Weekly Issues Alert

November 3 - 9

"If the people fail to vote, a government will be developed which is not their government... The whole system of American Government rests on the ballot box. Unless citizens perform their duties there, such a system of government is doomed to failure." --Calvin Coolidge

History of Veterans Day

The Christian Action League of North Carolina Would Like to Thank the Veterans of All Wars For Their Service to Our Country

11/07/2006 NORTH CAROLINA UNOFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - Read

NC General Assembly

Unofficial Results for 2007 NC House General Election (11/7/2006) Read
Unofficial Results for 2007 NC Senate General Election (11/7/2006) Read
Democrats Tighten Grip on Legislature — Raleigh News and Observer

Democrats appeared to be strengthening their hold on the legislature Tuesday night, even as House Speaker Jim Black was clinging to his Mecklenburg County seat by seven votes. Unofficial returns indicate that Democrats could pick up as many as five seats in the House, which would give them a solid 68-52 majority. Senate Democrats were looking to pick up two seats, which would give them a 31-19 edge. Read

NC Courts

Election Results for NC Supreme Court Read
Election Results for NC Court of Appeals Read
State Fights for Restricting Sexually Oriented Businesses — N. C. Family Policy Council

The State of North Carolina is fighting in federal court to defend a law passed in 2003 that restricts conduct in sexually oriented businesses that serve alcohol. According to the Associated Press, North Carolina Solicitor General Christopher Browning appeared before a three-judge panel of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, October 24 requesting that the court reverse an opinion by a federal district court that found the law unconstitutional. The North Carolina Family Policy Council worked with the N.C. Attorney General's office, the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, and the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission to get the law passed in the 2003 Legislative Session. This is the latest action in a five-year battle over conduct in "strip-joints" located in the Tar Heel State. Read

NC Gambling

State Stings Lottery Ticket Vendors For Sales To Minors — WRAL

Lottery ticket vendors across the state got slap on the wrist from regulators who sent in teenagers to play the games and found they were able to buy tickets at dozens of stores _ though it's against the law. A two-month investigation by state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents resulted in 91 misdemeanor citations for stores that sold tickets to customers under 18. Read

Other North Carolina News

Lejeune Marines Die in Iraq — Raleigh News and Observer

Two Marines from Camp Lejeune were killed Nov. 2 in combat operations in Iraq's Al Anbar province, The Defense Department reported today. Read
Business : North Carolina Gets Top Ranking in 'Site Selection' Magazine — Lincolntribune.com

North Carolina is No. 1 for Fifth Time in Last Six Years Read
Textile Plant In Scotland County To Close, 800 Will Be Laid Off — WRAL

Textile manufacturer WestPoint Stevens will close a Scotland County plant and layoff more than 800 workers by April 2007, officials said Monday. The Bob Stevens Fabrication Plant in Wagram, which makes towels, will close part of its manufacturing facility by mid-January. The distribution facility will close by April, said Jim Frank Henderson, president of the Laurinburg/Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce. Read
Parents Contract at 4 Schools Spurs Controversy — Raleigh News and Observer

Parents of children at four poor-performing high schools are being asked to sign a pledge that they will do their part to improve achievement by monitoring homework, encouraging good behavior and getting their children to school on time. Read
Cost of Unwed Teen Birth in N.C. Measured — N. C. Family Policy Council

In addition to the negative consequences for society, teenage childbearing has tangible economic costs as well, according to a new report. Report
N.C. School: Sorry for Pregame Nazi Talk — AP

Part of a Nazi leader's speech was played over the public address system before a high school soccer game, prompting an apology by the home team's principal. Read
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Marijuana Possession — Tyler Morning Telegraph

A North Carolina man has been sentenced to five years in prison for possessing 168 pounds of marijuana in Smith County. Read
Wreck Suspect May Be Illegal Alien — Raleigh News and Observer

