Free Republic

ALBANY -- A "rogue" now-former security guard at the Trinity Alliance was behind a large party that erupted into a brawl and ended early Saturday with four young men stabbed, a Trinity official said. Trinity CEO Harris Oberlander said the so-called stop-the-violence party -- which was advertised on fliers and on Facebook using the organization's former name, the Trinity Institution -- was "totally, totally a fraudulent operation that had nothing to do with any of us." Oberlander said the party organizer, whom he declined to name but said had worked at Trinity for more than a year, has been fired...

Federal officials on Friday rejected Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to bar New York City’s food stamp users from buying soda and other sugary drinks with their benefits. (...) Tom Vilsack, the secretary of agriculture, said in a statement that the United States Department of Agriculture “has a longstanding tradition of supporting and promoting incentive-based solutions that are better suited for the working families, elderly and other low-income individuals” who rely on food stamps. “We are confident that we can solve the problem of obesity and promote good nutrition and health for all Americans and stand ready to work with...

EXCERPT: After going upstairs and looking around the store, Obama was seen holding five or six books, including "Brave New World" and "The Bayou Trilogy." He went to the cashier after Malia and Sasha had picked out some books of their own, but disagreed with the $32 price he was quoted, which seemed low for the size of his stack. He paid by credit card, telling the cashiers that he uses it only about three times a year. (...)

The sculpture that is creating so much controversy is a memorial made out of steel from the World Trade Center. The original plan was to place the sculpture at the Saratoga Springs City Center. But as it was built it became clear that area wouldn't be big enough to display it. Some people suggested it be placed at the fire house instead. "I have a public safety concern because I don't want visitors in the driveway," said Mayor Scott Johnson. Safety concerns were raised by some, size concerns were raised by others. The visitor center lawn was brought to the...

See scanned documents detailing the Elijah Willingham Sexual Harassment Claim (Google Documents): https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B0Q-lAhWOW_WMTQxYTU3NTYtZWE5ZS00OWM1LWI0Y2YtZmJiZjZmZDdhYTEw&hl=en_US

(...) The delegates, many of them former East German Communists but also younger people, will debate an extraordinary motion put forward by some members: They want their party to declare that the building of the wall was an inescapable necessity. If that leaves any doubts about the Left party’s nostalgia for a wall that imprisoned 17 million people for nearly 30 years, a newspaper survey published this month by The Berliner Zeitung showed that 75 percent of that party’s supporters in Berlin thought the wall was justified or partly justified. (...) Respondents said the wall was necessary to stop the...

ALBANY -- The husband of County Legislator Wanda Willingham was paid more than $45,000 over three years by the county Social Services Department to care for the couple's grandchildren through a program that helps working mothers. But, while it is legal, the arrangement has raised eyebrows. Willingham is chairwoman of the Legislature's Social Services Committee, which in December approved an annual payment of $233,000 from the county to the Capital District Child Care Council. The council provides registration, training, investigations and approves child care providers for county Social Services. Elijah Willingham, the lawmaker's husband, was approved by the council and...

Associate Justice John C. Egan Jr. wrote a nine-page ruling that cited numerous elements of tax case law and went into exhaustive detail defining aspects such as dramatic or musical arts, choreography and whether Nite Moves qualified as a "place of amusement." "Hence, the issue distills to whether the club's admission and private dance fees constitute charges for admission to a 'live dramatic, choreographic or musical performance,'" he wrote. The club sought expert testimony from a cultural anthropologist who researched the field of exotic dance, visited the club and reviewed the dances depicted on the Nite Moves DVD. She offered...

New York could see $11.4 billion in economic activity and up to 18,000 new jobs by 2020 if the state allows gas companies to tap the massive Marcellus Shale formation, according to a report released today by a conservative think tank. The report, paid for by the business-backed Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, found that the state and local governments would gain $1.4 billion in tax revenues alone during the same time period. New York currently has a de facto moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing, a technique used in natural gas extraction in which millions of gallons of water mixed...

Jersey shore star Snooki put Italian two police officers in hospital tonight after she crashed into their patrol car. The 23-year-old was driving the Fiat Multipla with co-star Deena in the front seat and production crew in the back when the accident happened in the evening rush hour. Reports that she had been 'taken into custody' were denied by police but they did say she had been questioned at length about the crash and may face charges at a later date. (...)

