Weekly Issues Alert

Tryon Palace, New Bern

April 20 - 26

"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." --Noah Webster

North Carolina General Assembly

State Lawmakers To Discuss Fate Of Dorothea Dix Property

Hundreds of people packed into public meetings last year to discuss their opinions of what to do with the $40 million piece of land. On Tuesday, state lawmakers will chime in. Read

Other North Carolina News

Report: Homophobic Remarks Prevalent Among N.C. High-Schoolers

Local high-school students hear their fair share of abusive language, according to a report released Wednesday by a statewide partnership that aims to eliminate harassment and discrimination based on perceived sexual orientation in schools.

Safe Schools North Carolina surveyed students at six high schools in Durham, Wake and Orange counties to assess the degree to which verbal harassment and homophobic language were present. Read
Digital Billboards For State Lottery In Works

North Carolina drivers will soon have a visual reminder that the state lottery is up and running. On Tuesday, the state Lottery Commission approved the company that will operate its new digital billboards. The billboards will mainly be used when Powerball gets under way next month, and they will automatically update with the latest jackpot amount. Read
North Carolina Christians Take a Stand, Evil Flees

Christians in North Carolina have taken a stand against the pro-homosexual agenda — and they're winning some of the battles. Churches in the Charlotte area have taken on homosexual activists recently, and the results have been encouraging. Flip Benham of Operation Save America says he is elated. "As the Church comes out of the closet, we are finding out that many of the enemies of God are moving back into the closet," he says. Read
Warrants Issued For Student Involved In Chapel Hill Hostage Situation

Authorities say William Barrett Foster held a teacher and student hostage in a Chapel Hill classroom Monday evening. Read
Anti-Death Penalty Group Releases Report On Botched Executions

An anti-death penalty group is targeting states like North Carolina in the rising debate over lethal injection. Read
Wake Parents Group Challenges School System's Reading List

The Wake County Board of Education could vote next week to remove three books from the school system's required reading list.

Called2Action, a parents group, objects to Alice Walker's "The Color Purple," Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War" and Toni Morrison's "Beloved," saying the novels contain vulgar language and graphic sexual content. Read
Dell Incentives Lawsuit Headed To N.C. Court

North Carolina often gives companies tax breaks and other financial incentives to set up shop in the state. A man who thinks that's bad business filed a lawsuit challenging a deal for computer maker Dell. Read
Audit Finds Misuse of State Computer In Treasurer's Office

An audit of State Treasurer Richard Moore's office says a high-ranking employee misused his state computer for political purposes. Read
North Carolina Returns to Top Ten in Venture Investing According to CED Venture Report

The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) released its annual Venture Report highlighting North Carolina venture capital investing in 2005. Read
University of North Carolina-Charlotte Wins National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

San Antonio — University of North Carolina-Charlotte took first place honors in the first National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition held last week at the Airport Hilton in San Antonio. Millersville University of Millersville, Pennsylvania placed second and The University of Texas at San Antonio finished third. Read
The Boss pitches in at North Carolina

It's the University of North Carolina baseball program's new million-dollar alliance. George Steinbrenner, principal owner of the New York Yankees, has pledged that amount toward UNC's $13 million project to renovate and expand 34-year-old Boshamer Stadium. With Steinbrenner's help, the school has raised $6.5 million. Read
Fair Fight Over Darwinism and Design in North Carolina

North Carolina State University has shown, however, that the topic can be debated with the fairness and civility that ought to characterize academic discussions ... Read
Embrex Gets OK for Vaccine, North Carolina Plant

The US Department of Agriculture has granted a two-fold approval for Embrex Inc. to manufacture, market and sell a poultry vaccine ... Read
Governor Proclaims Crime Victim's Rights Week in North Carolina

Raleigh — Gov. Mike Easley is committed to assuring that all crime victims and survivors in North Carolina are treated with compassion and respect. ... Read
Credit Suisse Announces $40 Million Expansion in Raleigh, North Carolina

If the company creates the jobs called for under the agreement and sustains them for 10 years, the agreement could yield as much as $12.7 million in maximum benefits to the company. Read
Favorite Son William C. Friday to Deliver Campbell Commencement ...

