Weekly Issues Alert

September 29 - October 5

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined." — Patrick Henry

Columbus Day, October 12

Columbus Day honors Christopher Columbus' first voyage to America in 1492. Columbus Day became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1971. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Before 1971, a number of states celebrated Columbus Day on October 12. Cities and organizations sponsor parades and banquets on Columbus Day. Read

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North Carolina General Assembly (adjourned until January, 2007)

Former N.C. Legislator Dies at 89 — Raleigh News and Observer

Bill Staton, whose legislative career spanned four decades and who served as an adviser to the late Gov. Terry Sanford, died Sunday at his home at the age of 89. Read

North Carolina Courts

Judge Orders Document Sealed in Geddings Case — News and Observer

A federal judge this morning ruled against an attempt by prosecutors to use a chronology of events prepared by former state lottery commissioner Kevin L. Geddings as evidence against Geddings in his trial on fraud charges. Read
Bush Nominates 3 to Federal Bench in North Carolina — Charlotte Observer

President Bush has nominated three men to replace U.S. District Court judges in North Carolina who are retiring, including the son of one of the outgoing judges. Read
Relationship Between Black, Ex-Aide New Focus Of Lottery Trial — WRAL

The "personal relationship" between House Speaker Jim Black and a former aide could become the new focus of the federal fraud trial of a former state lottery commissioner. Read
Judge to Address Swindling Claim — Raleigh News and Observer

District Court Judge James B. Ethridge must answer the N.C. State Bar today on charges that he swindled the home and life savings of Rosalind Sweet, an elderly, senile Smithfield woman in 2001. Read

North Carolina Politics

Senate Races Look Like Nail-Biters — Raleigh News and Observer

Democrats are even with or slightly ahead of Republicans in three election battleground states that will help determine control of the Senate, a series of polls released today showed. Read

Other North Carolina News

Auditor: Many State Employees Could Have Fake IDs — WRAL

A recent audit that found phony Social Security numbers being used by North Carolina Central University employees could be just part of a more widespread problem, authorities said Wednesday. More than two dozen N.C. Central employees were the focus of the state audit. Auditors found seven were using Social Security cards with invalid numbers, while two others are accused of stealing the Social Security numbers of dead people. Some of the employees told investigators they got their fake cards on the black market. Read
Significant Find for Home-Schoolers — Raleigh News and Observer

Amy and Regan Barr teach Greek and Roman history lessons over the Web from their house in Holly Springs. Not only are most of the students in this virtual classroom home-schooled, so are the Barrs' three children. Read
North Carolina To Redirect $6M Intended for Mentally Ill To Cover Local Administrative Costs — Kaisernetwork.org

North Carolina will redirect $6 million in state funds intended for severely emotionally disturbed children who are ineligible for Medicaid to local administrative bills this year, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. Read
Ex-U.S. Attorney to Plead Guilty — Raleigh News and Observer

Former U.S. Attorney Sam Currin agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to federal charges that he conspired to launder $1.3 million that a computer spam artist made by inundating e-mail inboxes with stock-picking schemes. Read
Poll: 65 Percent Of N.C. Residents Support Smoking Ban — WRAL

Almost 65 percent of North Carolina residents would support a statewide ban on smoking in public places, and more than half prefer restaurants that don't allow smoking, according to a survey released Tuesday by Elon University. Read
Pride Parade Surges Past Protesters — Raleigh News and Observer

Men dressed to the nines posed for thousands of fans in front of floats on one side of Main Street. On the opposite side, a half-dozen men from Concord huddled around an amplified megaphone. Read
N.C. Woman Accused of Starving Handicapped Boy — HeraldTribune.com

A woman was charged Monday with attempted murder after police said she starved and neglected a 12-year-old handicapped boy in her care. Stephanie Lee Williams, 35, of Spring Lake was also charged with felony child abuse and five counts of contributing to a juvenile being neglected. Read
Vaccine Research Takes Aim at Cancer — News and Observer

Labs at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill try to enlist the body's natural defenses in the fight against breast cancer Read
New World-Class Golf Community Planned for North Carolina's ... — Yahoo News

... LLC, today announced plans to build a new classic American club community and championship golf course situated in the town of Snow Hill Read
Eastern North Carolina Community Takes Radical Approach to Fight Nation's Top Two Health Problems — Business Wire

WebVMC's RemoteNurse to Monitor Patients in Senior Centers, Churches and Schools to Prevent and Treat Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes in One of the Nation's Poorest Areas Read
SBI Investigating Former Kenly Police Chief — WRAL

State agents on Monday assumed control of an investigation into the former Kenly police chief, who is suspected of using his town credit card for personal spending. Read
Churches Link for Global Issues — Raleigh News and Observer

