Free Republic

The NBA’s flopping crackdown might finally be happening, with a new rule possibly being tested in summer league. By Ricky O'Donnell May 25, 2023, 2:28pm EDT 3 Comments / 3 New Flopping has been one of the most discussed on-court problems in the NBA over the last decade, but it hasn’t been easy for the officials to enforce. The difference between a block (a defensive foul) and a charge (an offensive foul) is already often minuscule and open to interpretation. As more and more rule changes have been put in to favor offenses over the years, defenders have responded by...

If marriage is possible between any two individuals, then why not three, four, or any number of consenting adults, regardless of their sex?In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges, legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia by a 5-4 vote. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion for the case, didn’t seem to believe that the issue of polyamory could possibly be relevant or arise due to the court’s decision. Just eight years later, The New York Times published an article last week that celebrated Somerville, Massachusetts,...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) signed a bill into law on Friday to ban discrimination based on someone’s weight or height in employment, housing and public accommodations. Adams said in a release that the law will “level the playing field” for residents and create more inclusive workplaces. The New York City Council overwhelmingly voted to pass the bill in a 44-5 vote earlier this month to have the city’s anti-discrimination policies cover both actual and perceived height and weight.

Gavin Newsom, the Democrat governor of the People's Republic of California, lambasted Brian Cornell, the CEO of Target, after the latter appeared to back off on promoting products touting the LGBT agenda. Newsom denounced the retail giant's decision to move LGBT products to the back of some stores subsequent to outrage from some conservatives and Christians at the retailer's embrace of a radical line of apparel and accessories, including some aimed at children. Target, long one of the "wokest" companies on earth, sells "chest binders" and "tuck friendly" swimsuits, and recently added several items designed by an avowed Satanist. Nonetheless,...

During Thursday’s edition of ABC’s The View co–host Joy Behar expressed bewilderment that Gov. Chris Sununu (R) will not ban the AR-15, which she described as “automatic rifle” used in high profile shootings. The hosts brought up gun control, with Whoopi Goldberg asking why Republicans refuse to ban AR-15s. She asked, “Why are you holding on to this one gun?”

I have become increasingly skeptical of much of what is going on in our government. AT writers and readers inspire me to question everything. Some recent events have caused me to pause and ask some questions about why now. When multiple "bad" items are reported in tandem, I am often left to ask: is this really the thing, or is it perhaps a distraction? In the same timeframe during which the Durham report was released, we also saw a report released on the FBI FISA abuses. We are supposed to be happy that only 278,000 unauthorized (illegal) warrantless searches occurred...

After the wretched specter of the beloved Los Angeles Dodgers "re-inviting" the anti-Catholic bigot group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, to their community event in June to honor them as "community heroes" you'd think the ugly incident, which earned the condemnation of multiple Catholic bishops and plenty of Latinos, would be one and done, a faux pas never to be spoken of again.Seems that may not be the case. According to GOP state Sen. Melissa Melendez, of right-leaning Lake Elsinore, California, the legislators themselves now want to "honor" the mockers of Catholicism. The California State Senate will honor the group...

Last month, UNC-Chapel Hill faculty penned an open letter airing criticism of both the North Carolina General Assembly and the UNC Board of Trustees. Among their complaints was the allegation that the proposed new School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL) is a “clear violation” of governance principles. But the faculty don’t have the full story. More of the truth is finally coming out about the proposed school at UNC-Chapel Hill, my alma mater, where I am a member of the Board of Trustees. The idea for the new school’s pro-democracy curriculum goes back years—and has involved faculty input from...

Paa’Shion Mhoon, 33, was arrested on Thursday. She is charged with Theft over $1 million, Misappropriation of Financial Institution Property over $1 million, Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise and three counts of Forgery. Mhoon worked at DeKalb’s Cole Pallet as an accounting manager. The company reported her to police last week. She is accused of buying items illegally with company money.

