Weekly Issues Alert

July 13 - 19

"The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts." --John Jay (http://PatriotPost.US/fqd/) -- 1784 - letter to Peter Augustus Jay)

Cabarrus County Commissioner Faces Charges Related To Prostitution — WSOC TV

A Cabarrus County commissioner faces charges related to prostitution...Privette also serves as the president of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, which advocates in the General Assembly for Christian groups. Read

Christian Group President Facing Prostitution Charges

North Carolina General Assembly

Provision Allowing Non-Profits to 'Sell' Alcohol for Fundraisers Stripped from Bill — Christianactionleague.org

A Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) for SB 838 — ABC Law Changes. — AB was considered before the Senate Commerce Committee, Tuesday, July 10. Sponsored by Senator Stan Bingham (R-Davidson), the PCS removed the good provisions from SB 838 that would have increased penalties and fines for alcoholic beverage control violations. Bingham testified he removed the provisions at the request of the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, who expressed the fines could cause a serious hardship for some retailers. Read
Right move on ads — News and Observer

Ads for the state lottery have no place in advertising at sports events held by public universities, and Erskine Bowles, president of the University of North Carolina system, has done well to say so. He's also taken a position unlikely to win him friends in the Governor's Office, where the lottery is viewed as a wonderful benefit to North Carolina. And it's true that the university system benefits from lottery money. But Bowles got to the heart of the issue when he said, "While it is legal for our students who are 18 or older to participate in the lottery, the lottery is nonetheless a form of gambling, and I feel strongly that we should not encourage gambling by our students." Amen, Brother Bowles. Advertising and sponsorships by the lottery tied to universities have expired, and Bowles' directive will be an end to them. The state House already has passed a bill banning lottery ads at high school events, although a ban at public universities regrettably fell out of the bill. The Senate has yet to act. Read
$500K Loan Shows Black Sentencing May Not End Ethics Scandal — WRAL

The latest bombshell from the investigation of former House Speaker Jim Black has once again put members of the General Assembly — and those who lobby them — on the defensive. Before Black's sentencing last week to more than five years in prison for taking illegal cash donations, federal prosecutors said an unidentified lobbyist gave the Mecklenburg County Democrat a $500,000 interest-free loan in 2000 that was parked for a time in his campaign account. Read
Former lawmaker's records kept secret — News and Observer

A legislative official declined Friday to release e-mail messages and other electronic records from the computer of former state Rep. David Almond, who resigned this week. Read
Vigil Highlights the Need for Fetal Homicide Law in North Carolina — Christianactionleague.org

...Walend's bill would establish that if a "child in utero" is injured or killed during the commission of certain crimes of violence, then the assailant may be charged with a second offense on behalf of the second victim, the unborn child. Under this measure a person like Nielsen's murderer could be charged with the death of two persons — the mother and the unborn child. Read
Black wants delay before serving time — News and Observer

Former House Speaker Jim Black wants an additional six weeks before he must go to federal prison, saying the Federal Bureau of Prisons needs more time to find him a bed. Read
Driver's License Revocation for ABC Violation: No More 'Wink and Nod' Approach to Underage Drinking — Christianactionleague.org

...HB 1277 — Drivers License Revocation for ABC Violation. The measure would suspend the driver's license up to one year of anyone of age providing booze for underage drinkers. (This bill has passed the House and is on the way to the Senate). Read
Ethics bills follow scandals — News and Observer

Recent examples of misconduct prompt key state legislators to promise stronger laws that would open their hearings, disclose their campaign donors and make penalties more severe. Read

North Carolina Courts

Judge Halts Beach Driving on Cape Hatteras National Seashore — WRAL

A federal judge has put an immediate stop to all beach driving on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Read

North Carolina Politics

John Edwards Will Help Repeal Anti-Gay Laws, Wife Says — FOX

Elizabeth Edwards told a prominent gay rights group Saturday night that her husband, presidential candidate John Edwards, would help repeal more than a thousand laws that discriminate against same-sex couples. Read
Miller makes self at home in House — WRAL

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller wants to soothe hearts and fight for people, and he figures that — for now, at least — the U.S. House of Representatives is the place to do it. Read

Other North Carolina News

Guard Troops Returning Monday from Kuwait — ABC11

Dozens of soldiers from the North Carolina National Guard's 730th Quartermaster battalion are scheduled to come home tonight from Kuwait. Read
Soldier Charged for Spreading HIV — ABC11

A Fort Bragg soldier with HIV has been arrested and charged with spreading the virus. Read
Christian activists help get alcohol inhalers banned in Tar Heel State — OneNewsNow

A Christian activist in North Carolina is praying that a new state law banning alcohol inhalers could have a big impact nationwide. Read
N.C. Medical Board Defends Death Penalty Ethics Policy — WSOC

The North Carolina Medical Board wants a court to throw out a lawsuit that seeks to strip the panel of the power to discipline any physician who might help the state put a condemned inmate to death. Read
DMV Commissioner Steps Down — WRAL

The commissioner of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles resigned Wednesday amid questions of the approval of a car title for a friend in Cumberland County. Read
2 Triangle Towns Among Money's 'Best Places to Live' List — WRAL

Money Magazine lists three communities in North Carolina in the top 100 best places to live. Two of those locations are in the Triangle Read
Church volunteers from North Carolina helping with cleanup — The Joplin Globe

