Free Republic

An NYPD sergeant was charged Tuesday with second-degree manslaughter in the August death of a scooter-riding drug suspect who crashed after the cop threw a cooler at him. Sgt. Erik Duran, 36, pleaded not guilty to that charge — which carries a potential maximum sentence of 25 years in prison — as well as assault in the first and second degrees and criminally negligent homicide for the death of Eric Duprey, 30, on Aug. 23, 2023, in The Bronx. Duran was conducting a buy-and-bust operation on Aqueduct Avenue near West 190th Street around 5 p.m. in Kingsbridge Heights when Duprey...

Mayor Eric Adams blamed rats — along with the cost of living and COVID-19 — as big reasons why New Yorkers are fleeing the state in droves according to a recent report, he said Thursday. Hizzoner pointed the finger at the Big Apple’s notorious rodent population after sobering new United States Census Bureau statistics revealed nearly 102,000 people had high-tailed it out of the Empire State within the last year. “Some people who have children and families decide they want to go to a place where their children can play outdoors, larger green spaces, you want to see animals —...

Wealthy taxpayers are fleeing California, hurting the economy and the budgets of the governments that have raised the cost of living in the Golden State. That’s according to the Los Angeles Times, which reported Tuesday that while wealthy and talented people used to move into California, that trend has recently been reversed: The reversal, largely in response to the state’s high taxes and soaring cost of living, has begun to damage California’s overall economy. And, by cutting into tax revenues, has delivered punishing blows to state and local governments. State budget analysts recently projected a record $68-billion deficit in the...

Working class residents are fleeing New York City because it’s too expensive, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Monday. The congresswoman made the claim during a discussion of the migrant crisis and Mayor Eric Adams’ controversial across-the-board proposed budget cuts that would shrink the police force and trim spending on schools, libraries and cultural arts programs. During her tele-town hall meeting, she wondered why the mayor and council weren’t looking to boost taxes on the wealthy — such as pricey pied-à-terre or luxury crash pads for the jet-setting ultra rich.

Pekka Kallioniemi, a postdoctoral researcher at Tampere University in Finland, put forward the theory that Moscow could be deliberately pushing Helsinki to shut its borders to prevent Russians from fleeing should Russian President Vladimir Putin introduce a full-scale mobilization to draft more troops to fight in Ukraine.... "There is an interesting and feasible theory, that Russia will start partial or full mobilization after the March 2024 presidential elections, and that they actually WANT Finland to close the border so that young Russian men can't flee through Finland like they did during the first mobilization wave," Kallioniemi wrote on X, formerly...

The “Golden State,” has long been a symbol of opportunity, innovation, and natural beauty. With its stunning landscapes, booming tech industry, and cultural diversity, it’s no wonder that millions of people have called it home for decades. However, California is experiencing what I like to call the “California Exodus.” Where are these Californians flocking to? This article will explore some states that have become popular destinations for those leaving the Golden State.

For the fourth year in a row, Illinois tops the list of states where Americans are fleeing as residents struggle with high taxes, crime and a soft economy, according to a new report from the moving company Allied Van Lines.Since 2019, Illinois has consistently had more outbound moves than inbound moves with Allied than any other state, according to the moving company's latest U.S. Migration report.For the past four years in Illinois, more than 65% of all interstate moves involved residents leaving the state compared to less than 35% of moves that involved people coming to Illinois.After Illinois, California, New...

A Florida man and woman were arrested after law enforcement officials found 30 lbs. of methamphetamine and a kilo of cocaine in their vehicle following a chase. According to investigators, on Thursday, July 27, a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper requested assistance from the Indian River Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO) to apprehend a fleeing vehicle driving recklessly over 100 mph on SR 60 approximately 1 mile west of I95. Deputies say during the pursuit, the vehicle stopped on the side of the road, and two occupants fled into a dense wooded area. The FHP Trooper and multiple deputies, along with an...

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man is now behind bars after he was allegedly spotted by deputies driving in circles in a church parking lot and subsequently fleeing and eluding arrest, claiming that a cult "told him to," according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. John Souza was arrested Monday on charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, according to an affidavit. On Monday, deputies witnessed a man, later identified as Souza, driving in circles in a wooded section of St. Joseph of the Forest Mission church in Silver Springs, according to an affidavit. A deputy tried...

Speculation continues to mount over the fate of American soldier Travis King after he fled into North Korean territory earlier this week — with the US revealing the hermit kingdom has gone silent about his well-being and fate. From being used as a propaganda tool to being propped up as a potential bargaining chip, the guesses about North Korea’s next steps vary widely given there’s little precedent for King’s situation, experts and former diplomats say. The 23-year-old, who is the first US soldier in decades to defect to North Korea, bolted across the border on Tuesday during a civilian tour...

