"A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished."   Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:12  KJV   Word study on this verse

Dollar Declines to All-Time Low Against Euro as Economy Slows bloomberg.com 4/28/7 ["The dollar also weakened against most other major currencies, with a Federal Reserve index measuring dollar strength near the lowest level in its 36-year history. The U.S. currency pared its decline against the euro after the record low triggered buy orders."]
Taiwan stung by millions of missing bees reuters.com 4/28/7 ["Taiwan's bee farmers are feeling the sting of lost business and possible crop danger after millions of the honey-making, plant-pollinating insects vanished during volatile weather, media and experts said on Thursday.  Over the past two months, farmers in three parts of Taiwan have reported most of their bees gone, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported. Taiwan's TVBS television station said about 10 million bees had vanished in Taiwan."]
On The Partial Birth Abortion Ruling newswithviews.com 4/28/7 [By Pastor Chuck Baldwin  "...the Partial Birth Abortion ban not stop any legal abortions, it does not even stop all Partial Birth Abortions. ...that even a Partial Birth Abortion may be performed as long as the baby has not been delivered past its navel.  ...The bill even authorizes the abortionist to kill the partially-delivered baby if the baby has been delivered past its navel, if the baby passed the "critical point by accident or inadvertence." (p. 18 III, A) "]
Utah Allows Guns On College Campuses cbsnews.com 4/28/7 ["a shooting rampage in Mississippi in 1997 as an example of how allowing others on campus to arm themselves can improve safety: After a teenager shot two students to death at Pearl High School, an assistant principal chased the gunman down outside and held him at bay with a .45-caliber pistol he kept in his truck."]
Socialization: Homeschooling vs. Schools cbn.com 4/28/7 ["The National Home Education Research Institute disclosed that the 36 to 54 hours that students spend in school-related weekly activities make peers and adults outside of the home the primary influences in children's lives - not the parents.  ...Instead of being locked behind school gates in what some would consider an artificial setting characterized by bells, forced silence and age-segregation, homeschoolers frequently extend their everyday classroom to fire departments, hospitals, museums, repair shops, city halls, national parks, churches and colleges, where real community interaction and contacts are made."]
NY governor to propose legalizing gay marriage reuters.com 4/28/7 ["The bill faces opposition from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Spitzer's plan to introduce it would fulfill a campaign pledge to press for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, a spokeswoman said."]
European Parliament Passes Resolution Vowing to Take 'Homophobic' Countries to Court lifesite.net 4/28/7 ["In a disgraceful debate in the European Parliament (EP) yesterday, Members of the European Parliament from France, the Netherlands and Italy, among others, vilified Poland as "hateful" and "repulsive" for refusing to allow promotion of homosexuality in schools.  A vote was held today to approve an EP resolution chastising Poland for 'homophobia.' The resolution - adopted by 325 votes to 124, with 150 abstentions - calls for a fact-finding mission to be sent to Poland, for "worldwide de-criminalisation of homosexuality" and for the Commission to take Member States to court if they breach their EU obligations."]
Ban on 'mom' and 'dad' considered – again worldnetdaily.com 4/28/7 ["A plan that has been launched in the California state Assembly – again – could be used to ban references to "mom" and "dad" in public schools statewide by prohibiting anything that would "reflect adversely" on the homosexual lifestyle choice.  ..."Not only does SB 777 require that classroom instruction and materials promote and embrace controversial sexual practices, it also bans school-sponsored activities from 'reflecting adversely' on homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals,"]
IDF prepares for Syrian attack on Golan jpost.com 4/28/7 ["Hundreds of tanks and thousands of soldiers, backed by helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, massed in the Judean Desert to drill simulations of war. The training exercise focused on Brigade 401 and its utilization of Israel's most advanced tank - the Merkava Mark 4 - against the Syrian advanced Russian-made T-72.  Since the Second Lebanon War, Military Intelligence has claimed that war with Syria is now closer than ever, and the IDF is on heightened alert in the North in preparation for the possibility of a surprise attack. "]
Putin Freeze's Russia's Commitment abcnews.go.com 4/28/7 ["Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was suspending Russia's obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, a move he linked to U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Europe. Putin, in a hawkish annual speech to both houses of parliament, said the NATO signatories to the 1990 treaty were not respecting it, and the U.S. plan to put missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic made matters worse. "]
 

Toying with Death: Learning to love evil & crave violence crossroad.to 4/25/7 [by Berit Kjos  ""Are we training our children to kill?" asked Lieutenant Colonel David Grossman, an expert in the field of killology. For many years, he has "traveled the world training medical, law enforcement, and U.S. military personnel about the realities of warfare." He contends that point-and-shoot video games actually train young players to accurately shoot and kill human targets in spite of their natural, God-given resistance. His statistics validate his frightening conclusions:...  "The Journal of the American Medical Association published the definitive study on the impact of TV violence. It compared two nations or regions that were demographically and ethnically identical; only one variable is different: the presence of television. 'In every nation, region, or city with television, there is an immediate explosion of violence on the playground, and within 15 years there is a doubling of the murder rate.  "Why 15 years? That is how long it takes for the brutalization of a three-to five-year-old to reach the ‘prime crime age.’""]
Sex-obsessed Cho Hired Escort Service before Virginia Tech Rampage lifesite.net 4/25/7 ["The 1999 Columbine killers, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, were reported to have used some kinds of pornography as well.  “Since children are now commonly exposed to pornography of the most raw and violent nature before they reach their teens, expect such violence to be common fare,” warned Reisman."]
One in 30 aborted babies is born alive, British study finds bpnews.net 4/25/7 ["The aborted babies who were born alive died after an average of 80 minutes, but some lived for more than six hours, reported the Evening Standard, a British newspaper.  The report, based on a study of primarily chemical abortions at 20 West Midlands hospitals, caused a pro-life leader to question what the actual count would be if babies who do not have physical impairments are included."]
World Health Organisation says bird flu pandemic could kill up to 7 mln people forbes.com 4/25/7 [" The estimates were derived from models based on previous flu epidemics, he told a forum organised by the Australian embassy.  Even 'a modest pandemic lasting over one year might cause losses as high as 3 pct of Asia's GDP and 0.5 pct of world GDP,' Olive said."]
Des Moines: Quarantine Plans In Case Of Bird Flu whbf.com 4/25/7 ["Polk County has joined other Iowa counties in passing an ordinance giving officials the power to order people into quarantine if need be."]
Home sales: Worst drop in 18 years money.cnn.com 4/25/7 ["prices show year-over-year drop for eighth straight month."]
Religious group attacks religion in U.S. healthcare reuters.com 4/25/7 ["They said last week's Supreme Court decision outlawing a certain type of abortion demonstrated that religious belief was interfering with personal rights and the U.S. health care system in general. The group, calling itself the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, said it planned to submit its proposals to other church groups and lobby Congress and state legislators."]
Media and Opponents are Wrong: Abstinence Education Has Not Failed lifenews.com 4/25/7 ["this study only examined four programs out of more than 900 currently in place. Furthermore, of the four programs observed in the study; one was voluntary and took place after school. Also, the Mathematica study targeted children who were in abstinence programs from ages 9-11 and those children were not evaluated until four to six years later.  The fact is, the targeted children were too young to absorb the abstinence message, and there was no continuation of abstinence education into the High School years when adolescents are most likely to engage in sexual activity. "]
Emergency Powers To Govern Worlds "Regions" newswithviews.com 4/25/7 [By Nancy Levant  "...As we are now an undefended nation, with an Executive Branch that has full emergency powers granted to it by Congress, who in 1933 declared America into what became an on-going state of declared emergency, and with no president willing to give up those war powers, this state of emergency brought into our nation new and extraordinary military forces and on-going missions.  On that note, let’s start with a partial list of America’s new “homeland” and regional military partners: "]
Gas concerns force California drivers to buy, drive less mercurynews.com 4/25/7 [" Motorists already numbed by a steady two-month rise in fuel costs were again stunned this weekend. Prices jumped as much as 20 cents overnight at some South Bay stations, and increases of 8 to 10 cents were typical at many.  The fear is that prices could climb to $4 a gallon - and it already has at some stations in San Francisco."]
US examines if pet food contaminant in human food alertnet.org 4/25/7 ["On Monday, two U.S. lawmakers said a second company likely imported rice protein from China that was contaminated with Melamine. FDA officials on Tuesday would not say whether there was a second importer."]
 