Church volunteers from North Carolina will be in flood-ravaged Miami through next week to clean up residences and remove debris, church officials said Friday. About 75 volunteers from The North Carolina Baptist Men's Convention will help remove drywall and appliances, power-washing and sanitizing homes, said Lin Honeycut, spokesman for the group Read
Fayetteville Street hosts morning show — MyrtleBeachOnline

Fayetteville Street strutted on the national airwaves once again Friday morning as it hosted "The Early Show" on CBS. Hundreds gathered to watch as anchor Hannah Storm and weatherman Dave Price rolled through segments on N.C. barbecue, NASCAR and the state's system of farmers markets. The live broadcast ended with a mini concert from Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby, who performed on a stage set up in front of the Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel. It marked at least the third time a national newscast has used Fayetteville Street as a backdrop since it opened to automobile traffic about a year ago. Read
Teen Charged In Homeless Man's Beating Death In Statesville — WSOC-TV

Investigators say about 10 teenagers attacked Terry Turner at a busy intersection near the police department one week ago. Read
Cigarette tax jump lowers smoking rates — News and Observer

Cigarette sales dropped 19 percent and the state earned an extra $157 million in the year after the cigarette tax went up, state officials said today. Read
Inmates Arrested in Prostitution Sting — WRAL

Three inmates out of jail on work release ended up back in jail after police arrested them and 10 other people last week in a prostitution sting. Read
UNC Hospitals unranked as Duke at 7th best — MyrtleBeachOnline

Six medical specialties offered at UNC Hospitals rank among the top 50 programs of their kind nationwide, according to U.S. News & World Report magazine. But the hospitals didn't make the magazine's honor roll of the top overall facilities in the nation. Meanwhile, Duke University Medical Center was rated the seventh best hospital in the U.S., the magazine said, tied with the hospital at the University of California at San Francisco. Only 18 hospitals qualified for the honor roll. Duke had 10 programs rated in the respective top 10 and five other programs rated among the nation's top 26. Read
Miami Dolphins Chris Chambers arrested for DWI — Gambling, Sports and Entertainment News

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chris Chambers was arrested on DUI charges in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read
S.C. firm to invest $31 million, create 270 new jobs in Person County — The Courier-Times

Gov. Mike Easley announced today that Force Protection Inc., a South Carolina company that makes armored vehicles for the military, will open a a manufacturing facility in the former Collins & Aikman Elm Plant in Person County. Read
College investigates report on rail system — MyrtleBeachOnline

The University of North Carolina-Charlotte has launched a formal investigation in response to allegations that its employees skewed a research report to boost support for the city's light-rail system. The probe, announced Friday, marks the latest development in an intense debate over whether Mecklenburg County should keep a half-cent sales tax for mass transit that generates about $77 million annually and helps fund the light-rail system. Critics say the report, unveiled in April by UNCC's Center for Transportation Policy Studies, manipulated data to make a favorable case for the light-rail system. They say the report's authors acted with undue influence from the Charlotte chamber, a strong proponent of light rail. UNCC denies any impropriety. Read
Change already afoot in Cape Fear region — StarNewsOnline

Castle Hayne | By 2100, large chunks of coastal North Carolina could be underwater or require protection behind sea walls or bulkheads to fend off rising ocean levels. But we don't have to wait decades to witness changes caused by rising seas. From the beaches on the oceanfront to swamps dozens of miles inland, the creeping rise in water levels is already changing the environment. Read
Buoyant trade thriving in N.C. — News and Observer

Unlike tobacco or textiles, boat-building is a heritage industry that is growing in North Carolina and providing opportunities from east to west. Read
Local surgeon recognized for North Carolina tree farm — HeraldTribune.com

Dr. Jim Fergeson was proud of the fact that he made the cover of the Mayo Clinic's alumni magazine several years ago, but it was not for his 30-year career as a surgeon in Sarasota. The magazine focused on his sideline business in retirement as the own-er of a Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. Read

Congress

Feinstein to Bush: Free Ramos, Compean — WorldNetDaily

Decides after Senate hearing to ask president to commute sentences...Following the Senate judiciary committee's examination of the controversial prosecution, according to Gerber, the senator said "it became very clear the sentences did not match the crime." Read
Why Not the 'Mary Stachowicz Hate Crime Act'? Killer Nicholas Gutierrez Escapes Death Penalty — Americans for Truth

TAKE ACTION: Call your Senators at 202-224-3121 or e-mail them at www.congress.urg and ask them to reject the "Hate Crimes" amendment that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) cynically added to the National Defense Authorization Act. Read
Senate GOP scuttles troop-withdrawal bill — Seattle Times

After a long night of windy speeches and pizza, Senate Republicans today scuttled a Democratic proposal ordering troop withdrawals from Iraq. Read

Senate rejects Iraq pullout

Why debate all night? It's part of a big plan
Bush threatens to veto health bill — USA Today

President Bush on Wednesday reiterated his threat to veto Senate legislation that would substantially increase funds for children's health insurance by levying a 61-cent-a-pack increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes. Read
House Will Likely Debate Ethical Stem Cell Research Funding this Week — LifeNews.com

The House of Representatives will likely engage in another debate on stem cell research this week as it takes up the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill. On Wednesday or Thursday, House members will consider an amendment to support ethical forms of the research. Read
Voters unhappy with Bush; Congress: Reuters poll By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent — Reuters

