Weekly Issues Alert

Tryon Palace, New Bern

September 1 - 7

"A universal peace, it is to be feared, is in the catalogue of events, which will never exist but in the imaginations of visionary philosophers, or in the breasts of benevolent enthusiasts." ---James Madison

North Carolina General Assembly (adjourned until January, 2007)

Former Durham State Rep. Enters Guilty Plea On Fraud Charge

A former state representative due for trial on a fraud charge next week has pleaded guilty to falsely claiming he paid $20,000 on a 20-year-old federal student loan. Paul Miller, a Democrat from Durham, agreed to plead guilty Tuesday and avoid the trial. In return, prosecutors dismissed a second charge that said he altered checks to support his claim. Read

North Carolina Courts

Judge: Easley Broke NC Constitution By Intercepting Pension Money

Gov. Mike Easley and others violated the constitution in 2001 by intercepting $225 million headed for state pension funds to help cover a budget shortfall, a Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday. Read

North Carolina Politics

N.C. ABC Commission Petitioned to Allow Coupons for Alcohol Sales

Earlier this summer, Christian Action League Executive Director Rev. Mark Creech, heralded the defeat of legislation that would ultimately increase alcohol consumption in North Carolina as a "monumental victory." But that victory in the battle doesn't mean the war is over. In fact, the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association fired the latest volley a month ago, filing a petition asking the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission to give stores that sell alcohol what they couldn't get from lawmakers... Read

Other North Carolina News

Three Camp Lejeune Marines killed in Iraq

Three Marines based at Camp Lejeune have died in the past four days in Iraq combat, the military said Tuesday. Lance Cpl. Cliff K. Golla, 21, of Charlotte, died Friday from combat wounds in Anbar province. Golla was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. Lance Cpl. Philip A. Johnson, 19, of Hartford, Conn., died Sunday during Anbar combat. The military announcement confirmed earlier word from his family. Pvt. Ryan E. Miller, 21, of Gahanna, Ohio, also died Sunday during combat in Anbar. Read
Three 82nd Airborne Paratroopers Killed In Iraq

Three paratroopers from the same 82nd Airborne Division battalion have died from wounds sustained during mortar fire in Yusifiyah, Iraq, the military announced Wednesday. Sgt. Ralph N. Porras, 36, of Merrill, Mich., and Pfc. Justin W. Dreese, 21, of Northumberland, Pa., died Saturday. The military announcement confirmed information already released by Dreese's family. Staff Sgt. Angel D. Mercado-Velazquez, 24, of Puerto Rico, died Friday. Read
Soldiers Return To Pope AFB After Nearly A Year In Iraq Read
U.S. Servicewoman From N.C. Missing In Kyrgyzstan

A female U.S. Air Force officer and former Henderson resident stationed at the air base in Kyrgyzstan disappeared while shopping in the country's capital, the military said Wednesday. Read
N.C. Lawyers Plan Volunteer Project To Help Veterans

Lawyers are preparing a volunteer project aimed at helping North Carolina's growing number of veterans. Read
Efforts to Call for a Referendum on Alcohol Sales in Asheboro Prompt Pointed Letter to the Editor and Editorial

Alcohol proponents are always advocating alcohol as a panacea for economic growth. Yet alcohol really doesn't improve an area's economy. In fact, when all the research is considered, alcohol is always found to be a drain on the local economy. Read
Article Generates Testimonial about Alcohol Abuse

Executive Director, Rev. Mark Creech's recent article, Alcohol and the Mel Gibson Saga has generated a number of both negative and positive responses from across the nation. One response was a testimonial that clearly delineates the progressive nature of beverage alcohol and the joy of deliverance from its often negative consequences. Read
Short Funds Mean N.C. DOT Scales Back Road-Building Plans

Rising road-building costs and a lack of new money from Washington have driven North Carolina to scale back its highway construction plans for the coming seven years, according to a draft of the plans released Wednesday. Read
Ernesto Still Dogs N. Carolina, 2 Boys Missing

Rivers are swollen, some still flooded, a week after storm Read
Ethan Allen Closing Spruce Pine Factory