Drunken driving is alleged in the accident that killed three people near Sanford. Pastor Rios Sanchez, 55, is being held in the Lee County jail on $75,000 bail and a 48-hour immigration detainer. Read
Capitol Broadcasting Could Get Naming Rights For New Durham Arts Plaza — WRAL

Durham city leaders could vote Monday to give Capitol Broadcasting, WRAL's parent company, naming rights for a new performing arts plaza. Capitol Broadcasting would pay $300,000 a year for up to 20 years for naming rights. Read
North Carolina Company May Have Discovered Fountain of Youth — MMD Newswire

Nutragon LLC , a three year old North Carolina start up company seems to have discovered what Ponce de Leon spent a lifetime searching for- a product that may be the key to adding healthful longevity. Nutragon LLC has spent the past three years developing an all natural product that contains very large concentrations of the new wonder drug resveratrol. Read
North Carolina Severs Sudan Financial Ties — UPI

In protest of atrocities in Sudan, North Carolina has pulled its state retirement funds from nine companies with links to the Sudanese government. Read
False Lawyers, Advisers Scam Immigrants Across N.C. — WRAL

Sham attorneys and legal experts are cheating thousands of dollars out of immigrants across North Carolina by preying on the fear that they could be forced to leave the country, Latino advocates and genuine immigration lawyers say. The problem is growing as raids against illegal immigrants and calls for tougher enforcement of residency laws drive people to seek legal help without the ability to make sure their counsel is legitimate. Read
Mercy Sisters to Move Leadership Office to North Carolina in 2008 — St. Louis Review Online

In a letter this week announcing the changes, president Sister Jane Mary Hotstream, RSM, said, "Throughout our 175-year history, the Sisters of Mercy have been dedicated to serving persons who are poor, uneducated and sick, and those who are in need of compassion, especially women and children. We have modified and changed our structure many times over the past 175 years, always adapting to meet the current needs and to address changes in our membership. This is a new moment with new opportunities for us and for all who work with us. Read
High School's Teachers Escort Kids To Bathroom — WRAL

Students Are Also Escorted To Cafeteria Read
North Carolina Records First 2006 Flu Cases — NBC17.com

The state Laboratory of Public Health has confirmed the first two cases of flu in North Carolina this year. Both were in Yancey County in the western part of the state. Both patients tested positive for influenza B, but those tests are preliminary. Read
The Game Sued By North Carolina Cops — Sixshot.com

The Game is being sued by a group of North Carolina Police officers that arrested the rapper in a Greensboro mall back in 2005. Read
Jacksonville Police Arrest 25 In Citywide Drug Bust — WRAL

More than two dozen people face felony charges as a result of a citywide drug sweep aimed at street-level dealers. Thirteen of the 25 arrested were picked up Saturday as part of the Jacksonville Police Department's operation "No Rest." Read
North Carolina youth named National Ambassador for March of Dimes — Carolina Newswire

Seven-year-old Ezekiel "Zeek" Taylor of Durham, North Carolina, who was born prematurely, has been named the March of Dimes 2007 National Ambassador. Read
Cascade Engineering Announces Opening of New North Carolina Manufacturing Facility — Yahoo.com

CK Technologies expects the facility, situated on 30 acres in the Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park outside of Winston-Salem, to expand to 165,000 square feet during the next several years, and add to the nearly 40 jobs the joint venture has already created in the region. The Mount Airy site was specifically selected due to its proximity, and will enable just-in-time delivery of large truck components to CK Technology customers in the area. Read
Sources: Davis Close To Accepting UNC Job — WRAL

There is heightened speculation that former NFL coach Butch Davis might become UNC's next football coach. Several Internet outlets are reporting that contract talks between Davis and UNC are in the later stages of contract negotiations. Read
Driver In Fatal Durham Crash Could Face DWI Charges — WRAL

More charges could be filed in a fatal crash that occurred Sunday morning on N.C. Highway 70 near Miami Boulevard in Durham.

Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, 36, of Durham, is charged with felony death by vehicle in connection with the accident that killed Susan Williamson, 54, of Raleigh. Three other people were injured. Read
Fourth UNC Student Diagnosed With E. coli — WRAL

Orange County health officials are investigating four confirmed cases of E. coli bacterial infections at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Read

Congress

U. S. House Election Results from NC Read
U. S Senate Election Results from NC Read
Democratic Priorities in Congress- Forbes Magazine — Read
Hastert Will Step Down — Time.com

Exclusive: The Speaker bows out of the Republican leadership after Democrats take his power. The contest to succeed him will help define the Republican Party in a new era of divided government. Read
Nancy Pelosi Plans to Drive a '100 Hour' Agenda through the House — Christian Science Monitor

Vilified in Republican campaigns across the nation as a "San Francisco liberal," Nancy Pelosi — the speaker presumptive of the 110th Congress — actually lives politics closer to her roots in the precincts and wards of Baltimore's Democratic Party machine. But she is not the backslapping, cigar-chomping variety of pol. The totems in Ms. Pelosi's office are white Casablanca lilies and San Francisco's Ghirardelli chocolates. Like many Democrats of her generation, Ms. Pelosi keeps a photograph of herself — then, a credible stand-in for Audrey Hepburn — with President Kennedy on a table in her office. But what lifted her to become the first female speaker — and second in line to the presidency — is old-school pragmatism: a practical sense of how to build power and no qualms about using it. Read
Democrats Take over House — Raleigh News and Observer

Democrats picked up at least 15 House seats formerly held by Republicans, enough to seize control of the House for the first time since 1994. Read
U.S. Senate: Lieberman Defeats Anti-War Lamont to Win Fourth Term — USA Today

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Ned Lamont, center, walks with, from left, daughter Emily, wife Annie, daughter Lindsay, and son Teddy as they leave Greenwich High School after voting in Greenwich, Conn. Sen. Joe Lieberman made a triumphant return from political limbo Tuesday, riding his independent candidacy to victory over Ned Lamont three months after the anti-war businessman toppled him in the Democratic primary. Read
Sen. Nelson's Son Arrested After Election Party — MSNBC

Charles William Nelson, 30, was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. Read

Courts

Justices Have Pointed Abortion Discourse — Boston Globe

Supreme Court justices Wednesday sharply questioned attorneys on both sides of the legal battle over what opponents call partial-birth abortions as the high court weighed whether to uphold Congress's ban on the procedure. Read
Judge Extends Block on Immigrant Law — AP

A federal judge's order temporarily blocking the city of Hazleton from enforcing a crackdown on illegal immigrants was extended Monday to give both sides time to prepare for a trial. Read
Muslim Convert Sentenced in Bomb Plot — Boston Globe

An al-Qaida operative who planned to blow up landmark London hotels using limousines packed with gas tanks, napalm and nails, and plotted to attack the New York Stock Exchange and the World Bank was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison. Read
Files of Cantwell Friend to Be Released — AOL NEWS

A judge said Thursday he intends to unseal large portions of a divorce file concerning a longtime friend and adviser to Sen. Maria Cantwell, but the records will not be made public until after next week's election. Read
Opinions Shift on International Court — UPI

A study by the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington has recorded shifting opinions from U.S. military officials on the International Criminal Court. Read
Malvo Gets Life in 6 Md. Sniper Killings — AP

Convicted sniper Lee Boyd Malvo was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for six murders in Maryland that were part of a three-week shooting spree that terrorized the Washington area in 2002. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

South Carolina | Amendment 1: Ban Same-Sex Marriage — CNN

Proposed amendment to South Carolina Constitution would specify that the institution of marriage in South Carolina consists solely of the union between one man and one woman. No other domestic union would be recognized as valid or legal. The state would be prohibited from creating or recognizing any right or claim respecting any other domestic union, whatever it may be called, or from giving effect to any such right or benefit recognized in any other state or jurisdiction. 78% Yes. Read
Tennessee | Amendment 1: Ban Same-Sex Marriage — CNN