Most U.S. voters think the country is on the wrong track and remain deeply unhappy with President George W. Bush and Congress, but still feel good about their finances and optimistic about the future, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday. Read
Return of Fairness Doctrine Spells Danger to Religious Broadcasters — Moral Majority

On June 29, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) introduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act, a bill that would prevent the restoration of the Fairness Doctrine by the Federal Communications Commission. There has been growing speculation on Capitol Hill that Democrats will seek to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine under the guise that conservative talk radio is disproportionately dominating American radio. The liberal agenda has not been able to gain a foothold on radio, even though it is predominate in virtually every other form of mass media. Read
Hindu shouted down while offering opening prayer for Senate session — OneNewsNow

A Hindu chaplain from Nevada was shouted down before and during his prayer to open up the U.S. Senate this morning. Read

Video (Warning: this video is on YouTube website which contains other offensive materials)
"Where's The Fence?" Send Faxes to Leadership Demanding the Fence Be Built! — Grassfire.org

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 was signed into law by the President authorizing 854 miles of two-layered, reinforced fencing along the southwest border. As of May 25, 2007, the DHS reports only 13.01 miles of single-layer fence has been erected. Fax White House, Senate and House leadership, and tell them to deliver on their promise by building the fence and securing our borders. Read
Congress extends funding for abstinence education — Washington Times

The House last week renewed an abstinence-education program and a transitional health care program, which expired last month, until the end of September. Read
New Economic Populism Spurs Democrats — NYT

The more populist tone is one indication of a broader debate among Democrats over how much they should break with the centrism of the Clinton years. Read

Courts

Former Navy chaplain files papers for reinstatement appeal — OneNewsNow

Attorneys for a former Navy chaplain have filed papers to appeal the court-martial conviction that cost the evangelical Christian his Naval career. Gordon James Klingenschmitt says he believes he has the law on his side. Read
Students filmed in locker room win case — Macon.com

A jury awarded $40,000 each to 32 students who were taped by security cameras in a middle school's locker rooms.Read
Ruling Has Federal Appeals Courts at Odds on Forced Abortion Asylums — LifeNews.com

A new ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has federal appeals courts at odds over how frequently victims of the forced abortion policies of China can apply for asylum in the United States. While the 2nd Circuit ruled against asylum in a recent case, the 9th Circuit supported it. Read
Teens testify in 'sex tourism' case — Macon.com

Two Moldovan teenagers testified Wednesday that a wealthy American motel owner played a children's game with them in a boarding house before trying to seduce them. Anthony Mark Bianchi is on trial this week under a 2003 law designed to thwart "sex tourism" by trying suspected overseas child predators in U.S. courts. Bianchi has been accused of assaulting nearly a dozen minors abroad. Read
Lawsuit Filed for Clinton Library Records concerning Hillary — Drudge Report

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption announced today that it filed a lawsuit on July 16, 2007 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration to obtain access to the following records from the Clinton Presidential Library: "First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's calendar, to include but not limited to her daily office diary, schedule, day planner, telephone log book, and chronological file." The Archives, which operates and maintains Clinton Presidential Library records, failed to respond to Judicial Watch's April 5, 2006 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Read
Witnesses testify in secret, for and against judge — Las Vegas Sun

...Because of the secretive nature of the commission's proceedings, there was no way by late Monday afternoon to tell what they chose to do, or whether they decided to put the matter — the most closely watched judicial disciplinary proceedings in recent Nevada history — on hold as they weighed the evidence. Read
Abortion Protestor Vindicated — Christiansunite.com

...the case will be remanded to the District Court for discovery and trial. Mr. Logsdon is very pleased with this decision and harbors no ill-will toward Cincinnati police officers, including the two that arrested him. "I have had a lot of contact through the years with Cincinnati police and I appreciate what they do. Read
Nine File Suit Against TB-Infected Man — AP

Nine people filed a $1.3 million lawsuit Thursday against the globe-trotting tuberculosis patient for possibly exposing them to the disease on a commercial flight from Prague to Montreal. Read
Judge OKs $660M clergy abuse settlement — Yahoo

A judge on Monday approved a $660 million settlement between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and more than 500 alleged victims of clergy abuse, the largest payout yet in a nationwide sex abuse scandal. Some of the plaintiffs sobbed as the deal was formally approved and a moment of silence was held for others who had died during the years of negotiations. Read
Feds Indict Vick on Dogfighting Charges — AOL News

..."We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said...John Goodwin of the Humane Society said the manner in which losing or unwilling dogs were killed was especially troubling. "Some of the grisly details in these filings shocked even me, and I'm a person who faces this stuff every day," he said. "I was surprised to see that they were killing dogs by hanging them and one dog was killed by slamming it to the ground. Those are extremely violent methods of execution — they're unnecessary and just sick." Read
Ex-FBI analyst gets 10 years in spy plot — Macon.com

A former FBI intelligence analyst who worked under two vice presidents was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for passing secret U.S. documents in an effort to topple the Philippine government. Read
Reforms streamline competency court, save money — Las Vegas Sun

...Glass has instituted a number of other reforms to Competency Court — a program that was recently recognized with a 2007 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties. Glass said the idea for a streamlined court came when she noticed a backlog of people waiting to have their cases heard. "As far as efficiency goes, there's no comparison as to the way it was and the way it is now," Glass said. Read
Prominent defense lawyer flees Russia — Boston Globe

