Weekly Issues Alert

June 23-29

"A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate." ---Thomas Jefferson

Happy Fourth of July from the Staff of the Christian Action League of North Carolina

North Carolina General Assembly

Lawmaker Charged With Fraud To Resign

State Rep. Paul Miller, accused by federal authorities of doctoring checks to make it look as though he had paid off some student loans, plans to resign from the General Assembly early next month. Read
N.C. Legislative Leaders Trying To Settle Budget Differences

On the eve of a self-imposed deadline to complete their work, House and Senate budget negotiators worked to iron out nagging differences between the two chambers' spending plans for next year. The two sides are working through university construction projects, Medicaid assistance for counties and salary increases for state employees and university teachers in hopes of getting a final budget to Gov. Mike Easley's desk before Friday, the final day of the fiscal year. Read
Bill Would Require Schools To Recite Pledge Daily

A new bill making its way through the state Legislature would require all schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily. Read
N.C. House Gives Final OK To State Rules For Cable Television

The House approved new rules Monday that would replace the current regulation of cable television service by local franchise agreements with a statewide system, which supporters say would promote competition and lower prices. Read
N.C. Senate Approves Eye Exam Repeal — Again

The Senate unanimously agreed Thursday to repeal a comprehensive eye examination requirement for incoming kindergartners that House Speaker Jim Black helped push through last year before his political campaign was tied to questioned donations from his fellow eye doctors. Read
N.C. Senate Has Work Ahead On Ethics, Campaign Bills

While the state House has spent months this year crafting and passing legislation designed to rework ethics, campaign finance and lobbying laws, Senate members have been largely quiet about what direction they planned to take. Read
Gay senator defies typecasting

State Sen. Julia Boseman, a Democrat from coastal New Hanover County, has put together a political resume that's more Bill Bennett than Barney Frank. Read
Third Parties Want Space On N.C. Ballot

Members of small political parties in North Carolina urged lawmakers Tuesday to open up elections by adopting less stringent requirements to get on the ballot. Small parties in North Carolina have to collect more than 69,000 signatures before their candidates can appear on the ballot. That makes the state the third-most difficult for third parties Read

North Carolina Politics

Edwards, Ark. Lawyer Fined For Illegal Contributions

The campaign of former presidential candidate John Edwards has agreed along with an Arkansas lawyer and his firm to pay $59,500 in fines for violating campaign finance law, according to the Federal Election Commission. Tab Turner and his North Little Rock firm Turner & Associates are to pay $50,000 in the settlement, and Edwards for President will pay $9,500, according to FEC spokesman Bob Biersack. The settlement relates to a pair of fundraisers held in Arkansas by Turner for Edwards' Democratic presidential campaign in January 2003. The FEC said Thursday that Turner and his firm violated federal law when they made contributions with corporate money in others' names, used corporate resources to funnel contributions to Edwards' campaign and made banned corporate in-kind contributions. Read

North Carolina Courts

Judge Orders Reduction In Duke Lacrosse Player's Bond

A judge reduced the bond of a Duke University lacrosse player charged with rape to $100,000 at a Thursday hearing, during which defense attorneys again pressed for access to evidence in the case. Read
U.S. Appeals Court Backs N.C. In Ownership Of Bill Of Rights Copy

A federal appeals court agreed Thursday that North Carolina was entitled to reclaim the state's original copy of the Bill of Rights, missing since it was stolen at the end of the Civil War. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said North Carolina had rightful possession of the document, which Connecticut businessman Robert Matthews claims is worth $30 million on the private market and was improperly seized by federal agents in 2003. Read
Judge OKs Public Sale Of Pit Bulls Seized In Alleged Dog-Fighting Ring

A Johnston County judge ruled last week that 38 pit bulls believed to be bred as part of a large dog-fighting operation can be sold to the public. Read

Other North Carolina News

Campaign Targets Drunken Driving (high rates in state's Hispanic community)

Drunken driving is the leading cause of death among Hispanics in North Carolina, according to El Pueblo, a nonprofit advocacy group for Latinos. That's why the group has teamed up with the Governor's Highway Safety Program and the state Highway Patrol on a multi-pronged campaign to determine the best way to address high rates of drunken driving in the state's Hispanic community. Read
Out-of-Bounds Campus Drinking

