Free Republic

Special to the NNPA from Black Voice News (NNPA)—The California State Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is endorsing a ballot initiative for this November to legalize and tax recreational marijuana use. In addition, a recent poll suggests that Californians support the measure as well. NAACP State President Alice Huffman said the organization is backing the initiative, to counter marijuana arrest rates. She contends that it unfairly targets African Americans and other minorities. From a recently published article, Huffman states: “There is a strong racial component that must be considered when we investigate how...

JUNE 8, 2010 Rush Limbaugh and Kathryn Rogers: Why Elton John Played Their Wedding By Zev Chafets A lot of people were unpleasantly surprised to learn that Elton John, one of the world’s most proudly prominent gay entertainers, played at Rush Limbaugh’s Palm Beach wedding to Kathryn Rogers last Saturday night. Evangelicals voiced dismay that a pious fellow like Rush would give legitimacy to the libertine Sir Elton. Limbaugh-haters jeered at what they considered el Rushbo’s hypocracy. This demonstrates that even after more than twenty years on the radio, not everyone understands who Limbaugh actually is. For starters he is...

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2010 – Helen Thomas announced Monday that she is retiring, effective immediately. Her decision came after her controversial comments about Israel and the Palestinians were captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet. Thomas later issued a statement: ``I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.’’ Thomas will mark her 90th birthday on Aug. 4.

BREAKING: Fox News is reporting that Helen Thomas has announced her retirement effective immediately from the Hearst Corporation, and as a member of the White House Press Corps. In the video above, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs today called anti-Jewish remarks by Helen Thomas “reprehensible”: “I think those remarks were offensive and reprehensible. I think she should and has apologized. Obviously those remarks do not reflect the opinion, certainly, I assume, of most of the people in here, and certainly not of the administration.”

Elon John Sings At Limbaugh’s Fourth Wedding Openly gay singer was reportedly paid $1 million to perform at event Singer Elton John received a $1 million fee to perform in front of 400 guests celebrating radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh's fourth wedding Saturday night, People Magazine reports. Limbaugh, 59, wed Kathryn Rogers, 33, at the Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. Limbaugh is an outspoken opponent of gay marriage while John is openly gay and in a civil partnership with male partner David Furnish. Celebrity guests at the wedding reportedly included former Bush adviser Karl Rove, baseball slugger George Brett,...

**If you TiVo there are Spoilers** Who are you and what have you done with Jack Bauer? That’s what I wanted to scream at the pod person who starred on “24” last Monday. When the conservative creators of the show left and liberals took over, I was apprehensive. But by and large, the quality of the program kept up. I snorted, of course, when a bad character was threatened with torture by other bad guys. She was hauled into a medieval chamber filled with pincers, hot pokers and iron maidens. Then she was strapped down, a washcloth was draped over...

As the buzz surrounding Tron Legacy continues to grow - an impressive feat, considering the film itself isn't even due out until December - Disney is reportedly putting the pieces in place for a sequel already. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has given Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz the job of coming up with a script for what'd be a third Tron movie. This isn't dissimilar to the tactics that Warner Bros employed with Sherlock Holmes last year, when work on a second movie had begun even before the first had been seen. The upside of the gamble,...

Leftist Politics Destroyed ‘24’ 2010 March 31 by Chris Yogerst tags: 24, Jack Bauer Since 2001, there haven’t been any shows that have excited me more than 24. In fact, I can’t think of the last show that kept me on the edge of my seat like 24 did during its first few seasons. Its ability to attack terrorism in a way that takes no prisoners was not only timed perfectly after 9/11 it also provided a captivating story. Each commercial break felt like an eternity and the weeks in-between episodes were true tests of patience.The 24 we see...

Jack Bauer's latest rough day will be his last on TV. FOX drama "24" will conclude with its current eighth season, star Mary Lynn Rajskub Tweeted on Friday, breaking the news. VIEW THE PHOTOS: Kiefer Sutherland "Just found out we got the word officially," she Tweeted. "This is 24's last season." FOX later confirmed the news, calling it a joint decision between "24" star and executive producer, Kiefer Sutherland, and showrunner Howard Gordon. [...]

TLC's 'American Chopper' reaches end of the road 54 minutes ago (AP:NEW YORK) "American Chopper" is riding off into the sunset. The popular TLC series based on the feuding Teutul family and their custom-built motorcycle business is going off the air after six seasons. TLC said Wednesday that the final episode will air Thursday. The end isn't a surprise. Paul Teutul and his son, Paul Jr., have frequently fought on the air. The son recently left the New York-based Orange County Choppers to start his own business, and the two are in a court dispute over money. The network said...

For the sixth time in 11 days, President Barack Obama was back before the cameras Thursday, talking about airline safety and anti-terrorism. He then left quickly for a second White House room to meet with Senate chairmen and press them to have a health care bill on his desk no later than next month. Two very different issues with one common thread: Obama engaging, shedding his famous detachment after watching the intensity of his support drop dramatically since last spring. To get health care, he must be both a broker and a buffer, absorbing the heat for difficult decisions at...

COPENHAGEN — Has Copenhagen collapsed? That seems to be the growing sentiment inside the city's Bella Conference Center, where officials, environmentalists and even delegates to the international climate conference began streaming out Friday evening. What began with excitement and anticipation two weeks ago ended Friday night with disappointment and anger for thousands. "This is a sad day for my country," said Mama Konate, chief delegate from the West African nation of Mali. "We have worked very hard to reach this agreement. And now it seems over. Without a deadline, I don't know if we will ever finish." The conference, the...

A hilarious edit of an old comic book hammers Charles Johnson's decent into madness. http://racedetective.blogspot.com/2009/12/green-lizard.html

(Reason #)8. A right-wing blogosphere that is almost universally dominated by raging hate speech (see: Hot Air, Free Republic, Ace of Spades, etc.)

One day last summer, Gene Mulak, observing carnage in the sand trap, decided it was time to rescue the Leader of the Free World. "Open the clubface more!" the golf pro yelled to President Barack Obama. A rank of bodyguards stiffened when they heard the shouting, but the commander-in-chief continued to hack away, sand flying, recalls Mr. Mulak, a resident professional at the Vineyard Golf Club in Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Mr. Obama waved off the guards and welcomed Mr. Mulak into the pit. The pro says he gave the president tips on his golf stance and his swing, both of...

Hours after the Fort Hood massacre, a grieving nation looked to the president for consolation and leadership. Instead, it got light banter and a "shout-out" before President Obama read a perfunctory statement. The president has always had a reputation for coolness, but in this case, he was utterly detached. He can't blame the scriptwriter for his astonishing lack of empathy.

News reporting that holds accountable those with power and influence has been a vital part of American democratic life, especially in places with daily newspapers profitable enough...to maintain substantial reporting staffs. That journalism is now at risk...American society must now take some collective responsibility for supporting news reportings....In a comprehensive report commissioned by the Columbia University Journalism School, we suggest a number of public sources of support for this news reporting: - The Internal Revenue Service or Congress should clarify tax regulations to explicitly allow new or existing local news organizations to operate as nonprofit or low-profit entities, allowing them...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — "The Simpsons" is giving one lucky contest winner the chance to make others yellow with envy by creating a character for the animated TV series. The new Springfield resident will appear in an early 2010 episode featuring Chris Martin of Coldplay as guest star. The contest, part of the Fox show's 20th-anniversary celebration, is for those 18 and older. It opens Friday and runs until 11:59 p.m. EDT Oct. 24.

Hitler was able to get the Olympics to Munich!