Weekly Issues Alert

Miss North Carolina 2006

February 9 - 15

"The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble." --Proverbs 16:4

NC General Assembly

Black Resignation May Offer State House a 'Clean Break' — WRAL

In what could be just the first step in a dramatic fall from power, former North Carolina House Speaker Jim Black resigned his legislative seat on Wednesday and was expected to appear in federal court on Thursday. Read

Black's Letter of Resignation
New majority leader a team player — News and Observer

Rep. Hugh Holliman has finally risen to a position that would enable him to control the debate in the legislature on an issue that hits particularly close to home — the death penalty. But he says he won't. Read
Bills to test smoking tolerance — Fayetteville Observer

Lighting up in public places could become a thing of the past, and the current legislative session could become the harshest yet on cigarette smoking. Read
Other Bills Introduced:

S179, to increase penalties and take other steps to strengthen prosecution of Medicaid fraud. Sponsor: Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland.

S184, to allow jurists to list business addresses and keep their family information confidential on public statements of economic interest. Sponsor: Sen. Walter Dalton, D-Rutherford.

H183, to ban cell phone use by school bus drivers. Sponsor: Rep. Ray Rapp, D-Madison.

H184, to exempt from state income taxes the compensation paid to a member of the armed forces on active duty. Sponsors: Reps. Tim Moore, R-Cleveland; Bill Faison, D-Orange; Beverly Clary, D-Mecklenburg; Louis Pate Jr., R-Wayne.

H185, to require that voters present identification before voting. Sponsors, Reps. Tim Moore, R-Cleveland; William Current Sr., R-Gaston.

H193, to allow a $2,000 state income tax deduction for law enforcement workers. Sponsors: Reps. Mitchell Setzer, R-Catawba; Karen Ray, R-Iredell; Charles Thomas, R-Buncombe.

H215, to eliminate the transfer of money from the Highway Trust Fund to the general fund. Sponsor: Rep. Trudi Walend, R-Transylvania.

H218, to guarantee that at least 65 percent of school funding is used for classroom instruction. Sponsor: Rep. John Blust, R-Guilford.
N.C. mayors, activists demand lawmaker support on public safety — Herald Tribune

Legislative leaders welcomed a crowd of police chiefs, mayors and community activists Tuesday who want the General Assembly to make public safety this session's top priority, but warned them that funding for crime initiatives will have to compete with other needs. Read
Lawmaker Renews Effort to Hasten North Carolina Presidential Primaries — WRAL

The last time the nation chose presidential nominees, North Carolina had nothing to do with it. In 2004, a court fight over redistricting delayed the state's usual May primary elections by months. But even in a normal year, a crowded field of candidates is often well winnowed by the time North Carolina voters have a chance to pick their party favorite. Read
Democrats Line Up to Take Black's Job — ABC11TV

As former House Speaker Jim Black prepares to enter his guilty plea to a corruption charge, at least three Democrats have shown an interest in replacing him. Read

NC Courts

Black Pleads Guilty to Corruption Charge — News and Observer

Former House Speaker Jim Black pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal corruption charge, ending months of teetering on the brink as a growing list of associates were convicted of various offenses. Read
Judge Expels Klan Leader Out of Court — ABC11TV

A federal judge expelled a self-proclaimed Ku Klux Klan leader from his courtroom after the man ranted about court procedures during a motions hearing. Read
Sex assault case against Polk sheriff moves forward — Asheville Citizen Times

A judge today directed prosecutors and a lawyer for Polk County Sheriff Chris Abril to get prepared to present motions when the sexual assault case against the new sheriff comes up in court again later this month. Read

NC Lottery/Gambling

Lottery commissioner says games are doing well despite low sales — Herald Tribune

The chief executive of the state lottery commission says the lottery's operations are running very well despite lower than expected sales. The new lottery's games were projected to generate more than 400 million dollars for education in their first fiscal year, ending June 30th. But Tom Shaheen, the lottery's executive director, has said education profits may only reach 350 (m) dollars. Shaheen told the North Carolina Education Lottery Commission that his staff is working to improve sales and get more retailers to sell tickets. Read
State raffle approved — News and Observer

On July 4, four will win $1 million. Read
Video poker probe led to corruption inquiry — News and Observer

Under the Dome: The federal government's long-running probe of video poker interests — which has resulted in more than a dozen convictions since 2000 — is dubbed "Operation Double Black Diamond." Read

