Weekly Issues Alert

January 2 - 4

"There is a higher law than the Constitution." --William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State 1861-1869

"The Constitution is the supreme law of our land and it governs our actions as citizens. Only the laws of God, which govern our consciences, are superior to it." --President Gerald R. Ford, announcing his pardon of President Nixon, Sept. 8, 1974

NC General Assembly (RECONVENES ON JANUARY 24, 2007)

Perdue Floats Permanent N.C. Government Efficiency Panel — Herald Tribune

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue wants to create a commission that will study ways the General Assembly can save taxpayer money. Read
Holliman Seeks Position of Majority Leader — The Sun News

Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson, plans to seek the majority leader's post in the state House of Representatives after cutting short his bid to become the next House speaker. Read

NC Courts

Court of Appeals Rejects County's Challenge to DOT — Herald Sun

The N.C. Court of Appeals has rejected a challenge by Durham County to the authority of the N.C. Department of Transportation, ruling that the county can't rely on its "sovereign immunity" to fend off eminent-domain lawsuits filed by the state agency. Read
Appeals Court: Herald-Sun Didn't Defame — Herald Sun

The state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a judge did not err last year in throwing out a defamation lawsuit filed against The Herald-Sun by former County Commissioner Joe Bowser. Read

NC Lottery

N.C. Lottery is Off Target — Raleigh News and Observer

North Carolina's lottery sales have tumbled since July, and the game's director predicts that — under the best scenario — the lottery will generate $75 million less for education than projected in the current state budget. Read

North Carolina Politics

Edwards Still Doesn't Get It — Townhall.com

So, John Edwards has thrown his hat into the presidential ring. Unfortunately, he has a losing message. Read

Other North Carolina News

California Jurist Named Duke's New Law School Dean — Herald Tribune

A federal judge in California will be the next dean of Duke University's law school, the university said Wednesday. Read
Missing N.C. Twins Found in Canada — AP

A biological mother accused of kidnapping her 17-month-old twins from their adoptive parents in North Carolina has been arrested in Canada, and authorities say the children are safe. Read
Pastors See Revival Igniting in WNC — Citizen-Times

A group of Haywood County pastors believe spiritual revival is spreading through Western North Carolina.According to them, the flame ignited in Maggie Valley last spring with an evangelistic youth conference at the Stompin' Ground that drew more than 2,000 people, then it spread into a September event at Lake Junaluska with 1,800 in attendance. Churches from neighboring counties began praying, feeling led to cross over denominational lines to bring their faith to the entire region. Read
Union Schools Prohibit Paddling- The Charlotte Observer

Narrowly passed, formal ban follows 2 years of heated debate Read
Goodyear Will Call Back all Workers — The Courier-Tribune

When Goodyear workers in Fayetteville and other plants across the country return to work this week, they will be followed soon by local workers at the Goodyear wire plant in Asheboro. Goodyear's Asheboro plant will resume normal operations beginning the week of Jan. 8, according to Ami Brei, the company's communications manager. All employees will be called back to work during that week. Read
Ruling benefits Ag-Mart — Raleigh News and Observer

State vows to still pursue case involving pesticides. Read
State Prosecutors Getting Federal Help in Child Sex Cases — Herald Sun

Until the state Legislature changes prison sentences for people who distribute child pornography, local prosecutors are getting help from federal officials in putting pedophiles in prison. Investigators in Harnett County discovered 228 video clips and 124 still photos of child pornography — including some involving a toddler — on Christopher Paul Brady's computer. Read
N.C.-Based Jets Selected for Ford Funeral Flight — Herald Tribune

Ground crews for 21 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets from a North Carolina base painted the nose of eight planes with a tribute for the flyover at Gerald R. Ford's funeral in Michigan. Read
Usher Charged With Stealing From Church Collection Plate — WRAL

After a tip that a 75-year-old usher was stealing church donations, Cary police performed an undercover sting in the middle of Sunday Mass. Read
Robeson Board Gives Approval to Ethanol Plant — Herald Tribune

Robeson County's commissioners have approved a plan to build an ethanol plant powered by methane gas from the county landfill. Read
Blue Ridge Parkway Spokesman Retires after 35 Years — Herald Tribune