In his book "Dying to Drink," Henry Wechsler, director of the Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Study, quoted a law school student: "In the university, we have entire generations that are learning to consume alcohol in an institutional way." Wechsler notes that alcohol is very much a part of the college scene, but it has a very dark side. Read
Foundation To Give $35 Million To Encourage Entrepreneurs

For the second time in three years, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is offering selected U.S. colleges and universities, including the University of North Carolina system, millions of dollars to encourage entrepreneurial education. Read
Wounded Marine from Durham Helping Others Who Lost Limbs

Jon Kuniholm's life changed forever on New Year's Day, 2005. The 33-year-old Marine captain was leading a platoon of combat engineers northwest of Baghdad near Haditha, patrolling through palm groves along the banks of the Euphrates River. Read
Duke Athletic Director, Son in Boating Accident

Duke athletic director Joe Alleva injured his head during a boating accident on a lake north of Durham, and his son was charged in the wreck. The younger Alleva played baseball at Duke from 1998-2001, the same year he was convicted in Durham County of driving while impaired near the Duke campus. He appealed the conviction but later withdrew it and was sentenced to probation. His blood alcohol level was 0.15 percent, higher than the 0.08 limit for drivers in North Carolina. Read
Cooper Appeals EPA Air Decision, Groups Join Fight

Attorney General Roy Cooper asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday to reconsider its refusal to hold 13 neighboring states to tighter pollutant emission standards, and also sought a court review of the decision. Read
Welcome Home Celebration Planned For UNC Baseball Team

Fans have an opportunity to come out and welcome back the UNC baseball team after its strong showing in the College World Series. Read
State Health Director Calls For Smoke-Free Workplaces

A grim new report from the United States Surgeon General about secondhand smoke is prompting a new request from the state's health director. Read
N.C. Beachgoers Ignore Rip Current Warnings

More than 100 people have been rescued this season from rip currents at Wrightsville Beach despite signs, red flags and announcements on public address systems warning of the danger. Read
NC State To Spend $1.3 Million For Water Treatment At Toxic Site

North Carolina State University has pledged $1.3 million to continue its clean up of contaminated water from a site where the school dumped pesticides, animal carcasses and other waste more than 25 years ago. Read
Paddlesports Plant To Relocate In Guilford County

Kayak and canoe maker Legacy Paddlesports will build a plant in Guilford County that will create 244 jobs over the next three years, the company said Wednesday. The company plans to invest more than $2 million over that time in a factory that will produce plastic and high-end composite kayaks and canoes. Legacy will receive a $100,000 state grant to help pay for the move. Read
Rockingham County Sheriff's Deputy Shot, Man Killed

A Rockingham County man was shot and killed and a sheriff's deputy trying to serve him a warrant was wounded in an early morning shootout. The sheriff's office says officers went to a house to serve a drug warrant when one of them was shot. Read
Andrew Corp. May Not Close Plant in Smithfield After All

Andrew Corp. may not close the satellite communications production facility it operates in Smithfield after all, the company said Tuesday afternoon. In fact, the company plans to expand its workforce in Johnston County if all aspects of an unfolding deal fall into place. Pending receipt of economic incentives from local governments and the signing of a new lease with the prospective owners of the plant where Andrew now operates, the company said it would add 200 full-time jobs as well as upgrade equipment used in the manufacturing process. Read
Beaufort businesses looking forward to Pepsi Americas' Sail

From her business on the Beaufort waterfront, Helen Davis will have a front-row seat for one of the biggest events ever held in Carteret County. Read

Congress

Senate OKs Paulson as Treasury secretary By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer

The Senate on Wednesday cleared the way for Goldman Sachs chief Henry Paulson to be the country's next Treasury secretary. Read
Senate Warms to 'Border First'

Key backers of the Senate immigration bill said yesterday they are willing to consider a compromise that would delay the guest-worker program and "amnesty" portions until the borders have been secured. Read
Border Issue Pivotal to GOP win in Utah

Rep. Chris Cannon — with considerable help from President Bush — easily turned back a primary assault yesterday aimed almost entirely at his stance on immigration. Read
Bush presses Congress for Expanded Veto Power

President George W. Bush prodded the Senate on Tuesday to pass a bill that would bolster his power to propose the rejection of spending items he considers wasteful. Read
Senator Considers Suit Over Bush Law Challenge

The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Arlen Specter, said yesterday that he is ''seriously considering" filing legislation to give Congress legal standing to sue President Bush over his use of signing statements to reserve the right to bypass laws.

Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, made his comments after a Judiciary Committee hearing on signing statements, which are official documents that Bush has used to challenge the constitutionality of more than 750 laws when signing legislation . Read
Haditha Deaths from Firefight, Not Murder

In May, when Rep. John Murtha, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, appeared on "Good Morning America," he accused the Marines of K Company of killing innocent civilians "in cold blood" and said that the killings had been covered up by higher officers.

The Bargewell report has disproved that allegation, and with the NCIS investigation so far incomplete and no soldier charged with a crime, how would Murtha know? Read
Senate Narrowly Turns Back Flag Amendment

The Senate on Tuesday rejected by one vote an effort to amend the Constitution to allow Congress to ban desecration of the U.S. flag...Read
"Do-Nothing Congress" in Reality Accomplishes much for GOP Agenda

The Republican-controlled Congress seems to be struggling lately to carry out its most basic mission: passing legislation. Read
CWA Lauds House of Representatives' Proactive Leadership on Values Issues

Concerned Women for America (CWA) praised the House of Representatives for taking serious steps to address important issues that have been too long ignored. The House released its "American Values Agenda" June 27 which includes, among other issues, several topics that are a top priority for Congress and for America's families. Read
Related
A Lobbyist Link in Congressmen's Visits to Cape

Four Massachusetts congressmen have attended luxurious Fourth of July weekends at Cape Cod's exclusive Wequassett Inn in Chatham with representatives of various interest groups, courtesy of a little-known nonprofit group started by a longtime lobbyist. The lobbyist, Jeanne Campbell, received millions of dollars in contracts to lobby Congress through her Washington-based firm, Campbell-Crane. Her clients, including several Massachusetts agencies and companies, routinely attend the Fourth of July events.

The trips to the Wequassett Inn, where room rates range from $475 to $1,300 per night, are intended as seminars where industry representatives can discuss legislative issues with members of Congress. Read
Senators Wary of 'Amnesty' in Iraq Plan

U.S. senators on Sunday called Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's national reconciliation plan a positive step but expressed concerns about its "amnesty" provision. Al-Maliki's plan, announced earlier in the day, would extend an olive branch to some Iraqi militants and grant the phased release of 2,500 detainees from Iraqi prisons. Read
Senate Approves Hamas Bill — Jerusalem Post

The US Senate approved on Friday a bill that would ban direct financial aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority and would put limits on humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Read
House Votes to Chop Estate Taxes

The House voted Thursday to cut taxes on inherited estates and relieve thousands of heirs from paying tax collectors during the next decade. Read
Congress Wrangles over Bank Records Tracking

Democrats protest program, Republicans defend effort as vital in terror war Read
Court Review of Wiretaps May Be Near, Senator Says

Senator Arlen Specter said that the White House and Congress were close to reaching a resolution on submitting a wiretap program to judicial review. Read
Senate Rejects Iraq Redeployment Motions

Both Democratic proposals easily defeated Read
Democrats Seize on Iraq Pullout Report

Democrats who have called for U.S. troops to start coming home from Iraq said a proposed withdrawal plan reportedly put forward by the top American general there shows their criticism has been on the mark. Read
Leaders of Senate Panel Urge U.S. Talks With North Korea

The senators said the U.S. should talk directly with North Korea about the possible test launch of a missile that

could strike the U.S. Read
Congressman Wants N.Y. Times Prosecuted

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee called for criminal prosecution of the New York Times, saying its report Friday on U.S. government surveillance of confidential banking records "compromised America's anti-terrorist policies." Read
National Right-to-Life Scorecard (House)

109th Congress scorecard for U.S. House of Representatives Read
National Right-to-Life Scorecard (Senate)

