Free Republic

NEW YORK (AP) — Nielsen estimates 31 million viewers watched TV coverage of President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday. That audience total, measuring continuous coverage by 12 broadcast and cable networks, soundly beat the 20.6 million who viewed President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. But a president’s second swearing-in typically logs a drop-off in viewership. Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 was seen by 37.8 million people. Fox News Channel was by far the most-watched network of all, cable or broadcast, with 8.43 million viewers. Cable rivals CNN had 2.46 million and MSNBC had 1.35 million. NBC was the most-watched...

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – To keep protesters from blocking traffic, an Indiana lawmaker wants officers to take action. Street protests have occurred across the country, including in Indianapolis in November after Donald Trump won the presidency. Traffic was blocked, officers injured, and people were arrested. Two months later, an Indiana lawmaker is proposing protesters get off the street, or officers will take them off. “It sounds like they’re bring out water cannons, and stuff, and I don’t know if that’s the right thing either,” Indianapolis resident, Christopher Minton said. “You have a right to protest, but other people have a right...

ELLENTON, Fla. (AP) - The owners of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced Saturday that they will close the 146-year-old show in May. Kenneth Feld, the chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus, said declining attendance combined with high operating costs are the reasons for closing. Follow Ringling Bros. ✔ @RinglingBros .@RinglingBros will hold its final performances in May of this year. Details: https://goo.gl/75ndaN #RinglingBros 10:31 PM - 14 Jan 2017 2,262 2,262 Retweets 2,003 2,003 likes NBA star Shaquille O'Neal was among those who appeared upset over the announcement that the circus will end,...

Details continue to come out about the Fort Lauderdale airport shooter, Esteban Santiago, who appears to have had a history of mental health problems and was under psychiatric care. Slowly, information has also come out about the victims of that horrific attack, which killed five and wounded eight. While not all victim information has been released, it appears at least four couples have been separated by death. Two of the victims were an Ohio couple heading for their 51st wedding anniversary. Tragedy struck an Ohio family when Shirley Timmons was slain and her husband critically injured during the airport attack....

A chilling act of brutality largely ignored by national media because of racial implicationsYou probably have not heard the names Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. But I remember those names, and the tears that were brought to my eyes when I heard about what happened to them. On January 7, 2007, the young white couple—Channon was 21, her boyfriend Chris was 23—was abducted, beaten, raped, tortured, and murdered. Chris eventually shot to death before being set on fire, and Channon left to die with a plastic bag over her head in a trash can. The perpetrators were all black. If...

UNITED STATES (WTHI) — A new report shows the year 2016 had the highest level of law enforcement fatalities in five years. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 135 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty in the past year. “The 135 officer fatalities in 2016 are a 10 percent increase over the 123 who died in the line of duty last year and is the highest total since 2011 when 177 officers made the ultimate sacrifice,” the report published on Dec. 29 stated. The report states firearms-related incidents were the number one cause...

<p>NDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gun rights advocates view the upcoming legislative session as their best bet to get rid of an Indiana law that requires a license to carry handguns.</p> <p>The controversial legislation didn’t advance during the 2016 session, but supporters believe this time could be different after sweeping Republican wins on Election Day and the appointment of Republican state Rep. Ben Smaltz to the House Public Policy Committee, which acts as a gatekeeper on such bills.</p>

PLYMOUTH, IN CULVER, Ind. - The Culver Academies' Black Horse Troop and Equestriennes have accepted an invitation to participate in the Presidential Inaugural Parade Jan. 20 for President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. The parade will mark the 17th time the Black Horse Troop has marched down Pennsylvania Avenue since its first appearance in 1913. "Securing the invitation is always the biggest challenge," said Ed Little, director of Horsemanship operations. "It's such an honor. I think the Troopers of 1913 would be very proud to know that Culver is still a part of the parade." The 2017...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) – He concocted a plan to build a death ray machine, calling it Hiroshima on a light switch. His target was apparently Muslims and President Barack Obama, according to federal officials. This week, the New York man and reputed Klansman and Muslim extremist was sentenced to 30 years in prison. And one of the key witnesses in the trial of Glendon Crawford is from Murfreesboro. Owner and publisher of The Reader, Pete Doughtie saw a news flash that Crawford had been sentenced. “There’s another guy that had the potential danger to other people that has been taken...