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. – A man was arrested in Daytona Beach Shores this week after authorities said he stole an SUV, then jumped out of that vehicle to flee police and let it crash into the wall of a building. Michael Barr, 20, was arrested after being tracked down to a hotel on South Atlantic Avenue by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and Daytona Beach Shores police. Body camera video released by the sheriff’s office shows Barr’s arrest. Police said Barr told them his friends had left him in Miami, so he hitchhiked to Kissimmee, stole the SUV and...

The latest tax migration data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) shows that the exodus of taxpayers from high-tax states continued from 2020 to 2021, with California, New York, and Illinois again suffering some of the nation’s biggest losses of people and money. California’s tax base shrank by nearly $29.1 billion as the Golden State saw a net loss of 332,000 taxpayers and their dependents during a time of widespread lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and business closures, according to the IRS migration data released Thursday. In second place was New York, which was hit by a net loss of $24.5 billion...

A 28-year-old intoxicated Florida man on a bicycle was arrested Wednesday after he failed to exit U.S. 1 or stop for deputies. Clayton Guy Peavey of Marathon was charged with DUI and fleeing and eluding, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. According to deputies, Peavey was impeding traffic while on a bicycle on U.S. 1 near 15th Street at approximately 9 a.m. Deputies attempted to stop Peavey with their lights and sirens activated. Peavey did not stop and began to peddle faster. He finally stopped at 29th Street after tiring and was booked into the Monroe County Jail on a...

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – An Orlando man fleeing Winter Garden police struck an officer with a car and bit another on the leg Tuesday evening after causing thousands of dollars in property damage at a convenience store, arrest affidavits show. Employees of the Mobil gas station at 12961 W. Colonial Drive asked authorities to trespass Malik Smith, 27, from the property after he jumped on the counter of 592 Smoke Shop, which is located in the store, where he destroyed display cases and pulled a light fixture out of the ceiling, an affidavit describes. Winter Garden police responded to the...

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man who was allegedly driving 110 mph on I-95 was pulled over, but took off running, yelling "I'm sorry" to the deputy, the Brevard County Sheriff said. "Apparently Zachary Sibert was in such a hurry that he forgot that his driver's license was suspended, so when Deputy Charles Hill tried to pull him over for speeding, instead of stopping the car like a normal adult, Sibert decided to play ‘frogger’ across I-95!" the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook. Sibert was reportedly a "courteous criminal" though and yelled "I'm sorry" to the deputy as he...

Hollywood producer Ryan Kavanaugh is fleeing Los Angeles, California, amid rising crime, homelessness, and higher taxes. Flight from the Democrat-run city is trending as “a growing chorus of Hollywood executives are talking about leaving the city,” one entertainment industry insider told The Wrap. Ryan Kavanaugh, American film financier and founder and CEO of the video-sharing app Triller — who grew up in Los Angeles and has called it home for 47 years — is now getting ready to pick up and move his family and business headquarters to Florida. Kavanaugh — who’s backed over 200 films, including Limitless, Hancock, Mamma...

Texas House Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C., in July to avoid voting on an election reform bill filed a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and other Republican leaders on Friday, alleging the governor’s threat to arrest them upon their return to the Lone Star State is causing them “anxiety,” “distress,” and “embarrassment.”

The failed state of California is bleeding enough population to lose a House seat and an electoral vote. There are only so many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and so many electoral votes, and those are earned based on your specific state’s proportion of the population when compared to the rest of the country

New Yorkers are purportedly making plans to escape the city ahead of potential election day violence and protests, according to the New York Post. Paulo Wei, 25, is planning on avoiding unrest by leaving his luxury building on the Upper West Side for his family’s 60-acre farm two hours north of the city, the Post reported Saturday. “I felt trapped in the apartment — the protests were overwhelming,” Wei said, the Post reported. “It could happen again and I don’t want to be caught up in that. No matter who wins, someone is going to get upset.” Barton Gellman @bartongellman...

Over three days in late July, a three-bedroom house in East Orange, N.J., was listed for sale for $285,000, had 97 showings, received 24 offers and went under contract for 21 percent over that price. On Long Island, six people made offers on a $499,000 house in Valley Stream without seeing it in person after it was shown on a Facebook Live video. In the Hudson Valley, a nearly three-acre property with a pool listed for $985,000 received four all-cash bids within a day of having 14 showings. Since the pandemic began, the suburbs around New York City, from New...