Proposed amendment to Tennessee Constitution would define marriage as a contract between one man and one woman. 80% Yes. Read
Virginia | Ballot Question 1: Ban Same-Sex Marriage — CNN

Proposed amendment to Virginia Constitution would define marriage as a contract between one man and one woman. It would also ban the future creation or recognition of "another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage." 57% Yes. Read
Wisconsin | Referendum 1: Ban Same-Sex Marriage — CNN

Proposed amendment to Wisconsin Constitution would define marriage as a contract between one man and one woman. It also states that "a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state." 59% Yes. Read
Colorado | Amendment 43: Ban Same-Sex Marriage — CNN

Proposed amendment to Colorado Constitution would define marriage in Colorado as only a union between one man and one woman. 56% Yes. Read
Idaho | Amendment 2: Ban Same-Sex Marriage — CNN

Proposed amendment to Idaho Constitution states that a marriage between a man and a woman is the only legally valid domestic union in Idaho. 63% Yes. Read
South Dakota | Amendment C: Ban Same-Sex Marriage — CNN

Proposed amendment to South Dakota Constitution would define and recognize marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman. It would also prohibit the Legislature from allowing or recognizing civil unions, domestic partnerships or other quasi-marital relationships between two or more persons regardless of sex. 52% Yes. Read
A Sacred Mission — Newsweek

The uphill battle to save our old houses of worship. Read
God vs. Science — Time.com

God vs. Science We revere faith and scientific progress, hunger for miracles and for MRIs. But are the worldviews compatible? Read
Dobson Quits Haggard Counseling Team — AP

Citing a lack of time, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson withdrew Tuesday from the team overseeing counseling for the Rev. Ted Haggard, the evangelical pastor who was fired amid allegations of gay sex and drug use. Read
Britons Go to Church So Kids can Go to School — Christian Science Monitor

The lack of decent state-run schools and the cost of private education drive families to church schools. Read
Ousted Evangelical Condemns Gays In New Movie — WRAL

The Rev. Ted Haggard has been fired amid allegations of gay sex and drug use, but the evangelical leader can still be seen at the height of his powers — preaching to thousands and condemning homosexuality — in the documentary "Jesus Camp." Read

Related
An Evangelical Identity Crisis — Newsweek

Sex or social justice? The war between the religious right and believers who want to go broader. Read
Messianic leaders in Iraq, Iran — Ynet News

On the same day that the story of a major dictator came to an end in Iraq, experts on the Persian Gulf region posited a disturbing and imminent next chapter. Read
India State Detains Young Christians for Preaching Gospel to Hindus, Report Says — Worthy News

There was concern Monday, November 6, about the whereabouts of four Christian youngsters amid reports they were detained more than a week ago in India's southern state of Karnataka on charges of "forcible converting Hindus." Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

South Dakotans Reject Tough Abortion Ban — Myway.com

South Dakotans rejected a toughest-in-the-nation law that would have banned virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest — defeating one of the most high-profile state measures facing voters Tuesday. Read
Priests' Group Statement on Election Results: Time for Democrats to Prove our Point — Christian Newswire

These comments in the Washington Post today are, however, instructive: "The complexion of the Democratic presence in Congress will change as well. Party politics will be shaped by the resurgence of "Blue Dog" Democrats, who come mainly from the South and from rural districts in the Midwest and often vote like Republicans. Top Democrats such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) see these middle-of-the-road lawmakers as the future of the party in a nation that leans slightly right of center. In private talks before the election, Emanuel and other top Democrats told their members they cannot allow the party's liberal wing to dominate the agenda next year." Read
Morrison Slithers into Kansas AG's Office on Backs of Dead Babies — Christian Newswire

