Weekly Issues Alert

USS North Carolina

October 27 - November 2

"The time has come that Christians must vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them... Christians have been exceedingly guilty in this matter. But the time has come when they must act differently... God will bless or curse this nation, according to the course Christians take." --Charles Finney

REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 7

http://www.ncfamily.org/voterguide2006/

NC General Assembly

Black Called 'Co-Conspirator' In Bribery Scheme — WRAL

Former state Rep. Michael Decker testified Wednesday that House Speaker Jim Black was a "co-conspirator" in Decker's scheme to receive $50,000 to switch party affiliations in a move that helped Black remain chamber leader in 2003. Read

NC Courts

NC Judicial Candidate Requests State Funds For Campaign — WRAL

A state Supreme Court candidate requested additional funds from North Carolina's public financing system Tuesday after a nonprofit group began running television ads supporting her opponent. Appellate court Judge Ann Marie Calabria filed a complaint with the state Board of Elections, noting that the group has raised $207,275 for ads that support her opponent, Robin Hudson. Calabria argues that this entitles her to a similar level of "rescue funds" from the state. Read
Absences Land Students in Court — Wilmington Star News Online

Simple assaults and robberies aren't what landed some Brunswick County juveniles in Courtroom 3 on Tuesday. Missing too many days from school was their offense. And it was time for an intervention. "This is a problem if you're here," Brunswick County Juvenile Court Judge Douglas Sasser said during the truancy prevention meeting packed with middle and high school students and parents. All of the students have had at least three "unlawful" absences in the first nine-week grading period, which ended Monday. Students and their parents were notified by letter of Tuesday's mandatory meeting to discuss school district and state attendance policies. Read
Judge Tosses Assault Charges Against Ex-Durham Cops — WRAL

Because prosecutors never established that a crime occurred in Wake County, a judge on Monday dismissed assault charges against two former Durham police officers in connection with a fight outside a Raleigh bar. Read

NC Politics

Road Planning Short-Circuited in Congress — Raleigh News and Observer

North Carolina's members of Congress quietly took control of more than $135 million from the state Department of Transportation last year to help pay for dozens of highway projects they favored. That means other projects deemed more important by state and local officials must be delayed. Read
Voters Deserve a Choice — Raleigh News and Observer

That is because the legislature has used redistricting — which must be done after every census — to make most seats as competitive as an old Soviet-style election. Self-preservation is one of the strongest basic drives. Read
North Carolina Voters Take The Polls... — NBC17

North Carolina voters go to the polls in less than two weeks; facing the least competitive; yet most expensive political campaigns in the state's history. According to the Common Cause Foundation, 85 legislative races are uncontested. That's half of the entire North Carolina General Assembly. At best 2 of the state's 13 Congressional races are truly competitive and more money is being raised and spent than ever before. Read
Big Names Put Western N.C. Race on the Map — Raleigh News and Observer

Big names and big money are all at work in the 11th Congressional District where Democrat Heath Shuler, left, is challenging U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, a Republican veteran. Read
Duke Students Campaign Against Rape Case Prosecutor — ABC News

Just days after filing charges against three Duke University lacrosse players for rape, Mike Nifong won the Democratic primary for district attorney of Durham County. No one could say for sure how much the controversial case had contributed to Nifong's victory, but in a community long plagued by tensions between the haves — particularly privileged Duke students — and the have-nots, the candidate's willingness to take on the elite university did not hurt. Read

Other North Carolina News

Her Online Vigilance Protects Children from Porn, Predators — Raleigh News and Observer

Finding abusers on the Web, Conyers sprang into action Read
State Auditor Will Investigate N.C. Mental Health System — WRAL

The state auditor's office will investigate North Carolina's mental health system, spurred by problems with a plan to shift care from mental hospitals to local agencies. Read
Asheville Student Chosen Miss North Carolina — WWAY3 News

A journalism student from Asheville who wants to be a television broadcaster has been chosen the new Miss North Carolina USA out of a field of 87 contestants. Read
CEI Wins Federal Contract — Houston Business Journal

Computational Engineering International, a Morrisville-based software company, has won a three-year, $1.4-million contract to research the use of a Beowulf computer cluster to visualize large-scale models for the Department of Energy's Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative. Read
Confusion Multiplies In Release Of State Math Scores — WRAL

After announcing that the release of statewide results of math tests would be delayed for a week, state education officials quickly made an about-face Wednesday and said the scores would be released online. Read
Sheriff Candidates Differ on Drug War — Star News Online

When it comes to fighting Pender County's war on drugs, the two candidates for county sheriff agree to disagree. Read
The Freddy P Project Interrogation Premiere: Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina — Surfing Magazine — USA

Whiskey shots, a guaranteed lay and underage girls sporting clothes oozing with sexual innuendos were on tap this past Thursday at the premier of Interrogation: The Freddy P. Project, at Kefi's in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Read
I-540 Toll Decision To Come From Federal Officials This Week — WRAL

A critical step for the future toll roads in the Triangle this week as the federal government decides if the plan can move forward.