More than 100 religious congregations across North Carolina will view Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," this week and discuss the role of people of faith in combating global warming. Read
She's Blazing Trail for Tradeswomen — Raleigh News and Observer

Tar Heel of the Week: Lisa Pineiro is her own evidence that women can succeed in construction. At her eight-year-old company, she's boss to her husband, an electrical contractor, and to her father, an accountant. Read
Second 911 Outage Reported In Eastern N.C. — WRAL

Another 911 outage was reported in several eastern counties in North Carolina. The emergency line went down in Franklin County and several other areas. Officials said the outage started just after 1 a.m. Thursday. It lasted about 15 minutes. There is no word if the outage was caused by the same problem that affected 20 911 call centers for several hours Sunday night. Read
Countdown Toward Strike Enters Final Hours At Goodyear — WRAL

The 24-hour countdown began toward a possible Thursday strike or lockout involving more than 12,000 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. employees in 10 states, including North Carolina, as the tire maker looks to close one or more plants to trim costs. Read
Apology For Refusing "Spanish People" Rental, No Policy Change -WRAL

A woman has received an apology from a local American Legion post that refused to rent its hall to "Spanish people," but it's unclear whether the policy would continue. Evelyn Hernandez said she tried to rent the hall for a joint birthday party for her daughter and stepdaughter at American Legion Post 133. The woman who took Hernandez' phone call, Louise Bryan, said the last time the post rented its hall to a Hispanic person the party ended in a shooting. Read
Advance Realty to Open First North Carolina Franchise in the Charlotte Area — RIS Media

Real estate veteran Mark Woods, a licensed broker, will open the first North Carolina Advance Realty office Read
United Community Banks, Inc. Completes Acquisition in Western North Carolina — Market Wire

United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) has completed the acquisition of two western North Carolina banking locations and welcomed their bankers to the United team serving customers in Sylva and Bryson City. Under an agreement announced in June, United acquired two banking offices from First Charter Corporation. The offices have $8 million in loans and $38 million in deposits. Read
Consider the Contributions of North Carolina Oct. 3, 2006 — PGATOUR.com

Let's channel Clarence the angel from It's a Wonderful Life for a minute and imagine what the world might be like if North Carolina had never existed. There'd have been no sand dunes at Kitty Hawk for the Wright Brothers' first flight, no Mayberry for Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife to protect, and no Pepsi created in New Bern. The numbers 23 and 3 might have less meaning without N.C. heroes Michael Jordan, who was raised in Wilmington, and Dale Earnhardt Sr., born in Kannapolis, sporting them while making history. Read
Price of Transit Project Rises by $35.9 Million — The Sun News

Charlotte officials expect the city will pay $35.9 million more than the last estimate on its light-rail project because of design and other problems. The additional cost, which the city likely will shoulder through sales-tax proceeds reserved for transit, will bump what was thought to be a $227 million project when first pitched eight years ago to one costing about $462.7 million. Read
National Conference on Christian Apologetics Coming to NC — The Charlotte World

The National Conference on Christian Apologetics that will take place at Hickory Grove-North on November 10-11. Read

Congress (adjourned on Saturday until after elections)

Congress Leaves 'Bittersweet' Record Before Adjournment — Citizenlink.com

Internet gambling prohibition passes; Child Custody Protection Act can't muster enough votes. Read
War Plans: Congress OKs $20 Mil for Victory Parties — AP

The military's top generals have warned Iraq is on the cusp of a civil war and that U.S. troops must remain in large numbers until at least next spring. But if the winds suddenly blow a different direction, Congress is ready to celebrate with a $20 million victory party.

Lawmakers included language in this year's defense spending bill, approved last week, allowing them to spend the money. The money for "commemoration of success" in Iraq and Afghanistan was originally tucked into last year's defense measure, but went unspent amid an uptick in violence in both countries that forced the Pentagon to extend tours of duty for thousands of troops. Read
Menendez, Lautenberg, and 40 Other Senators Kill Parental Notification Bill — Christian Newsire

A bill to generally require notification of one parent before a minor obtains an out-of-state abortion died Friday when U.S. Senate Democrats voted overwhelmingly to block it. Read
Speaker Calls for Inquiry on Foley — Boston Globe

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert yesterday asked the Justice Department to investigate former representative Mark Foley's explicit e-mails to one or more former congressional pages, and the FBI said it was examining his exchanges with teenagers to determine whether federal laws were violated. Read
Clerk To Probe Whether Foley Visited Dorm Drunk — WRAL

Hastert's Office Denies Aide Warned Of Foley Read
Internet Gambling, Port Deals Reached — Washington Post

House and Senate negotiators reached agreement last night on legislation to tighten maritime and port security regulations and, in a last-minute move, added an unrelated measure that seeks to ban Internet gambling. Read
Once Again No Action Taken on President's Appellate Nominees — Citizenlink.com