Attorney General Phill Kline was soundly defeated by pro- abortion Democrat Paul Morrison in a bitterly contentious election that centered around abortion politics. Read
California | Proposition 85: Parental Notification — CNN

Proposed amendment to the California Constitution would prohibit abortion for a minor until 48 hours after a physician notifies her parent or legal guardian, except in cases of medical emergency or a parental waiver. Lost by 54% to 46%. Read
Oregon | Measure 43: Parental Notification — CNN

Would require parental notification and 48-hour waiting period before a minor can receive an abortion. Exceptions would be provided for documented medical emergencies, not including rape or incest. Current Oregon law allows individuals 15 years or older to obtain an abortion without parental notification. 54% No. Read
Missouri | Amendment 2: Allow Stem Cell Research — CNN

Proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution known as the "Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative" would protect embryonic stem cell research. It would specifically legalize all stem cell research and therapies consistent with federal law. It would ban human cloning. 51% Yes. Read
Australia Senate Lifts Ban on Cloning — Myway.com

Australia's Senate narrowly voted to end the country's four-year ban on cloning human embryos for stem cell research, ruling Tuesday that the potential for medical breakthroughs outweighed moral doubts. Read
Abortionist Demands Inquiry into Kansas AG Practices — Citizenlink.com

Kansas abortionist George Tiller is calling for an investigation of state Attorney General Phill Kline after the host of Fox's The O'Reilly Factor reported an "inside source" disclosed that Tiller performed late-term abortions when a patient only exhibited depression, The Associated Press reported. Read
Law Firms Push into Stem Cells — Boston Globe

Many firms have been doing stem cell legal work for years, most often involving patents . But the specialty has spiked in prominence since California passed a bond measure two years ago that devotes $3 billion to stem cell research, fueling demand for related legal services. Read
Approval Sought for Human/Animal Embryo Research — ABC News

Scientists in Britain have applied for a license to create hybrid embryos using human cells and animal eggs for stem cell research to develop new treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's, stroke and Alzheimer's. Read
Care Net: Pregnancy Centers Now Key Players in Reducing Abortion — Christian Newswire

"As the tide turns in Congress, pregnancy centers will play an increasingly strategic role in the pro-life movement," said Care Net President Kurt Entsminger in response to the 2006 mid-term election results. "As the gavel is passed to abortion advocates in leadership positions, pro-life legislative advances will inevitably be shut down. In the years ahead, pregnancy centers remain the best and last hope for reducing abortion in America." Read
Couples Go on 'Procreation Vacations' — AP

It's part of a trend in which hotels around the world are luring couples who are trying to have a baby. Resorts are offering on-site sex doctors, romantic advice and exotic food and drink calculated to put lovers in the mood and hasten the pitter-patter of little feet. Read
Hong Kong Bird Flu Expert Gets Top WHO Job — Financial Times

First Chinese national to hold position Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Colorado | Amendment 44: Legalize Marijuana — CNN

Proposed amendment to Colorado state law would legalize the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana for any person 21 years of age or older. 60% No. Read
Nevada | Question 7: Legalize Marijuana — CNN

Would allow individuals at least 21 years of age to purchase, possess, use and transport up to one ounce of marijuana. Wholesale sale of marijuana would be subject to state excise taxes; retail sales would be subject to state sales tax. Fifty percent of tax revenue from the sale of marijuana would be used to fund voluntary programs for the prevention and treatment of the abuse of alcohol, tobacco or controlled substances. The other 50 percent would go to the state general fund. 56% No. Read
South Dakota | Initiative 4: Allow Medical Marijuana — CNN

Would allow individuals, including minors with parental consent, who have a debilitating medical condition to be certified to grow not more than six plants, possess not more than one ounce and use small amounts of marijuana for medical purposes. 52% No. Read
Stem cell cure for heart attacks — Daily Mail