Ethan Allen Interiors will close its furniture factory in Spruce Pine and move production to other domestic plants and "selected offshore vendors," the company announced. The move will cost 340 jobs in Mitchell County, which has already seen more than 2,000 manufacturing jobs lost in recent years. Ethan Allen was the county's third-largest employer... Read
Pro-Family Legal Defender Helps Student Fight NC School's Viewpoint Discrimination

A pro-family law firm is seeking injunctive relief for a North Carolina high school student who was punished by school officials for expressing biblical opposition to homosexuality. Midway High School in Dunn, North Carolina, suspended Benjamin Arthurs for distributing religious flyers regarding the "Day of Truth," an event where Christian students share a biblical perspective on the homosexual agenda. Read
Attorney: NC School District Did Well to Ban Sex-Based Student Clubs

A Christian attorney says, contrary to the claims of the ACLU, a North Carolina school board's policy banning sex-based student clubs is clearly constitutional and within the boundaries of the law. Read
Light Rail Going Well Above Originally Anticipated Budget

Charlotte leaders are concerned after they found out late Tuesday that they greatly underestimated the cost of the city's light rail project. Read
To-Do List for College Applicants

Throughout the year, Your Schools will periodically publish advice from college counselors and admissions officials to high school seniors about the application process. The first, by Durham Academy counselor Kathy Cleaver, gives seniors an idea of what they should be doing now. Read
Sex Offender Accused Of Molesting Child In Cumberland County

A search is on in Cumberland County to find a homeless sex offender accused of molesting a 4-year-old child. Detectives are looking for 81-year-old Richard Gallagher. According to authorities, the crime happened after the child's family took in Gallagher as a gesture of kindness. Read
Fourth Robeson Ex-Deputy Pleads Guilty In Departmental Probe

A fourth former deputy pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an investigation into the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. Joey Brian Smith, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Raleigh said. The plea was entered last week in U.S. District Court in Elizabeth City. Read
Audit Questions State Contract With Tire Company

A state contract exceeding $2 million a year is meant to save taxpayer money by retreading used tires for state vehicles. For example, Wake County school buses go through an estimated 6,000 tires a year. While new tires go on the front, the rear axles get recapped tires, costing the county about $250,000 a year. Read
Bacteria Found In Water At Cumberland School

School's Water Fountains Turned Off; Students Using Hand Sanitizers Read
Clay Aiken to be Appointed to Committee

The White House has announced that President Bush intends to appoint Clay Aiken to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Read
Some Stay Home to Go to School

"The greatest advantage to home education is that parents have the say in their child's education and can customize it to what their child needs," says Hal Young, a Johnston County father of five home-schooled children and education vice president for North Carolinians For Home Education. Read
Raleigh Drug Plant To Begin Production

Cardinal Health has received approval to start making drugs at its plant in Raleigh. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the facility to make an injectable treatment for a rare and potentially deadly genetic disorder. Cardinal bought the plant in 2001. Read
Coalition Seeks To Promote Healthy Workplaces In N.C.

A new group plans to study ways to promote good health in the workplace and to come up with specific recommendations and tools for small to medium businesses across the state. Read

Congress (reconvened September 5)

Senate Rejects Bill Which Would Limit IDF Use of U.S.-Made Bombs

The United States Senate on Wednesday rejected a move by Democrats to stop the Pentagon from using cluster bombs near civilian targets and to cut off sales unless purchasers abide by the same rules. On a 70-30 vote, the Senate defeated an amendment to a Pentagon budget bill to block use of the deadly munitions near populated areas. The vote came after the State Department announced last month that it is investigating whether Israel misused American-made cluster bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon. Read
Congress Returns to Stack of Pro-Family Bills

With the election just around the corner and liberals dragging their feet, conservative lawmakers will have to work hard to pass any family legislation this session. Read
U.S. Immigration Overhaul Impossible: Senate Leader

U.S. congressional leaders are giving up on broad immigration legislation that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants and instead will concentrate on border security ahead of the elections, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said on Wednesday. Read
Bush Asks for War Crimes Legislation

(UPI) — U.S. President George Bush Wednesday asked Congress to pass legislation to help prosecute terrorists accused of war crimes. In a speech delivered in the East Room of the White House, Bush said he sent Congress a request "to specifically authorize the creation of military commissions." Read
HR 4437 in Brief (US News.com)

