Weekly Issues Alert

Waterfall, Chimney Rock Park

August 18 - 24

"Your love of liberty...and your practice of the moral and religious obligations, are the strongest claims to national and individual happiness." ---George Washington

North Carolina General Assembly (adjourned until January, 2007)

Homes Could be a Lure for Teachers

The state legislature passed a law this year opening the way for Hertford County school land to be used for teacher housing. Read

North Carolina Courts

Judge To Review State's Plans To Help Low-Performing Schools

Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning will review the state's plans to help troubled schools where more than half of its students continue to fail end-of-grade tests. Read
Freed Man Charged Again for Sex Crimes

Six years ago, Santiago Bonee Elliott was under two back-to-back life prison sentences for sexually molesting young girls, ages 5 and 6. But Elliott was set free after spending less than a decade behind bars. The reason: a June 2000 judicial ruling that his right to a fair trial had been violated. ...Since gaining his freedom, he racked up two new charges of statutory rape against minors and two charges of taking indecent liberties with children. One set of crimes allegedly occurred in October 2004 and the other in September 2005. Read

North Carolina Politics

Legal Donations Raise Broader Questions About Political Fund-Raising

Bob Hall, of the government watchdog group Democracy North Carolina, tracks campaign money for a living. Although most of it follows the law, he sees a growing perception of "pay to play." "We have a crazy system where you can give money to a politician, then do business with the same politician," he told WRAL. Read
Killian Picked to Fill House Seat

Developer will succeed Vinson; Samuelson added to Nov. ballot Read

Other North Carolina News

Thousands Of Jobs Expected Through Fort Bragg Realignment

A recent report shows how the Base Realignment and Closure process at Fort Bragg will affect the workforce in Cumberland County. Read
N.C.-Based Marines Leave Lebanon Area after Evacuation

Marines from North Carolina are in the Red Sea after helping evacuate nearly 15,000 U.S. civilians during fighting between Lebanon and Israel. Read
N.C. Police Chief Arrested On Child Porn Charges

Federal and state authorities arrested a small-town police chief Thursday on felony child pornography charges. Landis Police Chief Charles Childers, 50, was arrested without incident at the federal courthouse in Greensboro, according to a news release. Read
Two N.C. Towns Among Those Weighing English-Only Rules

A pair of North Carolina towns are weighing whether to join dozens of cities across the country proposing to make English the official language. Mint Hill, in Mecklenburg County, and Landis, a town in Rowan County, are reviewing making clear that English is the dominant language. Most cities are modeling their immigration ordinances after the one approved July 14 in Hazelton, Pa., which now faces a federal lawsuit. Hazelton's ordinance would fine landlords $1,000 a day and revoke business licenses among other things. Read
Businessman Gambles On Court To Bring Poker To Durham

A Triangle businessman is taking the chance the state court of appeals will rule poker is game of skill. Read
Hundreds Of Body Parts >From N.C. Company Recalled

Federal authorities kept the North Carolina episode quiet until late last Friday, when the FDA shut down Donor Referral Services of Raleigh, N.C. The FDA said the company, run by Philip Guyett, had "serious deficiencies" in its processing, donor screening and record-keeping. The government accused him of altering records to overlook such problems as cancer or drug use by the deceased donor. Read
Ivy League School Takes Top Spot In College Rankings

...The University of Pennsylvania drops from fourth to seventh, and Duke from fifth to eighth. Read
Ex-Deputy Pleads Guilty To Kidnapping

A former Robeson County deputy pleaded guilty Monday to a kidnapping charge as part of the three-year "Operation Tarnished Badge" investigation. Read
Ft. Bragg Soldier Returns To N.C. After Being AWOL For A Year

A Fort Bragg paratrooper who says he left his Army barracks last summer because he was disillusioned with U.S. actions in Iraq returned to North Carolina on Friday to surrender to military authorities. Read
NC Unemployment Increases, Matches National Rate

The unemployment rate in North Carolina increased in July after holding steady for two months. Read
N.C. Settles Medicaid Overpayments For $151 Million

The state of North Carolina agreed Friday to reimburse the federal government $151.5 million for Medicaid overpayments made in error. Read
Edwards Says His Vote On Iraq Was Wrong

Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards said Thursday he made a mistake in 2002 when he voted to authorize President Bush to attack Iraq. Read
Smithfield Packing Co. To Close Va. Plant, Move Jobs To N.C.

