Free Republic

In testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic this week Dr. Anthony Fauci dazzled the committee members with his arrogance and dissimulation. In response to a question by committee chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) about the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)--a government agency that Fauci directed from 1984 to 2022--issuing grants for "gain-of-function" (i.e., how to make viruses more deadly) research on COVID, Fauci replied "I signed off on every foreign and domestic NIAID grant without reviewing any of the proposals. So, I have no specific knowledge concerning what type of research was funded."...

First things first: if you want to wear a mask, go ahead. Nobody is stopping you. If you believe they work, have at it.Obviously, people who wear masks think they provide protection from infection. And it is hard to imagine that anybody wearing masks to protect against COVID in 2023 isn’t vaxxed to the max. A new booster is coming out soon, too.You have your COVID armor, right?So why the push to reinstate mask mandates?It literally makes no sense if you believe that masks and vaccines work. And if you don’t believe they work, why push a mask mandate at...

The continued refusal to allow the world's top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic to enter the US to play in the Miami Open tournament defies common sense. The hang-up is that he hasn't received a covid vaccine. The current scientific evidence indicates that (1) the vaccines are not effective in preventing infection or transmission of the virus, (2) Djokovic has already had and recovered from the disease, which means he has natural immunity that is as good as or better than any vaccine-induced resistance to the disease, and (3) vaccination is not required for the millions who have illegally entered the...

With all of the talk of a potential revival sweeping the nation right now, I think it’s a good time to discuss the difference between “the fire of spiritual revival” and “the whisper of daily obedience.”While we all want to see a spiritual awakening sweep the nation and the world, we must recognize that God’s normal work is in the steady obedience of his fully committed remnant.There’s nobody who knew this better than Elijah. He learned the lesson toward the end of his prophetic ministry, and the process of it was painful.The showdownWhen we catch his story in 1 Kings...

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) colluded with Google to auto-install contact-tracing spyware on the smartphones of over a million Massachusetts residents. Though this collusion is not authorized by any statutory law, Margret Cooke, Acting Commissioner/General Counsel for DPH asserted a public benefit justification. "The purpose of the spyware was to distinguish between citizens who were obeying our pandemic lockdown orders and those who were flouting them," Cooke said. "Since few owners of smart phones were voluntarily downloading the app that would allow us to track their movements we reached an agreement with Google to surreptitiously install the app...

Despite the fact that the younger adults that comprise the majority of our military forces have never been at great risk from covid and the fact that getting a covid vaccination does not prevent the recipient from getting or transmitting the disease, the Biden Administration still insists that soldiers, sailors, and airmen who refuse to be vaccinated must be discharged from the service. In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph Martin predicted "a recruitment shortfall of 28,000 for the current fiscal year. This is despite raising our maximum enlistment bonus to $50,000...

Airports have been the main stages for security and hygiene "theater.". Bureaucrats cling to power. It’s their institutional predisposition. So it was no surprise on Wednesday when the Department of Justice appealed the recent Federal court ruling that struck down the mask mandate imposed on mass transportation by the Centers for Disease Control. As the appeal demonstrates, governments are especially reluctant to give up emergency powers. When they do, the relinquishment is grudging and only partial. That is a big reason why big government keeps getting bigger. As economist Robert Higgs showed in his book Crisis and Leviathan, since the...

In honor of the January 6 incursion into the Capitol, Former President Barack Obama released a statement asserting that "one year ago a violent attack on our Capitol made it clear just how fragile the American experiment in democracy really is. In the November 2020 election more than 81 million votes were cast for Joe Biden. Rather than accepting this ringing endorsement for the person voters wanted to rule them for the next four years, Republicans are still working to torpedo his agenda." "As the last year has demonstrated, the average American has supported the President by obeying his request...

President Joe Biden used a CNN “town hall” where attendance was “by invitation only” to further vent his anger at those Americans “who continue to try my patience. Look, I know I said that I wouldn’t make vaccinations mandatory. But that was nine months ago. I naively thought that Americans would take the advice of their president. I mean, why elect me if you’re going to second guess every zig and zag of my policies. Where’s the trust?” “I gave everyone six months to voluntarily get vaccinated,” Biden said. “I was stunned that there were so many resisters. It’s not...