Other North Carolina News

Officials forming military caucus — Goldsboro News Argus

With six military bases and more than 100,000 military personnel in North Carolina, members of the state government, including Rep. Louis Pate, R-Wayne County, have decided that it's time for a more organized effort to protect those interests. Read
Death threat against Christian opponent of homosexuality — One News Now

Police in Durham, North Carolina, are investigating a death threat against Illinois family advocate Peter LaBarbera that was posted on a popular homosexual website. Read
Charlotte Church Leaders to Discuss the Radical Agenda of Homosexual Activists at Weeklong Lecture Series — Christian Newswire

Three years ago, the Human Rights Campaign, the world's largest homosexual advocacy organization, moved its annual Carolina's dinner to Charlotte. While local gay activists have applauded the HRC's presence in Charlotte, not everyone is pleased with this development. Dr. Michael L. Brown, director of the Coalition of Conscience and a nationally known Christian leader and best-selling author, is convinced that now is the time to speak up. Read
Marines getting Osprey aircraft back in flight — Herald Sun

Marine Corps crews are getting some MV-22 Ospreys back in the air this week after the fleet of 46 tiltrotor aircraft was grounded because of concern over computer chips. Read
Bank of America to pay employees who buy hybrids $3,000 — PilotOnline.com

In recent weeks, Bank of America employees in Norfolk have stopped their boss, Charles Henderson Jr., in the hallway to ask for more details. The bank, after testing its program in Boston, Charlotte, N.C., and Los Angeles, is offering $3,000 payments to its U.S. employees who buy a new hybrid vehicle. Read
$100M Gift Expands Morehead Scholarships at UNC Chapel Hill — WRAL

The widow of a Texas oil executive donated $100 million Thursday to expand the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's prestigious Morehead Scholars program. Read
Schools, Hospitals Reeling Because of Flu-like Symptoms — WRAL

Schools have closed and hospitals continue to ask people not to visit as an outbreak of flu-like symptoms spreads across the state for a second straight week. Read
Two N.C. men plead guilty in counterfeit Internet drugs case — Herald Sun

Two Pinehurst men have pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a scheme to sell counterfeit prescription drugs over the Internet. Read
15 Cases of Salmonella in North Carolina Linked to Tainted Peanut Butter — WRAL

Fifteen cases of salmonella in North Carolina possibly are linked to tainted peanut butter distributed across the country, state health officials said Thursday. Read
Duke scientist gets Pew grant to study marine protected areas — Herald Sun

A Duke University scientist has won a $150,000 grant from the Pew Institute for Ocean Science to study marine conservation in the western Mediterranean Sea. Read
Illegal immigrant charged in fatal crash — Herald Sun

An illegal immigrant has been charged with second-degree murder after leading police on a pursuit then crashing into a car and killing a pregnant 20-year-old woman. Read
VA medical center halts admissions — News and Observer

The Durham VA Medical Center has temporarily stopped admitting new patients in response to a common stomach virus that has made some patients and staff members ill. Read

Congress

Jones crosses aisle to thwart Bush — News and Observer

Shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, one of North Carolina's most conservative Republicans, crossed the aisle. He stood on the Democratic side of the U.S. House of Representatives floor, his voice cracking from emotion or overuse, and helped to dole out the minutes for some two hours of debate on the symbolic resolution condemning President Bush's so-called surge of troops into Iraq. Read
Seven-Term Congressman Dies of Cancer — The Wall Street Journal

Charles Whitlow Norwood, Jr., a blunt-spoken dentist from Augusta, Ga., who ran for Congress at age 52, dies after battling cancer and lung disease. He was 65. Read
Shuler introduces bill to expand Carl Sandburg site — Asheville Citizen Times

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler introduced a bill in the House today that would allow for the expansion of the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock Read
House Democrats Unveil Measure Denouncing Iraq Buildup — NYT

Monday's resolution was the beginning of an intense debate and political struggle that is to end in a vote on Friday. Read
Sen. Coburn Says Global AIDS Fund Unaccountable — Citizenlink

Sunshine amendment added to spending-authorization bill. Family advocates on and off Capitol Hill are calling on Congress to demand information from an international organization that receives massive amounts of tax dollars to fight AIDS. Read
Democrat Nelson embraces black pro-life leaders — One News Now

Speaking at a recent National Black Pro-Life Union event, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson said Congress must do more to promote a culture of life that honors life at every stage. The Democratic lawmaker told black pro-life leaders that his faith compels him to unite with them in their efforts to end abortion. Read
Business Seeks to Defeat Bill on Unions — The Wall Street Journal