U.N. Panel to Lay Out Steps on Warming forbes.com 4/24/7 ["The IPCC draft notes, however, that its cost estimate is based on a "relatively small" number of studies and would require all nations to join in those best-case mitigation efforts, and that "barriers to implementation of mitigation options are manifold.""]
Newsom vows to discourage immigration sweeps in SF mercurynews.com 4/24/7 ["Police officers and other city employees will not help federal immigration authorities seeking to round up and deport undocumented workers in San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom said.  The mayor told a predominantly Hispanic audience at St. Peter's Church Sunday that while city and state officials cannot stop U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting sweeps within the city, he would do everything within his power to discourage them. "]
The Cry To Impeach Bush And Cheney newswithviews.com 4/24/7 [By Devvy Kidd  "...if Bush and Cheney were to be impeached, the next in line for the presidency is another Marxist (political ideology is communism), Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.  ...The pain America will experience in the next few years is going to be excruciating. I wish it were going to be different, but because of America's indifference and blind loyalty to the Democrat and Republican parties, forsaking truth and accountability, the situation has escalated to a dangerous level; the road ahead is going to be difficult and challenging."]
VA will allow Wiccan symbol on gravestones usatoday.com 4/24/7 ["The settlement calls for the VA to add the pentacle to its list of approved symbols and make it available to families of all veterans who want it.  The VA also has to supply headstones, markers and plaques within two weeks to Stewart and others who have sought them so far."]
Scientists to lay out ways to head off worst of climate change in new report canada.com 4/24/7 ["They say that everyone must embrace technologies ranging from nuclear power to manure control.  ...One of the report's authors, British researcher Rachel Warren, says: "Governments, businesses and individuals all need to be pulling in the same direction."  For one thing, the governments of such major emitters as the United States, China and India will have to join the Kyoto Protocol countries of Europe and Japan in imposing cutbacks in carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases emitted by industry, power plants and other sources. "]
Dutch Abortion Boat Gets Restrictions Lifted, Plans to Sail to Africa, Asia lifenews.com 4/24/7 ["The abortion ship's voyage was made possible when Netherlands state secretary for public health Jet Bussemaker granted the pro-abortion group a permit that allows it to operate a medical facility on board a ship in international waters.  After its last voyage in 2004, the abortion ship had been restricted to only operating near a hospital in Amsterdam in case women were injured by the abortion."]
Downplaying Activities That Dictate Certain Geopolitical Goals newswithviews.com 4/24/7 [By Dennis L. Cuddy, Ph.D.  "they didn't direct the recent shooting at Virginia Tech University, but those shootings by a mentally disturbed student will prompt cries for more mental health screenings for all youth as well as others. And those screenings will afford the power elite the opportunity to shape what's considered appropriate mental health."]
Posing as pals, drug reps sway doctors' choices uk.reuters.com 4/24/7 ["As much as doctors would like to deny it, subtle attention from friendly drug sales representatives can have a big impact on what drugs they prescribe, according to two U.S. studies published on Monday.  ..."The remarkable thing is how effective a very brief visit by a drug representative -- most often less than five minutes -- can be in influencing physicians' choices to use a drug for an unapproved indication," Dr. Michael Steinman of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center said in a statement."]
NAFTA Superhighway hits bump in road worldnetdaily.com 4/24/7 ["Last Thursday, the Texas Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 1267, requiring the study of long-term partnerships such as the Texas Department of Transportation recommended in the construction of TTC-35, a four-football-fields-wide NAFTA superhighway financed and operated for 50 years by the Cintra investment consortium in Spain."]
Green Lies And Amazing Truths newswithviews.com 4/24/7 [ By Berit Kjos  "...during that warming period -- almost a millennium before the media would blame SUVs for warm days -- the Atlantic coasts were not buried by rising oceans. In fact, any slight variation in ocean levels are naturally moderated by increased evaporation during warmer cycles."]
New aspartame data to be presented at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NYC, USA ramazzini.it 4/24/7 ["In 2005, the European Ramazzini Foundation published important experimental data demonstrating the carcinogenicity of aspartame. These data demonstrated for the first time that aspartame is a carcinogenic agent, inducing various types of malignant tumors in rats, even at dose levels currently considered acceptable for humans."]
Consumers in dark over risks of new light bulbs wnd.com 4/24/7 ["The same cannot be said about the mercury-containing CFLs. They bear disposal warnings on the packaging. But with limited recycling prospects and the problems experienced by Brandy Bridges sure to be repeated millions of times, some think government, the green community and industry are putting the cart before the horse marketing the new technology so ferociously."]
 

Millions face famine as crop disease rages guardian.co.uk 4/23/7 ["Experts believe the disease - Puccinia graminis - will spread to Egypt, Turkey, the Middle East and finally India and Pakistan, which would lead to the destruction of the principal source of food for more than a billion people. Some observers warn that the disease could reach Egypt, which is heavily dependent on wheat, before the end of this year."  ...Now studies of wind patterns suggest Ug99 will soon spread to Saudi Arabia and the Near East. Eventually Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Europe could be affected.]
How The Drug Industry Uses Creativity To Bypass Advertising Laws newswithviews.com 4/23/7 ["...But rest assured, Joe Coffee will tell you he is healthy and in the same breath he will recite his "good" cholesterol levels. This is what I call a valuable lab rat...He provides us with so much insight. Insight that shows very few prescription drugs have any value outside of emergency medicine. But Joe Coffee’s doctor will assure him that he is healthy cause his “numbers look great!""]
Group Calls for Population Control to Stop Global Warming cnsnews.com 4/23/7 [""No matter how clever and inventive human technology can be, it will be overwhelmed by the explosive multiplication of unrelenting population growth," asserted Randy Alcorn, a senior writing fellow at Californians for Population Stabilization.  "While it may be beneficial to replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs, it would be more effective towards salvaging the planet to turn on light bulbs in minds darkened by political expediency and religious dogma," he said.  "Those who surrender reason to religious and political doctrine and push the rubble of their misguided convictions into the path of prudent population reduction policies are complicit in condemning an entire planet to doom," said Alcorn."]
 