109th Senate scorecard Read

Courts

High Court Rules Kansas Death Penalty Constitutional

New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito broke a tie Monday to rule that Kansas' death penalty law is constitutional. Read
Federal Judge Orders Missouri to Stop All Executions

A federal judge in Missouri has ordered a halt to all executions carried out by that state until it changes its lethal-injection procedures. Read
US Court Prepares Ruling on Guantanamo Tribunals

The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing a potential landmark ruling that could determine the fate of the military tribunals created by President George W. Bush to try Guantanamo prisoners for war crimes. Read
Court Bars Info Request on NSA Wiretapping — ABC News

A federal appeals court on Friday declined to force the government to turn over information on the National Security Agency's wiretapping program to a man charged in a terrorism case. Read
Justices Take up Key Environmental Case

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether the Bush administration must regulate carbon dioxide to combat global warming, setting up what could be one of the court's most important decisions on the environment. Read
Supreme Court Rules Against Vermont Campaign Finance Law

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Vermont's limits on contributions and spending in political campaigns are too low and improperly hinder the ability of candidates to raise money and speak to voters. Read
High Court Won't Touch Suits Over Pro-Life Plates

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today it will not consider two appeals from pro-abortion groups seeking to keep the "Choose Life" message off of vehicle license plates, The Associated Press reported. Read
Yates Sobs Upon Seeing Video Of Kids She Drowned

Houston Woman Drowned Her Five Children Read
U.S. Tactic on KPMG Questioned

A federal judge ruled that a tactic used by prosecutors to crack down on corporate misconduct violated the

constitutional rights of employees. Read
Judge Faults U.S. in Tax Case

In a ruling that could force the government to change its tactics in some corporate fraud cases, a federal judge said the Justice Department violated the rights of 16 former KPMG executives by coercing the accounting firm to cut off funds for their defense. Read
High Court: Prisons can Withhold Newspapers

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Pennsylvania officials did not violate the free-speech rights of troublesome inmates by keeping secular newspapers and magazines away from them. Read
Court Nixes Part of Texas Political Map By GINA HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld most of the pro-Republican Texas congressional map engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and freed all states to draw new political boundaries as often as they want.

The court, however, said that part of the new Texas map failed to protect minority voting rights, a small victory for Democratic and minority groups who accused Republicans of an unconstitutional power grab in drawing boundaries that booted four Democrats from office. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Over 5,500 Men Identify With Struggles at Promise Keepers' Unleashed

More than 5,500 men and boys were met by lines of women at the entrance of the Pepsi Arena Friday night all of whom cheered in support of the attendants' effort to be inspirited as better men. Women of Encouragement, consisting of mothers, wives and daughters of PK men continuously wished them blessings throughout the two-day conference that concluded Saturday. Read
Gay Clergy Ultimatum set to Split Anglicans — London Times

The Archbishop of Canterbury has signalled the break-up of the worldwide Anglican Church by threatening to exclude the liberal wing.

Read
The End is in Sight for the Walk To Reclaim America

"The Walk To Reclaim America was born out of a desire to our country return to faith of our Founding Fathers." says Jane McKinney. "We've been praying for a spiritual awakening. Read
China Arrests Nearly 2000 Christians In 12 Months, Report Shows

Chinese Security forces arrested at least almost 2000 Chinese Christians, including house church pastors, within a period of one year, and many were tortured, a report released Monday, June 26, shows. Read
In Shadow of Texas Oil Derricks, Fighting to Keep Brahms on Air

Adherents of classical music are outraged that a college radio station was sold to a Christian-music broadcaster. Read
Religious Leaders Ask For Help with Anti-Poverty Drive

Supporters of the three-day conference organized by the Sojourners, a progressive evangelical Christian ministry, hope that the gathering will help redefine the notion of Christian values and redirect attention away from the political agenda of the religious right. Read
Scholars: U.S. View of Heaven, Hell Eroding

Some Christian thinkers are concerned over the way U.S. Christians conceive of both heaven and hell, bemoaning the erosion of Christian teaching Read
Skate Rink Slapped for Playing Christian Music

New York business accused of discrimination by state agency — as is newspaper which publicized event where songs were played. Read
India State Threatens Confiscation Orphanages; Missionaries Fight Back