Smithfield Packing Co. announced Thursday it would close a pork-processing plant in Bedford, forcing about 140 employees to either transfer to North Carolina or lose their jobs. Read
Convicted Felon Terminated >From UNC After WRAL Investigation

A convicted felon who worked as an accounting technician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was immediately fired by the chancellor on Thursday after WRAL started asking questions. Read
Highway Patrol Targets I-95 Speeders

Starting Monday, the Highway Patrol will crack down on speeders. Troopers are targeting drivers on the entire length of Interstate 95 from the Virginia border to the South Carolina border. Troopers will use helicopters, motorcycles and unmarked patrol cars. Operation Slow Down runs until Sunday. Read
Recruiting Strategy Pays Off For N.C. National Guard

Cornelius Chadwick joined the North Carolina National Guard because of his friend, PFC April Hyman. She will get a $2,000 bonus once he finishes basic training. Read
N.C. Physicians Split Over Use Of Doctors At Executions

South Carolina has no prohibition on doctors participating in state executions, but a spokesman for the state's medical board says the issue could come up after North Carolina's board vote last month to ban physicians from doing anything but watching an execution. Read
Worship Cowboy Style

Pull on your boots and grab your Bible! It's time to worship Cowboy Style! There's a new church coming to town, and it is a bit different than the traditional church. The Down East Cowboy Church is sure to raise a few eyebrows with their unconventional method of worship. Read
Second Stolen Trailer Carrying Drugs Found In S.C.

Investigators are following a new lead in a multimillion-dollar drug heist....Raleigh police said the tractor-trailer was abandoned in South Carolina without the drugs. Read
'Champions' to Get Swank Seats at RBC

A new 330-seat "Champions Club" at the RBC Center will feature all-you-can-eat gourmet dining, four free glasses of beer or wine, and a private lounge with flat-screen televisions. Read
Premature Quadruplets in Intensive Care Unit

A woman from Wendell gave birth to quadruplets Friday at Duke Hospital. The infants are being cared for in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, and the condition of each is listed as serious. Read
Chimney Rock Park is for Sale

Chimney Rock Park, the Rutherford County landmark with breathtaking vistas of the North Carolina mountains, is for sale. Read
N.C. College Tops for Pot-Smoking?

Students at Warren Wilson College have more fondness for Bill Clinton and marijuana use than any other school in the country, according to rankings published Wednesday. Read
Plane Evacuated at Charlotte-Douglas

It was an unnerving flight for passengers aboard a plane bound for New York after the plane was diverted to Charlotte-Douglas airport because of a suspicious odor. Read
Easley Approves Driver's License Changes

Drivers between the ages of 18 and 53 will be able to renew their licenses for eight-year terms, up from the current five. Young drivers' licenses will expire on their 21st birthday. Older drivers will have to renew every five years. Read
UNC Poverty Center Gets $2 Million Pledge

...The gift by Michael Cucchiara and Marty Hayes will endow operations and expenses of the center, which is directed by former vice presidential candidate and North Carolina senator John Edwards. "This wonderful example of generosity and philanthropy will allow the center to continue exploring the many facets of poverty and keep these important issues in the public eye for the decades to come," Edwards, a 1977 UNC Chapel Hill law school graduate, said in a statement. Read

Congress (recessed until September)

Immigration Bill to Cost Billions — MSNBC

The Senate's embattled immigration bill would raise government spending by as much as $126 billion over the next decade, as the government begins paying out federal benefits to millions of new legal workers and cracks down on the border, a new Congressional Budget Office analysis concludes... Newly legalized immigrants would claim nearly $50 billion in federal benefits such as the earned income and child tax credits, Medicaid, and Social Security. Read
Tax Break Extended to All 401(k) Heirs