One of North Carolina's most beloved citizens, William C. Friday, will be Campbell's Commencement speaker at spring graduation exercises, Monday, May 15 ... Read
Pharmaceutical Firm Sandoz To Expand, Add 65 Jobs in Wilson County

Sandoz, a division of pharmaceutical firm Novartis, is expanding and updating its facility in Wilson County and adding 65 new jobs over the next three years, Gov. Mike Easley's office announced Thursday. Read

Congress

Senate Shifts Iraq Funds to Border Patrols

The Senate voted Wednesday to divert some of the money President Bush requested for the war in Iraq to instead increase patrols against illegal immigrants on the nation's borders and provide the Coast Guard with new boats and helicopters. Read
Senate Oil Probe

Senate Finance Committee asks IRS for companies' tax records amid soaring gas prices Read
CWA: Senate Must End Recess on Judges

Concerned Women for America (CWA) is encouraged to hear that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) intends to bring Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court to a floor vote before the Memorial Day recess. Kavanaugh, the White House staff secretary, needs a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing before proceeding to an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. Read
Bush: Massive Deportation of Migrants Won't Work

President George W. Bush said on Monday he doubted a "massive deportation" of foreigners living illegally in the United States would solve the country's immigration woes, as he tried to revive prospects for an election-year agreement in the divided U.S. Congress. Senators returned to Washington on Monday from a two-week recess after Democrats and Republicans were unable to reach a compromise on what to do about an estimated 11.5 million to 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. Read
Border Security Funds Sought

Some fear a Senate GOP bid for $2 billion for enforcement may undermine broader efforts to overhaul immigration laws. Read
Sen. Menendez: Suspend Federal Gas Taxes

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez offered an amendment Tuesday that would suspend the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal gasoline tax for two months, with its cost financed by lifting tax breaks on the oil industry. Read
House Backs Tighter Iran Sanctions

The House on Wednesday approved legislation to tighten sanctions against Iran, rejecting administration arguments that tougher sanctions could be an obstacle to international efforts to prevent the Tehran government from developing nuclear weapons Read
Republican Wants Clearer Bush Immigration Message

President George W. Bush needs to be more specific about the kind of immigration reform legislation he supports if he hopes to win passage of a new law in an election year, a key Republican senator said on Tuesday. Read
Top U.S. Religious Leaders Sign Joint Statement to Protect Marriage

Around 50 prominent religious leaders across the lines of theological division have signed an ''unprecedented'' petition in support of a constitutional amendment blocking same-sex ''marriage.'' Read
Minutemen Lead Caravan to D.C.

The Minuteman Project, which has sent hundreds of volunteers to the U.S.-Mexico border to help prevent illegal crossings, has organized a national caravan to the District to protest weak immigration enforcement efforts by Congress and the White House. Read
Senators to Reignite Debate on Immigration

After large protests stirred emotions on all sides of the issue, leaders of both parties feel a sense of urgency to act before the November midterm elections. Read
GOP Leaders Urge Price-Gouging Probe on Gas

Congressional GOP leaders on Monday formally called on President Bush to launch an investigation into possible price gouging by oil companies, as gas costs shot up nearly 25 cents a gallon in two weeks. Read
An Ill Wind Blows the Senate Good

The Bronx Council on the Arts, the Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and the Rhode Island School of Design suffered no known damage from Hurricane Katrina. But they're among dozens of institutions across the nation sharing the billions of dollars Congress appropriated to repair devastation in New Orleans and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Read
Second Thoughts in Congress on Oil Tax Breaks

Lawmakers in both parties said they were ready to take a tough look at oil and gas incentives they passed recently. Read
Senate Set to Spend for Security

