Free Republic

Kamala Harris was all smiles when she arrived at Joe Biden's former Delaware campaign headquarters on Monday. She was there to lift the spirits of blindsided staffers, who after 15 months of toiling to re-elect the president, suddenly found themselves working for her. 'It is my great honor to have Joe's endorsement in this race,' she boasted to cheers from a crowd who were now on her payroll. But as the assembled readily applauded, some must have harbored private concerns. For, behind the recent public self-branding of Harris as a kindly, jovial 'Momala', she has earned a nasty reputation as...

A surgically-enhanced mother gave the finger as she was jailed for selling fake Covid vaccination cards at the height of the pandemic. Jasmine Clifford, 34, flipped the bird after she was sentenced to one to three years in state prison Thursday for forging as many as 250 fake vaccination cards that she sold on Instagram for $200 each. The mother of two arrived in Manhattan court very late on Thursday wearing tight grey shorts, a black t-shirt, black sneakers and a pair of expensive Loewe sunglasses. She kept the shades on throughout proceedings out the proceedings and even while she...

CINCINNATI — Multiple teens and an 18-year-old man have been sentenced for their part in a Jan. 23 assault on a man downtown. In court Friday, 18-year-old Jadin Shaw was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his part in the assault. In addition to Shaw, multiple juveniles have also been sentenced for the attack after accepting plea deals; WCPO is not naming them because they are still children. In addition to Shaw, five juveniles were also charged in the crime: A 14-year-old has been sentenced to probation A 15-year-old was ordered to pay $800 in restitution to the victim...

Matt Driscoll, a 43-year-old columnist and opinion editor for The News Tribune (TNT), died unexpectedly at his Tacoma home this Sunday. Driscoll’s death was announced by his news network. “We’ve lost a friend and beloved colleague, but Tacoma and Pierce County have lost someone who never stopped caring,” said fellow TNT writer Sean Robinson. Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA) also paid tribute to Driscoll on social media. “Tacoma still has the Rainiers and the Narrows Bridge, but our City of Destiny has a hole in our hearts at the loss of Matt Driscoll. What a big heart and an insightful...

A military family who lost custody of their autistic son after they refused to transition his gender are suing a major DC hospital. The family said their boy had never shown any desire to become a girl until, at 16, he was hospitalized for self-harming after a bitter breakup with his girlfriend in 2021. Staff at Children's National Hospital informed the family that he wanted to be female and should be referred to using she/her pronouns going forward, the suit claims. His army veteran parents, from Prince George County in Maryland, rejected the suggestion, saying their son was 'impressionable' due...

The mystery of why a $300,000 Bentley crashed into the US-Canada border crossing at 100mph and exploded, killing a couple inside, may never be solved as police close the case. **SNIP** Betsy Ertel, a spokesperson for the Cincinnati Insurance Companies, which insured the Bentley, declined to discuss details of any claim 'out of respect for the privacy of our policyholders'. Police said the Villanis were killed instantly in the crash and pronounced dead at the scene. Whether any of their relatives will file a lawsuit is unknown. The 2022 Flying Spur can go from zero to 60mph in four seconds...

Shoppers, it may be time to find a new pharmacy. Walgreens is closing up to a quarter of its 8,600 stores within the United States. Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth recently explained to the Wall Street Journal on June 27 that the closures would focus on locations that aren't profitable, too close to each other or stores struggling with theft. .... According to CNN, 75% of the company's U.S. stores account for 100% of its operating income. The company will examine the remaining 25% of its 8,600 stores for closure. That equates to roughly 2,150 stores closing shop across the country...

People who drink cranberry juice are 54% less likely to develop urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to a study. It has long been suspected that cranberries contain compounds that help prevent bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract, reducing the risk of infection. However the effectiveness of cranberry juice has been confirmed by the network meta-analysis that amalgamated the results of 20 studies involving 3,091 participants worldwide. Lead researcher Dr. Christian Moro said the findings could help reduce the use of antibiotics to treat UTIs. "More than half of women experience UTIs and antibiotics are a go-to...

New research shows that inflammation outside the brain, such as that caused by common infections such as colds and urine infections, is linked to the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). The Systemic Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis (SIMS) study followed 50 people living with progressive forms of MS for two and a half years. Researchers measured inflammation in the body by looking at a weekly urine sample. This inflammation can be caused by a number of factors, including infections, other medical conditions, trauma and an unhealthy lifestyle. Research in animals has shown that inflammation outside the brain can exacerbate this process,...

