Weekly Issues Alert

June 2-8

"[Ronald Reagan] quoted Thomas Merton, 'We must be content to live without watching ourselves live, work without expecting immediate reward, love without instantaneous satisfaction, exist without special recognition.' The president then wrote, 'In today's modern world many would challenge Merton's statement and ask why we must be content to live this way.' He answered that question with some of the best advice I've ever received: 'Because our nation was built by men who dedicated their lives to building our country for the sake of their children and countrymen, without taking the time to worry about receiving recognition for their efforts.'" — Oliver North

North Carolina General Assembly

Ban Video Poker Machines Passed
The General Assembly gave its final approval to a bill that would ban video poker machines by next summer, a decision stalled for years as the House and Senate disagreed whether losing industry jobs was worth a complete prohibition. The Senate voted 44-1 to accept a House plan approved last week that would slowly reduce the number of machines any retailer could operate or distributor set up at one location from three to none by July 1, 2007. Read
Some Lawmakers Want Changes In Lottery Proceeds Distribution For Schools
With more than $2 million in sales every day, North Carolinians are spending big hoping to win big. Now schools are battling to get their share of the state lottery proceeds. Read
Debate Over Possible Deregulation of Cable TV Intensifies in General Assembly
Legislation that could dramatically change regulations controlling cable TV franchising in the state of North Carolina has quickly generated some intense lobbying at the state's General Assembly. Read
So Far, N.C. Legislative Leaders Creating More Open Process
House Speaker Jim Black and Senate leader Marc Basnight have thrown around words such as "transparency" and "openness" during the first month of the legislative session. So far, they're backing up that rhetoric with more than talk. In an attempt to make spending proposals more subject to public scrutiny, both leaders have told their colleagues to file separate bills for every pet project they want money for. Black said he also won't allow his chamber's budget to contain significant policy changes, although Basnight has vowed to hold usually secret budget negotiations in public view. Read
Realtors, Builders Oppose Bill To Make Drinking Water Safer
Realtors and home builders are opposing legislation calling for mandatory testing of new private wells in part because the measure could slow development. Read
N.C. Senate OKs Bill to License Anesthesiologist Assistants
Anesthesiologist assistants would be licensed in North Carolina under a bill approved Monday by the state Senate after more than a year of legislative debate over the idea. But nurse anesthetists, who can administer anesthesia while working with a physician, say there is no shortage in their field and North Carolina have no schools to train assistants. There are more than 2,000 nurse anesthetists in the state. "This is a solution in search of a problem," said Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, who voted against the bill that passed 44-3. "This is a manufactured shortage." Read
Film Incentives
The Senate gave tentative approval to a measure that would remove an obstacle to provide a 15 percent income tax credit to film or television production companies on what they spend in North Carolina. Read
In Wake Of Audit Findings, Some Lawmakers Want Change
Some lawmakers who are unhappy with recent state audits concerning two state-funded economic-development nonprofit groups say they want a new system of oversight. The audits have uncovered questionable travel expenses, big bonuses and conflicts of interest and also portray the groups, which were designed to help recruit and foster business in local areas, as cavalier and careless. Read
N.C. House Committee Approves Eminent Domain Restrictions
The House Judiciary III Committee took up HB 1965 — Eminent Domain Restrictions and passed the measure unanimously. The legislation would restrict the eminent domain powers of state and local governments. The legislation, whose primary sponsor is Rep. Bruce Goforth (D-Asheville) comes at the recommendation of a House Study Committee that concluded North Carolina needed to clarify "the exclusive uses for which the authority to exercise the power of Eminent Domain is granted." Read
Higher Minimum Wage Would Be Magnet for Illegal Immigrants
There has been considerable debate in committee meetings and in the House and Senate chambers about raising the minimum wage rate in North Carolina. Read

North Carolina Politics

N.C. GOP Abuzz With Talk Of Democrats
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole believes mistakes have been made in Iraq, but that the war-torn country is nevertheless making progress, she said Saturday at the state Republican Party convention. The first-term Republican said a stable and democratic Iraq would be the worst nightmare for terrorists, and that a timeline to withdraw U.S. troops would be a bad idea. Read

