"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

America - An Abomination That Maketh Desolate! lasttrumpetministries.org 2/29/8 [By Pastor David Meyer  "The entire world is beginning to feel the heavy effects of global sinning and rebellion against the Almighty Creator. In the United States, the economy is so far gone that it is on life support. The government doesn't want you to think about that, but even the biggest optimists are finding themselves whistling in the graveyard to keep their courage up! Something spiritually strange is going on regarding all of this."]
'Panic' wheat buying across the US farmonline.com.au 2/29/8 ["In the wheat price surge this week, the leading wheat contract in Minneapolis, US, has risen by more than the entire worth of the contract just months ago.  Prices rallied by $5.75 a bushel on Monday, being up by nearly 30pc at one point compared with Friday’s close.  Eight months ago on June 19, the lead Minneapolis wheat contract settled at over $US5.00 a bushel. Panic over commodity shortages continues to emerge as the dominant factor in the global markets, with both end user and speculative buyers of corn, soybean, cotton, rice and a host of other commodities taking note of what’s happening in the wheat pit."]
New Day, New Lows for Dollar ap.google.com 2/29/8 ["The U.S. economy grew at a scant 0.6 percent pace in the October-to-December quarter, according to the Commerce Department report, compared with a much healthier 4.9 percent in the previous quarter.  That finding pushed the 15-nation euro to a record $1.5229 in New York — past its previous record of $1.5143 set Wednesday."]
Lawmakers clash on mortgage bill, bankruptcy changes iht.com 2/29/8 ["Lawmakers clashed on how to deal with the home lending crisis Thursday, as Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bid to let bankruptcy courts ease the burden on borrowers who can't make their mortgage payments."]
Calif. City of 120,000 Faces Bankruptcy ap.google.com 2/29/8 [""It's a nightmare for city governments because they have to continue to pay these benefits that were granted when they had extra money from real estate and sales tax," Fritz said.  More California cities may file for bankruptcy because they face the same toxic mix of falling tax revenue, rising payroll expenses and a slumping housing market, experts say."]
New York Judge Permits Lesbian Divorce Despite State's Non-Recognition of Same-sex "Marriage" lifesitenews.com 2/29/8 ["It is the first time in New York judicial history that a judge has allowed homosexuals to seek a divorce.  While Donna M. contends that a divorce case is impossible in a state that does not allow for same-sex "marriages," Supreme Court Justice Laura Drager ruled the state can still recognize the marriage that took place outside of New York. "]
'Virtual Fence' Along Border To Be Delayed washingtonpost.com 2/29/8 ["delaying completion of the first phase of the project by at least three years  ...authorities confirmed that Project 28, the initial deployment of the Secure Border Initiative network, did not work as planned or meet the needs of the U.S. Border Patrol."]
What bad banking news means to you cnn.com 2/29/8 [""Regulators are bracing for 100-200 bank failures over the next 12-24 months," says Jaret Seiberg, an analyst with the financial services firm, the Stanford Group.  ...Banking experts say there is one thing that will save your money if your bank goes under. That's FDIC insurance. "It's the gold standard," says banking consultant Bert Ely. "The FDIC has ample resources. It's never been an issue," he says."  Editor: They haven't had to deal with anywhere near 100-200 bank failures in a period of months...]
 

Florida Power Blackout Remains a Puzzle ap.google.com 2/28/8 ["Power executives were still in the dark Wednesday about how a glitch at a substation triggered a blackout that cut power to millions across south Florida. The outage darkened traffic signals, forced hospitals to scramble for generators and cut off air conditioners in the afternoon heat.  ...The president of Florida Power & Light said an equipment malfunction at one electrical substation should not have caused the outages."]
Commodity boom means double whammy for food groups reuters.com 2/28/8 ["Europe's top food makers are under pressure on two fronts.  With rampant commodity costs forcing them to raise prices, hard-pressed consumers are opting for cheaper products while critics insist that the industry is milking the situation."  ...all have faced higher mineral oil prices which have raised production, packaging and transport costs.  The pressures show no sign of abating with the Chicago Board of Trade corn, soybean and wheat markets rising 15 to 21 percent since the start of this year]
Worst time for price of gasoline to be soaring seattletimes.nwsource.com 2/28/8 ["The depth of the nation's economic problems became clearer Tuesday with the release of figures showing prices at the producer level rose 1 percent in January from December, driven in large measure by energy costs. Compared with a year ago, prices were up 7.4 percent, the worst producer-price inflation in the United States since 1981."]
Federal panel recommends almost all kids get flu shots each year mercurynews.com 2/28/8 [" An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said all children aged 6 months to 18 years should receive the vaccine, extending a previous recommendation to immunize children up to 5 years.  "It is a big deal," said flu expert Dr. Roger Baxter, co-director of Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland. "It's adding an incredibly large number of people to the recommendations." "]
Planned Parenthood Web Site Promotes Porn to Teens cnsnews.com 2/28/8 ["Teenwire.com, the Planned Parenthood Web site that says it was created "to provide medically accurate sexual health information for teens on the Internet," is advising teens that viewing pornography is a normal and "safer" way of enjoying sex."]
Oil Hits Record $102 As Dollar Tumbles abcnews.go.com 2/28/8 ["The dollar sank to a record low against the euro after the release of three disheartening U.S. economic reports Tuesday that show that the economy is slowing as prices for consumer goods rise. The dollar's decline prompted investors to seek a safe haven from turmoil in the financial markets and the threat of inflation."]
National Pastors Convention: It’s a Leftie-Palooza sliceoflaodicea.com 2/28/8 [By Ingrid  "As if eastern spirituality wasn’t bad enough , Zondervan, who sponsors the NPC, has brought in political liberals like Shane Claiborne and Jim Wallis to make sure that left-wing theology matches left-wing politics. You can see the full line-up of speakers here.  The National Pastors Convention is an indication of evangelicalism’s future. Only those whose feet are on the rock of the unchanging Word of God will not be swept away by this tsunami of spiritual deception. The deception is not the exception, it is the norm now. Contend for the faith."]
Medical Journal: Adult Stem Cell Research Trumps Embryonic in Helping Patients lifenews.com 2/28/8 ["...in the Journal of the American Medical Association makes it clear adult stem cell research is leading the way in providing tangible assistant to patients with a variety of ailments. The article validates bioethicists who have said the use of adult stem cells can treat a wide variety of diseases already."]
India: More than 800 farmers commit suicide in six months asianews.it 2/28/8 ["...many farmers borrow from village moneylenders at rates as high as 10 per cent a month. And their debts soar when crops fail due to poor rains or when prices tumble."]
Visionaries take on life, evil, and the universe at TED conference afp.google.com 2/28/8 ["The list of past speakers features novelist Isabel Allende; rock stars Bono and Peter Gabriel; former US president Bill Clinton and vice president Al Gore; Wikipedia creator Jimmy Wales, and Google founders Serge Brin and Larry Page."]
Study: Spanking may lead to sexual problems later usatoday.com 2/28/8 ["...suggests that children whose parents spanked, slapped, hit or threw objects at them..."]
Bankruptcy Act wsj.com 2/28/8 ["On the same day that President Bush signed the bill, February 13, the Senate Majority Leader introduced Son of Stimulus, with plans for a floor vote today.  For this bill Mr. Reid decided to ignore the normal vetting of committee hearings and markups, and it shows. Democrats laud the $200 million in the bill for credit counseling, but the actual language of the bill directs $200 billion to something called the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation."]
One Iraq war –that’s $3 trillion to you, Mr Bush timesonline.co.uk 2/28/8 ["The Nobel laureate economist Joe Stiglitz says the US has grossly understated the cost of the conflict  ...Eight years ago he quit his position as chief economist at the World Bank, having launched an outspoken attack on its sister organisation, the International Monetary Fund. He said the fund was made up of “third-rate economists from first-rate universities”, peddling snake-oil remedies to poor countries desperate for economic development."]
France, Gulf states begin war games jpost.com 2/28/8 ["France, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have begun joint military drills in the shadow of the crisis over neighboring Iran's nuclear program.  ...The strategic location of the Hurmuz straits is a factor to reckon with, and since so many countries have forces based in the Gulf, it is only natural that they be involved in training and coordination maneuvers with their GCC partners, Qallab said."]
Canada concerned about protectionism if NAFTA dies reuters.com 2/28/8 ["Canada voiced concern on Wednesday about "protectionist outbursts" from the United States if that country were to pull out of the NAFTA trade agreement as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are threatening."]
 