A little-noticed provision in a pension law signed Thursday by President Bush will for the first time allow anyone to inherit a 401(k) nest egg without immediately paying taxes on the windfall, a benefit that in the past was reserved for spouses. Read
Brighter '06 Deficit Outlook, but Grim Long Term

The federal budget deficit will shrink this year to its lowest level since 2001, but the outlook for the next 10 years is bleak, the Congressional Budget Office said. Read
Congress Sends Prosecutors 1,500 Names Linked to Child-Porn Web Site

Justice Department refusal to investigate and prosecute Web site customers prompts action. Read
Big Sky Showdown

Tainted by the Jack Abramoff scandal, Montana's incumbent senator Conrad Burns is facing his toughest reelection challenge to date from Democrat Jon Tester, a flat-topped organic farmer. Read

Courts

Judge Dumps Charge in Padilla Terrorism Case

Ruling says it repeated other charges in same indictment Read
Judge Rules Cigarette Companies Deceived Smokers On Hazards

A federal judge ruled Thursday that the nation's top cigarette makers violated racketeering laws, including two based in North Carolina, by deceiving the public for years about the health hazards of smoking. Read
U.S. Judge Finds Wiretapping Plan Violates the Law

The Justice Department filed an immediate appeal, allowing the wiretapping to continue for the time being. Read
Judge Finds Bush Warrantless Surveillance Unconstitutional

A senior federal judge in Detroit ruled today that the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program is illegal and unconstitutional and should be halted. The Justice Department immediately moved for a stay of Judge Anna Diggs Taylor's ruling-the first directly addressing the legality of the program-and the judge's ruling will not be enforced until a September 7 hearing on the stay. The administration is expected to appeal the decision to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Read
Trial of China Forced Abortion Activist Ends in Chaos, Chen's Lawyers Arrested

Linyi, China (LifeNews.com) — The trial of Chen Guangcheng, the activist attorney who brought international attention to a brutal family planning campaign that involved the forced abortions or sterilizations of 10,000 women, ended in chaos Friday. Chen's attorneys were arrested and he was appointed two state lawyers who knew nothing of his case. Read
Dissident Presbyterian Factions Can't Seize Church Property, Court Rules

The Los Angeles Superior Court recently issued a series of rulings against congregations wanting to split from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), deciding that dissident factions cannot seize church property and harass those that want to remain within the denomination. Read
Case of Man Who Said He Intended to Eat Girl's Flesh Opens in Oklahoma

A man accused of killing a 10-year-old girl in what investigators describe as a cannibalistic plot will be tried for first-degree murder, a judge ruled Tuesday. Read
Court: Ralph Nader Owes $80,000 for Election Suit

Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader and his running mate must pay more than $80,000 in expenses for the lawsuit that challenged their nominating papers and kept them off the 2004 ballot, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. Read
Missouri Racy-Billboard Ban Struck Down

Federal appeals court declares law designed to keep sexually oriented advertising away from state highways unconstitutional.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a Missouri law banning billboards for sexually oriented businesses along state highways is unconstitutional. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Sam's Club Replaces 'Christmas' with 'Holidays'

It is very important that as many as possible send an email to Sam's Club. Since this is the first Christmas ad we have seen, we will notify major retailers of the number of emails sent. Perhaps our efforts will encourage other companies not to ban "Christmas." Read
Texas Church Wins Tussle With Tax-Man, Gets Exempt Status Restored

In one Texas city, local government officials have been ordered to restore the tax-exempt status of a church that has been under a heavy tax burden for a number of years. In 1997, the building housing the Full Gospel Church of God in Christ in Wichita Falls burned down. Officials with the local tax assessor's office later presented the congregation with a large tax bill, claiming the church failed to rebuild quickly enough. Since then, Full Gospel COGIC has continued to be taxed annually on its vacant property. Read
String of Anti-Family Bills Pending in California

Your help needed to convince Gov. Schwarzenegger to wield the veto pen and preserve family values. Read
Filming for Narnia's Prince Caspian Begins January