Other North Carolina News

Marine Unit Deploys this Week
A ship-borne unit of 2,200 Marines and sailors is preparing to leave its North Carolina base this week for a fourth deployment of the war on terrorism. Read
Top Marine Talks at Lejeune About Values
"Recent serious allegations concerning actions of Marines in combat have caused me concern," Hagee said in prepared remarks released by the Marines. "They should cause you to be concerned as well. "As Marines, you are taught from your earliest days in the Corps about our core values of honor, courage and commitment. These values are part of and belong to all Marines." Read
Credibility Takes Another Hit: North Carolina Schools Continue to be a National Punchline
That's the only apt term I can think of to describe the state of North Carolina's "accountability" system for public schools. It is a shame that officials from the Department of Public Instruction manufactured a ludicrous statistic measuring the high-school graduation rate that has made our state a national punchline to a bad joke (while fewer than two-thirds of our students actually graduate, DPI claimed it was more than 92 percent). ... Read
Ethics Board Head Dismisses Complaint About Easley
The state Board of Ethics dismissed an ethics complaint alleging Gov. Mike Easley unduly influenced a deal to lease a marina in his hometown to his political supporters. Read
First Alternative Fuel Only Station Opens In N.C.
A car dealer has opened the state's first station to sell only alternative fuels. The station owned by Bill Smith sells two types of ethanol and a biodiesel mixture that can be used by most diesel engines. "We're much too dependent on foreign oil," said Smith, who also owns a Ford dealership in Southern Pines. "These fuels are certainly not a complete fix. But it's a great band aid for the immediate future." Read
Wrong-Way Driver Sentenced in Fatal Wreck (Drunk Driver Sentenced)
Jesse Matthew Toppin, accused of killing in a drunken driving wreck, stood and turned to face his victims in court Monday. "I am so sorry," he said. "I know you may never be able to forgive me. But please understand that I never meant to hurt anybody." Minutes later, Toppin was sentenced to at least 13 years and 11 months ... Mecklenburg homicide prosecutors have warned they are going to get tougher with drunk drivers who kill. Four times in the past 16 months, prosecutors have obtained second-degree murder convictions against drunken drivers involved in fatal wrecks. Read
Duke To Drop Family Doctor Training
Duke University is closing its residency program in family medicine because of declining applications from medical school graduates, the program's chairman said. Closing the three-year residency program won't affect the supply of family doctors because the university didn't produce many anyway, said Dr. Lloyd Michener, chairman of Duke's department of community and family medicine. Read
SBC Committee Member Agrees With Call for Public School 'Exit Strategy'
A second member of the Resolutions Committee for the upcoming Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, says the denomination needs to consider developing a plan to remove its children from America's public schools. Read
Morton Told the Story of N.C. life
A more than $108 million psychiatric hospital is taking shape here and should be finished by mid-August 2007, officials say. When opened, the massive facility will replace nearby John Umstead Hospital and Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh. Read
FBI Probing Indigent Billing Records of Two N.C. Defense Lawyers
Questions about a pair of Charlotte lawyers who have collected hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars for defending indigent clients have spurred an FBI inquiry into their billing practices. Read
Duke to Bring Back Lacrosse Team for Next Season
The Duke University men's lacrosse team will resume play next season, but under strict rules and close monitoring after three players were charged with rape, school President Richard Brodhead said Monday. Read
Oxford College Proposal Surfacing
Plans for a future institution of higher learning here are beginning to surface in more detail, and a state educational official says she and a team of examiners tentatively are planning a July 26 site meeting with the organizers. Read
N.C. Sees Big Drop In Meth Labs In 2006
State authorities last month found the fewest number of meth labs since December 2003, and credit a new state law that restricts the sale of cold medicines used to make the highly addictive drug, according to state officials. Read
Four Teens, Two Juveniles Among those Charge in Bank Robberies