Emergency heart attack patients will be injected with their own stem cells in a dramatic new treatment. The procedure, being pioneered by British doctors, holds out hope of a 'cure' as the stem cells repair damaged heart muscles. Read
Sign Stealing Ratchets Up Booze Battle — AOL News

Marion County (Ark.)Justice of the Peace Jim Wilson, who spearheaded the effort to legalize alcohol sales, says the issue has led to passionate arguments from both sides. Wilson said anti-alcohol forces are putting economic pressure on people who want alcohol sales to be legal. He said church groups have been particularly active in opposing the measure. "I wish I could twitch my nose and today would be Nov. 8," Wilson said. "I've got a gorilla right on my back that's never-ending. There's no way you could have convinced me these church groups would have acted this way." Wilson said if he could do it over, he would not have put forth the proposal. Read
FBI Joins Probe into Drug Warehouse Heist — Boston Globe

The sophisticated theft of millions of dollars in prescription drugs from a Mansfield distribution center has turned into a federal investigation, officials said today. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

17,000 Kids Injured Annually On School Buses — WRAL

New national data show school bus-related accidents send 17,000 U.S. children to emergency rooms each year. Read
Federal Government Clarifies Abstinence Guidelines — N. C. Family Policy Council

States that receive abstinence education funds from the federal government are free to use them to encourage young adults in their twenties to remain abstinent outside of marriage, according to revised federal guidelines. Read
Christian Student Challenges Missouri State Over Free Speech — Citizenlink.com

She says a professor coerced her to write a letter in support of gay adoption. Read
Bill Gates Says West Not Supplying Enough IT Talent — Reuters

A shortage of information technology graduates from Western universities is leading companies to call on developing countries to meet research demand, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia's internationally renowned education system became a cheap talent pool for the West. Now dozens of Russian language Web sites offer computer programming jobs in the United States, alongside visa support and language training. Read
Outraged residents beat rapist to death — Mail and Guardian Online

A man died from injuries sustained when he was beaten by outraged Motherwell residents after he raped a five-year-old girl, Port Elizabeth police said on Tuesday. Captain Verna Brink said the child's mother had told elders in the community about the rape, which took place on Saturday. The community was then mobilised to take action against the alleged rapist on Monday. Read

Gambling

Ohio | Amendment 3: Allow Slot Machines — CNN

Proposed amendment to Ohio Constitution would legalize the use of slot machines at nine different venues (seven at existing racetracks). Thirty percent of the revenue generated from the slot machines would be dedicated to new educational scholarship and grant programs. Another 8 percent would be dedicated to county and town level economic development. This proposal is named "Learn and Earn." 57% No. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq Hit 2,837 — AP

As of Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006, at least 2,837 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,275 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. Read
288 U.S. Deaths in Afghanistan, Pakistan — AP

As of Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006, at least 288 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The Defense Department last updated its figures on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006. Read
Rumsfeld to Resign — Boston Globe

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, intends to resign after six stormy years at the Pentagon. Read
Hamas Wing Urges Attacks on American Targets — AOL News

Hamas' military wing called Wednesday on Muslims around the world to attack American targets following reports that an Israeli tank strike killed 18 people in the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. Read
Lame Duck Bush is Left Crippled by a Crushing Vote of No Confidence — NY Post

The presidency of George W. Bush ended last night. The Democratic Party turned this election into a referendum on the president — and the president lost. Read
Democrats Win Majority of Governorships — Reuters

Democrats won a majority of U.S. governors' offices for the first time since 1994, taking seats from Republicans in six states and scoring a potential advantage in 2008 presidential battlegrounds. Read
Democrats Win Majority of State Legislatures — Reuters

The wave of voter discontent that put Democrats in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives also hit state legislatures, where the party won control of more chambers than Republicans. Read
Arizona Proposition 103: English as Official Language — CNN

..makes English the official language of the state of Arizona and significantly reduces government sponsorship and funding of dual language-printed material for circulation. Passed by 74%. Read
Inside Bomber Row — Time.com