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the sequel to last year's hit The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, will begin shooting in January 2007 in "the forests of Europe," producer Mark Johnson has revealed. Read
GFA Foresees Anti-Conversion Bills Hurting Christian Missionary Efforts in India

The recent passage of so-called "religious freedom" bills in two Indian states is bringing swift reaction from the leader of a U.S.-based evangelical ministry to Asia. Under this newly approved legislation, people wanting to change from one religion to another must inform government officials or else face fines and possible imprisonment. The enactment of these regulations was spurred by false accusations by right-wing Hindus, who alleged that Christian missionaries had been converting people through force. Read
At 28, Pastor Has Five Degrees and A 4,300-Member Flock Church at Brook Hills Leader

David Platt may be youngest megachurch pastor ever. Read
Stewardship Partners Helps Christians Invest According to Scriptural Values

— Former Charlottean Rusty Leonard learned about investing money from one of the modern masters of the craft, Sir John Templeton, where he spent many of the early years of his career, ultimately rising through the organization to a position of management of billions of dollars of the Templeton portfolio. Read
Clergywomen Sign Declaration for Return of U.S. Troops in Iraq

At the close of the weeklong United Methodist clergywomen celebration on Thursday, hundreds of conference attendants signed a declaration of peace for troop withdrawal from Iraq. Read
Methodist Church Hijacked by Illegal Immigrant

Jason T. Christy, CEO of Christy Media, publishers of The Church Report, the CR Daily and the CR Online says a Methodist church in Chicago is "breaking the law and being held hostage by an illegal immigrant." Christy, an outspoken Christian conservative leader, vocal on immigration issues says that immigration activists "making comparisons between the illegal immigrant and Rosa Parks are distasteful." He went on to say that, "Miss Arellano did not take a seat in the back of the bus, rather, she has hijacked the bus for her own purposes." Christy concluded his remarks by stating "the Methodist church needs to get involved in this issue as the pastor has lost his objectivity and thus has created a wider gap in creating a meaningful discussion on immigration reform." Read
Southern Baptist Pastor Asks Local Officials: Why Not Pray After the Pledge?

An elected official with the Southern Baptist Convention is encouraging high-profile pastors such as Rick Warren to petition a Southern California city to open council meetings with prayer. Read
Americans Stubbornly Refuse to Accept Evolution

The percentage of adults in the United States who reject evolution outright has dropped from 48 to 39 over that period, but the percentage of Americans who are unsure about evolution has soared from 7 in 1985 to 21 last year. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Bush Shocks Family Advocates with Plan B Comment

Pro-family groups are disappointed that President Bush is backing acting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach's plan to approve Plan B for over-the-counter (OTC) sale to women 18 and older, while keeping it "by-prescription-only" for teen girls Read
Human Brain Cells have Embryonic-Like Potential Researchers Say

Gainesville, FL (LifeNews.com) — Researchers at the University of Florida have found that adult stem cells taken from the human brain may have the same potential as embryonic stem cells. If so, the cells offer yet another moral and ethical alternative to destroying human life to obtain stem cells for research purposes. Read
New Method Makes Embryo-Safe Stem Cells

The new method works by taking an embryo at a very early stage of development and removing a single cell, which can be coaxed into spawning an embryonic stem cell line. With only one cell removed, the rest of the embryo retains its full potential for development...The method "raises more ethical questions than it answers," said Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Read
Florida Blocks Five Clinics from Performing Abortions

The State of Florida has yanked the licenses of two abortion facilities and shut down three others after temporarily suspending the license of an abortionist who purportedly failed to follow proper medical procedures during two late-term abortions. Read
Brazil Citizens Overwhelmingly Favor Pro-Life Law Banning Abortions

Brasilia, Brazil (LifeNews.com) — A new poll in Brazil finds an overwhelming majority of people there want the South American nation to keep its current pro-life law banning abortions. The poll comes several months after the Brazilian government backed down on supporting a bill in the nation's congress to legalize abortion. Read
South Dakota Abortion Ban Debate Centers on Women and Rape, Incest