<p>SEMINOLE, FL (AP) — Staff at a Veterans Affairs hospital in the Tampa Bay, Florida area left a body in a shower for nine hours after a veteran died and proper pickup procedures to the morgue weren’t followed.</p> <p>The Tampa Bay Times on Sunday reported that an internal investigation concluded that staff at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System failed to provide appropriate post-mortem care to the veteran’s body.</p>

<p>LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Police say two people are dead and four have been hospitalized in shootings at a riverfront park in Louisville.</p> <p>Louisville Metro Police says officers responded to a call of multiple shootings at Shawnee Park on Thursday afternoon. The injuries among those taken to University Hospital are not considered life threatening.</p>

YULEE, Fla. - A Guatemalan man was captured in Jacksonville Tuesday night, nearly 12 hours after he fled a Yulee gas station and a Nassau County deputy was killed pursuing him, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said. Francisco Obbidio Portillo-Fuentes was taken into custody about 7:45 p.m. at Atlantic Self Storage on Powers Avenue following a manhunt involving the U.S. Marshal's Office, Nassau County Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol, according to Leeper. Portillo-Fuentes, 25, had been deported from the United States on two separate occasions, Leeper said. He is being held by Border Control on felony...

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Seven people now face formal charges after being arrested at a downtown Indianapolis protest. Two officers were injured during Saturday night’s protest. According to court documents, Derue “Leah” Humphrey was on a bullhorn and yelling “kill the police” while telling protesters to continue to block traffic. Several people in the crowd began to throw rocks and bottles at police, leading officers to try to arrest Humphrey for disorderly conduct. A man identified as Lukas Pamer attempted to keep officers from arresting Humphrey, while she continued to try to incite the crowd. Humphrey faces charges of resisting law...

<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Megyn Kelly says Donald Trump tried unsuccessfully to give her gifts, including a free stay at one of his hotels, as part of what she called his pattern of trying to influence news coverage of his presidential campaign.</p>

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Hundreds of people gathered at the Indiana Statehouse to protest the election of Donald Trump. Saturday evening’s protest is the latest in a string of protests around the country since Tuesday’s election. A number of protesters held signs and could be heard chanting. The signs touched on a variety of issues and topics including women’s rights, equality for the LGBT community and immigrants while other signs were anti-Pence. The crowd was made up of people of all ages. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police called out their Event Response Group officers to help handle the protesters. After several hours outside...

<p>CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Jurors awarded a University of Virginia administrator $3 million Monday for her portrayal in a now-discredited Rolling Stone magazine article about the school’s handling of a brutal gang rape a fraternity house.</p> <p>The 10-member jury’s decision came after they concluded Friday that the magazine, its publisher and reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely were responsible for defamation, with actual malice, of former associate dean of students Nicole Eramo in the 2014 story “A Rape on Campus.”</p>

A Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana Concerning Natural and Cultural Resources. Summary Provides that the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife is a valued part of Indiana's heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good. Provides that the people have a right, which includes the right to use traditional methods, to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, subject only to the laws prescribed by the general assembly and rules prescribed by virtue of the authority of the general assembly to: (1) promote wildlife conservation and management; and...

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) — Madison County will pay an undisclosed ransom to hackers who attacked the county government’s computer system. Sheriff Scott Mellinger said the hack is keeping county workers from emails, files and internet access. He said calls are coming into the 911 dispatch center with no problems. “Public safety has not been put at risk in any way, shape or form,” Mellinger said. People who try to use the computers are met with an error message. Government employees are doing paperwork by hand while Indiana State Police try to find the hackers. Madison County Commissioner Jeff Harden said...

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — 7th District Congressional candidate Catherine Ping was caught in a gun fight Friday afternoon. Ping said a stray bullet when through her back windshield and lodged in the front of her car. She said she “felt her hair ‘puff’ as the bullet just missed her head.” She was not injured in the shooting. According to a campaign spokesman, Ping was driving in the area of 38th Street and Emerson Avenue. She said she turned into the middle of a drive by shooting. Ping doesn’t feel like she was targeted. IMPD said they think two vehicles were shooting...

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Investigators are looking into what caused a deadly crash involving a Tesla on the city’s near north side. Medics pronounced 27 year old Casey Speckman dead at the scene. The passenger, 44 year old Kevin McCarthy died at the hospital. IFD says the two were driving north on Illinois Street near 16th Street, lost control and then smashed into the tree and then into a parking garage. Witnesses described the scene as horrific. “There was one big explosion at first and then there were several small ones and debris just kept popping up in the air,” said...