What is it? Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The House approved the legislation, 239 to 182, last December. ..According to its official title the bill wants: "To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border security, and for other purposes". ... A controversial measure would make being an undocumented immigrant in the United States a felony. Also, anyone who "assists" or employs such people will also be considered criminals....The Senate cleared the way for final passage of its version of the legislation on May 24. The bill calls for tougher border security as well as an eventual chance at citizenship for millions of men and women in the country illegally. Vote
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006

S.2590 — Title: A bill to require full disclosure of all entities and organizations receiving Federal funds. Read
Sen. Stevens is 'The Secret Senator'

CNN has confirmed that Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has placed a hold on a bill that would require the government to publish online a database of federal spending. Read
G.O.P. Sets Aside Work on Immigration

Going into a critical pre-election stretch, Congressional Republican leaders will concentrate on national security issues instead of immigration. Read
Democrats Push for Own Religious Voice

Thirteen years ago, David Wilhelm, then chairman of the Democratic Party, told the conservative Christian Coalition that good Christians could belong to either major political party. Today, Wilhelm wants to spread that message to a different audience — Democrats. He's hoping for a better response. With a leading poll showing only one in four Americans viewing the Democratic Party as friendly to religion, Wilhelm and a broad-based group of Christian Democratic activists are starting an Internet effort to organize religious voters whose views might be compatible with Democrats. Read
Education Sec'y: No Child Act Needs No Changes

As contentious law faces renewal, Spellings calls it '99.9 percent pure' Read
Vote on Rumsfeld Fizzling Out in Senate

An effort by Senate Democrats to force a vote on whether Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should stay on the job appeared to be fizzling out Wednesday. Republicans, calling the move a political stunt, promised to block an up-or-down vote on the measure and Democrats conceded there's not likely to be any vote whatsoever. Read
Democrats Say U.S. Less Safe Since 9/11

Democrats are going toe to toe with Republicans on national security in the final months before November's elections, calling for the ouster of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and claiming that America is less safe today than before the September 11 terrorist attacks. Read
Congress Examines Stock Options

Government officials told Congress today they are vigorously pursuing suspiciously timed options grants to top company executives. Read

Courts

Winning the War Requires Winning on Judges

If Osama bin Laden watches the Republicans' efforts to win the war over judges and equates it with their commitment to win the real war, he'd swap his cave for a condo in Kabul or Karachi and start broadcasting live from his sundeck. But for our magnificent military, he'd be a regular on CNN. Now that he thinks he can use his cell phone without fear of being overheard by someone charged with protecting us from annihilation, bin Laden probably rang up a local florist to wire roses to U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, a Jimmy Carter appointee. Taylor struck down the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program on August 16. Taylor says it violates rights to free speech and privacy. The ACLU filed the lawsuit and forum shopped on behalf of journalists, scholars and lawyers who say "the program has made it difficult for them to do their jobs." Hopefully, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit will reverse Taylor's wild excursion into activism land. Read
Ninth Circuit's 'Deplorable' Parental Rights Ruling Appealed to SCOTUS

The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to hear a case involving a California school district that gave an explicit sex survey to elementary students. Read
Judge Orders Homeowners Assoc. to Allow Bible Meetings in Common Area

Residents of one California neighborhood have been told by a judge that they can still hold Bible studies in a community center, despite a ban instituted by the homeowners association. Read
Judge Under Fire for Sex-Assault Sentence Quits

Vermonter had jailed sex offender to 2 months in jail; later he upped term Read
Anti-Bush Shirt OK in School, Court Says

Vermont middle school had said image violated dress code Read
Delta Can Terminate Pilots' Pension Plan, Judge Says

Delta Air Lines Inc., the third- largest U.S. carrier, won court approval to terminate its pilots' pension plan, saving the airline as much as $2.1 billion as it seeks to exit bankruptcy with lower labor costs. Read
Anti-Religious School Policy Struck Down

A constitutional attorney is praising a federal appeals court for tossing out a Florida school board policy that banned students from passing out "religious or proselytizing" literature. Read
Ex-Governor of Illinois Gets 6½ Years in Prison

George Ryan was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for racketeering and fraud. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Presbyterian Megachurch Becomes Largest to Leave Denomination over Gay Policy