Mass Shootings More Common Since 1960s guardian.co.uk 4/22/7 ["Criminologist Fox speculates that the increasing popularity of workplace killings, and public shootings generally, may be partly due to decreasing economic security and increasing inequality. America increasingly rewards its winners with a disproportionate share of wealth and adoration, while treating its losers to a heaping helping of public shame.  ``We ridicule them. We vote them off the island. We laugh at them on `American Idol,''' Fox said. "  Editor: As I have repeatedly said in the RECAP newsletters, today's glut of 'reality' shows is brainwashing propaganda to teach and instill backstabbing, disloyalty, selfishness, apathy, etc.  Also, it is probably no great coincidence that America kicked God out of public schools in 1963.]
Pentagon Invites Kremlin to Link Missile Systems nytimes.com 4/22/7 ["The Bush administration is offering Russia a new package of incentives to drop its strong opposition to American missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, including an invitation to begin linking some American and Russian antimissile systems, according to senior administration and military officials.  The package includes American offers to cooperate on developing defense technology and to share intelligence about common threats, as well as to permit Russian officials to inspect the future missile bases.  ...This concept of linking some American and Russian military systems for common missile defense would be at a level that exists in no other area of United States-Russia military relations."]
Anti-gay protesters suspected in bombing jpost.com 4/22/7 ["A bomb planted near a section of the security fence by Beit Shemesh Friday morning, in the area of the village of Beit Jimal, is suspected to be the work of anti-Gay Pride Parade protesters, police said.  Several fliers condemning the parade, which is scheduled to take place in Jerusalem in June, were found in a vineyard near a monastery, close to where the medium-sized bomb exploded. "]
Amish dairy farmers share concerns about livestock IDs lacrossetribune.com 4/22/7 ["The “premise ID” law, passed three years ago but set to take full effect May 1, requires all livestock farms to register with the state and receive a farm ID number.  ...The second part of NAIS is animal identification, which requires that each animal of an included livestock species, or, in the case of those animals that stay together for their entire lifespan, each group of animals, has a unique identification number."]
Stop Animal ID stopanimalid.org 4/22/7 ["The program, as planned, has three major components: premises identification, animal identification, and animal tracking.  ...All of this information will be kept in a database where government officials, particularly those working in animal health and public health departments, can access it. According to the current plan, this component will be mandatory in January of 2008. "]
NoNAIS.org nonais.org 4/22/7 ["Protect Traditional Rights to Farm"]
Dutch government lifts ban on 'abortion ship' 4/22/7 ["The Dutch ministry of health will allow a Dutch so-called abortion ship to operate in international waters, overturning a 2004 ban, spokeswoman Lilian Jansen said Saturday.  The ship, run by pro-choice organisation Women on Waves, aims to provide abortion services to women in countries where the practice is banned. "]
 

Kremlin to radio network: Be 'positive' iht.com 4/21/7 ["From now on, at least 50 percent of the reports about Russia must be "positive."
In addition, opposition leaders cannot be mentioned on the air and the United States is to be portrayed as an enemy, journalists employed by the network, Russian News Service, say they were told."]
Russia Toughens Penalties for Extremism guardian.co.uk 4/21/7 ["The State Duma voted unanimously to allow up to three years' imprisonment for vandalism motivated by politics or ideology. The loose wording of the measure could allow authorities to punish any participants in an opposition protest if violence erupted."]
Russia's Putin saves hammer and sickle after row alertnet.org 4/21/7 ["The banner was the flag that Soviet troops raised over Berlin's Reichstag building on May 1, 1945, official histories say, an act caught in an iconic photograph and which came to define the victory over Nazi Germany.  Those wanting to remove the hammer and sickle from the flags that festoon Russian towns for May 9 Victory Day celebrations said it was out of date.  ...Putin, a former KGB spy who described the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union as "the greatest geo-political catastrophe of the 20th century" has shown a soft spot for attributes of the Soviet past.  A year after taking office he reinstated the stirring melody of the Soviet national anthem"]
Japan Mulls Moving Reserves from Dollar newsmax.com 4/21/7 ["is cautious about shifting its foreign exchange reserves away from the dollar for fear of triggering a slide in the U.S. currency  ...At around $900 billion, Japan's reserves, held predominantly in dollars, are the world's second largest after China's"]
Tainted pet food found in US livestock feed canada.com 4/21/7 ["Pet food tainted with the chemical melamine was found in feed rations on a California hog farm and may show up on other U.S. farms, state and federal officials said on Friday.  ...state officials said Diamond Pet Foods sold the food to the hog farm before melamine was linked to rice protein concentrate imported from China."]
Latest US solution to Iraq's civil war: a three-mile wall guardian.co.uk 4/21/7 ["The US military is building a three-mile concrete wall in the centre of Baghdad along the most murderous faultline between Sunni and Shia Muslims.  The wall, which recognises the reality of the hardening sectarian divide in Baghdad, is a central part of George Bush's final push to pacify the capital. Work began on April 10 under cover of darkness and is due for completion by the end of the month."]
Flight from U.S. dollar gathers strength canada.com 4/21/7 ["The assault against the U.S. dollar intensifed yesterday as the greenback slumped to historic lows against currencies as diverse as the U.K. pound and the Polish zloty amid growing conviction among investors higher returns lie beyond U.S. borders.  ..."An IMF forecast that was released last week showed for the first time in 37 years you will get 5% global growth and the U.S. accounting for less than 10% of that growth -- half its normal share of global GDP,"   ..."You've never seen the global economy growing at 5% with the U.S. growing ... only 2.2%.""]
On Wednesday Students in 5,000 US Public Schools Were Given Pro-Homosexual Propaganda lifesite.net 4/21/7 ["when homosexual activist students passed out leaflets urging students to remain silent for an entire day to express their approval of the homosexual agenda.  The "Day of Silence" event sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), had students explaining they were protesting "the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools.""]
Australia: Livestock feed supplies dry up abc.net.au 4/21/7 ["Livestock feed supplies in South Australia's south-east have become non-existent.  The lingering drought has dried up surplus supplies, forcing producers to further destock or pay exorbitant prices for hay."]
25 years murder-free in 'Gun Town USA' worldnetdaily.com 4/21/7 ["In March 1982, 25 years ago, the small town of Kennesaw – responding to a handgun ban in Morton Grove, Ill. – unanimously passed an ordinance requiring each head of household to own and maintain a gun. Since then, despite dire predictions of "Wild West" showdowns and increased violence and accidents, not a single resident has been involved in a fatal shooting – as a victim, attacker or defender."]
TN: House vote permits guns in more places knoxnews.com 4/21/7 ["NASHVILLE - In a surprise move, a House panel voted Wednesday to repeal a state law that forbids the carrying of handguns on property and buildings owned by state, county and city governments - including parks and playgrounds.  "I think the recent Virginia disaster - or catastrophe or nightmare or whatever you want to call it - has woken up a lot of people to the need for having guns available to law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains. "I hope that is what this vote reflects." "]
FDA: No evidence aspartame causes cancer seattlepi.nwsource.com 4/21/7 ["The Italian study concluded aspartame led to higher rates of lymphoma and leukemia in rats. However, the European Food Safety Authority reviewed the data and said it did not support the study's conclusions. The European agency reiterated its previously held position that the low-calorie sweetener is safe."]
informedchristians.com > Resources > Health 4/21/7 [""]
 

Columbine, Oklahoma City, Waco all in April theoaklandpress.com 4/20/7 ["On April 19, 1993, following a 51-day standoff, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas. A fire, later determined to have been set by the Davidians, destroyed the compound and killed 57 of its residents."]
'95 Okla. blast marked with tears denverpost.com 4/20/7 ["Mourners today marked the 12th anniversary of the bombing that killed 168 people..."]
Bloomberg To Fund Anti-Gun Ad Campaign wcbstv.com 4/20/7 ["Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a coalition of 214 mayors are using the Virginia Tech massacre to pressure Congress to give local cops the information they need to trace illegal guns used in crimes.  CBS 2 has also learned that they're also launching a TV ad campaign starting Sunday.  "We're fighting criminals and illegal guns. Why is Congress fighting us?" Bloomberg said Wednesday."]
Senate Committee Defeats Effort to Suspend Dangerous Abortion Drug lifenews.com 4/20/7 ["A Senate committee turned back a vote on an amendment to an FDA measure that would have suspended sales of the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug. Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, put forward the measure because the drug has killed several women in the United States."]
Kucinich Seeks To Ban Hand Guns In America wtam.com 4/20/7 ["Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich wants to ban hand guns in America.  Kucinich is currently drafting legislation that would ban the purchase, sale, transfer or possession of hand guns by civilians. A gun buy-back provision will be included in the bill."]
Governor signs bill defying U.S. ID law billingsgazette.net 4/20/7 ["to national driver's licenses, signing into law a bill supporters say is one of the strongest rejections to the federal plan.  The move means the state won't comply with the Real ID Act, a federal law that sets a national standard for driver's licenses and requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases."]
China's economy surges, more tightening seen canada.com 4/20/7 ["China's economy grew at a blistering 11.1 percent annual pace in the first quarter on the back of booming investment and exports, fuelling speculation that interest rates would need to rise again soon."]