Republicans are planning to make end runs around opposition to a border security bill with the expected Senate approval of billions of dollars in immediate spending and with the Bush administration announcing an increase in workplace enforcement. Read
Democrats Hope to Divide G.O.P. Over Stem Cells

Democratic candidates are seeking to move back to center stage an issue they believe resonates with voters. Read
North Carolina Lone Lawmaker Blocks Flight 93 Memorial

For emotional wallop, there are few rivals to the windswept, grassy field outside of Shanksville, Pa., where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001. But for three years, that field has made do with a makeshift monument while one member of Congress, Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-N.C.), has blocked a $10 million request to buy the land for a permanent memorial to the 40 passengers and crew members who overpowered hijackers bent on crashing their jet into the Capitol or the White House. Read
On Energy, Bipartisan Accord and Gridlock, Too

Democrats, Republicans joined forces on ethanol, blocking Alaska drilling Read
CWA Responds to Members' Outcry on Indecency Legislation

Concerned Women for America (CWA) acknowledged the frustration of its members over the U.S. Senate's failure to pass indecency legislation and the audacious acts of the major broadcast networks. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation chaired by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has continued to prevent broadcast indecency legislation from reaching the Senate floor. Read
Soaring Gas Prices Inspire $100 Tax Rebate Idea

It seems no one in Congress wants to be without a plan, however symbolic, to attack the election-year spike in gasoline prices. Read

Courts

School Must Give Christian Student Group Same Rights as Others

A Texas school district has been told by a federal judge it must allow a student-led Bible-study group to post a description of the club on the school's Web site, the Star-Telegram reported. Read
Court to Hear Appeal Over Illegal Workers

As the fight over rewriting immigration law heats up, corporations are coming under fire for using recruiters to find and hire workers who are in the United States illegally. The allegations against corporations will figure prominently in arguments before the Supreme Court when justices hear an appeal Wednesday by a Georgia floor-covering company accused by current and former employees of hiring hundreds of illegal immigrants to suppress wages. Read
Roberts Names Supreme Court Liaison

Position aimed at smoothing conflicts between courts and Congress. Read
Cap on College Free Speech Lifted

Good news for evangelism. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled the University of Arkansas cannot ban a local evangelist from visiting the campus's public areas to talk to students. Read
Conviction for Son, Mistrial for Father in Lodi Terror Case

A federal jury convicted a 23-year-old Lodi man of attending a terrorist training camp in Pakistan and returning to the United States to commit violent jihad against his fellow citizens. Read
Court Lets Schools Ban Inflammatory T-Shirts

A federal appeals panel ruled that an anti-gay slogan sported by a San Diego-area high school student interfered with others' right to learn. Read
High Court Dismisses 'Friends' Harassment Lawsuit

An assistant on the show had sued because she found the speech of some writers offensive.

The California Supreme Court threw out a sexual harassment lawsuit against the makers of the hit comedy "Friends" on Thursday, ruling that vulgar and coarse comments by the show's writers reflected the "creative workplace" for a comedy with sexual themes. Read
Microsoft Resumes Legal Battle with Europe

A high-stakes battle between Microsoft Corp. and the European Union resumes today (April 24) as Europe's second highest court begins hearing Microsoft's appeal of European regulators' 2004 antitrust ruling against the company. Read
Judge: Duke Defendant will Stand Trial in D.C. Case

A Duke University lacrosse player charged with raping a stripper will stand trial on an assault charge in the District. Read
Grand Jury Gets Rove Testimony Over C.I.A. Leak

Karl Rove's testimony was a sign of renewed attention by the special prosecutor in a matter that has lingered unresolved for months. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Clergy in the Nation's Capital and Across the Country Pray for Lower Gas Prices

Clergy in the nation's capital and across the country pray for lower gas prices. Event planned for Thursday, April 27, 2006 from 12:00 Noon to 2:00PM, on Pennsylvania Avenue between North Carolina Avenue and 4th Street SE, and on Pray Live www.praylive.com, 1-888-PRAYLIVE. Many are talking about the rising gas and energy prices and overlooking the power of prayer when it comes to resolving this energy crisis. Read
Ten Commandments Displays Roll to Victory in the Courts and the Legislatures