Four teenagers and two juveniles are among eight people charged in three bank robberies, according to federal court records. The group worked in teams of four to six at a time, using a shotgun, handgun or both to rob banks in Davidson, Chatham and Cabarrus counties between March and April, according to an indictment filed in the U.S. Middle District of North Carolina. The charges against them include conspiracy, bank robbery with a dangerous weapon and attempted bank robbery. Read
Krispy Kreme Awards Doughnut Franchise to Hong Kong Group
Winston-based Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., recovering from internal accounting problems that led to investigations and the ouster of its longtime CEO, said Tuesday it was again looking abroad to reach new markets. Read
Long-time Elizabeth City Box Maker Moving to Va.
Between 20 and 30 workers will lose their jobs by this summer when an eight-decade-old box manufacturer moves to Virginia, the company has announced. Read
Expanded DNA Analysis a Boon for Solving Cold Cases
North Carolina is solving more cold cases because it has added investigators in recent years and can now analyze a broader scope of DNA evidence, the state's top law officer said. Read
Health Care Workers, Indian Leaders Focus on N.C. Tribes' Needs
North Carolina is home to about 100,000 American Indians and eight state-recognized tribes. But when it comes to good health, those groups might as well be invisible. Some tribal leaders said a mistrust of Western medicine and a failure by both tribe members and health care providers to reach out can be blamed for the good-health gap. Also, once Indians go to county health departments, cultural differences can cause problems. Read
Hondros Learning Selected by North Carolina Appraisers
The North Carolina Professional Appraisers Coalition (NCPAC) selected the Hondros Learning appraisal education materials as the preferred resource for the 2008 Appraisal Qualification Criteria. Read
Life of the South buys N. Carolina Companies
Life of the South has reached an agreement to buy American Guaranty Insurance Co. and Triangle Life Insurance Co. Read
Second Set Of Duke Lacrosse DNA Tests Cost Nearly $23,000
Additional DNA testing in the Duke lacrosse rape investigation cost Durham taxpayers nearly $23,000. Read
Six N.C. State Stadium Workers Plead Guilty To Illegal Entry
Federal officials say six men arrested last month at Carter-Finley Stadium have pleaded guilty to immigration charges and are slated for deportation. Read
Fort Bragg Will Be 2nd Only To Pentagon In Number Of Generals
Base realignments will result in more generals at Fort Bragg than anywhere except the Pentagon, an official at the Army post said Tuesday. By 2011, the post will have 32 generals, who will have a combined 50 stars, the rank insignia for generals. Read
Holly Springs in Running For $350M Biopharmaceutical Plant, Up to 400 New Jobs
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. — Holly Springs is in the running to land a "major biopharmaceutical" firm that would spend as much as $350 million and create up to 400 jobs, according to a grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation. (An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed the information to the town attorney for Holly Springs.) Read
SBI Conducts Third Probe of Davie County Sheriff's Office
For the third time in 18 months, the State Bureau of Investigation is probing the Davie County Sheriff's Office. The latest investigation focuses on Detective Robert Trotter, who was suspended with pay May 30 for "alleged criminal conduct," according to a statement released Tuesday from Sheriff Allen Whitaker. The statement doesn't specify the allegation against Trotter, who has been with the department since 1990. Read
Buncombe County Voters to Use Optical Scan Machines
Buncombe County voters will cast ballots on optical scan machines when they go to the polls in November. County commissioners have approved a recommendation from the Board of Elections to purchase the new voting system. Read
N.C. Sex Offender Arrested in Death of Clemson Student
A registered sex offender was in custody Wednesday after authorities said his DNA was found in the apartment of a Clemson University student who was strangled with her bikini top. Read
The North Carolina Sex Offenders and Public Protection Registry
To look up registered sex offenders in your area, go to: Read
N.C. Lottery Officials Pulled One Scratch-And-Win Game
North Carolina lottery officials have pulled a popular scratch-and-win game after some players confused a security code with a winning symbol. Read