Business interests plan a full-scale assault on legislation to ease union organizing, a showdown with Democrats' labor allies. Read
NY congressman's 'flippant' pro-homosexual remarks questioned — One News Now

The president of the Center for Military Readiness says not only was a New York congressman misinformed, but he was also disrespectful toward Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her recent testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Democrat jokingly suggested that the Bush administration may fear a "platoon of lesbians" more than terrorists in Baghdad. Read
Congressman Sued Over Firm's Collapse — AP

A former stockholder in a technology company sued a beleaguered congressman and a former business associate Tuesday, claiming they bilked stockholders by using business funds to pay bribes. Read
Genetic Nondiscrimination Bill Would Not Cover Preborn Babies — Citizenlink.com

The House Education and Labor Committee considered a bill this afternoon that could subject some people to discrimination based on their genetic information — the very thing it is supposed to prohibit. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

One Year Later, Golden Mosque Is Still in Ruins — NYT

It has been a year since Sunni insurgents ripped a hole in the glorious dome here of one of Iraq's most sacred Shiite shrines, shattering its 72,000 golden tiles and unleashing a tide of national sectarian bloodletting. Not a single brick of the mosque has been moved since. Read
Family Advocates Dispute Study Backing Homosexual Adoption — Citizenlink.com

A new study contends adoptive couples, specifically homosexual partners, invest more time and money in their kids than biological parents — but there's little data to support the claim. The research from Indiana University and the University of Connecticut seeks to dispute the age-old notion that kids are better off being raised by their natural parents. Read
US: Anti-American cleric has fled Iraq for Iran — Jerusalem Post

Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr fled Iraq for Iran ahead of a security crackdown in Baghdad and the arrival of 21,500 US troops sent by President George W. Bush to quell sectarian violence, a senior US official said. Read
People to Rally for Marriage in Connecticut — Citizenlink.com

The Family Institute of Connecticut Action will hold a rally on the steps of the state capitol in Hartford next week aimed at getting the message to lawmakers that people want marriage protected. Read
Spot Mill Launches New Marketing and Media Resource for Churches and Ministries — Christian Newswire

Citing a growing reliance on marketing and new media by American churches, Spot Mill is introducing a unique print and video-based media resource package for churches. Read
Christian Groups Seek to Send Prayer Delegation to Iraq to Pray for Peace — Christian Newswire

The Christian Defense Coalition is leading an effort to hold a week long prayer vigil in Baghdad. The purpose of the prayer vigil would be to seek God for His divine intervention in bringing healing and peace to the Republic of Iraq. The groups have been having discussions with Iraqi officials in Washington, D.C. and recently sent a letter to Prime Minister al-Maliki seeking permission to hold the prayer meetings in Baghdad. While the delegation is in Baghdad, they would be coordinating a week of prayer and fasting with thousands of churches in America for the future of Iraq. Read
No Rest for a Feminist Fighting Radical Islam — AOL

Ayaan Hirsi Ali came to the attention of the wider world in an extraordinary way. In 2004 a Muslim fanatic, after shooting the filmmaker Theo van Gogh dead on an Amsterdam street, pinned a letter to Mr. van Gogh's chest with a knife. Addressed to Ms. Hirsi Ali, the letter called for holy war against the West and, more specifically, for her death. Read
Pope Calls Italian 'Defacto Union' Bill Subversive — World Congress of Families Agrees — Christian Newswire

On Monday, Pope Benedict XVI sharply criticized a proposed law, just approved by the Italian cabinet, granting co-habiting couples certain legal rights. The pope called the pending law a "subversive" plan. Read
India Militants Kill Christian Public Servant; Violence In Other States — Worthy News

Suspected militants have killed a 58-year-old practicing Indian Christian and former public servant because of his faith in Christ, a senior human rights official told BosNewsLife Monday, February 12. Read
Black and White Christian Music Fans Come Together at ChristianMusicDaily.com — Christian Newswire

The new ChristianMusicDaily.com Web site is unique because it brings together two different worlds: white contemporary Christian pop/rock music and black Gospel. Read
Mexico: Persecution of Christians in Chiapas Accelerates — Worthy News

Persecution of evangelical Christians in the southern state of Chiapas "is accelerating daily in the indigenous regions," according to the National Bar of Christian Lawyers. Read
Believing Scripture but Playing by Science's Rules — NTY

As a paleontologist and a creationist, Marcus R. Ross has produced academic work that contradicts his own beliefs. Read
CMDA Calls On U.S. Officials To Lead Effort Helping Medical Providers Recognize Human Trafficking Victims — Evangelical News