How America's most dangerous criminals mix with a Who's Who of the global jihad in a Colorado prison Read
Halliburton Paid for Fuel That Sat Idle — UPI

A U.N.-sponsored audit has questioned payments made from the Iraqi government to a Halliburton subsidiary for the transport of fuel. The auditing agency's report said Halliburton subsidiary KBR, formerly Kellogg Brown & Root, charged up to $25,000 per month for as many as 1,800 fuel trucks to deliver gasoline to Iraq following the invasion in 2003, The New York Times reported Tuesday. However, the report said the trucks often spend several days or sometimes weeks idle on the border. Read
Rice: Better to have Hamas in power than in streets — Ynet News

An elected Hamas government in the Palestinian territories may be preferable to the group operating outside the power structure and carrying out terrorist actions, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday. Read
Israel Bracing for 'Year of Change' in U.S. Mideast Policy — World Tribune.com

Israel has begun to examine the prospect of cooler relations with the United States. Officials said the Israel Foreign Ministry has been drafting studies on the ramifications of the Nov. 7 elections for Congress as well as an expected U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. They said both events could lead to a revision of U.S. policies toward Israel and the Middle East. Read
Nuclear Lab Breach Could Be 'Devastating' — CBS News

The recent security breach at Los Alamos National Laboratory was very serious, with sensitive materials being taken out of the facility — possibly including information on how to deactivate locks on nuclear weapons, officials tell CBS News Read
Maryland Governor Returns $540,000 — Baltimore Sun

Campaign Skirted Donation Limits Using Federal Account Read
Guard Seeks to End Ban on Lead Bullets — Boston Globe

The Massachusetts National Guard wants to resume firing lead bullets at Camp Edwards on Cape Cod, nine years after such ammunition was banned because of fears that the toxic metal could contaminate drinking water supplies. Read
Snow: Khalilzad Not Leaving — UPI

The White House Tuesday knocked down rumors U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad would be leaving his post. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Colorado | Referendum I: Domestic Partnership — CNN

Would legalize domestic partnerships, providing same-sex couples the opportunity to obtain the legal protections and responsibilities granted to married couples under Colorado law. The measure specifies that domestic partnerships are not marriage and do not change the public policy of the state, which defines marriage as only the union of one man and one woman. 53% No. Read
Sanctions for Soldiers Who Posed Nude — AP

Female Kentucky National Guard soldiers who allegedly posed nude for pictures before being sent to Iraq will face nonjudicial, administrative sanctions rather than courts-martial, the Army said. Read
FCC: Profanity OK on News Shows — UPI

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has ruled that profanities can be used in news interviews but not on awards shows or in fictional shows. The agency reversed its finding in March that CBS's "The Early Show" was indecent when a "Survivor" contestant used the word "bullshitter" in an interview to describe a rival, the Los Angeles Times reported. Read
New York Plans to Make Gender Personal Choice — NYT

The plan would let people alter the sex on their birth certificate even if they have not had sex-change surgery. Read
Hundreds of police deployed to curb J'lem anti-gay pride parade riots — Ha'aretz

Hundreds of police forces deployed in residential areas of Jerusalem on Monday as demonstrations against the upcoming gay pride parade erupted in the city's religious neighborhoods for a second week. Read
NYC to Change ID Rules for Transgendered — AP

The city wants to make it easier for transgender New Yorkers to switch the sex listed on their birth certificate even without undergoing sex-change surgery, putting the city at the forefront of efforts to redefine gender. Under present city rules, only people who can show proof of surgery qualify for getting a revised birth certificate. Even then, the only change made is the elimination of any reference to gender on the document. Read
Doctor Photographed Nude Patients, Raped Man, Police Say — WRAL

Several Photos Show Patients Unconscious, Semi-Nude Read
Prosecutor Kills Himself in Texas Raid Over Child Sex — NYT