Many local leaders have voiced support for toll roads and have eyed parts of Interstate 540 for future tolls. However, much of the public has a different opinion. Read
North Carolina Starts Campaign to Educate Internet Safety — WECU

The F-B-I office in Charlotte is heading up a campaign to educate parents, teachers and students on internet safety. The campaign is called "Safe Online Surfing." Read
China Everbright International Ltd. Selects North Carolina China Center as Exclusive Partner for Research and Development — Yahoo Finance

China Everbright International Ltd. (EB International) has signed a cooperative agreement with the Raleigh-based North Carolina China Center (NCCC) to jointly develop a world class research center for environmental science and technology. The agreement was signed during a recent visit to China and Hong Kong by an NCCC delegation led by Duane Long, chairman, and Tony Copeland, assistant secretary for business development and trade, North Carolina Department of Commerce. Read
New Lottery Game Hits North Carolina — WECT6

North Carolina has a new lottery game that hit convenience stores and other outlets Friday. It's called the Carolina Cash Five. Just pick five numbers and hope you get lucky. Read
Rats Thriving in Raleigh Nightlife — Raleigh News and Observer

Dining in style off restaurant trash, they get bigger every year, people say. Read
Three Killed in Drunken Driving Wreck in North Carolina — WIS10

A 22-year-old South Carolina woman who was a student at North Carolina State University has been killed in a crash that investigators blame on drunken driving. Read

Related
Lesson for Wisconsin: Carolina Tech Industry Took Time to Build — Wisconsin Technology Network

Occupant of research triangle says N.C. faced same issues as Wisconsin Read
North Carolina Software Firm Opens Houston Office — Houston Business Journal

Simulation software firm Computational Engineering International, also known as CEI, has set up an office in Houston. The Apex, N.C.-based firm, which focuses on engineering and science, already has several customers in the region Read
Raleigh-Based Track Coach Might Be Charged Today — WRAL

Track coach Trevor Graham, who helped launch a three-year federal probe of steroid use by elite athletes, is expected to be charged as soon as today with obstructing the investigation, two Justice Department officials with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press. Read
Methodist College Changes Name To Methodist University — NBC17.com

As a part of its 50th anniversary celebration, officials at Methodist College said the school will change its name to Methodist University. Read
Police: Men Took Girls Out of School for Sex — ABCtv11.com

Police say a convicted sex offender and another man checked girls out of a Rocky Mount high school four times in the last few months. Read
Doctor's License is Suspended by Board — The Charlotte Observer

She diverted drugs for her use, documents say Read
Cumberland Rape, Torture Case Widens By Gilbert Baez — ABCtv11.com

A Cumberland County man accused of kidnapping, raping and torturing a woman now faces more than a dozen new charges.

Investigators have charged Floyd Cahoon with similar crimes against a second victim. The woman says she also was kidnapped, raped and tortured. Cahoon remains in the Cumberland County Jail under a $900,000 bond. Police now are looking at how another criminal case may involve Cahoon. Investigators say Raymond Rogers, 55, made drugs he used to entice prostitutes. He works as a chemical technician at the Dupont plant in Cumberland County. Read

Congress

Why Does Congress Fund Planned Parenthood When It Sues on Abortion — Lifenews.com

Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in America, is funded in large part by our hard-earned tax dollars. Then it turns around and sues Congress for passing a law banning partial-birth abortion. Congress is taking our money, giving it to Planned Parenthood, who then sues Congress with the aid of the money we've already given them. Read
Audit faults US training of Iraqis — Boston Globe

Deteriorating security in Iraq and bureaucratic wrangling between the State Department and the Pentagon have undermined the US government's effort to train provincial governments, according to a report to Congress released yesterday by the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. Read
Democrats Oppose Freedom of Religion — ChristianNewswire.com

On September 26, 2006 a bill was passed in the United States House of Representative which will prohibit the ACLU or other similar organizations from continuing to receive awards from the courts when they win a case against the Establishment Clause or the Freedom of Religion. This bill, HR 2679, seems like a good thing since the ACLU has made a habit of suing counties, cities and states in Establishment Clause or Freedom of Religion cases. Freedom of Religion is a right protected by the First Amendment. Read
Senator Clinton Attacks Bush and the Iraqi Government — NYT

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's remarks came on a day of increased tension between the United States and the Iraqi government, led by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. Read
Pro-Family Group Blasts Va. Democrat Seeking Senate Seat as Pervert — AFA

