Free Republic

A person’s hearing can be damaged by loud noise, aging and even certain medications, with little recourse beyond a hearing aid or cochlear implant. But now, UCSF scientists have achieved a breakthrough in understanding what is happening in the inner ear during hearing loss, laying the groundwork for preventing deafness. The research, published on Dec. 22, 2023, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, links animal studies on hearing loss with a rare type of inherited deafness in humans. In both cases, mutations to the TMTC4 gene trigger a molecular domino effect known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), leading...

“In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught.”- Hunter S. ThompsonAccording to the FBI, you may be an anti-government extremist if you’ve:a) purchased a Bible or other religious materials,b) used terms like “MAGA” and “Trump,”c) shopped at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabela’s, or Bass Pro Shops,d) purchased tickets to travel by bus, cars, or plane,e) all of the above.In fact, if you selected any of those options in recent years, you’re probably already on a government watchlist.That’s how broadly the government’s net is being cast in its pursuit of domestic extremists.We’re all fair game now, easy...

This is kind of big news, one would think, considering everything Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has put his country through (My dear friend David thought it was, too.). Also considering all of the power he has sought to gather unto himself under the various guises of “emergencies,” “pandemics,” and “big scary trucks making honking noises,” etc.?It’s really a sign of hope for Canadian recovery from this socialist scion.In a long-awaited decision, the Federal Court has ruled that the measures Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked under the Emergencies Act were unreasonable and unconstitutional.The decision follows an application for judicial review launched...

Two Chicago journalists reported that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has become so "stressed out" that he was hospitalized for panic attacks. John Kass and Anita Padilla broke the news on WGN-AM's Chicago Way Podcast on January 16, saying that Johnson needed medical help due to increasing stress. They were talking about the illegal immigrant problem on air when Kass said "No amount of anti-depressants can cure him of this problem." "I know, it's so true," Padilla said. "And you know, I actually, you brought it up, I was gonna bring it up." "The panic attacks?" Kass asked. "The mayor's panic...

In a fiery exchange last month, CNN anchorwoman Abby Phillip told GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy that there was “no evidence” to support his claim that federal agents abetted protesters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Ramaswamy shot back that the FBI conspicuously has never denied that law enforcement agents were on duty in the crowd. He argued that federal officials have repeatedly “lied” to the American people about not only that investigation but one that has gotten much less attention: the alleged failed plot to kidnap and kill Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan in 2020. “It was...

Last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) apprehended a would-be "transgender" shooter who wanted to mass murder "transphobes." However, the FBI didn't swiftly nab the gunman until discovering months later that the "indigenous" suspect, a self-described "Nazi dominatrix," was posting racist, antisemitic content on social media vilifying blacks, Jews, and immigrants. The few media outlets that did cover the arrest also opted to focus on the Nazi flag-waving suspect's white nationalist ideology and downplay his "trans"-fueled bloodlust. Both The Oregonian and CourtWatch referred to the "transgender" as an "Oregon woman." Elizabeth Ballesteros West, formerly Francisco Frank Paramo, of Cottage...

The number of adult tobacco users has dropped steadily in recent years, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, but it warned Big Tobacco is working hard to reverse that trend. In 2022, about one-in-five adults around the world were smokers or consumed other tobacco products, compared to one-in-every-three in 2000, the United Nations health agency said. A fresh report looking at trends in the prevalence of tobacco use between 2000 and 2030 showed that 150 countries were successfully reducing it, the WHO said. Caution advised But while smoking rates are declining in most countries, the WHO warned that tobacco-related...

In many ways, Speaker Johnson didn’t bail out Democrats from a tough political predicament as much as he did his own Republican members.The outline of the spending agreement House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., cut with Democratic leaders sounds bad on its face. But the underlying reasons for that agreement seem far worse.As I wrote last week, “Speaker Johnson and Republican ‘leadership’ … bailed the Democrats out of the predicament they put themselves in last May.” To which I should make an important addition: In many ways, Johnson didn’t bail out Democrats from a tough political predicament as much as he...

A bulldozer unloads the bodies of Palestinians killed in fighting with Israel and turned over by the Israeli military during a mass funeral in Rafah, Gaza StripThe first hearing in a landmark lawsuit against Israel enters its second day on Friday at the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case, filed to the top UN court by South Africa last month, claims Israel's siege of Gaza amounts to genocide and breaches the post-Holocaust 1948 Genocide Convention. The Convention gives party countries, which include both Israel and South Africa, the collective right to prevent and stop crimes of genocide. Such...

The leaders of the U.S. Congress’s pro-life caucuses are leading bicameral opposition to the Biden Administration’s proposed rule targeting pregnancy centers for denial of federal funding to help women facing unplanned pregnancy. In October the Biden Administration had released a Proposed Rule Change for the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) program, a federal assistance program that gives cash assistance to American families in need through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Numerous states give TANF funds to pregnancy help organizations because they help to meet some or all the TANF program’s goals. The Biden Administration’s Proposed...

