Free Republic

Just a little more than a year after it opened, the Moreland Farmers Pantry is closing. Residents of Portland's Westmoreland neighborhood were originally excited for the arrival of a 5,000-square-foot store stocked -- as it advertised -- with non-genetically modified products. But excitement turned to anger for some after comments on the owner's personal Facebook page were made public. In a 2013 post by owner Chauncy Childs, operating under a pseudonym, she said that although she doesn't judge gay people or their desire to be married, and it isn't her place to form opinions about their lifestyle, she thought gay...

Gannett news is reporting that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is investigating Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to shutter a corruption-busting panel, threatening to investigate potential obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Link here: http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/politics/2014/07/31/cuomo-pressed-witness-tampering/13405579/

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his top staff thwarted efforts by an investigatory commission to uncover political corruption and expose campaign finance loopholes because the panel... got too close to the governor's own politics... Cuomo's top aide, Larry Schwartz, interfered with the commission's attempts to investigate campaign spending for a media company that the governor also used....the commission's executive director reported back to Schwartz while its staff grew increasingly suspicious and frustrated that the governor's office was meddling in the investigations. The commission developed a list of promising targets, including a lawmaker suspected of using campaign funds to...

From Christianity Today, this fascinating bit of news: While the ballroom sessions of the first day of the Evangelical Theological Society meeting had more attendees, no session was as packed as J.P. Moreland’s “How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and What Can Be Done About It.” While the average breakout session seems to be attended by fewer than 50 people, easily more than 200 packed the room to hear Moreland’s talk, with dozens standing and more listening outside the door. ... “In the actual practices of the Evangelical community in North America, there is an over-commitment to Scripture in...

FOXBORO, Mass. - One quarterback played up to expectations in Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game because all the Patriots ever ask Tom Brady to do is win. As the seasons roll on and each trip to Foxboro turns into Groundhog Day for Peyton Manning, it appears that Manning will be Dan Marino to Brady's Joe Montana. Marino had the records. Montana had the rings. By the time it all ends in Jacksonville next month, Brady may be tied with Joe Cool as a three-time Super Bowl MVP. He may have only thrown for 144 yards in Sunday's victory but the...