What speaks louder than religious "freedom"? Money and politics. N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore announced yesterday that the proposed religious freedom bill would not go anywhere this session. Some Republican lawmakers are worried they won't get elected next term if some of their campaign contributors pull out, which some have threatened should this bill pass.

But the House did pass a bill that would extend the waiting period for getting an abortion from 24 hours to 72 hours. If the changes become law, North Carolina would join the likes of these obviously imitable states: South Dakota, Utah and Missouri.

Two great evils are reportedly not joining forces. Bloomberg reports Comcast is walking away from the $45.2 billion merger with Time Warner Cable. The CEOs of Hulu and Netflix are surely doing happy hour tonight.

A drone attack targeting an al Queda terrorist compound in Pakistan earlier this year, authorized by the White House, killed an American hostage as well as an Italian hostage. Government officials say they didn't know they were there, and President Obama offered an apology. The families of the killed hostages will receive compensation.