Activists Step Up Campaign on Koch Ties to Public TV Station
A progressive organization is calling for billionaire industrialist David Koch’s ouster from the board of Boston public television station WGBH, contending his support for conservative causes and funding of efforts to refute climate change make him unsuitable for a seat, writes Current.org, a news site that reports on public media.
Onetime Aide to Ex-Chicago Mayor Admits Charity Theft
Gene Lee, who served as deputy chief of staff in former Mayor Richard Daley’s administration, pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from two charities he led in the city’s Chinatown district, the Chicago Tribune reports.
N.Y. Food Charity Adds Tax Preparation to Services for Needy
Along with supplying soup kitchens and food pantries, the Food Bank for New York City offers free tax services to low-income New Yorkers, filing more than 48,000 returns last year and generating $81.2-million in credits and refunds, writes The New York Times.
Financier Cooperman Pledges $25-Million to N.J. Hospital
Hedge-fund billionaire Leon G. Cooperman is giving $25-million to St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., to fund a new patient-care facility, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Bernie Mac Charity’s Spending and Governance Scrutinized
The disease charity founded by the late comedian and run primarily by his widow and her family has has spent less than one-seventh of its money on mission programs, according to the Chicago Tribune.
S.F. Hospital Gets Second $100-Million Gift from Benioffs
The donation from Bay Area Internet billionaire Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne, will support expansion of the University of California at San Francisco’s children’s hospital into Oakland, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
Maryland Bid to Keep ‘House of Cards’ Could Hit Arts Funds
Maryland legislators seeking to keep the popular Web television series filming in the state have authorized dipping into a $2.5-million culture-grant fund to beef up tax credits for film and TV production, The Baltimore Sun writes.
Parochial Schools Turn to China to Boost Bottom Line
Catholic schools across America are aggressively recruiting the children of Chinese government officials and business moguls to boost declining enrollment and finances, writes The New York Times.
Film Academy Recruits Smithsonian Curator to Head L.A. Museum
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has tapped Kerry Brougher, the interim director and chief curator of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum, to lead its planned museum of movie history in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Pa. Foundations Join in Bid to Save Pittsburgh Arts Center
A group of philanthropies led by the Pittsburgh Foundation is collectively bidding to buy the financially battered August Wilson Center and preserve it as a hub for African-American culture, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.