Free Republic

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law a bill allowing land seizures by the state without compensation - a move that has put him at odds with some members of his government. Black people only own a small fraction of farmland nationwide more than 30 years after the end of the racist system of apartheid - the majority remains with the white minority. This has led to frustration and anger over the slow pace of reform. While Ramaphosa's ANC party hailed the law as a "significant milestone" in the country's transformation, some members of the coalition government say...

The man who set the Pennsylvania Governor’s residence on fire on Sunday morning has been identified. Police arrested a suspect on Sunday. His name is Cody Balmer, he’s 38 years-old and he lives near the governor’s mansion. Balmer torched the governor’s residence during Passover. Shapiro is Jewish. Times Now reported: During a news conference, police confirmed that Balmer scaled fences, evaded state troopers, and ignited the fire. He was arrested in the Harrisburg area shortly after Governor Shapiro and his family were safely evacuated. Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo stated that forthcoming charges will include attempted murder, terrorism, attempted...

In a jaw-dropping argument, the Department of Justice claims seizing $50,000 from a small business doesn’t violate property rights because money isn’t property.As a lawyer who sues the government, you get used to the different kinds of arguments that government lawyers use to justify abuses of individual rights—sweeping claims of government power, bad-faith procedural obstacles, and more. This was a new one: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that confiscating $50,000 from a small business did not infringe the business' right to private property because money is not property. "Money is not necessarily 'property' for constitutional purposes," the...

PINE CITY, N.Y. (WETM) — A New York Assemblyman from Long Island has proposed an amendment to a New York State Environmental Conservation Law aimed at reforming animal seizure protocols following the euthanization of ‘P’Nut the Squirrel’ after he was taken from his home in Pine City by DEC agents on Wednesday. Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz of the 15th Assembly District in Long Island announced on Saturday, Nov. 2, a proposal for an amendment called “Peanut’s Law: Humane Animal Protection Act.” This proposed law would amend Section 11-0512 of New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to prevent incidents like what happened to...

The U.S. has confiscated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro‘s $13 billion plane in the Dominican Republic due to violations of sanctions, as reported by CNN. Earlier this year, the United States reinstated sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas industry due to the Maduro administration’s refusal to facilitate “an inclusive and competitive election.” According to U.S. officials, the aircraft was flown to Florida on Monday, underscoring escalating tensions between the two nations.

Over the weekend, I took my daughter and her best friend on a day trip from Northern Virginia to Hico, West Virginia. In a matter of 120 minutes, you pass from one of the statistically wealthiest areas in the United States to some of the most destitute roadside neighborhoods you’ll see in the region. The friend asked why it's like this in West Virginia, and all I could think to say in response was, “All your friends back in Northern Virginia, what do their parents do for work?” It didn’t take her long. She responded, “Oh like mostly the Pentagon,...

Many circuit courts have said that law enforcement can hold your property for as long as they want. D.C.’s high court decided last week that’s unconstitutional.The Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures extends to the length of a seizure, a federal court ruled last week, significantly restricting how long law enforcement can retain private property after an arrest. "When the government seizes property incident to a lawful arrest, the Fourth Amendment requires that any continued possession of the property must be reasonable," wrote Judge Gregory Katsas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in...

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized a foreign oil tanker carrying more than 700,000 liters of smuggled fuel north of the Persian Gulf, its official news outlet Sepah News reported on Monday. The report claimed that the Togo-flagged "Pearl G" tanker, owned by an Iraqi person residing in Dubai, was seized by the forces of the IRGC Navy's third region on Friday morning following a judicial order. It added the oil tanker was loading smuggled fuel from Iranian vessels near the Arash oilfield when it was confiscated. The oil tanker and its nine crew members, who have Indian nationality,...

on Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs halted all team activities after defensive lineman BJ Thompson suffered a seizure and soon after went into cardiac arrest during a special teams meeting. In a statement on Thursday night, Thompson’s agent Chris Turnage said, “BJ is still unconscious at this point, but he’s stable, and his vitals are good.” “His family asks for your continued prayers,” added Turnage. Despite canceling all activities on Thursday, the Chiefs are expected to resume practice on Friday.

