Free Republic

Two reports of HIV infection occurring despite apparent adequate adherence to PrEP, confirmed by drug level testing, are the first reliably documented cases to be published in peer-reviewed journals since 2018. The most recent case was reported by Dr Matthew Spinelli in Clinical Infectious Diseases. It concerns a 44-year-old gay man in Texas and appears not to be due to poor adherence, but to infection with an HIV virus with an unusual combination of resistance mutations. Two characteristics of the case make it hard to argue against this being a genuine case of PrEP breakthrough. Firstly, samples of blood and...

Much has been written about surviving riots and civil unrest. But thereÂ’s nothing like a firsthand account to bring it to life. We shared an eye-witness story from a National Guard member who told us about the Seattle riots. Another writer shared her familyÂ’s experience during the Ferguson riots. WeÂ’ve seen brutal videos on YouTube and social media. The violence in our country is increasing dramatically. HereÂ’s a first-hand story of the Kenosha riots. And now, a woman has shared on Facebook what her family recently experienced in the Kenosha, Wisconsin riots. In her post, the thing that stands out...

'm not going to say that what we've been experiencing over the last three months have been the first salvos of a civil war, but it sure looks like it. While hard-line socialists in the Democratic Party are working within the political infrastructure and behaving as though they are conducting the business of governance according to the rule of law and constitutionally established procedures, they are in fact in the process of fomenting civil war – or at least, they have made it apparent that they are willing to go that far if they are not able to gain ascendency...

<...> Many Americans are well aware that in their cities, the power belongs not just to leftists, not only to outspoken communists but also fanatics, ideological whackos with ideas of the world revolution. What will American citizens do? They, in fact, have already done, and have already decided this. America has gorged its fill of decapitated and mutilated statues, looting and marauding left-wing barbarians, and demands the restoration of order. Democrats already seem to know who won this year’s election, and the pathetic attempt to revolutionize America is simply an instinctive collective reaction of leftism to its future loss. But...

In an interesting American Thinker piece entitled "How to Fight the Woke – and Win," the author included a piece of advice called "Become Anti-Fragile" as follows: "In war, you must always secure your supply lines. One of the Woke's most powerful weapons is economic pressure, so take that away from them as much as possible. … Being anti-fragile will allow you to stand firm when you need to speak the truth." [Emphasis added.] (Continued below)

This is our ongoing prepper thread, re-invented to be more specific to prepping for, and of course during, pandemics. Where gave you found your preps have withstood this test? What would you like to have done differently? What are your current prepping plans?

Pretend it’s 1960, and the Food and Drug Administration has just done something startling. It has taken a drug it had previously approved for infertility — brand name Enovid — and approved it for the opposite use: birth control. That pill — soon simply the Pill — triggered the sexual revolution. But not overnight. Doctors at first resisted giving it to unmarried women. Women were shy about carrying evidence that they actually planned to have sex. Feminists like Margaret Sanger and Katharine D. McCormick braved vilification to champion it. Madison Avenue chimed in: Ads featured Andromeda, the princess of Greek...

Is anyone seeing runs on supplies like toilet paper, bleach, etc.? I was at the grocery store yesterday the TP aisle was pretty much cleared out. Most household cleaning supplies were available although bleach was limited. Believe it or not hand soap/sanitizer was available in limited quantities. Rest of groceries looked to be good.

 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security offers tips for planning for a possible pandemic in relation to the Coronavirus on a preparedness website. Ready.gov now contains a topic titled, “Human Coronavirus — Know the facts about Coronavirus. Public health is everyone’s responsibility.” That website redirects to recommendations for how to prepare for a possible pandemic. DHS recommends storing a two-week supply of water and food. Officials also urge Americans to make sure they have all needed prescription medications filled for that time period. Specifically, DHS recommends: Before a Pandemic •Store a two week supply of water and food. •Periodically...

The State of Texas will hold an Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday this weekend, giving Texans the chance to stock up on essentials. "I know the weather's good and people aren't thinking about bad weather, but as you know, a couple of weeks ago, the Cap10K was rained out for the first time in its history, a lot of people are still getting out over Hurricane Harvey," Kevin Lyons, a spokesperson for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, said. "We know this is the time of year where there's potential for severe weather." Since 2016, the first year when...

I have set up a folder on the cloud for Preppers and SHTF situations. Right now it has almost 900 files and is about 7GB in size, with sections on prepping, homesteading, gardening, survival, etc. It is a labor of love, something to keep me busy while I was organizing my stuff. Hopefully it is just a beginning and it will end up as a knowledge base for those who like to get ready for the coming storm. It is on a protected site so you need a decryption key to get in. You will also need some basic files...