A pro-family group is calling on Democratic candidate Jim Webb, who is also a novelist and a former U.S. Navy Secretary, to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Virginia over sexually explicit passages appearing in some of his fiction writings. Read

Courts

Justices Consider Limits on Punitive Damages — The Washington Post

The Supreme Court heard a tobacco company's plea for relief from a $79.5 million punitive-damages award Tuesday, in an Oregon case that could illuminate the Roberts court's approach to tort reform. Read
Dad Guilty in First Female Circumcision Trial in U.S. — CNN.com

A jury found an Ethiopian immigrant guilty Wednesday of the genital mutilation of his 2-year-old daughter in what was believed to be the first criminal case in the United States involving the ancient African tradition. Khalid Adem, 30, was convicted of aggravated battery and cruelty to children. He could get up to 40 years in prison. Prosecutors said Adem used scissors to remove his daughter's clitoris in his family's Atlanta-area apartment in 2001. The child's mother, Fortunate Adem, said she did not discover it until more than a year later. The trial focused attention on a 5,000-year-old African practice that experts say is slowly becoming more common in the U.S. as immigrant communities grow. Read
Somali Pirates Captured by U.S. Navy Get 7 Years Each — CNN.com

Ten Somali pirates who were captured by the U.S. Navy after hijacking a ship off their country's lawless coast were sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison each. The men, who were convicted October 26 of hijacking, could have received life sentences for seizing the Indian-based vessel, the Safina Al Bisaarat, in January. Read
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit against Air Force Academy — Citizenlink.com

Allegations of widespread bias by Christians unproved and complainants lacked standing to bring suit. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

N.J. Ruling Prompts Evangelical Calls for Marriage Protection — Christian Post

New Jersey's ruling granting same-sex couples the same legal rights of marriage as heterosexuals is a wake-up call to the need for a Marriage Protection Amendment, many evangelicals said Wednesday. Read
Preachers: Ramadan Prayers Caused US Deaths in Iraq — Ynet News

With October becoming the most deadly month for US troops in Iraq in nearly two years, Palestinian preachers in several major mosques in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are celebrating the anti-American violence as a gift from Allah bestowed upon Muslims through prayer during the holy month of Ramadan, according to congregants. Read
U.S. Marriage Decline Seen as Foreboding Sign for Society's Future -The World Congress of Families

A leader in the pro-family movement says a new Census Bureau report points to dark days ahead for American society. The recently released America Community Survey found that for the first time in the nation's history, married couples represent a minority of U.S. households. Read
Nearly Half of Americans Uncertain God Exists: Poll — AFP

Nearly half of Americans are not sure God exists, according to a poll that also found divisions among the public on whether God is male or female or whether God has a human form and has control over events. Read
Addressing the Thorny Issue of 'Shacking Up' — AgapePress

Attention please! Attention please! Living together is a test. This is ONLY a test. Had this been an actual commitment, numerous world problems would have been eliminated. Stay tuned for further instructions from the Kregel handbook, Living Together — A Guide to Counseling Unmarried Couples, by Jeff VanGoethem. According to the author of this excellent and needed work, 50 to 60 percent of marriages now involve couples who have lived together and are living together when they seek a minister to marry them. As a chaplain who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area, I find the percentage even higher. Many couples are pregnant or already have children when they make their wedding plans. Read
Some State Marriage Amendments Face Uncertain Futures — Citizenlink.com

Don't listen to the popular wisdom when it comes to the fate of state marriage amendments this election. Values voters are needed more than ever. Read
Racine Residents Win Right to Place Christmas Displays in Public Forum — Agape Press

An early skirmish has been won in a pro-family law firm's annual campaign to defend the rights of Americans to freely celebrate Christmas. Liberty Counsel has helped a resident of Racine, Wisconsin, to get his city council's consent in allowing Christmas displays on public property. Read
Employee Dismissed Over Pro-Marriage Sign Rehired — Citizenlink.com

The Virginia man who was fired after displaying signs in his pickup truck that read "Marriage — Vote Yes" was reinstated to his position with full back pay, CNSNews.com reported. Read
Bishops Push for a Vote on Marriage — Boston Globe

Saying they are concerned that a walkout by legislators could scuttle a vote on a bill to ban same-sex marriage, the four Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts are exhorting the state's 3 million Catholics to demand action. The bishops, including Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, are also urging Catholics to go to the State House Nov. 9, the date the vote is scheduled, to voice their support for restricting marriage to heterosexual couples. The letter asks Catholics to "pray for success on this critical vote." Read
Vietnam: Churches Learn of Registrations Indirectly — Worthy News

Vietnamese authorities advised the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that 18 Vietnamese churches had been registered while not informing the churches themselves. Observers believe this is an indication that the country has stepped up efforts to convince the United States of improvements in its religious freedom record as two key U.S. decisions approach. Read
'I Can't Even Express What the Lord Has Done with This' — Citizenlink.com