Congress

Marriage Amendment Fails, As Expected
An amendment that supporters say will protect marriage doesn't get a Senate majority. Read
Muslims Turn to Regaining their Foothold in Politics
They lost ground after 9/11, but Muslims are stepping it up from City Hall to Capitol Hill. Read
Illegals' Tax Deal Could Kill Bill
The long-fought Senate immigration bill that opponents say grants amnesty to 10 million illegal aliens is unconstitutional and appears headed for certain demise, Senate Republicans now say. Read
Rep. Kennedy: 'Positive about my Future'
Rhode Island Democrat released from drug rehab following car crash Read
Lawmakers Took Millions in Free trips: study
Members of the U.S. Congress and their aides took free trips worth nearly $50 million paid for by corporations, trade associations and other private groups between January 2000 and June 2005, according to a study released on Monday. Read
AP: Millions of Visa Overstays Overlooked
Millions of illegal immigrants in the United States never jumped the U.S.-Mexico border where Congress wants to erect impenetrable walls and President Bush is sending National Guard troops to patrol. They never sneaked in at all. The little-acknowledged reality is that nearly half the estimated 12 million undocumented foreigners in the United States entered on bona fide U.S. visas — and simply never left. Authorities call them "overstays" who have been largely overlooked in the vitriolic debate on immigration. Read
Lawmaker Seeks Mtg with President Bush on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
A leading House sponsor of a measure that would force taxpayers to fund destructive embryonic stem cell research wants to meet with President Bush to talk him out of potentially vetoing a bill that would overturn his limits on funding the unproven research. Read
Court Records Link Nigerian Vice President to Probe of Congressman
Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., told a business associate that the vice president of Nigeria was demanding half the profits of their telecommunications partnership and they would have to "deal with him," according to court records unsealed Monday. An alleged plan to bribe Atiku Abubakar to exert influence over the Nigerian state phone company NiTel had been alluded to in earlier court documents in the 15-month federal investigation of Jefferson, but the vice president had not previously been named. Read
House at Stake, Midterm Election Gets Early Start
Intense Congressional campaigns reflect a consensus that Republicans could lose the House and perhaps the Senate. Read
F.A.A. Sets Wage Scale After Impasse on Contract
The House may vote this week on whether to force the Federal Aviation Administration to resume bargaining with the air traffic controllers' union. Read