The 16,000-member Christian Medical Association (www.cmda.org) today called on President Bush, federal agencies and healthcare providers to organize medical specialty groups to lead a national educational campaign aimed at helping healthcare providers recognize, report and treat victims of human trafficking, or modern-day slavery. Doctors and nurses are in a vital position to recognize and report victims, whose captors take them to hospitals and clinics for health care when victims' labor is hampered by injury or disease. Read
Church to Pay $500K Over Shark Poaching — AP

The church founded by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon agreed to pay $500,000 to restore damaged habitat — and avoid prosecution — in the case of a pastor who poached baby sharks from San Francisco Bay, federal prosecutors said Monday. Under the "non-prosecution agreement," the Unification Church's payment will go toward a $1.5 million fund to undo the environmental damage inflicted by the pastor's bizarre scheme, the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco said. Read

Courts

Journalists take stand in Libby's defense — LA Times

Bob Woodward and others say the Cheney aide wasn't the one who told them about CIA agent Valerie Plame. Read
Myspace Wins Sex Abuse Suit — Forbes

A court rules MySpace isn't liable for the assault of a female minor by a predator who met her through the site. Read
California Embryonic Stem Cell Research Initiative Gets Appeals Court Hearing — LifeNews.com

A state appeals court held a hearing Wednesday on the lawsuit brought against Proposition 71, the ballot measure that created the state agency that would spend billions of taxpayer dollars on embryonic stem cell research. A judge previously ruled the proposition was constitutional. Read
US Supreme Court asked to decide legal battle between states over same-sex unions — One News Now

The question of whether one state can be forced to recognize the same-sex civil unions of another state — even when the first state's citizens have voted overwhelmingly against civil unions and homosexual "marriage" — will come before the U.S. Supreme Court. Read
InnerChange prison program appeal on appeals court docket — One News Now

A federal court in Missouri will hear an appeal Tuesday of a judge's ruling to shut down a faith-based prisoner rehabilitation program. Prison Fellowship, which sponsors the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, feels the case is important because it could affect the future of similar programs across the country. Read
Class-Action Law Gums Up Courts — Forbes

Two years after Congress moved most class-action cases to federal courts, the backlog is huge. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Rudy Giuliani Says He's Running for President, Abortion a Turnoff — LifeNews.com

Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday night that he is definitely running for president in 2008. However, his pro-abortion stance will likely turn off a large percentage of the pro-life voters who make up the overwhelmingly majority of the Republican Party voters he'll need to secure the nomination. Read
Low Turnout Undercuts Portugal Vote on Abortion — NYT

A referendum to liberalize the abortion law was approved, but turnout was too low for the result to be deemed valid. Read
Eight States Funding Pro-Life Pregnancy-Resource Centers — Citizenlink.com

Eight states are granting tax money to pro-life pregnancy-resource centers (PRCs): Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Louisiana. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Auto insurers play hardball in minor-crash claims — USA

If you are injured in a minor car crash, chances are good that you will be in the fight of your life to get the insurance company to pay all the medical costs you incur — even if the accident was no fault of your own. That's what CNN discovered in an 18-month investigation into minor-impact soft-tissue injury crashes around the country. Those are accidents in which there is little damage to the vehicle and the injuries to people are not easy to see by the naked eye or conventional medical tools like X-rays. Read
Deadly Abuse of Methadone Tops Other Prescription Drugs — AOL News

Methadone, a painkiller that has been used to treat heroin addicts for decades, has emerged as an increasingly popular and deadly street drug, joining narcotics such as Vicodin and OxyContin as frequently abused prescription drugs. Read
Scalia's Daughter Charged With DUI — AOL News

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia 's daughter was arrested this week and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and child endangerment, officials said Wednesday. Read
Edwards' Health Care Plan Includes Taxes — AOL News

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards called for a tax increase to ensure health care coverage for all as part of a plan that also would require businesses to provide insurance. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Kansas Rewriting Science Standards — AP

The Kansas school board, long ridiculed for its resistance to teaching evolution, prepared Tuesday to repeal rules backed by social conservatives and switch to science guidelines that embrace Charles Darwin's mainstream theories. Read
Teenagers Misbehaving, for All Online to Watch — NYT

Dozens of teenage boys hovered outside Deer Park High School Thursday afternoon, some holding schoolbooks, some holding skateboards and some holding camera-equipped cellphones to record the proceedings. "There's going to be a fight," said one boy with shaggy hair over his eyes. "Anything funny or crazy that people would want to see and talk about, we tape it and post it online." Read
The British Have Arrived: They're Reviewing City Schools — New York Sun

