Weekly Issues Alert

August 24 - 30

"Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness." --Samuel Adams (http://PatriotPost.US/fqd/)

Happy Labor Day

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

North Carolina General Assembly (ADJOURNED AUGUST 2, 2007)

N.C. House District Unconstitutional — WRAL

State lawmakers must recast at least one House district after the state Supreme Court ruled that the district was drawn unconstitutionally four years ago. Read
Charlotte man links Black, strip clubs — News and Observer

State investigating transfer of money from owner of topless bar. Read
N.C. to verify benefit of programs — News and Observer

North Carolina has auditors who make sure taxpayer money is spent as intended. But what if the spending has little public benefit? Lawmakers have typically left that question up to the agencies and nonprofit groups that receive the money. But this year, lawmakers decided to create their own watchdog to get those answers: the Program Evaluation Division. The division will delve into how the state tackles wide-scale issues such as education and health care, and target smaller operations to find out whether the money spent has a real effect on the people served. "It will not be as focused on management processes and financial controls," said state Sen. Dan Clodfelter, a Charlotte Democrat who sponsored the legislation creating the division. "It will focus on more fundamental questions, such as 'Does this program still serve a fundamental purpose?' " Read
PAC money draws scrutiny — News and Observer

Elections board to audit legislators. Read

North Carolina Politics

Coy Privette: I will not resign from board — Independent Tribune

"You extended the Christian Action League the courtesy of resigning your presidency," continues the letter from the Republican Executive Commitee, "and further stepped down from your seat on the Board of the State Baptist Convention, as you didn't want your problems to cloud their work or damage their credibility. That should be commended. The Cabarrus County Republican Party now demands that you consider the welfare of your family, Cabarrus County, and the Republican Party, and extend to all the same courtesy. We await your Letter of Resignation." Read
NC Gov Talks Up New Incentives — Forbes

Gov. Mike Easley unveiled plans Wednesday to propose legislation next year that would create new incentives for large manufacturing companies looking to upgrade existing plants in North Carolina. Read
Edwards reaches back to '98 tactics for Clinton — News and Observer

When John Edwards went after New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton last week as part of the evil Washington establishment, it should have had a familiar ring to North Carolinians. Without mentioning Clinton by name, Edwards warned of "establishment elites" as he began a tour of New Hampshire. "The system in Washington is rigged, and I'll say it again, it's rigged and it's rigged by greedy powers," Edwards said at Dartmouth College. "It's rigged by the system to favor the establishment." Edwards used the same argument against Republican Sen. Lauch Faircloth in 1998, when he launched his political career. Read
Mr. Edwards for Public Financing — The Washington Post

"I AM also a strong supporter of public financing, and when I am the Democratic nominee for president, if the Republican nominee agrees, I will accept public financing of my campaign." So said North Carolina Democrat John Edwards in a welcome, if somewhat overdue, statement the other day. The issue involves the not-quite- dead system for public financing of presidential campaigns, in which candidates, in theory, receive matching funds for the primaries and full public financing for the general election. In reality, the cost of campaigning has grown so high and the amount of matching funds a candidate can receive has remained so low that no major candidate is participating in the primary financing system. It is likely, but not certain, that candidates will — for the first time since the system was put in place — decline general election financing as well. In anticipation of that, many candidates, including Mr. Edwards, are already collecting money for their general election war chests. The system has a chance of being saved, however. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (D) has obtained approval from the Federal Election Commission to raise general election money but preserve the option of returning it, and taking public funding instead, if he is the nominee and his GOP opponent agrees to do the same. Until Mr. Edwards's statement, only Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) had signed on to Mr. Obama's plan, back in March when the FEC first made its ruling. Now two of the three leading Democrats have agreed to the deal. The campaign of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has said only that she will "consider" public financing. "Position unchanged," the campaign told us when we mentioned Mr. Edwards's change of heart. That's unfortunate. It will be unfortunate, too, if more Republican candidates don't match Mr. McCain's stance. Read
Opinion : North Carolina's Low Rank on Health Policy — Lincoln Tribune

If it's a good idea for voters to "own" elections, as advocates of taxpayer-funded campaigns put it, why isn't it also a worthy goal for consumers to own their own health-care policies? Last month, North Carolina's Sen. Richard Burr explained the intent behind his new health-reform legislation by arguing that "personal freedom means owning your own health care without the fear of losing your job, your employer taking your insurance away, or being forced into a government-run health care plan." For using the phrase "owning your own health care," Burr was pilloried by left-wing politicians and activists who said he was just playing politics. Read
Dole Wants to Help North Carolina Sheriffs Enforce Federal Immigration Laws — WRAL

Sen. Elizabeth Dole said she wants to help North Carolina counties deal with illegal immigration, suggesting that federal money could help sheriffs participate in a program that allows them to enforce immigration laws. "Illegal aliens have committed crimes, often over and over and over again, and what can we do?" Dole asked Thursday during a meeting with sheriffs in Raleigh. "We need to stop the catch and release." Dole, R-North Carolina, has been touring the state to meet with sheriffs and discuss how illegal immigration affects local law enforcement. Read
Teachers' group to back Perdue for governor — News and Observer

In the first major endorsement of the 2008 governor's race, the largest teachers' advocacy group Saturday signaled that it intends to back Democratic Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue. Read

NC Courts

Judge to rule on executions in NC — News 14

A judge says he'll make a decision next week that could have a major impact on executions in North Carolina. The same judge put a stop to executions in January. Read
State Prisoner Sues Over Racy Magazines — WRAL

An inmate in Harnett County says prison officials violated his constitutional rights by refusing to let him have magazines he ordered that contain racy material. Joseph Urbaniak argues in the federal lawsuit that prison officials who withheld the magazines are discriminating against him because he's gay. Read
Pender districts voided — News and Observer

The N.C. Supreme Court ordered lawmakers Friday to revise a nearly four-year-old election map for state House districts after ruling that Pender County was improperly carved up among two House districts. Read Arrowood named to Court of Appeals — News and Observer

State Briefs: Gov. Mike Easley on Friday announced the appointment of Special Superior Court Judge John S. Arrowood of Charlotte to the state Court of Appeals. Read

Other North Carolina News

N.C. Army Ranger Dies in Afghanistan — WRAL

...Libby enlisted in the Army from Aberdeen in March 2005 and graduated from the Army Ranger training course in August 2005. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. His other decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal. Libby graduated from Pine Crest High School in Southern Pines and attended Sandhills Community College, also in Pinehurst. Read
North Carolina native 1 of 14 killed in Iraq helicopter crash — WAVY.com

A North Carolina native is 1 of 14 soldiers killed this week when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Northern Iraq. Twenty-eight-year-old Chief Warrant Officer Paul J. Flynn was a native of Gibsonville, just west of Burlington. Read
Fort Bragg Paratrooper Dies in Iraq — WRAL

Spc. Donovan Witham, 20, died Tuesday after a roadside bomb went off near his vehicle. "Donovan Witham represented everything good about our Paratroopers," said Maj. Mark Lastoria, Witham's troop commander. "He was a volunteer amongst vonluteers by not only becoming a Military Police Officer in the Army, but also a Paratrooper. He chose to join the Army when it was fully engaged in the Global War on Terrorism, which is courageous enough in its own right." Read
Kitty Hawk honors ship that bears its name — The Virginian-Pilot

