Free Republic

The runaway inflation raging under Joe Biden’s failed presidency has gotten so bad that some Americans are being priced out of eating at McDonald’s. Exacerbating the situation in California is the new $20-an-hour minimum wage, which has forced many fast food chains — once considered an affordable meal option — to anger customers by hiking prices. This is the second time in three months the Golden State has raised its minimum wage. In January, the state increased the minimum wage to $16 an hour from $11. A TikTok user lamented that she had paid more than $25 for a 40-piece...

People in many states regard N.J. as not much more than a couple exits off of not so scenic I95. But there is a different world just a few miles north and west, and south central N.J. (Pine Barrens). As the suburbs expand and hunting is not permitted in many areas and less hunters in general, we have a ridiculous amount of whitetail deer. Here in Hunterdon County (ironic name) it's swemi-rural with fields, wood, streams, farms and houses on a couple acres or more. Every morning I see at least a half dozen sleeping under our pines and cedars....

EXCLUSIVE: Biden administration officials successfully pressured fact-checking website Snopes to alter its rating on a fact check it conducted regarding a potential federal ban on gas stoves, according to internal communications. In early January 2023, Snopes issued a "mixture" rating on the claim that the Biden administration was considering a ban on gas-powered stovetops, citing comments made by a senior official overseeing product regulations. Shortly before the fact check, Richard Trumka Jr., a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), said such a ban was "on the table." "This is a hidden hazard," Trumka told Bloomberg at the time....

hree of the five people reported by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co to have died after taking its red yeast rice dietary supplements had preexisting medical conditions such as prostate cancer and malignant lymphoma, Japan's health ministry said Tuesday. Three women and two men -- three in their 70s, one in their 90s, and one whose age is unknown -- have so far been reported to have died after consuming the Osaka-based drugmaker's products containing "beni-koji" red yeast rice. Health issues among three of the deceased also included hypertension, hyperlipidemia and rheumatism, while the medical history of the remaining two are unknown,...

Astronauts face significant perils while in space. Multiple studies indicate that humans who spend long enough in orbit may experience a range of health maladies that include weight loss, immune system weakening, loss in bone density, vision loss, and even mysterious headaches. However, new research is revealing how an ancient food product used for millennia may help alleviate some of the risks that astronauts face, and it tastes good too. In a joint project between the European Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency, and the Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agricultural Economics, a team of researchers and astronauts...

It may not be to everyone's taste, but kombucha tea may be able to deliver the benefits of fasting, without the hardest part – the fasting itself. Researchers found that when the yeasts and bacteria from the fermented, sweetened tea colonized the gut, they altered fat metabolism, without any other dietary changes, resulting in lower fat stores. At the center of these findings is the flora found in kombucha tea's SCOBY (Symbiotic Cultures of Bacteria and Yeasts), the gelatinous starter, rich in microbes, found floating near the surface of the fermented liquid. The probiotic microbes, including species of Acetobacter, Lactobacillus...

There are few questions that have plagued human existence for centuries: What is the meaning of life? What happens to us after we die? How come baby animals are so darn cute? Then, there is maybe the most hotly debated question of them all: Does New York City tap water really make the city's bagels and pizza taste better? At times, emotion and bias have co-opted the question. But according to science, the answer is a definitive... yeah, kind of. While the city's water is certainly unique and has defining qualities, the impact it has on the actual taste...

One of nature’s most important keystone species is working itself to death. Colonies of honey bees — crucial pollinators for a wide variety of plants and cash crops — are at risk of collapse because of climate change, a recent study by scientists at Washington State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture found. Long and warmer fall months across the Pacific Northwest encourage bees to emerge from their colonies when they should be resting, said Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, a research leader at the USDA’s Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Arizona. “When it’s warm out, they fly and when they...

Everything you need to know about Kosher for Passover food.The Kosher aisle at the supermarket looks a bit different every spring. Along with the cherished yellow-capped Coca-Cola bottles, plenty of new and sometimes unusual-looking products (off-brand grain-free children’s cereals, canned macaroons in festive flavors) are stocked on shelves in preparation for the major Jewish holiday. What makes these products, and this seasonally niche form of Kashrut, different from the typical Kosher groceries and meals consumed during the rest of the year? Passover comes with its very own, one-week-only, set of eating guidelines for observant Jews. Kosher for Passover food adds...

Growing pains are to be expected as the nonalcoholic category graduates from specialty retail into big box stores.It’s hard to find a stronger indication that nonalcoholic drinks have transcended from trend into the mainstream than permanent real estate at Target. On Thursday, the Minneapolis-based big box retailer announced that it will be carrying a selection of booze-free beverages curated by Sèchey, a nonalcoholic beverage retailer headquartered in Charleston that also happens to produce zero-proof still and sparkling wines. “The biggest piece of feedback we historically have received as to why someone may not be drinking De Soi, or a specialty...

