Free Republic

Syphilis cases are up in gay men, according to the Delaware Department of Public Health. 76 cases of syphilis were reported to the Health Department last year. Nearly all of them were diagnosed among gay men, and the majority of those cases were in New Castle County. The department says this may be part of a rising trend in syphilis among gay men throughout the country, as increases in cases have been reported in cities such as New York, Miami, San Francisco and Chicago. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that’s transmitted from contact with an infected person. The disease...

STOCKTON - The City Council on Tuesday is expected to take its first step toward filing for bankruptcy in a dramatic move to remedy Stockton's crippling finances. If bankruptcy ultimately happens, Stockton would be the nation's largest city to fall into Chapter 9 protection. While city administrators remained silent on any plans, it became an open secret Wednesday. The Downtown Stockton Alliance board of directors in a public meeting discussed the city's bankruptcy timetable. Also Wednesday, the San Joaquin and Calaveras counties Central Labor Council distributed an email, alerting its members that Stockton plans to begin the process at next...

F-35 Lightning II Program Public Affairs Release – 2012 02 23 FIRST F-35B FLIGHT WITH EXTERNAL WEAPONS NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Over an Atlantic test range, Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin flies F-35B test aircraft BF-2 with external weapons pylons for the first time Feb. 22. The test measured flying qualities with external pylons, inert AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and centerline 25 mm gun pod. Significant weapons testing for the F-35B and F-35C variants is scheduled for 2012, including fit checks, captive carriage, pit drop and aerial drop tests. The F-35B is the variant of...

The recent Health and Human Services mandate and the ensuing debate appear to have pitted religious-liberty claims against women’s health. But because religious leaders (rightly) focused on the need for a religious exemption, it may appear to some observers that they are unable to articulate a reasoned and weighty response to the administration’s claim that contraceptives are essential to women’s health and well-being.The Obama administration is wrong on this score as well, and the substantive case needs to be made: The contraceptive revolution has failed to be the unmitigated boon to women or to society that it was hyped...

A local colon cancer survivor says she's living proof Dental assistant Tonya Brinson is a colon cancer survivor. Brinson was diagnosed in 2007 when she was only 41 and when her son was a young boy. She called a specialist when she started bleeding. “Within a week of that time, he set me up with a colonoscopy, and thank God he did that," Brinson said. "He saved my life.” A study in The New England Journal of Medicine presented hard evidence that colonoscopies prevent death. The test gives a doctor the ability to see the colon and remove any suspicious...

... Evidence so far indicates that no malice was intended in the Koran-burning at the [Afghan] air base, Doug Wilson, the Pentagon's assistant secretary for public affairs, said today. "We do not believe that this was something where those involved intended to burn the Koran as a religious document,["] Wilson said. ... "After 10 years, incidents such as this have been extremely rare," he said. "No matter how serious this was, no one should necessarily extrapolate a broader trend about how our armed forces in Afghanistan are poised to treat religious and cultural materials." ... - Bloomberg, Feb 23,...

I would like for as many people as possible to go to the link and order a free koran. The more money these barbarians spend to send free korans to everyone the less they will have to fund their jihad. The only drawback is that you have to provide some personnal information to get it (name, address). But I'm sure many freepers are prepared to deal with any unwanted visitors.

Dear Dave, My husband’s company recently told everyone that massive layoffs are coming, and they should start looking for other jobs. Right now, all of his options are out-of-town. A real estate agent told us we’d have to remodel our kitchen in order to sell the house. We’ve got $3,500, but remodeling would take about $2,000. Should we get a second mortgage to get the work done? Pamela Dear Pamela, You might want to get another opinion. Sure, a new kitchen would be nice, but is that the end-all, be-all? Either way, there’s no way I’d go into debt to...

As U.S. and Israeli officials talk publicly about the prospect of a military strike against Iran's nuclear program, one fact is often overlooked: U.S. intelligence agencies don't believe Iran is actively trying to build an atomic bomb. A highly classified U.S. intelligence assessment circulated to policymakers early last year largely affirms that view, originally made in 2007. Both reports, known as national intelligence estimates, conclude that Tehran halted efforts to develop and build a nuclear warhead in 2003. The most recent report, which represents the consensus of 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, indicates that Iran is pursuing research that could put...