In 1961, when the U.S. Navy celebrated 50 years of aviation, it also commissioned a $265.2 million aircraft carrier and named it Kitty Hawk for a town celebrated as the birthplace of flight. Now, the Kitty Hawk is in its twilight. Based in Yokosuka, Japan, the Navy's oldest active ship is scheduled for decommissioning late next year. There will be a ceremony marking the end of its service and a film to celebrate its history and its namesake. The town of Kitty Hawk will be a part of it. Two crewm en, Chief Petty Officer Jason Chudy and Seaman Benjamin Dennis, traveled to the Outer Banks recently to interview locals and gather footage for the documentary. The 45-minute film will attempt to pack in 47 years of history, Chudy said, with views of the ship and stories from its first and present crews. Read
Southern Baptists work to open schools — News14Carolina

With public schools scheduled to open their tradition calendar year on Monday, Southern Baptists are working to open their own schools. Instead of calling on people to abandon the public school system, they want to educate a new generation of children who they think will advocate for biblical principles instead of popular culture. Leading the move is Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest. The school is sponsoring a Christian School 101 workshop for two days beginning Monday. The program is designed to train church leaders to open private schools. Read
North Carolina WMU decides to leave convention's control — Associated Baptist Press

The Woman's Missionary Union of North Carolina has voted to remove itself from the North Carolina Baptist Building — and the state convention executive director's attempt to assert authority over its staff. The dramatic move culminates 16 months of tension between WMU and the rightward-shifting Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Read

CBF of North Carolina embraces WMU, seeks emergency funds
Federal Immigration Agents Raid Smithfield Foods Plant in North Carolina — WRAL

Federal immigration agents conducted raids Wednesday at a Smithfield Foods Inc. slaughterhouse and in neighborhoods in four surrounding counties, arresting 28 people suspected of identity theft, authorities said. Smithfield spokesman Dennis Pittman said company officials learned about the raid not long before federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at about 4 a.m. to remove some workers from the world's largest hog processing plant. "We were told that they would be coming in. We didn't know for sure how many folks they would be getting," Pittman said. "We couldn't even tell our staff."

ICE arrested 28 people suspected of ties to identity theft in Bladen, Cumberland, Hoke and Robeson counties, said ICE spokesman Richard Rocha in Washington, D.C. Of those, 25 were Mexican, two Guatemalan and one Honduran, he said. Thirteen were women and 15 were men. Read
Audit: N.C. A&T Mishandled Nearly $1 Million — FOX8

State audit findings show $380,000 from vending machines income at North Carolina A&T State University ended up in a spending account controlled by former chancellor James Renick. The money was required to be spent on scholarships, direct student financial aid and campus debt. Audit results show the money was instead spent on travel by Renick's wife for A&T alumni events, art works commissioned by Renick and a $150,000 annuity for an unnamed faculty member. Read
Triangle Business Journal Read
With Turnover High, Schools Fight for Teachers — NYT

...Here in Guilford County, N.C., turnover had become so severe in some high-poverty schools that principals were hiring new teachers for nearly every class, every term. To staff its neediest schools before classes start on Aug. 28, recruiters have been advertising nationwide, organizing teacher fairs and offering one of the nation's largest recruitment bonuses, $10,000 to instructors who sign up to teach Algebra I. Read
Business North Carolina magazine finds many traditional businesses are feeling the squeeze — Carolina Newswire

>From Calabash on the South Carolina line to Currituck, more than 300 miles north near the back bays of Tidewater Virginia, marine industries have flourished in North Carolina nearly 400 years. But, according to Business North Carolina magazine, the working coast is rapidly shrinking in the state. The decline crosses nearly all sectors. In 1995, the state seafood industry ranked 10th in the nation. A decade later it was 14th, with annual sales falling nearly 40% to $65 million. >From 2000 through 2006, 39 of the state's 117 fish houses closed. The number of fishing piers has dropped from 36 in 1980 to fewer than 20 now. Beaufort Fisheries, the last fish factory in the state, closed three years ago. Read
Not making the grade in North Carolina — News Record

...The state's chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers issued a report card just last year on the following nine areas: airports, bridges, dams, drinking water, rail, roads, schools, storm water, and wastewater. The result is one of those good-news-bad-news deals. Read
Man Charged With DWI After Hitting Wake Deputy William Griffin — WRAL

A Durham man faces multiple charges in connection with a drunken-driving accident that sent a Wake County sheriff's deputy's personal vehicle off the highway into a tree. The accident happened Thursday shortly at about 7:10 a.m. on Interstate 40 near Aviation Parkway when someone hit Deputy Paul Quinn from behind and then left the scene, Quinn said. Investigators for the North Carolina Highway Patrol said two witnesses then followed the driver and got him to pull over. William Woodrow Griffin, whose blood alcohol concentration was 0.13, is charged with driving while impaired, hit-and-run and driving with a revoked license. Read
Durham police charge man, 93, after drug raid — News and Observer

...On Thursday, Tinnen was at the Durham County jail, accused of selling drugs out of his home. The search of his house was one of three operations the Durham police conducted Thursday. Police raided Tinnen's house at 204 Teel St. and charged him with cocaine trafficking, possession of cocaine with the intent to sell or deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs. Investigators said they also found three firearms in the house. Read
Duke taps Harvard leader, first woman to lead medical school — ABC13

A Harvard researcher today becomes the first woman to lead Duke University's medical school. Read
Easley Seeks Disaster Relief for Farmers — WRAL

Gov. Mike Easley on Friday asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare 85 North Carolina counties disaster areas because of drought-related crop losses. Read
Job losses in 2007 cross 40k mark — The Economic Times

At the North Carolina offices of mortgage lender HomeBanc, Archie Clark is the only employee left. But in a few days, he'll be gone too. When Clark finishes helping movers from the company's Atlanta headquarters collect computers and other property, he'll join the more than 25,000 workers nationwide who lost jobs in the financial services industry since the beginning of the month — with more than half coming since last Friday. Read
Murder-for-hire plea nets man 21 years — News and Observer

Cary man tried to hire a hit man to kill his wife and 14-year-old victim of his sex crimes Read
Insect wiping out North Carolina's mighty hemlock — The Charlotte Observer

The trees' death will change the character of our mountain forests Read
Novartis Plant to Bring Jobs, Money to Triangle — WRAL

Novartis will break ground Thursday on a new site in Holly Springs. The flu-vaccine maker is expected to create 350 jobs and pump millions of dollars into the Triangle economy. Read
North Carolina schools say produce surcharge unfair — ABC13

Some North Carolina schools are threatening to drop out of a school lunch program, citing surcharges from the federal government and a contractor. The "farm-to-school" program is supposed to use the Defense Department's purchasing power to subsidize locally grown produce bought by more than 60 North Carolina school districts. Read
North Carolina trucker suspect in New Jersey murder — Chelmsford Independent

...The mayor of the small New Jersey town where a 38-year-old woman was found stabbed to death July 30, said he was told Friday by New Jersey State Police officers that her killer is a North Carolina trucker apprehended in Massachusetts for a home invasion involving a 15-year-old girl... Read
UNC Commission Identifies Issues Facing State, Education — WRAL

A blue-ribbon commission is studying how to best serve the state when it comes to education. The UNC Tomorrow Commission's mission is to determine the needs of the state and implement responses to those needs. Jim W. Phillips Jr., chairman of the UNC Board of Governors and a commission member, said it is the university system's responsibility to remain relevant to what is happening in the state. Read
State incentives granted for New Bern company expansion — The Business Journal

