Hillary Clinton's cash and donations dominates US 2016 presidential talk

Welcome to Monday, the 117th day of 2015 and the 60th year since the founding of the Daughters of Bilitis, a social club for San Francisco lesbians which later evolved into one of the first gay rights/education organizations in the nation.
Just two weeks old, the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton continues to be buffeted by questions about foreign donations to the family's namesake charitable foundation, some of them highlighted in a new book, Clinton Cash, due to be released on 5 May.
Just as the aides to Mrs Clinton have sought to discredit the findings of the book and its author, Peter Schweizer, a conservative writer, top officials at the Clinton Foundation have admitted that it had made "errors" in some of its disclosures of foreign donations and would need to refile some of its tax forms. "Yes, we made mistakes, as many organisations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don't happen in the future," Maura Pally, the foundation's acting chief executive officer, said.
The book, early copies of which have been circulated to major media organisations, suggests in essence that foreign governments and individuals were driven to donate to the Clinton Foundation in the hope, at least, that their generosity would be rewarded by favours from Mrs Clinton, either when she was Secretary of State until the start of 2013 or from inside the Oval Office were she to get there.

Eyebrows were raised particularly by details of a contribution from a foundation in Canada tied to Ian Telfer, chairman of the Canadian company called Uranium One. At the time he was seeking authorisation from the US government to sell Uranium One to Rosatom, the Russian nuclear agency.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday will take up arguments on the constitutionality and legalization of same-sex marriage, something that’s probably going to be a fundraising bonanza for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who’s running for the Republican nomination this cycle (see below). Here’s your Three-Minute Briefing, all the News You Can Use in 180 seconds or less:
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems: The book, “Clinton Cash,” a somewhat problematic look into the somewhat problematic finances of the world’s most powerful grandparents, put yet another spotlight on 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Although Clinton’s campaign has shoved aside the book’s assertions as basically the latest in a “vast, right-wing conspiracy” to get the Clintons, Politico’s Glenn Thrush says it raises uncomfortable questions about Madame Secretary and her drive for money and power, which helps Sen. Marco Rubio. A lot.

A new book calls into question the finances of Hillary Clinton and her husband's nonprofit organization.
Mistakes Were Made: Though the Clinton Imperial Death Star 2016 presidential campaign spent the weekend discrediting “Clinton Cash” and its author, Peter Schweizer, they did own up to the fact that the Clinton Foundation is in dutch with the tax man, a little. In a blog post Sunday, the foundation acknowledged mistakes in its returns for the last couple of years. “So yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don't happen in the future,” wrote Maura Pally, a foundation official.
Talk Soup: No surprise here: “Clinton Cash” was the hot topic on the Sunday chats. Mediaite reports that The Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus put a beatdown on Grandma and Grandpa Clinton, criticizing them for post-White House “sloppiness and greed” that’s “inexcusable” in the post-Tammany Hall political era. But “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos, one of former President Bill Clinton’s senior White House advisers, grilled Peter Schweizer on the lack of a “smoking gun” in his book.
No Money? My Problem: In a Des Moines op-ed piece, Clinton put the uneven economic recovery tops on her recruiting pitch to ordinary Iowans, who just happen to vote second during primary season next year. She writes about the ideas of the good people with whom she’s talked quietly in Olin, Monticello and Adel, and how they can accomplish their dreams together – after she gets back in the White House, of course. Also: Big money in politics is bad.
Radical(ized) Theory: At the Iowa Faith and Freedom Summit last weekend, Sen.Ted Cruz said the pending Supreme Court arguments on gay marriage form yet another example of how liberal fascism over immoral, culture war issues like homosexual rights is a full-on assault against religious types who want to ban it. “Today’s Democratic Party,” he said, “has become so radicalized for legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states that there is no longer any room for religious liberty.” Whatever that means.
We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Abortion Ban: With the 1973 Supreme Court ruling upholding the right to an abortion still intact – for now – some anti-abortion activists have taken matters into their own hands. According to a new book, “Living in the Crosshairs,” that means harassing abortion providers and their staffs: vandalizing their homes, sending them nasty letters and, in some cases, killing them. Because, religious freedom.
Give War a Chance: While it seemed remarkable that President Barack Obama agreed to sign a bill which allows Congress to get its mitts on the carefully negotiated no nukes-for-no sanctions deal with Iran before it officially takes effect, astute observers said it was a sign the legislation’s essentially toothless and critics said a lame-duck present just rolled lawmakers. Salon reports that Congress is planning to load up the bill with amendments that could torpedo the Iran deal after all.
My List Rhymes With “Bucket”: At the annual, nerds ‘n’ stars, last-days-of-Rome ritual known as the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Obama had pretty good delivery of some well-crafted jokes (this time, thankfully, excluding drones). The helpful folks at Politico have a list of his best one-liners.
Your Morning Video: During the annual Nerd Prom, Obama brought along Luther, his “anger translator”:

Stat of the Day: Number of indigenous mammal species that have gone extinct since the European settlement of North America began: 1. Since the European settlement of Australia began: 29 (courtesy of Harper’s Index).
Duly Noted: On this date in 1777, the only land battle in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Ridgefield, took place, resulting in a limited British victory. During the First Barbary War in 1805, an American-led force of Marines and mercenaries captured the city of Derna, on the shores of Tripoli. In America's worst maritime disaster, the steamer Sultana, carrying freed Union prisoners of war, exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis in 1865; death toll estimates vary from 1,500 to 2,000. In 1822, the 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. German forces occupied Athens during World War II in 1941. Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow died in Pawling, New York, in 1965, two days after turning 57. Expo '67 was officially opened in Montreal by Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in 1967. In 1982, the trial of John W. Hinckley Jr., who had shot four people, including President Ronald Reagan, began. The Airbus A380, the world's largest jetliner, made its maiden flight as it took off from Blagnac, France, in 2005 and returned four hours later.
Happy Birthday, Tauruses: Actress Judy Carne of ‘the ‘60s show “Laugh In” (76), rock drummer Jim Keltner (73), R&B star Cuba Gooding Sr., whose son, Cuba Jr., won the Oscar once (71), singer Ann Peebles (68), singer Kate Pierson of legendary New Wave band The B-52's (67!!) R&B star Herbie Murrell of The Stylistics (66), Rock ‘n’ roll all night with KISS guitarist Ace Frehley (64), then take the morning train with pop singer Sheena Easton (56), actor James Le Gros (53), rock musician Rob Squires of Big Head Todd and the Monsters (50), singer Mica Paris (46), actor David Lascher and actress Maura West (both 43), rock musicians Patrick Hallahan and Jim James, both of My Morning Jacket (37), rock singer-musician Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy (31).