Free Republic

There are a couple of false-flag "conservative immigration reform" ads every commercial break on Rush today. Who's paying for them? George Soros?

On April 8, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi headlined a Boston conference on ''media reform.'' She was joined by four other congressmen, a senator, two FCC commissioners, a Nobel laureate and numerous liberal journalists. The 2,500-person event was sponsored by a group called Free Press, one of more than 180 different media-related organizations that receives money from liberal billionaire George Soros. Soros, who first made a name for himself in investing and currency trading, now makes his name in politics and policy. Since the 2004 election, the controversial financier has used his influence and billions to push a laundry list...

Continuing their commitment to controlling global population growth through artificial contraception, sterilization, and abortion initiatives, Microsoft founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, a self-described “practicing” Catholic, are now attempting to control the curriculum of the nation’s public schools. Subsidizing the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $76 million to support teachers in implementing the Common Core—a standardized national curriculum.   This, on top of the tens of millions they have already awarded to the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers...

This article was posted on 04/01/2013 Russian billionaire’s plan for immortality by 2045 includes turning us into cyborgs Technology may be advancing, but it doesn’t change the fact that the human body is limited. Eventually, human beings die.  Maybe immortality sounds like science fiction, especially when thinking about cyborgs, avatars, and robots, but for one Russian man, living forever in a machine’s body is the future, and it’s not so far away. After Dmitry Itskov made a fortune as founder of a web publishing company, New Media Stars, he began thinking about the meaning of life and consciousness. Last February, Itskov gathered...

A California billionaire is pledging to spend as much of his fortune as necessary to make climate change “the defining issue of our generation.” Tom Steyer, who made his riches as a hedge fund manager, told The Hill on Tuesday that he wants to make climate change a campaign issue for years to come and Democratic support for environmental protections as widespread as support for gay marriage and immigration reform. “The goal here is not to win. The goal here is to destroy these people. We want a smashing victory,” Steyer said of candidates he judges to be on the...

An eccentric Australian mining magnate who is building a replica of the ill-fated Titanic has unveiled his latest scheme -- a park of giant robotic dinosaurs. Clive Palmer, who last month in New York launched an ambitious plan to build and sail the "Titanic II", said he had ordered more than 100 life-size dinosaur robots from China to populate his north Australian resort. "We'll have the world's biggest dinosaur exhibit, with 165 animatronic dinosaurs," Palmer said. He already has two of the towering creatures -- named Jeff and Bones -- on display at his Palmer Coolum Resort on the Sunshine...

Daniel Creswell’s house in northeast Raleigh sat on the market for nine months until late last month, when a deep-pocketed buyer arrived seemingly from another era. Creswell had bought the property back in April at a foreclosure auction for $162,500. After fielding low offers for months, the mystery buyer offered $210,000, or $10,000 below his asking price. Creswell eventually agreed to a price of $213,000, or $1,000 more than the home originally sold for in 2002. In addition to paying cash, the buyer paid the closing costs and the cost of the home inspection.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications fell -7.11% from the preceding week. Mortgage purchases applications fell -3.87%. They remain in a rut since the April 30, 2010 spike. Sustainable? Yes. Does it help the housing rally? Of course not. Mortgage refinancing applications fell -8.01% from the previous week. This is not surprising since mortgage rates have remained low for so long that the pool of borrowers wanting to refinance their mortgages is thinning out. Unless, of course, the Federal government (or FHFA) changes the requirements for negative equity refis. Yield Curves Of course, one of the most important...

Huma Abedin drew worried glances at a fund-raiser for Terry McAuliffe, who is running for governor of Virginia, by wearing bandages on both forearms. Abedin was joined by husband Anthony Weiner at the event, thrown by billionaire hedge-fund manager and longtime Clinton backer Marc Lasry and his wife, Cathy, at his Manhattan town house. Sources tell us Abedin was injured during a cooking accident. She burned her arms taking something out of the oven.

Could big-money billionaire John Paulson be ready to bolt from New York and into a palatial Puerto Rico penthouse in the name of lower taxes? A Bloomberg News report says the Queens-born hedge fund heavyweight — worth $11.2 billion — has looked at property in the wealthy Condado neighborhood of San Juan. The $5 million penthouse he reportedly eyed is 8,379 square feet, occupies three floors and includes six underground parking spaces, according to the Trillion Realty Group listing. ~ snip ~ Paulson’s potential move to the commonwealth would save the 57-year-old from paying tax gains on the $9.5 billion...