The state of North Carolina has issued a $75,000 grant to a New Bern manufacturer that is planning an expansion that will add 50 jobs and require a $5 million investment in the next three years. Read
N.C. Man Wrongly Imprisoned for Rape Leaves Prison — WRAL

A North Carolina man, who spent nearly 20 years in prison, was exonerated Tuesday after DNA evidence cleared him. Read
North Carolina has 5th Fattest Adolescents — Eyewitness News 9

North Carolina's adolescents are the 5th most overweight in the nation, according to the fourth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America report released today at the U.S. Southern Obesity Conference in Little Rock, Ark. Read
Phase Forward lands N.C.-based CRO as client — Biz Journal

Waltham-based Phase Forward Inc. reports that a global contract research firm based in North Carolina will use its information technology designed for clinical trials. Read
U.S. Marshals Arrest 2 in Rocky Mount Nightclub Shooting — WRAL

U.S. Marshals captured two men Thursday in connection with a fatal shooting at a Rocky Mount nightclub. Read

Congress — Recessed for Summer Break until September 4

Senator Craig's Straight Talk — MSNBC

The Idaho Republican defiantly proclaimed his heterosexuality amid a political feeding frenzy over his guilty plea to charges of disorderly conduct in an airport men's room. Will his conservative constituents buy it? Read
What Senator Craig Should Do — Christian Newswire

...So, here it is; another public scandal. Though he hasn't asked for it, my advice to Senator Craig would be to go back to square one. As I taught my kids, it's never too late to correct a mistake. First, he must repent of any hidden sin in his life; second, confess it to his wife and family; third, beg their forgiveness and pardon; and fourth, commit to both long term pastoral and psychological counseling. After these steps (which don't take very long) the Senator should make this public statement: "I am deeply humiliated and ashamed. I hope you will understand this has been a painful and complicated struggle in my life. I have sought forgiveness from God and my family. Now I ask for forgiveness and understanding from the people of Idaho, from the people of this great country and from my fellow members of the United States Senate. Please pray for me and my family during this very difficult time for us. In order to give proper attention to those I love and to my own healing, I hereby resign my seat in the United States Senate. Thank you." Read
Idaho Senator's Colleagues Say He Should Resign — NYT

Party leaders ousted Senator Larry E. Craig from his committee leadership posts amid the fallout over his arrest in a men's room and his guilty plea in the case. Read
Inquiry Focuses on Former Aide to Menendez — NYT

A federal investigation of Senator Robert Menendez has shifted focus to the lobbying work of his former chief of staff, according to those familiar with the case. Read
Damascus airport called Al Qaida hub — World Tribune

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, has been recruiting support for legislation that would sanction Damascus International Airport. Lieberman said the airport has become the major conduit for Al Qaida fighters to Iraq as well as Iranian weapons shipments to Lebanon. Read
Border Patrol chief apologizes for remarks — The Washington Times

A Border Patrol chief yesterday apologized for saying the agency's mission is stopping terrorists, not illegal aliens or drug smugglers, a stance that outraged congressional lawmakers. Read
Democrats Take a Tough Line on Florida Primary — NYT

The Democratic National Committee voted to refuse to seat any Florida Democrat at the 2008 convention if the state party did not delay its primary. Read
Embattled Republican won't seek re-election — The Seattle Times

...FBI agents in April raided a Sonoita, Ariz., business owned by Renzi's wife, Roberta. Law-enforcement officials confirmed in October that they were scrutinizing a land swap that netted Renzi's former business partner, friend and campaign donor $4.5 million. Renzi, 49, has denied all wrongdoing. Still, less than a week after the raid, he stepped down temporarily from all three of his House committee assignments Renzi also has faced scrutiny from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which investigated allegations that he channeled prohibited corporate funds into his 2002 campaign. The FEC dropped the inquiry, but Renzi has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes while settling the charges. Other Republicans stepping down from Congress are former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Reps. Deborah Pryce, of Ohio, and Chip Pickering, of Mississippi, who said last week they won't seek re-election. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., announced the same in late July. Read
Now a Lobbyist, Ex-Senator Uses Campaign Money — NYT

Since leaving Congress, Robert G. Torricelli has made donations from his Senate campaign chest to politicians with influence over his business interests. Read
Sen. Warner suggests replacing Iraqi leader — The Virginian-Pilot

Prospects for the political compromises needed to stabilize Iraq remain bleak and it may be time for Iraqis and their Parliament to replace the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Virginia Sen. John Warner suggested Monday. A fter a two-day visit to Iraq last week, Warner, a Republican, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., agreed in a written statement that the U.S. military's troop "surge" has calmed parts of Iraq and given political leaders there "breathing space" for reforms. But there is little evidence that the Maliki government is taking advantage of the opportunity, Levin and Warner said. "We are not optimistic," they added. Read
Senate plans hearing on mine collapse — Yahoo

As rescuers drilled a final hole into a Utah mountain Thursday to search for six missing coal miners, the U.S. Senate added its voice to a growing chorus of questions raised over the safety of the mine. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees labor issues announced plans for a hearing on the mine collapse when Congress returns from its summer break Sept. 5. Read

Courts

Vermont Same-Sex Civil Unions Argued At Virginia Supreme Court — Libety Counsel

Richmond, VA — Today Liberty Counsel presents oral argument in a precedent-setting legal battle between Virginia and Vermont over same-sex unions and the right of fit, biological parents against unrelated third parties. The case is Miller v. Jenkins and concerns the right of Lisa Miller to decide that Janet Jenkins, her former same-sex partner, should not be declared a parent to Lisa's child. Read
California Governor and Attorney General Say Marriage can be Eliminated in Future — Christian Newswire

In legal briefs submitted to the California Supreme Court, which is considering whether to license "same-sex marriages" next year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown both stated that a future Legislature could abolish marriage and yank marriage rights from a married husband and wife...BROWN: ...the words "marry" and "marriage" have no essential constitutional significance under the California Constitution. Thus, the Legislature could change the name of the legal relationship now known as "marriage" to some other name without any constitutional impediment. SCHWARZENEGGER: ...The Administration submits that use of the words "marry" and "marriage" is not required by the California Constitution. Thus, the name of the legal relationship now known as "marriage" could be changed. Read
U.S. court grants rehearing for suspected enemy combatant — The Virginian-Pilot

A federal appeals court will reconsider a ruling that the government should charge Ali al-Marri, a legal U.S. resident and the only suspected enemy combatant on American soil, or release him from military custody. Read
Records on state employees open to public, high court rules — LA Times

The public has the right to inspect the hiring records of police agencies throughout California and to learn the names and salaries of government employees, the California Supreme Court decided Monday. Read
Colonel Is Acquitted in Abu Ghraib Abuse Case — NYT

The officer, Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan, was found guilty of only one lesser offense, that of disobeying an order to refrain from discussing the case. Read
Island View Casino Employees Seek Federal Injunction to Block Coercive "Card Check" Unionization Drive — National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation

Employees seek to keep union organizers from obtaining their personal information and sweeping access to workplace Read
High Court Again Rejects Illinois Tobacco Liability Case — Join Together

A class-action lawsuit against Philip Morris USA has been rejected by the Illinois Supreme Court for a second time, putting the future of the $10.1-billion case in serious doubt. Read
Judge takes on death row gridlock — LA Times