The director/star of a hot new film with unabashedly Christian themes says prayer is the secret to his success. The new movie Facing the Giants is drawing rave reviews. Since it opened at the end of September, the movie has grossed more than $4 million — and attendance continues to grow. Read
Teen Shot by Police Stun Gun Dies — HeraldSun.com

A teenager carrying a Bible and shouting "I want Jesus" was shot twice with a police stun gun and later died at a St. Louis hospital, authorities said. Read
Working Mothers Find Some Peace on the Road — NYT

For many working mothers, business trips have become mini-vacations. Read
Church Building Demolished Forcefully in Jilin, Furniture Inside Destroyed — ChristianNewswire.com

China Aid Association learns that on October 26, 2006 a house church building in the campus of "Changchun Agricultural University" in the suburb of Changchun city, Jilin province was demolished forcibly by the local government. It is known that the building served as the gathering place for Nongda house church when religious activities were held there. The place was also used as the "Morning Star Supermarket" in other times. Read
Turkey: Converts Charged Under Speech Law — Worthy News

A Turkish prosecutor slapped criminal charges against two converts to Christianity earlier this month, accusing them of "insulting Turkishness," inciting hatred against Islam and secretly compiling data on private citizens for a local Bible correspondence course. Read
Iraq Christian Teenagers Face Death or Prison — Worthy News

There was mounting international concern Tuesday, October 31, about the persecution of Christian teenagers in Iraq amid reports that a 14-year old boy was beheaded while a 13-year-old girl is being held in prison. Read
Former Muslim: Jesus Only Way to Stop Radical Islam — AgapePress

A former Muslim woman who has dedicated herself to winning Muslims to Christ has traveled to India to witness to that country's large Muslim population. Read
Pakistan Christian Dies in Prison, Two Others Detained For Blasphemy — Worthy News

A Pakistani Christian who spent over two years in jail for allegedly degrading Islam has died and there were fears he may have been tortured, fellow Christians said Monday, October 30. Read
Eritrea: Police Arrest 150 More Christians — Worthy News

In a large-scale roundup the past week, Eritrean authorities have detained 150 Christians from at least five of the country's outlawed churches. Read
India Hindu Militants Attack Christian Villagers, Several Detained — Worthy News

Two Christian believers in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh were recovering from their injuries Sunday, October 29, after angry villagers and militants were beating them for their refusal to return to Hinduism, their previous religion. Read
Report: $1.3M for Church-Starting Misused by Texas Baptists — Christian Post Reporter

Over a million dollars in church-starting funds from a Baptist Convention were misused, an investigation uncovered, and some of the church starts never even existed. Three pastors in the Baptist General Convention of Texas misused more than $1.3 million given for 258 church starts and directed the monetary support elsewhere, the Associated Baptist Press reported. While irregularities in the church-starting program were known, the misused funds were not discovered until a recent five-month investigation. Read
Some Protestant Churches Feeling 'Mainline' Again — USA Today

It is classic mainline Protestant in nearly every respect: It embraces an interpretive approach to Scripture rather than taking the Bible literally. It makes a strong commitment to social justice and social action drawn from Gospel teachings. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Catholic Pro-Life Group Urges Election Votes Based on Abortion — LifeNews.com

A leading Catholic pro-life group has released a statement calling on voters to make a pro-life stance on abortion the basis of how they vote net week. The statement has been signed by over 1,000 priests who say that Catholic church teachings instruct faithful parishioners to vote pro-life. Read
Kansas AG Gets Abortion Clinic Records — The Christian Post

The state attorney general said Tuesday night that his office has received the records of 90 patients from two abortion clinics and is reviewing them for possible crimes, the culmination of an effort that prompted concerns over patient privacy. Attorney General Phill Kline, one of the nation's foremost abortion opponents, said the targets of his investigation are rapists, sex offenders with child victims, and doctors involved in illegal abortions. Those could include doctors performing illegal late-term abortions or those failing to report abuse of a child. The clinics had argued that giving the attorney general access to the records would invade patients' privacy. Read
New Male Contraceptive Pill with No Side Effects — Dailymail.co.uk

Men could soon be able to use a 'male Pill' that has no side effects, scientists have revealed. Read
Niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. Urges Pro-life Voting — Christian Newswire

Dr. Alveda King, whose uncle was Martin Luther King, Jr., has released the following statement to voters across America regarding next week's elections. Read
Michael J. Fox Admits He Has Not Read the Cloning Bill He Supports — Citizenlink.com

Actor Michael J. Fox — who hit the campaign trail last week touting the merits of candidates who support embryonic stem-cell research — told ABC News that despite campaigning in Missouri, he's not actually read the state's proposed Cloning and Embryonic Stem Cell Research Amendment. The 45-year-old Fox, who has struggled with Parkinson's disease for more than a decade, has loaned his voice to support embryonic stem-cell research for many years. Read
New York Abortion Business will Stop False "Abortion Alternatives" Ads — LifeNews.com

