Free Republic

Large groups of North Koreans have appeared uniformly masked as recently as the end of June By Timothy H.J. Nerozzi | Fox News Reports of North Korean citizens going maskless in large groups indicate the country has rolled back its intense COVID-19 restrictions. South Korean analysts are speculating that the hermit nation has ended its blanket mask requirements as of the beginning of July. "Photos carried by the Rodong Sinmun show that the wearing of face masks has notably declined since July 3. They are only worn in extremely rare cases," a spokesperson for South Korea's Unification Ministry told the...

— Increased risk described as "modest," and no association seen with aggressiveness of cancer i> Exposure to Agent Orange was associated with a modestly increased risk of bladder cancer among Vietnam War veterans, according to a retrospective cohort study. Among over 2.5 million male veterans, exposure to Agent Orange was associated with a relative 4% higher risk of bladder cancer (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001), reported Stephen Williams, MD, MBA, of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and colleagues. "These results support prior investigations and further support bladder cancer to be designated as an Agent Orange-associated disease,"...

The Boston City Council narrowly passed a $4.2 billion operating budget that cuts roughly $31 million from the police department. The spending plan was approved Wednesday via a 7-5 vote, and will now be submitted to Mayor Michelle Wu, who can choose to veto or accept the amendments the Council made to her initial budget. The Council approved roughly $52.9 million in amendments, but the two that drew the most opposition were those that would reduce the Boston Police Department and Veterans office budgets by $30.91 million and $900,000, respectively. Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson of "Boston's Hijab Day" fame chaired...

The Biloxi National Cemetery in Mississippi, a graveyard for war veterans, has raised a gay pride flag to fly among the American flags at the entrance to the cemetery.The decision was made possible by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough’s authorization for all VA facilities to raise the LGBT flag in 2022.WLOX News, Biloxi’s local news outlet, interviewed a spokesman for the Biloxi VA about the gesture. He stated that the flag is just a “symbol of inclusion” that indicates to veterans, “If you wore the uniform, the VA is here for you.”

On Friday’s broadcast of Bloomberg’s “Sound On,” White House Council of Economic Advisers member Heather Boushey said that it is crucial that veterans and homeless people were spared the “onerous work requirements” for SNAP benefits in the debt limit and that it appears as though access to food stamps will increase on the whole, but estimates at this point are “very, both preliminary and subject to variance.” Boushey said, [relevant remarks begin around 4:30] “Listen, the important thing here is that the president focused on maintaining his priorities. And certainly, making sure that veterans have access, that homeless folks have...

Hopefully, we think of our nation’s servicemen every day – with respect, with pride, with gratitude. We especially think of them on the anniversaries important to the biggest wars in which they served – on days like Independence Day, Flag Day, Constitution Day, and of course, Veterans’ Day. But Memorial Day is the most direct one: a specific commemoration of those servicemen “who gave the full measure of devotion” for their country – that is, those who died in service to these United States. Memorial Day is therefore about many people – hundreds of thousands of men and women since...

Sometimes he went by the nickname, Mik. To the thousands of people, especially veterans, who listened to his hip-hop, he was known as Doc Todd. George Michael Todd was a Navy corpsman who served in Afghanistan with the 2/8 Marines — known as "America's Battalion." He died in Atlanta earlier this month at the age of 38. The cause was sudden cardiac death, according to his wife, Abigail. In 2017, Todd told NPR his album Combat Medicine was intended to help fellow veterans heal. One of his most popular songs, "Not Alone" is about empowerment, "about taking charge of your...

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday ripped his Republican colleagues for sharing a debunked story about homeless veterans being booted from hotel rooms to make space for migrants, during a House Judiciary hearing on the U.S.-Mexico border. “Unfortunately, my colleagues are not ones to let facts get in the way of a good story,” Nadler said during the hearing, highlighting a false story that was featured by outlets including the New York Post and Fox News. “This was quickly echoed by the Speaker of the House and other congressional Republicans and even by one of our witnesses.”

It appears the story about homeless veterans being displaced by migrants in upstate New York hotels was a hoax, according to a New York politician quoted in the original story. The tale elicited outrage at the notion that homeless veterans out into the street to make room for the ongoing influx of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.The situation began when Sharon Toney-Finch, a veterans advocate who runs the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation (YIT), told the New York Post that upstate hotels were evicting almost two dozen homeless veterans to make room for incoming immigrants being bused from New York City...