Members of a Presbyterian megachurch in Tulsa, Okla., have decided overwhelmingly to withdraw from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), agencies reported this week, making it the largest congregation to do so. Read
Marriage Battle Continues — This Time in Maryland

As voters in seven states prepare to vote in a few weeks on state constitutional amendments protecting traditional marriage, pro-family organizations are working together in Maryland to defend the institution. Read
$16 Million Settlement in Church Abuse Claims

Case involved transferred Catholic priest who committed suicide Read
Poll Finds Many Voters View Both GOP and Dems as Deserting Faith

The Pew Research Center has released a new poll that finds many Americans feel both major political parties in the U.S. are becoming less friendly toward religion. But some Christian leaders feel there are some important differences between the parties and how they relate to traditional religious and moral values. Read
Interview: Mission Expert on New Global Study, Mission Conference

A five-year global research project called Operation ACCESS! conducted by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) surveying 364 remote sectors in 64 countries was released in June and hailed as "landmark" and "breathtaking" by those in the field. Next month, on October 18-19, the ministry will host a gathering for world mission leaders to brainstorm strategies and find ways to apply the study's data. Read
Majority of South Believes God Gave Israel to the Jews

A recent national poll of over 2,000 Americans found that the majority of white evangelical Protestants and those in the South support the belief that the state of Israel was given to the Jewish people by God. Read
Kentucky Churches Packed After Jet Crash

Shaken by tragedy, people packed Kentucky churches on Sunday, a week after the crash of Comair Flight 5191 killed 49 people in Lexington. Despite the Labor Day holiday weekend, nearly 6,000 people attended services at Southland Christian Church outside Nicholasville, just south of Lexington. Volunteers had to direct traffic. Read
Interfaith Leaders Nationwide to Unite for 9/11 Anniversary

As the nation comes to the remembrance of the nearly 3,000 people that were killed in the terrorist attacks, Christians, Evangelicals, Muslims and Jews plan to speak on Embassy Row in the nation's capital.... Read
Artist Told to Remove Rabbi Jesus Paintings

A hospital has asked an artist whose paintings portray Jesus as a rabbi to take them down because they could be controversial, the artist says. Clara Maria Goldstein had put up 10 oil paintings Friday but was back at Gundersen Lutheran on Sunday night to take them down. Read
Festival Offers Food, Friends and Gospel Music at Family Theme Park

Some of the best groups in Southern Gospel music are on the stages at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, for the first Southern Gospel Picnic. The 11-day celebration features 500 performances on stages throughout the family-friendly theme park. Read
Scotland's 'Revival FM' Goes 24/7

Scotland now has its first full-time Christian radio station. Read
Black Teens Need to See How Godly Marriages Look, Pastor Says

A black pastor and radio show host in Georgia says he has found that black teenagers tend to be very tentative about the idea of marriage, and he believes he has gained some insight into why this may be so. Read
Iran President Urges West to Follow God's Path

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the West to turn to God's path and said on Wednesday that failure to do so would tempt fate. Read
Are the Mennonites the Fastest Growing Religious Group in America?

What is the fastest growing religion in America? Could it be conservative protestants with their evangelical zeal? Perhaps the Mormons, who send their well-scrubbed young people on year-long mission trips as a "rite of passage" into adulthood? Maybe it's a denomination that is following the latest "fad" — an Emergent, or Willow Creek, or "seeker" church. Read
Report: British Jews Facing More Anti-Semitic Sentiment Than Ever — Ha'aretz

Britain's Jewish community faces an unprecedented level of anti-Semitism and feels more threatened than ever, according to the report of the all-party parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism, which is to be released Thursday. Read
Montagnard Christian Dies In Vietnam Prison After Torture, Group Says

A long-time jailed member of Vietnam's predominantly Christian Montagnard Degar community has been tortured to death, BosNewsLife learned from supporters Wednesday, September 6. Read
India Hindu Militants Attack Church In Tense State

Tensions remained high Wednesday, September 6, in an area of India's Jammu and Kashmir state after dozens of Hindu militants stormed a church and attacked Christians, including women and children, as they were attending a Sunday worship service, local Christians said. Read
Iran Court Releases Christian Convert "On Bail"

An Iranian court has temporarily released an Iranian man who Christians say may be executed for converting from Islam to Christianity, reports said Monday, September 4. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