Courts

Supreme Court to Hear Education Race Case
The Supreme Court said Monday it will decide the extent to which public schools can use race in deciding school assignments, setting the stage for a landmark affirmative action ruling. Read
ADF Appeals Liberal Judges' Ruling in Christian Student's Censorship Case
In 2004, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a lawsuit challenging the Poway School District's decision to suspend student Chase Harper for wearing a Christian T-shirt. Harper's shirt bore the phrases "Homosexuality is shameful" and "Our school embraced what God has condemned." Recently, two judges with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the U.S. Constitution does not permit Harper to wear the shirt. ADF, a pro-family legal defense organization, is appealing the ruling. Read
Colorado Supreme Court Retains Ban on Assault Weapons
A divided Colorado Supreme Court on Monday upheld Denver's ban on assault weapons, despite arguments that state weapons laws should trump city ordinances. Read
Delaware Catholic Teacher Fired For Promoting Abortion Loses Appeal
Wilmington, DE (LifeNews.com) — A teacher at a private Catholic school fired for signing a newspaper advertisement promoting abortion lost her appeal in her lawsuit against the school. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court ruling in the case saying the woman's rights were not violated when the school fired her. Read
British Couple Wants Gay Marriage Ratified — ABC News
Two women asking Britain to recognize their Canadian same-sex marriage told a court Tuesday that calling their relationship a civil partnership violated their human rights. Read
Court Stays Execution in Danville, Va., Case
A federal judge granted a temporary stay of execution Wednesday for a man set to die Thursday in the deaths of three people in Danville. The court granted the delay based on Percy Walton's challenge that Virginia's protocols surrounding lethal injection are unconstitutional. The Supreme Court heard arguments in April in the case of Hill v. McDonough, which challenges the way states execute killers. The court's ruling will determine whether inmates can file last-minute civil rights challenges claiming their deaths would be cruel and unusual punishment. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Methodists' Focus on Activism May be Clearing out Pews
In the past, Methodist leaders have often focused on racism and sexism. This year, however, gay issues jumped to center stage. The Minnesota Annual Conference outdid itself, passing nine petitions on various aspects of the topic. The conference went on record as supporting both gay marriage and the ordination of gay clergy. Read
Don't Let the Anti-Christmas Crowd Kick Christ Out of Christmas this Year
Companies are now working on their Christmas promotions. Let them hear from you today. June is not the time when we think of Christmas. But June is the time when retailers begin making their plans for Christmas promotions — store banners, newspaper ads, TV commercials, etc. Read
Activist Thinks Christianity May End Chinese Communism
The head of the China Support Network and the China E-Lobby believes that evangelical Christianity is one of the biggest threats to the Communist regime in China. Read
Watchdog Group Criticizes Maryland's Grant for Big Baptist Conference
The state plans to spend $150,000 for logistical support during the National Baptist Convention's Christian education congress in Baltimore June 19-23 and a watchdog group says that violates church-state separation. Read
A Coming Storm
A federal constitutional amendment may be the only way to head off a church-state clash over same-sex "marriage." Read
Mahoney Hails City's Vote to Appeal Mt. Soledad Cross Removal Order
The San Diego City Council has agreed to appeal a federal judge's ruling ordering the removal of a cross from the top of a war memorial in La Jolla, California. The 5-3 vote directs the city attorney to file the appeal with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Read
Stand Up, Stand Up for Wicca
As of May 31, 2006, government officials have refused to allow the Wiccan symbol to be placed on Stewart's plaque. Sgt. Stewart identified himself as belonging to the Wiccan faith. Although Wiccans are not considered part of America's mainstream religious establishment, they are a growing minority. According to 2005 Defense Department statistics, approximately 1,800 active-duty service members identify themselves as belonging to the alternative religion that subscribes to magical activities and Earth worship. Read
A Difference Worth Embracing — Why Mother-Father Couples are Superior to Gay Couples When It Comes to Adoption
In what some are calling a "second front" in the culture war — trailing in the wake of same-sex marriage — the battle over gay adoption is increasing in intensity. Read
Polls Reveal Americans' Opinions on Social Issues
American attitudes towards legalizing "same-sex marriage" have not experienced any major changes over the past two years with the majority of Americans remaining opposed to "same-sex marriage," according to a new Gallup Poll. Read
Local Police Attempt to Block Collection of Pro-Marriage Petitions
Police Sergeant's Actions Described as 'Unprofessional' and 'Bizarre' Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Hucksters Exploit Misery for Money