Pro-homosexual Churches Begin Campaign of Misinformation on Biblical Prohibitions against Sodomy lifesite.net 4/18/7 ["The Jesus Metropolitan Community Church of Indianapolis, Faith In America and Metropolitan Community Churches started the campaign this week, placing five different billboards around the Indianapolis area distorting the biblical foundation of Christianity’s clear prohibitions against sodomy.  The “Would Jesus Discriminate?” Campaign, funded nationally by Faith in America, Inc., features such signs as “Jesus Affirmed a Gay Couple”: Matt. 8:5-13; “The Early Church Welcomed a Gay Man”: Acts 8:26-40; “Jesus Said Some are Born Gay”: Matt. 19:10-12; “Ruth Loved Naomi as Adam Loved Eve”, Gen. 2:24, Ruth 1:14; and “David Loved Jonathan More than Women” II Sam 1:26.  The campaign perverts these Bible passages"]
University convocation told of Allah, not Jesus worldnetdaily.com 4/18/7 ["Five minutes ago they had four representatives from the local 'religious community.' The Muslim specifically invoked Allah's blessings… and he didn't shy away from saying the name of Allah. The Jewish rep asked for God's blessings. Buddha was represented. The only name that [was] omitted, of course, Jesus Christ.""]
Violent video games "exhilarating escapism": survey uk.reuters.com 4/18/7 ["layers of violent video games believe they are just "exhilarating" escapism which does not desensitize them to real-life mayhem, according to a new survey of one of the entertainment industry's fastest growing sectors.  However, gamers do concede that people "who are already unhinged in some way" may be pushed over the edge if they play violent games obsessively."]
EU close to agreement on hate crime law euobserver.com 4/18/7 [" After six years of heated political debate, EU member states are set to agree on a common anti-racism law, under which offenders will face up to three years in jail for stirring-up racial hatred or denying acts of genocide, such as the Holocaust."]
Groups work to make child flu vaccinations a priority usatoday.com 4/18/7 ["The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends flu vaccine for all children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old and for children of any age who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or asthma."]
Baghdad Car-Bomb Attacks Kill at Least 166 People bloomberg.com 4/18/7 [" The five extra U.S. combat brigades of 21,500 troops will be in place by early June. There are about 145,000 troops in Iraq today, which includes three of these brigades.  An additional 4,600 support, aviation and military police personnel are also deploying to Iraq, bringing the total ``surge'' in U.S. forces to more than 26,000. "]
Abortion ruling is hailed by pro-lifers telegraph.co.uk 4/18/7 ["The Supreme Court decision to uphold a nationwide ban on a procedure known as partial birth abortion amounted to the first restriction imposed on abortion rights since women won the right to terminate pregnancies in 1973."]
Our Survey Said! newswithviews.com 4/18/7 [By Paul Proctor  "So, regardless of the outcome of my little exercise here, the findings of this traditional versus contemporary survey are not to determine which is right or wrong - they are only to demonstrate how drastically different the results of one survey are from another. Absolute truth is found in scripture, not in surveys, opinions or polls.  I specifically asked that all "church switchers" who emailed me, keep their replies to only two-sentences - which most did. Others simply could not contain their anguish and frustration - elaborating at length about how they were shunned and abused at their former churches and what their former pastors, teachers, leaders and brethren refused to hear or address regarding drastic changes implemented there. "]
Arizona:  Day laborers soon may get booted from public spaces azstarnet.com 4/18/7 ["With only minimal discussion, the Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to legislation that would make it a crime for anyone to be on any public road, sidewalk or adjacent public property to offer labor or services in exchange for compensation. Violators could be charged with trespass and jailed for up to six months."]
 

FDA formalizes proposal to regulate herbs, vitamins santacruzsentinel.com 4/17/7 ["The proposal appeared in a Dec. 6 document described by the FDA as "draft guidance"  Asked what prompted the action, regional FDA spokeswoman Jeanette McDonald pointed to the Federal Register, which published a notice of the proposed FDA regulation Feb. 27. As more people turn to alternative medicine, there is "increased confusion" as to whether products used by practitioners are subject to regulation, the FDA notice said.  According to the FDA, more than a third of American adults report using some form of "complementary and alternative medicine,""]
Mexican trucks to enter U.S. in 15 seconds wnd.com 4/17/7 ["Participation in the FAST program would keep physical inspections of truck trailers or shipment containers to a minimum, and speed their processing on lanes specially designated for the shipments."]
Massacre triggers world criticism of U.S. gun laws news.scotsman.com 4/17/7 ["European newspapers saw a grim inevitability about the killings because the U.S. constitution enshrined the right to bear arms, and Australian Prime Minister John Howard pointed to the tough laws on gun ownership in his country as a solution."]
China Provinces Force Christian Women to Have Late-Term Abortions lifenews.com 4/17/7 ["A human rights group says it's learned that two Chinese provinces are engaging in a brutal campaign of forced abortions against Christian women. The campaign has seen government officials literally drag women from their homes for abortions because their families are involved in unsanctioned churches."  Editor: Hebrews 13:3 "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." ]
Pro-Life Groups: National Study Attacking Abstinence Education is Wrong lifenews.com 4/17/7 ["The groups say that the study tracked less than one percent of the 700 abstinence programs that receive federal funding and makes erroneous generalizations."]
U.N., AU Announce Darfur Peace Plan washingtonpost.com 4/17/7 ["The United Nations and African Union announced a two-pronged plan to bring peace to conflict-wracked Darfur, pledging Tuesday to move "expeditiously" to deploy 3,000 U.N. peacekeepers while intensifying efforts to achieve a political settlement."]
African Health Ministers Vote to Approve Protocol to Legalize Abortion Throughout Continent lifesite.net 4/17/7 ["African Health Ministers adopted a new proposal Friday that will increase legal abortion throughout the continent, under the policies of the controversial Maputo Protocol on the rights of women, according to a report published yesterday by the Ethiopian Herald online.  Meeting on Easter Monday, April 9, health ministers from more than 40 African countries participated in a weeklong conference discussing health strategies for the continent under the Maputo Protocol that was "approved" by the ministers last October--ratified by just 15 of the 53-member states of the African Union, the protocol calls for all member states to implement abortion legislation."]
FDA Approves First Bird Flu Vaccine for U.S. to Stockpile pbs.org 4/17/7 ["The FDA said two injections given 28 days apart would provide "limited" protection to a pandemic. About 45 percent of the people who got the vaccine in a study developed an immune response to the virus.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it has already purchased 13 million doses of the Sanofi vaccine, which would inoculate an estimated 6.5 million people."]
General: Afghan arms made in Iran seattlepi.nwsource.com 4/17/7 ["It appeared to be the first publicly disclosed instance of Iranian arms entering Afghanistan, although it was not immediately clear whether the weapons came directly from Iran or were shipped through a third party."]
Minnesota's Muslim cab drivers face crackdown reuters.com 4/17/7 ["A large number of taxi drivers in the area of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are Muslim Somali immigrants. Many say they feel the faith's ban on alcohol consumption includes transporting anyone carrying it."]
Bermuda cut from O'Donnell's gay cruise businessweek.com 4/17/7 ["because of possible protests by church groups in the British island territory. O'Donnell's charter company said it wanted to avoid the type of protests that greeted passengers when one of its cruises stopped in Nassau, Bahamas, in 2004."]
Dollar Trades Near Record Low Vs. Euro biz.yahoo.com 4/17/7 ["The dollar hovered near a record low Monday against the euro after the 13-nation currency climbed to within 1 cent of its all-time high, while the pound backed down from a 14-year record."]
 

