Free Republic

Utah filmmaker Richard Dutcher has filed suit claiming "Nightcrawler," a 2014 movie nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay, is a derivative work that rips off his film "Falling." In a suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, Dutcher seeks an injunction stopping the copying, public display or distribution of "Nightcrawler." In addition, the filmmaker is requesting an unspecified amount of money for the alleged infringement on his copyright for "Falling." Named as defendants are Bold Films LP, Bold Films Productions, Open Road Films LLC and NBC Universal Media LLC. "Nightcrawler" was written and directed...

Mali has been a hotbed of Islamic extremism of late, as al Qaeda operatives have taken the West African nation by storm. As the country deals with an influx of violence, a presidential election is slated for this year — and there’s a fascinating candidate running for office. Yeah Samake, 42, a Mormon who was born and raised in Mali, is hoping to win the presidency and to save his homeland from the grips of extremism. Samake is currently one of the top candidates in the race — a democratic election that was pushed off last year after extremist activity...

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has endorsed businessman Wil Cardon in his hard-fought primary for the GOP Senate nomination in Arizona, a high-profile endorsement that could counteract some of the establishment support rallying around rival Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz). "I am pleased to announce our endorsement of Wil Cardon for the U.S. Senate in Arizona," Santorum said in a statement. "As a business owner for more than two decades, Wil has seen firsthand the crippling effects of Obamanomics and why we must solve our economic challenges with market-based solutions rather than more government intrusion. Wil is exactly what Washington,...

LYNCHBURG, Va. — Evangelical leaders praised Mitt Romney’s speech today at Liberty University, saying that the Mormon candidate was right to acknowledge his religious differences with other Christian voters. “It was an acknowledgment that the issues that social conservatives and evangelicals care about are important issues to Gov. Romney and as he sees them [as] part of a successful economic platform for the country,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. Perkins added that there wasn’t anything the presumptive GOP presidential nominee — who many evangelical voters regarded with skepticism during the primary while backing Rick Santorum — should have...

Mitt Romney and the Republican Party’s sizable bloc of evangelical voters are about to engage in a marriage of political convenience. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee’s march to the nomination proceeded largely without strong backing from the conservative Christian community. Instead, it helped propel Rick Santorum to victories in 11 states. It’s long regarded Romney as too moderate and too willing to change his views for political expedience. And his Mormon religion is off-putting to many. But with Romney now the only hope that conservatives have to beat President Barack Obama in November, a partnership has begun to jell. Email:...

In another sign that Republicans are uniting behind Mitt Romney with an eye to November, Rick Santorum's national campaign manager has signed on as Romney's deputy national director of coalitions. The Union Leader reports today that the Romney camp reached out to New Hampshire-based activist Mike Biundo not long after Santorum left the race for a post that will involve coalition-building with key conservative coalitions such as "tea party activists, evangelicals, the pro-life community and the Second Amendment community." Santorum has yet to formally endorse Romney, and his camp has been careful to note that a scheduled May 4 meeting...

ANALYSIS/OPINION: You know you’re running a lousy presidential campaign when you get bitten by a penguin. The Newt’s presidential campaign has got to be one of the worst ever run in American history. Last May, when Newt was casually campaigning, as is his way, he found himself exhausted. He had, after all, been at it for weeks. So, he did what any pooped-out candidate would do: He split on a luxury cruise to the Greek Islands with Wife No. 3 (22 years his junior — he was already out of college when she was born). Newt rose during the debates...

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Monday sounded no closer to endorsing Mitt Romney than when he dropped out of the race last week, telling supporters on a conference call that he hasn’t even had a chance to speak to his onetime rival. Santorum said he has talked with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. “I haven't had a chance yet to talk to Governor Romney, but we'll be talking to both of them and we’re going to go out and do what we believe is in the best interest of our country,” Santorum said in the call, which had at...

Democratic National Committee chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been called on to release her personal income tax returns. The request was made by her congressional opponent, Republican Karen Harrington of Florida. “This week millions of taxpaying Americans will fulfill their requirement of filing their tax returns by paying any and all taxes due to the federal government,” Harrington’s campaign writes. “Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been asking Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney to release his 2011 tax return even after Governor Romney released his 2010 tax return.” “Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s request of Governor Romney to release his tax returns screams...

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The day after Newt Gingrich was bit by a penguin at a zoo, he acknowledged he is “the underdog” and said his campaign began renting their donor list because they needed money. --- “Compared to Barack Obama, Romney’s a conservative,” he said. “Let’s be clear: There are no liberals in the Republican party.”

Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno (R) is a sleeper pick for the No. 2 spot on the 2012 presidential ticket, according to GOP strategists. Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has kept his cards close to his chest on vice presidential prospects, saying that it would be “presumptuous” to think about it before winning the nomination. But in a recent interview with Newsmax, he described Fortuno as “a solid conservative and a firm leader.” He also dubbed Fortuno “one of the great leaders of our party.” Republican strategists say that whomever Romney picks, the selection has to resonate with Hispanic voters. Sen....

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will have little trouble courting the evangelical vote, Southern Baptist Convention leader Richard Land told The Daily Caller during a Wednesday interview. “I don’t think Romney will have any kind of a problem — unless he picks a non-social conservative running mate — he should be okay,” Land, president of Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee, said about concerns that Romney’s Mormon faith could turn off evangelicals. According to Land, evangelicals are extremely concerned about the possibility of a second Obama term and are energized to vote against him. Land cited Obama’s hot...

A new survey of Americans’ knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths. Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn’t know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ. More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four...

Companies using criminal records or bad credit reports to screen out job applicants might run afoul of anti-discrimination laws as the government steps up scrutiny of hiring policies that could hurt blacks and Hispanics. A blanket refusal to hire workers based on criminal records or credit problems can be illegal if it has a disparate impact on racial minorities, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The agency enforces the nation's employment discrimination laws. "Our sense is that the problem is snowballing because of the technology allowing these checks to be done with a fair amount of ease," said Carol...

Mitt Romney's Man by Samuel P. Jacobs AP Photo If Scott Brown pulls off an upset in the race to replace Ted Kennedy in the Senate, he may have Mitt Romney to thank. Samuel P. Jacobs on the 2012 GOP presidential hopeful's hidden hand. There are a number of forces driving Republican Scott Brown’s surprising surge in the Massachusetts special Senate election campaign. He’s benefiting from public anger over the Obama administration’s health-care reform plan. He’s buoyed by a tide of cash from around the country, donated by conservatives eager to send a message by upsetting Democratic front-runner Martha Coakley....

Artist Michael Murphy has chosen an unlikely medium for his portrait of Fox's Glenn Beck: manure. The painting, according to Murphy's site, is composed of "bull shit and pigment" on canvas. (Indeed, there are photos of the artist blending his materials). Perhaps Beck, who has recently engaged in a bit of art criticism, will weigh in on Murphy's unusual creation.

Bloomington, Illinois, June 1, 2009 – State Farm® has been named one of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women by Working Mother. State Farm is joined by a cross-section of companies who share a common bond: placing diversity and inclusion firmly at the top of their workplace agenda each and every day. Companies across the country were evaluated on representation, training, development and advancement of multicultural women. “Leveraging the unique talents, thoughts and experiences of our associates helps us better serve our customers,” said Laura Haas, assistant vice president, Diversity/Human Resources. “That’s why State Farm is committed to creating a...

The woman at the center of a scandal that forced West Virginia University's president to resign last year demanded an explanation Friday why her master's degree was revoked but 288 other apparently deficient degrees will be allowed to stand. In a letter to the university's Board of Governors, obtained by The Associated Press, Heather Bresch said she has "no choice but to revisit my options," given recent revelations in a report on degree-granting and record-keeping practices at the university between 1997 and 2008. Bresch said she is not suggesting the other degrees be rescinded. "Rather, I am asking for a...

Vancouver Sun lawyer Rob Anderson called a show on Broadway the "most important piece of evidence" in the libel trial of self-help guru Anthony Robbins versus The Vancouver Sun and others. Mr. Anderson, in his Tuesday afternoon closing arguments, argued there are clear and convincing facts that show Mr. Robbins attended the show with Bonnie Lynch in November, 1999. The date of the show, Nov. 26, 1999, is important to Mr. Anderson because it places Bonnie on a "date" with Mr. Robbins before she separated with her ex-husband, John Lynch. Mr. Robbins, who made millions selling self-help advice, is suing...

I'm watching John Kerry now on Fox News Live as he tells us that George Bush has failed to heed his advice and so, the War in Iraq has gone terribly wrong. While Trashing the President, John Kerry's Tie is worth a thousand words. Most ties sold in America are "Bar Dexter" which means the stipes run right to left. John Kerry is wearing an orange tie with stripes that run left to right. That particular type of tie is termed "Bar Sinister". Bar Sinister ties are sold in France. Is there a message in this?