Moneychangers Destroying America, And Christians Don't See It newswithviews.com 2/27/8 [By Pastor Chuck Baldwin  "In an exclusive interview with WND during Vigilant Shield 2008, Gen. Renuart affirmed USNORTHCOM would deploy U.S. troops on U.S. soil should the president declare a domestic emergency in which the Department of Defense ordered USNORTHCOM involvement.  "In May 2007, WND reported President Bush, on his own authority, signed National Security Presidential Directive 51, also known as Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, authorizing the president to declare a national emergency and take over all functions of federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, without necessarily obtaining the approval of Congress to do so." "]
One in 10 home loans is under water: Economy.com reuters.com 2/27/8 ["Nearly 8.8 million homeowners, or 10.3 percent, are in over their heads, its chief economist, Mark Zandi, estimates.  As a result, millions of U.S. homeowners have the incentive to abandon their properties.  With an already unwieldy supply of homes for sale, more inventory could prolong a recovery of the hard-hit U.S. housing sector, suffering one of the worst downturns in history."]
Housing Slump Puts Mortgages Underwater courant.com 2/27/8 ["By the end of this year, as many as 15 million U.S. households may owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, according to an estimate from Jan Hatzius, chief U.S. economist of New York-based Goldman Sachs Group Inc. That may fuel an increase in foreclosures, erode prices and increase mortgage bond losses..."]
US Home Foreclosures Soar in January abcnews.go.com 2/27/8 ["The number of homes facing foreclosure jumped 57 percent in January compared to a year ago, with lenders increasingly forced to take possession of homes they couldn't unload at auctions, a mortgage research firm said Monday.  Nationwide, some 233,001 homes received at least one notice from lenders last month related to overdue payments, compared with 148,425 a year earlier, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. Nearly half of the total involved first-time default notices."]
Greenspan touts solution to Gulf inflation businessday.co.za 2/27/8 ["Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said yesterday near-record Gulf Arab inflation would fall “significantly” were the oil producers to drop their dollar pegs, in contradiction to Saudi policy.  ... Divergence in Gulf monetary policy widened last May when Kuwait broke ranks with its neighbours by severing its link to the dollar in favour of a basket of currencies, saying a weak dollar was driving imported inflation."]
NJ Gov's "cold turkey" budget slashes spending reuters.com 2/27/8 ["A slowing economy has also damaged the state's tax revenue.  ...The $500 million cut reflected a downturn in revenue from income and other taxes because of the slowing economy.  ...He also renewed an appeal to legislators to back his efforts to pay down debt and fund transportation infrastructure renewal by handing management of the state's major toll roads to a public benefit corporation that would issue bonds based on sharply increased toll revenues."]
States Seek Congress's Aid as Subprime Boosts Costs bloomberg.com 2/27/8 ["nterest on insured bonds, including debt with rates set at periodic auctions, rose to as high as 20 percent because investors shunned the securities or demanded higher yields on waning confidence in the companies guaranteeing repayment. The jump in borrowing costs is another consequence of a credit pinch tied to the subprime collapse that led to $163 billion in Wall Street writedowns.  ``A lot of governors really hadn't anticipated that,'..."]
Euro surpasses 1.50-dollar mark for first time afp.google.com 2/27/8 [""With so few consumers expecting conditions to turnaround in the months ahead, the outlook for the economy continues to worsen and the risk of a recession continues to increase," said Lynn Franco, a director of the Conference Board's consumer research center."]
Rescues for Homeowners in Debt Weighed nytimes.com 2/27/8 ["Not since the Depression has a larger share of Americans owed more on their homes than they are worth. With the collapse of the housing boom, nearly 8.8 million homeowners, or 10.3 percent of the total, are underwater."]
 