Orlando, FL — Public displays of the Ten Commandments have enjoyed unprecedented favor in both the courts and the legislatures since the two Ten Commandments cases were argued at the Supreme Court last year. Read
Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims Attack Christians

MichNews.com — Buddhists protest individuals converting to Christ as Savior. The hostility grew until "an angry mob set fire to a church in a remote area of Bangladesh," according to Compass Direct's Sarah Page. Read
Evangelicals Have Rough Time in Russia, Turkey, China, U.S.

MichNews.com — Evangelicals in America are used to freedom of speech and movement. They preach and teach "the gospel," that is, that salvation is available by faith in Christ as Savior. Read
Shortage of Water Drains Life from Biblical River — London Times

What is left of the River Jordan trickles slowly beneath the three bomb-damaged bridges, not even touching one of the five Ottoman arches it used to fill. Read
USCIRF Prepares for New Round of Freedom-Basher Blasting

A U.S. government panel on religious freedom will raise alarms about Islamic extremism in Pakistan and rights for non-Muslims in Afghanistan in a report critical of key American trading partners and allies in the war on terror. Read
Anti-Missionary "Witch-Hunt" Haunts City

Fanned by local media and a Muslim mufti, an anti-missionary witch-hunt targeting Christians in Turkey's eastern city of Bingol left a Muslim woman beaten in her tailor shop last month while police allowed her attacker to walk free. Read
Should Evangelicals Support Bush's Foreign Policy if He Can't Guarantee Religious Freedom?

Case of Afghan convert causes some to question democracy push in the Middle East. Read
Seniors Get a Hard Sell on Fee-Laden Annuities

Agents target the elderly's sizable assets, playing on their fears to push a product that may not meet their needs. Rich commissions drive tactics. Second of a three-part series: Retirement at Risk. Read
Pain, Ethics Concerns Put Lethal Injection on Trial

A flurry of litigation challenging the constitutionality of lethal injection has placed a spotlight on growing evidence that condemned inmates may not be properly anesthetized and therefore experience excruciating pain during executions. Read
Christian Social Networking Website Launched

New Christian website, Oaktree.org, seeks to deliver a faith based alternative in the emerging online social networking phenomenon. Read
Message to Da Vinci Code Author, Film Makers and Fans: Don't Forget Jesus Was Jewish!

Messianic Jewish Leaders Say Historic Jewish Perspective of Jesus Left Out By Many Read
Calling Christian Women Back to the Garden

The New Harvest Homestead newsletter encourages Christian women to slow down and fulfill their dreams of the "homestead" life Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Native Americans to Lead Pro-Life T-Shirt Day with Message on Abortion

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Native American teenagers in South Dakota will be leading the way on Tuesday as tens of thousands of pro-life teens across the nation wear their pro-life t-shirts to school. The Indian teens will be sending a strong message to their tribal leader that they don't favor her idea to built an abortion facility on their reservation. Read
While Embryonic Stem Cell Research Flounders, Adult Stem Cells Advance

Chicago, IL (LifeNews.com) — While embryonic stem cell research flounders after an international scandal, the use of adult stem cells continues to advance. The less controversial cells have already produced dozens of treatments for diseases and various conditions. Read
Pro-Life Group Mourns Victims of First Pro-Abortion Law

One of America's oldest pro-life organizations is mourning for all the unborn babies whose lives were cut off before conception because of the nation's first abortion law signed nearly 40 years ago. Read
New Poll Shows Americans Don't Understand 'Roe vs. Wade'

A national poll released today at the National Press Club by the Real Women's Voices coalition shows that while 65 percent of Americans say they are familiar with the 1973 landmark abortion case, Roe vs. Wade, only 29 percent are able to select an accurate description of the ruling. Read
Missouri: Pro-Life Groups Oppose Pro-Cloning Petition

