. James Cody Bryant was taken into custody in Bellingham and appeared in federal court in Seattle. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. According to the Department of Justice announcement and the accompanying 41-page FBI criminal complaint, Bryant allegedly maintained extensive communications with 18-year-old...

True Food Kitchen, the health-focused restaurant chain backed by Oprah Winfrey, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after closing a dozen restaurants across the United States. The company, which promotes healthy eating and was once seen as a fast-growing player in the restaurant industry, now has 34 locations open in 14 states as it searches for a buyer. True Food Kitchen faced management changes and struggled with an ambitious expansion plan that did not succeed. The chain was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008 by restaurateur Sam Fox and wellness doctor Andrew Weil, and attracted attention for its menu...

Fox News anchor Sean Hannity said he was “pressured” to push Covid-19 vaccines on his viewers, even though he was uncomfortable doing so. The cable news star vented about how he was compelled to peddle vaccines during the Tuesday episode of his Hang Out podcast, where Hannity and Dr. Drew Pinsky talked about the pandemic — and their issues with how it was handled. “I was being pressured — pressured — to tell my audience to take the jab,” Hannity said. “And I’m like, ‘I’m not a doctor. I’m just not. I don’t know anything about your health, I don’t...

When a federal appeals court known for its rock-bottom track record in Supreme Court reviews reinstated California's so-called gender secrecy policies in schools, parents and teachers ran to SCOTUS for an emergency injunction. The gambit worked, prompting a broadside by six justices against lower courts for ignoring a century of precedents. Now a mother and daughter in Washington state are seeking the same shortcut around the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which rejected their plea to force a school district and state athletic association to warn them before the girl unwittingly competes against another male in girls' wrestling, as...

PepsiCo just made a huge recall of its popular sports drink Gatorade. The FDA announced PepsiCo recalled nearly 122,000 cases of Gatorade over “undeclared dyes.” The FDA further noted that the exposure to the recalled drinks could result in “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” CBS News reported more on the recall and revealed what states have been impacted: PepsiCo has recalled roughly 122,000 cases of Gatorade sold across the U.S. because the product contains undeclared dyes, the Food and Drug Administration said in a notice. The recall affects cases with 28-ounce bottles of Gatorade Lemon Lime, Gatorade Lemon...

A whistleblower who exposed U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's links to Jeffrey Epstein has died by suicide. Yes, Simon Andriesz has died by suicide. Here is Simon on X back in August: I am the British whistleblower who reported evidence concerning Howard Lutnick, his links to Jeffrey Epstein, and Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC to the FBI in 2020-21. Listen to the BBC File on 4 documentary about my whistleblower story: Here's that documentary link on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zCMgqyTB3GQMmSHoVwVEk?si=ExdEGQFVTwCIBDUdDpm19g&utm_source=copy-link&nd=1&dlsi=ef02f04d3d624121 More from Simon's X post: I later shared evidence with the House Oversight Committee, which subsequently questioned Lutnick behind closed doors. My disclosures...

On Monday, Utah regulators authorized New York-based startup Nolla Health to allow its AI to evaluate patients and issue initial acne prescriptions without prior human review, marking a significant test of autonomous medical decision-making in the U.S.The program operates through the Nolla Derm app, where patients complete a 10- to 15-minute questionnaire and facial scan; it is part of a closely watched "AI sandbox" program that allows Utah's Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy to waive regulations.Nolla Health will use a phased approach, starting with two physicians approving every prescription for the first 100 patients, then loosening oversight to retrospective weekly...

Doctors and health insurers have sued California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature, arguing that a newly approved healthcare tax violates a voter-approved 2024 law.The lawsuit challenges the Managed Care Organization tax, which plaintiffs say circumvents Proposition 35’s limits on healthcare taxes and requirements for how the revenue is used.Health insurers warn that the higher tax could raise premiums by about $100 per person annually, potentially adding roughly $400 a year for a family of four.The Newsom administration says the tax is needed to help fund healthcare and offset major federal cuts to Medi-Cal, California’s public health insurance program...

Most people will experience back pain. In fact, two-thirds of us will deal with it if we don’t already, said Karena Wu, doctor of physical therapy, Start TODAY trainer and orthopedic physical therapist. As we age, our back issues will only get more challenging because with getting older comes mobility changes. You might notice a shift in your ability to walk and move freely, and maintain balance and strength, she said during a TODAY segment. So, “restoring mobility and maintaining mobility is super important,” she added. And one move in particular can make all the difference.

An Afghan refugee who killed a dog walker and attacked two other people in a "frenzy of violence" has been given an indefinite hospital order and recommended for deportation. Dawood Safi, 28, stabbed Wayne Broadhurst, 49, in the street during a series of knife attacks which began at Safi's home in Uxbridge, west London, on 27 October 2025, Southwark Crown Court heard. Safi, who was having paranoid delusions and hearing voices, attacked his landlord Shahzad Farrukh minutes before killing Broadhurst, and also stabbed a 14-year-old boy. The 28-year-old admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Mrs Justice Cutts, who told...

President Trump announced Friday that over 20 million “wonderful seniors” will receive $90 checks this month to help cover Medicare premiums.Eligible Medicare Part B enrollees will receive the one-time payment via direct deposit or check thanks to the Medicare Improvement Fund that was established in 2008, according to the White House.

In 2026, anybody can cultivate a massive social media following doing anything their heart desires — and that’s not necessarily a good thing. For a case in point, look no further than a recent Reel from holistic health influencer Matt Roeske. First spotted by the publication Reality Check, the clip features Roeske promoting radioactive water as a long-forgotten panacea, supposedly shut down by the “Rothschild medical system.” In his video, Roeske appears holding a “Revigator,” an irradiated ceramic jug from the 1920s sold as a pseudoscientific miracle cure-all. In addition to carnotite — a bright-yellow rock known for its high...