When credit cards put you in jeopardy cnn.com 2/26/8 ["The overall credit card debt grew by 315 percent from 1989 to 2006, according to public policy research firm Demos.  To compound the problem, fewer people are paying their credit cards bills on time. The percentage of people delinquent on their credit cards is the highest it's been in three years, according to CardTrack.com. "]
A critique of The Shack crossroad.to 2/26/8 [By Julie Klassen  Editor: Good points; quotes non-kjv.]
After housing bust, hard times in Arizona csmonitor.com 2/26/8 ["Phoenix city officials are considering eliminating some 500 jobs, closing public pools for an additional two months each year, and reducing the hours of city museums and community centers to combat a $67.1 million projected shortfall in revenues this year.  ...mainly because sales-tax revenues are far below projected levels. In fact, Arizona has the dubious distinction – along with California, Nevada, and Florida – of leading the country in the current economic slide."]
Ambac Rises on $3 Billion Rescue to Avert Downgrade bloomberg.com 2/26/8 ["Citigroup Inc. and seven other banks are working with Ambac to prevent rating cuts that would throw doubt on the credit quality of the $553 billion of municipal and asset-backed securities it guarantees. Banks stand to lose as much as $70 billion from any downgrades to Ambac, MBIA Inc. and FGIC Corp., Oppenheimer & Co. analysts estimated. "]
 

Wheat shortage gets bakers right in the bread basket pressofatlanticcity.com 2/25/8 ["ike flour-dependent businesses all over the country, Formica Brothers has been hit hard by the drastically rising price of flour, which has increased by about 250 percent in just six months.  "In August, a 100-pound bag of flour cost about $15. Today it's over $50," said Formica, of Margate. "For us, that means we went from paying $7,500 a week for a shipment of 500 pounds of flour to now paying over $25,000.""]
Wall Street Bank Run washingtonpost.com 2/25/8 ["As each financier tries to protect against the next one's mistakes, the whole system begins to sag. That's what we're seeing now, as credit market troubles spread from bundles of subprime residential mortgages to bundles of other kinds of debt -- from student loans to retailers' receivables to municipal bonds.  Investors are nervous because they aren't sure how to value these bundles of securitized assets. So buyers stay away, prices fall further, and the damage spreads. "]
Dubai ruler fund shuns U.S.; eyes India, China instead reuters.com 2/25/8 [""]
Washington governor calls for federal infrastructure bonds reuters.com 2/25/8 ["...called on Sunday for the federal government to issue up to $60 billion in bonds to fund infrastructure projects across the country.  ..."What is the source of funds that would repay those bonds?" she said.  Peters is staunchly opposed to raising the federal gas tax and worried increased taxes would be used to pay the debt."]
Florida Schools, California Convert Auction-Rate Debt bloomberg.com 2/25/8 ["Thousands of auctions run by banks to set rates on the debt failed this month as investors shunned the securities and bankers refused to submit bids, sending interest costs to 10 percent or higher on some bonds."]
North American Army created – without OK by Congress worldnetdaily.com 2/25/8 ["In a ceremony that received virtually no attention in the American media, the United States and Canada signed a military agreement Feb. 14 allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis."]
 

Credit crisis hits Main Street cnn.com 2/22/8 ["The credit crisis that began in the subprime mortgage market last year has now spread to municipal bonds. Governments and public authorities face steep increases in borrowing costs because investors are losing confidence in the credit markets and the companies that insure the debt.  Public officials nationwide are now weighing whether to restructure their debt to lower rates - if they have good enough credit ratings - or to ride out the storm with the hope that investors will return. However, some are concerned they may have to raise taxes or cut services to balance their budgets."]
Pro-Homosexual Booklet to Be Distributed to All 16,000 US School Districts lifesitenews.com 2/22/8 ["The 24-page booklet by the National Education Association and American Psychological Association, tells students that homosexuality is a "normal expression of human sexuality".  "What's so scary and dogmatic about this report is that it communicates that religious-based viewpoints are harmful, and even dangerous," said Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action.  The booklet particularly targets the idea that homosexuality is a condition that can be changed. It instructs educators, "Schools should be careful to avoid discussions of transformational ministry in their curriculum.""]
Radical Kosovo Constitution Removes all Protection for the Unborn and Traditional Family lifesitenews.com 2/22/8 ["The draft constitution, which is circulating now, would transform the traditional Muslim and Orthodox Christian society by removing all legal protection from unborn children and granting special rights on the basis of sexual orientation. Additionally, the draft document cedes the interpretation of social norms to international human rights bodies centered at the United Nations."]
More people are tapping their 401(k) for cash msnbc.msn.com 2/22/8 ["...if the trend grows, many Americans will risk coming up short on retirement savings or may have to rely on an overburdened Social Security system.  "People who take out a loan or withdrawal are adding to a looming retirement crisis over the next 30 to 40 years," said Eric Levy, a partner at global consulting firm Mercer. "And what implications will that have (for) our economy?""]
Bill Banning Discussion on Homosexuality in Tennessee Schools Fails lifesitenews.com 2/22/8 ["After the bill was defeated, Campfield continued to insist it is a necessary measure. Schools, he said, should not be "pushing a position one way or the other" on sexuality. "A lot of places are starting to push these topics on to children and talk about these lifestyles and advocate a position one way or the other on these lifestyles," he said."]
Famines May Occur Without Record Crops This Year, Potash Says bloomberg.com 2/22/8 [" Global grain stockpiles fell to about 53 days of supply last year, the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1960, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  ``If you had any major upset where you didn't have a crop in a major growing agricultural region this year, I believe you'd see famine,'' Doyle, 57, said in New York. "]
Israel Opposed US Lawmakers’ Offer to Move Embassy to J’lem israelnationalnews.com 2/22/8 ["Currently, all the nations with which Israel has diplomatic relations refuse to recognize Israel’s Basic Law designating Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish State.  ...During the 2000 election campaign, US President George W. Bush pledged that if he was elected, he would "begin the process" of moving the embassy to Jerusalem on his "first day in office." He has not done so, however - invoking the waver for the 13th time on December 12, 2007."]
 