Pierre, SD (LifeNews.com) — Women who are victims of rape or incest have become the center of debate over an upcoming vote on a statewide abortion ban that doesn't include exceptions in those cases, However, supporters of the ban say such women are not left out in the cold. Read
Battle Over Abortion in UN Treaty Continues, Nicaragua Leads Pro-Lifers

New York, NY (LifeNews.com) — The battle to keep abortion out of a United Nations treaty on the disabled continues as ambassadors from Nicaragua led a coalition of pro-life nations objecting to ambiguous language that could be interpreted as providing for an international right to abortion. The battle is the latest over the phrase "reproductive rights." Read
Abortionists Target Inner Cities

Pro-life pregnancy centers have a strategy for combating the problem. Read
Pro-Abortion Rudy Guliani Leads Republicans in Iowa Despite Pro-Life Voters

Pro-abortion former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani leads all potential 2008 Republican presidential candidates in Iowa in a new poll taken by the Des Moines Register despite an overwhelming majority of GOPers saying they are pro-life. Read
Alaska, Oklahoma, and Wyoming Voters Cast Ballots in Primary Elections

Voters in Alaska, Oklahoma and Wyoming yesterday went to the polls to determine the candidates they want to send to the general election from each party. The primary elections saw relatively few surprises and set up some key election battles in November between pro-life and pro-abortion candidates. Read
Falwell Decries Stem Cell Research

The Rev. Jerry Falwell, citing his belief that life begins at conception, said he opposed stem cell research even though it shows great medical promise. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

DEA Busts Meth Ring in Rural Georgia

Officials report 'record-breaking seizure' involving Mexican-based ring Read
Teens Increasingly Ordering Liquor Online

Trend comes as more states allowing sales, but lack ability to police them Read
Stores Consider Cheap-Beer Ban Costly

The proposed booze ban would cover six square miles of Seattle, including downtown, Capitol Hill, Chinatown International District, the Central Area and University District. It's an experiment aimed at shooing street drunks out of those neighborhoods, designated as alcohol-impact areas (AIAs) by the liquor board because of their high rate of complaints about street drinking. Read
What's Really Going On With Teens

A national survey finds parents are in the dark about their youngsters' use or exposure to alcohol and drugs. Read
Probiotics to Chew On? Friendly Bacteria Gum Fights Tooth Decay

(NewsTarget) Scientists at German chemical company BASF have developed a gum that contains probiotics — or "friendly bacteria" — which they say can help prevent tooth decay by preventing harmful bacteria from adhering to teeth. Read
Cartel's 'Little Tiger' to Remain Caged

Javier Arellano Felix was captured on deep sea fishing trip Read
Study Links Acne Drug to Higher Risks for Liver, Heart

Accutane, the powerful acne drug already known to cause birth defects, seems to raise the risk of heart and liver problems more than doctors had expected, according to a study. Read
Sprinter Gatlin Gets 8-Year Ban

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's ruling stripped Justin Gatlin of the 100-meter world record of 9.77 seconds he shared with Jamaica's Asafa Powell. He tied that record in May, three weeks after testing positive at the Kansas Relays. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Yale University Partners with Planned Parenthood to Teach Students Abortion

Yale University has partnered with a Planned Parenthood affiliate to create a residency training program teaching second-year medical students how to do abortions. School officials appear staisfied with the program and happy that medical students are doing abortions. Read
Teen Awareness Month to Give Wake Up Call to Teen Trends

Evangelicals have designated September as "Teen Awareness Month" and popular trends with young people are giving Christians more reason to join a "cry" against the negative influences of pop culture. Read
Wrongful Love

Students sue when Christian school expels them for 'lesbian behavior.' Read
New TV Special Links Darwin to Hitler

Author and Christian broadcaster Dr. D. James Kennedy connects the dots between Charles Darwin and Adolf Hitler in Darwin's Deadly Legacy, a groundbreaking inquiry into Darwin's chilling social impact. The new television documentary airs nationwide on August 26 and 27 on The Coral Ridge Hour. For station listings, go to www.coralridge.org/darwin. Read
Battle for Jesus Continues Despite Theft