Lawyers for a major evangelical mission group said Tuesday, June 20, they plan to file an appeal to the Supreme Court of India against the government of Rajasthan state which threatens to take over its institutions, serving thousands of orphans. Read
Christians Around The World Pray For Iran Government

Christians in Iran and around the world prayed Tuesday, June 27, for Iran's government, amid concerns over persecution of churches and political opponents in the Islamic nation. Read
Computers 'Set to Read our Minds' — BBC

An "emotionally aware" computer system designed to read people's minds by analysing expressions will be featured at a major London exhibition. Read
Preachers Want to Bring On The Return of Jesus

The Los Angles Times, June 22, 2006 reports that a number of well known Mega Church preachers met in Inglewood, California to hasten the return of Jesus Christ...."But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only. " Matthew 24:36 Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Election Prayer Campaign Launching

Priests for Life spearheads 18-week effort to seek God's will for November's races. Read
Assisted-Suicide Measure Falls a Vote Short

By one vote, a Senate panel rejects a bill that would have allowed the terminally ill to opt for a lethal prescription. Read
The Birth Control Divide

Poor and uneducated women have higher rates of unplanned pregnancy — they are now four times more likely to face an unintended pregnancy than those who are better off. They're also three times more likely to get an abortion. Public health experts say more funding is not necessarily the answer. Read
Expert: Spinal Repair from Stem Cells Not Surprising

A Christian Bioethics scholar said that the newly published report on the use of embryonic stem cells to help repair damage spinal cord in rats is not surprising and that adult stem cells have shown greater results in humans. "It is important to recognize that research has been going on in rats with both adult stem cell research and embryonic stem cell research for a number of years, and that research has already advanced beyond rats to the human sphere using adult stem cells," said John Kilner, president and C.E.O. of the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity (CBHD), to The Christian Post on Wednesday. "[Research reports] already show that there have been even more success with the use of adult stem cells that moved beyond researching rats into humans. Read
Nurse Who Helped Expose Terri Schiavo's Former Husband Faces Attack

A nurse who cared for Terri Schiavo during the mid 1990s and helped expose her former husband's mistreatment of her is under attack from a state agency. The Florida Department of Health wants to revoke Carla Iyer's license over an interview she gave CNN last March about how Michael Schiavo failed to care for and mistreated Terri. Read
China Will Not Ban Sex-Selection Abortions Despite Gender Imbalance

The Chinese government has decided it will not prohibit abortions used to prevent the birth of girl babies even though sex-selection abortions have contributed to a stark gender imbalance that is creating a host of social problems. The nation's state-owned media reported the plan to scrap the idea. Read
Italy Health Minister Won't Stop Trials of RU 486 Abortion Drug

Italy's health minister Livia Turco says he will not try to stop Italian hospitals that are currently conducting trials of the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug. Turco has come under fire from the Catholic church and members of parliament for supporting the abortion pill. Read
ACLU Leaders Organize to Oust Director After Attack on Pregnancy Centers

Some leaders within the ACLU, a national pro-abortion legal organization, are apparently organizing a campaign to oust the current director of the organization after it endorsed legislation to limit the free speech rights of crisis pregnancy centers. Read
South Dakota Republicans Back Abortion Ban, Democrats Take No Stance

The two major political parties in South Dakota are divided on a November ballot initiative sponsored by abortion advocates asking state voters to overturn a state abortion ban. The ban prohibits abortions in all cases with the exception of extremely rare circumstances when its necessary to save the life of the mother. Read
New Boycott Targets To Be Named

Life Decisions International (LDI) will release a revised edition of The Boycott List on Wednesday, July 5, 2006. The Boycott List identifies corporations that are boycott targets due to their support of Planned Parenthood, the world's primary abortion-advocacy group. Read
Controversial Anti-Abortion Billboard Campaign Targets Pennsylvania through Election Day

Gigantic Graphic Aerial Banners Combine with Land Based Mobile Billboards to Educate Voters Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

New Test Could Help Decipher Alzheimer's

A new test may help scientists answer a perplexing "which came first" question about the development of Alzheimer's disease, possibly pointing the way to earlier diagnosis or even treatment. Read
New Report Attacks all Passive Smoking