The media in general don't want to hear about use of adult stem cells to cure paralysis, or about adult stem cells at all. In fact, they frequently attribute adult stem cell breakthroughs to embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cell research acolytes are knowingly lying. And that's wicked. Read
Taiwan Abortions Rise as Nation Faces Severe Underpopulation Problems
Unlike its communist neighbor China, Taiwan faces a severe problem of underpopulation. Abortions are on the rise there, the nation recently experienced its lowest birth rate ever, and the country faces the economic and social problems that will accompany a likely zero population growth in 15 years. Read
Cloned Mule Finishes Third in Nevada Race
Two cloned mules finished third and seventh in a Nevada mule race on Sunday, disappointing the scientists who created them a day after each animal won its respective elimination heat. Read
Is the Cloning of Human Babies' Tissue an Insult to God?
A proposal to create babies that are both cloned and genetically altered to prevent serious hereditary disease has been outlined by the leader of the team that created Dolly the sheep, re-igniting the debate on the moral implications of cloning human beings. Read
Kansas Abortion Business Closes in Wichita, Holds Yard Sale for Possessions
An abortion business that did abortions for over 20 years in Wichita, Kansas has closed down. The Central Women's Services abortion facility has sold its business to an undisclosed buyer and the building it occupied for two decades has also sold. Read
Alabama Woman Can Sue Planned Parenthood Over Botched Abortion Email this article
An Alabama state appeals court has ruled that a woman victimized by a botched abortion can proceed with her lawsuit against a Planned Parenthood abortion business blaming it for the medical problems her unborn child now suffers after birth. Read
Connecticut Must Reinstate Choose Life License Plates or Pro-Life Group Will Sue
If Connecticut doesn't reinstate the Choose Life license plates that it recently revoked, a pro-life group that sponsors the plate plans to file a lawsuit. The state halted sales of the plates after Attorney General Richard Blumenthal complained. Read
Psychologist: More Studies Needed on How Abortion Hurts Women
Recent research from Norway and New Zealand has reported an association between abortion and subsequent mental health problems. Although the two investigations are not the first to suggest such a relationship, they are well-designed studies suggesting that abortion may be linked to negative mental health reactions for some women. Read
Terri Schiavo's Husband's PAC Demonstrates Need for Truth in Advertising
It's an urgent call to action. Michael Schiavo wants your money. He spent all of Terri's trust fund, earmarked for her rehabilitation and instead used it to help George Felos fund his euthanasia hobby, his "right-to-die" movement. Read
Private Researchers To Create Stem Cell Lines
Scientists in Boston want to try a new angle on stem-cell research. Patients with diabetes, blood disease and neurodegeneration will donate the cells. Embryos that were created through in vitro fertilization that have been deemed incapable of producing a pregnancy will be the source of the embryonic cells. Read
South Dakota Lawmakers who Opposed Abortion Ban Defeated in Primary
Lawmakers who opposed the statewide ban on virtually all abortions that the state legislature approved earlier this year did so at their own peril. Four Republican state senators who opposed the ban were defeated Tuesday in primary elections there while those who supported the ban were successful. Read
Florida County Denies $10,000 Pro-Abortion Grant for Planned Parenthood
County commissioner in Manatee County in southwest Florida voted on Tuesday against a $10,000 grant for a local Planned Parenthood abortion business that had been suggested by the commissions children's services advisory board. Read
Louisiana Legislature Gives Abortion Ban Final Approval, Heads to Governor
The Louisiana state legislature has given a statewide abortion ban its final stamp of approval and sent the bill to Governor Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat who says she will sign it into law. The Louisiana Senate approved changes the House made to the measure. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Drugs Hold Promise in Kidney Cancer Fight
For decades, it has been one of cancer's great mysteries: Why do about 4 percent of kidney tumors spontaneously disappear? Read
M.S. Drug Can Return, With Limits
Regulators agreed to let the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri return to the market, despite its risk of causing a fatal brain disease. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Spelling Bee Winner Credits her Lucky Angel
Teen prevails over 273 others in contest's first prime-time broadcast Read
Legal Group Prefers Competition on the Field, Not in Courtroom
Four public school districts in Virginia are reversing an earlier decision and now will schedule athletic events with a well-known private Christian school. Read
Liberals Dominate Graduation Lecterns Again, Says Study
Most of the country's top colleges and universities once again chose liberal figures to speak at their graduation ceremonies this year. Read
Use of Antipsychotics by the Young Rose Fivefold
The finding is likely to inflame a continuing debate about the risks of using psychiatric medication in children. Read
Study: 1 in 5 Students Practice Self-Injury