...the visitors were reviewers from the British company Cambridge Education, which has a contract with the Department of Education valued at about $6.4 million a year to evaluate how city schools evaluate themselves. Read
The Force (of U.S. Culture) Is Strong With These Kids — USA Today

It turns out that, during the course of their English studies, Chinese students get English names and in many cases are allowed to pick their own. Kuan chose Anakin, telling a stranger without irony, "I gave it to myself." Read
We Media conference comes to campus — Zogby

Approximately 250 media practitioners, from old school journalists to new age bloggers, joined members of the business and technology communities for the third iFOCOS We Media conference. The University of Miami hosted this year's conference, with most of the sessions taking place in and around the Storer Auditorium. Read
Hallowed halls or school for scandal? — LA Times

Forget about the steamy scenes in the television shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "ER." In a Los Angeles courtroom this month, allegations began unfolding of sex among residents and doctors in the psychiatry department at UCLA's medical school that rivals anything in those hospital procedurals. Read
Code Blue: Churched Students and Families in Final Throes of Worldview Crisis — Christian Worldview Network

The church in America is in critical condition. Christian adults and young people alike embody worldviews that are no different from those outside the church. Jesus' warning in Revelation 3:16 should be ringing in our collective ears: "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth" (HCSB). Separation from Christ means spiritual death follows quickly. For that reason, Worldview Weekend has declared CODE BLUE for America's church. Urgent action is vital, or the vibrant Christian faith we all should be sharing will soon be dead. Read

Related: An Emerging Church in their own words
Teacher Convicted in Porn Case — Herald Tribune

Until recently, Julie Amero says, she lived the quiet life of a small-town substitute teacher, with little knowledge of computers and even less about porn...She was convicted last month of exposing seventh-grade students to pornography on her classroom computer. She contended the images were inadvertently thrust onto the screen by pornographers' unseen spyware and adware programs. Read

Gambling

Lotteries Long for 'Jackpot Fever' — USA Today

To lottery players, $100 million ain't what it used to be. A seven-month streak of jackpots that were big, but not gigantic, has sent traditional lottery sales plummeting in many states. In the past six months, Mega Millions sales are down 30% in Texas compared with a year earlier and 38% in Massachusetts. Powerball sales are off 6% in Wisconsin. The USA is suffering from "jackpot fatigue," lottery officials say. Read
Casinos win $196.9 million in January — Herald Tribune

Louisiana's state-licensed casinos won $196.9 million in January, down slightly from a year ago when a post-hurricane boom shoved more money through fewer outlets, state police reported Tuesday. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics

Crashed Copter Was Shot Down in Iraq — AOL

A Sea Knight helicopter that crashed last week northwest of Baghdad was shot down, the U.S. military said Wednesday, reversing earlier statements that it appeared to have been due to mechanical failure. Read
U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq at 3,125 — AP

As of Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, at least 3,125 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 2,497 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. Read
EU accuses governments of allowing CIA flights — Int'l Herald Tribune

The European Parliament approved a report Wednesday that accuses Britain, Germany, Italy and other European nations of turning a blind eye to CIA flights that transported terrorism suspects to secret prisons in an apparent breach of EU human rights standards. Read
Giants meet to counter US powerJeremy Page in Delhi — FOX

India, China and Russia account for 40 per cent of the world's population, a fifth of its economy and more than half of its nuclear warheads. Now they appear to be forming a partnership to challenge the US-dominated world order that has prevailed since the end of the Cold War. Read
Court-martial begins for Marine accused of murder — Herald Tribune

A court-martial began Tuesday for a Marine accused of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man. Lance Cpl. Robert B. Pennington, 22 of Mukilteo, Wash., was in a squad of seven Marines and a Navy corpsman who were arrested last year on suspicion of kidnapping and murder. Read
National Guard Families Face Hardship — AP

Daphne Chaniz-Rico had picked out her dress, put down a deposit on a country club for her reception, and reserved a photographer. All she was lacking for her July wedding was one groom. But now the 20-year-old is scrambling to reschedule what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life after her fiance, Michael Barreca — a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard — was told that his unit would have to stay in Iraq an extra four months as part of President Bush's push for more troops in the region. Read
Al Qaeda Publication Calls on Jihadists to Attack Oil Facilities That Supply U.S. — Fox News

