Free Republic

Anybody paying attention to what has happened in our nation, and worldwide for that matter, regarding the lack of reverence for the dignity of life, is probably aware of the advances the culture of death has made over the past several decades. Here is some of what has happened:In 1968, a committee of 13 men at Harvard Medical School endorsed brain death as legal death; in 1981 it was approved by the American Medical Association. This has a profound effect on decisions regarding life and death and has placed physicians as the sole decision makers of who is alive and...

.....A newly published story in the Washington Post notes that Clinton often earns $300,000 or more per speech. On top of that, the prominent Democrat places many a demand on those who want to book her, including having “room temp sparkling and still water” and “two long rectangular (chair) pillows” on hand, according to the contract negotiations the Post obtained. Clinton’s fees have surprised some who booked her, according to the Post story. When UCLA hired her to give a talk earlier this year, a university official noted that Clinton’s spouse—as in former President Bill Clinton—came cheaper. “Wow! She (gets)...

Pope Francis warned Thursday that planet earth would not forgive the abuse of its resources for profit, urging the world's leaders to rein in their greed and help the hungry -- or risk a doomsday scenario in which nature would exact revenge. "God always forgives, but the earth does not," the Argentine pope told the Second International Conference on Nutrition (CIN2) in Rome, a three-day meeting aimed at tackling malnutrition, a global scourge which afflicts poor and rich alike. "Take care of the earth so it does not respond with destruction," he warned representatives from 190 countries gathered for...

The head of the Federal Communications Commission unveiled a plan Monday aimed at delivering high-speed Internet to classrooms and libraries around the country. To pay for the $1.5 billion proposal, the agency is planning a substantial increase in government fees on all monthly phone bills.

We’ve known liberals are cheap, miserly (dare I say niggardly?) in their approach to charity which actually requires giving one’s own money away instead of passing laws to force the rest of us to fund charitable causes. Those who followed politics during the embarrassment of the Clinton brothel years remember that Bill Clinton donated his used underwear to charity in order to gain a tax credit. This fits right in with new data on who gives and who does not give. We now have proof that liberals are cheap and conservatives are generous. A recent report from The Chronicle of...

Global climate models have underestimated the amount of CO2 being absorbed by plants, according to new research. Scientists say that between 1901 and 2010, living things absorbed 16% more of the gas than previously thought.

Money

.....Obama is coming to the city today to raise money for the Democratic party. The president is expected to arrive at JFK Airport around 1:30 p.m. From there he will head to Manhattan for two events involving the Democratic National Committee.

Hungry for a means to supplement is budget, the US Forrest Service is proposing new regulations that would allow it to charge visitors $1500 if they want to take pictures in wilderness areas. Liz Close, the Forest Service’s acting wilderness director, called the new fees “essential to our mission. These wilderness areas belong to the government. Why shouldn’t we get revenue from what is our property?” Close warned against thinking that “these areas are too vast for us to enforce collection. We are watching from both the ground and the air. Rangers randomly patrol with orders to seize any cameras...

Luxury watchmaker Hublot has launched its newest timepiece in New York City. The Swiss watchmaker was joined by brand ambassador Dwyane Wade for the unveiling of the Classic Fusion Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat star’s second timepiece with Hublot....

..... Obama is interrupting a weekend trip to return to the White House. The White House says Obama has changed his plans for Friday and will return to Washington late in the evening after fundraisers in Rhode Island and New York. He had planned to spend the night in New York. Presidential aides say the change in plans was not related to any current events and was the president's personal choice.

Rhode Island is finishing preparations Friday morning for a visit from President Barack Obama. Obama is expected to headline three events in the northeast on Friday. Two are scheduled in Westchester County, New York, and the third is set for Newport, Rhode Island.

Obama is going on a fundraising sweep through New York and Rhode Island as he continues to help Democrats raise money for November's elections. Obama headlines three events on Friday. Two are just north of New York City, in Westchester County, and the third is in Newport, Rhode Island..

...Michelle Obama was especially frank Thursday evening when addressing a crowd of about 150 Chicago donors about the best way to influence politics: “Write the biggest, fattest check that you can possibly write.”

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-17/wealthy-clintons-use-trusts-to-limit-estate-tax-they-back.html

...Obama didn’t want any press around while he was hitting up the one-percenters for big bucks, so he sent them to their room. No word on whether they got supper beforehand.

Obama is departing Wednesday on a three-day West Coast trip to glad-hand donors at five or more fundraising events, including four events in one day. The trip highlights the president’s focus on the 2014 race, where the GOP is on track to win a slight majority of the Senate and to slightly increase its majority in the House.

Money Paul Frees

Four years ago, I wrote a column about how the state of California had passed a law to make retailers turn over any unused gift cards to the State after a set period. The law did not consider any effects on the retailer; just the fact that California was grubbing for new revenue flows and once greedy politicians see a target they can devise any rationale for why the money or new tax should be placed into their coffers. The column also explored how the State was taking money from unclaimed bank assets as if it were another revenue...

...President Obama headlines a fundraising event for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the organization that raises money for Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives... Ted Deutch, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, is on the invite list for the Miami event, as is U.S. Rep. Steve Israel of New York, chairman of the DCCC, according to a copy of the invitation posted online by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit group that tracks government information. Deutch and Israel aren't really the draw. The hosts are Tracy and Alonzo Mourning. He's the former Miami Heat center and a major...