Second-hand smoke clearly kills people and the only way to control it is to ban all smoking in workplaces, the U.S. surgeon-general said on Tuesday in a report that puts the Bush administration on the side of smoking restrictions. Read
Washington State Frets Cost, Impact of New Medicaid Rule

Come Monday, the state will require an estimated 1 million Medicaid recipients to prove they are United States citizens in order to receive the government-funded health benefits for the poor. Under a new federal rule, all new and returning Medicaid recipients must show passports, birth certificates or some other proof of citizenship. Certain non-citizens in the country legally also are eligible for Medicaid. State officials say the rule will be a costly nightmare to enforce and likely drive thousands of eligible poor people off the program, which covers hospital and doctor visits, and nursing-home care. Read
Charities Tied to Doctors Get Drug Industry Gifts

Critics say the payments can bias the doctors' treatment decisions and may lead to suspect research findings. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Chancellor's Death Linked to Job Stress

"Everybody's stunned," Santa Cruz Mayor Cynthia Mathews said of the death Saturday of Denice Dee Denton, 46. "It's sad for her personally and for the university. It's been a very tough tenure for her." Denton apparently jumped from a 43-story luxury apartment building in downtown San Francisco, police and university officials said. Her longtime partner, Gretchen Kalonji, has an apartment in the building, according to property records. She was criticized for ... helping secure a $192,000-a-year job for Kalonji as director of international strategy development. Read
Florida's HB 7087: Career Prep for All Middle School Students

Should all middle school children spend class time for vocational education? Some Florida state legislators think so.

Prior federal attempts to set up vocational activity for all students was called School-to-Work. Today at the state level, similar plans fall under headings like Career and Technical Education (CTE), Smaller Learning Communities (SLC), and "high school redesign/renewal." Read
Idaho Lawmakers Heed Public Objections to High School Reform

Following statewide public outrage over proposed Idaho State Board of Education (SBE) "rule changes" to promote school reform, the Idaho Senate adopted a resolution (SCR 134) to reject the plans. The SBE's rule changes were aligned with high school reforms promoted by the National Governors' Association and the U.S. Department of Education. Read
International Baccalaureate: An Analysis of Jurisdiction

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), based in Geneva, Switzerland, offers three different International Baccalaureate (IB) programs and is responsible for assisting schools with implementation so that children learn how to become "engaged world citizens" (IBO, 2006). Read
Babies and Daycare

Babies spending long hours in day care had consistently higher levels of stress hormones. The damaged brain chemistry affects social and emotional development, according to findings from research groups in the U.S., Canada, and England. "Children in daycares and preschools are not developing properly, and equally as troubling, in later public schooling." (LifeSiteNews.com, 3-29-2006)
Russian Prosecutors Want Teen Mags Closed

Russian prosecutors on Wednesday asked media officials to close three popular teenage magazines, arguing the publications propagate sexual activity. Read
Oracle Chief Withdraws a Donation to Harvard

Lawrence J. Ellison decided to cancel his plans for the donation after the resignation of Lawrence H. Summers, the president of Harvard, amid a storm of controversy. Read
Some See Iran's Faculty Exodus as a New Purge

Dozens of professors at Tehran University have been forced to retire, raising fears that a new clampdown on campuses is underway. Read
Oppose Pro-Gay Bill

Even if you don't live in California, your voice is needed to protect children. The California Assembly is expected to vote Thursday on legislation that would require schools to inject curriculum with information that normalizes homosexuality.

Your help is needed to ensure it doesn't become law — no matter what state you live in. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

US Probing Capture, Death of Two Soldiers in Iraq

The U.S. military said on Tuesday it was investigating how three of its soldiers ended up alone at a checkpoint in an al Qaeda bastion south of Baghdad, where militants abducted and then killed two of them this month. The third soldier died in the attack. Read
Iraqi Says Attacks on U.S. Won't Be Pardoned

The Iraqi prime minister sought to allay concerns that an amnesty plan would essentially allow attacks on U.S. soldiers. Read
AP: Iraq Insurgents Offer to Stop Attacks

Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered to halt attacks on the U.S.-led military if the Iraqi government and President Bush set a two-year timetable for withdrawing all foreign troops from the country, insurgent and government officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Read
Army Amputee has Bush on Run