Boris Kuznetsov made his name defending people who fell foul of the Russian state. Now he has fled Russia after a court sanctioned his arrest for revealing state secrets. Moscow prosecutors have since opened a criminal case against him... Kuznetsov told Reuters this week from a European location, which he refused to name, that he was the latest victim of a crackdown on lawyers under President Vladimir Putin. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Time to find out what's going on down at your local mosque — World Tribune

...So we see that unless someone investigates each and every one of the mosques and Islamic day schools in the U.S. to determine what brand of Islamic law each one follows and how committed the organization, its leaders and followers are to Shari'a and Jihad, we will be effectively participating in our own destruction because we have accepted the Politically Correct notion that those of us in the West are not capable of or permitted to distinguish between good religious teachings and religious teachings which are in fact a disguise for a murderous and quite dangerous hegemonic political ideology. Read
VoteYesMarriage.com Airing California Radio Ads to Place the Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Initiative on the 2008 Ballot — Christian Newswire

The VoteYesMarriage.com coalition, sponsor of The Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Initiative to permanently and fully protect marriage for one man and one woman in the California State Constitution, is airing radio ads up and down California urging "people of means" to generously donate to the marriage protection campaign. The radio ads come at the same time that the VoteYesMarriage.com initiative has been cleared for signature gathering. Read
Calling Jews to New Orleans — LA Times

Hoping to repopulate a dwindling Jewish community, leaders appeal across the country to help heal the city. They also offer cash incentives. Read
Fewer Mothers Prefer Full-time Work — Pew Research Center

In the span of the past decade, full-time work outside the home has lost some of its appeal to mothers. This trend holds both for mothers who have such jobs and those who don't. Read
Egypt: Security Police Torture Christian Convert Woman — Worthy News

Security police in Alexandria, Egypt have repeatedly tortured a young woman convert to Christianity in custody since Monday (July 16)

Read
Harry Potter and anti-Christian bigotry — WorldNetDaily

...The message that screams from these pages for children to absorb is that these despicable people who object to "magic" are worthy of the worst scorn. And that's mostly what they receive throughout the Potter books. Our children quickly figure out that Muggles equate to traditional conservatives. And who are the most fervently "anti-magic" in real-world America? Christians. If kids don't get this right off, the mainstream media's frequent, negative caricatures of Christians will connect the dots for them. Might this be one more clue to explain the rise in virulent anti-Christian sentiment in recent years? Read
Over 100 Foreign Missionaries Expelled by Chinese Government Secret Campaign — Christiansunite.com

China Aid Association confirms that a central government-directed campaign to expel suspected foreign missionaries has been ongoing since February 2007. Read
For Episcopal Church, fissure deepens — Boston Globe

In a dramatic illustration of the unhappiness among conservative Episcopalians in the United States, an Episcopal priest from the North Shore has decided to become a bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya. The Rev. William L. Murdoch, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in West Newbury, will fly to Nairobi next month for his consecration as a Kenyan bishop, then return to Massachusetts to minister to other disaffected conservatives who are leaving the Episcopal Church over its 2003 decision to ordain an openly gay priest as the bishop of New Hampshire. Murdoch's congregation, which averages about 300 worshipers each Sunday, will have to turn over its three buildings and a $1 million endowment to the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. The congregation is planning to buy a closed Catholic church in Amesbury and start over as All Saints Anglican, a local parish of the Kenyan church. Read
Polygamist Tom Green vows to change ways — Macon.com

Polygamist Tom Green has four wives, but when he's released from prison next month he pledges to live with only one of them — his legal wife. Read
China Province To Destroy 'Prayer Mountain' Churches — Worthy News

Three "Prayer Mountain" church buildings in China's Wenzhou city of Zhejiang province are facing "imminent destruction" by the local government, fellow Christians and human rights watchers said Saturday, July 14. Read
Families Under Pressure — Zenit.org

Marriage and family life continue to suffer the inroads of contemporary society. From England came the recent news that the number of women giving birth outside of marriage rose by 22% in the last 5 years...The Daily Mail quoted Patricia Morgan, author of a number of studies on the family, who accused the British tax system favoring single parenthood. "Two out of three of the babies outside marriage will have been born to couples with one eye on the benefit authorities," she told the newspaper. Read
North Korea Shows Progress on Nuclear Issue, but Mr. Son and Thousands Face Death for Faith — Christian Newswire

International inspectors have reported that North Korea has shut down a key nuclear reactor, but religious and human rights organizations and leading elected officials are now urging the world to insist that the North Koreans show progress in the area of religious liberty. Read
Health Deteriorating Of Jailed Baptist Pastor In Azerbaijan — Worthy News

A frail Baptist pastor prepared for another night in an Azerbaijani prison Friday, July 13, nearly two months after he was arrested on charges over 50 witnesses say are false. Read
Prohibiting Priests from Marriage Unbiblical According to ChristiaNet.com Poll — Christian Newswire

ChristiaNet.com, the world's largest Christian portal with twelve million monthly page loads, asked readers to participate in a new poll by answering the question, "Should Priests be allowed to marry?" President of ChristiaNet.com, Bill Cooper, says "Marriage between man and woman is something God created in the Garden of Eden. To deny someone the opportunity to marry is unbiblical." Read
Vietnam Jails 13 Montagnard House Church Christians — Worthy News