A misleading initiative would make cloning a right. Read
Pro-Life Priest Demands Johnson & Johnson Stop Funding Planned Parenthood Federation of America

"Planned Parenthood Federation of America accounted for more than 255,000 surgical abortions last year, and since 1970, when they started doing abortions, Planned Parenthood has caused the deaths of more than 3.8 million American babies...," stated prominent Roman Catholic Priest at Johnson and Johnson shareholders' meeting. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Deadline Near, Jams Are Seen for Drug Plan

Medicare drug plans expect a surge of new enrollment that threatens to overwhelm already busy phone lines. Read
Health: 'Vintage' Bugs Return

Mumps? Whooping cough? Rickets? What year is it? Read
Many middle-income Americans lack insurance: study

More than 40 percent of Americans making between $20,000 and $40,000 a year went without insurance for at least part of the year last year, according to a study published on Tuesday. Read
Some Continue to Question FDA Report Dismissing Pot

Experts call the issue a Trojan horse for legalization. Read
Medicare Rule Guarantees Continuity of Drugs

The Bush administration issued a new policy on Wednesday that protects Medicare beneficiaries against the sudden loss of coverage for drugs they are taking under the prescription drug program. Under the policy, insurers can still change their lists of covered drugs, known as formularies. But if they drop any drugs or impose new restrictions, they must exempt beneficiaries who are now taking those drugs. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

University Removes Web Links to Abortion Sites

Administrators at Georgetown University took references to local abortion clinics off the school's Web site after the Cardinal Newman Society, a Catholic group, sent a letter of concern, The Hoya reported. Read
Resolution for SBC Annual Meeting Urges Action on Call for an Exit Strategy from Public Schools and Asks That Particular Attention be Given to Needs of Orphans, Single Parents, and the Disadvantaged

Roger Moran, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee and a leader in the Missouri Baptist Convention, and Dr. Bruce N. Shortt, co-sponsor of the 2004 and 2005 Christian Education Resolutions and author of The Harsh Truth About Public Schools, have submitted a resolution for consideration at the 2006 SBC Annual Meeting urging churches to heed Dr. Mohler's call to develop an exit strategy from the public schools that will give particular attention to the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged. Read
Fewer Teens Believe Sniffing Can Kill

A study finds that one in five teenagers admits abusing household inhalants such as gasoline and glue to get high. Read
Police Watch Alaska School After Arrests

Presence aimed at reassuring parents after alleged attack plot by teens. The alleged plot was the second broken up by police this week. Five Kansas teenagers suspected of planning a shooting rampage at their high school were arrested on Thursday, the seventh anniversary of the Columbine massacre. Read
College President's Gains over Shadowed by Scandal

As president of Texas Southern University, Dr. Priscilla Slade was building a legacy — nearly doubling enrollment, constructing new academic buildings and overhauling the financial aid system. Read
Unions' Advice Is Failing Teachers

Labor groups have joined forces with investment firms to steer members into savings plans that often have high expenses and poor returns. Read
Freshmen required to undergo homosexual indoctrination

Mandatory 'diversity seminar' at university where profs 'banned' 'Marketing of Evil' Read
Education Life: Students as Nomads

Today's students attend two colleges, three colleges, even four. Also: The country's few remaining men's colleges find themselves newly relevant. Read
Kentucky Gov. OKs Funds for Baptist College that Expelled Gay Student

Gov. Ernie Fletcher said Monday he would not veto $11 million in funding for a private Baptist college that expelled an openly gay student. Read
Parents Urged to Monitor TV Diet

A coalition of entertainment groups will establish a $300 million educational campaign next month to urge parents to control what their children watch on television, the groups said yesterday. Read
Do We Really Need Our Public Schools? (Hint: No)

MichNews.com — Lee Duigon — In a second-grade classroom recently in Lexington, Massachusetts, a teacher read to the children a fairy tale. The title of the story was King and King. It is about two princes who "fall in love" and "marry" each other. Read
Radical Agendas on College Campuses

