Weekly Issues Alert

President James Madison

March 2 - 8

"In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed, and next oblige it to control itself." --James Madison

March 11 - Daylight Savings Time Begins (Spring Forward)

NC General Assembly

Leaders unruffled by marriage bill rally — News and Observer

North Carolina's top two legislative leaders remained cool Tuesday to a proposed state constitutional ban on same-sex marriages despite a noontime rally by thousands of evangelical Christians who support the measure. Read

Related
Wright money part of inquiry Anesthetists gave $8,000 after bill killed — Charlotte Observer

The health committee of the N.C. House spent four meetings during summer 2005 debating a bill regulating — and opposed by — nurse anesthetists. It was an extraordinary amount of time for legislation with such limited scope...In the months that followed, Wright received $8,000 from nurse anesthetists and their political action committee. About $6,000 came through a Wrightsville Beach fundraiser they held for Wright in February 2006. Read
Black ally in House comes under elections board scrutiny — News and Observer

Wright dodged records requests. Read
Panel, Easley at odds — Winston-Salem Journal

North Carolina should increase its spending on mental-health care by more than $100 million, a panel of state legislators said yesterday. Read
Bill seeks earlier N.C. primaries — Charlotte Observer

By the time North Carolinians vote in next year's presidential primary, the races in each party will have long been determined.

That's why some state legislators want to move the 2008 primaries, now scheduled for May, to Feb. 5. That's the date at least 20 other states are considering as an option for their primaries, a de facto national primary day that likely would decide the nominees. Read
Statewide smoking ban gains support — News and Observer

State lawmakers in tobacco-rich North Carolina are headed for a showdown over smoking in public places. The General Assembly is considering legislation that would allow counties and other localities to regulate smoking on their own. Read
No Agreement On Execution Protocol — WPTF

The state attorney general's office says it has failed to reach an agreement with the state medical board that would allow executions to resume. Read
Reslice lottery pie, says Easley — News and Observer

Reopening a debate, Gov. Mike Easley says he thinks more money should go to his signature preschool program. Read
New senator pays visit — Roanoke-Chowan News Herald

..."Someone's getting rich and it's not the county," Jones said. "We complain Medicaid is so high, but we don't do anything about it." Read

NC Courts

Illegal Immigrant Charged In Landis Crash Pleads Not Guilty — WSOC TV

The illegal immigrant accused of causing a crash that killed a pregnant mother and her unborn baby in Landis pled not guilty to the charges against him on Thursday. Read
Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Life in Prison — WTVD

A man described by federal prosecutors as a drug kingpin for transporting thousands of pounds of marijuana to Charlotte and the Southeast is heading to prison. Read
Court says Easley can keep clemency letters private — News and Observer

Gov. Mike Easley does not have to make public letters he receives from people supporting or opposing inmates' requests for clemency, a state Court of Appeals panel ruled today. Read
State Sues Medical Board Over Death Penalty Policy — WRAL

The state Department of Correction filed suit Tuesday against the North Carolina Medical Board over the board's policy to discipline any physician who participates in an execution. Read

NC Gambling

North Carolina Players Flock Across Virginia Border To Play Mega Millions — WTKR.com

Sure, there's $120 million in the Powerball in North Carolina. But there's $370 million in the Mega Millions jackpot in Virginia, and for retailers on the border, it's just like old times. Read

NC Politics

Border fence puzzles Price — News and Observer

U.S. Rep. David Price has begun raising questions about 300 new miles of pedestrian fencing the Department of Homeland Security wants to build along the country's border with Mexico. The fence would cost an average of $3 million a mile. Read
Edwards: Jesus would be 'appalled' by country's selfishness — News and Observer

"I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs," Edwards told the site. "I think he would be appalled, actually." Read

Advocate for poor lives in $6 million mansion
Easley Sticking with Tax Numbers — WTVD

Gov. Mike Easley is sticking with numbers showing his tax-cutting plan would affect nearly 1.2 million people, but he acknowledges some in that pool aren't currently paying income taxes. Read
Edwards opts out of Fox News debate — Charlotte Observer

Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina won't participate in a Democratic presidential debate co-hosted by Fox News and the Nevada Democratic Party, his campaign said Wednesday.Read
John Edwards found to be a Hypocrite in Going After Ann Coulter for Name Calling — LifeSiteNews.com

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has asked supporters for $100,000 in "Coulter cash" to "fight back against the politics of bigotry" after the conservative commenter described Edwards' as a "faggot." However the Edwards campaign itself has perpetuated the politics of bigotry — namely against Catholics and ex-gays. Read

Other North Carolina News

Six Paratroopers From 82nd Airborne Killed in Iraq — WRAL

The six soldiers killed when a bomb exploded near their vehicles on Monday in Iraq's Salahuddin province were members of the 82nd Airborne Division, the division said Tuesday. Read
82nd Airborne Cancels Annual Celebration — Newsday.com

Too many paratroopers are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to hold the annual All American week celebration for the 82nd Airborne Division this year, a division spokesman said. Read
Muslims boycott Charlotte talk show — Charlotte Observer

Less sarcasm, more balance? Some local Muslims are urging people to boycott advertisers of WBT's "Jeff Katz Show," saying the host insults their religion. Read
Education at home — News and Observer

Home-schooled students have more activities as their numbers have grown in North Carolina Read

Related
Victory For Student First Amendment Rights And Religious Speech At N.C. School — Evanglical News