The board of education has decided that Bridgeport, a town of 8,000 people served by 40 churches, will fight to preserve its decidedly Christian aesthetic. And they're not going to let the theft of a painting of Jesus from Bridgeport High School stand in the way of that battle. Read
Sections of Hundreds of AP Exams Missing

Hundreds of tests taken by high school students last May for college credit are missing sections, says the Educational Testing Service of New Jersey. Read
Colleges Turn Left; Students Think That's Right

Students and parents don't realize that today's university campuses are functioning as an indoctrination into the realm of liberalism. The Left has a prominent place on public, private, secular and Christian campuses and is so convincing that some Christians are denying their faith while other students are forming a personal set of beliefs for the first time. Read
Five-State Campaign Promotes Parental OK for Club Participation

A Washington, DC-based pro-family group has launched a multi-state campaign to allow parents to give permission before public school children can take part in non-academic clubs which promote homosexual activity Read
Articles from America's Best Colleges 2007(US News and World Report) — They Pray As They Go (Liberty University)

The 20 bleary-eyed students in Bruce Bell's 8 a.m. business class could easily confuse their teacher with Ned Flanders. Bell is clean-cut, soft spoken, and pious. And, like Homer Simpson's God-fearing neighbor, he punctuates his speech with wholesome phrases like "all righty-rooney" and "golly day." But while the character of Ned Flanders can be painted with a broad brush, it would be a mistake to regard Liberty in the same way. A visitor to the campus does not encounter a one-dimensional caricature — even though the campus culture is so unlike the secular university universe that it seems anachronistic. Read
Criticism Of Evolution Can't Be Silenced

The liberal press is gloating that the seesaw battle for control of the Kansas Board of Education just teetered back to pro-evolutionists for the second time in five years. But to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of the movement to allow criticism of evolution are grossly exaggerated. Read
Students Rate Party, Sober Colleges

University of Texas at Austin tops one list, Brigham Young the other...(University of Texas at Austin) its first time atop the Princeton Review chart — by ranking second in the use of hard liquor, third in beer drinking and 13th in marijuana smoking. For the ninth straight year, Brigham Young University was voted the most "stone cold sober" school. Read
LA.'s START College Savings Program Gets Permanent Tax-Exempt Status

New legislation signed by President Bush makes permanent several key tax savings provisions in Section 529 plans, including Louisiana's Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust (START) Saving Program, according to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance. Read
California State Assembly Passes SB 1437 to Indoctrinate School Children

SB 1437 passes California State Assembly, outraging parents and grandparents who demand that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger veto raft of sexual indoctrination bills. Read
Charter School Students Score Lower in Reading and Math

Fourth graders in traditional public schools score better in reading and math than students in charter schools, according to a government report that is likely to spur a fresh debate over the benefits of school choice. Read
America's 25 New Elite 'Ivies'

The nation's elite colleges these days include more than Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Why? It's the tough competition for all the top students. That means a range of schools are getting fresh bragging rights. Read
Invade Your Teens' World Without Invading Their Space

Affecting the life of a modern teen doesn't mean you have to suddenly become superhuman or a rock star or even a pyrotechnics expert. Read
"Facing the Giants"

High school football is just around the corner, and Carmel Entertainment and Sherwood Pictures produced the perfect family movie to kick off the season. Facing the Giants is set to release September 29 in 400 theaters nationwide. Read

Gambling

Gambling Conference in Michigan

Midwesterners and others alarmed by the rapid expansion of legalized gambling should consider attending an Aug. 24 conference in Byron Center, Mich. Michigan is a great location for the conference because within its borders are both Indian and non-Indian casinos, says Chad Hills, Focus on the Family Action's gambling policy analyst. And those casinos are attracting addicts. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Buchanan Warns of Flood of Illegals

Pat Buchanan says illegal immigration from poor and developing countries will overwhelm the United States and other Western countries in the next 50 years unless something is done. Read
Iran Denies Inspectors Access to Site AP