Assistant Education Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe has announced that the Bush Administration is investigating universities that have fewer women in science and math programs than feminists would like. We are more than five years into the Bush presidency, but it appears that Bill Clinton's feminist policies are still in force. Men seem to be intimidated by the feminists and unable to cope with their unreasonable demands, tantrums and rudeness. Read
State Universities Cheat Americans

The University of Illinois is maintained and financed by the taxpayers of Illinois to the tune of $700 million a year, and university officials are constantly pleading for increases. This year, the University of Illinois received 23,300 applications for the 7,100 freshman slots available. Fewer than one out of three freshmen are accepted; the University chooses the lucky ones to attend this outstanding university. The University of Illinois seems to favor admitting foreign students rather than Americans. Students from India, Pakistan, China, Korea and dozens of other countries make up 12% of the student body. The university trustees are currently planning to increase foreign students to 25% of the student body, and at the same time reduce the freshman class by 1,000 students Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Soldier Comes Home From Iraq, Vanishes in City

When his father called looking for him, Spc. Robert Hornbeck answered his cell phone and spoke just a few words before the connection went dead: "Dad, I'm on the stairs." Read
Hundreds Of Sex Crime Fugitives Nabbed In Federal Dragnet

More than 1,100 people wanted for violent sex crimes were among 9,037 fugitives arrested in a weeklong roundup, the Justice Department said Thursday. The arrests were made as part of "Operation Falcon II," a 27-state dragnet timed to coincide with National Victims Rights Week. Read
Leaks of Military Files Resume

Just days after U.S. troops were ordered to plug a security breach at their base here, the black market trade in computer memory drives containing military documents was thriving again Monday. Documents on flash drives for sale at a bazaar across from the American military base over the weekend contained U.S. officers' names and cellphone numbers and instructions on using pain to control prisoners who put up resistance. U.S. soldiers spent thousands of dollars later that week buying scores of flash memory drives from the bazaar. The soldiers walked through the black market with a box of money, purchasing all the computer equipment they could find. Read
Iran Threatens Retaliation if U.S. Attacks

The nation's supreme leader made the threat two days before a United Nations report on Iran's nuclear activity is expected. Read
Minutemen Gaining in Immigration Debate

Laurie Lisonbee worried about illegal immigration but figured it was somebody else's issue — until she saw hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their supporters marching across her TV screen. Soon, Lisonbee had recruited several friends to attend a demonstration by the Minuteman Project, a volunteer group that patrols the border to keep out illegal immigrants. Now, the 51-year-old art professor checks the group's Web site daily and plans a summer trip to the Mexican border to help build a fence. Read
Russian Government Duplicity Strikes Again

...the Russians are again involved in their characteristic duplicity, this time in Iran. While they are pretending to work with the US and the Europeans to curb Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions, at the same time the Russians are arming the Iranians with state-of-the-art weaponry and equipment. Read
U.S. to Release 141 Detainees From Guantanamo Bay

The Pentagon's plan to release nearly a third of the prisoners from the facility comes as it reduces its estimate of how many of the alleged 'enemy combatants' it will charge. Read
Scandal: Security Company Accused of Falsifying Training at Nuclear Facilities

Wackenhut, the largest private security contractor to the federal government, is under investigation over allegations they falsified training records at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation, according to the DOE Assistant Inspector General. A conviction or civil judgment for falsification of records may be grounds for suspension or debarment of contractors under the US Government's Federal Acquisition Regulations. Read
GAO: FEMA Needs To Upgrade Anti-Fraud Systems

FEMA will likely waste millions in relief money if it doesn't move quickly to prevent fraud, according to the Government Accountability Office. Read
White House Hires Fox Pundit as Press Secretary

Conservative Commentator Tony Snow Named Bush's Chief Spokesman Read
Rumsfeld, Rice Meet Iraqi Leaders

President Bush's top two national security officials made a surprise visit to Iraq Wednesday, showing support for the emerging government as the top U.S. military commander there said some U.S. troops may be able to leave in the months ahead. Read
In Uniform, with Official ID, 'Madrinas' Help Move Drugs