Vietnam sentenced 13 Degar Montagnards, a major ethnic group in the country's volatile Central Highlands, to prison terms of up to 15 years for "being House Church Christians" and their involvement in religious rights campaigns, representatives said Sunday, July 15. Read
35 percent heavy metal songs have Satanist content — expert — Interfax (Moscow)

Most heavy metal songs are about murder and suicide, the Serbsky State Research Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry professor Fyodor Kondratyev opines. 'Having researched 700 most popular heavy metal songs revealed that half of them is about murder, 7 percent is positive about suicide, and 35 percent preaches a variety of Satanist ideologies,' Kondratyev said in his interview published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily on Monday. Read
Urban Clothing Line to Sponsor Top Gospel Show — Christian Newswire

Rebirth Clothing, the "street-edged spiritually-themed" urban wear line will serve as a sponsor for the BET Bobby Jones Gospel celebrity gift bags to be distributed at the signature Bobby Jones Gospel tapings taking place in Washington, DC on July 20—22 and July 27—29, 2007. The pre-taped Bobby Jones Gospel episodes are scheduled to later air on the BET network in the Fall 2007 season.
Homosexual Clergy Mainly Responsible For Sex Abuse Scandals — Christian Newswire

There has been many national news accounts over the past few years regarding the sex abuse scandals within the Catholic Church. Most recently according to the Associated Press, "The nation's largest Catholic archdiocese has settled its abuse cases for $660 million, by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal." Read
Christians Crucified In Iraq, Dutch MP Says — Worthy News

Militants have crucified Christians in Iraq, including converts from Islam and people involved in "mixed marriages," a senior Dutch parliamentarian has established. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Washington Post Film Critic Upset New Movies Don't Promote Abortion — LifeNews.com

LifeNews.com Note: Kristen Fyfe is a senior writer for the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute that reports on news media bias. The Washington Post's film critic Ann Hornaday wants abortion. In the movies, that is. In her July 15 piece Hornaday complains that two box office successes this summer, "Waitress" and "Knocked Up," feature main characters that are pregnant. Both are unmarried and less than thrilled with their pregnancies. Both have their babies Read
Bishops of Argentina Respond to "Worthy Death" Bills: Reaffirm the Value of Life "From Conception Until its Natural End" — LifeSiteNews

The Catholic Bishops of Rio Negro have reaffirmed the value of human life "from conception until natural death" in response to proposed "worthy death" bills, Fides News Agency reports. Read
Democrats pledge support for wide access to abortion — Chicago Tribune

Elizabeth Edwards said Tuesday that her husband's health-care plan would provide insurance coverage of abortion. Read
Giuliani: Abortion not a test for judges — WORLD Magazine

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, a proponent of abortion rights, said Wednesday he would not use a judicial nominee's stand on the issue or the landmark Supreme Court decision as a litmus test. Read
More Pro-Life Leaders Doubt Los Angeles Times' Abortion-Fred Thompson Link — LifeNews.com

More pro-life leaders are coming forward saying they doubt a Los Angeles Times news story claiming likely Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson lobbied 16 years ago for a pro-abortion group. They say the Times has a history of bias on abortion and said Thompson has proven himself to be pro-life during his career. Read
Jezebel Rose Up Against Authority and Was Arrested — Christian Newswire

...When Operation Save America arrived at the clinic, its director began threatening the Christians. The police, in order to avoid an altercation, asked her to calm down. She replied, "I will do what I want." When told she must obey rightful authorities, she stated she would not obey. She was immediately arrested. Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. Romans 13:. In many cities the God given authority is used wrongfully — to oppress Christians and squash 1st amendment rights. In ONE city, Tuscaloosa Alabama, the police use their authority correctly, defending the innocent and keeping order. The spirit of Christ loves order. The spirit of Jezebel hates authority. Judge Roy Moore, Alabama's favorite Judge, and Hank Erwin, Alabama's favorite Senator will speak at the Thursday Operation Save America Rally in Birmingham, July 19, 2007. These are men who understand true submission to authority, even at great cost. Read
Federal Election Commission Fines Terri Schiavo's Ex-Husband's PAC — LifeNews.com

The Federal Election Commission in Washington has fined the political action committee created by Terri Schiavo's former husband. After ordering her painful two-week-long starvation and dehydration death in March 2005, Michael Schiavo created the PAC to target pro-life lawmakers who tried to stop him from killing her. Read
Wichita Awakening Concludes With Praise for Spared Life — Christian Newswire

After a long day of prayer in front of George R. Tiller's notorious abortion mill, which netted a life saved from abortion, five hundred Christians attended the final praise and worship concert of the Wichita Awakening. Read

Poll
Democratic Candidate Bill Richardson Won't Cede Abortion to Hillary Clinton — LifeNews.com

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson says he won't cede abortion issues to rival hopeful Hillary Clinton just because she's a woman. He said he can represent the interests of abortion advocates as well as Clinton and pointed to how he will not appoint a Supreme Court justice who opposes Roe v. Wade. Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

1 in 12 workers admits recent illicit drug use — Seattle Times

One in 12 full-time workers in the United States acknowledges having used illegal drugs in the past month, the government reports. Read
Drinking Beer Is Wrong — ChristiaNet.com