'Political' Priest Looks to 2008

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 /Christian Newswire/ — Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, which has been named among the Top 20 Christian Political Organizations in the nation, announced today that he has launched his organization's work for the 2008 elections. "Our work for the 2006 elections is, of course, in full gear. We fully expect victories for pro-life candidates across the board, and we intend to continue the momentum into 2008. Our goal here is not partisan," Fr. Pavone explained. "We endorse no candidates, nor raise any money for their campaigns. Rather, what we do is to teach moral principles regarding the duty of government to protect human life. Thousands of children in the womb continue to be ripped apart alive each day. Concerns about appearing too political aren't going to keep us silent in the face of that." Read
Wash for Life Event Gets Young Pro-Life People Helping Pregnant Women

Summertime in virtually any community finds American youth holding car washes to raise funds for a myriad of causes. But one new youth organization hopes to get teenagers and young adults on board to raise money for one of the most important pursuits — helping pregnant women who may be considering an abortion. Read
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding Worse Than Abortion, Pro-Life Professor Says

To the casual observer it might appear that the arguments against abortion must be stronger than those against publicly funding the destruction of embryos. This conclusion, however, would be mistaken. The funding of destructive embryo research is actually worse than legal abortion. Read
South Dakota Pro-Life Advocates Hold Church Event to Back Abortion Ban

Pro-life advocates in South Dakota are continuing their grassroots efforts to support an abortion ban that will appear on the ballot this November. Read
Peruvian Cardinal Exhorts Obstetricians to Respect Human Life

During a Mass marking the Day of Obstetrics, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani called on the country's obstetricians to not only acquire an adequate professional, but also a moral formation, in order to always respect human life. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Seeing With Sounds

A young man from California lost his eyes to cancer but he still knows how to get around. You may have to see it to believe it but he doesn't. John Blackstone reports. View Video
Medicare Services Chief to Quit

Mark McClellan, who oversaw the biggest change in Medicare since its inception, said yesterday that he is resigning and likely will work for a think tank. Read
Medical Practices Blend Health and Faith

Sandwiched between a swimming pool store and a spice shop on Lee Highway in Fairfax, the Tepeyac Family Center looks like any other suburban doctor's office. But it isn't. The practice combines "the best of modern medicine with the healing presence of Jesus Christ," a brochure at the reception desk announces. Read
Opium Crop Rises Record 60 percent in Afghanistan

The U.N. anti-drugs chief announced Saturday a "staggering" 60 percent rise in opium cultivation in Afghanistan this year, and demanded the government arrest scores of major traffickers and remove corrupt officials and police who are profiting from the trade. Read
More 'Intersex Fish' Found in Potomac — ABC News

Some species of male fish in the Potomac River and its tributaries are developing female sexual traits at a frequency higher than scientists have seen before, raising concerns about pollutants in a waterway that provides drinking water for millions of people. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Harvard Dean Stands by Khatami Invitation

The dean of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government yesterday defended the decision to invite Mohammad Khatami to speak on the eve of Sept. 11, saying the United States needs dialogue with its enemies. Read
College Coeds Lured to Donate Eggs

Companies offer big money, but there are serious risks. Read
California's Passage of Pro-Homosexual Bills Draws Pro-Family Backlash

In California, a series of pro-homosexual education bills passed by the State Assembly has spawned a campaign there to get children out of the public school system. The campaign, dubbed "Heck No! Our Kids Won't Go!" was initiated by a group called "Considering Homeschooling." Read
New Virtual Source Defends Christian Student Rights

Amid the escalating attacks on religious freedom, Christian students are now being backed with an online source to help defend their rights on college campuses. The Alliance Defense Fund recently launched a virtual ministry called the Center for Academic Freedom to provide Christian college students an understanding of their constitutional rights and to ensure that "faith has a voice." Read
Over 55,000 Teens to 'Get in the Game'

Dare 2 Share Ministries has put on a new set of gear for this year's national tour where more than 55,000 junior high and high school students have signed up to "get in the game." With an athletic bent, GameDay will kick off in Nashville this month with 2,500 teens who will be equipped to defend their faith as they view themselves in the competition of the Christian life. Read
School Board Won't Fight for Jesus Portrait