Phil Noblitt knew he was in heaven the first time he stepped onto the pastoral Blue Ridge Parkway. His office was the 469-mile scenic byway from Cherokee to Shenandoah, Va. And his job was to speak for the most visited national park site in the country. Read
Special License Plates for Museum, Paramedics to Hit North Carolina Roads — WRAL

Drivers in North Carolina can now show their support for war widows, fox hunters, paramedics and a flight museum by ordering specialized license plates. Read
Verizon Wireless Invests USD 146 Million in North Carolina — SDA Asia Magazine

Verizon Wireless has invested USD 146 million in 2006 to improve the company's voice and data wireless network across North Carolina, increasing the company's six-year investment to over USD 531 million. Read
North Carolina Saltwater License Law Takes Effect Tonight — The Virginian-Pilot

Every year, as coastal waters get colder, Virginia anglers find themselves traveling farther and farther south — often into North Carolina waters — to stay on top of schools of striped bass. Fuel prices have made the trip more expensive the last couple of winters. Now there's a new cost. North Carolina finally has joined the ranks of states that require saltwater anglers to have a license. The new license goes into effect at midnight tonight. Read
North Carolina Teens Arrested in Theft of Prescription Drugs — AccessNorthGa.com

Police arrested two North Carolina teenagers Saturday after confiscating more than 140 bottles of stolen prescription drugs from their hotel room. Read
After Deal Rejected, Minister Pleads Guilty To Killing Wife — WRAL

A Sanford minister pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing his wife and stuffing her body in the trunk of her car more than two years ago. Read
Billy Graham Organization Sells Summer Camp — Citizen-Times

Billy Graham organization sells summer camp to local foundation The Billy Graham Evangelical Association sold its summer camp for $5 million to a local foundation that plans to revive the facility, the foundation's president said Wednesday. Read

Congress

Pelosi Elected as First Woman to Lead House — ABC News

Nancy Pelosi, a California liberal who helped engineer the Democratic takeover of the U.S. Congress from President George W. Bush's Republicans, on Thursday became the first woman elected to lead the U.S. House of Representatives. Read
Democrats take power on Capitol Hill — Guardian Unlimited (UK)

A new era of US politics began today as Congress convened with the Democrats in control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the first time in 12 years. Read
Bush Stakes His Ground — Raleigh News and Observer

He pushes his priorities but says he's ready to work with democrats. Read
GOP Wants 'Minority Bill of Rights' in House — Citizenlink

Responding to Democrats' plans to essentially cut them out of the House lawmaking process for at least the next month, some Republican members of Congress are pushing for a "Minority Bill of Rights" that would ensure their voices are heard. The move comes after soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced plans to bypass the usual bill-making process — committee work-ups of legislation and opportunities for the minority party to offer amendments — in an effort to fast-track an agenda that will include increased federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research and a hike in the U.S. minimum wage. Read
Democrats Promise Action on Ethics, Iraq — Times-News

Congressional Democrats stepped hungrily to the brink of power on Wednesday, promising immediate action to limit the influence of lobbyists and constant prodding of the Bush administration to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Read
House Democrats Break Promise to Work with GOP — Citizenlink

Plans to introduce a flurry of bills, without the collaboration of Republicans, is fueling an already-divisive political climate in D.C. Read
McHenry leads GOP against Pelosi — Raleigh News and Observer

On the eve of a new Congress being heralded by its Democratic leadership as ushering in an age of bipartisanship, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry of Hickory led a group of Republicans on Wednesday in accusing Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi of hypocrisy. Read
Lawmakers Defend Foreign Policy Efforts — Boston Globe

Frustrated with the Bush administration, members of Congress are traveling to countries with poor diplomatic relations with the United States to conduct their own negotiations with leaders the president has refused to meet. Read
Democrats to Start Without GOP Input — WorldNet Daily

Agenda includes minimum wage, stem cells, student loans Read
Difficult year is predicted for Congress — Chicago Tribune

When the 110th Congress convenes Thursday, it will be a historic moment as the Republican Party turns the gavel over to Democrats in both the House and the Senate and the first woman takes her place as House speaker. Read
Bush: Congress Must Limit Pork Spending — New York Sun