Time runs out and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee fail to show up — in more ways than one. Read
House Speaker Under Fire in Foley Scandal — AOL News

Washington Times Calls for Hastert to Resign Read
Re-Election Shoo-In Rep. Mark Foley Resigns Over E-Mails to Male Page — Sun-Sentinel.com

U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fort Pierce, resigned from Congress on Friday, effective immediately, in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former male page. ''I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent,'' he said in a statement issued by his office. Read
Related
Trading Votes for Pork Across the House Aisle — NYT

Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania is best known on Capitol Hill for turning pet spending projects into power. Read
Senate Approves $70B for War Spending — Sun-Sentinel.com

The Senate unanimously approved $70 billion more for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Friday as part of a record Pentagon budget. Read
PERA — Legislation Bringing 'Religious Expression' to the Forefront — Agape Press

The ACLU calls it an "attack on religious liberty." But a prominent member from the other side of Congress says it's the first step in drying up what some call the ACLU's "cash cow." They are referring to the measure known as the Public Expression of Religion Act, or PERA (H.R. 2679), a bill sponsored by Congressman Jeff Hostettler that eliminates the award of attorney's fees in Establishment Clause cases, effectively removing the financial threat often used by the American Civil Liberties Union against communities. "Because of PERA," Hostettler states on his website, "Americans will have the opportunity to fight the systematic agenda of the ACLU and their minions to remove the vestiges of our religious heritage in this nation." Read
Ports Security Bill Nears Congressional Approval — Sun-Sentinel.com

Congressional Republicans pushed Friday for passage of a major ports security bill, giving lawmakers something to add to their resume as they head home for an election expected to be dominated by security issues. Read
Victory for Military Chaplains Who Pray 'In Jesus Name' — Christian Newswire

1) Navy and Air Force Chaplains free to pray "in Jesus name" again. 2) Congress orders Secretary of the Navy to rescind "non-sectarian" prayer policy. 3) Congress orders Secretary of the Air Force to rescind "guidelines concerning the exercise of religion." Read
Polls Show Close Senate Races in 3 Pivotal States — Boston Globe

Democrats are slightly ahead of Republican incumbents in three election battleground states that will help determine control of the Senate, a series of polls released yesterday showed. Read
Schwarzenegger Vetoes Electoral College Bill — Newsmax.com

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill Saturday that would have given California's electoral votes in presidential elections to the winner of the national popular vote, rather than the candidate who captured the state. The bill could have gone into effect only if states with a combined total of 270 electoral votes — the number now required to win the presidency — agreed to the same process. Read
New National Defense Education Act of 2006 — Building the U.S. National Student Database — Eagle Forum

S. 3502 helps consolidate control of education content through encouraging partnerships with higher education and state adoption of national/international standards that are known to contain nonacademic behavioral/life skills and workplace skills. It is doubtful that alignment with nonacademic objectives will improve student academic achievement. S. 3502 mandates more data gathering and aids in creating what amounts to a national database by requiring statewide data systems to have the ability to interact with databases outside of education. Read
North American Union Threat Gets Attention of Congressmen — WorldNetDaily

Resolution aimed at blocking merger, funding of 'NAFTA superhighways' Read

Courts

Abortion and Business at Top of Supreme Court's Docket — Fox News

The Supreme Court opens Monday with a bevy of cases relating to abortion, environmental rules and affirmative action. The size of jury awards and patent law are also on the docket for the 2006-2007 year. Read
Conservatives on the March for Private Property — Eagle Forum

Grassroots conservatives are again asserting themselves forcefully and effectively against governmental impudence. Having defeated the Harriet Miers Supreme Court nomination and the Dubai Ports sellout, conservatives are now flexing their muscles against supremacist judges and money-grasping public officials. Read
Judge Tells U.S. to End Bid for Medicare Refund — Sun-Sentinel.com

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Bush administration to halt its effort to collect $50 million from 230,000 Medicare beneficiaries who had received erroneous refunds of premiums paid for prescription drug coverage. He said many of them might qualify for waivers because repayment would cause hardship. Read
Roberts Court May Be Defined in Second Term — NYT

During the first term under Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., justices found common ground by agreeing not to decide much. The new term is likely to be different. Read
Related
Massachusetts 'Exporting' Same-Sex Marriage — CNS News

A Massachusetts court has ruled in favor of a lesbian couple from Rhode Island who want to get married in Massachusetts — the only state where same-sex marriage is legal. Read
Arizona Judicial Candidate Challenges Restrictive Campaign Law — CitizenLink

