Free Republic

Thirteen tankers at heart of new ship-to-ship transhipment hub established mid-Atlantic to consolidate Russia-origin oil cargoes ... Evolving marine transport model seeks tankers to operate outside established markets, yet remain compliant with class, insurance and other regulatory and technical rules ... MYSTERY surrounds the identity of a China-based shipowner who has spent around $376m to acquire 13 tankers for deployment in high-risk, ship-to-ship transfers of Russia-origin crude in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Lloyd’s List has tracked five aframax tankers, seven very large crude carriers and one suezmax vessel to the anonymous buyer, via 20 separate but interconnected single-ship...

President Donald Trump said the US should continue reopening its economy, despite a recent increase in the death rate from the coronavirus. Speaking at a press briefing Thursday, the president said that given the disproportionate danger of the virus to the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, people in high risk groups should be “sheltered” from the virus, while the ‘young and healthy’ are permitted to return to work or school. “We want to get the world back to what it was, and I think we'll have that, including great job numbers, including so many things that are happening so...

Spitzer said the convicted men spent “just days” in jail instead of the six months required by law for those registered as sex offenders. The men apparently had also been charged with cutting off their GPS monitors or tampering with their tracking devices. They were released on April 7 as a result of rulings by appointed Court Commissioner Joseph Dane... “It is not the court’s responsibility to control the jail population by releasing these dangerous criminals back into our communities,” the DA said. “The residents of Orange County deserve to have the peace of mind that registered sex offenders are...

Katie Couric has opted to voluntarily self-quarantine, after she spent time with the head of New York Port Authority just before he was diagnosed with coronavirus. Bowing to overwhelming pressure from her Twitter followers, the journalist announced the decision, an hour after first saying she would not be staying home. 'Just talked to a @CDCgov official who said I'm very low risk given the duration and nature of contact#,' she reassured followers. She then added: 'I will be working from home to be safe and make sure if I'm not feeling well I will go to the doctor. Will keep...

From The Sunday Times October 4, 2009 Thirty 'High-Risk' Terrorists To Be Released Early UP to 30 “high-risk” terrorists — including some of the most dangerous men in Britain — are due to be released from jail in the next year. More are being freed in the wake of a ruling by Britain’s most senior judges that long sentences for terrorist crimes could “inflame” rather than deter extremism. An analysis of appeal court cases shows that of the 26 terrorism cases it has heard, 25 have led to men with terrorism convictions having their sentences reduced. Others are being released...

You scrimp, you save, you try to invest. You try to set a little aside every month, try to make wise investments. But when savings accounts barely pay 1%, and municipal bonds paying 3%, where can you get a decent, safe return on your money? One of my local financial businesses is paying a guaranteed 9% on your money. But you can’t invest there, by law, unless you have a documented income of at least $200,000 a year, or a net worth of at least a million dollars. The same story with a new solar energy technology company, that promises...

WASHINGTON More cities across the country are considered at high risk of a terrorist attack, according to a new list of funding priorities from the Homeland Security Department. Last year the department made 45 cities or regions eligible for a competitive counterterrorism grant program. This year, the list has been expanded to 60 areas that can apply for the nearly $782 million available, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The urban area grants are one of the department's most popular and most intensely debated programs. The department divides the regions at highest risk of a terrorist attack into...

<p>SAN DIEGO (AP) - Fire codes should be made uniform in the state's highest-risk wildfire regions, overriding a patchwork of local regulations, a state report says.</p> <p>The proposal is one of 69 recommendations developed by the Gov.'s Blue Ribbon Fire Commission staff in response to last October's firestorms, many of which call for more funding. A draft summary obtained by The Associated Press also calls for more coordination among local, state and federal officials, including quicker use of military aircraft in emergencies.</p>

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Intentional anal sex without a condom--termed "barebacking"--is a relatively common practice among gay and bisexual men, researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites) (CDC) report. A key aspect of barebacking, according to the report, is the intent to engage in unprotected anal sex with someone other than a primary partner. In the study, the investigators found that 70% of gay or bisexual men interviewed were familiar with the term "barebacking." Of this group, 14% reported that they had barebacked at least once during the past 2 years. "Intentional...