Free Republic

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Environmental groups and energy companies both claimed victory after Gov. David Paterson ordered a seven-month moratorium on some natural gas drilling in the state, although environmentalists would have preferred the broader ban that the Legislature had approved. The outgoing Democratic governor vetoed a bill on Saturday that would have suspended all new natural-gas drilling permits until May 15. Instead, he issued an executive order prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing of horizontally drilled wells, such as those in the Marcellus Shale region of southern New York. The order stands until July 1...

ALBANY, N.Y. (Associated Press) -- An unfolding scandal threatening Gov. David Paterson and his administration claimed its second public safety official Tuesday when the head of the New York State Police casually told a television reporter that he was retiring, partly because of intense media scrutiny. Superintendent Harry Corbitt had acknowledged in February that a State Police official had contact with a woman who had accused a top Paterson aide of assaulting her on Halloween in New York City's Bronx borough. Soon after, the woman dropped the domestic violence complaint against the aide, David Johnson.

Of all the names floated around out there, Suozzi is the least radically left. Of course, I'd like Paterson to pick someone like John Faso, but I know that's not going to happen. When Tom Suozzi ran against Eliott Spitzer in the gubernatorial primaries, cutting property taxes was high on his list, Suozzzi opposed gay marriage, and backed a ban on late-term abortion.

Elitism: Is Democratic New York Gov. David Paterson his own man? If he is, he'll appoint an accomplished leader as senator. If he isn't, he'll kowtow to the party bosses and pick . . . a Kennedy.When the Empire State's legally-blind governor made a huge stink this week about an NBC "Saturday Night Live" skit that lampooned him, was he just conniving to convince New Yorkers how independent and determined he is — prior to caving in on Caroline Kennedy? In the days since Gov. Paterson was depicted by comic Fred Armisen as confused and disoriented, holding charts upside down...

On March 25, New York governor Andrew Cuomo made one of deadliest mistakes of the coronavirus crisis, signing an executive order forcing nursing homes in his state to accept patients who tested positive for coronavirus. Around 4,800 New Yorkers died from COVID-19 in those nursing homes from March to May — approximately 25 percent of all fatalities in the state. Many medical professionals opposed the policy. A report by ProPublica, certainly no right-wing outlet, found that deaths had spiked after Cuomo’s order. States issuing similar policies — Michigan and New Jersey — saw similar disasters unfold. By any standard, the...

Former Democrat presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson joined Rabbi Shmuley Boteach for a Facebook Live discussion on Tuesday in which she claimed leaders within the Democrat Party and the “media industrial-complex” conspired with one another in an effort to make her look crazy. During the interview, Williamson said it was “pretty clear” that once she made headlines after the first debate, she was targeted by the Democrat Party in an organized effort to have her removed from the debate stage. “The craziest things were said [about me]. There is a political-media-industrial-complex … and I think they have a way of protecting...

President Trump mocked "The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon on Twitter Sunday after the comedian expressed regret over how he handled a guest appearance by then-candidate Trump in September 2016. The president said that Fallon is "whimpering to all that he did the famous 'hair show' with me (where he seriously messed up my hair), & that he would have now done it differently because it is said to have 'humanized' me-he is taking heat."

Jimmy Fallon’s sin isn’t blackface. If the controversy surrounding him were real, long before cancel culture sunk its teeth into "The Tonight Show" host they would have attacked ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel for the same sin. But they didn’t and they won’t. For the same reason everything is a controversy or not these days, it always comes down to the same, predictable thing: Donald Trump. If you’re wondering how I got here, hang with me. In case you’re most people who don’t concern yourself with social media mobs and celebrity culture, let’s get caught up. A video surfaced online from a...

Talk show host Jimmy Fallon has released an apology after a clip of him in blackface started trending on Twitter. The SNL skit from 2000, which shows the comedian doing an impression of Chris Rock, resurfaced again on the internet on Tuesday triggering the hashtag #jimmyfallonisoverparty to trend. Admitting his regrets over the sketch the 45-year-old Tonight Show host took to social media to apologize to those he may have offended. 'In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this.

