Free Republic

There has been an increase in the number of new HIV cases in Ireland recently, with the number of new cases back to pre-COVID levels. HIV Ireland says that the country now has the second highest transmission rate per capita in Europe. A new report by the organization, which was developed with clinicians, researchers, advocates and people with lived experience from across Ireland and the UK, said that Ireland is unlikely to achieve its objective of ending new HIV transmission by 2030. […] Professor Yvonne Gilleece, a consultant in HIV medicine, has said that Ireland needs to increase testing rates...

Insects are not typically considered food in Western society, and many would probably balk at the idea of chowing down an insect bar (though gym bros might be excited at the idea of a new low-fat source of protein). However, the participants in a recent study were actually more likely to prefer an insect protein bar over a cereal bar. “Insect-based food, a potential solution for the escalating global food demand, faces consumer acceptance challenges in some regions,” a team wrote in the Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics study. “This article aims to understand the physiological reactions to an...

William Kristol, the NeverTrump icon and supporter of President George Bush, wants to destroy the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that protects Americans from nation-changing, wage-slashing mass migration. “Abolish ICE. Now,” Kristol posted on Monday, prompting a vigorous response from ordinary Americans […] On Tuesday, Kristol celebrated the news that the Department of Homeland Security has temporarily halted the detention of migrants in vehicle stops, following the second fatal shooting of an illegal migrant driver:If ICE is telling the truth here, the lesson should be not be to declare victory (ok, take one minute to enjoy the victory), but to...

A Washington teacher has admitted having sex with a 16-year-old boy in a sweetheart deal that drastically cuts any time behind bars — as it emerged she is divorcing her husband, who first exposed her twisted behavior. Mackenzie Naught, 25, had faced five years in prison after being charged with sexual misconduct with a minor for romping with the teen from a neighboring school in her truck — soon after she started her job teaching first grade at St. John Elementary School. But the now-fired teacher pleaded guilty Friday in a deal that means she now faces a maximum of...

Rate hike filings come as the state’s major water utilities seek merger. CHICAGO — Customers across Illinois could be facing higher water and sewage bills as the state’s largest private water utilities seek rate increases and permission to merge. Illinois American Water, the state’s largest private water utility, is seeking a $142 million rate increase, which would raise typical water costs for its 357,000 residential customers by around $14 per month. Typical wastewater customers would see an additional increase of around $28 per month. Aqua Illinois, the second-largest private water utility serving over 90,000 customers in the state, has asked...

This horrifying discovery will shock you. It's 1982. Hank was sent to the property of Malvin Weisberg to pick up a shipping container that Malvin stopped making payments on. Malvin told the company that the reason he bought the container was so he could store [music] pool equipment for his backyard pool. Took a box up. It was so heavy as you saw it broke broke my winch. The container was way too heavy to just [music] have pool equipment inside.

In a recent discovery, scientists have uncovered the first kiss in recorded history. Evidence suggests that our ancestors may have engaged in kissing as early as 4,500 years ago. The evidence comes in the form of clay tablets found in regions that now make up Iraq and Syria. These tablets, originating from the earliest Mesopotamian societies, indicate that kissing was a common practice. Moreover, it is even suggested that such acts may have played a role in transmitting cold sores. Researchers from the esteemed University of Copenhagen have proposed that kissing was not limited to a particular region but rather...

A violent altercation broke out between two women and a man at a Chinatown massage parlour on Thursday (July 2) afternoon. A video of the incident posted to Reddit shows a woman in a red blouse holding a man to the ground in a chokehold, while another woman in a black cardigan pushes his head down. He is also kicked repeatedly afterwards. Two other women can be seen trying to intervene, but one of them — identified as 8World to be the owner's wife — gets pushed and attacked as well. Another man can be seen dragging the woman in...

Elliot Page showed off his ripped body in a Monday Instagram post dedicated to his New York-based boxing coach, Nolan Hanson. The shirtless “Odyssey” actor wore red shorts and white sneakers, giving a thumbs up to the camera while posing with Hanson after a gym session. Page also posted two videos of him throwing jabs and uppercuts at Hanson in the boxing ring.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) is alarmed that Democrats might expand the membership of the Supreme Court It is true that leading Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, have welcomed “ideas, for example, that are about Supreme Court reform, including the notion of expanding the court.” But it is wrong to call it court-packing. In fact, the Supreme Court has already been strategically stacked by President Trump and his Senate allies, entrenching an illegitimate conservative supermajority. Adding four seats under the next Democratic trifecta would actually be unpacking the court. After Justice Antonin Scalia died on Feb 13. 2016, President...