In a victory for religious free speech, Alliance Defense Fund attorneys representing a Midway High School student have secured a settlement agreement from officials with the Sampson County Board of Education. ADF filed suit after student Benjamin Arthurs was suspended for distributing materials outside of class time during the April 27 "Day of Truth" event, which allows students to present a Christian viewpoint on homosexual behavior. Read
N.C. First Lady Helps Launch Campaign Against Underage Drinking — WRAL

North Carolina First Lady Mary Easley on Tuesday joined the nations' highest medical officer to announce a nationwide campaign to help reduce underage drinking. Read
Teaching The Lessons of Drunk Driving — WBTV

There have been at least nine drunk driving crashes in three weeks. The count at WBTV is four people killed, two of them unborn babies. It's a slap in the face to a Mint Hill father. His son was an innocent victim in a crash two years ago. Read
USDA: Birds at Proposed Landing Field Could be Shot, Poisoned — WRAL

According to a report from the U.S. Agriculture Department, bird flocks at a proposed Navy landing strip in eastern North Carolina could be controlled with fireworks, chemical repellents and dogs. Read
Widening the Skills Gap in North Carolina — National Association of Manufacturers

North Carolina appears to be in the midst of a major shift of educational priorities, one guaranteed to ill-serve a large number of young people and exacerbate the "skills gap" that bedevils manufacturing in the United States. As the Raleigh News and Observer reports in this excellent account of the issue, the state's new graduation requirements will mandate additional coursework traditionally intended for students bound for a four-year college degree (specifically two courses in foreign languages and one in advanced math). Read
Report divides Duke's campus — News and Observer

A proposal challenges key areas of university life, but some say not much will or even needs to change Read
Wrong Way Driver Charged With DWI — WPTF

Police have charged a man with DWI after driving after an S-U-V drove the wrong way on Interstate 95 for 20 miles Read
Suspects in fatal crashes had lost licenses — News and Observer

Drivers in accidents that killed three people in Raleigh and Angier had DWI convictions. Tellez, 31, is being held in the Johnston County jail. Two drivers responsible for traffic crashes that left three people dead in Raleigh and Angier this week had criminal records that should have prevented them from being behind the wheel of a car, according to investigators. Both men had twice been convicted for driving while impaired. Police charged one of them with drunken driving this week, and investigators think alcohol played a role in the other crash, though the driver fled on foot before he was arrested a day later. Neither man had a valid driver's license. Read
Road tour of North Carolina's once-missing copy of the Bill of Rights comes to town — Wilmington Star

It disappeared for nearly 120 years and was saved by what normally staid public officials like to call an undercover sting operations. Now, a big scrap of North Carolina history is visiting Wilmington. Read
8,014 new students will cost millions — News and Observer

Wake County voters already facing a property tax increase from the school bond approved in the fall could be asked to dig deeper into their pockets for an extra $29.4 million to operate schools...$16.5 MILLION: Includes funding for an expected 8,014 new students, new schools, bus drivers and substitutes, English-as-a-second language teachers... Read
'Lawyer' Accused of Practicing Without License, Pocketing Clients' Money — WRAL

...The North Carolina State Bar suggests you do your homework before hiring a lawyer. The best advice is to ask around. Read
Bank Of America Finds Itself In Immigration Debate With New Card — WSOC TV

When Bank of America Corp. said it was testing a new credit card available to customers who may be illegal immigrants, the reaction was predictably harsh. Read
N.C. State Student Faces Child Porn Charge — WRAL

A student at North Carolina State University was arrested Friday and charged with downloading child pornography. Read
Historian sure ship is Blackbeard's — News and Observer

Ten years of research have led to the "inescapable conclusion" that a shipwreck near Beaufort is the flagship of Blackbeard the pirate, a state historian said Friday. Read
Operation Save A Life Eyewitness News — WTVD

Starting March 2nd, Eyewitness News, Kidde, The News and Observer, The N.C. Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care and local fire departments across our region will launch a massive community out-reach program designed to give away 11,000 smoke alarms for free, courtesy of Kidde. This is one of the most comprehensive fire safety campaigns in North Carolina. For more information, contact your local fire department. Read
Tourists flock to North Carolina — WWAY Newschannel 3

As spring approaches tourists will soon be flocking to our area. And that could be one of the main reasons North Carolina was recently ranked among the top five states for wine and culinary tourism. Read
State Fines EQ, Seeks to Revoke Permit — WRAL

State regulators on Tuesday levied a $553,225 fine against a hazardous waste handler that owns the site of a massive Apex chemical fire and recommended that the company's permit be terminated. Read
NCCU to spend $150,000 to find chancellor — News and Observer

A search firm will be paid $80,000 for its part in replacing James Ammons.Read
Lowe's Job Fair, March 16 — Roanoke-Chowan News Herald

One of the area's largest employers is seeking additional manpower. The Lowe's Home Improvement Regional Distribution Center in Garysburg is seeking to fill positions on their workforce. In order to do so, Lowes, partnering with the Northampton County and Roanoke Valley Chambers of Commerce, will host a Job Fair from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16 at Conway Middle School. Read
N.C. officials to consider repealing new sprinkler codes — Wilmington Star

A new state building code that requires more sprinklers in clubs, restaurants and school cafeterias is already under fire. Read

Congress

Soldiers Testify Over Poor Care at Walter Reed — NYT

Congress heard wrenching testimony from soldiers and promises from Army officials to correct conditions there. Read
Laws Introduced to Deport Immigrants Convicted of DWI — WTVD