A candidate for a justice of the peace position in Arizona, filed suit Tuesday in federal court to block enforcement of the state's judicial canons. The canons prohibit judicial candidates from answering questions about their views on political issues and from endorsing political candidates. Judicial candidates may not make campaign contributions to others or seek such contribution for their own campaign — and they may not support any ballot initiatives. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Evangelicals to Hold Prayers for Israel — Jerusalem Post

Millions of Evangelical Christian supporters of Israel around the world are slated to take part in a "Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem" on Sunday. The annual event, which is timed to coincide with the High Holy Days, is expected to be marked by as many as 30 million people in 100,000 churches in more than 100 nations. Read
Amish Funerals Opportunity to Demonstrate Power of Forgiveness — Christian Newswire

National Clergy Council president Rev. Rob Schenck traveled from Washington, DC, this week to minister to families of Amish school shooting victims as well as the family of shooter Charles Roberts. The Evangelical minister was one of only two non-Amish invited to the very private mourning ritual for one victim and watched as her mother prepared her daughter's body for burial. He said the funerals which will occur today and tomorrow are opportunities to understand what is at the heart of Amish culture. Read
NBC, Madonna Set To Mock The Crucifixion of Christ — AFA

Help send one million emails asking NBC to show Christians the same respect they show other religions. Action
Vietnam Pastor Beheaded After Refusing To Halt Church Services, Friends Say — Worthy News

An influential Vietnamese evangelical pastor and evangelist has been beheaded after he refused to halt his massive church services, his friends said Saturday, September 30. Read
Muslim Rips Down Tribute to 9/11 Hero — World Net Daily

26-year-old screams, 'This is political,' as officer's cross memorial destroyed Read
U.S. Duo win Physics Nobel for Backing up Big Bang — Reuters

Americans John Mather and George Smoot won the 2006 Nobel prize for physics on Tuesday for work on cosmic radiation which helped pinpoint the age of the universe and supported the Big Bang theory of its birth. Read
Turks Hijack Airliner to Protest Pope's Visit — World Net Daily

Negotiations under way after jet lands in Italy, passengers, crew unharmed Read
Christians Urged to Examine Candidates' Values, Voting Records — Christian World

The Republican candidate vying to unseat Florida Senator Bill Nelson says the Democratic incumbent claims to be a Christian but has a voting record that is completely contrary to what Christians believe. Katherine Harris, currently in her second term representing Florida's 13th District, is an unabashed born-again Christian who raised eyebrows in the mainstream media this summer when she told a Baptist publication that if Christians are not elected to office, politicians will legislate sin. Harris says because she was speaking with a Christian audience, she was trying to compare her values with those of her opponent. Read
Police: Two Delray Priests Spent Stolen $8.6 Million on Girlfriends, Gambling, Property — Sun-Sentinel.com

In a bold scheme carried out over decades, two respected priests are accused of stealing more than $8.6 million in cash from the collection plates at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church to bankroll lavish secret lives that included steady girlfriends, investments in property in Florida and Ireland and gambling junkets to casinos in Las Vegas and the Bahamas. Read
ADF: Traditional Marriage Defenders Have Momentum, But FMA Still Needed — AFA

The head of a pro-family legal group says the tide is turning in the fight to defend traditional marriage. Conservatives were eight for eight in court decisions to protect marriage this summer, and 20 states have already passed constitutional amendments banning same-sex "marriage." Read
Christian Freedom International Uses Microenterprise to Help Persecuted Christians — Christian Newswire

Christian Freedom International (CFI), a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to the cause of helping persecuted Christians worldwide, has released its 2006/2007 Handcraft Catalog in conjunction with its microenterprise program. Read
International Concern Over India State Anti Conversion Law; Missionaries Attacked — Worthy News

Christian investigators on Monday, October 2, urged the international community to pressure the government of the Indian state of Gujarat to respect religious freedom following the adoption of controversial legislation and attacks against missionaries there. Read
Iran Detains Daughter Of Executed Pastor And Her Husband, Report — Worthy News

Iran's feared secret police have detained a Christian couple in the northeastern city of Mashhad, forcing them to leave behind their 6-year-old daughter, a Christian news agency reported late Friday, September 29. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

1,200 Cities Take Part in National Life Chain Sunday — Citizenlink.com

Pro-life Americans in about 1,200 cities and towns took a stand for the sanctity of preborn life on Sunday by participating in National Life Chain Sunday. Read
African-American Pro-Life Leaders Will Hold Summit on Abortion in Philly — Life News

Philadelphia, PA (LifeNews.com) — Several leading African-American pro-life advcoates will band together and hold a national summit on abortion and other topics in Philadelphia. Organizers say the city is an appropriate place for the conference because nearly half of all black babies in pregnancies there in 2002 were victims of abortion. Read
Women who Regret their Abortions to Speak on NYC Streets — ChritianNewswire.com

