Free Republic

For inhabitants of the country's most sought-after ZIP code, the unwelcome news came in December: In a move to pressure the city to zone for more affordable housing, a restrictive ruling by a Superior Court judge put a moratorium on Beverly Hills' right to approve any new home additions or project proposals by residents pending the approval of new homes for lower-income locals. In this ultra-exclusive community, where home remodeling is practically a sport, the notion that all renovations - from simple kitchen remodels to multimillion-dollar grotto installations - would require the ushering in of outsiders, or be delayed indefinitely,...

Hillary Clinton will attend a $2,700-a-plate luncheon on Friday at the Beverly Hills home of a man who was investigated by the Senate for hiding $68 million in assets in an offshore tax haven. Peter Lowy, who was born in Australia but is a U.S. citizen, is chief executive officer of the Westfield Group, one of the world’s largest owners of shopping malls. The company was founded by his father, Frank Lowy, and is controlled by the Lowy family. The family came under fire in 2008 when a report from then-Sens. Carl Levin (D., Mich.) and Norm Coleman (R., Minn.)...