Free Republic

Queens activists are demanding the FBI investigate the “foreign national” crime syndicates turning seedy Roosevelt Avenue into a “gangland” — claiming the criminals pose a national security threat. “We request that you initiate an investigation into what we understand are gangs engaging in criminal enterprises including human trafficking, illegal narcotics sales and the mass distribution of fraudulent documents which poses a national security threat,” wrote Rosa Sanchez, head of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition, and Democratic district leader Hiram Monserrate in an Aug. 14 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel. Federal intervention is required because state and local laws are...

Mayor Eric Adams vowed Monday to deal with the illicit sex market that’s been thriving in Queens for months — even as the open-air red-light district continued unabated two days after being exposed in an exclusive report by The Post. Adams said he took a wee-hours tour of the seedy strip to see for himself, and was shocked by what he witnessed, telling reporters: “It was filthy.” “There was just a state of disorder,” the mayor said at an unrelated press conference. “I was out there about 1 a.m., 2 in the morning because I wanted to get an observation...

With Valentine’s Day upon us, so too are the long supermarket lines of people grabbing last-minute flowers and chocolates while others are hoping for the on-time delivery of edible fruit baskets — all in the name of love.If you’ve ever wondered which big-time Hollywood stars will likely be celebrating the sweetheart holiday with their longtime loves, you’re in the right place.  Here’s a look at eight couples who started out as high school flings, blossomed into successful marriages — and are still going strong today.~snip~Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea HurleyRon Howard and Cheryl HowardSnoop Dogg and Shante BroadusLeBron James and Savannah JamesBono and Alison HewsonLL Cool...

BRYAN, Ohio -- When the New England Confectionery Co. filed for bankruptcy in Boston last spring, there was such an immediate and deep sense of loss across the country that folks took to local stores and Amazon to claim a piece of yet another what-used-to-be. Necco Wafers, its signature product, had been part of Americana since before the Civil War. In fact, the company said the sugary, chalky wafers were a favorite of soldiers because the confection didn't melt, and that they were consumed by Union soldiers on the battlefield during the Civil War and by GIs during World War...

From the moment Amy and Justin Pounders met, they knew they had a special connection. What the newlyweds didn't realize then, however, is that they actually knew each other from preschool. After meeting on Match.com, it took a month for them to realize what they had in common. "He pointed out a scar above his eye. He proceeded to tell me how he [had] gotten it from falling off monkey bars at preschool. He then said, '... Sunshine Preschool,'" Amy recalled, adding that when she heard the name of the preschool she realized it was the same school she had...