After 33 years of America's abortion debate, the voices of women who have experienced abortion's devastating effects are being heard more loudly and in greater numbers. On Wednesday, October 4 at 12:30 PM, some of these voices will be heard on the streets of New York City, as participants in the Silent No More Awareness Campaign conduct one of numerous similar events taking place this month across the country. The women will stand on 6th Avenue between 49th and 50th Street, holding signs that say "I Regret My Abortion" and speaking about their abortion experience. Read
Democrats Deny Playing Politics on Parental Notification Abortion Bill — LifeNews.com

A spokesman for a leading pro-abortion Democrat denies that Senate Democrats played politics on a parental notification measure. Pro-life organizations blasted eight Democrats who voted for a parental notification bill in July but changed their vote and narrowly defeated a final measure that would have gone to the president. Read
Bias Makes Media Overreact to Embryonic Stem Cell Hype, Researcher Claims — AFA

Wesley Smith, a senior fellow for the Discovery Institute, says the mainstream media continues to trumpet scientific "non-breakthroughs" involving embryonic stem cells while largely ignoring genuine breakthroughs with adult stem cells. Read
Federal Grant Awarded for Embryo Adoption Awareness Campaign — ChristianNewswire

The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) announced today that they are in a partnership with Baptist Health System which has just received two new cooperative agreements from the US Department of Health and Human Services to promote public awareness of embryo donation and adoption. The first new funded project will focus on the creation of professional meetings and the second will center on an evidence-based assessment of the embryo adoption field. Read
British Doctors Blast Use of Ultrasounds Showing Humanity of Unborn Babies — Life News

A small group of British doctors is unhappy with where the abortion debate has gone following the internationally acclaimed pictures of unborn babies using a 4-D scanning ultrasound technique showing babies as early as 12 weeks into pregnancy "walking" and kicking. Read
Magazine Celebrates Abortions in Cover Story — Citizen Link

The feminist Ms. Magazine is making a show of killing preborn babies with an Oct. 10 cover story titled, "We Had Abortions." Last summer the magazine published a petition on its Web site seeking women who would sign their names as having had an abortion — what Ms. called "a very common, necessary and important procedure for millions of women." Read
Upswing Predicted in Popularity of Physician-Assisted Suicide — Life News

A Chicago doctor who specializes in geriatrics says attitudes are changing toward end-of-life healthcare choices as costs continue to rise. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Flower Girl's Last Moments Shown in DWI Murder Trial — AP

A packed courtroom silently watched Tuesday as a video revealed the final seconds of flower girl Katie Flynn's life: the sudden sight of oncoming headlights and the crunch of a pickup truck striking her limousine head-on...Prosecutors said Heidgen, with his blood alcohol level more than triple the legal limit, drove the wrong way down a highway and plowed into the limousine, as Stanley Rabinowitz drove the little girl and her relatives home from a wedding reception. Read
WHO: Deadly Bird Flu Virus Mutating — Fox News

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu which has killed at least 148 people is showing signs of being able to mutate and develop resistance to the most effective anti-viral drugs and any possible vaccines yet to be produced, a WHO scientist said Thursday. Read
New Strain of Hospital Bug Linked to 49 Deaths — London Telegraph

A virulent strain of a superbug has been linked to at least 49 deaths in three Leicester hospitals this year, the local NHS trust has revealed. Read
Massachusetts Gov. Signs Law Mandating Health Insurance for All Residents — Fox News

Massachusetts began signing up its poorest residents for low-cost health insurance, the first step in the state's goal to be the first in America to require all citizens to have health insurance. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Pray for Children Weekend On Tap — Citizenlink.com

It takes several avenues to keep your kids on the road to a drug-free and safe life. But, no matter how many prevention or treatment programs there are, you can't ignore the faith community's role. That's where Pray for the Children Weekend, kicking off Oct. 20, comes in. It's a nationwide movement charging families to pray for strength, support and wisdom to keep kids drug-free and safe. Read
Students at Hundreds of Campuses Nationwide Lose Their Voices on Oct. 24; Stand True Announces Third Annual Students' Day of Silent Solidarity Against Abortion — Christian Newswire

Stand True Ministries is gearing up for the third annual Students' Day of Silent Solidarity on Tuesday, October 24. On this date, students from over 1,000 campuses in the United States, Canada and several other countries will take a vow of silence to express their contempt for the murderous act of abortion that has claimed one-third of their generation and continues to take the lives of over 4,000 babies per day in the United States alone. Read
Florida Elementary's Christmas Play Canned — Citizenlink

Officials say secular symbols might make people think of the holiday. Read
P-16: Propping Up U.N. School Reforms — Eagle Forum