One year and 14 surgeries after Army Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge lost both legs during a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq, he is out of a wheelchair and back on his feet — and jogging at the White House. Read
Oil Prices Climb Above $72 a Barrel — ABC News

Oil prices rose slightly on Tuesday as traders focused on shipping delays along the Gulf Coast and as Iran's supreme leader rejected the need for nuclear talks with the United States. Read
Rally against Illegal Immigration Ends with Arrest and Chaos in TN

A rally that was supposed to be peaceful ended with chaos Saturday afternoon outside the Hamblen County courthouse. Things got testy for a while as police tried to stop a disabled veteran from carrying an American flag onto courthouse grounds. Read
"Stop the Invasion" Billboards the Latest Venue for Immigration Debate

Billboards calling for Americans to "Stop the Invasion" of illegal immigrants have popped up along major highways across the country and soon could find their way to Central Florida. Read
Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway

Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn. Read
Feds: 'Homegrown Terrorists' Hoped To Top 9/11

Federal prosecutors say seven suspects arrested in Miami were plotting a "violent jihad" against the United States. Read
Pakistan Defends Its Efforts to Find Militants

During a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Foreign Minister Mian Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri rejects talk that the nation has done too little to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Read
Stocks Fall Sharply on Rate Worries

U.S. stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, amid speculation on whether the Federal Reserve may take an unexpectedly aggressive stance raising interest rates to stem inflation or pause after one more rate increase. Read
Putin Urges Weapons-Treaty Talks With U.S. — ABC News

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday urged the United States to begin negotiations on a new weapons treaty to replace the key START agreement that expires in 2009. Read
AT&T Wants to Share Data with Feds

AT&T Inc. will begin requiring its 7 million Internet customers to agree that the company owns their account information and can share it with government or law-enforcement agencies...Privacy advocates said it was noteworthy that AT&T claims to own customers' Read
Bush Calls Disclosure of Anti-Terror Bank Records Program 'Disgraceful'

President Bush on Monday sharply condemned the disclosure of a program to secretly monitor the financial transactions of suspected terrorists. "The disclosure of this program is disgraceful," he said. Read
Wars Force Army Equipment Costs to Triple — ABC News

The annual cost of replacing, repairing and upgrading Army equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan is expected to more than triple next year to more than $17 billion, according to Army documents obtained by the Associated Press. Read
The Left Hurts the Battle Against Torture, Rape and Other Evils

When you hear the words "oppression," "genocide," "racism," or even "torture" or "rape," do you immediately recoil as you always did?... I kept thinking about those whose bodies were burned, whose fingernails were torn out, who were hung by their arms in a way that broke their shoulders (a common Chinese communist torture), who were put into human shredders (in Saddam's Iraq) or who had burning hot steel rods shoved into their rectums. How did these poor souls react to seeing the Western media routinely describe humiliating and frightening naked men for the sadistic amusement of guards as "torture"? Read
Study Shows US Electronic Voting Machines Vulnerable

The nation's three most commonly purchased electronic voting machines are all vulnerable to fraud, a study released on Tuesday found. Read
Saddam Believes U.S. Will Beg for His Help — ABC News

Saddam Hussein believes the United States will have to seek his help to quell the bloody insurgency in Iraq and open the way for U.S. forces to withdraw, his chief lawyer said Sunday. Read
Ex-CIA Agent Says He Tried to Warn on Iraq Mobile WMD Story

A former CIA officer says he made repeated efforts to alert top agency officials to problems with an Iraqi defector's claims about the country's mobile biological weapons labs but he was ignored, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. Read
U.S. to Deploy Intercept Missiles in Japan

Japan and the United States have agreed to deploy advanced Patriot interceptor missiles on U.S. bases in Japan for the first time, officials said Monday, amid concerns North Korea may test-fire a long-range ballistic missile. Read
North Korea Creates Complex Problem for U.S., Neighbors

A modern timeline of relations between the United States and North Korea is dotted with diplomatic fits and starts, economic sanctions, promises of understanding, high points of small successes and low points of slammed doors, exiled weapons inspectors and exhaustive sets of demands. Read
Guantanamo Officials Say They Can't Stop All Suicides

New searches and special gear help, but administrators maintain that prisoners harm themselves as part of a 'campaign against us.' Read
Transportation Secretary Mineta resigning

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, the only Democrat in President Bush's Cabinet, will step down next month.