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Act of Valor is directed by Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh and premieres in theaters on Friday, February 24, 2012. Military1Click: Hello and thank you for talking with us today. I am a Navy wife and my co-founder of Military1Click is an Air Force wife. So our questions today are from a military spouse perspective. Act of Valor: Great, nice to meet you, thank you. Military1Click: We know that the 8 Seals in this movie are real Seals, but what about their spouses and children in the movie? Act of Valor: All of the families, including the children, are...

February 24, 2012   Friday after Ash Wednesday   Reading 1 Is 58:1-9a Thus says the Lord GOD:Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness,and the house of Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day,and desire to know my ways,Like a nation that has done what is justand not abandoned the law of their God;They ask me to declare what is due them,pleased to gain access to God."Why do we fast, and you do not see it?afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?" Lo, on your fast...

California is the most “unfavorable” state for Americans, with Republicans particularly adamant in their distaste for the Golden State. Democrats have a favorable impression of the state, according to the poll by Public Policy Polling. California was one of only five states to get an unfavorable overall score, with 27 percent giving it a “favorable” and 44 percent giving it the thumbs down. (The rest of those polled didn’t have an opinion.)

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said he supports the idea of allowing illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses as long as they have been in the United States for a number of years without committing other crimes. Baca's comments Thursday come as Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has also expressed support for driver's license for illegal immigrants. Baca said such licenses should only be issued after illegal immigrants fill out comprehensive applications, similar to those for citizenship. The sheriff also said the licenses should be up for renewal annually, and be noticeably different than those issued to citizens....

On the 40 Days of Lent "Time Spent in the Desert Can Be Transformed Into a Time of Grace" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 22, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in the Paul VI Hall. Today the Pope reflected on the liturgical season of Lent. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, In this catechesis, I would like to reflect briefly upon the season of Lent, which begins today with the liturgy of Ash Wednesday. It is a journey of 40 days that will lead us to the...

In recent days, comments putting Tim Tebow under friendly fire were released, with Broncos backup quarterback Brady Quinn, questioning Tebow's public displays of faith in an interview with Yahoo! Sports' own Michael Silver (and then swiftly apologizing for those very comments). So many have wondered why Tebow didn't speak up about the scathing commentary from a teammate. It turns out there's a good reason for that: He was preoccupied fulfilling the dream of a 9-year-old with a severe tumor disorder...

On the 3 Last Words of Jesus Dying on the Cross "We Shall Never Fall Outside the Hands of God, Those Hands That Created Us" VATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in Paul VI Hall. The Pope continued his reflection on the prayer of Jesus dying on the Cross, today focusing on the three last words of Jesus as recounted in the Gospel of St. Luke. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, In our school of prayer last Wednesday, I spoke about...

The end’s in sight for the Super Hornet. Or is it? Boeing’s F/A-18E and F Super Hornets, and their forebears, have been part of U.S. naval aviation for so long it’s hard to imagine aircraft carriers without them. But under this month’s DoD budget submission, the Navy would accept its last new Superbug in only three years. Big B announced on Wednesday that it had completed early delivery of the Navy’s second-to-last multi-year batch of Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers — 257 airplanes — and that it’s on the glide slope to continue right on through into the final multi-year....

In a blistering election year attack on his political foes, President Barack Obama charged Thursday that Republicans are "licking their chops" over painfully high gas prices that threaten the fragile economic recovery. "Only in politics do people root for bad news and they greet bad news so enthusiastically," he said in a combative speech at the University of Miami. "You pay more, and they're licking their chops." The defiant rhetoric came after days in which the White House has worked to get off the defensive over high gasoline prices, insisting that Obama has done everything he can to bring those...

The Internal Revenue Service has reopened the offshore voluntary disclosure program (OVDP) to help people hiding offshore accounts to get current with their taxes. The IRS had similar programs in 2009 and 2011 when it raised more than $4.4 billion. If you are an Indian living in the US or a US citizen living in India, with offshore assets, you might need to make some important decisions. Parag Patel, a tax attorney at New Jersey based law firm Patel Law Offices says, "Today, the IRS is tightening its focus on foreign assets and foreign activities of its residents and citizens....