Free Republic

A surgically-enhanced mother gave the finger as she was jailed for selling fake Covid vaccination cards at the height of the pandemic. Jasmine Clifford, 34, flipped the bird after she was sentenced to one to three years in state prison Thursday for forging as many as 250 fake vaccination cards that she sold on Instagram for $200 each. The mother of two arrived in Manhattan court very late on Thursday wearing tight grey shorts, a black t-shirt, black sneakers and a pair of expensive Loewe sunglasses. She kept the shades on throughout proceedings out the proceedings and even while she...

CINCINNATI — Multiple teens and an 18-year-old man have been sentenced for their part in a Jan. 23 assault on a man downtown. In court Friday, 18-year-old Jadin Shaw was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his part in the assault. In addition to Shaw, multiple juveniles have also been sentenced for the attack after accepting plea deals; WCPO is not naming them because they are still children. In addition to Shaw, five juveniles were also charged in the crime: A 14-year-old has been sentenced to probation A 15-year-old was ordered to pay $800 in restitution to the victim...

MLB and the Players Association have agreed to a change to the collective bargaining agreement that’ll help teams whose television rights situations are uncertain. Evan Drellich of The Athletic reports that the league is now permitted to redirect its portion of competitive balance tax money to clubs that have lost TV revenue. Those teams can receive a maximum of $15MM or the necessary amount to compensate for their revenue drop. Teams that exceed the competitive balance tax threshold are required to pay fees at the end of each season. The league and union split the money. The MLBPA’s portion funds...

Former NBA center Vin Baker lost more than $100 million in career earnings and later became a Starbucks barista. Former NBA guard Kenny Anderson made $63 million and filed for bankruptcy the year he retired. Former NBA MVP Allen Iverson made more than $200 million but said during a 2012 divorce proceeding that he didn't have enough to afford a cheeseburger. Former All-Star Latrell Sprewell lost more than $97 million.

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The mystery of why a $300,000 Bentley crashed into the US-Canada border crossing at 100mph and exploded, killing a couple inside, may never be solved as police close the case. **SNIP** Betsy Ertel, a spokesperson for the Cincinnati Insurance Companies, which insured the Bentley, declined to discuss details of any claim 'out of respect for the privacy of our policyholders'. Police said the Villanis were killed instantly in the crash and pronounced dead at the scene. Whether any of their relatives will file a lawsuit is unknown. The 2022 Flying Spur can go from zero to 60mph in four seconds...

Vice President Harris’s ascendance as the likely Democratic nominee has sent a wave of excitement through environmental advocates and climate hawks in Congress, who point to her history of investigating the oil industry and support for the Green New Deal in the Senate. Environmental issues have not been a major part of Harris’s portfolio as vice president, but advocates see her as a figure who both has bona fides on the issue and is positioned to generate enthusiasm among younger and more progressive voters who were ambivalent about President Biden’s reelection bid. “I think she deserves more credit than she...

Shoppers, it may be time to find a new pharmacy. Walgreens is closing up to a quarter of its 8,600 stores within the United States. Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth recently explained to the Wall Street Journal on June 27 that the closures would focus on locations that aren't profitable, too close to each other or stores struggling with theft. .... According to CNN, 75% of the company's U.S. stores account for 100% of its operating income. The company will examine the remaining 25% of its 8,600 stores for closure. That equates to roughly 2,150 stores closing shop across the country...

As former President Donald Trump prepares to speak this week at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, the big event is creating the most excitement in the crypto community. Bitcoin USD (BTC) has surged more than 9% over the past month and nearly 58% year-to-date, crossing the $66,500 mark and nearing its all-time high set earlier this year.Moreover, this week, crypto investors are gearing up for several exciting developments, including the anticipated approvals from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for eight exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that hold Ethereum (ETH), the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency.These ETFs can become staples in 401(k)s, IRAs,...