ChristiaNet.com, the world's largest Christian portal with twelve million monthly page loads, asked reader's to participate in a survey that asks, "Should Christians drink beer? The majority of 197 out of 339 respondents felt that it isn't appropriate behavior for several reasons. One person said, "Alcohol takes control of a person's body and does not honor God's temple." Respondents seemed to agree overall that drinking beer, wine, liquor, or an alcoholic beverage of any kind is wrong. One participant made a good point about excessive drinking contributing to car accidents and domestic violence. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Prayer In Public Schools Should Be Allowed — ChristiaNet

ChristiaNet.com, the world's largest Christian portal with twelve million monthly page loads, in a recent poll asked the question "Should prayer be allowed in public schools?" Out of 1,545 participants, 95% responded with a resounding "Yes." The majority of those polled feel that school prayer should be allowed, but not mandatory. Bill Cooper, President of ChristiaNet.com, states, "Daily prayer is very integral to a Christian's walk." Read
Sex Ed for Kindergarteners 'Right Thing to Do,' Says Obama — ABC News

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told Planned Parenthood Tuesday that sex education for kindergarteners, as long as it is "age-appropriate," is "the right thing to do." Read
Expert: College lockdowns unrealistic — WORLD Magazine

Lockdowns of college campuses during emergencies are difficult to execute and are not appropriate in most cases, a campus law enforcement expert on Wednesday told a panel investigating the Virginia Tech shootings. Read
Wording set for voter packets on school vouchers — Salt Lake Tribune

With Utah's school voucher referendum election less than four months away, the language for voter information pamphlets was set Friday, the deadline for supporters and opponents to submit rebuttals to pro and con arguments filed last month. Read
Abstinence Education Faces Uncertain Future — NYT

Opponents of abstinence education cite a study that found no sign that it delayed a teenager's sexual debut. Read
FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats — ABC

FBI agents trying to track the source of e-mailed bomb threats against a Washington high school last month sent the suspect a secret surveillance program designed to surreptitiously monitor him and report back to a government server, according to an FBI affidavit obtained by Wired News. The court filing offers the first public glimpse into the bureau's long-suspected spyware capability, in which the FBI adopts techniques more common to online criminals. Read
Montgomery Ranks 5th in U.S.; D.C., Alexandria Lag — Washington Post

A new study by Forbes magazine ranks Montgomery County public schools fifth in the nation "for the buck," with nods to Howard and Loudoun schools for delivering return on educational investment. It ranks D.C. and Alexandria schools among the worst. Read
College courses on prostitution could be the next addition to New Zealand's educational institutions — FOX

Funding for courses on the age-old profession may be considered if the courses are deemed to have the necessary quality and relevance to the educational field, according to education officials. Read

Gambling

Online gaming in the shadows — Las Vegas Sun

The speedy passage last fall of legislation making it more difficult for Americans to gamble online has led to three bills that take aim at the restrictions. They are finding robust support from Internet gambling enthusiasts, but garnering little attention from politicians, who face more pressing policy issues than the right to gamble from home. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Memorial for three sailors killed in Iraq draws large crowd -The Virginian Pilot

The three sailors' expertise brought them together on a darkened road in Iraq on July 6 for one final pitched battle. The men — a Navy SEAL, an intelligence specialist and a combat cameraman — completed their mission, and it cost them their lives. Read
US: Top al-Qaida in Iraq Figure Captured — Yahoo

The U.S. command said Wednesday the highest-ranking Iraqi in the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq has been arrested, adding that information from him indicates the group's foreign-based leadership wields considerable influence over the Iraqi chapter. Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4, said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman Read

Terror leader exposes network
Retired Gen. Wayne Downing dies at 67 — WORLD Magazine

Retired Gen. Wayne Downing, one of President Bush's key counterterrorism advisers after the Sept. 11 attacks, died Wednesday, a coroner said. He was 67. The four-star general was admitted to the hospital Monday, suffering from bacterial meningitis and multiple myeloma, a form of cancer, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said. Read
Two U.S. Soldiers Charged With Murder — AOL

Two U.S. Army soldiers have been charged with the premeditated murder of an Iraqi, and a lieutenant colonel has been relieved of command in connection with the case, the U.S. military announced Thursday. Read
America Supports You: Group Provides Troops Vital Link to Home — US Dept. of Defense

A Tennessee-based organization provides deployed servicemembers with a link to home and the gratitude of the American public through care packages and letters it sends. "Operation Troop Aid is ... striving to make a positive difference and inspire our armed forces by letting them know Americans stand with them," Mark Woods, the group's president, said. Operation Troop Aid is a new member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. Read
FBI: Iraqis Being Smuggled Across the Rio Grande — ABC News

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico. Read
US has evidence of Syria arms transfers — Jerusalem Post

The United States accused Syria and Iran on Wednesday of playing a negative role in Lebanon and said there is clear evidence of arms smuggling across the Syrian border to terrorist groups. Read
Morford named deputy attorney general — WORLD Magazine

A federal prosecutor who helped put a former Democratic lawmaker behind bars was named Wednesday as the Justice Department's No. 2 official. Read
U.S. takes on Iran-backed militia in Baghdad — World Tribune