A new restaurant in Finsbury Park boasts burratas, rarebit and tacos – all made with crickets. But is insect protein really the future?With jaunty yellow branding, moody lighting and the promise of ‘small plates’, Yum Bug, a new restaurant in Finsbury Park, north London, might be any trendy rollout. In fact, it is one of a kind. Yum Bug advertises itself as ‘Britain’s first permanent edible insect restaurant’. Rather than lamb, tofu or fish, Yum Bug uses crickets for its protein. Inside, brave pioneers eat dishes including Welsh rarebit made with minced cricket, burrata with whole roasted crickets, even pulled...

April 5 (UPI) -- The dogs had their day at a Chinese mall when 100 huskies escaped from a pet cafe and ran loose through the shopping center. Workers at the cafe in Shenzhen, Guangdong, said someone left a door open, allowing 100 canines to run out into the shopping mall, surprising and delighting shoppers. Cafe employees said the dogs were excited because the business' owner was visiting the cafe after a prolonged absence. Workers ran out after the dogs and were able to round up the excited animals after a prolonged indoor chase. VIDEO AT LINK.....................

Nathan Frederiksen is doing pretty well for himself. He turns 40 this year and is on track to retire by 60. It takes some sacrifice — he drives the “unsexiest car ever,” takes a DIY approach to home repairs and doesn’t eat out much — but he’s able to save 10% of his income for retirement and maintain an emergency savings fund while supporting his wife and four children in the suburbs of Boise, Idaho. “I understand that I’ve been lucky with some of my job prospects, but I don’t make a crazy amount of money,” he told CNN. “I...

A San Francisco lawmaker introduced a proposal that would require grocery stores in the city to provide six months of notice before closing a store and to explore a replacement supermarket at the vacated location. Dean Preston, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, introduced what he calls the Grocery Protection Act – which is based on a proposal the board approved in 1984 that was vetoed by then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein. Preston's proposal would require grocery store owners to provide six months written notice to the Board of Supervisors as well as the Office of Economic...

American truck drivers are sounding the horn on the Biden administration's recently finalized environmental regulations that aim to push for the heavy-duty vehicle sector to go all-electric. The truckers voiced concerns that electric heavy-duty vehicle technology is not nearly advanced enough to replace the nation's existing diesel-powered fleet, noting limitations on vehicle batteries, like low performance in cold weather conditions and shorter range. They also warned that the lack of high-powered charging infrastructure and power grid upgrades needed for fueling vehicles would present additional problems. "I'm an owner-operator. I've been in the business for 30 years," Mike Nichols, a Wisconsin-based...

HOUSTON – A Houston woman is in custody after firing a weapon towards a food delivery driver after a dispute from an order. On Friday, police say Jalyn Searcy-Williams, 24, ordered alcohol on DoorDash, but the driver refused to leave it at the location because the original purchaser was not present. In response, Searcy-Williams fired a gun at him. Deputies responded to the 12500 block of May Laurel Dr. after a nearby resident reported hearing the gunfire. Searcy-Williams was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to Constable Mark Herman, her bond has not been set...

National Beer Day is celebrated every year on April 7th. This unofficial holiday was first celebrated in 2009 via social media activity by a man named Justin Smith. Shortly after, a beer drinking app called Untappd created a National Beer Day badge that was awarded to users. And the hashtag has been trending on social media ever since. But why April 7th? National Beer Day will be celebrated on Sunday, April 7, 2024. New Beer’s Eve is Saturday, April 6, 2024. April 7th was selected as National Beer Day because it marks the date that the Cullen-Harrison Act went into...

Video at link...FOX reporter says, "We've been covering the news for a long time, but this is a first." A Chipotle employee in Southfield, Michigan was shot in the leg by a customer Friday night, police sources told FOX 2. The shooting stemmed from an argument over guacamole. "I was just eating a bowl and I heard shouting. And then I looked over, they're arguing. One of the workers went to the back, I don't know why, and then when he was in the back, the customer walked around the counter, tried to grab his food and put it in...

A Good Samaritan intervened and tackled a brazen attacker who had allegedly battered and spat at an employee at an Indiana Subway restaurant. Gabriel Pitzulo, 23, managed to keep the alleged assailant pinned on the ground for eight minutes until law enforcement authorities were called to the Subway store in Indianapolis. The incredible moment was captured on the store's surveillance camera, showing the brave former high school wrestler charging at the attacker and successfully taking him down. The belligerent customer, later identified as Daniel Saunders, 31, was charged with one count of battery resulting in bodily injury, as reported by...

Ask anyone on the street to name a Greek dish, and nine times out of 10 they'll likely say the gyro. The Greek wrap, whose name refers to the rotational cooking method it utilizes (think the gyroscope) consists of seasoned beef and lamb seared on a vertical spit. The broiled meat is then sliced into strips and stuffed in a pita along with tomatoes, lettuce, and a tangy cucumber yogurt sauce called tzatziki. While the street food emerged in New York during the 1970s, historians say the sandwich can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where it's believed Alexander...