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday announced he will be taking the summer off after facing criticism over wearing blackface in a recurring skit he performed while working on "The Man Show" on Comedy Central. Kimmel, as a co-host of the "The Man Show," performed a recurring skit that included him dressed in blackface as then-NBA star Karl Malone. Videos and photos of the skits on the show, which ran from 1999-2004, have been circulating online recently with calls for Kimmel to apologize.

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday announced he will be taking the summer off after facing criticism over wearing blackface in a recurring skit he performed while working on "The Man Show" on Comedy Central. Kimmel, as a co-host of the "The Man Show," performed a recurring skit that included him dressed in blackface as then-NBA star Karl Malone. Videos and photos of the skits on the show, which ran from 1999-2004, have been circulating online recently with calls for Kimmel to apologize. "I'm taking this summer off to spend even more time with my family," Kimmel said on Thursday night...

Twitter users are calling for Jimmy Fallon to be 'cancelled' after a Chris Rock impression he did in 2000 resurfaced showing him wearing dark makeup. It's the second time the clip has emerged in recent years and has reignited the debate on blackface and cancel culture. Most recently it surfaced when Megyn Kelly was let go from The Today Show in 2018 after she defended blackface Halloween costumes.

President Donald Trump retweeted a post by News 12 reporter Kevin Vesey on his experience at a rally by a Setauket conservative group. Kevin Vessey: The level of anger directed at the media from these protestors was alarming. As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today. Video Link

How does Watergate differ from Obamagate? Journalists led the charge to uncover the first. But now? Now journalists are leading the coverup of the second. J. Peder Zane has illustrated the media coverup exactly: “This week’s news that at least 39 Obama officials had unmasked Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s private conversations during the last month of their administration seemed a little shocking. Today, major media outlets are telling readers and viewers that the practice is “routine.” A CNN headline told readers, “Trump pushes 'Obamagate' conspiracy based on routine intel activity.” Obama’s Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, now a CNN...

Cecily Strong of "Saturday Night Live" roasted President Trump while performing as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Saturday. Strong as Whitmer said governors are “having a moment right now” but that, unlike her, other governors are getting “cool nicknames.” “Trump refers to me as ‘that woman from Michigan,’” she said. “But I’m not offended because I am proud to be from Michigan. And ‘that woman’ is also what Trump calls his wife.” She continued by giving advice for protesters to safely exercise their First Amendment rights, including to stay home, maintain social distancing and wear a mask outside. “I...

**SNIP** The sketch, played by actress Cecily Strong, shows Whitmer in a wooded back yard as she sits on a porch. The skit begins with "Whitmer" saying that governors are having a moment due to the impact of the coronavirus on states. She references when President Trump called her "that woman from Michigan." The parody mentions the recent protests at the state capitol against the stay-at-home order. "Look people. It's 'Live Free or Die,' not 'Live Free and Die,'" the Whitmer double said. The sketch even poked fun at Michigan nature. "We're not out of the woods. We never will...

Former Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones erupted in response to reports that President Donald Trump’s name will appear on millions of Americans’ coronavirus relief checks by suggesting that his name also be printed on the death certificates of those who died from the illness. “Like what is wrong with us how dont we see the narcissistic behavior of this clown? We need put his name on all the death certificates from this pandemic too!! What the fuck?!” Jones said on Twitter Friday morning. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that some of the delivery of the checks were delayed by...

“Saturday Night Live” will be back on the air this weekend with a show that abides by social distancing rules. The comedy sketch show will include include a “Weekend Update” news segment and original content from “SNL” cast members, NBC said Thursday. The material will be produced remotely, the network said, in compliance with efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Steve Martin performs his funky musical parody "King Tut," which satirizes the popularity of the King Tut exhibit. Aired 05/22/78. Video Here.

Far-left actor Alec Baldwin smeared millions of Americans, declaring that anyone intending to vote for President Donald Trump in this year’s presidential election must suffer from a mental illness.The Saturday Night Live star claimed that President Trump had gained unprecedented control over government institutions and therefore people must be crazy to vote for him.“Trump has reached for, and nearly gained, a control of the federal [government] unrivaled by other Presidents,” Baldwin said. “He fired huge numbers of [government] professionals. He steamrolled the Congress, whenever possible. And now this. If you vote for Trump again, you are mentally ill.”It is not the first...