Free Republic

The largest municipal public employee retirement system in the nation voted Tuesday to move forward with a plan that could end its investment in companies that sell firearms. The New York City Employee Retirement System approved a measure backed by Public Advocate Letitia James to look into ditching its stock in companies such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Wal-Mart, and Cabela’s.

Among Hamptonites hosting Jeb Bush fund-raisers this weekend will be Emil W. Henry Jr. — a former assistant US Treasury secretary — and Bruce Mosler, chairman of global brokerage for real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield, sources tell Page Six. Bush is scheduled to hit the two events on Saturday after a breakfast hosted by Ken Lipper and Martin Shafiroff.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – More than 60 classic cars were on display Saturday, for the annual Pierce-Arrow Society National Meet. Owners of the classic automobiles traveled from as far as California to participate in the event. Over 10,000 guests turned out to get a glimpse of the vintage antiques. Made in Buffalo, Pierce-Arrow vehicles played a big role in the automobile industry. Founder of Pierce-Arrow Museum, James Sandoro told News 4, “Pierce was a leader…

ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo made it clear Wednesday why he has recently bypassed the Legislature on different issues like raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers. "I run the government," Cuomo said. "I am the executive and therefore I use executive power. And that’s why the executive is given the power," Cuomo said during an appearance on upstate public radio’s “The Capitol Pressroom.” Cuomo dismissed criticism that his actions represent a major power grab by going around the Legislature. In addition to creating a board that has recommended raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for fast food workers,...

Byline (Cuomo Quote): "This is just the beginning. We will not stop until we reach true economic justice." Getta load of Andrew Cuomo, the governor of the once-great state of New York. For the first time ever, reports Business Insider, a U.S. state "may single out one industry for a big wage hike." Under a plan approved by New York's Fast Food Wage Board, a $15-per-hour minimum wage would be phased in over three years in New York City and six years across upstate New York, whose economy has long been the American equivalent of East Germany. The mandate would...

Mayor de Blasio lit Gov. Cuomo up Tuesday with a double-barreled blast of political payback. In stunningly frank language, the mayor accused the governor of deliberately thwarting his Albany agenda out of political pique and revenge — and hurting New Yorkers in the process. Hours before leaving on a vacation out West, de Blasio called reporters into his office and spoke calmly in a calculated decision to take off the gloves and reveal the “frenemies” were really enemies.

MALONE – Richard Matt has been shot and killed near Malone, two sources have told The Buffalo News. The sources said that a shootout occurred and that Matt was killed. At least one of the two fugitives shot at a camper, which brought a quick response team to the area, the source told The News. The FBI and other law enforcement were involved in the incident. No police were injured. David Sweat is believed to be in a nearby wooded area, and a furious ground search is underway, one source told The News. Sweat is believed to be armed. Canine...

On Tuesday, after the entire Republican primary field - including Donald Trump and George Pataki - had taken a position on the Confederate flag, and after the Republican governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, had asked for its removal from the state capitol grounds, Chris Christie seemed to calculate that it was politically safe to do the same. The New Jersey governor said in a statement that Haley had "demonstrated what it means to be a leader" and that he commended her decision. ... Every Republican presidential candidate, including the not-yet announced ones, had said something, even if it was,...

Still, SCOPE stands behind its decision, which they said was in the best interest of the children and the result of “poor judgement” on Kearns’ part. But even a parent of one of the misbehaving children, Aya Blarney, felt SCOPE mistreated Kearns and jumped the gun without conducting a thorough investigation.

They’re holy terrors. Bands of beggars dressed like Buddhist monks have invaded the High Line and other city parks, demanding upwards of $40 from tourists — and officials are fed up. One High Line visitor handed over $5 last week, but it wasn’t good enough. “He tried to get $20,” she told The Post. Another monk’s zen demeanor dissolved after he got just a buck in exchange for the cheap plastic bracelet he proffered.

