Free Republic

The multi-year drought may be easing thanks to recent storms, but scientists suggest that Lake Mead and Lake Powell, reservoirs on the Colorado River, may not refill “in our lifestimes,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The reservoirs have been dwindling over many years — not just due to the drought, but also due to demand that has increased over the many decades since the dams were built, and due to decreased rainfall in recent times.

A family of self-proclaimed psychics enjoyed decades of luxury living — including solid gold cigarette lighters — but are now facing charges that could land them in federal prison... The house is nice — a two-story modern-style structure valued in the million-dollar range. But this picturesque waterfront Fort Lauderdale cul-de-sac boasts plenty of nice houses. The Marks family of psychics never stood out here because of their domicile, or even their unusual way of earning a living — after all, many neighbors had no idea what sort of business the family was in.

From storefront businesses in upscale Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods, a family of fortune tellers ran a $40-million scheme that defrauded people from near and far since 1991, federal prosecutors said in court Friday. Among the victims was a bestselling author who gave an estimated $20 million to the family. The woman, who prosecutors refused to identify, lost her 8-year-old son in a motorcycle accident and was allegedly exploited by at least one of the defendants, Rose Marks, who she considered a friend.

fortune tellers in Warren, Mich., must be fingerprinted and pay an annual fee of $150 — plus $10 for a police background check — to practice their craft. But officials in Warren, a town of 138,000 near Detroit, say it's time to weed out tricksters. "We had no mechanism of enforcement to protect people against unsavory characters," Regulating an industry that deems itself clairvoyant, has no standard education requirements and yet rakes in cash for revealing spiritual truths may itself be an act of faith. It also might make good economic sense: about 1 in 7 Americans consulted a psychic...

Philadelphia's fortune-tellers didn't see it coming. Suddenly they're facing a very unhappy future. Alerted to an obscure state law banning fortune-telling "for gain or lucre," the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections is closing storefront psychics, astrologers, phrenologists and tarot-card readers who charge money for their services. Inspectors had closed 16 shops since Tuesday, Deputy L&I Commissioner Dominic E. Verdi said yesterday. "We were not aware it was a crime," he said, "but the Police Department came to us a few days ago and showed us where the crime code prohibits psychic readings. "We looked into it, and it's clearly...

Tenn. Federal Judge Backs Fortunetellers NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A federal judge struck down a law requiring fortunetellers to post disclaimers on their shops and advertisements, calling the ordinance an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Echols, ruling in favor of former tarot card reader Beth Daly and the American Civil Liberties Union, rejected the city of Dickson's argument that its law was intended to protect citizens from fraud. Echols cited earlier rulings that determined "predictions are only fraudulent if the speaker knows of facts that will prevent a prediction from coming true." Daly said Tuesday...

“Yediot Ahronot”: Income Tax to go after drug dealers, fortune-tellers, prostitutes Income Tax Commission: It is inconceivable that dentists pay tax, while drug dealers do not. Globes’ correspondent 25 Feb 03 14:17Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot” reports that fortune-tellers, unlicensed healers, black-market money-changers, massage parlors, traffickers in women and illegal gambling den owners will be some of the key targets of the Income Tax Commission investigations branch in 2003. Deputy Income Tax Commissioner Jackie Matza decided that investigator will stress discovering tax evasion by sectors that evade tens or even hundreds of millions of shekels in taxes in the 2003 working...