Now that his vow to have 70% of Americans vaccinated by July 4 has fallen short, President Biden is planning to send federal agents on a door-to-door campaign to convince "hesitators" to take the jab. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) called this move "deeply disturbing. It's intrusive, intimidating, and unnecessary. The government has already offered free vaccination to anyone who wants it. Those who don't want it are entitled to be left alone." Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra strongly disagreed with Biggs' objections. "It is absolutely the governments business to know who has been vaccinated and who hasn't," Becerra...

Steve Schmidt, former advisor to Sen. John McCain and cofounder of the Lincoln Project, predicted that the January 6 Capitol insurrection is “likely to kill a lot more Americans than were killed in the 9/11 attacks.” “The fact is that as bad as the 9/11 terrorist attacks were they also had the salutary effect of uniting the country,” Schmidt contended. “The 1/6 insurrection shook the very foundations of our democracy and provoked a profound disunity that continues taking a bloody toll on America and the world.” Schmidt went on to blame the 1/6 event for “the despair that has induced...

A study by economists from the University of Southern California and the RAND Corporation examined the effectiveness of pandemic lockdowns and concluded that the measures taken to try to stop the spread of COVID did not save lives. In fact, every week these policies were in place an extra 2.7 deaths per 100,000 persons was recorded. The mechanisms by which the added fatalities were enabled included increased unemployment and poverty, increased stress and anxiety leading to increased drug use and suicides, increased child abuse and domestic violence, and reduced access to medical care for other serious diseases. Countries and US...

President Biden announced that he “may or may not” force everyone to get vaccinated for COVID. Calling it “one of the tough decisions a great president has to make,” Biden says he is “weighing the individual’s natural right to control his or her own body with my responsibility as president to ensure that everyone is safe from harm.” The first population cohort likely to be required to get vaccinated is the military. Biden explained that “members of the armed services are already required to take mandatory inoculations. It’s part of what it means to ‘serve.’ If we can achieve a...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may fine Eric Nepute as much as $500,000 for advocating the use of vitamin D and zinc to help the body's immune system resist COVID infection. While science has validated the positive anti-viral effects of these two natural substances, the FTC labeled Nepute's statements "false." FTC acting Chairwoman Rebecca Slaughter asserted that "since the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) has a different narrative on the COVID pandemic, Mr. Nepute's contradiction of that narrative undermines people's faith in the government's preferred strategy for combating this disease. This contradiction could confuse people and result in...

Parents are more worried about their sons’ futures than their daughters’. Boys have fallen far behind girls academically. Our school system increasingly favors female traits and doesn’t respect boys’ unique style of learning, which only leads to the expansion of the education gender gap. Research also now shows that boys are more at risk of struggling and falling behind because of remote learning during the COVID pandemic. Shouldn’t we be adequately preparing ALL children for the future? Scholarships and programs disproportionately favor girls. Research shows that 92% of sex-specific scholarships are reserved for women, when 58.6% of college students are...

Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk expressed skepticism that the claimed resurgence of COVID is real. "I had myself tested four times in one day," Musk said. "Twice I was told I was positive for COVID. Twice I was told I was negative for COVID. The BD Veritor™ System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 was used for each test. Each test was administered by the same nurse at the same facility. The national COVID database now shows two new cases of the disease—both of them me. But I have no symptoms. I think the claim that rising numbers of cases justify a...

The CDC has changed its recommendations as to testing asymptomatic people for COVID-19. The following is the new guidance from the CDC: If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms: You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one. A negative test does not mean you will not develop an infection from the close contact or contract an infection at a...

Six out of every 10 registered U.S. voters believe the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to come in the United States, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen. A strong majority of 59% of voters believe that the country has yet to see the worst of the virus, while just 20% believe the worst effects of it are behind us. A further 22% expressed uncertainty....

CENTRAL — A Central pastor who has defied government orders to limit crowds to 50 people or fewer, was arrested on six counts of violating the governor's order, after authorities say he's continued to hold large services. Pastor Tony Spell’s arrest on Tuesday follows weeks of city and state leaders urging that he suspend services at Life Tabernacle Church in Central amid a surge in fatal coronavirus cases in Louisiana and East Baton Rouge Parish. "He will be held responsible for his reckless and irresponsible decisions that endangered the health of his congregation and our community," said Central Police Chief...

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. ( Exodus 20:12)God says that we are to Honor our Father and Mother. The commandment is not that we should agree with them, love or even like them, but that we should give our parents Honor. It will be pointed out in the New Testament, that this is the first commandment with a promise. The idea is that God himself has placed placed us in our particular families, and given us the parents (and children) that we have....