An article published last week in a slick Al Qaeda online magazine calls on jihadists in the Arabian Peninsula to follow a directive from Usama bin Laden and attack "oil interests that provide the Crusaders with oil." Read
Army Post Opens Its Own Hip-Hop Nightclub — AOL

Deciding too many soldiers were dying behind the wheel after partying out of town, Fort Stewart commanders spent $300,000 turning a defunct sports bar on the Army post into Rocky's, a bar and nightclub that aims to mimic the after-hours party scene of Savannah's hippest spots. Knowing booze and dance tunes wouldn't be enough, commanders also eased security restrictions at the post's front gate to encourage civilians — namely women, who get free admission between 10 p.m. and midnight Fridays and Saturdays — to party at Rocky's, which opened in November. Read
Uncle: Abducted U.S. soldier appears in video — CNN

The uncle of an Iraqi-American U.S. soldier abducted last October in Baghdad identified his missing nephew Wednesday in a video posted on a militant Shiite Web site. U.S. Army Sgt. Ahmed K. Altaie was kidnapped October 23 while serving as a translator for the U.S. military and has since been listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown." Read
U.S. Says Powerful Iraqi Cleric Is Living in Iran — NYT

Officials suggested that the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr might have fled Iraq to avoid being captured or killed during the U.S. crackdown. Read
Bush to Allow 7,000 Iraqi Refugees Into U.S. — AOL

The Bush administration plans to allow about 7,000 Iraqi refugees to settle in the United States over the next year, a huge expansion of a program at a time when this country is facing international pressure to help some of the millions of refugees who have fled their battle-torn nation. Read
Security Devices Falter in Rail Tests — AOL/USA Today

An ambitious test of machines for checking subway and rail passengers for bombs failed to find a technology that can reliably stop terrorists such as those who attacked trains in Madrid and London, according to a Homeland Security Department assessment. Read
State Farm suspends Miss. policy sales — Pilot Online

State Farm Insurance Cos. is suspending sales of any new commercial or homeowner policies in Mississippi starting Friday, citing in part a wave of litigation it has faced after Hurricane Katrina, a company official said Wednesday. Mike Fernandez, vice president of public affairs for State Farm, said Mississippi's "current legal and political environment is simply untenable. We're just not in a position to accept any additional risk in this homeowners' market." Read
Army Giving More Waivers in Recruiting — AOL

The number of waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds has grown about 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003, Department of Defense records show. Read
Time to Put English First — Human Events

One of the most frequent complaints I hear when I'm out traveling and speaking to groups is the lack of importance given to English as the language of success in the United States today. Whether it's the government's printing election ballots in other languages or bilingual education, Americans are concerned about the future of English as a unifying bond in our country. Read
Mont. Drivers Would Have to Know English — AP

State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would require drivers to prove proficiency in English before receiving a license. Read
Candidates Find A New Stump In the Blogosphere — The Wall Street Journal

Nearly a year before the first caucuses and primaries take place, the 2008 presidential campaign advertising war is under way online.

Candidates of both parties are already buying space on search engines, blogs and other Internet sites popular with political junkies and potential donors. With 18 candidates vying for the most open race for the White House in 80 years and front-runners on both sides announcing plans to forgo public financing, the 2008 election promises to be a huge revenue opportunity, not just for TV broadcasters. Read
Islamic Jihad threatens US interests — Jerusalem Post

Americans would be in danger if the United States harms Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah, a senior official in the group said Tuesday, after Washington offered up to $5 million for the arrest of Shallah. Read
Nashville Mayor Nixes English Only Rule — AP

Even supporters acknowledged that the bill to make English the official language of Nashville was mostly a symbolic slap at illegal immigration. But even that was too much for Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. He vetoed the measure Monday, saying it was unconstitutional, unnecessary and mean-spirited. Read
VA Notifying 1.8M of Missing Data — AP

The Department of Veterans Affairs began notifying 1.8 million veterans and doctors Monday that their personal and business information could be on a portable hard drive that has been missing from an Alabama hospital for nearly three weeks. Read
North Korea Agrees to Nuclear Disarmament — AOL News

Pyongyang to Receive Fuel Oil for Shutting Down Main Reactor Read
Navy May Deploy Anti-Terrorism Dolphins — AP

Dozens of dolphins and sea lions trained to detect and apprehend waterborne attackers could be sent to patrol a military base in Washington state, the Navy said Monday. In a notice published in this week's Federal Register, the Navy said it needs to bolster security at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, on the Puget Sound close to Seattle. Read
Federal Deficit Drops As Revenue Rises — ABC News