Many Parents Admit They Bribe Their Kids abcnews.go.com 4/16/7 ["many parents today readily admit to buying off their children, who get goodies for anything from behaving in a restaurant to sleeping all night in their own beds. Often, the rewards are for behaviors their own parents would have simply expected, just because they said so.  ...has noticed a downside though what she calls a "sense of entitlement.""]
Violence against guardians an 'alarming trend' chron.com 4/16/7 ["...the suspects, in more than 1,800 cases documented in Harris County over a recent 2½-year period, were their children."]
Buying guns, ammo easy in Virginia ninemsn.com.au 4/16/7 ["Buying and owning a gun in Virginia does not require a permit, but without a gun permit only one handgun purchase per month is allowed, and there is no waiting period to acquire the gun."]
Massacre sparks calls for guns buyback abc.net.au 4/16/7 ["We ran a buyback in 2003 for hand guns after the Monash shooting. That model was looked at in England and it's the only way to go."]
Russian TV sanitizes protest footage chron.com 4/16/7 ["Rossiya TV opened its nightly news with President Vladimir Putin attending a martial arts competition, and when it later showed something of the violence, it insinuated that the protesters were fomenting revolution, backed by the West."]
UK Doctors Refusing to Commit Abortion Alarm Royal College lifesite.net 4/16/7 ["More and more doctors in Britain are refusing to commit abortions, according to a recent release by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). In "unprecedented numbers," British doctors are opting out, a development that threatens to undermine the British abortion industry which now stands at about 190,000 babies a year with four fifths of the deaths paid for by National Health."]
U.S. Army to slow repairs as Congress weighs funds reuters.com 4/16/7 ["...slow repair work on any equipment not needed for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan due to Congress' failure to approve $100 billion in extra war funding, the largest branch of the armed forces said on Monday.  The Pentagon also will ask Congress to allow the Defense Department to use $1.6 billion in funds meant for the Navy and Air Force to pay the Army's operating expenses, the Army said. "]
Three More Families Appeal for Help as Germany Continues Crackdown on Homeschooling Families lifesite.net 4/16/7 ["Three families gave IHRG a letter describing their battle with the government, which has dedicated itself to vigorously enforcing Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s 1938 edict banning homeschooling and enforcing compulsory education.  The letter from the Schneider, Harder, and Krautter families shows how they have endured crippling fines over €5,000, and face threats of arrest, or loss of custody of their children.  ...officials in several countries are taking a cue from Germany and beginning to tighten restrictions on homeschoolers.  In France, Donnelly explained, efforts were made to curtail homeschooling after the Konrad v. Germany decision in September 2006, when the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of Germany against a homeschooling family. The Court stated that “Parents may not refuse the right to education of a child on the basis of their convictions” and added that the right to education “by its very nature calls for regulation by the State.”"]
 

Air Force Fills Out Army Ranks in Iraq spokesmanreview.com 4/15/7 ["They are part of a small but steady stream of airmen being trained to do Army duty under the Army chain of command, a tangible sign the Pentagon was scouring the military to aid an Iraq force that was stretched long before President Bush ordered 21,500 additional U.S. troops there."]
Russia launches new generation nuclear submarine sciam.com 4/15/7 [""Russia wants to show that she remains a nuclear power and -- as the Putin administration says -- still a great power and for them the greatness of that power is measured by its weapons," Alexander Nikitin, a former Russian navy engineer now working as an environmental campaigner  ...Russia's attack submarines fulfil the function of preventing the United States's freedom of action at sea"]
New Russian most powerful submarine emerges from shipyard’s shed itar-tass.com 4/15/7 ["We have marine strategic nuclear forces. Just a few states in the world – there are enough fingers on one hand to count them – have such forces, and even less states have such weapons,” the commander-in-chief stressed. In Masorin’s opinion, “two or three countries can build such ships independently. This is expensive and difficult. They cooperate. We can build  ...Another two similar missile subs – the Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh – were laid down at the shipyard in 2004 and 2006."]
Are mobile phones wiping out our bees? news.independent.co.uk 4/15/7 ["The alarm was first sounded last autumn, but has now hit half of all American states. The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its commercial bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.  CCD has since spread to Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. And last week John Chapple, one of London's biggest bee-keepers, announced that 23 of his 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.  ...German research has long shown that bees' behaviour changes near power lines.  Now a limited study at Landau University has found that bees refuse to return to their hives when mobile phones are placed nearby. Dr Jochen Kuhn, who carried it out, said this could provide a "hint" to a possible cause."]
 

"Harry Potter" pre-orders break bookseller record zeenews.com 4/14/7 ["Barnes & Noble Inc. on Thursday said advance orders for author J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" have topped 500,000 copies, breaking the bookseller chain's record for the most advance requests in its history. "]
Euro climbs to 2-year high against the battered dollar ft.com 4/14/7 ["Expectations of further monetary tightening supported the euro and sterling while the dollar was stung by the growing perception that the next move in US interest rates will be lower."]
300,000 rally against Turkish government ynetnews.com 4/14/7 ["Secular Turks march to try to stop ruling AK Party from picking Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as their presidential candidate due to his Islamist roots"]
IMF Calls for Better Currency Monitoring chron.com 4/14/7 ["In their communique, the ministers said continued vigilance of the world economy was required in case there was a sharper than expected downturn in the U.S. economy, the world's largest, and a revival of inflationary pressures if oil prices rebound."]
 