U.S. Representative Sue Myrick says she believes both the House and Senate are committed to passing new immigration laws this year. Read
Democrats Want Iraq Pullout by Fall 2008 — Greensboro News and Record

In a direct challenge to President Bush, House Democrats announced Thursday that they will push legislation setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq. Read
Cheney: Congress should back Iraq plan — Yahoo News

Dick Cheney said Thursday night that a too-soon withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq could send victorious militants spreading out, with some flocking to Afghanistan to fight alongside a regrouping Taliban. He demanded that the Democratic-controlled Congress support President Bush's military buildup "on time and in full." Read
Daylight Saving Time May Cause Problems — WTVD

Congress moved daylight saving from April to March 11th, to help save energy. Read
AFA Urging Adoption Of English As Official Language In US — Evanglical News

A Mississippi-based pro-family organization has issued an online Action Alert urging Congress to push forward with legislation that would make English the official language of the United States. Read
Senate Hearing Looking at Credit Card Fees — WTVD

Critics say the complex billing and interest-rate practices of credit card companies are, in some cases, pushing Americans even deeper into debt. Read
Budget of millions only targets hundreds — Pilot Online

Northrop Grumman, which builds aircraft carriers and submarines, puts $10 million or more into "image advertising" each year. Who buys a $1 billion warship? Only Congress. Read
New scrutiny of 'don't ask, don't tell' — Zogby

"Don't ask, don't tell" — the 14-year-old policy that keeps openly declared gays from serving in the military — is coming under new scrutiny. Overturning it remains an unlikely prospect in the near term, given the political explosiveness of the issue. But the needs of war — and a fresh push by gay advocates in the courts and Congress — is pushing the policy back into the limelight. Read
Democrats Seek to Expose American Workers to Ridicule and Intimidation — Human Events.com

Peer pressure. If you're like me, this term evokes images of high school and the desire to conform, rebel or just be accepted. Many of us now relate peer pressure to our teenage sons and daughters, an abstract concept with which students are left to grapple and overcome. The reality is that the pressure to conform never ends and the consequences of resistance only increase. Read
House OKs CFIUS Reform — Law.com

The House of Representatives Wednesday overwhelmingly approved changes to the government panel charged with ensuring that foreign acquisitions of assets in the U.S. do not pose national security threats. Read
Just Card Checking In: Today's Reading on H.R. 800 — National Association of Manufacturers

The debate over destroying secret-ballot elections via H.R. 800, the inculcatingly named Employee Free Choice Act, takes various forms. There's the grand philosophical and political discussion about preserving democratic principles in the workplace, and the more narrow partisan-political debate, which focuses on the connection between organized labor and the Democratic Party. Then there's the economic question, whether forced unionization benefits individuals or the economy at large. Read
House Democrats Vote to Subpoena Fired U.S. Attorneys — Law.com

A House committee is compelling four of at least eight U.S. Attorneys ousted from office in recent months to tell their stories under oath, after one prosecutor said he believes he was fired for political reasons. Read

Related
Republicans Could Face New Ethics Probes — WRAL

Republicans could face ethics investigations for contacting U.S. attorneys about pending cases, a jarring political development only four months after ethical lapses helped cost the GOP control of Congress. Read
G.O.P. Shift Is Seen on Trade — NYT

The administration has signaled a new willingness to work with Democrats on three pending trade deals, with talk of labor rights guarantees. Read
Employers Raise Concerns About 'Stealth Organizing' — Law.com

Legislation currently in Congress would overhaul union formation Read
Webb Introduces Bill Barring Funding For Military Action Against Iran — Fox News

A Democratic senator on Monday introduced legislation that in some cases would deny funding for the Bush administration to take military action against Iran without first getting congressional approval. Read
Alaskan Bridge Projects Resist Earmarks Purge — NYT

Congress removed financing for two "bridges to nowhere," but the fight over whether to build them is not dead. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

US Mint Makes Godless Dollar Coins — WTKR.com

hen you get your hands on a new George Washington dollar coin, something just might be missing. The U.S. mint says an unknown number of the coins have mistakenly been struck without their edge inscriptions, including "In God We Trust," and made it past inspectors and into circulation. The properly struck dollar coins are inscribed along the edge with "In God We Trust," "E Pluribus Unum" and the year and mint mark. They went into circulation last month. Read
Bold, New Christian Drama Series '7th Street Theater' Airing on TBN — Christian Newswire

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), America's most watched faith channel, is airing an exciting new drama series, the first ever for Christian television. "7th Street Theater," written and produced by veteran moviemaker Dave Christiano ("Me and You, Us, Forever," "Late One Night," and "Pamela's Prayer") is the weekly story of five Christian actors and their efforts to live out their faith in a transparent and vital way. Read
Read All About The Word That Changed The World! — Evanglical News

The excerpt below is a part of Dr. Marshall Foster's introduction in the newly published 1599 A.D. Geneva Bible. The Geneva Bible, printed over 200 times between 1560 and 1644, was the most widely read and influential English Bible of the 16th and 17th Centuries. Now you can read and study the Bible of the American Settlers and European Reformers with modern spelling in a new easy-to-read layout! Read
Marriage-Amendment Push in Garden State — Citizenlink