Nearly 1 in 5 students at two Ivy League schools say they have purposely injured themselves by cutting, burning or other methods, a disturbing phenomenon that psychologists say they are hearing about more often. Read
Firm Seeks to Beam Ads and Music to School Buses
A Massachusetts company wants to beam commercial radio broadcasts into school buses every morning and afternoon, the latest mingling of education and commerce to spark outcry as the firm lobbies school districts across the state to sign contracts for the fall. Read
Sealth's District Titles Yanked
The Sea-King District board voted Monday to strip the Chief Sealth High School girls basketball team of its past two district titles because of repeated recruiting violations — a move that could force the nationally ranked powerhouse to forfeit its 2005 and 2006 state championships. Read
Parents of the Gifted Resist a Call to Share a School Building
New York City's plan to place a new charter school in an existing school's building has prompted a lawsuit and protests. Read
Teacher Fired After Requesting Time Off To Serve Time
A New York City teacher convicted of ripping off the estates of elderly women tried to take a leave of absence to serve prison time in New Jersey. School investigators say 59-year-old Thomas Everett didn't properly report his arrest or conviction, which are grounds for dismissal. Everett, a disbarred lawyer who taught social studies at Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn, said he hopes to teach again. Read
Odd Scholarship Offered By Pa. College
In Reading, Pa., it's long been possible to go to elementary, middle and high school, then on to college, all on one street. Albright College says more than 100 people have done just that in its 150-year history, earning the nickname "The 13th Street Gang." Albright is now hoping to keep even more youngsters on the block. Starting next year, the college will offer a $15,000 scholarship to students attending school entirely on North 13th Street. The money will cover more than half of a year's tuition. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Remembering D-Day — Normandy Marks 62-year Anniversary
Ceremony takes place where Allies came ashore for landings that freed France from Nazi Germany Read
U.S. to give Iran Nuclear Technology
World powers on Tuesday gave Iran a package of incentives that includes U.S. nuclear technology to persuade Tehran to curb its uranium enrichment program, and the Islamic republic's initial reaction was relatively upbeat. Read
Veteran Affairs Says 2.2 Million, Not 50,000 Active-Duty Troops' Records Were Stolen — Fox News
Personal data on about 2.2 million active-duty military, Guard and Reserve personnel — not just 50,000 as initially believed — were among those stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee last month, the government said Tuesday. Read
US Super-Embassy Emerges in the Heart of Baghdad
On the west bank of the Tigris on the edge of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone a forest of cranes marks the progress of Iraq's newest monument: a US embassy that will be the largest in the world. Read
Marine's Father Sues Funeral Protesters
The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters from a fundamentalist Kansas church filed an invasion-of- privacy suit against the demonstrators Monday. It is believed to be the first lawsuit brought by a soldier's family against Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., whose members routinely demonstrate at military funerals around the country. Read
Bush Hails Killing Of al-Qaida Leader In Iraq — U.S. Air Raid Kills Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born, al-Qaida-linked terror leader in Iraq who had become almost as infamous as Osama bin Laden, is dead. Read
California Assemblyman Refuses to Attend Speech by Mexico's President
'He's Trying to Change U.S. Immigration Policy,' Says Read
U.S. Is Offering Deals on Trade to Entice Iran
The incentives include a proposal to allow Iran to upgrade its aging civilian air fleet by purchasing parts from Boeing. Read
Campaign Leads States to Legalize Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense
A campaign by gun rights advocates to make it easier to use deadly force in self-defense is rapidly winning support across the country, as state after state makes it legal for people who feel their lives are in danger to shoot down an attacker — whether in a car-jacking or just on the street. Read
Gingrich is Delegates Favorite of 2008 Presidential Race
McCain and Giuliani seen as too moderate in straw poll. Read
Bush Touts Economic Benefits of Immigrants to Business Group
President George W. Bush, struggling to win broader support for his immigration proposals from his fellow Republicans, told the nation's biggest business group that new immigration laws would be a boon for the economy. Read
National Guard Set to Work on Border
The first National Guard troops sent to assist immigration agents Monday are to work on projects near a fortified stretch of desert along the U.S.-Mexico border. The 55 Utah National Guard members plan to begin extending fences, improving gravel roads and working on border lighting near the town of San Luis, Ariz., which is part of the nation's busiest U.S. Border Patrol station. Read
Sun Plans to Cut Nearly 5,000 Jobs
Sun Microsystems Inc. will cut 4,000 to 5,000 jobs as part of a plan to make the company more competitive and consistently profitable, officials said Wednesday. Read
Terror Factory Reveals Secrets