Federal appeals jurist urges reforms, saying heavy backlog and a dysfunctional system make capital punishment an illusion...Alarcon, 81, has a long history with the death penalty. A former prosecutor who tried death penalty cases, he served as the clemency secretary to Gov. Pat Brown when Brown was considering requests to commute death sentences. More recently, he cast a key vote paving the way for the 1992 execution of Robert Alton Harris, the first inmate put to death by the state in 25 years. Read
Youth guilty of shooting woman in front of children in Norfolk — The Virginian-Pilot

Dawn Weiss parked in the driveway and stepped inside her friend's house in the 8100 block of Redmon Road, with her daughters, Destyni, 6, and Kayla, 9, in tow. Just as the front door shut, the doorbell rang, and four young men burst into the home, guns in hand."This is for real," somebody said. What happened next, described in a court document filed Wednesday, has become all too real for Weiss. She was shot and partially paralyzed trying to escape; her daughters, splattered with her blood, summoned help by leaning on a car horn. Police arrested four suspects. Their ages: 15, 16, 17 and 18. Read
Goodyear Employees Win Settlement Against Steelworkers Union for Illegal Retaliatory Strike Fines and Intimidation — National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation

Union officials must retract hundreds of dollars in illegal fines and promise to stop "using bullhorns to intimidate" dissenting employees in order to avoid prosecution. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

CNN Defames Christianity, Again — Christian Newswire

Rev. Gary Cass, Chairman and CEO of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, expressed his disappointment with CNN in its continuing attack on conservative Christianity. "CNN has done a great disservice by associating Christians, who believe in the power of prayer, the Bible and lawfully influencing the political process with those who blow up innocent people," said Cass. "There is no moral equivalency between sincere Christians who peacefully work to bring change and terrorists who are violent. By lumping Christian religious conservatives into a series that began with a focus on terrorism it creates an impression of guilt by association. "We don't need CNN to give the impression that Christians condone violence or are in any way like other extremist religious groups. In the few, isolated incidences where individual Christians have violated the non-violent principles of Christ they have been roundly condemned by the Christian community. It would have been much more responsible of CNN to portray the Christian right as a religiously motivated reform movement and not to have associated them with radical violent movements." Read
CNN airs 'one of the most distorted programs' ever — WND

A CNN special series airing this week entitled "God's Warriors" — produced and anchored by the network's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour — is "one of the most grossly distorted programs" ever aired on mainstream American television, according to a media watchdog report. The first part of the series, "God's Jewish Warriors," compared Jewish and Christian "radicals" to Muslim supporters of suicide terror, presented anti-Israel commentators with no counterbalance, falsely labeled the West Bank as Palestinian land, and minimized Jewish rights to the Temple Mount — Judaism's holiest site, the critics said. Read
Hundreds Of SBC Volunteers Help Flooded Areas — Evangelical News

More than 570 disaster relief volunteers from the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention and eight other states are working long hours to aid victims affected by recent flooding in southeast Minnesota. Read
Half of IDF officers are religious — Israel Today

At least 50 percent of young Israeli army officers today are conservative religious Jews, according to a report in Israel's Ma'ariv daily newspaper. Religious, thought not not necessarily Orthodox, Jews are a minority in Israel, but because of their strong Zionist upbringing are "becoming the backbone of the [Israel Defense Forces]," the newspaper noted. Religious soldiers have long been praised within Israel as the most dedicated and courageous combatants in the army. However, there is also a growing fear that the Bible-based beliefs of such soldiers regarding Israel's right to the land could result in mutiny if the secular government orders a mass evacuation of Jews from Judea and Samaria as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians. Earlier this month, a group of religious soldiers refused to participate in the removal of Jewish settlers from Jewish owned property in the Judean town of Hebron. Read
Church Overseers Chastise Ted Haggard — AP

...New Life overseers released a statement Wednesday saying they told Haggard the e-mail was "unacceptable." "Mr. Haggard's solicitation for personal support was inappropriate," the overseers said in their statement. "It was never the intention of the Dream Center that Mr. Haggard would provide any counsel or other ministry. Mr. Haggard will not be moving in or working with the Dream Center. He will not be doing any ministry. He will be seeking secular employment to support himself and his family," the statement said. Read
WingClips.com Posts Film Clips Exposing Mormon Massacre — Citizenlink.com

...While the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) has denied the authenticity of the film, there is no question that Mormon soldiers did commit the killings. The central debate lies in whether the crimes were carried out by order of the church or rather by a rogue member, John D. Lee (John Gries), and his men. September Dawn filmmakers allege that Brigham Young himself ordered the executions, while LDS denies their revered leader's involvement. To date, only Lee, an adopted son of Brigham Young, was brought to justice for the deaths of the settlers.In a world where Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Joseph Smith can rise to power, never has it been more imperative to understand the scriptures so that we can decipher an upright leader from a false prophet. The character Jonathan (Trent Ford) in September Dawn echoes this sentiment. "I do not question the Heavenly Father. I question what the prophets think they heard. Is it not possible that Satan has deceived us all?"... Read
Values Voter Presidential Debate — September 17, 2007 In Ft. Lauderdale, Florida — Evanglical News

A Values Voter Presidential debate will be held at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, September 17th at 7:30 p.m. The majority of the Republican candidates have confirmed their attendance at the event. 30 of the nation's most influential groups will asking the questions of the presidential candidates that matter most to the Values Voters — the largest voting block in America. Read
TV ministry watchdog calls televangelists' divorce terrible testimony — OneNewsNow

The president of an organization that tracks televangelists says the announcement by Randy and Paula White that they will get a divorce is a terrible testimony to the world — and the latest chapter in a departure from biblical principles and practices for high-profile television preachers. Read
Christianity's Greatest Menace — CBN

Christians around the world suffer daily because of their faith, and it seems the persecution is intensifying. CBN News looks at the top two offenders — North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Video
PA to shut down over 100 civil groups — Ynet

Palestinian government to freeze bank accounts of 103 institutions in apparent crackdown on Hamas Read Hindu Radicals Beat Up Pastor and Church Members — Worthy News

A group of 30 Hindu radicals beat up an Indian pastor and two of his church members during a worship service on Sunday, August 26. Read
Papers Criticized for Pulling Cartoon on Radical Islam — CBN News

A Catholic group is criticizing at least two dozen newspapers, including The Washington Post, for refusing to run a cartoon last Sunday that may offend Muslims. Read
Al Qaida clerics distributing revised editions of Koran — World Tribune

Qatar has banned the import and distribution of unauthorized Korans. Officials said the Islamic Affairs Ministry has ordered mosques and clerics to use only Korans and other Islamic text approved by the government. They said Al Qaida-aligned clerics have employed Korans revised to promote the doctrine of Islamic war against the West. Read
FCC Chairman Supports a la Carte Cable TV — Citizenlink

A Nielsen Media Research study reveals that an average cable subscriber pays for 85 channels, but only watches 16. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that needs to change. In a letter sent to minority groups Wednesday, Martin expressed his support for a la carte cable programming, which would allow families to only pay for the channels they want and not be forced to support channels that run counter to their values. Read
Letters Reveal Mother Teresa's Secret — CBS

In life, she was an icon for believers of God's work on Earth. Her ministry to the poor of Calcutta was a world-renowned symbol of religious compassion. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize... But now, it emerges that Mother Teresa was so doubtful of her own faith that she feared she was being a hypocrite, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips. In a new book that compiles letters she wrote to friends, superiors and confessors, her doubts are obvious. Read
China Launches Nation-Wide Crackdown On House Churches, Investigators Say — Worthy News