The Harrison County Board of Education says it will drop its effort to keep a painting of Jesus Christ hanging in Bridgeport High Read
Inscription Removed from Jesus Painting Replacement

The plaque read " ... to know the will of God is the highest of all wisdoms, the love of Jesus Christ lives within all of us.'' The mirror was presented to the school by student members of the Christian Freedom Alliance, an organization that raised money to pay the school board's legal fees in a federal lawsuit brought by two civil liberties groups that want to remove religious articles from Harrison County public schools. The groups argued that the painting endorses Christianity as the school's official religion. Read
Evangelicals Intensify Calls for Public School Exodus

Public schools take a lot of criticism, but a growing, loosely organized movement is now moving from harsh words to action — with parents taking their own children out of public schools and exhorting other families to do the same. Read
Church-State Separation Group Joins Air Force Academy's Religious Program

A Colorado Springs group dedicated to separation of church and state has been added to the Air Force Academy's religious education program that has been criticized for promoting evangelical Christianity. Free Thinkers of Colorado Springs has joined the school's Special Programs in Religious Education, an umbrella group for extracurricular religious programs, the Gazette reported Monday. Read
Home School Group Has Answer for eBay's Teacher's Edition Textbook Ban

The Home School Legal Defense Association is expressing concern that eBay has banned the sale of teacher's guides through its online auctions, a move that could drive up the cost of instructional materials for home-schooling families. Read
Colleges Use Films As Ice-Breaker

While many colleges include a book discussion in orientation, this summer Lafayette sent out a guide to "reading" film, inviting new students to take a closer look at "Crash," an Oscar-winning look at racial dynamics in Los Angeles. After a screening at orientation in late August, they met with professors in groups of 30 to talk about everything from stereotypes to camera angles. Read
The Bible Literacy Project Under Fire

The Bible Literacy Project (BLP) has been promoting its textbook, The Bible and Its Influence, around the United States, and a visit to the BLP website informs one that their textbook does not "contain errors, use plagiarized material and claim urban legends to be scientific facts." This clearly reveals that the BLP lacks credibility, as the textbook contains a number of errors, such as a contradiction of what Jesus actually said in Matthew and Luke about parables (p. 215 in the textbook). Read
Parents See Internet as Greatest Media Risk

A recent survey of parents revealed that the Internet is feared as posing the greatest risk to their children, ages 11-16, even while those same parents understood the power of the Web as a learning resource. Read
Experts: Despite Their Energy, Kids Still at Risk of Burnout

Overscheduling is a growing problem for American families, according to Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld, author of "The Over-scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap." Read
New US Seminary Guidelines Insist on Total Acceptance of Full Teaching on Sexuality

Officially promulgated on August 4, a new 98-page Program of Priestly Formation has been issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) after being approved by the Vatican. Replacing the fourth edition of the norms guiding priestly formation in all seminaries published in 1992, the fifth edition has taken seriously the scandal of priestly sexual abuse. Speaking of a proper formation in sexuality, the document states, "As we have recently seen so dramatically in the Church, when such foundations are lacking in priests, the consequent suffering and scandals are devastating." Read
Anti-Terror Effort Sifted Financial Aid Records

Education Department scanned huge databases of college aid applications Read
Middle School Gives Out Home Drug Test Kits

Free tests will be passed out to students' families at open house Read
Kiev Schools Look to Reinforce Ukraine's Christian Heritage

Some public schools in the Ukrainian capital will begin teaching Christian ethics this year in an experimental program aimed at reinforcing the country's thousand-year Christian heritage, Kiev city officials said ... Read
Finger Scans Speed Up Lunch Lines

This fall, kids in Rome, Georgia, schools will be giving the cafeteria lady a finger. But it's not that finger. The school system is switching to a finger-scanning system for students to pay for their meals. Fingerprint scanners are being used to access student account information instead of PIN numbers. Read

Gambling

California Deal to Add 23,000 Slot Machines Quelled

An agreement between California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Indian tribes that would have allowed the expansion of gambling on tribal land was halted by the Legislature, The Associated Press reported. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Is America For Sale?