The U.S. military has launched an offensive against militias financed and trained by Iran. Over the weekend, U.S. Army units raided an Iranian-sponsored Shi'ite insurgency stronghold in central Baghdad. Read
Iranian TV Shows Footage of 2 Detained Iranian-Americans — FOX

Iranian state television broadcast video of two detained Iranian-Americans on its nationwide channel Wednesday night, purporting to show them making incriminating statements about plotting subversion in Iran. Read
Veterans Affairs chief abruptly resigns — Seattle Times

Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson abruptly resigned Tuesday after months of the Bush administration struggling to defend charges of shoddy treatment for veterans injured in the Iraq war. Read
Area police lack policies to deal with illegals — The Washington Times

...Municipalities such as Prince William and Loudoun counties, frustrated by the federal government's inability to enact immigration reform, are trying to reverse the trend through ordinances and enforcement policies. "We're in a gray area," said Ronald A. Ricucci, police chief for the city of Takoma Park, which has the most lenient enforcement policy in the region. "Obviously, you don't want to put criminals back on the street." Read
Leaders leaving Homeland — News and Observer

The Department of Homeland Security lost senior leaders at twice the rate of the rest of the federal government over the past two years, including 23 of 26 top officials who report to the secretary, according to a new government report and department. Read
US Launches New Offensive in Iraq — ABC News

The U.S. military, which just days ago completed its latest troop buildup in Iraq, has launched a large offensive operation in several al-Qaida strongholds around Baghdad, the top U.S. commander said Saturday. Read
'None of the above' leading GOP White House contenders in new poll — FOX

And the leading Republican presidential candidate is ... none of the above. The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Read
Blair's First Meeting With Middle East 'Quartet' Set for Lisbon — VOA

The United States and its partners in the international Quartet trying to encourage peace between the Palestinians and Israel will meet in Portugal next week with the group's new representative, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Read
Oprah Winfrey to Raise Money for Obama — AP

Forget the girl of YouTube videos. The real Obama girl is doing her part for the candidate. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey plans to hold a Sept. 8 fundraiser for Democratic hopeful Barack Obama at her palatial estate near Santa Barbara, Calif., according to campaign spokesman Dan Pfeiffer. Read
What could happen if U.S. pulls troops out of Iraq — Seattle Times

The debate over when U.S. forces should leave is increasingly centering on what might occur once they do. The military is quietly exploring possible outcomes. Read
North Korea Shuts Down Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor — Fox News

North Korea told the United States it shut down its nuclear reactor, the State Department said Saturday, hours after a ship cruised into port loaded with oil promised in return for the country's pledge to disarm. Read
Signal to Attack? Worries Over Latest al Qaeda Tape — ABC News

Fearing a possible coded signal to attack, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials are studying an unusual pattern of words in the latest audiotape from al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri. Read
Fla. ends temporary halt to executions — Macon.com

Gov. Charlie Crist signed his first death warrant Wednesday, ending a temporary halt on lethal injections that had been imposed after a botched execution last year. Read
Fear the Reaper, Air Force says — Washington Times

The airplane is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It's outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and has 1½ tons of guided bombs and missiles. Read
Aid to Pakistan in Tribal Areas Raises Concerns — NYT

The United States plans to pour $750 million into a lawless region over the next five years, but critics fear that the money might fall into the wrong hands. Read
USS Enterprise joins two other U.S. carrier groups in Persian Gulf — World Tribune

The U.S. Navy has deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise — the longest naval vessel in the world and which carries 66 aircraft — for Gulf operations. Officials said this marked the second deployment of the Enterprise in the Gulf in 14 months. Read
Candidates raising lots, spending lots — Seattle Times

Candidates for the White House are not only raising far more than ever before, many are also spending that money as fast as they get it, leaving some close to being forced from the race almost six months before the first votes are cast. Read
Candidates Shift as G.O.P. Field Alters — NYT

The decline of Senator John McCain's campaign and the rising profile of Fred D. Thompson are prompting Republican candidates to rewrite their strategies. Read
Tennessee Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Bribery — WRAL

The last of five lawmakers indicted in an undercover public corruption probe dubbed Tennessee Waltz pleaded guilty Monday to bribery. Former state Sen. Kathryn Bowers, 64, a Memphis Democrat, pleaded guilty to one federal count accusing her of splitting $11,500 with an accomplice who served as a go-between with FBI agents posing as dishonest businessmen. She had insisted for two years that she was innocent. Read
Mistrust as Iraqi Troops Encounter New U.S. Allies — NYT

As U.S. troops build alliances with Sunni ex-insurgents, mutual mistrust exists with Shiite Iraqi Army soldiers. Read
Dollar Falls Against Euro, Pound Rises Above $2.05 Before Dropping Back — Yahoo Finance

The dollar fell to new lows against Europe's 13-nation currency on Wednesday while in London, the pound soared above $2.05 for the first time in more than a quarter of a century. Read
Product recalls: coffee makers, toy sets — WORLD Magazine

About 392,000 Signature Gourmet and Kitchen Gourmet 12-cup coffee makers, manufactured in China and imported by Atico International USA Inc., because an electrical problem can cause the coffee makers to catch fire. The company has received 14 reports of electrical failures, including six reports of coffee makers igniting. The coffee makers were sold at Walgreens stores around the country between August 2003 and December 2006. Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