A prosecutor killed himself Sunday as the police tried to arrest him on charges of soliciting sex over the Internet from a person he thought was a 13-year-old boy. Read

Other News

Hamas Cabinet After Deadly Strike: Israel Must be "Erased" — Rawstory.com

The Hamas-led Palestinian government called Wednesday for Israel to be "erased" from the map after an Israeli strike in northern Gaza killed at least 18 Palestinians, including five women and four children. "Israel should be removed from existence because it is a state of gangs and animals," Hamas cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad said in a written statement sent to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. Read
Filming of Movie Brings New Tension to Daniel Pearl Case — Christian Science Monitor

The film, which stars Angelina Jolie as the slain reporter's widow, may reopen old wounds in Pakistan. Read
Leftist Headed Toward Victory in Nicaragua — NYT

Partial results indicated that Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist president, would win the presidential election. Read
Three Mexico City Buildings Bombed — LA Times

At least four homemade bombs exploded shortly after midnight Monday at the nation's electoral tribunal building, a political party headquarters and a bank. A fifth bomb at another bank was disabled by police, and a sixth failed to explode. Read
1,300 Iranians Sign Up For Suicide Missions — All Headline News

Some 1,300 Iranians have signed up for the opportunity to help liberate what they call "Palestine" by blowing themselves up among crowds of Israeli Jews. Read
Cuban Official: Castro May Not Resume Power in December — Fox News

Cuba's foreign minister backed away Monday from his prediction that Fidel Castro will return to power by early December, raising questions about the pace of the communist leader's recovery from intestinal surgery. Read
Saddam 'executed by end of year' — BBC News

Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki expects Saddam Hussein to be executed by the end of the year, he tells the BBC. Read
Israeli Forces End Gaza Strip Offensive

Israeli forces ended a weeklong offensive Tuesday aimed at halting rocket attacks from this northern Gaza town, leaving behind wrecked homes, uprooted trees and sewage-covered streets. But hours after the pullback, the Palestinian rocket fire resumed. Read
Female Suicide Bomber in Gaza Attacks Israeli Troops — LA Times

An 18-year-old Palestinian woman strode defiantly toward an Israeli army checkpoint and blew herself up Monday, slightly wounding a soldier in the latest act of resistance among women to the occupation of the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. Read
Six Arab states join rush to go nuclear — London Times

The spectre of a nuclear race in the Middle East was raised yesterday when six Arab states announced that they were embarking on programs to master atomic technology. Read
Iran Displays Massive Strike Capability — MENL

Western intelligence sources said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps succeeded in a test that concentrated massive missile and rocket fire in one area. They said the IRGC launched hundreds of missiles and rockets by remote control toward simulated targets in the Gulf. Read
The EU-Turkey Romance is on the Rocks — LA Times

After early promise, the Muslim nation's membership bid appears headed for limbo. Both sides' ardor has cooled. Read
Iran May Supply Lebanon With Anti-Aircraft Weapons — All Headline News

Iran has announced it is prepared to deliver anti-aircraft weapons to the Lebanese armed forces. Tehran's ambassador to Lebanon was quoted in the state-run IRNA agency on Sunday as saying it is a possibility. Read
Syria May Fight Israel if Golan is Not Returned — Jerusalem Post

Syria could resort to armed resistance if peace negotiations fail to make Israel give back the Golan Heights, the Syrian Information Minister said Sunday. Read
Panama wins new UN council seat — BBC News

Panama will succeed Argentina on the council. Panama has been elected as a non-permanent of the United Security Council — ending weeks of deadlock. Read
Hamas Chief: Truce With Israel Is Over — Myway.com

Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal said Wednesday that a truce with Israel is finished and his group's militants can resume fighting following an Israeli tank attack that killed 18 Palestinians. Militants will answer the deaths with "deeds, not words," Mashaal told a news conference in the Syrian capital. Read

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Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006