Two New Jersey assembly members have joined pro-family advocates in pressing for a voter-approved constitutional amendment to preserve marriage, the Bridgeton News reported. Read
Iranian Imam Receives Christ Via Satellite TV, Escapes Country — Worthy News

One of the top Islamic leaders in Iran accepted Christ and left the country after facing death threats and imprisonment, according to an Iranian pastor living in the U.S. Read
Boston Cardinal Cites Canada as an Example on Crackdown on Religious Freedom — LifeSiteNews.com

Boston's Cardinal Archbishop, Sean O'Malley has compared Canada's eroding legal protections for religious freedom with the case of a Lexington Massachusetts father who was denied by a school his right to opt his son out of state-prescribed sex-education classes. Cardinal O'Malley compares the Massachusetts case to the situation in Canada. He wrote, "In Canada . . . They are already seeing the many different ways that people's religious rights are being trampled because of the redefinition of marriage." Read
Christians Encouraged To Stand Against Efforts To Silence Their Witness — Evanglical News

The Alliance Defense Fund has kicked off a campaign aimed at increasing awareness of what many believe is a concentrated effort to silence Christian activists in America. The multimedia campaign will seek to educate, motivate and equip Christians to stand against attacks on religious liberties. Read
Latest Neighborhood Outreach Software Allows Churches to Attract More Visitors, Create More Personal Connections — Christian Newswire

The latest, state-of-the-art version of "Community Connector," a desktop technology that enables churches to attract more visitors and create more personal connections, is now available for pastors and ministry leaders, Luke Smith, president of The Mapping Center for Evangelism and Church Growth, announced today. Read
Layoffs Follow Scandal at Colorado Megachurch — NYT

In the wake of the scandal involving the Rev. Ted Haggard, the New Life Church in Colorado Springs has been forced to lay off 44 of its 350 workers. Read
Pope is warned of a green Antichrist — Times Online

An arch-conservative cardinal chosen by the Pope to deliver this year's Lenten meditations to the Vatican hierarchy has caused consternation by giving warning of an Antichrist who is "a pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist." Read
Uzbekistan: Police Seek Missing Pastors of 'Unregistered' Churches — Worthy News

Salavat Serikbayev, 32, and Makset Djabbarbergenov, 26, did not make their court date on Monday (February 26) in the regional capital of Nukus to face charges of leading an unregistered religious meeting. The pastors declined to make public the reason for their absence from court. Read
New 'Bible' says Christ born of gorilla, not virgin — WorldNet Daily

A new, lavishly illustrated book — described by its marketer as a "postmodern" edition of the Bible — takes Darwin's theory of evolution as gospel and presents Jesus as being born, "not to a virgin, but to a gorilla." Read
Cuba Christian Activist Biscet "Trusts God" Amid Prison Abuses — Worthy News

One of Cuba's most prominent Christian prisoners, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, has said he has been forced to watch abuses "that threaten the decorous behavior of a civilized society" but stressed he trusts God to one day end his "unjust sentence," in a letter published by BosNewsLife Saturday, March 3. Read
Outdoor Churches for the Homeless Growing — Citizenlink.com

A public park can become a sanctuary. Read
Chaplain who prayed 'in Jesus' name' to fight — WorldNet Daily

Says he wants to return to Navy and worship according to conscience Read
Sudan Tops List of Human-Rights Abusers — Citizenlink.com

The Muslim nation that persecuted Christians in the '90s is still persecuting those who oppose its brand of Islam. Read
Vietnam Detains House Church Leader — Worthy News

There was mounting concern Monday, March 5, about the whereabouts of a key leader of an indigenous house church in Vietnam's Central Highlands after Vietnamese security forces reportedly raided a village and detained several Christians. Read
GrandCamps Bring Grandparents, Grandchildren Together in Fun Christian Camp Setting — Christian Newswire

Grandparents want to spend time with their grandchildren — sharing family traditions, building relationship bonds, and passing on the accumulated wisdom of a lifetime to the youngest generation. Grandkids want to spend time with their grandparents — having fun, doing cool activities, and discovering things about their grandparents they never knew before. Where can all of these terrific things take place? At a GrandCamp! Read
Benin Islamic Militants Destroy Church And Training Center — Worthy News

Islamic militants in Benin destroyed a church established by Christ Power Ministries (CPM) in the latest attack against the indigenous evangelical mission group in the African nation, missionaries told BosNewsLife Friday, March 2. Read
Thirty-Four Chinese House Church Leaders and Three Church Leaders from South Korea Arrested in Henan — Christian Newswire

China Aid Association has learned local police raided a house church Bible study in Wancheng District, Nanyang city, Henan province on March 6, 2007. Thirty-four Chinese Christian leaders and three church leaders from South Korea were taken to the police station for interrogation. Read

Courts

Ninth Circuit Declares Right of Government to Censor the Terms 'Natural Family,' 'Marriage' and 'Family Values' — Christian Newswire

Earlier this week, San Francisco's United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the matter of Good News Employees Association v. Hicks that the municipal employers can completely censor the terms "natural family," "marriage" and "family values" as hate speech. The unpublished "memorandum" by the Court can be found at www.profamilylawcenter.com/_docs/35.pdf. Read
Free Speech Restored to Florida Street Preacher — Citizenlink

A federal judge has ruled that a Jacksonville, Fla., man arrested for sharing the Gospel at a shopping center can continue to preach while a federal lawsuit proceeds. Read
UK Tribunal: Christian Judges Must Award Homosexual Couples Adoptive Children or Resign — LifeSiteNews.com