The post-pandemic days of coffee badging and logging in from the couch may be coming to an end. More employers have been rolling out novel ways to keep tabs on workers' whereabouts. And now, retail giant Target is doubling down on its attendance policy with a new points system. Starting this September, Target will begin tracking the unexcused tardiness and absences of its store and warehouse workers with a new points system, according to Business Insider reporting confirmed by the company. Staffers' attendance violations will be tallied up and addressed accordingly: a quarter of a point for being more than...

Are you ready to party tonight?!

JD Vance has refused to stop claiming election fraud over the 2020 presidential election ... even after Bill Maher called him out to his face.Read the video transcriptTrump can't run again, and he'd be a little too exciting for me anyway. So it's either gonna be you or Rubio. Here's my deal breaker for your side, OK. Under Trump, you guys have two outcomes that an election can be either we win or they cheated. That has to stop. And the person who. And that means. The person who has to stop it would be you or Marco. Can you...

Jordana Brewster suffered a major meltdown during the surrogacy process and she felt like an "imposter" after her son was born. The Fast and Furious star, 46, is mother to two sons — Julian, 12, and Rowan, 10 — with her ex-husband Andrew Form and both boys were born via surrogate. Jordana has now explained she suffered an emotional breakdown after attending a scan with the woman — named only as Jessica — which left her sobbing and vomiting. In an essay written for The Cut, Jordana explained: "I'm driving south, I realised on the ride back, and my child...

Gov. Kathy Hochul has quietly extended a pilot program providing free healthcare to sex workers – with taxpayers footing the nearly $2.5 million bill. The state Health Department in 2023 awarded $1 million in public funds to two contractors as part of Hochul’s plan to help the “world’s oldest profession,” but new documents reviewed by The Post show the program extending through June 2028, with $1.5 million more in costs. Under the initiative, sex workers in NYC and the Buffalo area will continue to receive primary, sexual, behavioral, and dental care. Critics bashed the hooker healthcare program — which was...

US spy agencies have warned Donald Trump that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to torpedo his fragile peace deal with Iran to save his own political skin. Netanyahu, who faces a general election in the fall, is expected to escalate strikes on Iran's proxy terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon to shore up support at home An official familiar with the report told the Washington Post that Israel's leadership is frustrated with Trump's 14-point plan and what it sees as a capitulation to Tehran. The document states that Jerusalem fears the agreement will hobble its ability to defend itself...

While many people worry that robots are coming to take their jobs, one unlucky bot seems to have fallen on hard times. A humanoid robot was spotted begging for money on a street corner in China's Sichuan province last week. In a viral clip, the bot was seen kneeling on the street, holding its hands together and bowing to passersby. Meanwhile, an LED sign and loudspeaker told locals it had 'no money to recharge' and begged them to 'please help with electricity bills'. The robotic beggar even had a small plate for collecting coins and, of course, a QR code...

An Orthodox Jewish man in Ohio is taking his legal dispute with his hometown to the Supreme Court after he was told he couldn't host a prayer gathering at his house. Daniel Grand invited a dozen of his friends by email to come to his home in University Heights in January 2021. A neighbor saw the email and informed then-Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan about it, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, a law firm. Grand claimed the following day he was hit with a cease-and-desist order by the city's law director. He said the city accused him of operating an illegal...

Millions of Britons will jet off to Spain this summer - but holidaymakers should make sure they're financially solvent before they touch down or face being denied entry. Tourists visiting for up to 90 days could be asked to present proof of having sufficient means for the duration of their proposed stay, after regulations were first introduced post-Brexit in 2021. Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs quietly announced earlier this year that every visitor to the destination in 2026 will now be required to have €122.10 (£105.53) per person per day, The rule changes mean travellers must also have a minimum...

After spending more than a year under a gag order, Austin Metcalf’s father Jeff Metcalf gave an emotional and unfiltered interview about the aftermath of his son’s murder and the trial that followed. Jeff described living with constant anxiety, revealed that his family was repeatedly targeted with doxxing and swatting incidents, and condemned the activists who attempted to portray Austin and the Metcalf family as racists despite no evidence supporting those claims. He also vowed to remain involved in any future parole hearings, making it clear that the fight for justice did not end with Karmelo Anthony’s 35-year sentence. warning...