Conservatives believe that private industry does a better job than government; right? Conservatives are for divesting some government functions so private industry can run them more efficiently; right? Read
ABC's 'Path to 9/11': Bill Clinton's Inconvenient Truth

"The Path to 9/11," a six-hour miniseries scheduled to air September 10 and 11 on ABC, has certain former members of the Clinton administration in a panic. The docudrama is thoroughly sourced and exposes information that former members of the Clinton administration had previously tried to suppress: that there was a failure on the part of the administration to respond to terrorism, inaction that ended up being partly to blame for the tragic events that took place on 9/11. "Path" is based on the 9/11 Commission Final Report and the 2003 book "The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It." New Jersey Governor and Commission Co-chairman Thomas H. Kean served as a consultant for the miniseries. Read

Related
'Clear Evidence' Iran is Arming, Training Iraqi Extremists: US General — AFP

A senior US military official said there is "clear evidence" that Iran is funding, training and arming Shiite extremists to destabilize Iraq. Read
Toxin-Sensitive Bluegills Pull Duty in War on Terror

Bluegill fish are being used as biosensors to monitor drinking water supplies in metropolitan areas. The small fish are sensitive to traces of chemicals and react in ways that can be monitored. Read
U.S. Stocks Rise as Poole Says Fed May Hold Off Rate Increases

U.S. stocks rose after Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President William Poole said inflation is ''well controlled'' and policy makers may hold off on further interest-rate increases. Read
Notorious Interrogation Techniques Now Forbidden

The new Army Field Manual bans some controversial interrogation techniques. Read
CIA Program Revealed 3:55pm ET

President Bush acknowledged the CIA has run a secret detention program for terrorism suspects overseas and said 14 of those held have been transferred to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. Read
Bush Assassinated? New film Depicts It

British TV network defends its airing of 'Death of a President' Read
Bush Picks Arizonan as New Transportation Secretary

WASHINGTON President Bush is expected to announce that former A-DOT director Mary Peters is his pick to be the new transportation secretary. The job's been open since Norman Mineta quit in July. He was the lone Democrat in the Bush Cabinet Read
Chevron Says Gulf Drilling a Success

Well could become the nation's biggest new domestic source of oil, according to newspaper report. Read
Families Recall 9/11 Victims in Personal Ways

>From elaborate to simple, relatives of dead establish their own memorials Read
Airline Passenger Told to Conceal Arabic T-shirt

Human rights activist was briefly barred from JetBlue flight in Oakland Read
Over 50 Taliban Killed by U.S. Strikes

U.S. artillery and airstrikes killed between 50 and 60 suspected Taliban militants on Tuesday, the fourth day of a NATO-led offensive in southern Afghanistan, a NATO spokesman said. Read
A Diminished Public Appetite for Military Force and Mideast Oil

Five years later, Americans' views of the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have changed little, but opinions about how best to protect against future attacks have shifted substantially. In particular, far more Americans say reducing America's overseas military presence, rather than expanding it, will have a greater effect in reducing the threat of terrorism. By a 45% to 32% margin, more Americans believe that the best way to reduce the threat of terrorist attacks on the U.S. is to decrease, not increase, America's military presence overseas. Read
40 NYPD Vice Cops Transferred

(UPI) — The New York Police Department has transferred 40 vice squad sergeants and lieutenants amid accusations two police officers looted goods during raids. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Wal-Mart's Popularity May Not Shield Retailer from Pro-Family Backlash

Groups Urge Public to Protest Company's Pro-Homosexual Partnership by Shopping Elsewhere — ...The AFA website indicates that Wal-Mart's affiliation with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce involves giving the NGLCC $25,000 and agreeing to pay for two conferences scheduled by the NGLCC. The company will also give homosexual retailers and businesses preferred status, and will also be helping the commerce organization promote same-sex "marriage." Read
Liberal Target: Ex-Gays

The Left hates the truth that same-sex desires can be overcome by spiritual redemption. Read
Kentucky, Indiana Rural Communities Battle Porn Shop Inroads

Local residents have joined efforts by their county government in an all-out campaign to oust an adult store selling pornographic videos and DVDs from the neighborhood. The protesters are posted outside the Lion's Den around the clock, seven days a week.