President Bush said Wednesday he'll submit a proposal to balance the budget in five years and exhorted Congress to "end the dead of night process" of quietly tucking expensive pet projects into spending bills. Read
Lawmaker to Repay Cost of Abramoff-Financed Trip — Herald Tribune

Rep. Tom Feeney has agreed to pay the costs of a 2003 trip to Scotland that apparently was paid for by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, leaders of the House ethics committee leaders announced Wednesday. Feeney, R-Fla., contacted the committee in March 2005, after news reports said the trip was financed by Abramoff, not the sponsor that the lawmaker reported on a public disclosure form. The media reports also said the trip was mainly recreational. Read
Ex-Congressman Collapses at Ford Funeral — AP

Former Rep. William Broomfield, 84, collapsed during President Gerald R. Ford's Capitol funeral ceremony Saturday night. The Michigan Republican, who served in the House from 1957 to 1993, part of the time with Ford, was laid out on the floor of the Rotunda and Sen. Bill Frist, a physician, went to his aid. Broomfield later was taken out in a wheelchair. Read
Democrat Might Consider Troop Boost in Iraq — ABC News

President George W. Bush is likely to link any short-term increase in U.S. troop levels in Iraq to political milestones or other conditions, a key Senate Democrat said on Thursday, saying he might consider backing such a "surge" if those conditions are right. Read

Courts

Year In Review: Found Guilty, Evangelical Christian Navy Chaplain Says He'll Appeal — Agapepress

In September a military jury found Navy chaplain Lieutenant Gordon James Klingenschmitt guilty of disobeying an order by appearing in uniform during a March 30 news conference outside the White House. Read
Judge: Army Can Resume Hawaii Training — AP

An Army unit that had been barred temporarily from training in Hawaii can resume some exercises as it prepares to deploy to Iraq next year, a federal judge ruled Friday. Read
'06 Rife with Judicial Tyranny — Citizenlink

Pacific Justice Institute issues Hall of Shame list. Read
Family Group: Mitt Romney Chose 'Gay' Marriage — Activist Says Massachusetts Court Admits it Couldn't Force Change — WorldNet Daily

A leader of the Parents' Rights Coalition in Massachusetts says he believed all along that Gov. Mitt Romney chose to implement "gay" marriages in that state, and now a court has confirmed that it did not have the power to order that change. Read
Chief Justice Roberts Says Low Pay Threatens Judiciary — Sfgate.com

New attorneys often earn more than seasoned judges Read
Court: Mich. Schools Can't Admit on Race — AP

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that three Michigan universities should not have been given a six-month extension to comply with parts of a new state law banning some public affirmative action programs. Read
Courts Gets Case Of Grandparental Visitation Rights — New York Sun

The state's highest court is set to hear a case today about grandparent visitation rights, an issue so constitutionally troublesome that the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 issued six conflicting opinions on the topic in a single case. Read
Judges Uphold Law on Inmate Religion — AP

In a ruling favorable to an inmate who sued after a Virginia prison denied his request for kosher meals, a federal appeals court on Friday upheld a federal law that protects the religious rights of incarcerated people. Read
FBI: Rehnquist Withdrew from Painkillers — CNN

The FBI on Wednesday released 1,561 pages of documents on Rehnquist to news organizations and scholars in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act following Rehnquist's death in September 2005. An additional 207 pages were withheld under the federal disclosure law, and the FBI said an entire section of his file could not be found. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Update on Dr. Kennedy's Health — Monday, January 1st From Brian Fisher, Executive Vice President,

Coral Ridge Ministries

Dr. D. James Kennedy suffered a cardiac arrest at his Fort Lauderdale home on Thursday evening, December 28. Dr. Kennedy remains hospitalized at this time, however he has made very encouraging progress in the last few days. He is off life support, sitting up, and speaking with family. Read
People's Will Triumphed in Bay State Marriage-Amendment Vote — Citizenlink

A last-minute move by the Massachusetts Legislature that may allow voters to decide the definition of marriage is proof that your voice matters. Read
Give...your opinion in our poll on Islam and America — AFA

In the last few years, America has become more aware of the Muslim religion and the growing number of Americans who are Muslims. Would you take a minute to give us your opinion of Islam and America. Results will be posted at AFA.net. The poll will close at midnight, January 15 Read
Is America Ripe for a Mormon President? BBC News