ALBANY, NY -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration has ordered an expanded environmental review of proposed "hydrofracking" for natural gas in New York after a well in Pennsylvania spilled chemical-laced water for two days. An internal memo obtained by The Associated Press directs the state Department of Environmental Conservation to review and learn any lessons from the April accident in Pennsylvania's Bradford County. A creek was polluted and homes were evacuated. The review will include an on-site inspection by New York officials.

What started as a battle over fireworks shows led to a sweeping legal victory Friday for environmentalists that could stymie a wide range of events needing city permits, from the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon to birthday parties held at parks. “According to the strictest interpretation of this, jumpy-jumps and everything else would be subject to environmental review if this ruling stands,” said lawyer Robert Howard, who represented the La Jolla Community Fireworks Foundation in the case. “It’s a breathtaking ruling.” Superior Court Judge Linda Quinn said La Jolla’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show requires evaluation under the California Environmental...

ALBANY, N.Y. — An off-duty state trooper accused of running over a man lying on a rural upstate road was arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Brian Beardsley, 32, was driving with his girlfriend at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday when his pickup ran over Chad Finch, Fulton County authorities said. They said the couple drove off after turning around, confirming a pedestrian was in the road and calling 911. Deputies found the 29-year-old Finch dead from massive injuries near his home in Providence, not far from a restaurant he'd visited earlier and left...

BROADALBIN -- A car driven by an off-duty state trooper likely hit a Northville man who was found dead in the road, and the victim had a previous DWI conviction for striking a teenage girl, authorities said. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said the trooper, Brian Beardsley, 32, was driving with his girlfriend on county Highway 110 around 2:41 a.m. Sunday when he struck Chad E. Finch, 29, of South Shore Road. Deputies say the original call to police was made by an unidentified woman who reported that she saw what appeared to be a body in the southbound lane...

Fairhope, Ala. (CN) - A police officer beat an elderly man who called 911 to report an accident and stop a drunken driver from leaving the scene of a crime, according to a complaint in Baldwin County Court. Dorsey Henderson says he investigated an auto accident that happened across the street from his house. After determining that one of the drivers was belligerently intoxicated, he told the man not to leave and called the police. When Officer Trent Scott arrived on the scene, Henderson tried to tell him what had happened and that he had put the driver under "citizen's...

HUDSON, N.Y. - Residents of the Hudson City School District voted against the 2011-2012 proposed school budget Tuesday night, however following the polls closing the board of education reversed the decision. The results of the Hudson school budget vote showed 1,249 residents against the budget, and only 424 in favor of the budget. The school board voted in the budget after polls closed, despite the rejected budget results. The school board's vote was split 4 to 3. According to the Hudson City Superintendent, the budget presented was less than a contingency budget would be. Under state law, the Board of...

The French government has fingerprinted U.S. journalists who will travel with President Obama to France for the G-8 summit next week. Journalists were required to submit to “biometric” fingerprinting at the French Embassy in Washington, an embassy spokesman confirmed. The requirement raised some eyebrows among the White House press corps, whose members did not undergo the same security measures for Mr. Obama’s trip to Latin America in March.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled against a Kentucky man who was arrested after police burst into his apartment without a search warrant because they smelled marijuana and feared he was trying to get rid of incriminating evidence. Voting 8-1, the justices reversed a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling that threw out the evidence gathered when officers entered Hollis King's apartment. The court said there was no violation of King's constitutional rights because the police acted reasonably. Only Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented. Officers knocked on King's door in Lexington and thought they heard noises that indicated whoever was...

Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings once again stretched his wings of power and vetoed a bill that would have allowed Albany homeowners the privilege to raise and house chickens (and definitely no roosters) in their backyards. (...) What I found amusing about Mayor Jennings argument is that he called the proposal “a flawed and “piecemeal approach” to the broader issue of urban agriculture.” Of course it’s a piecemeal approach, you first put the pieces together and then you enjoy a meal after the chickens are mature. What really is the concern here? A fear that residents are going to raise so...

An advisory has been sent to law enforcement officials advising them to be vigilant about train security based on information uncovered after the death of Osama bin Laden, officials said. Officials stressed the advisory is general in nature and the information apparently uncovered from the bin Laden compound dates back more than a year. According to NBC News, U.S. officials say they have not found reference to specific plots. Instead, they say they've found what they call "aspirational" items -- events al-Qaida operatives were interested in trying to make happen. A government advisory sent Thursday says that as far back...