"P-16" reform is a current label for activity that furthers the decades-old UNESCO lifelong education plan to create what has been described in the past as a cradle-to-grave system of human resource development. Thus far, two decades of lifelong education activity — which requires merging general education with so-called vocational objectives for ALL students — has run parallel with U.S. education decline. Read
Localize Public Education — Frontpagemag.com

For eons, it's been an article of faith among conservatives that public education should be controlled locally and never be subjected to the dictates and values of the federal government. But recently, "conservative" Republicans like William Bennett have called for Washington to set curricular standards for every public school in the USA. This Big Government idea is not only horrible, says Cato Institute education-policy analyst Neal McCluskey, but it's another 180-degree wrong turn from conservatism's once-solid principles of limited government, free markets, and parental choice. Read
Georgia Mom Seeks Ban on Harry Potter — MSNBC

Mother of four claims the teen wizard is 'evil,' promotes witchcraft Read
NEA Teacher's Group Attacks Abstinence Education Programs in New Report — Life News

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The nation's largest teacher's group is attacking abstinence education programs in a new report it co-sponsored. The attack is designed to persuade Congressional lawmakers to cut funding for abstinence education, which studies have shown is achieving its intended results in reducing sex and teen pregnancies. Read
Big Brother Going Global! — Eagle Forum

The building blocks for a global database are becoming more prominent as governments create national databases for education and for populations-at-large. Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, children in the Netherlands will be assigned a unique Citizens Service Number that allows the Dutch government to track them "from cradle to grave in a single database, opening a personal electronic dossier for every child at birth with health and family data, and eventually adding school and police records." (Associated Press, 9-15-2005) Read
Police: School Shooter Dreamed Of Molesting More Kids — WRAL

Pennsylvania state police now say Charles Carl Roberts IV, 32, confessed to his wife he had molested two young relatives two decades ago just before he killed five Amish children at a school in Bart, Pa, on Monday. Read
Principal Shot in Rural Wis. School — Sun-Sentinel.com

A teenager brought two guns to his rural school and critically wounded the principal Friday after a struggle with adults and other students, authorities said. Read
Two Arrested in Charlestown High School Shooting — The Boston Globe

Police arrested two boys, ages 15 and 16, in connection with shots fired at students walking to school last week. Read
TV, Video Games Hurt School Performance — Citizenlink.com

Middle school students who watch TV or play video games during the week perform more poorly in school than those who don't, The Associated Press reported. Read
The Homeschool Minute — A Special Time for Homeschoolers — Christian Newswire

As their magazine and blogging community, www.HomeschoolBlogger.com, grow at a rapid pace, the friendly folks at The Old Schoolhouse are always looking for more opportunities to connect with homeschool families worldwide. While The Old Schoolhouse already has 10 different free monthly e-Newsletters available to anyone, The Homeschool Minute is unique because it is weekly and purposely kept short and sweet so that homeschool families can just enjoy a short break with The Old Schoolhouse Gang. Read
Publisher Responds to Pastor's Gripes About Bible Textbook — AFA

The publisher of a textbook for use in teaching the Bible in public schools says recent criticisms about the book leveled by an official with the Southern Baptist Convention are essentially no longer valid — because editorial changes to the latest edition of the book address his concerns. Read
School Shootings Sign of Soul Sickness — Christian Newswire

Faith and Action in Washington, DC, a Christian ministry with a largebase of supporters in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania area, released this statement today in response to the most recent school shooting in Lancaster's Amish country: Read
Two Las Vegas Schools Locked Down on Gun Report — Boston Globe

Two Las Vegas area schools were locked down early on Monday morning as police searched for an armed youth, local television reported, in what would be the third gun incident at a U.S. school in a week. Read
At Issue: 'Religious Accommodation' in Public Schools — Agape Press

The ACLU has gone on the attack again against prayer on school property, this time in Tennessee. At the same time, a Muslim group in Virginia says schools should examine their policies to see that they accommodate the religious needs of Muslim students. The Tennessee chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit claiming that Wilson County school officials promote prayer and other religious activities. According to an Associated Press report, the ACLU claims that a group called "The Praying Parents" meets monthly in Lebanon's Lakeview Elementary School cafeteria to pray for the school, faculty, staff, and children. Read
City Schools are Often Safer than Others — AP

At the Samuel H. Daroff Elementary school in West Philadelphia, students must pass a security officer who uses a metal detector wand to search for possible weapons. A network of cameras pans the grounds and beyond for any sign of trouble. It's a typical scene in a city where schools have become a refuge from drug-fueled gang shootings. It's also a scene in sharp contrast with schools in suburbia, rural America and at the one-room Amish schoolhouse an hour west of Philadelphia where a gunman struck Monday. Read
Maryland Student Sues After Being Told to Put her Bible Away — CitizenLink