My heart sank when I first received the call. It was from a very swish public Read
Canada Wants Study on Effects of Same-Sex Marriage on Families — Citizenlink

A coalition of pro-family Canadian organizations is calling for the government to appoint a royal commission to study marriage and family issues — a study that would inevitably revive the debate concerning same-sex marriage, the Vancouver Sun reported. Read
Muslims Shout at Jesus' Home: 'Islam Will Dominate World' — WorldNet Daily

March through town of Nazareth 'meant to intimidate Christians' Read
Christian Culture Analyst Recaps 2006 Church Trends, Future Directions — Agapepress

Christian researcher George Barna has outlined what he considers his most significant findings for 2006. Among these is his assessment that only 15 percent of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as their top priority. Read
Christian Woman Facing Fight for Sons — WorldNet Daily

Battle is over husband's desire to see them 'good Muslims or dead' Read
Church Official: ECUSA's Future Depends on Leaders' Return to God's Word — Agapepress.com

An official with the Institute on Religion and Democracy expects to see the current conflicts within the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) continue throughout the coming year, including schism over the current liberal leadership and direction of the denomination. Read
Iran Website heralding 'Mahdi' by springtime

State media: Shiite messiah to kill archenemy in Jerusalem, may arrive during next equinox Read
Christian Leaders: Unknown to Most — Agapepress

According to a recent study from The Barna Group, major Christian leaders are widely unknown — even among fellow Christians. Read
Christian Consultant Helps Business Owners Build Wealth, Become Givers — Agapepress

A Christian businessman from Texas is helping people create new business opportunities and then enabling and encouraging the entrepreneurs he assists to share their success with others Read
CWA's Bridge Project Equips Mexican Leaders to Fight Human Trafficking — Agapepress

Concerned Women for America says its Bridge Project has reached 7,000 people across Mexico in an effort that sponsored 17 training sessions to train Mexican nationals for leadership in the fight against sex trafficking. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Pro-Life Group Wants to Know How Judicial Candidates Stand on Issues — Citizenlink

Wisconsin Right to Life has filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to strike down rules that prohibit judicial candidates from answering questions about personal views, The Associated Press reported. Read
Cloned Animals in Food Supply a Bad Step, Groups Say — Agapepress

A Colorado-based political party says it is "disgraceful" that the FDA appears to be willing to risk the public's health by giving preliminary approval last week for meat and milk from cloned animals to appear on supermarket shelves in the foreseeable future . Read
Abortion Kills 7,000 Unborn Girls in India Daily — Reclaimamerica.org

The United Nations (UN) has issued its 2007 State of the World's Children report, and it says that sex-selective abortion kills approximately 7,000 unborn girls in India everyday. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Edwards Pushing Universal Health Care — Boston Globe

Democratic presidential contender John Edwards says it is more important to invest in universal health care and lifting people out of poverty than to reduce the budget deficit. Read
Heart Disease Linked to War Stress — Chicago Tribune

A groundbreaking study of 1,946 male veterans of World War II and Korea suggests that vets with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are at greater risk of heart attacks as they age. Read
Weight-Loss Marketers Fined For False Ads — CBS News

FTC Socks 4 Firms $25M For Claims That Products Would Help Users Weight, Cut Risk Of Major Illnesses Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Year In Review: Study Shows Sex-Laden Lyrics Catalyst for Teens Having Sex — Agapepress

It might have an academic-sounding title, but the findings of a study about the effects of lyrics in teens' music might accurately be summed up in a phrase found in the common vernacular — "garbage in, garbage out." Read
Planned Parenthood Targets Kids — Citizenlink

World's largest abortion provider luring teenagers with MySpace page. Read
Arizona's Colleges Struggle to Enforce New Tuition Statute — Americans for Legal Immigration

Arizona's universities and colleges don't know how they will deal with undocumented students nearly two months after voters passed Proposition 300, leaving students uncertain about tuition costs and their education. Read
Ministry Spotlights 'Grand' Role of Older Generations in Youngsters' Lives — Agapepress

A Christian ministry is trying to help grandparents create spiritual bonds with their grandchildren. Read
Geneva College Files Religious Freedom Lawsuit — Reclaimamerica.org