The deficit for the first four months of the current budget year is down sharply from the same period a year ago as the government continues to benefit from record levels of tax collections. Read
Clinton Reminds New Hampshire, I'm With Bill — NYT

As she made her first outing to New Hampshire as a presidential candidate last weekend, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton left her husband at home, yet she tried to tap his old political magic at nearly every turn. Read
Bernanke Signals Comfort With Rates, But Ready to Increase if Necessary — The Wall Street Journal

Bernanke signaled he's comfortable with current interest rate levels but stands ready to raise rates if inflation doesn't moderate as the Fed expects. Read
FBI Laptops, Weapons Continue to Vanish — ABC News

More than 300 laptop computers and guns were lost by the FBI in a nearly four-year period, according to a new Department of Justice inspector general's report. Read
Gates Counters Putin's Words on U.S. Power — NYT

"One cold war was quite enough," the defense secretary said, disputing a critique of American power by Russia's president. Read
Arabs Fear the U.S. and Israel, Not Iran — Zogby

U.S. and Israeli hopes of forging of a Sunni Arab alliance to contain Iran and its regional allies may be misplaced, at least at the popular level, according to a major survey of six Arab countries released last week. The face-to-face survey of a total of 3,850 respondents in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates found that close to 80 percent of Arabs consider Israel and the United States the two biggest external threats to their security. Only six percent cited Iran. Read
Russian Goals Have Never Changed — Human Events

Thank you, Vladimir Putin. Thank you for confirming that the Cold War is very much alive and that you and your nation is responsible for keeping it so. Read
Arabs Want France, China as World Superpowers — Zogby

Adults in five predominantly Arab countries are divided on which nation should dominate global affairs, according to a poll by Zogby International released by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. 19 per cent of respondents would prefer to have France as the only world superpower, while 16 per cent pick China. Pakistan is third on the list with 14 per cent, followed by Germany with 10 per cent, the United States with eight per cent, Russia with seven per cent, and Britain with four per cent. Read
Chrysler to Cut 13,000 Jobs — AOL News

In the next three years, 13,000 Chrysler workers will lose their jobs under a wrenching restructuring announced Wednesday that eventually may lead to a DaimlerChrysler divorce. Read
Coke's Net Profit Falls 22% On CCE Impairment Charge — The Wall Street Journal

Word Count: 496 | Companies Featured in This Article: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Enterprises

Coca-Cola Co. reported a drop in its fourth-quarter net income due to impairment charges at its largest bottler, but revenue rose and surpassed Wall Street's expectations. Read
Al Franken Enters Minnesota Senate Race — AOL News

Comedian Al Franken said Wednesday he will run for the Senate in 2008, challenging Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. Read
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Terror Group Warns U.S. to Keep Hands Off Its Leader — Fox News

A deadly Palestinian terror group bent on the destruction of Israel warned the U.S. to leave its Syrian-based leader be, or face "a wave of violent attacks." Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Immorality/Obscenity

Pro-Gay Distortions: Adopted Kids Did Worse — Christian Newswire

The Associated Press reported a new study showed that adoptive parents "invest more time and financial resources in their children than biological parents" and thus challenges "arguments that have been used to oppose same-sex marriage and gay adoption." "Way off the mark," said Dr. Paul Cameron, chairman of the Family Research Institute, a think-tank in Colorado Springs. Read
Pornography Greater Threat to Children and Teens than National Study Indicates — Christian Newswire

The threat of pornography to children and teens is even more serious than indicated in research results just reported in the current issue of "Pediatrics," a veteran expert in the field said today. University of New Hampshire (UNH) researchers reported in the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics that 42 percent of Internet users ages 10-17 surveyed said they had seen online pornography in the previous year. Of those, 66 percent said the exposure was unwanted. Read
Hardaway Displays Honesty and Stupidity — AOL News

...Asked to comment on the former NBA role player's decision to announce that he's gay, Hardaway decided to be John Rocker honest.