Missile hits spy satellite: Pentagon source reuters.com 2/21/8 [""]
Total lunar eclipse will turn Moon red uk.reuters.com 2/21/8 ["Sunlight will pass through the edge of the Earth's atmosphere, scattering blue light and giving the Moon a reddish hue."]
Gold rises to record; platinum ends streak guardian.co.uk 2/21/8 ["as a sharp turnaround in crude oil prices and a U.S. report on rising consumer prices boosted bullion's appeal as a hedge against inflation.  Platinum slipped on profit taking, ending a record-setting streak after 14 straight days of gains. But analysts said it persistent supply problems should start platinum back on its upward path after a pause."]
America’s economy risks mother of all meltdowns ft.com 2/21/8 ["Professor Roubini’s scenarios have been dire enough to make the flesh creep. But his thinking deserves to be taken seriously. He first predicted a US recession in July 2006*. At that time, his view was extremely controversial. It is so no longer. Now he states that there is “a rising probability of a ‘catastrophic’ financial and economic outcome”**. The characteristics of this scenario are, he argues: “A vicious circle where a deep recession makes the financial losses more severe and where, in turn, large and growing financial losses and a financial meltdown make the recession even more severe.”"]
Luxembourg Could Become Third European Country to Legalize Euthanasia lifenews.com 2/21/8 ["Just 30 of the 59 members of the nation's parliament approved the bill, a slim majority, although nearly all of the members of Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker's Social Christian Party voted against it.  The bill needs one more vote to approve it, according to an AFP report, and Catholic leaders are continuing a lobbying campaign with the hopes of defeating it.  Medical and physicians groups have joined them in opposing the bill."]
The Pride Of Perversion newswithviews.com 2/21/8 [By Paul Proctor  "It goes without saying that the world around us is becoming an increasingly vulgar place. One need only turn on network television in the morning to see and hear things once reserved for cable, satellite or after hours viewing."]
Russian Homosexual Activists Complain of Pride Ban to European Court of Human Rights lifesitenews.com 2/21/8 ["The Russian Federation currently has no specific legislation regarding "discrimination," as do many countries of the west. Homosexual acts between consenting males were decriminalized in 1993 and homosexuality was removed from the list of mental disorders in Russia in 1999."]
Girlfriend: Shooter was taking cocktail of 3 drugs cnn.com 2/21/8 ["...had been taking Xanax, used to treat anxiety, and Ambien, a sleep agent, as well as the antidepressant Prozac.  ..."It's not terribly unusual to prescribe all three," said Dr. Nada Stotland, professor of psychiatry at Rush Medical College in Chicago and president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association."]
 

The twisted "truths" of The Shack & A Course in Miracles crossroad.to 2/20/8 [By Berit Kjos  "Two books (one new, one old) have suddenly grabbed public attention and captured the hearts of multitudes. One is long and instructional -- a dictation from a channeled spirit guide. The other is a fictional testimony full of tear-jerking dialogue. A Course in Miracles (ACIM) is obviously occult, while the more subtle message of The Shack by William P. Young has been widely accepted in postmodern churches.  ...The Shack is written as a personal testimony that draws readers into virtual dialogues with a fun, culturally relevant "God.""]
Bank reserves category goes negative worldnetdaily.com 2/20/8 ["A new report from the Federal Reserve has confirmed the non-borrowed reserves of U.S. banks plummeted to a negative $18 billion at a recent accounting, reflecting an apparently worsening situation from the negative $8.8 billion reported at the end of January."]
Banks "quietly" borrow $50 billion from Fed: report reuters.com 2/20/8 ["The Financial Times said the move has sparked unease among some analysts about the stress developing in opaque corners of the U.S. banking system and the banks' growing reliance on indirect forms of government support."]
Oil Jumps Above $100 on Refinery Outage ap.google.com 2/20/8 ["A weekend refinery explosion in Texas and the possibility that OPEC will cut production next month are driving prices higher, although analysts say there isn't a single factor to explain the move."]
Wall Street banks expect billions more in write-downs iht.com 2/20/8 ["...as the crisis that began with subprime mortgages spreads through the credit markets.  In recent weeks, one part after another of the debt market has buckled. High-risk loans used to finance corporate buyouts have plummeted in value. Securities backed by commercial real estate mortgages and student loans have fallen sharply. Even auction-rate securities, arcane investments usually considered as safe as cash, have stumbled."]
Subprime woes spread to loans; stocks next:James Saft reuters.com 2/20/8 ["The credit pullback has spread from the mortgage market for subprime, or less creditworthy, borrowers to the most aggressive sectors of corporate and buyout lending -- in part because the hedge funds and complex financing vehicles that extend credit to both have taken a hit in housing finance.  And because the corporate credit market now facing difficulties is the bulwark of private equity, share market valuations may soon come under pressure."]
Banks at Risk of $203 Billion in Writedowns, Says UBS bloomberg.com 2/20/8 ["The world's biggest banks may have to book as much as $203 billion of writedowns, in addition to the $152 billion reported so far, if bond insurers the lenders rely on become insolvent, UBS AG said."]
Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled -- and More Miserable Than Ever Before. newoxfordreview.org 2/20/8 [Catholic site - "When the only opinion that counts is your own, you tend to develop a pretty high opinion of yourself. Twenge recounts the aftermath of this preoccupation with the self by examining attitudes of that same army of kids once they entered college. In the modern university, students challenging obvious mistakes on their tests have become the norm, rather than merely an aberration."]
Why Are We Tolerating This Madness? newswithviews.com 2/20/8 [By Lynn Stuter  "How many of these shootings have to happen before the people rise up and demand accountability for young people being put on these mind-altering drugs? How many more people have to die before we finally say “enough is enough”?  In the case of the young man in Coeur d’Alene, he had recently been diagnosed with “social anxiety” and “depression”. Where have we heard those terms used repeatedly before?"]
A single cigarette can cause addiction, says study afp.google.com 2/20/8 ["...the teenagers who said they found it hard to repress an urge to smoke, 10 percent had the impulse within two days of smoking their first cigarette and 25 percent within one month of that event."]
 