NATIONAL WINE AND CHEESE DAY On July 25, we celebrate the ultimate pairing of wine and cheese. National Wine and Cheese Day provides an opportunity to enjoy some of our favorites or sample something new. #NationalWineAndCheeseDay The pairing of wines and cheese has been a regionalized tradition. Across wine-producing cultures, many pair their regional wines with local cheeses. For example, the French Brie region is noted for its tannic wine varietals. Their Beaujolais goes well with the Brie produced in the area. However, that doesn't stop a sommelier or cheesemonger from making other recommendations to their clientele. Although regional preferences...

A drug commonly used to treat cystic fibrosis improved outcomes for patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and could be used to treat other respiratory infections, according to clinical trial results. The study found that the drug dornase alfa reduced hyper-inflammation in COVID-19 pneumonia patients, which occurs when the body's immune system reacts too strongly and can lead to tissue damage and death. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections that result in death has fallen. This is partly down to increased immunity from prior infection or vaccination, as well as improved treatments such as dexamethasone....

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Research on the gut microbiome has triggered a 'revolution' in nutritional science, and in the last few years, dietary fiber has become the "new protein" – added to foods in abundance to feed our gut and boost our health. A recent study on mice, however, suggests not all fiber supplements are equally beneficial. A form that is readily found in oats and barley, called beta-glucan, can control blood sugar and assist in weight loss among mice fed a high-fat diet. Researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) and the University of Vienna say it is the only type of fiber...

A small pilot study has found evidence of human co-infections from Bartonella and Babesia odocoilei, a protozoal tick-borne infection primarily found in deer, moose and other cervids. The co-infections were detected in six of seven patients suffering from chronic, non-specific illness, who were enrolled in a Bartonella study. The work presents some of the first definitive DNA evidence of this strain of Babesia infection in humans, and could impact treatments for patients with Bartonella, Borrelia or Babesia infections. Bartonella are a group of vector-borne bacteria transmitted primarily via arthropods like fleas, lice and potentially ticks, but also by the animals...

People with higher intakes of calcium and zinc before pregnancy appear to have a significantly lower risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), according to research. Liping Lu, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues used data from 7,737 pregnant women without chronic hypertension participating in the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-To-Be to assess the association between preconceptional calcium intake (three months before pregnancy) and odds of HDP. There was a modest inverse association between energy density-adjusted calcium intake and HDP when adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, clinical, and other dietary factors. The odds of HDP were 21 percent lower for participants in...

The FBI's director has cast doubt on whether Donald Trump was struck by a bullet during the attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania political rally. Christopher Wray was updating Congress on the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler on Wednesday when he made the explosive statement. 'There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,' Wray said. Wray was addressing security failures that allowed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire. Crooks, 20, killed firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, and injured two others including Trump during the shooting. The presidential hopeful has since...

WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Biden remains sharp as a tack and “absolutely” could serve another four-year term — stunning journalists at her first briefing since Biden dropped his re-election campaign over concerns about his mental acuity. “Look, he didn’t step down from campaigning or from running because he didn’t believe he can serve in a second term. That is not why,” Jean-Pierre claimed to the incredulity of the press corps. The press secretary said the 81-year-old president’s decision to drop out Sunday and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, was in the...

In some good news for nearly half the world's men, scientists have found that a naturally occurring sugar in humans and animals could be harnessed as a topical treatment for male pattern baldness. This discovery could deliver a non-invasive, inexpensive and safer alternative to leading treatment minoxidil. An international team of scientists from the University of Sheffield and COMSATS University Pakistan has found that the organic compound 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) can stimulate new hair growth, following eight years of research into how this deoxy sugar could assist wound healing. The accidental discovery came about when they saw how hair around wound...

ALAMEDA. Calif. (KGO) -- There is a police investigation over what is seen on video in this story. One 13-year-old basketball player stomping on an opposing player's head. "He was down on the floor and this kid just came and just stomped on him and on his head." Eva and Roderick Guingab's son was playing on the Tumakbo United team, which is a Filipino-American youth team based in the Bay Area, with players from all across the U.S. The game took place Sunday at the College of Alameda versus Payton's Place, another Bay Area team. There was a scuffle to...

TOPLINE Health officials in India are racing to contain an outbreak of Nipah virus after a teenage boy died from an infection over the weekend, the latest in a series of outbreaks in the region of the incurable virus that kills as many as three in four people it infects and has been flagged as having the potential to seed a new pandemic.Nipah is a rare and potentially deadly virus that was first discovered in 1999 after an outbreak among pigs and pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore.Nipah is a zoonotic virus—meaning it can spread from animals to humans—and can...