May 24, 2012, 10:52 am
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation has announced it will “use every legal means” to stop the sale by a British online auction company of a vial of blood allegedly drawn from the late president, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Washington Post originally reported that PFC Auctions is selling the blood sample, which it says was taken from President Reagan during his recovery from an assassination attempt in 1981. The auction company says it attained the item from a man whose late mother worked in a lab where the president’s blood was tested.
Doctors who treated Mr. Reagan after the 1981 shooting recalled that several hospital workers took souvenirs from the experience, including stitches and medical reports, the Post said.
In a statement, the foundation, in Simi Valley, Calif., called the sale a “craven act.” The auction, which ends today, is asking a bid…
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May 24, 2012, 10:52 am
A New York charity that serves disadvantaged children of South Asian descent—often the children of the city’s taxi drivers, newsstand workers, and food-cart vendors—is spotlighted by The New York Times.
South Asian Youth Action, which works in seven local schools and a Sikh temple, was started in 1996 by Sayu Bhojwani who wanted to offer resources for those kids. One in 20 New Yorkers between the ages of five and 19 are South Asian, according to Census figures, and a fourth of them live in poverty.
The charity, with headquarters in Queens, offers about a dozen services, including tutoring, leadership development, counseling, and a basketball program. All of those who have participated in Chalo College, which helps teenagers navigate the college-application process, have gone on to enroll at higher-education institution, says Udai Tambar, the charity’s executive director.
…
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May 24, 2012, 10:51 am
The more than 40 Catholic institutions that filed federal lawsuits this week against the Obama administration have instigated “a big political and Constitutional moment,” according to an editorial in The Wall Street Journal.
The Catholic groups are fighting provisions in its health-care law regarding access to contraception, and by suing the Obama administration, the Journal says, they are “saying that the same federal government they have viewed for decades as an ally in their fight for social justice is now a threat to their religious liberty.”
The editorial faulted President Obama for his approach to the controversial policy, saying he “has rebuffed Catholic leaders in their attempt to work out a compromise over the Administration’s mandate that all insurance plans offer contraception and sterilization services.”
The commentary concluded, “Once upon a time the…
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May 23, 2012, 11:04 am
The family of Joe Paterno, the Pennsylvania State University coach who died in January, plans to give $1.5-million of his $13.4-million state pension to charity, according to the Associated Press.
The money will be directed toward charities that are related to the university or operate in State College, Pa., where it’s located.
Mr. Paterno worked for the university for 61 largely successful years, but his last year was marred by an investigation surrounding his former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, who was arrested on 40 counts of child sexual abuse.
May 23, 2012, 11:03 am
The Newman’s Own foundation, started by the late actor Paul Newman, announced today that it plans to give out $30-million this year to charities that help children, improve nutrition, and promote philanthropy, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The move is being announced to mark the 30th anniversary of Newman’s Own, the food company Mr. Newman established that is known for its salad dressings and pasta sauces. The money is the largest amount that the foundation has ever given out in a single year. Over the years it has donated more than $300-million to charity.
Besides supporting nutrition programs, the grant money will be directed specifically to charities that help children with serious medical conditions or other problems, and more broadly to charities that assist wounded veterans, cultivate corporate giving, and promote social change.
May 23, 2012, 11:03 am
The Internal Revenue Service has revoked the tax-exempt status of the Graystone University Housing Corporation, a nonprofit connected to the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at Bucknell University, Inside Higher Ed reports.
The foundation was established in 2003 to collect donations to renovate a fraternity house, and, according to its articles of incorporation, “exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including the provision of lodging, dining, library, technological and related educational facilities for students.”
The federal agency ruled that the foundation was doing no more than helping the fraternity with the upkeep and operations of the house and therefore was not fully meeting its stated purpose.
Ted Groom, a lawyer for the foundation, told the Web site that while the foundation planned to provide educational scholarships and programs, “The fraternity was …
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May 23, 2012, 11:02 am
After a flood of public criticism yesterday, the Metropolitan Opera rescinded its demand that a magazine published by its fundraising arm stop reviewing the opera’s productions, The New York Times reports.
The newspaper reported yesterday that the Metropolitan Opera Guild, which publishes Opera News, had ordered the magazine to stop reviewing productions, after several articles in the publication were harshly critical of the opera company’s performances and its general manager, Peter Gelb. Mr. Gelb acknowledged responsibility for the original decision.
He reversed course after receiving a flood of criticism yesterday from the public and experts who said his move was censorship.
“I think I made a mistake,” said Mr. Gelb. “The Metropolitan Opera only exists with the good will of the public. Clearly the public would miss Opera News not being able to review the Met, and we…
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May 22, 2012, 11:35 am
More than 40 organizations, including social-service groups, Roman Catholic dioceses, schools, and other institutions, filed lawsuits in 12 federal courts yesterday challenging the Obama administration’s mandate that employees of such organizations must have access to contraception through their health-insurance coverage, The New York Times reports.
U.S. Catholic bishops say the requirement is an attack on religious freedom because it forces Catholic employers to provide access to services that go against their religious beliefs.
The mandate is part of the Obama administration’s reworking of the health-care system, which the bishops say they support in most other ways.
May 22, 2012, 11:35 am
A senior program officer for the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation has been arrested and charged with stealing $46,000 from the foundation, reports the Omaha-World Herald.
The program officer, Dhaval S. Patel, was fired from his job in April after officials of the foundation discovered evidence they say shows that Mr. Patel falsified documents and travel receipts for trips he took on behalf of the foundation.
The foundation was founded by the billionaire financier Warren Buffett and named for his first wife, who died in 2004. The foundation donated more than $240-million to charities in 2010.
Mr. Patel and his attorney, Jason Troia, could not be reached for comment, wrote the newspaper. If he is convicted, Mr. Patel could face from five years of probation up to 20 years in prison.
May 22, 2012, 11:35 am
Nonprofit scholarship programs meant to help low-income children attend private schools are coming under fire as parents and education experts question whether the funds are being properly directed to benefit students as intended, writes The New York Times.
Part of the school-choice movement, the programs operate in eight states and have grown in the face of cuts in funding for public schools. One organization, the Alliance for School Choice, says the programs have redirected approximately $350-million away from public scholarship programs meant to provide private-school scholarships to 129,000 students.
Although the nonprofit scholarship programs have helped many children whose parents would otherwise not be able to afford to send them to private school, the newspaper reports that the money has also been used for other purposes like increasing the salaries of people who work at…
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