Free Republic

Elevation Church in North Carolina has been accused by one pastor of high-tech “sheep stealing,” claiming the popular megachurch is using geofencing technology to intentionally target smaller churches with location-based ads, ensuring that as soon as congregants step foot onto their own church property- they are pushed advertisements intended to draw them away. Dr. Michael Kelly is the lead pastor of Central Triad Church, a growing congregation nestled on the outskirts of Winston-Salem, NC. In a recent sermon he revealed to his congregation that a few years ago, in 2018, he was looking for ways to help grow and promote...

Kamala Harris has suffered a blow in a poll that looked at how alternative Democratic candidates would do in swing states. There have been calls for U.S. President Joe Biden to be replaced as the Democratic candidate since the world watched his poor performance in his debate with Donald Trump on June 27. Many have assumed the vice president would be the obvious choice, but a new poll shows she doesn't fare as well as others, and she wasn't among the four who performed best. Analytics company BlueLabs carried out research to determine who would increase the number of people...

Is it ‘over’ for Asheville? S.C. tourist stabbed in back with hypodermic needle by homeless panhandler after refusing to give him money, police report states Sunday, 07 July 2024 21:10 From Staff Reports A homeless man is facing an assault charge after a male South Carolina tourist was stabbed in the back with a hypodermic needle about 6:30 p.m. May 31 while walking on the 30 block of Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville with his wife and two young children, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on June 18. Julien Bryan McArthur – described as “homeless” – is accused...

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The First Lady will be making a stop in Wilmington on Monday for a campaign event. Dr. Jill Biden is also expected to make an appearance at a campaign event in Tampa, Florida the same day. WECT has not yet learned if the event is open to the public.

In a video posted on X, Mike Howell, Executive Director of the Heritage Oversight Project, has urged Americans to “declare independence from foreigners deciding our elections.” The video, which was produced in collaboration with Muckraker.com, presents evidence suggesting that illegal aliens are being registered to vote in the United States. “The evidence you are about to see relates to illegal aliens being registered to vote. This is a problem national in scale. The United States of America is for Americans, and our elections only should be decided by them,” Howell added.

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, states have been allowed to pass their own abortion laws. As certain states began to pass stronger protections for preborn human beings, other states began to eliminate protections — and ‘abortion travel’ became a hot-button issue. Some companies began funding abortion travel as a “benefit” to employees, and abortion funds began to pay for airfare, hotels, and the like in order to assist women living in pro-life states to obtain abortions in states where abortion was more available. Since that time, the Guttmacher Institute...

The Mayor of Monroe North Carolina, has done the Lord’s work by issuing a proclamation recognizing the anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Mayor Robert Burns, who also “encourages all citizens to reflect on the significance of this decision” explains “It’s my honor to release a Proclamation on the momentous occasion that happened two years ago: the overturning of Roe V. Wade…I believe and hope for a day when abortion will ultimately end, but until that day, I will be a voice for the voiceless in and out of the womb. “ In a message on X, Mayor...

The home of the Carolina Panthers will be seeing an overhaul soon. Per Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer, the Charlotte City Council approved a $650 million renovation plan for Bank of America Stadium on Monday by a vote of 7-3. Panthers owner David Tepper reacted to the news with a statement saying he's "proud" to remain in Charlotte for the foreseeable future: Per ESPN, the approval of the stadium renovation comes with an agreement that the Panthers will stay in Charlotte through 2045. Tepper, who has already invested $117 million in stadium upgrades, will make a payment of $150...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Huntersville Police and Concord Police said they are still investigating the cases and can’t yet say if the women arrested in Asheville are connected to a string of baseball bat thefts in the Charlotte area. According to the Asheville Police Department, the women were apprehended after a recent theft at D-BAT located in the 1200 block of Hendersonville Road around 2:23 p.m. Sunday. Officers said the three women tried to run away from the scene but were held by staff. All three, Veronica Constantin, 41, Alexandra Lonescu, 31, and Jennifer Antonesco, 21, have been...

Human rights activist Martin Luther King III is slamming North Carolina GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson in new ads accusing him of rejecting the Civil Rights movement that King’s father and others led. The ads that the liberal-leaning group Progress NC Action released show King discussing comments Robinson has made about aspects of that movement and his father, Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson, who is North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, is the Republican nominee for governor and is running against state Attorney General Josh Stein (D). In one ad, King rejects any comparison between his father and Robinson, saying the “blatant...

