Free Republic

“I talked to him 13 hours before [Monday’s massacre]. That’s why I guess I’m in such shock. … Like, did he have a psychiatric break or something?” the father said of his son. On Tuesday, Steven Greenberg, who previously represented R. Kelly in the fallen singing superstar’s federal sex-trafficking case out of Brooklyn, announced that Crimo Jr. and his estranged wife, Denise, had retained him in the wake of their son’s arrest. The father, a onetime local mayoral candidate who used to run a neighborhood sandwich shop, has faced a wave of criticism for sponsoring his son’s gun license application,...

Poorly trained federal officers collected intelligence on Portland protesters and journalists during last year’s unrest, even though the demonstrators were not considered national security threats, a review by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security found. Dubbed “baseball cards,” the dossiers were a violation of protesters’ rights, The Oregonian reported.... ...Gathering information on citizens, particularly during constitutionally protected activities like protests, is prohibited unless there is an arrest for a federal crime or reason to believe they are a considerable threat, the report stated. The investigation was submitted to DHS on Jan. 6 and released after pressure from U.S. Sen. Ron...

The National Sports Collector’s Show, by far, the biggest show of the year, landed in Baltimore again this year. It started on Thursday, and it goes through today. If you haven’t been before, it is truly a site to behold whether you are a collector, or just a fan of the game. There are some amazing baseball cards, as well as some amazing artifacts from the greatest game of all time.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Karl Kissner picked up a soot- covered cardboard box that had been under a wooden dollhouse in his grandfather's attic. Taking a look inside, he saw baseball cards bundled with twine. They were smaller than the ones he was used to seeing. But some of the names were familiar: Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Cy Young and Honus Wagner. Then he put the box on a dresser and went back to digging through the attic. It wasn't until two weeks later that he learned that his family had come across what experts say is one of...

In a high-profile 1991 transaction, hockey great Wayne Gretzky and Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall bought the elusive T206 Honus Wagner baseball card for $451,000. The American Tobacco Co. produced the T206 from 1909 to 1911, but only 50 were ever distributed to the public. As early as 1933, the card could supposedly fetch $50 on the collectibles market, which made it the most expensive baseball card in the world. The year 1991 isn't only notable for the Gretzky/McNall purchase. It also marked the peak year for baseball-card sales. According to estimates from Sports Collector's Digest, card sales amounted...

Alex Gordon has yet to play a single game in the major leagues and yet his rookie card is the hottest in all of baseball, selling for as much as $2,550 in recent weeks. Is Gordon the Kansas City Royals' next great player? Could be. But that isn't why his card, which is No. 297 in Topps' 2006 set, is worth that kind of money. The piece of cardboard is worth that much only because it never should have been produced in the first place. Last year, in part to reduce confusion in the marketplace, the Major League Baseball Players...

<p>THOMASTON, Ga. — For sale by city of Thomaston: a collection of baseball and racing memorabilia, Waterford crystal, Zippo lighters, knives and belt buckles — all of dubious value, assembled with $2 million in stolen city funds.</p> <p>City officials here are cataloging a trove of mostly sports memorabilia amassed by former city clerk Phillip Adcock, who pleaded guilty to embezzling public money to buy the stuff.</p>