Planned Parenthood to Create New Abortion Center in Southwest Houston, Texas lifenews.com 2/19/8 ["...is moving to an abortion facility in Houston that could be the largest in the nation. The abortion center with dwarf the size of the others and have an entire floor dedicated to late-term abortions.  ...will open the abortion center just outside the gates of the University of Houston’s main campus."]
Woman Diagnosed as "Brain Dead" Walks and Talks after Awakening lifesite.net 2/19/8 [""Brain death" or "death by neurological criteria," is common media terminology for patients who are said to be in an irreversible coma, sometimes referred to as a "persistent vegetative state" (PVS).  Physicians and bioethicists who support "brain death" criteria claim that such a diagnosis is reliable and means that a patient is beyond any hope of recovery.  Under new bioethics criteria, "brain death" can be used as a condition under which organs are removed from a patient while his heart is kept beating. Organ transplant requires that tissue be recovered from donors as close to physical death as possible and physicians are under heavy pressure to procure more organs."]
Wheat hits $20 northlandag.com 2/19/8 ["The wheat market moved into historic ground Friday in North Dakota and Minnesota, as short-term demand from mills pushed prices up to $20 a bushel at one elevator in an after-hours scramble.  Most elevators in northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota posted prices of $16.70 to $17.30 Friday, according to an Agweek survey; that's four times as high as a year ago and the highest figures ever seen."]
Wakf: Quake caused crater on Temple Mount, Israeli tunnels to blame israelinsider.com 2/19/8 ["There were only two reports of damage in Israel from Friday's quake, and one of them was in the most politically sensitive place on earth. Muslim authorities report that the tremor, centered in southern Lebanon and measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, opened a crater on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, adjacent to the Dome of the Rock. Officials from the Wakf blamed Israel for the 6-foot by 5-foot hole, about three feet deep, accusing the Jewish State of tunneling beneath the Temple Mount. the Wakf demanded an end to all Israeli excavations in the area. "]
American Public Health Association Backs Partial Birth Abortion lifesitenews.com 2/19/8 ["Among a long list of generally positive health policy initiatives is a call for the removal of all restrictions that limit access to abortion in the US, including the repeal of parental consent laws and partial birth abortion bans.  The APHA promotes itself as the largest association of "public health professionals" in the world."]
Ambac considering option to split itself: report reuters.com 2/19/8 ["...is in discussions to split itself up in a move aimed at ensuring that municipal bonds backed by the company retain high credit ratings, the Wall Street Journal said on its Web site on Monday.  A deal could fall apart because of the complexities in such a move, said the report, quoting a source familiar with the situation."]
Heavy mobile phone use a cancer risk telegraph.co.uk 2/19/8 ["Research author Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, a cancer specialist at Tel Aviv University, investigated the cases of nearly 500 people diagnosed with benign and malignant tumours of the salivary gland.  The study is regarded as significant as it was conducted on the Israeli population who were among the first to widely adopt mobile phone technology and are among its heaviest users."]
 

Without Natural Affection newswithviews.com 2/18/8 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "The desire of a mother to defend her child is a natural thing. Watch any animal and notice how the mother naturally does all that she can to protect her babies. The Women’s Liberation movement in America has taken from our young mothers their natural affection for their babies. Those who kill their children have been stripped of their “natural affection.” They love themselves, their bodies, and their freedom more than they love their baby."]
Film raises troubling questions about U.S. students usatoday.com 2/18/8 ["And Two Million Minutes finds plenty to be worried about: not enough study or homework time, not enough parental pressure, not enough focus on math or engineering. American teens, it argues, are preoccupied with sports, after-school jobs and leisure.  The film repeatedly contrasts foreign students' drive with what seems like American cluelessness"]
Hard Times Heighten Long-Felt Unease ap.google.com 2/18/8 ["Many people gauged their well-being in wealth — looking at the stock market, and much more broadly, the rise of real estate prices, said Susan Sterne, president of Economic Analysis Associates.  Americans borrowed freely against the value of their homes. But now there is nothing left to shield them from the insecurities rooted in the old measures of economic prosperity. "]
Banks to ask government to take bad loan risk: report reuters.com 2/18/8 ["The banking industry is proposing to members of the U.S. Congress and the White House that some of the risk of troubled mortgages should be shifted to the federal government, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday."]
US: Foodmakers squeezed by costs, strapped consumers reuters.com 2/18/8 [" "When you say input costs are going up 6 percent and you are only getting 4 percent net pricing, where do you make up the rest?" asked Gregg Warren, an analyst at Morningstar.  Rising commodity costs and economically stressed consumers are expected to be the key topics when consumer products company executives meet with analysts at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Florida that begins Tuesday."]
UK: Soaring Costs Cripple 95 Per Cent Of Familes dailyexpress.co.uk 2/18/8 ["Big rises in gas, electricity, food and petrol prices combined with a raft of Government stealth taxes mean that already hard-up families are now barely able to make ends meet."]
Best U.S. factory jobs in rising jeopardy csmonitor.com 2/18/8 ["this week as General Motors announced the largest ever annual loss by a maker of automobiles. In a bid to restore profitability, GM said it would offer incentives to convince older, highly paid assembly workers to retire early. Ford and Chrysler are pursuing similar worker buyouts.  ...Many US manufacturers are facing rising pressure from foreign rivals. The good news is that US factories are becoming more competitive. The bad news is that the needed streamlining is coming at the expense of American workers. "]
Susan Jacoby: Bemoaning an America that values stupidity iht.com 2/18/8 ["But now, Jacoby said, something different is happening: anti-intellectualism (the attitude that "too much learning can be a dangerous thing") and anti-rationalism ("the idea that there is no such things as evidence or fact, just opinion") have fused in a particularly insidious way.  Not only are citizens ignorant about essential scientific, civic and cultural knowledge, she said, but they also don't think it matters.  ...The surprise at her own dependency on electronic and visual media made her realize just how pervasive the culture of distraction is and how susceptible everyone is..."]
Iran Opens Its 1st Oil Products Bourse ap.google.com 2/18/8 ["Iran has already registered for another oil bourse, in which it has said it hopes to trade oil in Euros instead of dollars, to reduce any American influence over the Islamic Republic's economy.  ...As the fourth-largest oil producer in the world, Iran has a measure of influence over international oil markets. The country ranks second for output among OPEC Countries, and controls about 5 percent of the global oil supply."]
 