For decades, our US military members have been a low priority for Democrats. During Barack Obama’s final months of his second term in office, we reported on a story about how the City of Chicago was forcing a homeless veterans group to vacate a charitable facility located on the South Side of the city where they were fed over 3,000 meals every month, to make room for restaurants and shops that would surround the new “Obama Presidential Center.” “We don’t appreciate being muscled out and put in the situation of having to negotiate from a position of despair,” facility center...

The United States is being invaded ! This is my perspective and opinion from a Latino grandfather military veteran.

Veterans of the United States military are refusing to help out with efforts to relieve the Pentagon's acute recruitment problems citing the wokeness problem embedded in the current military structure as their reason to not get involved. As reported by Just The News, the military has a major recruitment problem among Americans, however, that by itself is not exactly a new development. As previously noted by the DC Enquirer, while obesity rates are an external problem for the military force, wokeness poses an internal problem within the armed forces. The vast majority of Americans from the 17-24 demographic are, according...

During an interview with CBS News on Wednesday, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young responded to a push by House Republicans to claw back unspent COVID money in exchange for raising the debt ceiling by stating that the unspent COVID money is funding for things like small businesses, veterans, and pensions, but “we’re happy to have that conversation when they take default off the table” and the debate over clawing back the unspent COVID funds isn’t tied to the debt ceiling. While discussing House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) plan to raise the debt ceiling, CBS News Chief...

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announces critical new security assistance for Ukraine. This includes the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance with more ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS, air defense interceptors, and artillery rounds that Ukraine is using to defend itself, as well as anti-armor systems, small arms, heavy equipment transport vehicles, and maintenance support essential to strengthening Ukraine's defenders on the battlefield valued at up to $500 million. In addition, we are announcing a significant package of air defense capabilities, as well as artillery and tank ammunition, mortar systems, rockets, and anti-armor systems using $2.1 billion in...

Regards to all you crusty, dusty, Vietnam Vets.

On Thursday, VA announced an updated version of its 1959 mission statement: “To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.” The new mission statement is inclusive of all those who have served in our nation’s military—including women Veterans—as well as Veteran families, caregivers, and survivors. VA currently serves more than 600,000 women Veterans, the fastest growing cohort of Veterans. VA also serves more than 50,000 Veteran caregivers, more than 600,000 Veteran survivors, and millions of Veterans who did not serve in combat.

A hero military veteran jumped into action to take down a knife-wielding man threatening to stab shoppers at a South Carolina Walmart - by smashing him over the head with a metal pole. Video shows the unidentified man dressed in red hoodie swearing and shouting on the floor of the Walmart located in Columbia, SC demanding $20. The man is seen waving his knife yelling, 'I'm going to start cutting you all up,' as horrified bystanders stand by during the incident that took place on January 4th around 2pm. One of the store managers tried to confront the suspect, but...

Following the recent passage of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill by our Congress and the subsequent signing of it into law by our president, details of this massive spending frenzy were provided by Rep. Dan Bishop’s (R-NC) office. Thankfully, Congressman Bishop and his staff were able to provide citizens of our country with details on the 4,155-page, out-of-control spending bill, highlighting such things as $3 million for “bee-friendly highways,” $50 million to research North Atlantic Right Whales, $410 million to “remain available to Reimburse (“Reimburse”?) Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt Tunisia and Oman for enhanced border security (What?!).” Simultaneously, we all...

A Texas nurse is suing the Biden administration after the Department of Veterans Affairs published a rule mandating that VA medical facilities provide abortions and abortion-related services, without an exemption for medical staff who oppose abortion on conscience or religious grounds. Stephanie Carter, a Christian who is a nurse practitioner at the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center in Temple, Texas, argues that she “cannot perform, prescribe, or counsel for abortion services because of her sincerely held religious beliefs that unborn babies are created in the image of God and should be protected,” the lawsuit, filed Tuesday, says.For both religious...

Today on this Veterans Day, I pray that all Americans will set aside our differences to honor those men and women whose sacrifices have allowed us to live in freedom. Thirty years ago, I arrived at the United States Military Academy at West Point as a cadet with amazing young men and women from around the country. Throughout my time at West Point and then the U.S. Army, I served with people of every faith, race, social-economic class, and creed. They were literally from all walks of life in America, but they shared something in common: a love and respect...