Iran has turned away U.N. inspectors wanting to examine its underground nuclear site in an apparent violation of the Nonproliferation Treaty, diplomats and U.N. officials said Monday. Read
More Than Half of Orlando Airport Screeners Let Dangerous Items Pass Security

More than half the federal security force at Orlando International Airport failed a test in June to measure how well the officers detect explosives, guns and other threats at passenger checkpoints, a newspaper reported Wednesday. Read
Video of Kidnapped Journalists Released

A previously unknown Palestinian group released the first video Wednesday of two kidnapped Fox News journalists and demanded that Muslim prisoners in U.S. jails be released within 72 hours in exchange for the men, a Palestinian news agency reported. Read
Dangerous Disgrace

The FBI's continued technological incompetence is putting America at risk. Read
Marines to Issue Involuntary Call-Ups

Corps faces shortage of volunteers for deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan Read
Bush Pledges Millions to Lebanon

President Bush yesterday announced $180 million in new humanitarian aid to Lebanon and urged quick deployment of an expanded international peacekeeping force to provide a security buffer between that nation and Israel, though he said the task of disarming Hezbollah will be left to the Lebanese government. Read
Israel, US Foil Iran Arms Transfer

Israeli and American intelligence agencies alerted Turkish authorities last Friday that several Lebanon-bound Iranian planes, loaded with military hardware meant for the Hizbullah, were making their way through Turkish airspace, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Read
Baghdad Journal: Why the U.S. Can't Stop the Killing

As the armed militias do their bloody work, neither U.S. nor Iraqi forces show any ability to curb them Read
New Rule: Car Buyers Must Be Told About 'Black Boxes'

Rule will also require a uniform set of data be recorded, making it easier to use. Read
Hundreds Protest N.J. Immigration Rules

Hundreds of protesters and counter-protesters assembled in this small Philadelphia suburb Sunday in response to the community's new attempt to crack down on illegal immigration. Read
Pa. City Puts Illegal Immigrants On Notice

An immigrant's grandson, Louis J. Barletta, the mayor of this once-sleepy hill city, leans forward behind the desk in his corner office and with an easy smile confides his goal. Barletta wants to make Hazleton "the toughest place on illegal immigrants in America." "What I'm doing here is protecting the legal taxpayer of any race," said the dapper 50-year-old mayor, sweeping his hands toward the working-class city outside. "And I will get rid of the illegal people. It's this simple: They must leave." Last month, in a raucous meeting, the mayor and City Council passed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act. (Barletta wore a bulletproof vest because, he says, Hazleton is menaced by a surge in crime committed by illegal immigrants.) Read
Islamic Fascists?

In the wake of the foiled plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners, President Bush used a phrase that has sparked controversy. Just what is an Islamic fascist? Read
Infineon Gets Order for US Passport Chips

German chipmaker says it's won a contract to supply "several million" RFID chips for e-passport system. German chipmaker Infineon on Monday said it had won a contract from the US government to supply security chips for an electronic passport system. Read
Jill Carroll's Kidnappers Claimed 'Home-Field Advantage'

Hostage: The Jill Carroll story, Part 7...Editor's note: The following is a content summary of Part 7 of the Jill Carroll series on The Christian Science Monitor. Read
US Plans New Resolution on Disarming Hizbullah — Jerusalem Post

The United States is planning to introduce a new UN resolution on disarming Hizbullah in southern Lebanon but US Ambassador John Bolton said Monday this should not hold up the quick deployment of UN peacekeepers. Read
North Korea Claims 'Pre-Emptive' Right

North Korea warned today that it has the right to take "pre-emptive" action in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills. Read
Former Iranian President Gets U.S. Visa

Khatami invited to speak in Washington, D.C. Read
Alaska Governor Concedes Defeat in Primary

Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski lost his bid for a second term on Tuesday, making him the first incumbent Alaska governor in 20 years to be unseated in his party's primary election. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Prostitution of Girls a Growing Problem

Phoenix is having a particularly tough time keeping predators from taking advantage of teens. Read
Authorities Say Mideast Man Extorted Nude Images From Michigan Teen