China's central government has launched a nationwide campaign to crackdown on what it calls "illegal religious activities," targeting especially Christians, BosNewsLife learned from investigators Saturday, August 25. Read
With Taliban's release of Korean Christian hostages, caution for missionaries — Christian Science Monitor

Aid groups working abroad are rethinking their operations in the wake of the six-week ordeal. Read
ADF Challenges Georgia Speech Ordinance — Citizenlink

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) did not stop at getting charges dismissed against a Georgia man for distributing religious literature in public. It's now challenging the constitutionality of the Cumming, Ga., ordinance under which the man was prosecuted. Read
Chinese Government Launches Nationwide Campaign Against Uncontrolled Religious Activities — Christian Newswire

China Aid learned that Chinese central government has launched a nationwide targeted campaign to clamp down the so-called "illegal religious activities" since mid-July 2007. Reports indicate massive arrests have occurred in at least 8 provinces including Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi and Anhui. Some are still being detained for receiving bibles while some were persecuted by having their water and electricity cut off by the government because of hosting Sunday schools at home. Read
South Korean Hostages Being Released In Afghanistan — Evangelical News

On August 28, South Korean officials and the Taliban announced an agreement to free the remaining Christian missionaries who have been held hostage by the Taliban since July 19 (see www.persecution.net/news/afghanistan6.html for more details). The Voice of the Martyrs has learned that, as of the morning of August 29, at least twelve of the hostages have already been released. Read
Virginia Commission Works to Strengthen Marriage — Citizenlink

Team of scholars, attorneys, counselors, pastors and lawmakers seeks policy solutions to divorce. With the state divorce rate nearing 50 percent, The Family Foundation of Virginia (TFF) knew it was time to take action.And so was born the Marriage Commission, a group of about 20 experts tasked with finding policy solutions to divorce. Read
India May Enforce Duty To Aging Parents — CBS

Proposed Law Would Compel Children To Support Their Elderly Parents Read
Christian Leaders Detained In Zimbabwe For "Unauthorized" Prayer Meeting — Worthy News

The fate of at least 15 Christian leaders in Zimbabwe remained uncertain Friday, August 24, after they were detained for attending a prayer meeting near the capital Harare without permission from police, opposition sources confirmed. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Ex-Officer Indicted in Girlfriend Death — WRAL

...The murder indictments allege that Cutts killed Davis, terminated her pregnancy, and caused the death of a viable unborn child, "baby Chloe." Cutts, 30, also faces two counts of gross abuse of a corpse and one count each of aggravated burglary and endangering children. Read
Federal Judge Delays Abortion Clinic Upgrades — Citizenlink

U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith today delayed until at least Sept. 10 the enforcement of a new Missouri law regulating abortion clinics. The law, which would require clinics in Kansas City and Columbia to upgrade their facilities, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. Read
Environemental Organizations Generate Green Guilt to Push More Population Control — LifeSiteNews

If asked what function the San Francisco-based Sierra Club performs, most of its 1.3 million members would probably reply "protecting the environment," or "raising awareness of endangered species," or words to that effect. Yet, in their 2007 legislative report for Minnesota, the Sierra Club spent nearly 3 pages describing legislative initiatives that have virtually nothing to do with the environment. Rather, this section deals almost exclusively with population issues or, to put it more accurately, with population control issues. Read
Taking Abortion Blood Money — As Long as No One Knows — Christian Newswire

Day laborers working at George Tiller's late-term abortion clinic today drew the attention of pro-lifers when they arrived in a white pick up with blue masking tape covering the business name painted on the side. "These men are more than willing to take Tiller's blood money as long as no one knows they are doing it," said Operation President Troy Newman. "It says a lot about a company when they cover their name in order to do business with an abortion clinic. It shows they understand that what they are doing is wrong and will likely hurt their business. There is no other reason to hide the identity of their business."

Read
Italian Hospital Aborts Healthy Twin and Leaves Handicapped Sibling — LifeSiteNews

A fierce abortion debate has erupted in Italy after a mother pregnant with twins reported doctors to the authorities for aborting her healthy unborn baby while leaving the handicapped one alive. Italian news agencies recently discovered that a hospital killed the "wrong" child in a pair of unborn twins in June. According to media reports, after the 38-year old woman discovered the so-called "mistake," she returned and had the second one, who was suffering from Down syndrome, aborted. She then reported medical staff, who are currently under investigation by the police. The hospital termed the child's death a "misfortune," saying that the twins had switched places in between a previous ultrasound and the actual abortion. The woman was eighteen weeks pregnant when the children were aborted. Read
Life Advocates Fight Stealth Illinois Abortion Clinic- Citizenlink

Around-the-clock protest and prayer aim to keep Planned Parenthood out; lawsuit possible. Planned Parenthood tried to sneak its largest clinic in the country into Aurora, Ill., but residents are having none of it. Last month, neighbors of the "Gemini Health Clinic" were shocked to learn the $7.5 million facility will actually be used for abortions. On Saturday, more than 1,200 pro-lifers gathered near the building to express their outrage. Some marched with signs, while others prayed or handed out leaflets in the surrounding neighborhoods. Read
Cardinal Gagnon, a Great Friend to the Pro-Life Movement in Canada, Dies at 89 — LifeSiteNews

Gagnon "admired the courage and the zeal of the pro-life activists he had met" Read
Jesusland Not S'MITTen with Romney — Christian Newswire

Mitt Romney's confusing statements on his support for a ban on abortion are not going to play well with the Evangelical vote, according to David Jeffers, author of Understanding Evangelicals: A Guide to Jesusland. "Evangelicals are clear on their position on abortion," Jeffers explains, "We not only see Roe v. Wade as bad law, but also as the first egregious case of judicial activism. We want to see it overturned, and believe abortion to be a curse upon this great nation." Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Judge Slams NFL Hypocrisy on Alcohol — Join Together

The National Football League should end its relationships with alcohol companies if it wants to cut down on alcohol abuse, according to a judge tasked with deciding if Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman should be jailed for drunk driving. Read
U.S. Group Helps Iraqi Boy Set on Fire — CNN

Few stories have touched CNN.com users like that of 5-year-old Youssif, an Iraqi boy who had gone out to play on a January day when he was suddenly grabbed by masked men, doused in gas and set on fire. Read

AOL Video
Healthcare — The Canadian System — NC Right to Life

Some in the U. S. want to duplicate Canada's healthcare system. Before "buying in" to their arguments, you should watch this video on YouTube. If clicking on this link below does not work, simply cut and paste...We, the people of the United States, can not afford to buy into a healthcare system which will copy the failed systems of other countries like our neighbor to the North. Video
Heavy Drinking Forces Move to Poor Neighborhoods — Join Together

Past studies have asked why poor neighborhoods seem to produce problem drinkers, but new research concludes that heavy drinking often can force a move into disadvantaged areas, HealthDay News reported Aug. 28. Read
Only ten minutes on a mobile could trigger cancer, scientists believe — Daily Mail

Mobile phones can take as little as ten minutes to trigger changes in the brain associated with cancer, scientists claimed yesterday. Read
CSPI: Federal Trade Commission Urged to Investigate Beer, Liquor Sponsorship of NASCAR — Join Together