"If he was on my team," Hardaway said, speaking of Amaechi, "I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that." Read
Use of the Words 'Natural Family' Ruled Hate Speech — Christian Newswire

"This case has the potential to make a horrible judicial edict that suggests that the only thoughts and words allowed in a public workplace are those that support the homosexual agenda." — Attorney Richard Ackerman Read
A Neighbor Moves in With Ropes and Shackles, and Some Are Not So Pleased — NYT

Some San Franciscans are unhappy that a landmark building is being used by a pornography company devoted to bondage and sadomasochism. Read
ELCA urged to obey scripture — One News Now

Last week, a discipline hearing committee within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ruled that an Atlanta pastor, who is an avowed practicing homosexual, be removed from the church's clergy roster in August — but that the policy bringing about that decision be overturned prior to that. The president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy is encouraging leaders of the ELCA to return to God's Word regarding homosexuality. Read
N.J. Gay Marriage Foes Gather Signatures — AP

Gay marriage opponents launched a petition drive Monday in hopes of persuading lawmakers to amend the state constitution to include a definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Read
Sergeant Who Posed Nude Taken Off Duty — AOL News

An Air Force drill sergeant who posed nude for Playboy magazine has been removed from active duty, she and the Air Force said Wednesday. Michelle Manhart, who appeared in a six-page spread in Playboy's February issue, said she got word Friday that she was removed from "extended active duty" and was also told that she was demoted from staff sergeant to senior airman. Read
Montana Lawmakers Hope to Crack Down on Porn — Citizenlink.com

The Montana House Judiciary Committee is considering legislation that would help keep obscenity out of the hands of minors, the Great Falls Tribune reported. Read
Pornography and public officials — AmericanDecency.com

"... At the Cutlerville Fire Department, officials are limiting Internet access after somebody used computers, including one in a rescue vehicle, to view porn — perhaps thousands of pornographic images. However, the system has no filter ...." Read

Other News

Iran arms Iraqi insurgents — Washington Times

Iran is supplying deadly shoulder-fired missiles and armor-piercing bombs to Iraqi insurgents, along with TNT, triggering devices, rockets and other weapons that are killing and injuring hundreds of U.S. and allied troops, a U.S. military intelligence report made public yesterday says. Read
Too late to halt Iran's nuclear bomb, EU is told — Financial Times

Iran will be able to develop enough weapons-grade material for a nuclear bomb and there is little that can be done to prevent it, an internal European Union document has concluded. Read
North Korea Agrees To Shut Down Nuclear Facilities Within 60 Days — All Headline News

North Korea has reached an agreement with the U.S. and four other nations to shut down its nuclear-related facilities within 60 days in exchange for 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil or other aid, a Chinese diplomat announced on Tuesday. Although the agreement leaves it undecided as to when the actual removal of North Korea's nuclear weapons — that the country may have stockpiled — will take place, diplomats see it as a significant step forward. Read
Former Mossad chief: Assassinate Ahmadinejad — Ynet News

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should "be made to disappear from the arena," Meir Amit, a former director of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, advocated in an exclusive interview with WND. Read
Olmert: Israel Will Have To Surrender Golan For Peace With Syria — All Headline News

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that Israel will have no choice but to part with the Golan Heights if it ever wants peace with neighboring Syria. Read
Only nuclear bomb can stop Israeli digging, Egypt MP says — Ynet News

"That cursed Israel is trying to destroy al-Aqsa mosque...Nothing will work with Israel except for a nuclear bomb that wipes it out of existence." Mohamed el-Katatny of President Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) told the Egyptian Parliament. Read
Syria Bars Iraq Refugees, Crisis Worsens — Washington Post

Syria, the last Arab country welcoming large numbers of Iraqi refugees, is now all but closing the gates and leaving 40,000 Iraqis who flee their country each month with almost no place to go. Read
Olmert, Abbas clash over agenda of trilateral summit — Ha'aretz

Israeli and Palestinian leaders are embroiled in a bitter dispute over what topics should be on the agenda of next week's trilateral summit. The summit, involving Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, is scheduled to take place in Jerusalem on Monday. Read
Water for the Poor — Establishing 1,000 New Wells in Ethiopia, Africa — Christian Newswire

The Blair Foundation announces today, they have accepted the invitation of President Yaregal Aysheshim to establish a well in 1,000 of his poorest villages in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. Using a new and innovative technology, The Blair Foundation is drilling wells in villages not accessible by conventional and otherwise expensive drilling rigs. At a cost of $687 per well, this new and cost effective technology will utilize local materials for both the drilling and the construction of the well and pump and covers all materials, labor and training. Read
Bomb kills 11 on military bus in Iran — Pilot Online

A car loaded with explosives blew up near a bus carrying members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in southeastern Iran on Wednesday, killing 11 of them and wounding 31. An al-Qaida-linked Sunni militant group reportedly claimed responsibility. The semi-official news agency Fars reported that the militant group Jundallah, or God's Brigade, issued a statement saying it carried out the blast. But officials did not confirm the claim, blaming "insurgents and drug-traffickers." 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