Dozens of U.S. banks will fail by 2010: analyst reuters.com 2/14/8 ["...as losses from soured loans mount and regulators crack down on lenders that take too much risk, especially in real estate and construction..."  Editor: Probably sooner than that...]
Fed auctions another $30 billion to combat severe credit crisis iht.com 2/14/8 ["It marked the fifth in a series of auctions that so far have pumped $130 billion (€89.42 billion) in money into the U.S. banking system in an effort to provide cash-strapped banks with extra reserves. The Fed's hope is that the increased resources will keep banks lending and prevent a severe credit squeeze from making the current economic slowdown worse."]
East Coast mayors to launch illegal gun database philly.com 2/14/8 ["The database, expected to be operational later this year, will pool data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with information collected by local agencies, including ballistics information and intelligence gathered from debriefings of gun offenders.  New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and other urban leaders said Wednesday that the first-of-its-kind database will make it more difficult for illegal gun dealers to do business throughout the Interstate 95 corridor."]
Hidden Swap Fees by JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley Hit School Boards bloomberg.com 2/14/8 ["`It's a serious issue, not only in Pennsylvania but across the country,'' says Cox, 55, who has headed the SEC since 2005. ``That is what we have seen repeatedly. More often than not, the municipalities aren't configured to have financial sophisticates in charge of these offerings -- and the result is that the firms are the only ones who know what's going on.''"]
EU executive calls for creation of a European border patrol iht.com 2/14/8 ["The far-reaching package, designed to combat terrorism, illegal migration and organized crime, would involve setting up a comprehensive electronic register of travelers' biometric data.  It also proposes greater cooperation and use of technology, including high resolution satellites and unmanned aircraft, to monitor remote areas for movements of migrants."]
Obama's Global Tax Proposal Up For Senate Vote newswithviews.com 2/14/8 [By Cliff Kincaid  "“Global Poverty Act” (S.2433) through his committee. The legislation would commit the U.S. to spending 0.7 percent of gross national product on foreign aid, which amounts to a phenomenal 13-year total of $845 billion over and above what the U.S. already spends."]
South African Parliament Votes Overwhelmingly to Remove Abortion Restrictions lifesite.net 2/14/8 ["...bill that would allow girls as young as 12 to obtain abortions without their parents' consent, provide for 24-hour abortion facilities, eliminate pre-approval processes, and allow all nurses, as well as doctors and midwives, to perform the procedure, Reuters reports."]
 

Hillary in Exclusive Homosexual Mag Interview: I'm More Pro-Homosexual than Obama lifesite.net 2/13/8 ["Hilary said that if elected she would be the first U.S. president to march in a homosexual-pride parade."]
US, banks unveil aid for homeowners facing foreclosure afp.google.com 2/13/8 ["n a separate statement, the Hope Now Alliance said that "hundreds of thousands" of homeowners are at least 90 days delinquent in their payments."]
Buffett offers 800 bln dlr backup to troubled bond insurers afp.google.com 2/13/8 ["Bond insurers have been forced to take massive writeoffs on corporate bonds and complex financial structures involved in the subprime, or high-risk, mortgage crisis that began to roil markets in August.  Buffett's offer would reduce uncertainty in markets over the possibility of downgrades of bond insurers such as Ambac and MBIA and allow a speedier recovery from the subprime-related credit problems."]
'Friend locator' could become next craze for social networkers afp.google.com 2/13/8 ["...owing to new technology that uses the mobile phone as a tracking device, experts say.  ...The ease with which phones can be located -- to within 25-50 metres of their position, say experts -- has sparked a wave of innovation in the mobile phone industry.  Operators and application designers are touting services that range from personal navigation, to locating children and fighting terrorism at this year's event in Barcelona, one of the mobile industry's biggest trade shows."]
GM offers all U.S. union workers buyouts, retirement reuters.com 2/13/8 ["General Motors Corp will offer buyouts or early retirements to all 74,000 U.S. hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers in a sweeping deal with the union intended to clear the way for GM to hire lower-cost replacements."]
 

Navy Intercepts Russian Bombers ap.google.com 2/12/8 ["A U.S. military official says that one Russian Tupolev 95 flew directly over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 2,000 feet, while another bomber circled about 58 miles out."]
UK Anglican Bishop Fined £47,345 and Sent for "Re-Education" in Gay Employment Case lifesite.net 2/12/8 ["The Anglican bishop of Hereford has been ordered by a court to undergo "equal opportunities training" and pay a fine of £47,345.00, the equivalent of $92,106.00 Cn., for refusing to hire an active homosexual for a position of trust with young people. The ruling also stated that Hereford diocese staff "involved in recruitment should receive equal opportunities training"."]
Israel: Attorney-general: Let same-sex couples adopt jpost.com 2/12/8 ["In a landmark decision, Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz on Sunday handed down a legal opinion that homosexual couples may adopt children in Israel "in the proper circumstances and when it is in the best interest of the child.""]
New Mortgage Rescue Goes Beyond Subprime ap.google.com 2/12/8 ["The plan will allow seriously overdue homeowners to suspend foreclosures for 30 days while lenders try to work out more affordable loans are worked out.  On a pilot basis, the plan will involve six of the largest mortgage lenders, in hopes that more lenders will sign on. The participants are Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Countrywide Financial Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Washington Mutual Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co."]
AIG discloses hole in derivatives valuation guardian.co.uk 2/12/8 ["...pushing its shares down almost 12 percent to a 5-year low.  AIG's disclosure, in a regulatory filing on Monday, is the latest sign that credit worries sparked by the subprime mortgage crisis are feeding through to insurers. Swiss Re, the world's largest reinsurer, last November stunned markets with a 1.2 billion Swiss franc ($1.1 billion) write-down related to credit default swaps."]
Studies conclude that biofuels are not so green iht.com 2/12/8 ["The land-use issue makes the balance sheet far more problematic: The clearance of grassland releases 93 times the amount of greenhouse gas that would be saved by the fuel made annually on that land  ..."We fully believe that if biofuels are to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem, there urgently needs to be better sustainability criterion." He added that the United Nations had recently created a panel to study the evidence."  Editor: This article brings to our attention the possible future intervention by international organizations concerning 'land usage'.]
State of the Union Address by President Bush america.gov 2/12/8 ["And tonight I am pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans."]
 

Chavez Threatens to Halt Oil Sales to US ap.google.com 2/11/8 ["in an "economic war" if Exxon Mobil Corp. wins court judgments to seize billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets.  ...the U.S.'s fourth-biggest oil importer"]
EU plans to require biometrics of all non-European visitors iht.com 2/11/8 ["under sweeping European Union proposals to combat illegal migration, terrorism and organized crime that are to be outlined this week.  The plans - arguably the biggest shake-up of border management in Europe since the creation of an internal travel zone - would apply to citizens of the United States and all other countries that now enjoy visa-free status."]
Goldman Sachs boosts wheat price forecast reuters.com 2/11/8 ["Record high wheat prices were sparked on Friday by new world agriculture supply and demand estimates by the USDA, which cut projected U.S. wheat stocks at the end of the 2007/08 marketing year on May 31 to 272 million bushels from its estimate of 292 million bushels in January.  This is the lowest levels of stocks since 1947/48..."]
 

