Free Republic

Theodore Roosevelt was famous for gunboat diplomacy. But Donald Trump's ambassador to Italy has found a rather more luxurious way to win friends: love boat diplomacy. Billionaire entertainment mogul Tilman Fertitta, 69, is wooing foreign officials from the deck of his $450 million mega yacht, the Boardwalk, as he cruises around Italy on a two-and-a-half-month 'Coastal Diplomatic Tour.' The 383ft vessel boasts two helipads, two swimming pools, four hot tubs, a fully equipped spa, scuba room, putting green and cinema, with business tycoons and sports personalities rubbing shoulders with government officials at lavish receptions. Fertitta, the world's 312th-richest person according...

A one-of-its-kind flag that draped former President Abraham Lincoln’s casket during his funeral procession has found a new home in the Big Apple — at a Midtown steakhouse. Keens Steakhouse, the 141-year-old white tablecloth joint known for its extensive collection of Americana memorabilia, unveiled the gargantuan, half-million dollar auction find during a private unveiling ceremony Thursday. “It’s truly a treasure,” Keens Steakhouse general manager Julia Lisowski told The Post of the historic flag, which was used in procession after Lincoln was assassinated in office in 1865. “It’s a really special and amazing piece of history that we are so honored...

UKRAINE: Zelensky enlisted Senator Mark Kelly’s twin brother to raise $2.8B for a USAID-created propaganda arm targeting US voters and politicians. Much of the money moves anonymously via crypto. Observers note the conflict of interest: the brother of Sen. Mark Kelly helping run a foreign influence operation targeting the very government his twin serves in. United24, created by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation using a USAID-funded infrastructure, appointed Scott Kelly, Senator Mark Kelly's twin brother, as its ambassador to help raise money for the propaganda outlet. Since then it has raised $2.72 billion, much of it routed quietly via cryptocurrency....

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta warned on Monday that the current inflation and supply chain crisis is taking a toll the U.S. economy. Fertitta, who also owns the Landry's restaurant group and other properties, told "Fox News Primetime" that the supply chain crisis coupled with inflation and a labor shortage is doing lasting damage to the United States, while separately urging Americans to be understanding of the hospitality and retail workers who continue to do their jobs during this crisis. "We have 4,000 openings right now," he said. "Between the Golden Nugget, all the restaurants and entertainment venues; people just...

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday the league backs the free speech rights of Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. But Silver, speaking to Kyodo News in Tokyo, acknowledged the impact of Morey's recent tweet, which supported anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. "There is no doubt, the economic impact is already clear," Silver said. "There have already been fairly dramatic consequences from that tweet, and I have read some of the media suggesting that we are not supporting Daryl Morey, but in fact we have. "I think as a values-based organization that I want to make it clear ... that...

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has reached an agreement to sell the team to Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta for an NBA-record $2.2 billion, according to multiple reports on Tuesday morning.

For six months, he has been a giant in the background for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, quietly leveraging his power to help the couple rebound from devastation. His private jets, his home in River Oaks, his ranch, his media connections and even his restaurant empire have played roles in simultaneously supporting Giffords and protecting her from public view as she has pushed through her recovery, sources close to Giffords said. ...Houston restaurant tycoon Tilman Fertitta, a close friend of Giffords' husband, League City astronaut Mark Kelly, doesn't think much of his role, even as it highlights a...

CEO casts his net for downtown City, Fertitta bank on Kemah theme By ALLAN TURNER Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle Meet the P.T. Barnum of fried shrimp. With the chutzpah of a sideshow barker, Tilman Fertitta, the one-time seller of women's dresses and vitamins, has used Ferris wheels, aquariums, miniature trains, dancing waiters and mechanical gorillas to transform two sleepy Houston-area seafood eateries into an international restaurant empire. A boaster, a benefactor, a friend of Bill Clinton, Fertitta has propelled his Landry's Restaurants Inc., which also owns Joe's Crab Shack, Willie G's and Rainforest Cafe, to revenues topping $756 million. Recent...