Geneva College, a Christian college in Pennsylvania which self-identifies as being "rooted in the evangelical and reformed traditions," has filed a federal lawsuit against non-discrimination laws which were employed to keep Geneva from advertising job openings limited to Christian candidates. Read
Student Shot to Death at Wash. School — AP

One student was shot to death in a high school hallway as classes were starting Wednesday morning, and police arrested another student found wandering in a neighborhood a few miles away, officials said. Read
Drug-Proofing Your Kids — Citizenlink

How to Drug Proof Your Kids (DPYK) aims to equip parents with the strategies needed to more effectively steer their children away from the harmful use of drugs. Read

Gambling

Looking in On: Gaming — Las Vegas Sun

regulators haven't yet studied whether new rules are needed to govern private equity funds, the multibillion-dollar investment vehicles that are now all the rage on Wall Street and that have recently been approved to buy into a handful of Nevada casinos. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Interactive Feature: Faces of the Dead — NYT

The United States has reached another grim milestone in the war in Iraq: 3,000 military deaths. Read

Related
Bush's top lawyer Miers resigns — BBC News

Ms Miers been a trusted and loyal adviser to Mr Bush. White House counsel Harriet Miers has submitted her resignation, Washington has said. Read
Mourners Bid Farewell to Ford — Washington Times

Thousands of visitors yesterday again lined up at the U.S. Capitol to say a final goodbye to Gerald R. Ford, recalling the 38th president as a healer to a country sharply divided by Watergate and the Vietnam War. Read
New Video Shows 5 Kidnapped in Iraq — Times-News

Four Americans and an Austrian abducted in November in southern Iraq spoke briefly and appeared uninjured in a video believed to have been recorded nearly two weeks ago and delivered Wednesday to The Associated Press. Read
Man Recalls Rescue on NYC Subway Tracks — WRAL

It took only an instant for Wesley Autrey to decide to jump into a subway track to rescue a stranger from an oncoming train. Read
Minutemen Suspect AZ Governor's Troop Care Package Ban Was Personal — Agapepress

An official with the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps believes politics was behind Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano's recent decision not to allow the Minutemen to deliver care packages to National Guard troops. Read
Dorchester Considers Penalties for Hiring Illegal Immigrants — Americans for Legal Immigration

Dorchester County officials are set to get back to work on a proposal to crack down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants. "I can tell you it's a high priority," said Councilman Larry Hargett, chairman of the safety committee that will study an ordinance introduced in November. Beaufort County got the ball rolling last year with a proposal to revoke the business license of any company that knowingly hires illegal workers. Dorchester County is considering a similar ordinance. Read
Illegal Border Crossing Methodology — AP

The Associated Press analyzed 60,349 responses to a survey by El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, a Tijuana, Mexico-based, government-funded research center, from July 1999 through June 2005. The year 2000 represents July 1999 through June 2000; the year 2001 represents July 2000 through June 2001, and so on. The responses do not reflect all illegal border crossers. The surveys were limited to illegal immigrants captured and returned to Mexico by the U.S. Border Patrol and illegal immigrants who successfully crossed within the previous three years and returned to Mexico voluntarily. Read
Romney to file paperwork for 2008 bid — Brietbart.com

Delays action by 24 hours out of respect for Ford funeral services Read
2007 Economic Forecast: Dollar Decline, Recession — WorldNet Daily

Analysts cite increasing foreign aversion to U.S. currency, see continue gold rise Read

Related
Revealed: Rudy's '08 battle plans — NY Daily News

It's clearly laid out in 140 pages of printed text, handwriting and spreadsheets: The top-secret plan for Rudy Giuliani's bid for the White House. Read
Feds: Crisis Communications Subpar In U.S. — CBS News

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will release the findings of a new report Wednesday that finds that five years after 9/11, many U.S. cities still have ineffective disaster communications plans, CBS News has learned. Read
Real U.S. Shortfall: $4.6 Trillion in Red — WorldNet Daily

'Taxing 100% of all wages, salaries, corporate profits would not eliminate a deficit of this magnitude' Read
Rush to Hang Hussein Was Questioned — NYT