Charges have been filed against a man accused of persuading a teen to send him a nude photograph by threatening to ruin her parents' credit rating and saying he would come from the Middle East to have sex with her. Babir Majid Chaudhry, a citizen of Pakistan who lives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was arrested Thursday in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he had been visiting a brother, the Oakland County sheriff's department said Monday. Read
Phillies Blasted for Promoting Homosexuality, Barring Biblical Views From Ballpark

A Christian ministry says the Philadelphia Phillies organization is helping to advance the homosexual agenda while discriminating against those who express biblical views on homosexuality. Read
Media Slant Favors 'Older Brother Effect' Study Over Conflicting Research

Grove City College's associate professor of psychology says media bias became evident this year when one study of sibling relationships and how they may be linked to homosexuality was trumpeted while another study with conflicting results was ignored. Read
Anglican Head, Episcopal Bishops to Resolve Gay Dispute

The spiritual leader of world Anglicanism has asked six Episcopal bishops to meet in New York next month to try and resolve differences over homosexuality tearing at their church. Read
Scholar Claims Heterosexual Attitudes Have Helped 'Gay' Activists Undermine Marriage

A pro-family researcher feels heterosexuals must share the blame for the debate over same-sex "marriage" taking place in America today. Dr. Stephen Baskerville says heterosexuals need to look at the way they have treated marriage before blaming the same-sex marriage push on homosexual activists. Read
Alberto Gonzales: One-in-Three Kids Exposed to Sexual Material Online

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced a new public service campaign Monday that will warn teenage girls against posting information on the Internet that could put them at risk of attack by child predators. Read
Nation's First Same-Sex Civil Union Ends

A lesbian couple who entered into the nation's first same-sex civil union officially split up Wednesday. Read
Coalition Says Hotel Pornography May Be Illegal

Some of the material being offered in thousands of hotel rooms is the "vilest" kind of obscenity. Read
'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Targeted

Gay activists plan to test the law barring homosexuals from openly serving in the armed forces. Read

Other News

NATO's 21st-Century Task: Going from 'Europe' to 'Global'

Some worry that the demands being made of the alliance are surpassing its abilities. Read
Iran on Collision Course with U.N.

The dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions veered Tuesday toward a showdown at the United Nations after Iran ignored demands that it shut down a uranium enrichment program that could be used for nuclear weapons. Read
Israelis: Lebanon Situation 'Explosive'

Israel's foreign minister on Wednesday called the situation in Lebanon "explosive" and urged the international community to work quickly to deploy peacekeeping troops there. Read
Armchair Generals

As Israel withdraws from Lebanon, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is taking hits from a critical public and members of his own party. Read
Bomb-Making Equipment Found in Britain

Eleven people were charged Monday with conspiracy to commit murder in the alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic jetliners, and investigators found bomb-making equipment and martyrdom videos, authorities said. Read
Saddam Trial Over Genocide of Kurds Begins

SADDAM Hussein refused to plead as he went on trial yesterday for the killing of tens of thousands of Kurdish villagers in northern Iraq in 1988. Read
Police Raid Gaza, Arrest 5 Hamas Members — Ynet News

After two aerial operations Monday night in north and south Gaza, in which homes used to store arms caches were attacked, the IDF carried out a special operation in the Sajaiya neighborhood in north Gaza City, aimed at arresting a number of Hamas members suspected of being behind a planned attack. Read
Reservists call on Olmert, Peretz to resign — Ynet News

Some 200 reservists called on the prime minister, the defense minister and the army chief to resign during a rally held in Jerusalem Monday evening. The protesters explained that the three must step down due to the failures of the second Lebanon war. They added that a commission of inquiry was not a sufficient answer. Read
Rebuilding and Regrouping

As Lebanese dig themselves out of the rubble, Hizbullah's shift from fighting to politicking is reinforcing its support. Read
The Real Nasrallah

How a son of Beirut's slums became one of the most engaging, and dangerous, leaders in the Muslim world. Read
Indian Police Kill Man, Say Foiled Terror Attack

1 Pakistani shot dead, 2nd arrested in Bombay; weapons, detonators found Read

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Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006