When it conducts its upcoming review of the alcohol industry's advertising and marketing practices and the industry's self-regulation systems, the Federal Trade Commission should examine the burgeoning alcohol sponsorship relationships with Nascar, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Along with a detailed letter highlighting both the sponsorship deals and Nascar's simultaneous efforts to attract more kids to its audience, CSPI sent FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras a little present that illustrates the problem: A Matchbox-type toy car emblazoned with logos for Miller Lite beer. Other toy cars licensed by Nascar bear Budweiser, Coors Light, Crown Royal, Jim Beam, and Jack Daniels logos. "Linking drinking with high-speed driving — in front of audiences that include millions of young people — is asking for trouble," said CSPI alcohol policies director George A. Hacker. "A self-regulatory system that allows beer logos on toys and liquor signage at supposedly 'family' events is not a system worth keeping. Read
Online Pharmacies Place Buyers at Risk — Citizenlink

Lack of regulation plus addictive drugs equals trouble. A huge network of online pharmacies is delivering prescriptions around the world, and government drug agencies are struggling to keep up with rogue outlets. Typically, online pharmacies approach doctors and pharmacists whose practices are less than successful and ask them to write prescriptions for their web customers. They may be paid $10 to $25 for each script. Last year, the sites reportedly delivered nearly 99 million doses. No one knows how many of those went to minors. Read
Alcopops are Liquor, Not Beer, Calif. Tax Board Rules — Join Together

In a groundbreaking ruling, the California State Board of Equalization has ruled that so-called 'alcopop' drinks should be taxed as distilled spirits, rather than continuing to be subject to lower beer taxes. Read
Afghan Opium Crop at Record High — NYT

Opium cultivation in Afghanistan grew by 17 percent in 2007, reaching record levels for the second straight year, according to a United Nations report released today. Read
Technology Versus Drunk Driving — Join Together

Officials are increasingly turning to ignition-interlock devices in the campaign to prevent drunk driving. Read
U.K. Study Says Bar Workers At Risk of Alcohol-Related Death — Join Together

Alcohol-related deaths are soaring in Great Britain, and bar workers are among the most likely to die. Read
Binge Drinking Risks Include Poor Diet — Join Together

A recent study found that male binge drinkers tend to decrease their intake of essential fatty acids as they increase their alcohol consumption, compounding their health risks, MedPage Today reported July 25. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

Va. GOP targets college-bound illegals — United Press International

Republicans in the Virginia legislature have announced legislation that would bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges and universities. Read
Falwell's Life Insurance Goes to School, Church — Citizenlink

Liberty University's debt has been erased, thanks to the Rev. Jerry Falwell's life insurance policies worth $34 million. Liberty University's debt has been erased, thanks to the Rev. Jerry Falwell's life insurance policies worth $34 million. According to The Associated Press, Liberty Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said his father had named the university and Thomas Road Baptist Church as beneficiaries to protect their future. Read
Illinois School Pushes Smut on Children — Michigan News

Illinois School District 126, covering Alsip, Hazelgreen and Oak Lawn, has defended its choice to assign summer reading to 12- and 13-year-olds that is replete with harsh profanity and references to teen sex (even teen sex with adults). Read
Average SAT Scores at Lowest Since 1999 — WRAL

The class of 2007 averaged the lowest math and reading SAT scores since 1999, the College Board reported Tuesday. Last spring's high school seniors scored on average 502, out of a possible 800 points, on the critical reading section of the country's most popular college entrance exam, down from 503 for the class of 2006. Math scores fell three points from 518 to 515. Read
Back-to-School 2007 Resources — Citizenlink

The Family Research Council (FRC) is offering free back-to-school resources for parents looking for a defense against all the extracurricular indoctrination students increasingly are subjected to on subjects such as abortion, safe sex and homosexuality. Read
Answers to Liberal Teachers' Arguments — for Parents Challenging Objectionable Books in Schools — Americans forTruth

As a new school year begins, here are some of the arguments that parents may encounter when they challenge books (e.g. The Chocolate War, Fat Kid Rules the World, The Laramie Project, or Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes) for their problematic ideological messages, the nature and extent of profanity and obscenity, or the nature and extent of depictions of sexuality, followed by brief responses. Parents who challenge a book because of language need to bear in mind that many of the parents and teachers who approve of these objectionable texts use the same obscene and profane language commonly and casually in their personal lives, even with their children, though they will not likely admit it. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that they will concede that profanity and obscenity are objectionable, for conceding that would constitute a personal indictment: Read
School Officials Sued for Viewpoint Discrimination — Citizenlink

Administrators at a Colorado High School are defendants in a federal lawsuit over their disciplining of a valedictorian for speaking of her faith in Jesus Christ in her graduation remarks. Liberty Counsel filed suit in U.S. District Court in Denver against Lewis-Palmer School District on behalf of Erica Corder, a 2006 graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School who was reprimanded for "immature" comments and forced to apologize publicly. Read
Laurie Higgins Summarizes Kushner's Debauched 'Angels in America' — Americans for Truth

Here is Laurie Higgins' summary of homosexual playwright Tony Kushner's "Angels in America: a Gay Fantasia on National Themes," which was taught last year in Deerfield High School (Deerield is a north Chicago suburb). Read
Thousands of students without shot may be turned away — The Virginian-Pilot

Thousands of sixth-grade students in Hampton Roads may be turned away from school on the first day because they have not been vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. State law requiring the shot — called Tdap — went into effect last school year and applies to rising sixth-graders every year from now on. Students may not attend school until they receive the shot. Lawmakers made the shot a requirement to help prevent outbreaks of whooping cough, which has been on the rise nationwide. There were 108 cases of it in Virginia in 1996. By 2005 the number spiked to 363. Read

Gambling

Gambling Cities Linked to Drug Abuse — Citizenlink

Researchers test wastewater for telltale traces of meth. An effort by researchers to find out which cities have the biggest drug problems has led to a startling connection — drug abuse correlates with gambling. Read
Indian gambling battle brewing — LA Times

...The union and the racetrack company are trying to torpedo agreements that four tribes in Riverside and San Diego counties signed with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year. The 23-year deals allow the groups to add 17,000 slot machines to the 8,000 they now operate, in exchange for payments to the state of 15% to 25% of their profits from the additional machines — possibly hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The Legislature ratified the pacts last month. Read
Take Action: Florida Governor Considers Gambling Expansion — Citizenlink

During his campaign for governor last year, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said he was opposed to the expansion of gambling. Now, it appears he's changing his tune. Crist's office is in negotiations with the Seminole Indians to allow the expansion of gambling on reservations in Florida. "The governor is viewing gambling as a quick fix to the longer-term issues involved with the current budget crisis," according to Florida Family Action, which is associated with Focus on the Family. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Body of 2nd Son Killed in Iraq Returned — AP

Hundreds of people lined the streets Wednesday for a procession carrying the flag-draped casket of an Army corporal, the second son in his family killed in Iraq. Nathan Hubbard, 21, died Aug. 22 when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Multaka. A third brother, Jason Hubbard, was riding in another helicopter nearby and told his wife he had to search the wreckage, according to the family's pastor. Nathan Hubbard's remains arrived in an Army-chartered jet Wednesday at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport, where an honor guard carried the casket from the plane to a hearse. The family had a few moments alone with the casket, then led the procession to a funeral home. Hubbard enlisted at age 19 while still grieving for his older brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Hubbard, who was killed at age 22 alongside his best friend by a roadside bomb in Ramadi in 2004. Read
Army secretary won't extend deployments — The Virginian-Pilot

Army Secretary Pete Geren on Thursday ruled out extending troop deployments beyond the current 15 months, saying that longer tours in Iraq put stress on soldiers and their families, and have contributed to an increase in suicides. Read
Many Take Army's 'Quick Ship' Bonus — The Washington Post