American officials are said to have questioned the political wisdom — and justice — of expediting the death of Saddam Hussein. Read
Dollar May Fall On Report Showing U.S. Manufacturing Weakening — Bloomberg

The dollar may fall ahead of a report expected to show the U.S. manufacturing sector slowed in December, adding to speculation the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates later this year. Read
7 New Orleans Cops Surrender Amid Cheers — Herald Tribune

Seven police officers charged in a deadly bridge shooting in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath waded through a roaring crowd of supporters on their way to jail, accepting hand shakes and hugs along the way. Jeers from several protesters only made the cheers grow louder. Read
NJ Panel Urges Death Penalty Abolishment — AP

A special commission recommended abolishing capital punishment in the Garden State and replacing it with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, saying the death penalty costs taxpayers more than paying for prisoners to serve life terms. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Update on Ford Boycott — AFA

Join the 641,892 who have signed the BoycottFord.com pledge. Read
Veto Means Alaska Must Implement Same-Sex Benefits — Citizenlink

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has vetoed a bill that would have given the state government more time to address a state Supreme Court ruling mandating same-sex partner benefits to state employees, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Read
Environment a Determinant in Marriage-Gender Decision, Says Study — Agapepress

Mark Twain said once: "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." If environmental factors in sexual orientation could talk, they might say the same thing. Read
New Year, New Laws

Special rights for gays on the rise, but traditional marriage gets new protection, too. With the new year has come a raft of new laws — a mixed bag for family advocates as laws guaranteeing special rights for homosexuals are in vogue, even while the defense of marriage movement remains strong. California leads the way with some of the most liberal laws to hit the books in 2007. Barbara McPherson, legislative affairs coordinator of the California Family Council, told Family News in Focus her state has expanded its definition of gay-hiring rights. "Faith-based organizations could be included in that mix," she said, "and that means that they could actually have complaints filed against them and fines and removal of state funding." Read
Year In Review: MySpace Faces Lawsuit After Teen User's Alleged Assault by Web Predator — Agapepress

In June a multimillion-dollar lawsuit accused the popular social networking site MySpace.com of failing to protect minors from adult sexual predators Read
Former Joint Chiefs Chairman No Longer Opposes Letting Gays Serve Openly in Military — ABC News

The Army general who was Joint Chiefs chairman when the Pentagon adopted its "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays says he no longer opposes allowing them to serve openly. Read
Japan TV Apologizes for "Topless" New Year's Eve Shock — Reuters

Troupe of dancers in skin-colored body suits had Japanese national broadcaster NHK apologizing to viewers of its New Year's Eve music special for what seemed to be a full-scale Janet Jackson-style wardrobe malfunction. Read

Other News

Long-Serving Jerusalem Mayor Dies — BBC.co.uk

Israeli Labour party veteran Teddy Kollek, who served as Jerusalem mayor for nearly 30 years, has died aged 95. Read
Italy Urges Global Execution Ban — BBC.co.uk

Italy will campaign at the United Nations for a global ban on the death penalty, the country's Prime Minister Romano Prodi has said. Read
Survey of Arabs in Six Countries Probes How Middle East Conflicts Impact Economic Development Across the Region — Zogby

Many Arabs have a less optimistic outlook for the future this year than they did a year ago — and many believe recent conflicts in the Middle East have had a negative impact on economic development, a recent Arab Business Council of the World Economic Forum/Zogby International poll in six Arab countries shows. Read
Israel raids Ramallah before Olmert-Mubarak summit By Mohammed Assadi — Yahoo News

Israeli forces mounted a rare raid into the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, killing three Palestinians, while a spasm of factional fighting among Palestinians in Gaza left five dead. Read
Israeli and Egyptian Leaders to Meet Amid Calls for new Mideast Peace Push — USA Today

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in Egypt on Thursday to meet with key Mideast mediator Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday in a summit aimed at breathing new life into the long-stalled peace process. Read
Somalis, Ethiopians Engage Islamists — CBS News

Somali troops, Ethiopian soldiers fight 600 Islamic militiamen in south; Kenya closes border Read
France's Chirac to Call Joint Legislative Session for Vote on Constitutional Changes — USA Today

French President Jacques Chirac said Thursday he would call a joint legislative session to vote on three changes to the French constitution before the end of the current parliamentary session in late February. 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