Hundreds of Mexican nationals who wear government-issued uniforms, carry official identification cards and are authorized to use weapons are helping smugglers move tons of drugs into the United States, U.S. law-enforcement officials say. Read
Why Gas Prices Won't Go Down

The steps proposed by President Bush to rein in soaring gasoline prices would do little to cut fuel costs for outraged motorists before the summer driving season, industry experts said. Read
Four Years After 9-11, Interagency Intelligence Sharing Still Lacking

MichNews.com — There have been several pieces of legislation passed to improve information sharing among federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies, including the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The 2002 act required the development of policies for sharing classified and sensitive unclassified homeland security information. The 2004 act called for the development of an Information Sharing Environment for terrorism information. Read
TBN to Host Memorial Day Premiere of New WWII Film, The League of Grateful Sons

This Memorial Day, the Trinity Broadcasting Network will host the world television premiere of The League of Grateful Sons, a new WWII documentary chronicling the journey that sons and grandsons took to the black sands of Iwo Jima in honor of their fathers who fought there in 1945. The film will air on TBN at 7pm PST on Monday, May 29. In addition to the TBN broadcast, The League of Grateful Sons will be screened in communities across America on Memorial Day weekend as part of a campaign to remember the sacrifice of the WWII generation. Read
Palestinians Appoint Terrorist as Security Chief

MichNews.com — Khalid Abu Helal, the Palestinian Interior Ministry spokesman, announced Saturday that a recent decision by the ministry to appoint Jamal Abu Samhadana as the head of a new security force was in effect, regardless of opposition. Samhadena is considered a terrorist by the Israeli government and the United States, and a radical by most of the European Union. Read
Bush's Approval Ratings Slide to New Low

Poll: Only one-third say he's handling his job well Read
Bush Eases Gasoline Rules, Halts Reserve Deposits

President Bush today ordered a temporary suspension of environmental rules for gasoline, making it easier for refiners to meet demand and possibly dampen prices at the pump. Read
Bulgaria OKs 3 Bases for U.S. Troops

Bulgaria has agreed to open three military bases to permanent use by 2,500 U.S. troops who would be available for combat in the Middle East and other nearby regions. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will seal the deal when she visits the country this week. Read
Nationwide Raids Intensify Spotlight on Employment of Illegal Immigrants

In raids that set a record for workplace-enforcement arrests in a single day, immigration officials announced that they had taken 1,187 illegal immigrants into custody at wood products plants in 26 states and had charged seven company managers with crimes that can carry long prison terms. Read
U.S., Japan Strike Force Realignment Deal — Fox News

The United States and Japan have struck a bargain over a plan to realign U.S. forces in Japan, with Japan agreeing to pay $6.1 billion of the nearly $10.3 billion cost, the Japanese defense chief said Sunday night. Read
Housing Prices put Americans on the Move — CNN

The movement of Americans from north to south is trending as strong as ever, according to the latest report on net domestic migration released today from the Census Bureau. Read
Bin Laden Says U.S. Waging War on Islam — AP

Osama bin Laden issued new threats in an audiotape broadcast on Arab television Sunday and accused the United States and Europe of supporting a "Zionist" war on Islam by cutting off funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government. Read
For Latinos in the Midwest, a Time to Be Heard

In rural areas, the Latino population has soared but opposition to illegal immigration is deeply ingrained. Read
Moves Signal Tighter Secrecy Within C.I.A.

A highly unusual polygraph test for the agency's independent watchdog was part of a crackdown on leaks. Read
Venezuela Violence Up, Then America?