Your cost of living may be rising faster than the Consumer Price Index consumerreports.org 2/10/8 ["Grocery prices are up 5.6 percent overall, led by 13.4 percent increase in dairy products, with the price per gallon for milk sometimes vying with the tab for a gallon of gas."]
Using Highways For No-Notice Evacuations ops.fhwa.dot.gov 2/10/8 ["Routes to Effective Evacuation Planning Primer Series"]
 

OPEC Rattles the Dollar wsj.com 2/9/8 ["The possibility that OPEC would make an active decision to price oil barrels in a currency other than the dollar has been bandied about, but never spoken of by anyone with any real power. That changed today, after OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri was quoted in the Middle East Economic Digest, saying “maybe we can price the oil in the euro.”"]
Putin vows 'arms race' response news.bbc.co.uk 2/9/8 ["n a nationally-televised speech, he condemned Nato's expansion and the US plan to include Poland and the Czech Republic in a missile defence shield.  It is already clear that a new phase in the arms race is unfolding in the world," Mr Putin said.  "It is not our fault, because we did not start it," he said."]
Still at the Forefront financialarmageddon.com 2/9/8 ["In this meltdown scenario US and global financial markets will experience their most severe crisis in the last quarter of a century."]
Calif. 'gay marriage' case set for March 4  bpnews.net 2/9/8 ["Florida will have a marriage amendment on the November ballot, thanks to a successful petition drive there, and conservatives in California also are trying to place an amendment on the ballot. Additionally, the issue could attract further attention when the Connecticut Supreme Court issues its "gay marriage" decision, due any day.  But a "gay marriage" victory in California, the nation's most populous state, would be the biggest win yet for homosexual activists."]
Az Illegal-Immigrant Hiring Law Upheld ap.google.com 2/9/8 ["U.S. District Judge Neil Wake dismissed a lawsuit filed by business groups that argued that federal immigration law severely restricts Arizona's ability to punish people who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.  The law won approval last year from the Republican-majority Legislature and Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano amid frustration over what they said were inadequate federal efforts to confront illegal immigration. Many cities across the country have passed similar measures, though some have been rejected in court."]
LA Times Reveals Horrific New Details about Raided Abortion Clinics lifesite.net 2/9/8 ["Rand's negligence was called "barbaric" and a "severe departure" from a reasonable standard of care by the medical board, which revoked his license in 2005. He had previously been involved in 40 malpractice suits, numerous botched abortions, and several license suspensions for gross negligence."]
French parliament adopts EU treaty afp.google.com 2/9/8 ["Both the National Assembly and Senate voted resoundingly in favour of the treaty, a tailored-down version of the constitution that was consigned to oblivion in French and Dutch referendums.  It is now to be formally ratified by President Nicolas Sarkozy, who played a leading role in drawing up the new text.  France will be the fifth EU country -- and the first major EU power -- to ratify the new treaty, which must be approved in all 27 member states before it can come into force as planned in 2009."]
More shoppers head to discount stores usatoday.com 2/9/8 ["The trend could carry long-term implications for all the retailers. People who try — and like — stores in shaky economic times are more likely to stick with them after the economy rebounds.  Wal-Mart is "in the right place at the right time," says Dreher, who follows the discounter. It "provides a solution to consumers during those rough economic times when they're driven to the stores because of economic need." Once the economy improves, those shoppers "tend to stay with Wal-Mart for the more discretionary categories as they come out of recession.""]
 

Judge: Teaching How to Use Condom and that Homosexuality is Inborn to 8th and 10th Graders is OK lifesite.net 2/8/8 ["Maryland Circuit Court Judge William J. Rowan, III, ruled last week that it is permissible to teach 8th and 10th grade Montgomery County public school students how to use condoms during anal and oral sex, as well as that homosexuality is inborn, even though in 2007 Maryland's highest appellate court ruled there is no scientific basis for such a conclusion.  The controversial new curriculum was adopted as a result of pressure by homosexual advocacy groups. "]
Mortgage crisis fallout spreads to 'muni market' csmonitor.com 2/8/8 ["Municipal bonds, securities issued by local governments to fund anything from new sewers to airport improvements, are now caught in the backwash. Though defaults by communities are rare, buyers of their bonds are now wary of investing in any but the best-run and highest-rated communities."]
Stores Post Disappointing January Sales ap.google.com 2/8/8 ["Wal-Mart says its shoppers are redeeming their holiday gift cards for basic items — pasta sauce, diapers, laundry detergent — instead of iPods or DVDs."]
What happened to the right to privacy? calcatholic.com 2/8/8 ["Authored by Assemblyman Joe Coto (D-San Jose), AB 624 would “require a private, corporate, or public operating foundation with assets over $250,000,000 to collect specified ethnic and, gender, and sexual orientation data pertaining to its governance and grantmaking,” says the bill’s Legislative Counsel’s Digest. "]
Archbishop: UK Should Allow Shariah ap.google.com 2/8/8 ["Archbishop Rowan Williams said in a radio interview with British Broadcasting Corp. that incorporating Islamic law could help improve Britain's flagging social cohesion.  "Certain provisions of Shariah are already recognized in our society and under our law, so it's not as if we're bringing in an alien and rival system," said Williams, who gave a speech on the topic Thursday night.  Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman immediately rejected Williams' proposal.  "The prime minister believes British law should apply in this country, based on British values," said Michael Ellam."]
Climate set for 'sudden shifts' news.bbc.co.uk 2/8/8 [Editor: Increasingly violent natural disasters are being expected in the name of nature - all to get people ready to reject God's judgments on this world.]
 