I don’t typically like writing about firearms on this blog, as there’s a lot of other outlets that do that, and I think that guns get WAY too much focus in the Survivalism and Preparedness community. They’re important and fun, but other stuff, like growing food and having a good store of tools, is just as important. That being said, like with all things, a baseline must first be recognized and then built upon, never detracted from- in order to maximize our capabilities. Hanging out on the sidelines of a public range can be a hobby all to its own;...

There are a few people in my life who arent into preparedness. Oh, theyre fine right-thinking people, and they know of my particular bent, but while they don’t ridicule me they also don’t really feel the need to be on my bandwagon. Not a big deal, we can still be friends. So today Im talking to one and he asks me if I know a place for MRE’s. We chat a bit nad he says he wants some for hunting and to keep in his truck. We talk some more and asks if I know anything about “this Red Feather...

Earlier this month, health officials reported the sixth confirmed failure of PrEP globally. The latest instance involved a San Francisco man who was consistently taking the HIV-prevention medicine during the time he contracted the virus. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, involves taking a Truvada pill once daily to stop HIV infection, and it is estimated to be nearly 100 percent effective. Despite these six failures since Truvada was first approved as an HIV-prevention medication back in 2012, Dr. Stephanie Cohen, the medical director at the San Francisco City Clinic, said — unequivocally — that PreP is working as expected. "Nothing is...

We all like to scoff at that crazy little dictator, Kim Jong Un, who is a walking caricature, putting himself on the cover of a magazine as the sexiest man alive and talking smack like a WWF champ. But, in all seriousness, is North Korea actually a threat?Unfortunately, it looks like the answer to that question is yes…and they’re turning into a bigger one each year.Despite the buffoonery of their Dear Leader, the threat of North Korea is growing rapidly, according to the US Intelligence community. When prepping for a nuclear strike becomes the officially recommended course of action, it...

Representatives of Health Ministry have told the Knesset Health Committee that they will soon begin to administer the PREP medication as a preventative measure to people who have a high risk of contracting the HIV virus. Thus, Israel will become only the fourth country in the world (following France, the U.S., and Holland) where this treatment is offered by the government. Currently, PREP is only included in the health benefits package after a person has contracted the HIV virus. The medication currently costs 2,500 shekels for those who purchase it on their own without medical coverage. Neta Harel, the National...

Small Brooklyn Venues Should Prepare For Terror Attacks, BP Eric Adams SaysDOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Borough President Eric Adams is urging Brooklyn restaurants, colleges and music halls, both large and small, to prepare for unexpected threats to safety. On Friday, Adams met with NYPD officials and representatives for 21 Brooklyn venues, including Brooklyn Bowl, Industry City, Brooklyn Brewery, St. Francis College and Grand Prospect Hall to discuss safety and vigilance, he said at a press conference. "We would never to surrender to fear," he said, "but we would be prepared to...

As much as we’d like to catch our breath after last week’s papal media blitz (which we’re still processing), the Synod begins in just five days. It’s impossible to know for certain how things will play out, but with the list of synod appointees who openly defy Church teaching on sexuality, we can count on trouble. We know that last year, the coverage of faithful Catholic bloggers and news outlets was important in pushing back the Kasper agenda. We know that the bishops who participated in the Synod last year wanted their working group documents published to show where they...

Heat-vision cameras have been used widely in many industries for decades: Soldiers find targets through heat-vision rifle sights, police mount them on helicopters to search for people on the ground and contractors use the sensors to look for cold air seeping into homes. Now you can buy a simple smartphone attachment to reveal the widely varying temperatures of the people and things around you. Maybe you’re not up for hunting Arnold Schwarzenegger, like the heat-seeing alien hunter in the classic 1987 film “Predator.” There are many practical home uses for the latest thermal camera accessories from Flir and Seek, too:...

'Liberty For All Brings You ARMS EXPO 2015 Arms Expo is a gun expo and patriot campout for the whole family. Join us for two days of outdoor events, speakers, family activities, vendors, and private gun sales. Liberty Market & Gun Show Food, drink, artisan crafts, prepper supplies, firearms and gear; that's what you'll find at the Arms Expo Liberty Market & Gun Show. Vendors and citizens are free to buy and sell as they please. No constitutional infringement! Classes & Demonstrations An AR-15 build class, food storage and canning, patriot networking, self-defense, how to apply liberty to your everyday...