Bronx, NY (LifeNews.com) — A New York-area abortion business has agreed to stop false advertisements under the "abortion alternatives" section of the local business phone and online phone directories. The move comes after a local pregnancy center filed a lawsuit against it for misleading women with unplanned pregnancies. Read
Cut Off Taxpayer Money to the Abortionist Planned Parenthood Organization — American Center for Law and Justice

It is a travesty of justice that your hard-earned tax dollars are being used to fund the largest abortion promoter and provider in America, Planned Parenthood. Please read the form below carefully and declare your membership with the ACLJ by adding your name to our Petition to Defund Planned Parenthood. Sign Petition
Bob Casey: Abortion Not Top Priority — Newsmax.com

Casey is challenging Sen. Rick Santorum, a two-term Republican who is an out-front opponent of abortion rights. Read
Brain Defects Linked to Sudden Infant Death — Boston Globe

Boston study fits an emerging view Read
Felony Charges Dropped Against Mother Who Killed Full-Term Baby — Citizenlink.com

A 22-year-old Virginia woman who shot herself in the stomach in order to kill her preborn child will not face legal consequences, LifeNews reported. Tammy Skinner, who reportedly had been suffering from depression, initially told police she had been shot by a stranger. Further investigation revealed the wounds that killed her baby one day before its due date were self-inflicted. Last May, a state judge refused to certify the charge of illegal abortion, so prosecutors chose to pursue charges through a grand jury. Read
Nicaragua Votes to Ban All Abortions — Citizenlink.com

The Nicaraguan Congress voted unanimously Sunday to outlaw all abortions in the country without exception. Read
Ban on Abortions Trails in New Poll — Washington Times

A South Dakota ballot measure to ban almost all abortions in the state is likely to fail by a wide margin, a new poll says. Read
Ky. Diocese Bars Pro-Life Group from Churches — The Christian Post

A northern Kentucky Catholic diocese has barred an anti-abortion group from its churches and forbidden its priests from handing out the literature from the organization. Bishop Roger Foys of the Diocese of Covington, Ky., issued a note to priests last week saying priests should have "no involvement" with Northern Kentucky Right to Life and to remove all of the group's materials from diocese facilities and churches. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Pouch Delivers a Shot in a Pocket — Food USA Productiondaily.com

A new flexible stand up pouch is designed for packaging shots of alcohol for the convenience market. According to a 2005 Packaging Trends Report, seven of 10 respondents said they would choose one product over another because of its packaging. The Pocket Shot package was designed to function as a combination of product and promotion to address the need for convenience in today's highly mobile lifestyle. Called the Pocket Shot, the concept was created by Jarrold Bachmann, who devised the idea for the product after seeing the workers at his farm in South Africa buy simple, crude 25 ml plastic sachets of alcohol to celebrate payday. Read
Study: Some Nonsmoking Sections Worse For You — WRAL

A new study shows state-of-the-art ventilation systems used to clear cigarette smoke from bars and restaurants don't eliminate dangerous soot and carcinogens. Read
Mayor Mistakenly Hands Out Sex Number — Yahoo News

The mayor personally distributed thousands of fliers discouraging underage drinking only to find they mistakenly contained the phone number for a sex talk line. Read
Red Cross Announces Major Overhaul — Boston Globe

The American Red Cross, stung by criticism of how it handled Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11 attacks, announced plans yesterday for a major overhaul that would include slashing its 50-member board and reducing the influence of presidentially appointed overseers. Read
FBI Reviewing Wis. Town's River Deaths — AP

The FBI said Tuesday it will review evidence in the drowning deaths of eight young men in La Crosse-area rivers over the past nine years. All eight disappeared from taverns in the southwestern Wisconsin college town, and police have said for years that they believed all eight were drunk and simply fell in. Read
'Supermice' Cure Cancer in Ordinary Cousins — London Telegraph

"Supermice" which appear immune to cancer have started to reveal their secrets in research that could open up a new front in the war against the disease. Read
Colombian Anti-Drug Assault Aimed at Europe — The Seattle Times

Colombia's vice president is taking a hard-hitting anti-drug message to Europe, complaining about cocaine-snorting celebrities who he says are financing the drug-fueled civil conflict bleeding this South American nation. Read
Christian Health Plan May Face Ban — The Christian Post

State insurance regulators are trying to bar a Christian group from offering a medical cost-sharing program in Kentucky. Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate set a bench trial for Wednesday to consider a request by the Kentucky Office of Insurance for a permanent injunction banning Christian Care Ministry from doing business in the state. Read
New Drug Policy Alliance/Zogby Poll Finds 45 Percent Support Making Cigarettes Illegal — Zogby.com

