Free Republic

The United States stood Sunday at the brink of 500,000 COVID-19 deaths as Dr Anthony Fauci warned that Americans could be wearing masks into 2022 despite infections falling 77 per cent over the last six weeks. A year into the pandemic, the running total of lives lost was about 498,000 — roughly the population of Kansas City, Missouri, and just shy of the size of Atlanta. The figure compiled by Johns Hopkins University surpasses the number of people who died in 2019 of chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer's, flu and pneumonia combined.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and several other female House Democrats are wearing black attire in an effort to show Wednesday’s scheduled impeachment vote is a “somber day.” CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash tweeted that Pelosi conveyed to her that she “feels sad” over today’s vote as she walked into the House chamber while House Democrats debate impeachment.

Humility, gratitude and sacrifice. From his first words, Barack Obama let us know that even on a day so bright he was not blinded. Not by the cloud of witnesses in front of him. Not by the lights of cameras sending his words across the planet. That he was willing to sound so somber on his day of celebration tells us many things at once. At a time of scarcity, do not waste opportunities. When the world is watching and willing to follow, tell them where you want to take them. And above all tell the truth. (Read Obama's Inaugural...