Yesterday, the Employee Tribunal in Sheffield of South Yorkshire county, Britain informed Andrew McClintock that, despite his religious beliefs, he may not refuse to preside over adoption cases that would place a child in a home with homosexual parents. The tribunal also ruled that McClintock had not suffered any religious discrimination, despite the fact that McClintock was forced to quit his job in order to uphold his Christian conscience. Read
Jury Finds Libby Guilty — Pilot Online/Hampton Roads

Jurors have returned guilty verdicts in four of five counts against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former White House aide accused of lying and obstructing an investigation into the leak of a CIA operative's identity. The jury's decision, if upheld, almost certainly means Libby faces a prison term. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is the only person charged in the case, which grew out of an investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Read

Related
Religious schools may use tax-free bonds — LA Times

State Supreme Court ruling is opposed by civil libertarians. Read
N. Y. Court Says Girl Can Sue for Preborn Injuries — Citizenlink

Case has implications for babies who survive a botched abortion. Read
Justice urged to release Ramos-Compean documents — WorldNet Daily

Bush administration accused of withholding evidence prosecutor misled jury, public Read
Supreme Court Says Cross-Examination Rule Not Retroactive — Law.com

The Supreme Court unanimously reinstated a Nevada child molester's conviction Wednesday in a decision that continued the justices' refusal to apply recent rulings on criminal procedure retroactively. The question in the case was whether the Court's 2004 ruling that defendants have the constitutional right to cross-examine witnesses against them would apply to older cases. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the Court, said the 2004 case "did not effect a change of this magnitude." Read
Ga. Court Refuses Gay Adoption Challenge — Citizenlink

Ex-partner of same-sex couple will keep parental standing. Read
High Court Weighs Taxpayer Standing In Religious Establishment Cases — Evangelical News

The federal government argued before the U.S. Supreme Court Feb. 28 that taxpayers do not have legal standing to challenge the Bush administration's faith-based initiative. Read
Parents Don't Need Lawyer for Child's Special Education Needs, High Court Told — Law.com

Parents should not be forced to hire a lawyer to sue public school districts over their children's special education needs, the lawyer for parents of an autistic child told the Supreme Court Tuesday. Most federal courts have said non-lawyer parents cannot represent their children in suits filed under the Individuals With Disabilities in Education Act. Several justices appeared to agree with the parents' claims, but Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Antonin Scalia seemed skeptical. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Poll: Support for Abortion Dropping, More Americans Want it Illegal — Zogby

A new national poll conducted last month by ABC News and the Washington Post finds that the level of support for legalized abortion is on the decline. Meanwhile, the number of people who say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases in on the rise. The media outlets conducted the poll from February 22-25 with telephone interviews with 1,082 American adults and it has a three percent margin of error. Read
40 Days for Life — Praying and Fasting Outside Planned Parenthood for All of Lent — LifeSiteNews.com

An ambitious and well-organized pro-life initiative bringing churches together to fast, pray and hold a vigil for the unborn outside Planned Parenthood all the 40 days of Lent has become the talk of the town and is changing hearts and minds. Kitsap Human Life, an affiliate of Human Life of Washington has coordinated volunteers to keep vigil outside the abortion centre from 8am-8pm Monday through Saturday Feb. 21 through April 7. Read
Stem Cells May Be Answer to Replacing Damaged Cartilage — WRAL

...Adult stem cells fill the structure. They are combined with other chemicals, which turn them into cartilage or bone cells. Read
Woman in 'Vegetative' State Like Schiavo Wakes for Three Days, Speaks, Eats Cake — Relapses — LifeSiteNews.com

A woman who spent nearly seven years in a coma, woke up for a short time Sunday and started talking. Christa Lilly, a native of Colorado Springs, relapsed into her previous unconscious state today. Lilly suffered a heart attack and then a stroke in November 2000 and was diagnosed as being in a "vegetative" state but with her eyes open. Like Florida's Terri Schindler Schiavo, she is being kept alive by a feeding and hydration tube while unconscious. During her short period of wakefulness, Lilly spoke with CBS affiliate KKTV news reporters, saying, "I think it's wonderful. It makes me so happy." She said that she was having difficulty re-learning how to speak, but was eating cake. Lilly had experienced periods of wakefulness before, but had never spoken. Read
Cornhusker State Considers Cloning Ban — Citizenlink.com

Nebraska lawmakers will vote this week on legislation to ban human cloning, The Associated Press reported. Read
Dred Scott Case Offers Hope For Opponents Of Roe V. Wade — Evanglical News

The great-great granddaughter of Dred Scott is using her heritage to proclaim the rights of unborn babies to be counted as full individuals, with some pro-life advocates hopeful that just as the Dred Scott decision was overturned, Roe v. Wade may eventually face a similar fate. Read
N.Y. Governor Wants State-Funded Destructive Embryonic Stem-Cell Research — Citizenlink

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has proposed legislation that would designate hundreds of millions in state funds for research on human embryos, LifeNews.com reported. Read
After Comatose Victim, Two More Women Injured At New Jersey Abortion Mill Come Forward — LifeSiteNews.com

Two more women have come forward and told of their life-threatening abortion injuries at Metropolitan Medical Associates since news broke last week of the clinic's closure in response to a botched abortion on 20-year old Rasheedah Dinkins that left her comatose for four weeks and unable to bear any more children. Metropolitan is one of the largest abortion mills in New Jersey, and is affiliated with the National Abortion Federation. Read
Irish Officials Threaten to Withhold Funding from Abortion-Alternative Centers — Citizenlink