Drug Policy Alliance Warns that Criminalizing Cigarettes would have Disastrous Consequences: Including Black Market Violence, Filling Prisons with Millions of Smokers Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Is Abstinence the Answer? ABC Poll
Christian Worldview For Children: Training The Heart and Mind of a Child to Follow Christ — Worldviewweekend.com

This book has now been released. Read
Attorney Offers Evidence of Anti-Christian Bias at Univ. of Wisconsin — AFA

"Pagans, yes. Christians, no." That's how a constitutional attorney is describing the attitude permeating the public university system in Wisconsin. Read
Gallaudet Dumps Incoming President — AOL News

In the end, the incoming president of the nation's only liberal arts university for the deaf was given no choice. Read
Most Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years — The Barna Group

Transitions in life are rarely simple. Some of the most significant and complex shifts that people undergo occur during the transition from adolescence to early adulthood. An important part of that maturation is the refinement of people's spiritual commitment and behavior. A new study by The Barna Group (Ventura, California) shows that despite strong levels of spiritual activity during the teen years, most twentysomethings disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years — and often beyond that. In total, six out of ten twentysomethings were involved in a church during their teen years, but have failed to translate that into active spirituality during their early adulthood. Read
Student Causes Stir with Hitler Costume — The Boston Globe

A Brooklyn high school student caused a stir when he showed up for class dressed as Adolf Hitler for Halloween.

Alerts Walter Petryk, 16, defended his costume Tuesday, insisting it was a satire of the Nazi dictator. Read
After the Storm, Students Left Alone and Angry — NYT

Many teenagers in New Orleans are living on their own or with relatives, separated from their displaced parents. Read
Scientists Wade into Evolution Dispute — The Christian Post

Alarmed by attacks on evolution in the classroom, a group of scientists has recruited a candidate of its own for the Ohio Board of Education. The scientists, calling themselves Help Ohio Public Education, are backing former Rep. Tom Sawyer, D-Ohio, over Republican incumbent Deborah Owens Fink, who has pushed for students in science class to be taught information for and against evolution. Read
Ugandan Pastor to Share 'Remarkable' Success of Abstinence Program — The Christian Post

Ugandan "True Love Waits" Pastor Andrew Mwenge will speak about the effectiveness of the program in the combat against HIV/AIDS infection in Uganda and other parts of Africa at Lifeway Christian Resources' headquarters in Nashville. Read

Gambling

U.S. Law Causing Turmoil in Online Gambling Industry — Starnewsonline.com

LONDON, Oct. 31 — The online gambling industry is undergoing a seismic shift just weeks after a new law cut off much of the business in the United States. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

U.S. Troops Abandon Checkpoints in Sadr City — AOL News

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday ordered the lifting of joint U.S.-Iraqi military checkpoints around the Shiite militant stronghold of Sadr City and other parts of Baghdad — another apparent move to assert his authority with the Americans and appeal to his Shiite support base. Read
U.S. Deaths in Iraq for October Hit 104 — The Washington Times

Bombs struck a police patrol, a market and a bridge in Baghdad today as violence across Iraq left more than 20 people dead and police searched for dozens of Shi'ites abducted by suspected Sunni gunmen along a dangerous highway north of the capital. Read
Border Security at Midterm — Zogby.com

President Bush's signing of a bill yesterday authorizing 700 miles of new security fencing along the U.S. southern border marks what appears to be the final stage of the Republicans' campaign strategy. Fortunately for them, it looks like it could be a winning one. Read
We Need Voter ID For Honest Elections — Eagle Forum

In at least six states, the crucial issue in the November 2006 election may turn out to be whether or not voters must present photo ID. Since we have to show government-issued ID in order to board a plane, cash a check, enter a federal building, and for many trivial pursuits such as buying alcohol or renting a video, why not make it a requirement in order to verify that you are a legal voter? Read
Sunni Leader Dismayed by Easing of Security in Sadr City — CNN.com

The Sunni Arab vice president of Iraq suggested Wednesday that the easing of the crackdown in Baghdad's volatile Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City may be emboldening members of Shiite death squads. At a news conference, Tariq al-Hashimi — a top Sunni political voice in Iraq — added he thinks the security situation is deteriorating largely because the Shiite-led government isn't doing enough to take on militias. "Are we sending the wrong message to the terrorists?" al-Hashimi asked, referring to the possibility that Shiite death squads would exploit the opening of selected checkpoints. Read
Muslim Voters Could Sway Close Contests — Zogby.com