A Maryland middle-school student reading her Bible during lunch was ordered to stop, The Washington Post reported. Amber Mangum frequently reads during her free time, but according to a lawsuit filed by her mother Maryann Mangum, when Amber pulled out her Bible, Vice Principal Jeanetta Rainey told her to put it away or face punishment. Read

Gambling

Full House Says Construction of Michigan Casino to Proceed — Reuters

Full House Resorts on Tuesday said an indigenous tribe and the U.S. Department of Justice have agreed to settle pending litigation with an activist group, allowing the tribe to proceed with the development of a casino near Battle Creek, Mich. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Christian Worldview Current Poll

Do you agree or disagree with the proposed plan for a North American Union between the United States, Mexico and Canada? Vote
North Korea Says Will Conduct Nuclear Test — Reuters

Reclusive North Korea said on Tuesday it would conduct its first-ever nuclear test, blaming a U.S. "threat of nuclear war and sanctions" for forcing its hand. The statement by North Korea's foreign ministry, which was carried on the official KCNA News Agency, was immediately condemned by Japan as called "totally unforgivable." Read
Rice Trip to Test Waters on Mideast Peace — Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will test the waters for a renewed push on Arab-Israeli peace when she visits the Middle East this week despite what analysts regard as huge obstacles. Read
US May Accept Iranian Nuclear Bomb — London Times

America is going to have to learn to live with a nuclear Iran, US intelligence analysts have concluded at a secret meeting near Washington. Read
Mexico Says US Border Fence Will Hurt Relations — AFP

The Mexican government said that a border security fence that has been approved by the US Congress would "damage" relations between the two countries. Read
Al-Qaida No. 2 Calls Bush Failure, Liar — AP

Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri condemned President Bush in a video statement released Friday, calling him a failure and a liar. "Why don't you tell them how many million citizens of America and its allies you intend to kill in search of the imaginary victory and in breathless pursuit of the mirage towards which you are driving your people's sons in order increase your profits?" al-Zawahri said in a portion of the video released by the Virginia-based IntelCenter. Read
Schwarzenegger: No Driver's Licenses for Illegals — Newsmax.com

For the second time in two years, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. Read
Deferring Your Social Security Benefits can Yield a Big Gain — Boston Globe

If you're male, healthy, and married, you've got an investment opportunity few will discuss with you. Over the next 12 months the ''investment" could provide an effective return of 50 percent. Read
Wait Ends for Father and Son Exiled by F.B.I. Terror Inquiry — NYT

Muhammad Ismail, 45, and his son, Jaber, 19, relatives of a man convicted of supporting terrorists, returned to the United States. Read
U.S. Says Woman in Shelter Terror Chief — HeraldTrinbune.com

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles, who have been investigating the group, announced last week that a grand jury in Brooklyn had indicted Taleb-Jedi on charges of providing support to a terrorist organization. If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in prison. The group, also known as the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, and its affiliates were deemed foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department in 1997. The designations bar anyone in the United States from providing material support. Read
Hints of Mobster-Terrorist Connections Stir Concerns in FBI — Boston Globe

The FBI's top counterterrorism official harbors lots of concerns: weapons of mass destruction, undetected homegrown terrorists, and the possibility that old-fashioned mobsters will team up with Al Qaeda for the right price. Although there is no direct evidence of organized crime collaborating with terrorists, the first hints of a connection surfaced in a recent undercover FBI operation. Agents stopped a man with alleged mob ties from selling missiles to an informant posing as a terrorist middleman. Read
Wal-Mart to Add More Part-Timers and Wage Caps — NYT

The company says the changes are to better serve customers. Workers say they reduce already modest incomes and strain employees' personal lives. Read
American Savings at Record Lows ... and Record Highs — Yahoo News

One view of the current savings levels is of a nation breaking into its collective piggy bank at a record rate. But at the same time statistics show the nation's banks bulging at the seams with record amounts of cash socked away by everyday consumers. Read
Never Again: The Moral Imperative for Toughness — Townhall.com

"One simple but difficult principle provides the opportunity for the United States to achieve ?never again.? That is: The will to win. The will to do whatever is necessary within the Constitution to protect America separates us from more death and destruction within our shores. It is the will to sacrifice, to persevere in the face of adversity and criticism just as generations of Americans did before us. It is no guarantee, but if we falter, grow complacent, or fail to do what we can, we give the terrorist network opportunities that, with time and patience, they will exploit to kill more innocent Americans." Read
Clown Is Running for Mayor of Alameda — AOL News

A real clown is running for mayor of Alameda, and even his sister won't vote for him. Read
Dow Soars to New Closing High of 11,727 — Breitbart.com

The Dow Jones industrial average finally reached new heights Tuesday, extending Wall Street's seven-year recovery with a record closing level after climbing into uncharted territory Read
Socialism for the Rich — Capitalism Magazine