Masked gunmen blindfolded CNN correspondent Ben Wedeman and his cameraman to take them to a location rarely seen by journalists covering the violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After a tense trip in two vehicles surrounded by men in full battle gear, the CNN pair were driven into a cramped compound covered in green plastic sheeting to protect it from the prying eyes of Israeli aircraft — a rocket factory where one man was proud that it was his missile which hit an Israeli school. Read
Job Growth Stalls, but Unemployment Dips
Job growth faltered in May, with employers boosting payrolls by just 75,000. Yet the nation's unemployment rate dipped to 4.6 percent, the lowest since the summer of 2001. Read
Iran Defends Right to Nuclear Technology
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Friday that the West won't deprive Iran of its nuclear technology, sounding a defiant note after the world's major powers stepped up pressure for Tehran to accept a new package of incentives to halt its uranium enrichment program. Read
USS Cole Deploys to Mideast Next Week
Navy officials say the U.S.-S Cole is returning to the Middle East next week to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read
Study Finds Companies Snooping on Employee E-Mail
Big Brother is not only watching but he is also reading your e-mail. According to a new study, about a third of big companies in the United States and Britain hire employees to read and analyze outbound e-mail as they seek to guard against legal, financial or regulatory risk. Read
Ford Foundation to Announce Africa Initiative
The project aims to strengthen an expanding network of nonprofit groups across Africa that seek to hold governments accountable. Read
Debate Over Wind Power Creates Environmental Rift
Activists who oppose wind turbines are finding themselves increasingly out of step with the broader environmental movement. Read
Eyes in the West Are on Federal Land Sale
Proceeds from U.S. acreage outside Zion park would be used for local development. Read
U.S. Upbeat After Vietnam Talks
Four decades after first visiting as a young congressman at the height of a divisive war, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld toured Vietnam on Monday amid increasingly warming relations with the U.S. and made unexpected progress toward improving military relations. Read
Leading Scientists Speak Out Against Gore's Global-Warming Film
Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, has some of the nation's top scientists poking holes in the theory of global warming. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Gay Activists Protest at Catholic Mass, Denied Communion
Homosexual activists wearing rainbow-colored sashes were told they could not participate in Holy Communion at a St. Paul, Minn. Roman Catholic Cathedral, The Washington Post reported. Wearing the sash on the day of Pentecost — a symbol of gay protest — began in 1997 in England and quickly moved overseas to the U.S. Read
Woman Jailed for Hiding Child Groom
A 37-year-old woman who married one of her son's 15-year-old friends pleaded guilty to helping her young husband escape from state custody. Read
Boycott of Ford Impacting Automaker
As the boycott of the Ford Motor Company picks up steam, the automaker continues to help finance homosexual organizations pushing same-sex "marriage." Read
FCC Refuses CBS Appeal
CBS wants the federal agency to drop the half-million-dollar fine for the infamous Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction" involving Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Read
Cell Phone Porn Blocking Efforts
The billion-dollar Internet porn industry is forcing parents to consider high-tech parental controls for their teen's cell phones. Read
US Singles Out 12 Countries On Human Trafficking
The United States is singling out 12 countries for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers, and forced laborers. Read
Montana's Yellowstone County to Vote on Obscenity Ordinance
Action could stop dissemination of objectionable material. Read

Other News

Militia: We Control Mogadishu — Al Qaeda-friendly gunmen seize capital
Islamists claim victory after weeks of some of the bloodiest fighting in 15 years of anarchy in Somalia Read
Mubarak Won't Support West Bank Withdrawal
Egyptian president avoids reporter's question at press conference with Israeli prime minister Read
Ayatollah Rails Against Nuclear Accusations
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Western accusations that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons were a "sheer lie," and he declared that attempts to punish Tehran would jeopardize the world's oil supply. ... Read
Canada Confronts Its Shadows Within
In a country that celebrates cultural diversity, a suspected terrorist plot has shattered the image that many Canadians have of themselves as more secure, more generous and more likable than their U.S. neighbors. Read
Canada Suspect Planned to Storm Parliament, Behead Prime Minister
One of the members of an alleged terror cell in Canada plotted to behead the prime minister, according to charges released Tuesday. Read
Police Find 9 Severed Heads in Iraq
Police found nine severed heads in fruit boxes near a volatile city northeast of Baghdad on Tuesday, authorities said, the second such discovery in less than a week. Read

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Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006