"No Porn in Uniontown," reads one sign, condemning the adult store's selling of sex toys and sexually explicit videos and DVDs. "God is watching you," proclaims another. Read
Gay-Activist Intimidation Tactics Increasing

Those who speak the truth about homosexuality are becoming targets. In spite of the fact that gay activists have long portrayed themselves as "victims," some are increasingly taking an aggressive posture, even to the point of threats and intimidation toward people who oppose their agenda. Read
Gay Mayor to Attend Love Won Out

Ron Oden, the openly gay mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., said Thursday he plans to attend Focus on the Family's Love Won Out conference later this month. Oden's office had sent a letter to Focus on the Family welcoming the event, but in public comments he has expressed his clear opposition to the message of the conference. Oden said showing courtesy and kindness allows dialogue. Read
Emmy Awards Target of Indecency Complaint

The Parents Television Council (PTC) filed a grievance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning two actresses who made what the PTC called "vulgar and obscene" comments during a live broadcast on NBC of the Emmy Awards, NewsMax reported. Read
Pro-Family Groups Call for Obscenity Enforcement

Letter seeks a meeting with the president. Nearly 50 pro-family groups, along with pastors and former law-enforcement officials, are calling on the administration to expand efforts to stop the distribution of hardcore pornography. Read
Police Chief May Lose Job Over Wife's Nude Pics

An Oklahoma police chief's job is in jeopardy and his town is in an uproar because of his wife's profession. Read
Naked Teens Test Laid-Back Town's Limits

Brattleboro has attracted international attention in recent weeks as word has spread of its lack of a nudity ordinance and the habit of some young people to take advantage of that. Read
Scotland Bishop Supports Firefighters Disciplined for Refusing to Staff Booth at Gay Pride

Glasgow Archbishop Mario Conti has spoken out in support of nine firefighters who were penalized by the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue after they refused to staff a booth and hand out leaflets during the homosexual Pride Scotia event in June...One of the firefighters, a watch manager, was demoted to crew manager as penalty and received a £5,000 cut in salary. The remaining eight men were ordered to undergo diversity training, after receiving a written warning. The diversity training requirement was "alarming," said the Archbishop. "The duty to obey one's conscience is a higher duty than that of obeying orders." (This information was taken from LifeSiteNews.com's email alert of 9/5/06) Story

Other News

Rush Limbaugh Challenged by Fonda, Rosie, Steinem

Jane Fonda, Rosie O'Donnell and Gloria Steinhem are backing a new radio network in what they say is an effort to take women listeners away from Rush Limbaugh and "the male point of view." Read
Pressure on Blair Mounts as 8 Aides Resign

The aides resigned to protest the British prime minister's refusal to set the date when he will leave office. Read
New Iranian-Made Warplane Revealed — Ynet News

Iran declared Wednesday that an Iranian-made warplane, called Saegheh (lightning in Persian) has become operational after successfully finishing a test flight during the massive military exercise held in the northwestern part of the country. Read
Iran: Sanctions Will Only Better Our Nation — Ynet News

Western sanctions on Iran will only fortify the nation's independence, asserted Iranian Defense Minister Mustafa Muhammad-Najar Monday. Read
Fatah Continues Efforts to Assemble Rockets — MENL

The Fatah movement led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas continues efforts to assemble rockets in the West Bank. Read
'Hezbollah is arming Gaza for a new war on Israel', says Israel's spy chief — London Telegraph

Israel's spy chief has given a warning that Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip are garnering increasing numbers of weapons and tactical expertise from Hezbollah fighters since the war in southern Lebanon erupted earlier this summer. Read
Nine Arrested in Denmark Terror Sweep

Danish authorities said they foiled a serious terror plot when nine men accused of preparing explosives for a planned attack in Denmark were arrested in pre-dawn raids Tuesday. Read
Ruling Party's Calderon Named Mexican President

More than two months after Mexico voted in a presidential poll, its top electoral court has named the winner — ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon. Read
Israel to Lift Lebanon Air, Sea Blockade

Israel said it will lift its sea and air blockade of Lebanon on Thursday as it faced widespread international pressure more than three weeks after a cease-fire took effect, ending a bloody monthlong conflict with Hezbollah guerrillas. Read
Musharraf Vows to Aid Afghanistan in Fighting Taliban

While visiting Afghanistan, Pakistan's president promised to help combat the Taliban insurgency, which operates from his country. Read

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Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006