Mineta's resignation is effective July 7, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said Friday. Read
Iraq Declares State of Emergency in Baghdad

Security clampdown broadened; U.S. announces deaths of 4 soldiers Read
Social Isolation Growing in U.S., Study Finds

Many Americans have 'less of a safety net of close friends and confidants' Read
Abbas Urges Rice to Press Israel — Ynet News

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to press Israel to stop escalating tensions, Abbas' office said Saturday. Read
Bush Signs Executive Order Limiting Eminent Domain Powers of Federal Government — Fox News

President Bush declared Friday that the federal government can only seize private property for a public use such as a hospital or road. Read
Amid Iraqi Chaos, Schools Fill After Long Decline

Enrollment in Iraqi schools has risen every year since the U.S. invasion, reversing more than a decade of declines. Read
NASA Wants Shuttle to Fly Despite Safety Misgivings

NASA officials are pressing ahead with the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on July 1, despite objections from its chief engineer and safety head. Read
Tenn. Executes 2nd Person in 45 Years

Tennessee carried out its second execution in 45 years early Wednesday, and train-hopping serial killer Angel Maturino Resendiz went to his death in Texas by asking his victims' families for forgiveness. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Bibles Are Hot Item At Porn Show

One of the hottest items at the weekend's Erotica pornography show was a Bible with a cover that said "Jesus Loves Porn Stars."

The Rev. J.R. Mahon of the Web site www.xxxchurch.com said his anti-porn ministry handed out its entire stock of 3,300 Bibles on the first day of the three-day show. Read
Pride on Parade Downtown

Downtown welcomed the Pride Parade on Sunday, with the largest crowds ever to savor Seattle's signature celebration of gay life and culture. Read
Officials Criticize 'Hooters for Neuters'

Several city officials on Tuesday sharply criticized a planned bikini contest to raise money for spaying pets, saying the "Hooters for Neuters" event was degrading to women. Hosted by the Hooters restaurant chain, the July 13 fundraiser will donate money to the spay and neuter programs at Los Angeles Animal Services. "Are we going backward here?" said City Controller Laura Chick. "We are a city with all kinds of progressive programs that empower women and end discrimination in the workplace, and now we're being connected with a Hooters bikini contest. It isn't right." Read

Other News

Israelis Strike at Militants in Gaza

Seek rescue of corporal who was kidnapped Read
'Mashaal is Target for Assassination' — Jerusalem Post

Justice Minister Haim Ramon said Wednesday that Hamas's Syria-based leader, Khaled Mashaal, is a target for assassination for ordering the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip. Read
Exiled Hamas Leader says Palestinians should Seize more Soldiers — Ha'aretz

A Hamas official close to the group's exiled leader said Tuesday that the Palestinians should try to capture more Israel Defense Forces soldiers, criticizing Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for helping Israel search for a soldier seized by militants. Read
Israelis Arrest Dozens of Hamas Officials

Sunday's capture of an Israeli soldier by Hamas' military wing and two affiliated groups, and Israel's subsequent military incursion into Gaza threatened to bring the two sides to the brink of all-out war. Read
Mexican Rivals Have Different World Views

Leftist presidential hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador doesn't speak English, rarely travels outside Mexico and says the best foreign policy is to stay at home and avoid meddling in other nations' affairs. His conservative rival, Harvard-educated Felipe Calderon, says he'll follow the globe-trotting path of President Vicente Fox, who catapulted Mexico onto the world scene six years ago, eager to show off the country's invigorated democracy after his victory ended 71 years of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Read
Al-Qaida Group Says It Killed Russian Embassy Workers

The 90-second video, posted on an Islamic Web site that frequently airs militant messages, showed the beheading of two blindfolded men and the shooting of a third. Read
70% of Israelis Oppose West Bank Withdrawal — World Net Daily

Seventy percent of Israelis oppose Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's planned withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, and most here who supported last summer's evacuation of the Gaza Strip now say it was a bad idea, according to a poll released yesterday. Read

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