MichNews.com — AP's Ian James reports: "Victims reach the emergency room soaked in blood and dazed — wheeled in on stretchers, carried in people's arms, some still walking with the last of their strength. An elderly man shot in a robbery, a young man sprayed with gunfire, a woman who took a stray bullet in the head while on her way to church. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Children of Homosexuals More Apt to Be Homosexual

A third of homosexuals' children become homosexual. That's the major finding from the largest study of adult children of homosexuals. Children of transsexuals were also more apt to become homosexual or transsexual. At least 23 (30%) of 77 adult children of homosexuals were homosexual and 25 (32%) heterosexual. Of 10 adults with transsexual parents, at least one became transsexual and another homosexual. Read
Christian Business Ordered to Duplicate Homosexual Activist Videos

Virginia duplicator refused the job, citing Biblical grounds. In a case similar to a Canadian Christian printer's punishment for declining a job for a homosexual activist group, an Arlington, Virginia, video duplicator has been ordered by the Arlington County Human Rights Commission to do a job for a lesbian activist. The April 18 order follows a March 9 hearing in which Tim Bono of Bono Film and Video cited constitutional freedom of religion protection in refusing to duplicate two pro-homosexual films for lesbian activist Lillian Vincenz, according to the Family Policy Network (FPN), which is seeking clients for a class-action suit against the county. Bono, a Christian, said he did not want to violate his Biblical values by assisting the promotion of homosexual behavior. Read
Vatican To Issue Document On Condom Use Soon

At Pope Benedict XVI's request, the Vatican is preparing a document about condom use by those with AIDS, a top cardinal said in a published interview. "Soon the Vatican will issue a document about the use of condoms by persons who have grave diseases, starting with AIDS," Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who is in charge of the Vatican's health care ministry, was quoted as saying in Sunday's La Repubblica newspaper. Read
Profit Motive Hurting AIDS Fight, Speakers Say

AIDS is increasingly regarded as a disease of the poor, blunting efforts to develop tools, such as a virus-killing gel, that could save millions of lives, delegates at an international conference said Monday. Read

Other News

Bin Laden Says West Is Waging War Against Islam

In a new audiotape, Osama bin Laden denounced the isolation of the Palestinian government and told Muslims to fight any peacekeeping force in Sudan. Read
Israeli Spy Satellite Launched to Watch Iran

Russia on Tuesday launched a satellite for Israel that the Israelis say will be used to spy on Iran's nuclear program. Read
Israel's Jews Should Go Home: Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday called on Jews in Israel to go back to their countries of origin and allow the Palestinians to return to their homelands. Read
Israel: Iran Missiles Can Carry Nukes, Hit Europe

Iran has received a first batch of BM-25 surface-to-surface missiles that put European countries within firing range, Israel's military intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, was quoted as saying in the Haaretz daily on Thursday. Read
7.7 Quake Rocks Remote Russian Region — BBC

An earthquake of 7.7 magnitude has rattled villages on Russia's remote Kamchatka Peninsula but there were no immediate reports of serious injury. Read
Hamas Names a Militant to Security Post

The move is likely to increase friction between the Hamas-led government and the Palestinian Authority's president. Read
Worst Drought in 20 Years Hits East Africa — ABC News

The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in two decades, and nearly 6 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Kenya are at risk of dying. In recent days the much-anticipated seasonal rains have arrived in some parts of the region, but it's not nearly enough and in many places the sudden rains have led to flash flooding. Read
Iranian President: Israel a Rotten Tree — Ynet News

Iran's president said on Friday that the existence of the "Zionist regime," Iran's term for Israel, was a threat to the Islamic world, days after declaring Iran had become a nuclear power by enriching uranium. Read
Cyclone Monica Scaring Australia — ABC News

Residents of the northern city of Darwin braced Monday for Tropical Cyclone Monica, a Category 5 storm packing 217 mph winds that one forecaster said might be the fiercest in Australian history. Read
Hamas Threatens to End Truce With Israel — ABC News

Hamas angrily rejected a warning by the moderate Palestinian president Monday that he could dismiss its month-old government, threatening to scrap a truce with Israel if he does. Read
30 Are Killed in Sinai as Bombs Rock Egyptian Resort City

Three blasts tore through the crowded resort town of Dahab in the third attack at a popular Sinai resort in two years. Read

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Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006