...The agency originally agreed to offer leaflets that refer clients to foreign abortion clinics in order to avoid a loss of funding. But counselors with the agency objected to the requirement because the pamphlets contradicted Catholic teaching about the sanctity of life. Read
100 Million Women Missing due to Selective Abortion, Women's Groups Tell United Nations — LifeSiteNews.com

...The report reveals that 100 million women are missing from today's world as a result of selective abortion and female infanticide. 80 million of the missing women are due to selective abortions in India and China. Read
Iowa Gov. Signs Cloning Bill — Citizenlink

A bill that will allow scientists to clone human embryonic life then kill it in the name of science was signed by Iowa Gov. Chet Culver on Thursday, LifeNews.com reported. Read
Abortionists Tiller, Neuhaus Again Under Investigation by KSBHA — Christian Newswire

Additional information was filed with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KSBHA) last week to support a complaint made in October, 2006, against abortionists George R. Tiller and Ann Kristin Neuhaus for committing illegal late-term abortions. An investigation is in progress. Read
American Cancer Society Gives Planned Parenthood Grant Money for Just Saying No — to Smoking — LifeSiteNews.com

The American Cancer Society has awarded Planned Parenthood a $5,000 grant to train staff to help their "patients" to quit smoking as part of a campaign to reduce cancer. Read
No One Should Oppose Legislation to Prevent Forced Abortion Says National Priests Leader — Christian Newswire

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, today said that a bill introduced in Arkansas, requiring abortion facilities to post a sign stating that it is against the law to coerce someone to have the procedure, is a measure that no one should oppose. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Tenn. governor surprised by volume of drug trade on the border — Azstarnet.com

Tennessee National Guardsmen using heat-sensing and night-vision equipment spotted the six backpackers crossing the border into Arizona from Mexico. The guardsmen, who can see for several kilometers through the equipment, called in U.S. Border Patrol agents to intercept the group. "The place they found them was 'Marijuana Tank,' really close to the border," Assistant Chief Patrol Agent John France said Thursday. "As soon as our agents drew near these guys, they just dropped their dope and ran." Read
S.C. Troopers Make Easy Drug Bust — AP

It might have been one of the easiest drug busts in the history of the South Carolina Highway Patrol: A car with 43 pounds of marijuana crashed into a trooper's cruiser, authorities said. Read
Medical marijuana may soon be reality — Zogby

A proposal that once inspired fears and jokes about drug abuse — legalizing the use of marijuana for medical reasons — stands a good chance of passage in the Minnesota Legislature this year. Political support for that controversial step is coming from unlikely places. Advocates for a bill to allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana with their doctors' recommendation say that as many as half of the 49 Republicans in the House would support the measure in a floor vote. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

William and Mary donor withholds $12 million over cross — Pilot Online

A longtime donor to the College of William and Mary will withhold a $12 million pledge to the public university because of the removal of a cross from a campus chapel. The donation was pledged to the campaign fund before Gene Nichol became the university's president and was revoked because the donor disagreed with Nichol's decision to remove the brass cross from permanent display on the chapel's altar, spokesman Mike Connolly said. Read
12 Washington State High School Students Suspended for Public Prayer Group — LifeSiteNews.com

A number of students who formed an interdenominational prayer group at a Washington state high school were expelled by the administration last week over their refusal to hold a morning prayer session in a closed room, The Columbian reported March 2. Read
GA University Students Expelled for Expressing Faith — Citizenlink.com

Christianity deemed a threat to others. Read
Liberty Counsel — Liberty Counsel

The long anticipated unveiling of the unique Supreme Courtroom at Liberty University School of Law (LUSL) became a reality during a dedication ceremony this afternoon. The Supreme Courtroom reflects the vision of the law school, and it is designed to inspire vision in its students. The mission of LUSL is to train lawyers, judges, educators, policymakers and world leaders in the rule of law from the perspective of a Christian worldview. Read
Homeschoolers Find University Doors Open — AP

David Sample wanted to attend the University of California at Riverside but thought it was a lost cause because he had been homeschooled. Read
School linked to Hamas gets U.S. cash — The Washington Times

Millions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid have been given in the past several years to two Palestinian universities — one of them controlled by Hamas — that have participated in the advocacy, support or glorification of terrorism. Read

Related
Virginia to Require Vaccine for Girls — AP

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Thursday he would sign legislation requiring all sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. Read
Regent students upset at Romney's choice — Virginian Pilot

Some of the university's students say the presidential candidate and commencement speaker's Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity. Read
Keuhl bill seeks protection of homosexuals in California schools — One News Now

Karen England, executive director of the California pro-family group Capitol Resource Institute (CRI), says "a very dangerous bill" has been re-introduced by State Senator Sheila Keuhl. England says the legislation is a second attempt to win a ban on textbooks and teacher instruction that "reflects adversely" on homosexuality and gender issues. Read
Teachers Open a Campaign Against Spitzer — New York Sun

State Union Seeks To Limit School Districts on Number of Charter Schools Established Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics

Nine U.S. Soldiers Die in Separate Blasts — AOL News

...nine American soldiers were killed in explosions north of Baghdad , the military said Tuesday Read
Combat veterans describe Iraq stories they lived — Pilot Online