Last year, rumors popped up that Australian billionaire Clive Palmer was working on cloning a dinosaur. Whatever happens to those plans, it's clear that Palmer has a taste for recreating the past. The 58-year-old, who made his fortune from natural resources like coal and iron, is now bringing the world's most famous ship back to life. In New York on Tuesday, he unveiled images of Titanic II, a replica of the ocean liner that sunk on its maiden voyage in 1912, claiming 1,502 lives. To offer 21st century cruise-goers the chance to sail on the Titanic, Palmer created the company...

NEW YORK (AP) — What could possibly go wrong? An Australian billionaire is getting ready to build a new version of the Titanic that could set sail in late 2016. Clive Palmer unveiled blueprints for the famously doomed ship's namesake Tuesday at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. He said construction is scheduled to start soon in China. Palmer said 40,000 people have expressed interest in tickets for the maiden voyage, taking the original course from Southampton, England, to New York. He said people are inspired by his quest to replicate one of the most famous...

When Thomas Steyer — a San Francisco billionaire and major Democratic donor — discusses climate change, he feels as if one of two things is true: What he’s saying is blindingly obvious, or insane. It’s a somewhat shocking statement for someone who’s in the running to succeed the cerebral Steven Chu as energy secretary. Granted, he’s a long shot — the leading contender is MIT professor Ernest Moniz, who served as the department’s undersecretary during the Clinton administration — but his backers say his strength lies in combining business savvy with an activist’s passion. But it’s not as if Steyer,...

In-N-Out owner Lynsi Torres, is 30-years-old with no college degree and no formal business training. But she has been called the youngest billionaire in America. Lynsi Torres inherited a California icon when she was given half ownership of Baldwin Park native In-N-Out burger when she turned 30 last year. This week, Bloomberg Magazine named Torres the youngest, wealthiest woman in America, given that she will receive full ownership of the estimated $1.1 billion burger empire when she turns 35. Torres inherited the In-N-Out empire from her grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder who founded the Christian-themed chain in 1948 with their...

Despite earning more than $1 billion in profits last year, social media juggernaut Facebook paid zilch when it came to federal and state taxes in 2012. In fact, the website will actually be getting a refund totaling $429 million thanks to a tax reduction for executive stock options. In the coming years, Facebook will continue to get monster tax breaks, totaling about $3 billion.

<p>On Wednesday, a private yacht sailed slowly and quietly up the Hudson River and docked near midtown Manhattan. This wasn't just any yacht, however. It was Eclipse -- the largest private yacht in the world. And its presence is sure to touch off a frenzy of speculation about its owners and future.</p>

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is dipping into the ketchup business as part of $23.3 billion deal to buy the Heinz ketchup company. H.J. Heinz Co. says it’s the largest deal ever in the food industry. The company, based in Pittsburgh, also makes Classico spaghetti sauces, Ore-Ida potatoes and Smart Ones frozen meals. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and its partner on the deal—3G Capital, the investment firm that bought Burger King in 2010—say Heinz will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh. Heinz CEO William Johnson said in a statement that the company “will have an opportunity to drive further growth” as a private enterprise....

A Double-Double, fries and shake is about as L.A. as it gets. You order that classic combo at any In-N-Out burger and you'll get a fast-food meal that's a favorite of celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey and Anthony Bourdain. Sure, it's small as far as chains go with fewer than 300 location in just five states, but the private Irvine-based company has a devoted following, and it's estimated to be worth more than $1 billion. "It is an extreme oddity considering they started in 1948, about the same time as McDonald's, Jack In The Box, Carl's Jr., all of which...

Gates: Software billionaire Bill Gates, who previously has advocated the reduction of the human population through the use of vaccines, and his wife Melinda marked the 100th year since the First International Eugenics Congress in London with a “family planning” summit with abortionists and the United Nations. The July 11 event, co-hosted by the United Kingdom Department for International Development, included organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Marie Stopes International and the U.N. Populations Fund, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Critics pointed out the summit was held 100 years after the July 1912 eugenics conference led by...

An effort by a Livingston billionaire to hand out free $100 gift cards to Jersey City residents affected by Hurricane Sandy turned into a fiasco last week after some residents who spent hours on line say they were later not able to obtain the gift cards. The effort led to long lines at some community groups last Monday night as people sought to register for the cards and long lines again two days later when residents showed up to pick them up, according to residents, community leaders and organizers of the charity effort. Two City Councilwoman blasted the effort at...