BLOOMBERG’S GIFT

Michael Bloomberg, New York City’s mayor, earmarked a portion of the $100-million gift he made to the Johns Hopkins University to finance stem-cell research, reports The New York Times. Mr. Bloomberg, who wanted to keep the gift anonymous, was clearly not worried about political implications from his gift, said the newspaper, noting that support for such research is “anathema to the Republicans’ core base of anti-abortion voters because human embryos are often destroyed in the process of gathering stem cells.” The donation was a private philanthropic gift and was not made in Mr. Bloomberg’s official capacity as mayor.