$20,000 Is Lure to Leave Within Days Read
Over 100 Taliban killed in Afghan battle — Yahoo News

U.S.-led and Afghan troops battled suspected Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday in ground clashes and airstrikes that left over 100 militants dead, the coalition said. In eastern Afghanistan, a suicide bomber attacked NATO troops helping to build a bridge, killing three American soldiers, a U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because not all families had been notified. Read
Army to Examine Iraq Contracts — The Huffington Post

The Army will examine as many as 18,000 contracts awarded over the past four years to support U.S. forces in Iraq to determine how many are tainted by waste, fraud and abuse, service officials said Wednesday. Read
Dangerous Iraq chemicals found stored at U.N. in NY — Reuters

United Nations officials found vials of dangerous chemicals, which had been removed from Iraq a decade ago, in a U.N. building in New York, but U.N. officials said on Thursday there was no danger. Read
Union: Mexican Trucks Begin Crossing Border Saturday — NBC

..."What a slap in the face to American workers, opening the highways to dangerous trucks on Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest driving weekends of the year," said Teamsters President Jim Hoffa. Read
'We Are Going to Get Hit Again' — MSNBC

Al Qaeda has an active plot to hit the West. The United States knows about it but doesn't have enough tactical detail to issue a precise warning or raise the threat level, says Vice Admiral (ret.) John Scott Redd, who heads the government's National Counterterrorism Center. Read
U.S. Weapons, Given to Iraqis, Move to Turkey — NYT

Serial numbers on pistols and other weapons in Turkey match those originally given to Iraqi security forces. Read
Calls Grow for Foreigners to Have a Say on U.S. Market Rules — NYT

Politicians, regulators and financial specialists outside the United States are seeking a role in the oversight of

American markets, banks and rating agencies. Read
Record US house price falls predicted — Financial Times

The median price of American homes is expected to fall this year for the first time since federal agencies began keeping records after the second world war, according to an FT/Thomson Financial poll. Read
Breaking: Less Than Half of all Published Scientists Endorse Global Warming Theory — US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

...The figures are even more shocking when one remembers the watered-down definition of consensus here. Not only does it not require supporting that man is the "primary" cause of warming, but it doesn't require any belief or support for "catastrophic" global warming. In fact of all papers published in this period (2004 to February 2007), only a single one makes any reference to climate change leading to catastrophic results. Read
Drug cartels put hit squads in Laredo — Yahoo News

The scrawny young man at the defense table was only 17, and had only a peach-fuzz mustache in his mugshot. But authorities say he was already a seasoned assassin in the U.S. for some of Mexico's drug lords. The trial last month of American citizen Rosalio "Bart" Reta, combined with the case against a co-defendant and interviews with law enforcement officials, has cast a spotlight on a new danger along the border. Mexican drug lords locked in a bloody fight for control of a pipeline that runs from Mexico to Dallas and up through middle America have brazenly stationed hit squads and reconnaissance teams in Laredo. Read
Iran Agrees to Divulge Info on Clandestine Nuke Program — Fox News

Iran on Monday offered some cooperation with an International Atomic Energy Agency probe of an alleged secret uranium processing project linked by U.S. intelligence to a nuclear arms program. Read
Officials: Alberto Gonzales has resigned — The Boston Globe

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned, officials said Monday, ending a monthslong standoff with critics who questioned his honesty and competence at the helm of the Justice Department. Read
NJ changes policy on illegal immigrants — Yahoo

After a review driven by three brutal slayings, the state attorney general on Wednesday ordered New Jersey law enforcers to notify federal immigration officials whenever someone arrested for an indictable offense or drunken driving is found to be an illegal immigrant. Attorney General Anne Milgram reviewed the state's policy in light of the execution-style killings Aug. 4 of three Newark college students and the wounding of a fourth victim. One of the six suspects was an illegal immigrant who had been granted bail on child rape and aggravated assault charges without immigration officials being alerted to his existence. Read
Wanted: Latinos to fill federal jobs — LA Times

Theirs is the only ethnic minority underrepresented in the government workforce. The U.S. is using media and other methods to try to change that. Read
Officials Won't Delay Raids on Immigrants for Census — NYT

In contrast to the months before and after the 2000 census, officials say they will not suspend raids on illegal immigrants during the population count in 2010. Read
Children doing battle in Iraq — LA Times

As militants recruit more boys to plant bombs and fight, the number of youths in U.S. military custody grows. Read
Democratic hopefuls reach out to hispanics — The Boston Globe

Democratic presidential candidates say they are reaching out to Hispanics — a group that could play a key role in Iowa's caucuses. Read
Clinton picks up union endorsement — Yahoo News

The United Transportation Union on Tuesday endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president, the first national union endorsement of the 2008 campaign. Read
Clinton Donor Under a Cloud in Fraud Case — NYT

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said it would give away thousands of dollars that it received from a

Democratic donor who is considered a fugitive in California. Read
Debate Swirls Around 2 Men on a Ferry — NYT

A federal effort to identify two men whose behavior raised suspicion in Washington State has sparked a debate over alleged racial profiling. Read
US could be heading for recession — London Telegraph

Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers warned that the United States may be heading into recession as the biggest victim to date of the sub-prime mortgage debacle was humiliatingly sold for a token sum in Germany. Read
George Wallace's Shooter to be Released — WRAL

The man who shot Alabama Gov. George Wallace during a 1972 presidential campaign stop, leaving him paralyzed, will be released from prison this year, an official said Thursday. Arthur Bremer, 57, is scheduled for release December 16 but likely will be out earlier as he continues to accumulate credits for good behavior and for working as a prison clerk, said Rae Sheeley, a case management specialist at the Maryland Correctional Institute-Hagerstown. Read
Fewer people sign up for jobless claims — The Virginian-Pilot

Fewer people signed up for jobless benefits last week, an encouraging sign that most businesses aren't resorting to big layoffs amid a housing slump and the painful credit crunch. The Labor Department reported Thursday that new applications filed for unemployment insurance dipped by 2,000 to 322,000 for the week ending Aug. 18. It marked the first drop in new claims in roughly a month. Read
Persistent Fear Drives Stocks Down — NYT

The stock market plunged as investors were hit by fresh worries over declining consumer confidence, falling house prices, shrinking profits and uncertainty. Read
Increase in inmates opens door to private prisons — LA Times

...Until December, the state had not put a medium- or maximum-security prisoner in a private lockup since 1852, when it replaced a private prison ship in San Francisco Bay with California's first public prison, San Quentin. Private companies say they can build secure prisons faster and cheaper than state governments and are not saddled with the high salaries and pension costs paid by public agencies.Critics counter that states that use private prisons get what they pay for: Guards are poorly paid and trained, and private prisons experience more escapes and more disciplinary problems than state-run institutions, they contend. And the state is sending away its better-behaved prisoners, they say, making California prisons even more dangerous... Read
Mine Owner Has History of Run-Ins on Work Issues — NYT

The Crandall Canyon Mine disaster did not mark the first time that Robert E. Murray has taken a position far afield of the experts. Read
Vast army of 'Hillary haters' has claws out — The Chicago Tribune