Dollar falls in Asia ahead of finance meeting iht.com 4/13/7 ["It's not that the dollar is aggressively sold but rather that players are shifting to currencies with a clear positive economic outlook such as the euro and the Australian dollar, which is pushing the dollar down..."]
Shepard's Name on Hate Crimes Bill forbes.com 4/13/7 ["Supporters of hate-crimes legislation said Thursday they expect Congress to enact a law this year expanding federal penalties for acts of violence against homosexuals.  They have renamed their latest proposal in honor of Matthew Shepard, the gay college student who died after he was beaten and tied to a fence in Wyoming in 1998."]
Inflation Worries Rise for Food, Energy cumberlink.com 4/13/7 ["Prices on everything from cereal and milk to soft drinks and red meat are on the upswing, due partly to the ethanol and biodiesel boom which is pushing up prices for corn and other commodities. High energy prices also remain troublesome, regardless whether gas tops $3 a gallon, and clothing costs are up this year too.  ...productivity growth is slowing down, labor costs are rising, and food, energy, health care and education costs are on the move _ all at the same time."]
A dreaded tax is slated to be fixed csmonitor.com 4/13/7 ["Unless Congress acts relatively soon, millions more Americans will find that the tax refund they expected will disappear – swallowed up by the alternative minimum tax (AMT), a levy originally designed to make sure that millionaires pay up.  ...Rep. Thomas Reynolds of New York, agrees the AMT must be tackled this session. "If we don't do something to fix this on a permanent basis, it's not just going to affect high-income, high-tax states, ... it's going to engulf middle-class taxpayers throughout the country."  ...An estimated 4 million Americans will be subject to the higher AMT this year. The number would have been 11 million, but Congress approved a temporary patch last year. Unless lawmakers apply another patch or pass a comprehensive reform, that number will jump to as many as 23 million people for the 2007 tax year."]
Court ponders if abortion kills a human bpnews.net 4/13/7 ["In a rare 11-judge hearing, a federal appeals court is considering whether physicians in South Dakota should be required to tell women seeking an abortion that they will be terminating "the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being," and observers say the outcome could reverberate nationwide."]
Seattle: Gay rights bill for couples passed seattlepi.nwsource.com 4/13/7 ["Gov. Chris Gregoire plans to sign the bill, which earlier passed the Senate, into law. Senate Bill 5336 creates a domestic partnership registry with the state and provides enhanced rights for same-sex couples, including hospital visitation, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights when there is no will."]
Bush Administration Proposes Expansion of Surveillance Law bloomberg.com 4/13/7 ["The Bush administration proposed legislation today that would expand potential surveillance targets to include people in the U.S. suspected of possessing significant information on terrorist or enemy government plots.  The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act now allows the government to get court approval for eavesdropping only if it shows a clear link to an enemy government or terrorist group. "]
Study: Abstinence classes don't stop sex seattlepi.nwsource.com 4/13/7 ["However, Bush administration officials cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from the study. They said the four programs reviewed - among several hundred across the nation - were some of the very first established after Congress overhauled the nation's welfare laws in 1996.  Officials said one lesson they learned from the study is that the abstinence message should be reinforced in subsequent years to truly affect behavior."]
Analysis: Don't underestimate Syria's military jpost.com 4/13/7 ["Syria feels empowered by Hizbullah's surprising success last summer and Damascus now believes it can use Hizbullah-like tactics in a future confrontation with Israel and possibly even defeat the once-thought-to-be invincible IDF.  ... According to Western sources, Syria has the ability to independently manufacture Scud missiles, and it has 300 of them deployed just north of the demilitarized zone in the Syrian part of the Golan Heights.  A division of some 10,000 troops is responsible for operating the missiles, which include an small number of Scud D's with a range of 700 kilometers and said to be capable of carrying nonconventional warheads. "]
Groups sue FDA over "morning-after" pill ruling uk.reuters.com 4/13/7 ["The FDA ordered that the pills be kept behind pharmacy counters and only given to girls younger than 18 with a doctor's order.  The groups said the FDA lacked the authority to approve such a plan, and to set different rules based on age.  They also said Barr's data did not establish Plan B was safe or effective. The product is a set of two pills that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of intercourse."]
Court ruling OKs mercury fillings centredaily.com 4/13/7 ["A federal appeals court said Friday it could not force the Food and Drug Administration to tighten restrictions on dental fillings containing mercury.  Advocacy groups sought to ban the use of such fillings and to force the FDA to classify them as risky, subjecting them to tougher regulations."]
Heavy metal poisoning (Part II) - Health effects of mercury jamaicaobserver.com 4/13/7 ["Exposure to mercury fillings results in a chronic toxicity, not acute poisoning.  It has been theorized that amalgam fillings could be part of the explanation for the explosion of learning problems and autism in children since World War II, a time period corresponding with the introduction and widespread use of mercury amalgam."]
 

What If The Pilgrims Had Been Muslim? newswithviews.com 4/12/7 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "Seven and one-half hours a day, five days a week, one hundred and eighty days a year, our children are not taught HOW to think, they are taught WHAT to think. “All religions, and cultures are the same,” goes the motto."]
Bush Administration Threatens Veto of Secret Prison Measure bloomberg.com 4/12/7 ["Administration officials will advise President George W. Bush to veto legislation requiring him to provide lawmakers with details of the CIA's secret prisons for terrorism suspects, a White House statement said.  The disclosure provisions are included in proposed Senate legislation that would set new requirements for giving lawmakers access to intelligence reports and set intelligence program funding for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. "]
Canadians Apologize To World For Pushing Legalization of Homosexual "Marriage" lifesite.net 4/12/7 ["One of the groups involved in the measure, REAL Women of Canada explains: "It is necessary to apologize to the people of the world for the difficulties caused in other countries by the legislation in Canada which permits same-sex marriages." Canada Family Action Coalition's (CFAC) Executive Director Brian Rushfeldt added, "In today's global village it has become apparent that certain people will use or misuse one country's legislation for their own purpose in another country ... This is not acceptable.""]
Join National Truck Out Boycott: Tell Politicians To Eat Garbage newswithviews.com 4/12/7 [By Devvy Kidd  "Yes, the increase in their overhead does get passed along to you and me, but it still doesn't help these folks who keep America running and food on the shelves. Our families are at risk. Our nation is at risk."]
Tainted Food May Have Hurt 39,000 Pets apnews.myway.com 4/12/7 ["Pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical may have sickened or killed 39,000 cats and dogs nationwide, based on an extrapolation from data released Monday by one of the nation's largest chains of veterinary hospitals.  Banfield, The Pet Hospital, said an analysis of its database, compiled from records collected by its more than 615 veterinary hospitals..."]
Florida County Backs $8 Million Bond for Planned Parenthood Abortion Ctr lifenews.com 4/12/7 ["The county commission in Sarasota, Florida has voted unanimously to authorize an $8 million bond for Planned Parenthood to build a new abortion business. The 22,795-square foot abortion facility will be built at 736 Central Ave with the money the county will issues by selling bonds to the public."]
US forced to import bullets from Israel as troops use 250,000 for every rebel killed news.independent.co.uk 4/12/7 ["A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as changes in military doctrine.  ...The Pentagon reportedly bought 313 million rounds of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and 50-calibre ammunition last year and paid $10m (about £5.5m) more than it would have cost for it to produce the ammunition at its own facilities."]
US forces to 'wall off Baghdad streets' news.com.au 4/12/7 ["US FORCES in Baghdad are planning to seal off vast areas of the city with barricades, effectively imprisoning the inhabitants of neighbourhoods  ...Militias would be cleared from civilian streets which would then be walled off and the occupants given ID cards. "]
Moscow signals place in new world order guardian.co.uk 4/12/7 ["The Kremlin's threat to counter US missile defence installations in eastern Europe is a sign that Russia will no longer acquiesce in a Pax Americana.  ...A new Russian foreign policy, published by the government in recent days makes it clear that Moscow believes the era of American hegemony is now over.  ...In an article to mark the EU's 50th anniversary, Mr Putin stated openly that Russia has "no intention of either joining the EU or establishing any form of institutional association with it".  Moscow's relationship with Europe is now defined by its role as the continent's oil and gas supplier.  ...After Moscow turned off the gas tap to Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania, there are fears that it will ultimately try to translate its market power over Europe into a new political hegemony."]
Oklahoma Bill Banning Medicaid-Funded Abortions Heads to Gov. Henry lifenews.com 4/12/7 ["the measure is drawing opposition from Democratic Sen. Jim Wilson, the Oklahoma State Medical Association, and some doctors who worry that the bill, which prohibits doctors under Medicaid from suggesting abortions to women, would lead to more restrictions on physicians."]
India Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Missile apnews.myway.com 4/12/7 ["India's missile program, together with its nuclear program and drive for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, is part of its ongoing efforts to establish itself as a world power."]
Outlook for Consumer Spending Turns Hazy heraldsun.com 4/12/7 ["Spring looks bleak for the nation's retailers. After robust sales in March, there are signs that consumers are already spending less. And a trifecta of problems -- rising gas prices, a rougher housing market and the specter of higher interest rates -- are likely to make the retail business even tougher in the months ahead. "]
 

