Free Republic

The crackdown on small-dollar imports has left businesses and consumers scrambling. Postal services in Japan and Switzerland are the latest to pause shipments to the United States this week, days before an exemption for certain import taxes is about to expire. The loophole, known as “de minimis,” has allowed goods worth less than $800 to enter the United States duty-free since 2016. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to abolish the practice. It is set to end Friday. The change has rocked small businesses and consumers, leaving many concerned about shipping backlogs and higher costs. Some business...

One expert said, 'The agency name is more branding than substance' President-elect Trump on Tuesday announced plans to create a new "External Revenue Service" that would be tasked with collecting revenue from tariffs, but economists are pushing back and noting that U.S. importers bear the brunt of the cost of tariffs rather than firms overseas. "For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves. It is time for that to...

In a series of statements, Hannity said Cohen never represented him "in any matter," though he "occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective." Hannity later added that he "did not ask Michael Cohen to bring this proceeding on my behalf, I have no personal interest in this proceeding, and, in fact, asked that my de minimis discussions with Michael Cohen, which dealt almost exclusively about real estate, not be made a part of this proceeding." On his radio show that day, Hannity said "I might have handed him 10 bucks"...

Prison Inmate Sues Hospital Over Circumcision As A Newborn SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (April 17, 2012)--South Dakota prison inmate Dean Cochrun is suing the hospital where he was circumcised as a newborn, claiming the procedure has robbed him of his sexual prowess. The suit asks for $1,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. Cochrun is acting as his own lawyer. The lawsuit also requests that his circumcision be reversed.

Abstract: Indiana imposes certain eligibility qualifications on candidates for public office, and provides a statutory cause of action for losing candidates in an election to challenge the results based on the eligibility of the winner. Following the 2007 mayoral election in Terre Haute, Ind., the losing candidate argued that the winner fell afoul of the federal Hatch Act, which is an explicit disqualification under Indiana law. The trial court concluded that the winning candidate did violate the Hatch Act, but through an interesting feat of jurisprudential jujitsu held that the disqualification didn't matter because the election was over. The court...