So the pullback in ESG firms continues, eh? John had a post in December about corporations and campuses who were beginning to get pushback on their DEI initiative. BlackRock was one of those named, doing some verbiage shuffling to avoid legal challenges, among other problems besetting the grievance and equity industry.…Investment manager BlackRock (BLK.N), which received a letter in April, removed language stating a scholarship was “designed for” members of specific underrepresented groups…At the end of the month word broke that the state of Tennessee was suing the firm for “misleading” ESG policies and harming the bottom line for investors.The...

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured detailed images of Uranus, revealing its dynamic atmosphere, including rings, moons, and storms. This enhanced view contrasts with earlier images, showing a more active Uranus with a prominent seasonal north polar cloud cap and several storms. These observations are vital for understanding the planet’s complex atmosphere and may also provide insights into the study of exoplanets. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI New View Reveals a Strange and Dynamic Ice World When Voyager 2 flew past Uranus in 1986, the planet appeared to be a nearly featureless, solid blue ball. Now, Webb shows us...

Astronomers have used telescope data to color-correct Voyager 2 images of Neptune and Uranus, revealing that the planets have a similar greenish blue hue. VIDEO AT LINK........... Panels a and b show early images of the visible appearance of Uranus and Neptune reconstructed from Voyager 2 ISS images in 1986 and 1989, respectively, showing Uranus to be pale blue-green, and Neptune dark blue (PIA18182 and PIA01492, credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech). While these early Uranus images were close to ‘true’ colour, the Neptune images were actually stretched and enhanced. Panels c and d show more recent reconstructions of the true colours of these...

According to a new report from The Dallas Express, the Dallas Independent School District has published a resource guide that advises children on how to change genders. Named the “LGBTQ+ Resources for Dallas ISD & Surrounding Communities,” the document recommends various “transgender” clinics, gives resources on how to socially, legally, and medically transition, and lists books for elementary students about gender-confused children. Robyn Harris, the executive director of Dallas ISD’s communications team, told The Dallas Express that the document is only available to adults who request it. She specified that the adults are to be parents or other school employees....

There's been chatter about impeaching Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for years now, with such an effort looking increasingly likely in the Republican-controlled House. On Sunday, CNN put out a piece detailing how Republicans are united on impeaching Mayorkas, highlighting how that includes support from moderates as well. "From the far right and the Freedom Caucus to those more moderate, we have all been a part of this," Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) told the outlet. "We’ve all asked the tough questions, and I think we are at a point, and I believe that the American people agree...

Move over, AARP. A conservative competitor that rejects the AARP’s liberal political agenda for seniors has 2.2 million members and growing.For decades now, AARP, which once stood for the American Association of Retired Persons and has been subsequently rebranded as just a set of initials that stand for nothing, has been one of the most influential lobby groups in Washington, D.C. Though AARP was supposed to represent a large and politically diverse cross-section of older Americans, its transformation into an overtly partisan Democrat organization is hard to deny. Recently, AARP lobbied heavily for the Biden administration’s disastrous and ironically named...

Here are many examples of voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election that, as far as I’m aware, have not been debunked.By Daniel Alman (aka Dan from Squirrel Hill)January 4, 2024The mainstream media continues to insist that there is “no evidence” of voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.They are lying.Here are many examples of voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election that, as far as I’m aware, have not been debunked:Mainstream media reported that Fulton County, Georgia, “stopped” counting ballots for the night because “a water pipe has broken,” and “sent the ballot counters home.”Video shows...

Europe has laid the groundwork for World War III and the destruction of Europe as a whole, all to save its failed fiscal management of the economy. Using the Ukrainian war that the West instigated by promising democratic elections to the Donbas in BAD FAITH just for being Russian, the European Union Council adopted a 12th sanctions package against Russia. This time, they sealed the fate of the world and Europe by also announcing that the end of this contrived Ukrainian war would not be lifted after the conflict ended. From the very beginning, Europe negotiated in BAD FAITH with...

The Iowa caucuses are two weeks away, and the New Hampshire primary follows a week later. This is the official starting gun for the 2024 elections, but the battleground has already been laid. When RedState reported earlier in December on Kate Cox and the lawsuit over Texas' Heartbeat Law, this prescient statement was made.Tragically, in the case of Kate Cox, the agenda bled through. Whether Cox was driving this or someone was driving Cox is yet to be seen. But it was clear the focus was to challenge the Texas law in order to create an issue that would carry...

Whether or not you believe that anthropomorphic climate change is a genuine problem or not, you have to admit that our government’s programs to deal with it are thinly veiled scams.Don’t believe me? Here is example #1 of 50 million:They Justified Hamas Terrorism. Now Biden Is Letting Them Dole Out Taxpayer Dollars.https://t.co/HZImop9deO— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) December 22, 2023The Biden Administration just announced the distribution of $600 million– more than half a billion- to various nonprofits to pass along to their pet projects (and their favorite political activists). These groups are basically Left-wing activists who serve as the shock troops...