WASHINGTON — Muslim voters strongly oppose the war in Iraq and tilt toward Democrats in next month's congressional elections, a poll released Tuesday by a leading Islamic civil-rights organization has found. The poll, sponsored by the Council on Islamic-American Relations, suggested a potential voting bloc that could affect close races in the midterm elections Nov. 7. Read
Dobbs: U.S. is Best Democracy Money Can Buy — CNN.com

We're now less than a week away from our midterm elections, and Republicans and Democrats are down to their final tens of millions of dollars in media buys, their hyperbolic rhetoric all but expended and their candidates all but exhausted. Read
Kerry: It Was a 'Botched Joke' — CNS News

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says comments he made Monday that appeared to imply that American troops were uneducated were a "botched joke" intended to insult President Bush. Read
Bogus Boarding Passes Stir Uproar; FBI Seizes Creator's Computers — Washington Post

Christopher Soghoian said he was simply trying to highlight a flaw in the nation's airline-security procedures when he put a tool on his Web site letting anyone create fake boarding passes, but federal authorities didn't see it that way. Read
Thousands of U.S. Weapons Given to Iraq Missing — Washington Times

Thousands of weapons the United States has provided Iraqi security forces cannot be accounted for, and spare parts and repair manuals are not available for many others, a report to Congress states. Read
Pro-Life California Rep. Duncan Hunter to Explore Presidential Bid — LifeNews.com

California congressman Duncan Hunter, who is pro-life, says he is exploring a potential presidential bid in 2008. Hunter, a Republican who has represented the San Diego area for 26 years, would provide pro-life advocates with another alternative to abortion advocates such as Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki. Read
Iran Offers Cash to U.S. Tourists — CNN.com

Iran will offer cash incentives to travel agencies to encourage Western tourists to visit the country, giving a premium for Americans, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The Islamic republic's political leadership has been trying to reach out to ordinary Americans to show that a standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions is with the Bush administration — not U.S. citizens. Read
Tennessee Could Change Senate — Newsmax.com

The Harold Ford-Bob Corker U.S. Senate contest in Tennessee has taken on the aura of historic drama — with the fate of the GOP's control of the Senate hanging in the balance. Read
IRS May Lose Money on Delinquent Collections — USA Today

First phase of program to turn tax debts over to collection agencies unpredictable. Read
Activist Arrested for Halloween Stunt — HeraldTribune.com

The lawyer who divulged President Bush's drunken-driving arrest days before the 2000 election was arrested Tuesday after he was spotted on a highway overpass wearing an Osama bin Laden Halloween costume and holding a toy gun. Read
Wages, Benefits Up at 2-Year Best Pace — The New York Sun

Wages and benefits paid to American workers rose in the July-September period at the fastest pace in more than two years. Read
Voting Machines Used in 'Rigged' Chavez Election — Newsmax.com

The controversy swirling around Smartmatic Corp. — which supplies voting machines to many U.S. states — doesn't begin with the recent reports that the company has links to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's regime. Read
AWOL Soldier to Surrender at Fort Knox — AP

A U.S. Army soldier who fled to Canada rather than return to Iraq said Tuesday he was traveling to Fort Knox to surrender to military authorities. Kyle Snyder, a former combat engineer, left the U.S. in April 2005 while on leave to avoid a second deployment to Iraq. Read
Bolton: Lebanon Covered Up Arms Smuggling — The New York Sun

Fearing Syrian retaliation, Lebanese politicians have failed to disclose information about the illegal flow of arms to Hezbollah, the American ambassador to the United Nations said. Read
GOP Spends $1 Million to Keep Foley Seat — Newsmax.com

The GOP is spending nearly $1 million to help replacement candidate Joe Negron win the seat once solidly held by former Rep. Mark Foley. Read
Wildfire Probe Looks at Known Arsonists — HeraldTribune.com

Investigators looking for the arsonist who set a wildfire that killed four firefighters and burned 63 square miles interviewed convicted arsonists Tuesday and picked over the spot where the blaze started. Read
Hispanics Flee Pa. Town Before Crackdown — AP

Elvis Soto's variety store used to make money. But few customers have been walking through his door lately, and his merchandise — calling cards, cell phones, car stereos, clothing — is collecting dust on the shelves. With bills mounting, Soto might have to take another job to stay afloat financially, and may even close the store. On Wednesday, a tough, first-of-its-kind law targeting illegal immigrants goes into effect in this small hillside city in northeastern Pennsylvania. But the evidence suggests many Hispanics — illegal or otherwise — have already left. Read
Man Arrested for Calif. Arson Fires — Star News Online

Authorities arrested a man Tuesday who is suspected of intentionally starting two wildfires this summer and is considered a person of interest in a blaze started last week that killed five firefighters. Raymond Lee Oyler, 37, of Beaumont was arrested on two counts of arson related to wildfires in June, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Oyler was not named as a suspect in the wildfire that started last week and roared across more than 60 square miles. Read
Donald Trump Cited for 80-Foot Flag Pole — CNN.com