Church Switchers, Change Agents & Agenda-Driven Surveys newswithviews.com 4/11/7 [By Paul Proctor  "LifeWay's own Vice President was quoted in the first article as saying: "Let me insert upfront that change is unavoidable and even necessary for continued church effectiveness. However, the manner in which change is approached is crucial." Now THAT'S what I'd call "intentional." This doesn't sound like someone accepting change - it sounds more like someone insisting on it. Furthermore, how can people leaving their churches in unprecedented numbers be considered "effectiveness" unless their disgruntled departure is your objective and agenda? "]
U.N. chief asks N.Y. mayor for police peacekeepers reuters.com 4/11/7 ["The world body is perpetually short of civilian police for its 18 peacekeeping missions. Some 300 New York police are deployed in U.N. operations but over the last decade their participation has been limited to retired officers."]
Military spending soars to keep soldiers, Marines in the service usatoday.com 4/11/7 ["The Army paid more than $1 billion last year in bonuses to attract and keep soldiers in the service, more than three times the total amount of bonuses paid before the Iraq war began."]
How A Banana Republic Sends Troops To War newswithviews.com 4/11/7 [ By David Brownlow  "The National Guard's own charter concurs: "The Army National Guard's charter is the Constitution of the United States. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution contains a series of "militia clauses, vesting distinct authority and responsibilities in the federal government and the state governments..."  This means that for reasons other than "to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions," there are NO conditions for a legal call up of the state militia/National Guard - no matter who it is that wants to send our troops off to war."]
3 Generals Spurn the Position of War 'Czar' washingtonpost.com 4/11/7 ["The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies, but it has had trouble finding anyone able and willing to take the job, according to people close to the situation."  Editor: The Commander-In-Chief is not a job that he can delegate.]
$2.2 trillion illegal alien taxpayer sticker shock wnd.com 4/11/7 ["A new study by the Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector found a household headed by an individual without a high school education, including about two-thirds of illegal aliens, costs U.S. taxpayers more than $32,000 in federal, state and local benefits. That same family contributes an average of $9,000 a year in taxes, resulting in a net tax burden of $22,449 each year.  Over the course of the household's lifetime that tax burden translates to $1.1 million. "]
Senate Passes Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding Bill, Not Veto-Proof lifenews.com 4/11/7 ["The U.S. Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would force taxpayers to pay for embryonic stem cell research even though it requires the destruction of human life. However, the vote fell short of the 67 needed to override a likely presidential veto, which puts the Senate on par with the House as not having enough votes.  ...Over the past six years, more than $130 million in taxpayer dollars has been devoted to human embryonic stem cell research consistent with the President's policy."]
FDA may loosen labeling rules for irradiated foods cidrap.umn.edu 4/11/7 ["n an Apr 4 notice published in the Federal Register, the FDA proposed that only foods that are "materially changed" by irradiation be required to carry the radura logo and the term "irradiated." The FDA defines a material change as an alteration in a food's characteristics caused by irradiation, such as extended shelf-life in bananas or changes in color, texture, or taste that exceed the normal range of variability for the food."]
Jesus tomb film scholars backtrack jpost.com 4/11/7 ["Several prominent scholars who were interviewed in a bitterly contested documentary that suggests that Jesus and his family members were buried in a nondescript ancient Jerusalem burial cave have now revised their conclusions, including the statistician who claimed that the odds were 600:1 in favor of the tomb being the family burial cave of Jesus of Nazareth, a new study on the fallout from the popular documentary shows."]
 

Bill ties climate to national security boston.com 4/10/7 ["The CIA and Pentagon would for the first time be required to assess the national security implications of climate change under proposed legislation intended to elevate global warming to a national defense issue.  The bipartisan proposal, which its sponsors expect to pass the Congress with wide support, calls for the director of national intelligence to conduct the first-ever "national intelligence estimate" on global warming."]
Portugal Legalizes Abortion as President Silva Approves Legislation lifesite.net 4/10/7 ["Portugal will soon have abortion available on demand up until the 10th week of pregnancy, following President Anibal Cavaco Silva's ratification of a new law on Tuesday.  Despite referring to abortion as “a social evil to be avoided,” the president gave formal consent to the law removing restrictions on early-term abortion access."]
Study finds 'mind-boggling' increase in morbidly obese usatoday.com 4/10/7 ["The prevalence of American adults who are 100 or more pounds over a healthy weight has risen dramatically since 2000, a study released Monday shows.  About 3% of people, or 6.8 million adults, were morbidly obese in 2005, up from 2% or 4.2 million people in 2000  ...According to government data, about 66% of people in the USA are now either overweight or obese, which is defined as 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight."]
Diabetes Complications Swelling U.S. Health Costs reuters.co.uk 4/10/7 ["Poorly managed type 2 diabetes costs the U.S. health system an extra $22.9 billion a year in direct medical costs to treat heart, eye, kidney and other serious health problems associated with the disease, diabetes groups reported on Tuesday."]
State, local taxes taking up more of income in U.S. chron.com 4/10/7 ["State and local taxes took the highest percentage of U.S. income in at least 37 years as personal and corporate incomes grew, according to a research group that favors tax simplification.  Taxes consumed 11 percent of income this year, up from 10.8 percent last year and 10.9 percent in 2005.."]
D.R. Horton orders down 37 pct, spring sales weak canada.com 4/10/7 ["D.R. Horton Inc. , the largest U.S. home builder, said on Tuesday orders for new homes tumbled 37 percent last quarter and the spring selling season has been slower than usual, suggesting the U.S. housing market has not yet hit bottom.  Chairman Donald Horton said conditions remain tough in most markets because of high inventories of unsold new and existing homes. He also said "the spring selling season has not gotten off to its usual strong start.""]
IMF warns subprime woes may spread, dollar falls reuters.com 4/10/7 [" The IMF said in its semi-annual Global Financial Stability Report that a decline in the subprime market was more rapid than expected at this point in the overall housing downturn.  Looser underwriting standards may have gone beyond the subprime sector into portions of "Alt-A" mortgages, the next-riskiest area, the IMF said. In addition, there could be losses in other consumer credit markets, including credit card and subprime auto loan asset-backed securities, it said."]
Oregon Senate Bill to Impose Gay Agenda on Churches, Schools, Businesses lifesite.net 4/10/7 ["Oregon’s Senate Bill 2, adding “sexual orientation” to the list of specially protected minorities, is being denounced by Christian and others traditionally minded leaders who warn it will allow homosexual activists to impose their moral perspective on the state and on churches.  ...The bill proposes to define those active in homosexual activity as a protected civil rights group using the term “sexual orientation.” Although it contains a so-called “church exemption,” evangelical leaders warn that it will have the effect of outlawing criticism of the homosexual lifestyle."]
 