Although socialism has long claimed to be for the poor, it has probably done more damage, on net balance, to the poor than to the rich. After all, the rich have enough money to leave the country if they think the socialists are going to do them any serious harm. Some of our own rich have already had their money leave the country, to be sheltered from the higher taxes that limousine liberals say we should all pay. Meanwhile, the liberal media give them kudos for their selfless advocacy of higher taxes on higher income people, forgetting that these are not taxes on wealth . Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Gay-Activist Group: 'AIDS is a Gay Disease' — Citizenlink

Ad campaign runs counter to usual messaging. In a surprising reversal to the usual gay-activist messaging, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has launched a campaign proclaiming "AIDS is a gay disease. Own it. End it." Some conservative groups are applauding, but homosexual groups are in an uproar. Read
Sexual Fascism and the Mark Foley Scandal — World Net Daily

Apparently, Rep. Mark Foley is homosexual. And like many homosexual men, he likes young teen boys. We should pray for him that he gets a handle on this problem and refrains from harming any more kids. Meanwhile, we need to wake up. The fact that this is typical behavior for homosexuals doesn't stop us from continuing to elevate such folks to positions where they gain access to our kids. Read
Sexual Abuses by Health-Care Professionals Spur New Rules — Seattle Times

Seattle registered counselor Devlin Crose advised an 11-year-old girl that she could have sex with anyone she wanted — including him, according to allegations filed by the state Department of Public Health. Read
Gov. Arnold 'Terminates' Man-and-Woman Marriage Plan — WorldNetDaily

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has given homosexuals in his state the rights of marriage, and has failed to fully protect school children from the "gay" agenda, according to those assessing the results of this year's state legislature. Read
Porn A Growing Problem in Military — CitizenLink.com

Chaplains report an increasing number of confessions from servicemen and women about addiction. Read
Activist Claims Pro-Homosexual Chicago Is Unfairly Prosecuting Him — AFA

A Christian activist accused of disrupting the 2006 "Gay Games" in Chicago, Illinois, insists he was arrested while lawfully expressing his pro-traditional marriage viewpoint at the pro-homosexual event. And now, he claims city officials are moving forward with the case against him — a case he feels should be dismissed. Read
AFA Leader: Ford is Hurting, But Boycott Will Make Essential Point — AFA

Don Wildmon says his group's boycott of the Ford Motor Company is significantly contributing to the automaker's financial troubles, which unfortunately affect many dealers and workers who may disagree with the corporation's pro-homosexual policies. Read
Top Religious Leaders in New Jersey to Gather at State Capitol — Warning of Repercussions if 'Gay Marriage' is Enacted — Christian Newswire

Nearly 300 Clergy with signed petitions representing approximately 2,000 houses of worship and nearly half a million residents in New Jersey, will gather at the State House for a Press Conference in Defense of Traditional Marriage tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. Read

Other News

Global Sludge Ends in Tragedy for Ivory Coast — NYT

To save costs, a global oil company dumped toxic waste on the doorstep of some of the world's poorest people, spreading illness and killing eight. Read
'Gaza Readying for War' — WND

Hamas has succeeded in smuggling "hundreds of tons" of weapons from Egypt into the Gaza Strip and is preparing for the possibility of launching a large-scale conflict with Israel, according to a report by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. Read
Al-Aqsa Brigades: We'll Kill Hamas Leaders — Ynet News

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, threatened for the first time on Tuesday to kill Hamas leaders, including exiled political chief Khaled Mashaal. Read
Fatal Clashes in Gaza Over Unpaid Salaries — NYT

Six Palestinians were killed in clashes between Hamas and Fatah in some of their fiercest battles since the elections in January. Read
Typhoon Xangsane Leaves 76 Dead, 69 Missing in Philippines — Fox News

The death toll from a typhoon that ravaged the Philippine capital and northern farming regions has risen to 76, with 69 others missing in floods and landslides, officials said Sunday. Read
Syria Threat Over Golan Puts Israel on War Alert — London Telegraph

Israel has gone on heightened alert over a possible war with Syria amid reports that President Bashar Assad may be considering military strikes to regain the Golan Heights. Read
Assad: Peace Possible in 6 months — Ynet News

Syrian President Bashar Assad believes that only six months were needed in order to complete a peace settlement with Israel, if the negotiations are resumed from the same stage they were suspended. Read
EU May Keep Peace on Gaza Border — Jerusalem Post

The European Union is willing to take up "peacekeeping tasks" on the Philadelphi Corridor, the EU's ambassador to Israel told The Jerusalem Post Thursday, a day after the cabinet was told that arms smuggling across the Gaza-Egyptian border has gotten completely out of hand. Read

Disclaimer: The Christian Action League of North Carolina does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article posted on this site.

Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006