Free Republic

The liberal media had been trying to make a lot of hay out of accusations that the Trump family had tried to sell access to themselves and their president-elect father. So far such concerns seem to have little merit since all of the instances pointed to by accusers have not actually happened. But that didn’t stop it from being a topic of conversation on CNN’s OutFront on Wednesday. “This has been a stumbling block for the Trumps,” argued fill in host Poppy Harlow, after a long winded report about the accusations was aired, “Why even open yourself up to this...

BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) — A 6-year-old boy’s lemonade stand was burglarized last week in Belen, New Mexico, while he was trying to raise money for a good cause. After news spread about the theft, the community stepped up and rallied around him. Connor Brock had a goal: raise $250 to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of their “Lemonade Stand in July” challenge. His parents were also raising money for Connor’s benefit: “Connor has autism level two, and we’ve used the lemonade stand not only to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital but also to teach Connor responsibility,...

The quartet of newly minted citizen astronauts comprising the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission were due to splash down in the Atlantic off Florida on Saturday, completing a three-day flight of the first all-civilian crew ever launched into Earth orbit. To prepare for atmospheric re-entry and return to Earth, the SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle completed two rocket "burns" on Friday to lower its altitude and line up the capsule's trajectory with the targeted landing site. The Dragon capsule, dubbed Resilience, is scheduled to parachute into the sea around 7 p.m. Eastern time, shortly before sunset, according to SpaceX, the private rocketry company...

SpaceX announced plans to send everyday civilians to space as part of its Inspiration4 mission commanded by tech entrepreneur and pilot Jared Isaacman. Isaacman, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shrft4 Payments, is donating three seats on the Inspiration4 to travel along with him on a mission designed to raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, according to a press release. ... The second seat represents the mission's "pillar of Generosity." Throughout February, the public can enter for a chance to secure a seat on the historic flight by donating $10 or more to support St. Jude's...

Eric Trump helped raise over $16million for a children’s hospital in Tennessee through a charity that will no longer bear his name due to perceived conflicts of interest. An official representing the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee confirmed that the Eric Trump Foundation had solicited $16.3million in donations over the course of the last decade, The New York Times reported. The hospital offers free care to needy children. Eric Trump told the Times this week that his sister-in-law and another executive from the Trump Organization will step down from the foundation’s executive committee. The Trump Organization will continue...

Doesn't fall far from the tree

First Lady Michelle Obama visited sick children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where she complained about living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and being married to the president of the United States. She made the comments in response to being asked about her "favorite part about being in the White House." "About being in the -- about being First Lady is being able to do stuff like this, really. And it is so special for me to get to meet kids like you guys," Michelle Obama started. "Because sometimes living in the White House and being married...

Dr. Eric Whitaker and Sen. Barack Obama go way back. Their friendship began when they were graduate students at Harvard University. Now, Whitaker is one of Obama's closest advisers. Whitaker, 43, of Chicago, often travels with the presidential hopeful on the campaign trail and has vacationed with him in Hawaii. There's talk Whitaker could be in line for a federal appointment if Obama becomes president. Five years ago, Obama, then an Illinois state senator, gave a "glowing'' reference for Whitaker to Tony Rezko, the now-convicted political fixer who helped Gov. Blagojevich find people to run state agencies. Blagojevich hired Whitaker...

Jolly ol' Joe always in Nick of time St. Jude's Santa marks 80th visit By Tom Bailey Jr. baileytom@gomemphis.com December 21, 2002 The children formed a remarkable line to Santa's lap Friday at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. They approached St. Nick with their limps, their scarred scalps, their tethering tubes, their masked faces, their bald heads, their wigs, their tracheotomies, their crutches and with inky X's on their skin showing where to aim the radiation. Some staggered to Santa, exhausted from the day's cancer treatment. One was so tired, she never woke as Santa placed gifts in the toy...