Free Republic

Researchers at MIT; the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; along with colleagues from around the world have identified specific types of cells that appear to be targets of the coronavirus that is causing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vortex’s entry to the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Fire Control (NGSW-FC) program is a 1-8x first focal plane optic with an integrated rangefinder and overlaid display. (Photos: Vortex) Wisconsin-based Vortex Optics announced Monday they have entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army an agreement to deliver an optic for evaluation as a component of the service’s Next Generation Squad Weapon. The contract between the Pentagon and Vortex is an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement, an award type traditionally used to fund innovative prototype procurement and development of forward-looking technology. Vortex said in a statement they will provide the Army with...

Coronavirus Updates: Panola County gets 5th death, N95 masks given to PSCO

Touted as society’s way out of widespread lockdowns, scientists say the true potential of these rapidly developed tests is still unknown.

Briarcliff Skilled Nursing has updated its COVID-19 numbers. They are now up to 12 residents and eight staff who have tested positive for the virus.

OK. Let's get to the chase. I'm a pilot. I've been flying almost 45 years. I know many commercial pilots who work for the big carriers. Some do international flights, the Far East, Europe, etc. At least four of them now have told me they have had this crap, some as early as November of last year. High fever, bad dry cough, and body aches. They all said they were sicker than a dog. They told me they have flown boatloads of people from China and Europe to here before the travel ban. They tell me they passed it around...

The Briarcliff Skilled Nursing Center in Carthage is now reporting two deaths related to COVID-19, as well as seven residents and five staff members who have tested positive, in an update Tuesday on their website. The facility has had 28 people tested for coronavirus. Five residents tested negative. The facility said eight residents and one employee had pending tests.

We live very close to the Louisiana state line. So close, that to get to a small Texas town south of us, the shortest way is to go through a part of Louisiana. On a trip to that small town south of us today, my wife encountered several Texas DPS officers on US 84 stopping out of state cars with Louisiana tags. It appears governor Abbot is enforcing the ban on non-essential people coming from Louisiana to Texas.

A Panola County COVID-19 death has been recorded, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services and Panola County Judge LeeAnn Jones. Jones said the Panola County resident who died was a patient at a Shreveport hospital, and that is where they contracted the virus. The patient died March 30.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday expanded the state’s mandatory self-quarantine order for travel from coronavirus hot spots, including road travel out of Louisiana. The Texas Department of Public Safety will monitor interstates and other entry points into Texas to ensure that travelers out of Louisiana abide by the 14-day quarantine, or length of stay in Texas, whichever is shortest, Abbott said. Commercial travel will be exempt, he said. Abbott also expanded the mandatory quarantine order to include travelers on flights out of Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago and any airport in California and Washington state. Abbott’s previous quarantine order, issued Thursday,...

Here is what I have found to be the most accurate and recent data on the coronavirus. These are from Johns-Hopkins. The clickable map is here: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6 The raw data that drives the above interface and that I've been working with can be copied into a CSV file and then loaded into an Excel spreadsheet. It is found here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19/master/csse_covid_19_data/csse_covid_19_time_series/time_series_covid19_confirmed_global.csv

Tarrant County officials voted to close non-essential businesses and impose civil penalties against those who disobey emergency plan orders on Sunday night. Tarrant County Commissioners unanimously voted to close those businesses until at least April 5. That excludes businesses listed by the Department of Homeland of Security as “critical infrastructure.” The first ruled if someone breaks an emergency order in the county’s emergency management plan, they can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to 180 days. This also applies to businesses that are open against emergency orders.

Dallas County health officials say nine more people have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 28. The cases include two women in their 20s, a man in his 30s, a woman in her 40s, two women in their 50s, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s. Five of the patients are hospitalized and three of them are in critical condition. Four of the patients are self-isolating at home. Eight of the cases involve residents of Dallas and one is a resident of Irving.

I won't name the source, but Fort Worth ISD has suffered a serious data breach, and the main computer system could be down until after spring break. Got kids or a spouse in Fort Worth ISD? Watch your bank accounts or personal files.

After watching the Republican defense on Saturday to the Schiff and Nadler show, it's obvious they, and their democratic accomplices, have engaged in activity that is both illegal, and in contempt of Congress. If any lawyer had engaged in this same activity, they would be guilty of fabricating evidence and prosecutorial misconduct at the very least. They could also be held criminally and civilly liable. Not to mention, their actions, along with those of their accomplices, are in violation of federal RICO laws. They have also violated the civil rights of many victims in this farce. I urge all of...

PANOLA COUNTY, Texas (KSLA) — Authorities with the Panola County Sheriff’s Office have confirmed that a deputy was fatally shot during a traffic stop Tuesday morning. The Sheriff’s Office has since identified him as Deputy Chris Dickerson. “We have heavy hearts but a big community,” Sheriff Kevin Lake said during a news conference. “We just ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.” OFFICER DOWN: Panola County Sheriff's Office releases name of deputy slain during traffic stop Chief Deputy John Depresca said he had been with the Sheriff’s Office for eight years.

Just a thought, but has anyone noticed that in every picture of this guy, he doesn't seem to be carrying much - if any - backup ammo? I own a 7.62x39 rifle, and those ammo magazines are big and bulky. They are MUCH bigger and heavier than 5.56/.223 rounds. And, he supposedly fired HOW MANY ROUNDS?

RUSTON, La. – A tornado killed two people as it tore through the northern Louisiana city of Ruston early Thursday, Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

OMG this is happening in a school district in Texas! I can't believe Fort Worth ISD is making their employees engage in this racist/race baiting crap! Then, after this "white privilege exercise", the employees are made to stand up in front of the whole group and display their "test results." Your tax dollars at work!

Are you wondering why your children who attend a Texas public school are suddenly coming home spewing a bunch of liberal drivel? I just discovered yesterday at Fort Worth ISD that some Texas ISD's give their students a daily ten-minute dose of a CNN news program geared for middle school/high school kids. I did not know this! Yesterdays' subject of interest was "globalism." Now you know where it is coming from!