<p>The Trump clone wars have begun. With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's extremely online campaign announcement, the 2024 GOP primary just kicked into high gear. In an audio-only conversation on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk and VC David Sacks, DeSantis officially announced he is running for president. But first, much like some of Musk's rockets, there was a failure to launch that overshadowed everything that followed.</p>

During TNT's broadcast of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday, Shaquille O'Neal hinted at his involvement in an FTX lawsuit while speaking to Stephen Curry — just hours before getting served. "Thanks for getting me in trouble," O'Neal said to Curry, likely in reference to their joint involvement in the FTX case. "Don't say nothing," he continued, as both NBA legends fell into laughter. Later that night, O'Neal was reportedly served two legal complaints — one for his involvement in the ongoing FTX lawsuit and another regarding an NFT project — by a process server who attended the game,...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed a bill regarding spaceflight on Thursday just one day after he announced his presidential run in a glitch-filled interview with Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces. DeSantis signed into law CS/SB 1318 – Spaceflight Entity Liability along with 27 other bills. The law exempts “spaceflight entity from liability for injury to or death of a crew resulting from spaceflight activities under certain circumstances.” The measure also requires “a spaceflight entity to have a crew sign a specified warning statement.” Florida is a known launching point for SpaceX aircrafts, and the new law could potentially shield...

In a First on FOX Business interview, Media Research Center President and founder Brent Bozell discussed the "astonishing" findings that the Biden administration is allegedly using taxpayer money to wage a covert war on conservative and Christian groups. "You're a terrorist, I'm a terrorist," Bozell told host Maria Bartiromo Thursday. "Anybody with the RNC is a terrorist. Anyone supporting or reading Breitbart, the Christian Broadcasting Network, for the love of God, the Heritage Foundation, the most prestigious conservative think tank in America, all have now been targeted as associated to one degree or another with terrorism." On "Mornings with Maria,"...

China blew up the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, with hypersonic missiles in a menacing simulation — which Chinese researchers say proves the US Navy warship could be “destroyed with certainty.” Using a war game simulation system, China’s military forces sank the carrier fleet using a volley of 24 hypersonic anti-ship missiles over the course of 20 intense battles. The results of the simulations were made public in a May paper published by the Chinese-language Journal of Test and Management Technology, according to the South China Morning Post. In the scenario, the US vessels are attacked...

For the last, oh, I don’t know… forever… ranchers and farmers large and small have taken care of their livestock with antibiotics and antimicrobials that were available at farm stores. These medicines treat common illnesses and infections that people who own large animals and livestock are very familiar with and qualified to treat. They have been trusted to do so for as long as these medicines have been available. The first chicken antibiotics were introduced in 1948. Since then, there has been no call nor reason to regulate these items. Many farmers and ranchers tend to many of their animals’...

While inflation has come down slightly since record highs last year, nearly half of American voters feel President Biden's policies are hurting them and 83% of voters feel the economy is "only fair/poor." On "America's Newsroom" on Friday, Forbes Media chairman Steve Forbes argued that the state of the economy will cost President Biden the 2024 Democratic nomination. STEVE FORBES: I think what's happening with the economy, even though it's not officially in a recession, it's sort of the economic equivalent of walking pneumonia. Not enough to put you in bed yet, but just dragging you down, draining the energy....

On this date in 1755, the French outlaw Louis Mandrin was broken on the wheel. In common with the whole French populace, Mandrin had a beef with the Ferme general — the country’s tax-farming concern — but Mandrin was the one who did something about it. Specifically, he built a vast smuggling network in the 1750s that all along a vast north-south corridor from Burgundy to Savoy moved tobacco, cotton, and everything else the farm wanted to harvest — scoring political points along the way by thrashing the tax collectors whenever possible. It’s said that he took pains to have...

"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." "And with all deceivableness...

Norway hiked its wealth tax. A bunch of rich people got the hell out.If your net wealth is approximately $135,000 or more and you live in Norway, you've long been subject to a 0.85 percent wealth tax. That rate has, as of this year, been hiked to 1.1 percent by the center-left government, and even more gobs of cash will be taken from rich people worth roughly $1.8 million, who will be taxed at a rate of 1.3 percent. Unfortunately for the Norwegian lefties—and their American counterparts who argue for similar taxes to be instituted here—this wealth tax hasn't really...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Officials who work for Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration — not his campaign — have been sending text messages to Florida lobbyists soliciting political contributions for DeSantis' presidential bid, NBC News reviewed text messages from four DeSantis administration officials, including those directly in the governor's office and with leadership positions in state agencies. They requested the recipient of the message contribute to the governor’s campaign through a specific link that appeared to track who is giving as part of a “bundle” program. DeSantis’ office did not return a request seeking comment, but one administration official acknowledged that they...