Donald Trump's display of patriotism is apparently too flamboyant for this chic oceanside town. Palm Beach officials cited Trump for hoisting a large American flag atop an 80-foot pole at his lavish Mar-a-Lago estate and club. Read
Can The Economy Survive the Housing Bust? — CNN Money

Real estate downturns have a way of leading to recessions and stock market slumps. So far the damage has been limited, but the numbers keep getting worse, says Fortune's Jon Birger. Read
Cuban Diplomat Warns of U.S. Plot Modeled on Iraq to Topple Castro — USA Today

Cuba's ambassador in Venezuela accused the U.S. government on Wednesday of planning to overthrow President Fidel Castro and install a puppet regime using the invasion of Iraq as a model. In a news conference, Ambassador German Sanchez Otero warned of "an outrageous plan, written into U.S. law, to provoke the overthrow of a legitimate government ... and after that give support to a government installed by the U.S. just as they've done in Iraq." Read
Traffic Briefly Blocked Near White House — USA Today

Traffic briefly blocked near White House A man outside the Treasury Department falsely claimed to be carrying an explosive. Read
Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Help Stop Gay Pride in Jerusalem — Jerusalem Prayer Team

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders are organizing a Gay Pride Parade in the city of Jerusalem on November 10, Krystal Nacht, the anniversary of the beginning of the Holocaust in Europe. We who believe God's Word need to stand with the Jewish people to stop this desecration of Jerusalem. Add your signature to our letter of support for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Urge him to stop this abomination. Sign Petition
School 'Ethics' Group Punishes Student for Opposing Homosexual Adoption — AFA

A social work student at Missouri State University has filed a lawsuit alleging the school required her to adopt a position in support of homosexual adoption as a precondition to getting her degree. Read
Child-Porn Sting Nets 125 — Citizenlink.com

Family advocates say there's still much work to be done, though, to protect children from sexual predators. Read
A New Generation of Adults Bends — Barna

The Baby Boomer generation placed its unique stamp on the nation, including its application of morality. But how is the subsequent adult generation — the Baby Busters — reshaping the nation's norms regarding morality and sexuality? How does their lifestyle compare to biblical standards? The latest Barna Update examines the lifestyles and perspectives of adults who are in their twenties and thirties and provides challenging insights about the imprint Busters are putting on morality. To read this free report, click on the link below or go to the Barna Group's home page www.barna.org Read
The Pornography Crisis: A Time for Candor — The Christian Post

Pornography, once peddled only in darkened back alleys, is now a great American success story. In the span of a few short years, the scourge of pornography has been transformed from a vice to a commodity — one more line of merchandise on the shelf, and on the screen. America has become a pornographic society, where shocked expressions long ago gave way to sighs of resignation. Pornographic images fill the movie screens, the magazine racks, the bookstore shelves, and the computer screens of the nation. Read
Episcopal Bishop Apologizes for Handling of Brother's Sex Abuse Case — The Christian Post

The leader of the Episcopal Church's five-county Diocese of Pennsylvania sent an e-mail to clergy and lay leaders apologizing for failing to properly investigate or report sexual abuse of a minor by his brother during the 1970s. Read
Florida GOP Lawmaker Resigns After Scandal — CBS News

State Representative Came Under Fire For Leaving Obscenity-Filled Voice Mail Read

Other News

Russia Says Believes Iran's Nuke Program Peaceful — Reuters

Russia said on Tuesday it believed Iran's nuclear program was peaceful, and a political dialogue, not sanctions, must be used in talks with Tehran. Read
North Korea Wants Bank Accounts Unfrozen — Yahoo News

North Korea said Wednesday it was returning to nuclear disarmament talks to get access to its frozen overseas bank accounts, a vital source of hard currency Read
Israel May Rethink Truce Commitment — Jerusalem Post

Israel warned on Tuesday that it might rethink its adherence to the cease-fire resolution that ended Lebanon war this summer, following a United Nations report that Syria was smuggling arms to Hizbullah in Lebanon. Read
Israeli Air Strike Kills 9 Palestinians, Wounds 20 — Ynet News

The IDF is expanding its operations in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Air Force attacked the northern Gaza Strip, near Beit Hanoun, early Wednesday. IDF officials reported that at least nine Palestinian gunmen were killed and about 20 others were wounded. During the operation, a number of antitank missiles were shot at IDF soldiers. Read
China Acts to Reduce High Rate of Executions — NYT

China has faced mounting criticism for what critics say is the widespread and arbitrary use of the death penalty. Read
IDF: Hamas Setting Up Anti-Tank Unit — Ynet News

Israel Defense Forces Southern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant told members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that Hamas is setting up a new division in its military wing specializing in firing anti-tank and other missiles. Read

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Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006