Authorities say gunfire was the cause of a fire Monday at a North Carolina power station that resulted in 730 customers to lose electricity. Emergency crews responded to the problem as a fire and equipment failure on Duke Energy’s power distribution grid, which resulted in customers in the Durham area [losing power], according to the Associated Press. The following day, the Durham Police Department responded to a call about damaged power equipment and was told the damage was the result of gunfire in the past week.

It’s November 2023, and, following the October 7 attacks by Hamas terrorists that killed some 1,400 Israelis and at least 31 Americans, thousands of demonstrators march through New York City, calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. Chants of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” echo through the streets, along with “there is only one solution: intifada revolution.” Among the crowd is the infamous Palestinian American activist Linda Sarsour, who warns through a megaphone that a cabal of wily Jews has conspired to place “their little posters” (of kidnapped Israeli civilians) across the city, seeking...

A months-long Airbnb rental has become a nightmare for the North Carolina host, because the renters refuse to leave. A single parent in the Triangle is out money and now is having to fight to get her property back. "Now they're refusing to leave until there's an eviction order. I think they're just trying to gain time to stay there for free because they haven't paid," Farzana Rahman said. This all started when Rahman's most recent Airbnb guests made a long-term rental reservation through Airbnb. They checked in on October 25 with a check out date of May 24. When...

Florida, schmorida. After enjoying a pandemic-era boom where many a weary northerner packed up and moved to the Sunshine State, the bloom is off the citrus tree, new research suggests. In 2024, apparently, it’s all about the Carolinas — their coast, their mountains, their more temperate climate and — most importantly — their affordable cost of living, say the moving pros at PODS, who’ve analyzed heaps of customer data to identify the latest trends. If true, that shows a considerable reversal in just one year. In 2023, Florida practically owned the list of most moved-to cities, with six in the...

CLINTON, N.C. (WNCN) — A fire station in North Carolina was left nearly unable to operate after a group of four people broke in and hauled off with crucial equipment. According to the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, one of those four suspects has been identified and charged since the May 14 break-in and theft took place in Clinton. Deputies responded to the Piney Grove Fire Department where they discovered a “substantial loss in equipment.” The sheriff’s office said the gear taken from the station is valued at more than $100,000. After the theft, the department had to place one engine...

Two Chechen men who spoke broken English were found near the soldier's home. The family alleges the suspected intruder, 35-year-old Ramzan Daraev of Chicago was taking photos of their children. When confronted near a power line in a wooded part of the property, an altercation ensued and Daraev was shot several times at close range. -snip Sheriff Ronnie Fields said in a statement: "The caller indicated that an individual was observed taking photographs on the property and had become aggressive towards a resident outside their home…. The deceased was found approximately 250 yards from the roadway, along a powerline on...

UNC system spends at least $90 million per year for some 686 staffers under DEI umbrella, watchdog found The UNC System Board of Governors on Thursday voted to repeal a five-year-old policy mandating diversity, equity and inclusion offices on each of its 17 campuses, paving the way for diversity jobs to by cut systemwide. The axed policy had also required the UNC system office plus all UNC universities to work toward DEI goals. The 24-member board voted by voice; two black trustees voted no on the new policy... The vote prompted protests near the meeting, some of which become violent,...

The University of North Carolina’s 16 campuses spend no less than $90 million per year in pay and benefits on no fewer than 686 staffers under the “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) umbrella. On Wednesday, the system’s governing board may end the controversial program that institutionalizes bias and prejudice based on neo-Marxist principles and falsehoods. Our audit team at OpenTheBooks.com reviewed official university payrolls after filing records requests and searched university websites for DEI committees and their membership lists. Here’s how the UNC program breaks down: 288 are employed in DEI-related roles listed on the UNC system’s payroll. Another 398...

Donald Trump has demanded Joe Biden take a drug test before the pair face off against one another in next month's debate.Speaking at the GOP´s annual Lincoln Reagan dinner event on Friday night in St. Paul, Minnesota, Trump suggested the resident had been on drugs when he delivered the State of the Union address in March. Trump told his supporters he would insist Biden takes a drug test as a precondition for the debates. Donald Trump has called for President Joe Biden to take a drug test before their debates Donald Trump has called for President Joe Biden to take...