Colby Buzzell started writing because it seemed no one else was getting it right. The Defense Department sent out brief news releases that seemed to sanitize the experience of soldiers in Iraq. The media mostly reported measly pickings served up by top brass. Read
Immigrants Sue Over Crime Victim Visas — AP

Attorneys for undocumented immigrants who have suffered violent crimes sued the federal government Wednesday for failing to issue protective visas approved by Congress more than six years ago. Read
350 are held in immigration raid — Boston Globe

Hundreds of immigration officers and police descended on a New Bedford leather goods factory yesterday , charged top officials with employing illegal immigrants, and rounded up 350 workers who could not prove they were in the country legally. Read
Candidate: Simplify immigration policy — Charlotte Observer

GOP's Brownback says U.S. must focus on keeping criminals out Read
A Conservative Who Can Win — Human Events

Three decades ago, two young lawyers worked behind the scenes, on opposite sides of the political aisle, to investigate the corruption and deceit that became known simply as "Watergate." One, an ideologically liberal Democrat who had recently graduated from Yale Law School, served as a member of the impeachment inquiry staff advising the House Judiciary Committee during the scandal. The other, a wise-beyond-his-years conservative Republican Southerner with a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University, served as co-chief counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee. Little would anyone suspect in 1974 that these two could face each other for the presidency in 2008. Read
Cheney has blood clot in his leg — LA Times

The potentially deadly condition is found after a 9-day trip in which he spent 65 hours on a plane. He's now taking an anticoagulant. Read
Zogby: Bush Approval Hits All Time Low

President Bush's job approval rating has fallen to 30 percent, once again hitting the all-time low-water mark of his presidency as Americans continue their disaffection with his leadership of the Iraq war, a new Zogby International telephone poll shows. Read
Greenspan: 'One-Third Probability' of Recession in 2007 — Money News

Somewhere between his earlier predictions of first a "possible," then a "not probable," recession by the end of 2007, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is now saying there's a "one-third probability" of a U.S. recession this year and that the current expansion won't have the staying power of its decade-long predecessor. Read
Feds on terror lookout for 'high-risk' Pakistanis — WorldNet Daily

Passengers put on special watchlist to check al-Qaida training camp ties Read
Privacy Board Clears U.S. Spy Programs — AP

A White House privacy board is giving its stamp of approval to two of the Bush administration's controversial surveillance programs — electronic eavesdropping and financial tracking — and says they do not violate citizens' civil liberties. Read
CIA Rushing Resources to Bin Laden Hunt — ABC

Armed with fresh intelligence, the CIA is moving additional man power and equipment into Pakistan in the effort to find Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al Zawahri, U.S. officials tell ABC News. Read
Bush to Set Out Shift in Agenda on Latin Trip — NYT

The president will introduce plans to cut poverty and create jobs in Latin America, where anti-U.S. sentiment has grown. Read
China boosts defense fund as talks end — The Washington Times

Traditional fireworks ending China's lunar New Year celebrations were overshadowed yesterday by a display of political pyrotechnics that included a big boost in military spending, tough talk on Taiwan and a conclusion to two days of delicate diplomatic talks with the United States. Read
China's spies 'very aggressive' threat to U.S. — Washington Times

China's intelligence services are among the most aggressive at spying on the United States, followed by Cuban, Russian and Iranian spy agencies, according to the U.S. government's top counterintelligence coordinator. Read
Russia capable of hitting US missile shield: general — AFP

Russia's bomber force would have no trouble destroying planned US missile defense sites in Europe, its head said Monday as the country's security council warned of new policies to counter NATO. Read
U.S. Moves to Soothe Growing Russian Resentment — NYT

The Bush administration has decided to reach out to Russia at a time when the leadership in Moscow is harshly criticizing U.S. policy. Read
2006: Top terrorist sighting raises no FBI interest — WorldNet Daily

Al-Qaida operative known as 'next Mohamed Atta' spotted in California Read
Tighter border security fueling smuggler attacks — Azstarnet.com

Tighter border security is fueling a resurgence of violent attacks on immigrant smugglers in Arizona, according to authorities. Despite stepped-up efforts to combat illegal immigration, there have been five incidents in the past month involving armed men attacking vehicles possibly transporting undocumented immigrants to drophouses in Phoenix. Read
Bush orders review of veterans' hospitals — Yahoo News

President Bush ordered a comprehensive review Friday of conditions at the nation's military and veteran hospitals in the wake of a scandal surrounding care for wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Read
Al Gore Inadvertently Breaches Airport Security — News Channel 5.com

Former vice president Al Gore was involved in a security breach at the Nashville Airport when an American Airlines employee led him and his entourage around security, a clear violation of policy. Read
CPAC embraces Steele, Gingrich — The Washington Times

Michael S. Steele and Newt Gingrich were the biggest stars according to activists who attended the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference. Read
US Stocks — Wall Street Journal

U.S. stocks rebounded after solid gains in overseas markets, despite economic data that posed a fresh threat to the market. The Dow industrials rose 122 points to 12172. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Immorality/Obscenity/Violence

Gay Veterans Want Lawsuit Reinstated — AP

Twelve gay and lesbian veterans who were dismissed under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy asked a federal appeals court Wednesday to reinstate their lawsuit challenging the policy. Read
Hillary's Gay Partnership — Human Events.com