LaBarbera condemns Dems' presidential debate on 'GLBT' issues — OneNewsNow

A pro-family activist says the frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination are "pandering to the gay lobby" by agreeing to take part in a televised debate moderated by homosexual activists. Read
Woman Pleads Guilty to Sex Assault of Infant, Videotaping Husband's Child Sex Acts — FOX

A woman accused of sexually assaulting her infant daughter and videotaping her husband performing sex acts on two children has pleaded guilty to three counts of child sex assault. Julie Lynn Hinds, 35, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual performance by a child and promotion of child pornography. She faces punishment ranging from probation to life in prison. Read
Corporate America: The New Gay Activists Kirk Snyder — Huffington Post

In a recent study by Gallup, almost ninety percent of Americans said they believe gay people should have equal rights in the workplace. Interestingly, only forty-seven percent of these same people believe that being gay is "morally acceptable." So what has convinced nearly nine out of ten people across the country that gays and lesbians deserve equality at work even when they don't believe gay is OK? Charting a course unplanned but nevertheless successful, Corporate America is shaping up to be the most persuasive gay activists of the decade. Read
Gay Adoptions Condone Immoral Lifestyles — ChristiaNet.com

ChristiaNet.com, the world's largest Christian portal with twelve million monthly page loads, conducted a recent poll asking, "Should gay and lesbian couples be allowed to adopt children?" The overall consensus is that homeless children are in dire need of healthy loving homes. As one voter said, "Every child deserves a loving home." Bill Cooper, President of ChristiaNet, stated, "The issue is not whether children need homes, but the type of spiritual environment that children are placed into." Read
Vermont town bans public nudity after brash displays — Reuters

A Vermont town that is gaining national attention for brash displays of nudity — from teens in the buff to naked elderly people — awoke on Wednesday to an emergency ban on nakedness in most public places. Read
Male prostitute held in HIV case — Rocky Mountain News

A 27-year-old man who was posing as a woman when he was arrested by Denver police during a prostitution sting has been charged with prostitution with knowledge of being infected with HIV or AIDS. Read

Other News

Report: Iraq may have world's second largest oil reserves — World Tribune

Iraqi oil production could double in five years, according to a new study. The report found that Iraq's oil reserves may be almost twice as much as previously estimated. The study by the U.S. consultancy IHS said another 100 billion barrels of oil reserves could be found in Iraq. Read
Israel drafting plans for moat to thwart arms smuggling from Egypt — World Tribune

Israel's military has been developing plans for halting the flow of weapons and insurgents from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. Read
Olmert to pardon Israel's most wanted Palestinian terrorists, old and new — Israel Insider

The Prime Minister's Office has agreed to pardon 180 wanted Fatah gunmen despite warnings from the Israeli Defense Force Central Command. As a gesture to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will grant amnesty to virtually 75 percent of wanted militants of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, considered to be a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel and the European Union. Read
Britain Signals Compromise With Russia — Las Vegas Sun

Britain on Wednesday signaled a possible compromise with Russia to end escalating tensions over the trial of a former KGB agent accused of using radioactive poison to kill a Kremlin critic in Britain. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman suggested the trial be held in a third country to get around Russia's refusal to extradite the suspect to Britain to stand trial Read
Al Qaeda seen reborn as key threat — Boston Globe

The Al Qaeda terror network, responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has reestablished a safe haven in Pakistan, retained its top leadership, and trained new operatives in Iraq — and now poses a "heightened threat" of another massive attack on the United States, according to the summary of a joint American intelligence assessment. Read
Japan nuclear-site damage worse than reported — Int'l Herald Tribune

The Japanese operator of a nuclear power plant stricken by an earthquake earlier this week said Wednesday that damage was worse than previously reported and that a leak of water was 50 percent more radioactive than initially announced. Read
Iran stakes claim to Bahrain: Public seeks 'reunification . . .with its motherland' — World Tribune

For the first time, Iran has claimed ownership over a Gulf Arab state, alarming the governments of Bahrain and its neighboring states.

Read
Peres Sworn in as President of Israel — Ynet News

"We have to get rid of the territories," Peres said, referring to the West Bank, insisting that this is the majority view in Israel today. "I won't make any secrets of my mind. I shall respect the minority. I shall not insult them," he said. "I changed my position. I didn't change my beliefs and concepts." Read
Israel confirms indirect ties with Syria — WORLD Magazine

Israel and Syria have been in contact through third parties for a while, but the mediators have been unable to get the two sides to resume peace talks, an Israeli official said Wednesday. Read
Gaza's economy on verge of collapse — Jerusalem Post

Gaza's economy could collapse within weeks unless Israel reopens crucial commercial trade crossings, UN officials and Gazan businessmen warned Wednesday. Read
Report: Iran has 600 targets for missile strike in Israel if attacked — Ha'aretz

The Qatari newspaper Al Watan on Sunday quoted diplomatic sources in Damascus as saying that Iran has marked 600 targets in Israel for missile strikes in case it is attacked. Read
Olmert to warn Abbas: Keep Hamas out — Ynet News

"Rejoining Hamas will blow up the peace process," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to warn Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a meeting scheduled for Monday afternoon at Olmert's office in Jerusalem. Read
Pakistani Wife Embodies Cause of 'Disappeared' — NYT

Hundreds have been snatched by Pakistan's military and intelligence services since 2001, rights activists say. 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