Free Republic

Addressing former president Donald Trump’s claim during Holy Week 2024 that Christianity is under attack in this country, three pastors from Gamaliel affiliate MICAH-Milwaukee recently spoke with CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan. During the interview, Rev. Joe Jackson, Rev. Dennis Jacobsen, and Rev. Richard Shaw described the dangers of Christian Nationalism, an egregious form of authoritarianism that is sweeping the nation. For the last few years, Gamaliel has been actively engaged in a movement of national organizing networks working to address authoritarianism—currently one of the most significant threats to our democracy and political plurali —through effective community organizing. In December 2022...

Music video by Joe Jackson performing Steppin' Out. (C) 1982 A&M Records

Birthday August 11, 1954 Punk rock and new wave vocalist whose 1982 single "Steppin' Out" became a top 10 hit. Throughout his career he released more than fifteen studio albums and earned five Grammy Award nominations.

Joe Jackson -- the patriarch of the Jackson family -- has died ... TMZ has learned. Family sources tell TMZ, Joe passed away at 3:30 AM Wednesday in L.A. We broke the story ... Joe was hospitalized in June with terminal cancer. His family had been flocking to his bedside since. His wife, Katherine, had been at his bedside as were some of Joe's children and grandchildren. Joe had been battling health problems for some time now. He was hospitalized back in 2016 after coming down with a high fever. But, he bounced back not long after and was seen...

Since the untimely death of his son, Joe Jackson has emerged from the ensuing media frenzy with a library of quotes that, rather than reinvigorating his image and career, instead confirm he is the insensitive, money hungry, exploitative father we all have long suspected he is. After plugging his record company at the BET awards just three days after Michael's death, Joe called a press conference where, instead of apologizing for his gross error in judgment, plugged his record company again. To the horror of mothers everywhere, Joe is currently helping his wife Katherine care for Michael's three children, and...

First on TVNewser: Yesterday afternoon, ABC News correspondent Chris Connelly sat down with Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson -- Jackson's first one-on-one interview since his son's death. A small portion was used on "Nightline" last night, more of it today on "Good Morning America" and insiders tell us the interview may be used in an hour-long "Family Secrets" special Tuesday night. But it didn't come free. TVNewser has learned ABC News paid upwards of $200,000 for rights to video featuring Joe and Katherine Jackson - and with it, the interview with Joe Jackson. A source close to the situation tells...

On the red carpet at the BET Awards, as CNN’s Don Lemon interviewed him, Joe Jackson was contemptuous and put-off, willing to give only terse, perfunctory answers to complicated questions. Jackson, resembling a baked potato in a pair of cheap sunglasses, came off more as a gold miner eager to stake a claim than the grieving father of his world-famous son. I have friends who have lost parakeets, dogs, guinea pigs and wino uncles, and they’ve spent more time in mourning than Michael Jackson's father. I've been more distraught over bad sushi. He struck me as someone with a hurried...

Recent months have seen a flurry of books about the highly controversial 1919 World Series and the so-called “Black Sox.” The most notable are Red Legs and Black Sox by Dr. Susan Dellinger; and Burying the Black Sox by Gene Carney. Both are highly informative books that were a joy to read and have renewed my interest in “all things Black Sox.” I recently reread the Melvin Durslag Sporting News interview of Chick Gandil from 1956. Gandil was often cast as a ringleader of the plot to throw the 1919 World Series. Thirty seven years later, at age 69, he...

Pastor of woman who killed sons focuses on importance of faith TYLER (AP) — In a mighty voice that rang outside the brick church, the pastor of a woman who bludgeoned two of her children to death preached about hope amid despair on Palm Sunday, a day after a jury acquitted the mother by reason of insanity. "Weeping endureth for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," pastor Gary Bell quoted the Bible to his congregation of more than 100 people. "God is your refuge. He'll be your song in the night, alleluia." Deanna Laney, 39, once ministered to...

LYON I never thought I'd say this, but I'm thinking of leaving New York for a city that's free and tolerant and treats me like an adult. Berlin, maybe, or Barcelona, or even London, the city I left nearly 20 years ago. I came to live in New York to be a musician and a bohemian, but the last time my band played in the city, in April, there were no fewer than five "No Smoking" signs in our dressing room. Two weeks later in Hamburg, Germany, our dressing room had five ashtrays. You can guess where we felt more...