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) casts herself as a moderate on gay marriage before mainstream audiences, but in a Saturday address to a pro-gay lobby group she promised that if elected President in 2008 she would secure a range of gay rights victories, including adoption for same-sex couples. Read
Children Need Both a Mother and a Father — Citizenlink

The following op-ed by James C. Dobson, Ph.D., chairman and founder of Focus on the Family, first appeared in the Rocky Mountain News on Feb. 28. In December of last year, I received a request from Time magazine asking me to address the issue of Mary Cheney's decision to have a baby with her lesbian partner, Heather Poe. I complied, and my commentary was published in the magazine's Dec. 18 issue. Although the statement was entirely respectful to Cheney and Poe, I did express my strong opinion that children need both a mother and a father, and that the preponderance of behavioral research supports that belief. From that point forward, I have been subjected to a barrage of criticism and insults from homosexual activists, including two lesbian protesters who came to the door of our organization last week demanding a retraction. The Rocky Mountain News reported their unexpected visit, but to its credit, has now given me an opportunity to reply. Read
Charlene Cothran of Venus Magazine: Redeemed! 10 Ways to Get Out of the Gay Life, If You Want Out — Americans for Truth

...As the publisher of a 13 year old periodical which targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to 'come out' and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community. But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believer of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us. Read
Top Law Firms Undergo a Rainbow Revolution — Law.com

...Not only are the nation's elite law firms not anti-gay, they are putting out the lavender welcome mat. Perks that seemed radical just 10 years ago are now standard fare at Am Law 200 firms: health care benefits for domestic partners, nondiscrimination pledges and sponsorship of gay organizations. Firms are also stampeding to recruit candidates at gay job fairs. And according to a survey by gay rights organization Human Rights Campaign, the legal profession ranks high in gay-friendliness when compared to other industries. Read
For Sex Offenders, a Dispute Over Therapy's Benefits — NYT

Treatment plans have been a cornerstone of efforts to reform offenders, but there is no convincing evidence that the approach works. Read
Traditional Values Coalition Condemns Celebration Of "Gay Porn" Company By S.F. Mayor And Other Elected Officials — Evangelical News

"San Francisco has proven yet again why they remain the mocked city of the country," said the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, Chairman and Founder of Traditional Values Coalition. "No other major city in the nation has gone so far as to blatantly glorify a homosexual porn producer and company. This is absurd." Read
Sexy pix don't doom 'American Idol' vixen — Worldnet Daily

Some viewers outraged by semi-nude frolicking at World War II memorial Read
Alleged prostitution ring owner threatens to sell list of clients — Pilot Online.com

A woman accused of running a prostitution service catering to men in the Washington area is threatening to sell her list of 10,000 clients to pay for her defense, as well as subpoena her clients to testify if the case goes to trial, her attorney said Friday. Read
State wants special car plates for sex offenders — Yahoo News

Lawmakers in Ohio said on Wednesday they want to force convicted sex offenders to use a fluorescent-green license plate on their cars so they can be easily identified. Read
Victory in Indiana! Hate Crimes Legislation Dead — Americans for Truth

...House Bill 1459 would have made it a worse crime to assault a gay man walking out of a bar than attacking a grandma walking down the street. Read
Child Porn Charges Added to Missouri Case — WRAL

A Missouri man accused of kidnapping and molesting two boys was indicted Thursday on federal charges he took pornographic pictures and videos of one of the youngsters. Read
Australia's porn industry challenges film ratings — Yahoo News

Australia's porn industry began a court challenge to the country's film ratings on Thursday in a test case which family groups said could lead to explicit sex movies being sold openly in shops and petrol stations. Read
Domestic Partnerships Looming in Washington State — Citizenlink

The Washington State Senate approved a bill Thursday that would grant same-sex couples the right to enter domestic partnerships. The legislation is expected to easily pass in the House, The Seattle Times reported. Read

Other News

Spy chief sees Hamas driven to Tehran — Washington Times

The international community's decision to cut off financial aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government has helped drive Hamas into the embrace of Iran, the chief of Israel's domestic spy agency said yesterday. Read
Hamas sends Gazans for military training in Iraq, Israeli security aide says — Int'l Herald Tribune

The Islamic movement Hamas has sent "tens" of men from Gaza for weapons and military training in Iran, Yuval Diskin, head of Shin Bet, the internal Israeli security service, said Monday. Read
Kibbutz ideal collapses as Israel shifts to capitalism — The Washington Times

The image of the bronzed and brawny kibbutz field worker was once the trademark of a young Israel, but the iconic agricultural communes are becoming a thing of the past. Read
Germany to spark EU constitution talks at Brussels summit — Worthy News/London Telegraph

Germany is to attempt to put the European Union's constitution back on the menu at a Brussels summit later this week. Read
Are Putin's agents behind shooting? — London Telegraph/Worthy News

Speculation of the involvement of Russian agents intent on silencing opponents to President Vladimir Putin's regime, wherever they may be, has increased with an attempted murder in America and an apparent suicide in Moscow. Read
U.N. Development Agency Suspends Its Work in North Korea — NYT

The agency said the country had failed to meet conditions set up in response to complaints that U.N. money was being diverted to the government of Kim Jong-il. Read
Taliban Commander Caught in Afghanistan — AOL News

Afghan soldiers caught a senior Taliban commander at a checkpoint who was wearing a burqa, while NATO forces on Wednesday fought Taliban militants in the second day of the alliance's largest-ever offensive in Afghanistan. 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