Richard Collins, a wealthy Texas philanthropist, businessman and political aficionado, heaps praise on the woman he has set out to destroy, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). "She looks like a winner," said Collins, sitting in his high-rise office with sweeping views of the city. "She's run a good campaign, very consistent, no mistakes." But make no mistake about it: Collins is just one in a vast army of professional "Hillary haters" who are banking on Clinton becoming the Democratic nominee. Like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in the 2004 election who denigrated John Kerry's military service in Vietnam, Collins and others are searching for just the thing that will crystallize the way voters think and feel about her. Read
FBI: Wal-Mart Threat Part of Broad Scam — AP

A bomb threat that caused the evacuation of a Wal-Mart and led employees to wire $10,000 to the caller appears to be part of a broader scam targeting other businesses around the country, authorities said. An unidentified man called the Newport store Tuesday morning, saying he had a bomb and would harm employees. He also demanded that workers transfer $10,000 to an account, said Newport Police Sgt. James Quinn. The store wired the money, Quinn said. FBI spokesman Rich Kolko said the incident appears related to a plot in recent days targeting banks and stores near Phoenix, Detroit, Salt Lake City and Philadelphia. Kolko said Wednesday the bureau was looking into whether the calls were being placed from overseas and was compiling reports from local police departments to probe for similarities between the cases. Read
Will Finders Be Keepers of Salvaged Treasure? — The Chicago Tribune

17-Ton Haul of Silver and Gold From Atlantic Pits U.S. Firm Against Spain Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Gays Scornful of Senator's Statement — AP

Sen. Larry Craig's "I'm not gay" declaration met with disdain Wednesday from gay activists, many of whom knew for nearly a year — long before his recent arrest — of allegations that the conservative Idaho Republican solicited sex from men in public bathrooms. They view his case as a prime example of hypocrisy — a man who furtively engaged in same-sex liaisons while consistently opposing gay-rights measures as a politician. Read
China's Finance Minister Removed From Post — Forbes

Jin Renqing compelled to resign amid insinuation that he arranged sexual liaisons with a mistress from his home province; Xie Xuren replaces him. Read
Kansas Sex Shops Are Taken to Court — Citizenlink

The people of Topeka get together to shut them down... "Time and time again," he told Family News in Focus, "we're seeing that as long as citizens stand up and make their voices and concerns heard, they're actually seeing results." Read
Same-sex marriage debate off to low-key start — Rutland Herald

...Shortly after 10 a.m. on Aug. 23, eight members of the new Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection — a legislative group formed to gauge the public's reaction to the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples — met in the room the quote is just outside of to begin its work. Read
Online-Classifieds Site Accused of Enabling Prostitution — Citizenlink

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin charges that the online classified hotspot Craigslist is being used to promote child prostitution and other illegal activities and is calling on the site to revise its policies. Seattle officers launched a sting operation that netted 70 men who are accused of soliciting prostitutes on Craigslist. Atlanta news outlets say the site has promoted gay sex meetings in their city's airport. Read Romance Novels Considered Pornography According to ChristiaNet.com Poll — Christian Newswire

...Twenty-five percent of the participants said "Yes, it's a sin." The majority of these Christians described romance novels as "full of sexual sin," "highly addictive" and "a form of pornography." This group believed these books may not cause readers to physically sin, but definitely opens the mind to sinful thoughts. As one concerned Christian stated, "Anything that causes one to fantasize has caused them to sin." Many felt that Christians always need to protect themselves from temptations regardless if the temptation is physical, emotional or spiritual. Read

Other News

Holy forfeit! Israel willing to give up Temple Mount — World Net Daily

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Egyptian government the Jewish state is willing to forfeit control over the Temple Mount — Judaism's holiest site — to the management of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, according to an Arab media report. Read
Iran leaflets threaten Kurds in northern Iraq with 'cleansing' — World Tribune

Iran has demanded that Iraqi Kurds leave their border villages. Kurdish sources said Iran's military has dropped leaflets into Iraqi Kurdish villages that call for their immediate evacuation. The leaflets warned the Kurds of impending Iranian military strikes. Read
Israeli hospital insists on caring for Palestinian girl — Israel Today

A rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem is refusing a government order to transfer a paralyzed Palestinian girl to a Palestinian hospital in Ramallah, insisting that she cannot receive proper care there. Six-year-old Maria Amin was wounded during an Israeli air strike against a car carrying an Islamic Jihad terrorist in Gaza last year. Her grandmother, mother and older brother were killed in the strike. Israel's Defense Ministry responded to the tragedy by bringing Maria, her father and younger brother to Jerusalem and paying for their living accommodations and Maria's rehabilitation at the Alyn Hospital Rehabilitation Center. Read
Exclusive: EU officials holding talks with Hamas — The Jerusalem Post

EU security officials have been conducting secret talks with Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks, Palestinian Authority officials told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. The PA officials did not reveal the identity of the visitors, except to say that they belonged to three EU intelligence services. Read
Israel considers building fence on Egyptian border — Ha'aretz

Israel is considering the construction of a border fence in cooperation with Egypt to prevent the passage of terrorists, smugglers and asylum-seekers between the two countries, Prime Minister's Office Director General Ra'anan Dinur told the Knesset Committee on Foreign Workers on Tuesday. Read
Turkish Official With Islamic Ties Wins Presidency — NYT

Abdullah Gul's victory breaks an 84-year grip on power by the secular establishment. Read
Iran Vows To Use New 'Smart' Bomb — CBN News

Iran vowed Sunday to use a new 2,000-pound "smart" bomb against its enemies and unveiled mass production of the new weapon, state television reported. Read
Sarkozy seeks to give EU greater world role — EU Observer

As France prepares to assume the EU's driving seat in July next year, president Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated he wants to turn the 27-nation bloc into a decisive player in the global arena — something he says would result in a fairer and more harmonious world order. Read
Israel to buy advanced anti-aircraft missiles — Ynet News

The Israeli Air Force will buy advanced US-made Patriot PAC-3 missiles from Lockheed Martin, capable of intercepting aircraft and long-range ballistic missiles, including the type used by Syria. Read
Outline of Palestinian state 'coming by this November' — WND

Newly installed Israeli President Shimon Peres hopes to achieve the outline of a final status deal with the Palestinians before an international conference in November, the veteran politician said. Read
IDF forces foil terror plot — Ynet News

IDF forces foiled a terror plot early Saturday morning when they killed two gunmen who infiltrated Israel from northern Gaza. The terrorists had planned to attack troops and residential communities near the border and were found to be wearing IDF uniforms and carrying an explosive device. Read
Russia confirms Soviet sorties over Dimona in '67 — Jerusalem Post

The chief spokesman of the Russian Air Force, Col. Aleksandr V. Drobyshevsky, has confirmed in writing for the first time that it was Soviet pilots, in the USSR's most-advanced MiG-25 "Foxbat" aircraft, who flew highly-provocative sorties over Israel's nuclear facility at Dimona in May 1967, just prior to the Six Day War. Read
Pakistan military test fires nuclear capable cruise missile — Jerusalem Post

Pakistan on Saturday successfully test-fired a new air-launched cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the military said. The missile, named Hatf-8 or Ra'ad, has a range of 350 kilometers (220 miles), an army statement said. It provided no details of the test. Read
Iran has remote-controlled launch pads — Jerusalem Post

Preparing for a possible American or Israeli strike on its nuclear installations, Iran has developed a remote-controlled launch system that can be used to operate dozens of unmanned Shihab ballistic missile launchers in underground bunkers, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Read
Mideast countries speed up nuclear development projects — Ha'aretz

Several Arab countries in recent months have boosted their nuclear programs, in what experts believe is a response to Iran's aggressive drive to acquire nuclear weapons. 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