During a Wednesday morning live broadcast from outside the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y., CNN reported that escapees David Sweat and Richard Matt could be anywhere between New York's North Country and Canada, or even south to Mexico. As a reporter spoke, a map on the screen showed the words "New York" over Pennsylvania, and then tracked a potential path north to Canada or south to Mexico.

A crane hauling an air conditioner into the top floor of a 30-story building dropped the heavy load Sunday morning, smashing parts of the building and injuring 10 people. Workers were loading the shipping container-sized machine into 261 Madison Ave. when a rigging strap holding the air conditioner broke, a city official familiar with the ongoing investigation told the Daily News. The chiller sheered the building as it fell. Debris rained down on Madison Ave. around E. 38th St. Part of the 30-story building's facade near the roof was bashed open.

Witnesses told The Post that tourists snapped pictures on their cellphones of the gruesome aftermath. In the past year or so, there's been a spate of suicides among financial-services employees. Financial firms have been trying to do more to improve the lifestyles of their employees, especially younger ones.

OathKeepers went to the Bundy Ranch and peacefully achieved justice OathKeepers Coming to Albany on June 9th From OathKeepers' John W. Wallace: “Thank you for all you do to repeal the SAFE Act. The New York Oath Keepers fully support your June 9th call to action. I will be sending out a statewide message to all Oath Keeper Chapters in New York requesting that the membership support this event by showing up in person.” For the Republic, John Wallace The momentum is growing dramatically. Good leaders are lining up in favor of the June 9th mission. In just one day...

Pro-adoption organizations should have the same speech rights as any other organization, said the attorney representing a group whose pro-life license plate has been denied for the past 13 or 14 years in New York. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Friday reversed a lower court ruling ordering the state to let an adoption advocacy group put the words "Choose Life" on its own plates. By a 2-1 vote, the court said the commissioner of the state Department of Motor Vehicles had "broad discretion" to decide which plates to permit, and did not violate the First Amendment free speech rights...

Is an Albany Minuteman Rally Possible? WE are getting ever closer to FULL Repeal of the Safe Act being a reality. Every PUSH gets US closer. There is not much time left in the current legislative session. This precludes a well-organized rally to take place. The only way to make a rally happen is if WE can muster up A Minuteman Rally. Americans will soon find out just how many New York gun owners have refused to comply with the draconian New York SAFE Act. On April 15th the state Supreme Court ruled that the state needs to make public...

Catholics, as a segment of U.S. population, shrank by 3.1% from 2007 to 2014, and are now outnumbered as a portion of American population by the “nones”, the religiously unaffiliated. That was the headline-grabbing revelation last week from the Pew Research Center.  That trend fits within the overall decline in affiliation with Christian denominations, notwithstanding population growth in the U.S. in the same time period. So there it was in black in white:  approximately 51 million adult Catholics in the United States as of 2014 versus approximately 56 million religiously “unaffiliated” adults. That should come as no surprise to any Catholic...

Ugh, not this idiocy again (my bold below): A House Democrat has introduced legislation that would require sellers to obtain a background check for all guns sold at gun shows. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday reintroduced the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act, a bill long championed by former Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.),. The bill would subject anyone selling or transferring a gun to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and require that transfers be reported to the attorney general.

New York’s current “Wheel of Fortune” branded instant lottery game seems pretty fun: you scratch off letters and reveal which are or aren’t on the game board. These words are supposed to be randomly generated, but one gambler is really upset at the state lottery after scratching off the words, “YOU/ELMIRA/TRASH.” You can probably guess where he lives.

Bronx, NY – A video published on Youtube yesterday by user benfarias13 shows an apalling abuse of power by the NYPD when they pull over and arrest a man for absolutely no reason. The video begins with the driver sitting calmly in his car when an officer walks up and opens the car door, demanding he “step out of the car.” The cop immediately tells him to put his hands behind his back and cuffs him, asking him if he has any weapons. The man complies and replies that he does not have any weapons, asking why he’s being arrested....