The state has confirmed an additional case of pertussis — or whooping cough — on Hawaii Island amid an outbreak that has so far sickened 11 since March. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state has confirmed an additional case of pertussis — or whooping cough — on Hawaii Island amid an outbreak that has so far sickened 11 since March. Several of the recent cases have been in infants too young to be fully vaccinated. Officials said the cases indicate “community spread” of pertussis on Hawaii Island. Because of that, the state Health Department is strongly recommending that parents stay up...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents along with Colombian customs inspectors and Colombian National Police (CNP) officers seized approximately $11.2 million Wednesday at the port of Buenaventura, Colombia. The seizure was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the CNP and ICE Attaché Bogota. The U.S. currency was hidden in two shipping containers, each containing 20 big bags filled with ammonium sulfate. Sixteen of the 40 bags contained $700,000 in $20 dollar bill denominations. The containers departed from the port of Manzanillo, Mexico, destined to the west coast port of Buenaventura, Colombia. According to...

@LeadingReport BREAKING: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz calls for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to step down. Cruz said when asked if it’s necessary for McConnell to step down as Senate leader, “I think it is.” Other Republican senators have had enough of McConnell as well. Sen. Ron Johnson likewise said McConnell’s strategy was “fatally flawed” when he “entered into this secret negotiation with Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer.” “It normalizes thousands of people a day,” Johnson said of the bill. “It probably undermines the future president’s ability to secure the border by having things like a discretionary threshold.” Sen. Rick Scott...

A U.S. Senate committee approved legislation on Wednesday that would help set the stage for the United States to confiscate Russian assets and hand them over to Ukraine for rebuilding after the destruction of the nearly two-year-long war. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 20 to 1 in favor of the unprecedented "Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act." If it were to pass the full Senate and House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Joe Biden, as expected, the act would pave the way for Washington's first-ever seizure of central bank assets from a...

Amid the still-worsening border chaos created by the policies of President Joe Biden, Texas has refused to accept what the Secretary of Homeland Security still can't bring himself to call a "crisis." The Lone Star State's latest action on Thursday: seizing a swath of city-owned parkland along the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, kicking federal border agents off the property, and enforcing the international border with Mexico. Shelby Park — the land seized by the Texas National Guard — sits adjacent to the International Bridge where surges of illegal immigrants stream into the U.S. Over the span of just a...

The Biden administration has proposed a new rule that would allow federal authorities to seize the patents of costly drugs that were developed using taxpayer dollars and to let third parties use those patents to make the drugs available more cheaply.The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, on Dec. 7 published a set of draft guidelines for government agencies to evaluate when it might be appropriate to invoke what are known as "march-in" rights under the legal framework of the Bayh-Dole Act.The Bayh-Dole Act, which is shorthand for the University and...

An FBI raid on private safe deposit boxes has triggered a significant legal battle over civil asset forfeiture and the lengths to which federal authorities can use the practice, which has often been referred to as “Policing for Profit.”The outcome of the court proceedings could turn this into a landmark case that helps to further define the parameters in which federal law enforcement can use the controversial procedure.FBI agents cataloged Cartier bracelets, Rolex watches and stacks of cash as they combed through safe deposit boxes seized from a Beverly Hills business accused of money laundering. But the owners of many...

BREAKING NEWS: Pilot Incapacitation - American Airlines Flight AA755 (Boeing 787) CDG-PHL, from Paris, France, to Philadelphia, PA, USA (on Nov.29, 2023) - pilot had a seizure & collapsed! Pilot had seizure that stiffened his legs & back, jamming his feet under rudder pedals on short final approach. The captain immediately took over flying duties and there was no loss of aircraft control. The relief pilot who was required to be on the flight deck during landing was able to remove the unconscious pilot from the seat. This is the 4th Pilot Incapacitation in 2 weeks!!!

There is “no evidence” that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) suffers from a seizure disorder or suffered a stroke during an incident on August 30 when he appeared to freeze, Attending Physician Brian Monahan wrote Tuesday. “My examination of you following your August 30, 2023 brief episode included several medical evaluations: brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment,” Monahan prefaced in a letter to McConnell. “There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease,” the doctor wrote. “There...

In addition to being the home of newly famous country musician Oliver Anthony, the city of Farmville, Virginia, is also where Amish farmers Samuel and Katie Fisher have operated their food business, Golden Valley Farms, for years. But recently, the Fishers have run afoul of the law for “unlawfully possessing, selling, and/or transporting animals.” As a result, the state seized all of the Fishers’ fresh, locally raised meat and dumped it, so that it couldn’t be sold or used to feed the family. Other stories on today’s show include: Republicans want to know what’s in the thousands of emails that...

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who froze during a news conference Wednesday and earlier this year suffered a concussion after falling down, has also endured two other falls this year, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The first known time, in February, occurred in Finland when McConnell and a US delegation met with the Finnish president in Helsinki, according to three sources familiar with the matter. As he got out of his car on a snowy day and walked towards his meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, the GOP leader tripped and fell, the sources said of the...