D.C. Appeals to Keep Gun Ban guardian.co.uk 4/10/7 ["A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 last month that some of the district's gun control provisions are unconstitutional. The court rejected the city's argument that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applies only to state militias.  It was the first time a federal appeals court struck down gun control regulations on Second Amendment grounds. "]
Japan: At 6.6 trillion yen, gay, lesbian market no small niche japantimes.co.jp 4/10/7 ["... there is also a backlash against the growing gay market in the U.S., citing as an example calls by religious conservatives to refrain from buying cars made by Ford Motor Co., which is running advertisements targeting gay and lesbian groups.  In Japan, many firms worry about the possible damage to their corporate image if they are seen targeting the nonstraight market, she said.  However, since the market itself is not widely recognized, willing businesses might be able to quietly cultivate the segment without worrying about a social backlash"]
Russian general says U.S. continues preparations for military action against Iran interfax.ru 4/10/7 ["Gen. Leonid Ivashov, president of the Academy for Geopolitical Problems  ..."Preparations to strike Iran's strategic facilities continue. Three major groups of U.S. forces are still in the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Altogether, they have up to 450 cruise missiles on alert  ...If Iran strikes back at Israel with missiles, Tel-Aviv is likely to use nuclear weapons on Iran," Ivashov said, adding that such a "development of the situation would undermine stability not only in the Middle East, but also in the entire world."  Editor:  Conditioning the masses]
Europe: Majority supports strike on Iran jpost.com 4/10/7 ["Over half of Europeans would support a preemptive military strike to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a poll released last week by a London think-tank reports.  A survey commissioned by the pro-business think tank, Open Europe, found that a majority of those surveyed in 18 EU member states including France and Britain, backed military action as an option in dealing with the threat of Iranian nuclear proliferation, while majorities in 9 nations including Germany and Spain were opposed. "  Editor:  Conditioning the masses]
Dow Chemical to face $50 billion bid: report reuters.com 4/10/7 ["...At least half of the capital is being provided by investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman"]
American Home Mortgage Shares Fall on Profit Forecast bloomberg.com 4/10/7 ["fell 15 percent after the company's loans attracted few bids from investors, fueling concern that losses at subprime lenders are spreading to higher-rated credits.  ...More than 40 lenders have halted operations, gone bankrupt or sought buyers as defaults on subprime mortgages surged to four-year highs in the final quarter of last year"]
 

Iraqi Insider Details U.S. Mismanagement guardian.co.uk 4/9/7 ["The U.S.- and British-educated engineer and financier is the first senior Iraqi official to look back at book length on his country's four-year ordeal. It's an unsparing look at failures both American and Iraqi, an account in which the word ``ignorance'' crops up repeatedly.  First came the ``monumental ignorance'' of those in Washington pushing for war in 2002 without ``the faintest idea'' of Iraq's realities. ``More perceptive people knew instinctively that the invasion of Iraq would open up the great fissures in Iraqi society,'' he writes. "]
Imam leads prayer in Texas Senate denverpost.com 4/9/7 ["Patrick, a conservative radio talk-show host from Houston and self-professed Christian, said he wasn't the only senator to miss the invocation by Imam Yusuf Kavakci of Dallas.  But he was the only senator known to have passed out to other senators copies of a 2-year- old newspaper editorial criticizing Kavakci for publicly praising two radical Islamists. "]
Near-apocalyptic vision painted chicagotribune.com 4/9/7 ["A new global warming report issued Friday by the United Nations paints a near-apocalyptic vision of Earth's future: more than a billion people in need of water, extreme food shortages in Africa, a planetary landscape ravaged by floods and millions of species becoming extinct.  But despite the harsh vision, the report was quickly criticized by scientists who said its findings were watered down at the last minute by government bureaucrats seeking to deflect calls for action."  Editor: Conditioning people for end-time  prophecy fulfillments?]
 

Thousands march in Los Angeles against Bush immigration policies canada.com 4/8/7 ["Thousands of people marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, demanding a way for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to become citizens and condemning President George W. Bush's latest proposal."]
US offered to scare Iran: report news.com.au 4/8/7 ["THE US offered to mount aggressive air patrols over Iranian bases during the country's stand-off with Britain, UK media reported today."]
White House is resolute at staying cool over forecasts timesonline.co.uk 4/8/7 ["The White House acknowledged yesterday that the “global challenge” posed by climate change “requires global solutions”..."]
Salah urges Muslims to defend al-Aksa jpost.com 4/8/7 ["Speaking at a rally celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the northern branch of Israel's Islamic Movement, called for thousands of Muslims to rise, unite and defend Jerusalem and al-Aksa mosque."]
Russia Seeks Closer Producer Ties, Not a `Gas OPEC' bloomberg.com 4/8/7 ["President Vladimir Putin fanned concerns among energy- consuming nations when he said in February that Iran's proposal to unite gas producers in a group similar to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was ``an interesting idea.'' The European Union, which gets a quarter of its gas from Russia, has criticized closer cooperation among producers of the fuel."]
 

Cheney Reasserts al-Qaida-Saddam Link guardian.co.uk 4/7/7 ["Vice President Dick Cheney repeated his assertions of al-Qaida links to Saddam Hussein's Iraq on Thursday as the Defense Department released a report citing more evidence that the prewar government did not cooperate with the terrorist group."]
Warming not behind hurricane activity-forecaster uk.reuters.com 4/7/7 ["Gray, whose annual forecasts for the hurricane season are closely watched, said the Earth has warmed the past 30 years, but that it was due to flucuations in ocean currents. He predicted a cooling off period would begin in five to 10 years as the currents change again."]
'Strong Possibility' Gas Will Rise to $4 abcnews.go.com 4/7/7 [""This is the time of year when we're supposed to be building supplies, but it seems like the refiners just can't get ahead of what has been very, very strong demand," he said.  Today's report shows that the national supply of gas is at the low end of its average range for this time of year, meaning the United States will have less gas in the tank before the peak summer driving season in the coming months.  Analysts said that puts the country on the edge, making any disruption in supply -- such as a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico refining regions or an expansion of the crisis in the Middle East -- that much more dangerous."]
Wal-Mart Caves In to Pressure From Planned Parenthood on Plan B Drug lifenews.com 4/7/7 ["The new Wal-Mart policy ensures customers "will now receive their prescriptions or OTC products in store without discrimination (no harassment or lectures).""]
The Systematic Emasculation Of Men newswithviews.com 4/7/7 [By Nancy Levant  "Now, if men are culturally emasculated, redefined, and rendered incapable of bearing arms, what happens to the legal defense of this nation – especially given the fact that the American military is no longer the American military or present on the homeland?  If it is illegal for men to act defensively, to bear arms, to get mad, or to have opinions other than those crafted by social engineers, men are then rendered incapable of defensive (and Constitutional) duties and tendencies. See how cleverly this works? "]
Colorado Senate Votes to Dump Abstinence Education in Classrooms lifenews.com 4/7/7 ["Also, lawmakers in the Iowa and Washington state legislatures are pushing bills that would force schools to teach sexual education courses with curriculum prepared by the nation's largest abortion business."]
Not so sweet: Equal takes Splenda to court money.cnn.com 4/7/7 ["Splenda is made from sucralose, a chemical ingredient its maker, Johnson & Johnson (Charts)-owned McNeil Nutritionals, synthesizes in a lab from table sugar, a company spokeswoman told CNNMoney.com  ... Splenda doesn't actually list sugar as one of of the ingredients on the box, Merisant's argument is that Splenda shouldn't be able to claim that it's made from sugar, the person familiar with the case said.  Equal was once the dominant artificial sweetener in a $1.5 billion market and found its way into over 6,000 commercial products"  Editor: Both bad for you.]