Wednesday marked the 90 year anniversary of Chicago’s hottest “official” temperature on record: July 24, 1934 the mercury reached 105 degrees. Note: one day earlier at Midway Airport (not official at the time) logged a high temperature of 109 degrees. July, 1934 heat wave (University of Chicago was the official weather observation site) lows/highs July 21-25:

Acomedian has shared her impression of Kamala Harris accepting the Democratic Party's nomination, mocking the vice president's unique laugh. **SNIP** On Monday, in her first speech since Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, Harris praised the president's achievements. Later that day, comedian Stephanie Jones, who refers to herself as "the Konservative Kamala," posted a video of herself impersonating Harris on TikTok and YouTube. In the video, Jones highlighted Harris' unique laugh as she spoke at a makeshift podium, chuckling throughout. The clip has been viewed more than 2.6 million times on TikTok, and one YouTuber commented that her performance...

As Americans head to the polls this fall, their decision regarding who will lead our country will also determine the fate of crypto here in the United States, and our security, prosperity, and freedom are at stake.This week, I will join President Trump and thousands of crypto market participants in Nashville for Bitcoin 2024, the world's largest Bitcoin conference. This year, the conference is held in my home state at a time that is clearly the tipping point for the future of crypto technology in the U.S. This fall, the future of crypto in America is on the ballot as...

Combining zirconium with silicon nitride improves the transformation of propane, a component of natural gas, into polypropylene, a highly sought-after plastic. Polypropylene is a widely used plastic found in numerous everyday items, including food containers and medical devices. Due to its popularity, there is an increasing demand for propylene, a chemical essential for its production. Propylene is derived from propane, a natural gas commonly utilized in barbecue grills. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and Ames National Laboratory report a faster, more energy-efficient way to manufacture propylene than the process currently used. Converting propane into...

Shoplifting has spiked across the country so far this year — even as many major crimes like homicide dropped back to pre-pandemic levels, a major national crime study showed. Rates of shoplifting rose an average 24% during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to the Council on Criminal Justice’s (CCJ) Mid-Year Crime Report released Thursday. The study reviewed crime statistics from 23 cities across the US, finding shoplifting has steadily been on the rise since the country began emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic around 2022. Shoplifting has gotten lots of attention in recent...

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Agricultural officials in Southern California are battling an active infestation of red imported fire ants that are "highly aggressive in nature," and pose a risk to California's agricultural economy. The infestation occurred at a private property in Montecito, in Santa Barbara County, according to a recent press release from the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. Located over 90 miles north of Los Angeles, Montecito is best known as a celebrity enclave with Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle among the town's residents. Officials did not name the owners of the private property. Venom released from the...

The unknown factor is Kamala Harris's primary advantage for now. It doesn’t gloss over that the 2024 Democratic Party ticket is a ratship in total disarray. The unity cited incessantly on MSNBC is a manufactured media narrative where little is grounded in reality. If there is a coalescing around the vice president, these loyal soldiers have no choice but to back her because who else is there? Harris dropped out before the 2020 Iowa Caucuses. No Democratic primary voter has ever voted for her. Again, the lion's share of the party backs her because there is no other choice. Democrats...

Wall Street grew so frustrated with US President Joe Biden’s antitrust policies over the past three and a half years that many long-standing Democratic dealmakers considered switching their support to Donald Trump in the 2024 elections or even boycotting the ballot altogether. But two events have dramatically changed that stance in the past fortnight: Trump named JD Vance as his running mate and Biden dropped his re-election bid, endorsing his vice-president Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. Mergers and acquisitions practitioners are now reconsidering their electoral strategies. They consider Harris to be potentially more moderate than Vance, who is seen...

In 2024, the median salary for the typical American home buyer has risen to $104,339 - up from $88,000 just two years prior.Despite record-high home prices, housing demand continues to outpace supply, even with mortgage rates at their highest in over a decade. As one bright spot, housing inventory is steadily increasing, with the number of homes for sale up almost 19% in May compared to the previous year. This growth in inventory could help ease the cost of home ownership looking ahead.This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Nuefeld, shows the salary needed to buy a home across the 50...

Multiple structure fires have been reported in Jasper as crews work to protect critical infrastructure after a wildfire reached the town late Wednesday. Parks Canada confirmed flames from one of two threatening wildfires were being driven by strong winds and reached the southern edge of the townsite around 6:30 p.m. Some images and video posted to social media show buildings fully engulfed in flames in the south part of town. A last minute effort to try and change the fire’s direction to natural barriers, such as Athabasca River and Highway 16, was not successful. Another blaze is moving in towards...