California Assemblyman Seeks State Holiday Commemorating Homosexual Activist lifesite.net 2/7/8 ["Last Friday, February 1, Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Equality California (EQCA) announced plans to introduce a measure that would formally establish a non-fiscal state holiday to commemorate gay-activist Harvey Milk. If passed, the bill would see the holiday take place on the anniversary of Milk's birth, May 22."]
Despite Warnings, Tornadoes Kill 55 ap.google.com 2/7/8 ["At least 55 people were killed and hundreds injured Tuesday and Wednesday by dozens of tornadoes that plowed across Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. It was the nation's deadliest barrage of twisters in almost 23 years."]
Joel Osteen 60minutes.yahoo.com 2/7/8 ["He's the most popular preacher in America, with his services attended by thousands and seen by more than 7 million viewers around the world on television each week."]
Russia plans buildup in the Mediterranean: 'Russia has strategic interests' worldtribune.com 2/7/8 ["The operation was deemed the first large-scale Russian navy exercise in the region in 15 years.  Moscow has been conducting naval exercises with such Mediterranean states as Algeria and Syria. Russia has been financing the upgrade of Syria's port of Tartous to accommodate large naval ships."]
Wheat continues to surge above $10 a bushel usatoday.com 2/7/8 ["Overall, wheat prices have doubled since last June at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), which owns the Chicago Board of Trade. Prices have been pushed higher by surging world demand and bad weather in some major producing nations."]
Beware: "Free" Medical Care Will Kill You - On Purpose! newswithviews.com 2/7/8 [By Tom DeWeese  "When government gets overburdened and revenues don't keep up with all the grand plans of a horde of politicians, someone has to feel the pain. Today, England's treasury can't keep up with the massive costs of health care. So the bureaucrats, such fiscally responsible folks - just serving the people, you understand - have decided the best way to cut costs is to stop providing health care to those who are too old or those who leave "unhealthy lives." Of course, government gets to decide who they are."]
National Animal Identification System: Update newswithviews.com 2/7/8 [By Doreen Hannes  "To sum it up in a rather succinct fashion, the current game plan is to require compliance with NAIS through the registration of your property as a premise and attachment of NAIS "840" tags to your animals as a requirement of engaging in interstate commerce in any way."]
 

Stocks Plunge on Service Sector Weakness ap.google.com 2/6/8 ["Wall Street plunged Tuesday, driving the Dow Jones industrials down 370 points after investors saw an unexpected contraction in the service sector as evidence the economy is sinking into recession. It was the Dow's biggest percentage drop in almost a year."]
Popular songs play up drugs, cigarettes, booze news.com.au 2/6/8 ["Parents trying to steer their children away from the evils of drugs and alcohol should switch off the radio.  A third of all songs are filled with lyrics about drugs, alcohol and tobacco – with two-thirds of the references showing substance abuse in a positive light, research shows.  Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine reviewed 280 of the most popular songs of 2005 and found drugs were often linked with references to sex, partying and humour."]
Economist: Expect Fed to lower Dow to 8,000 worldnetdaily.com 2/6/8 ["Fed wants the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other financial indicators to descend in a managed way," Bolser said. "The Fed wants to drive the DJIA toward the 8,000 level, or below, in order to help create a deep recession which will have the effect of slowing consumption across the board, and dampening the otherwise harmful effects of inflation."]
How risky are uninsured bank deposits? marketwatch.com 2/6/8 ["The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is gearing up for the prospect of a large bank failure. So double-check that all your deposits, including interest, are well within FDIC insurance limits."]
If recession strikes the USA, Britain may follow usatoday.com 2/6/8 ["But a credit crunch, spawned by the collapse of the subprime lending market in the USA, threatens to deflate Britain's housing balloon, prompt consumers to tighten their purse strings and make banks that are posting big write-downs reluctant to lend.  Housing prices dropped for the fourth-consecutive month in January, residential housing analysis firm Hometrack reported last week. "]
Medicaid Kids In Psych-Rx $urge nypost.com 2/6/8 ["New York state's Medicaid program paid $82.8 million in 2006 for two dozen psychiatric drugs for tens of thousands of children - with many of the meds not FDA-approved for kids, records obtained by The Post show."]
 

ICBC Deposes Citigroup as Chinese Banks Rule in New World Order bloomberg.com 2/5/8 ["...The reversal of fortunes is the clearest sign yet that shareholders are betting on banks in the emerging markets rather than the U.S. institutions that dominated the financial landscape for most of the past century. As recently as 2003, there were 13 American banks ranked in the top 20 and not a single Asian rival, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Now, there are four Asian and six U.S. institutions. The collapse of the subprime mortgage market wiped out almost $100 billion of value from the three biggest U.S. banks in the past six months."]
I'll be president of Europe if you give me the power - Blair guardian.co.uk 2/5/8 ["Blair, currently the Middle East envoy for the US, Russia, EU and the UN, has told friends he has made no final decision, but is increasingly willing to put himself forward for the job if it comes with real powers to intervene in defence and trade affairs.  Blair, who is being actively promoted by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy..."]
Lawyers Fighting D.C. Gun Ban Argue Against Militia Focus washingtonpost.com 2/5/8 ["The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last spring became the first appeals court to use the individual-rights interpretation of the amendment to strike a gun-control law. Most of the courts that have examined the issue have ruled that it protects only the collective right.  But Heller's brief said the amendment's preamble referring to the militia gives one, but not the only, reason the framers considered the amendment necessary. "]
UK: 66 British Babies Survived Abortion - All Were Left to Die Without Medical Aid lifesite.net 2/5/8 [""]
"Super Tuesday" - The Heading Technique newswithviews.com 2/5/8 [By Devvy Kidd  "The push to get the nominee for the conventions by tomorrow is deliberate, calculated and toxic. The delay and tampering with the ballots before the recount started in New Hampshire was also deliberate. Tomorrow all the networks will be giving their big ballyhoo coverage, but in my eyes, it's nothing but a huge scam. The Republican convention isn't until September. We shall see what unfolds between now and then on vote fraud during these primaries, legal remedies and mounting a fight in Minneapolis-St. Paul at the GOP convention. While millions of Americans will roll over and be willing to hold their nose and vote, I am not one of them."]
Iran launches its 1st space rocket worldnetdaily.com 2/5/8 ["In a separate development, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti published a report Friday that Iran was continuing to negotiate with the Russian government for the delivery of an advanced S-300 air defense missile system to Iran."]
Rebel army swarms Chad's capital iht.com 2/5/8 ["Using tanks and helicopter gunships, the Chadian military struggled to regain control of the city. Thousands of Chadians have fled Ndjamena to neighboring Cameroon."]
Abstinence funding may be axed from AIDS package onenewsnow.com 2/5/8 ["President Bush wants to double and House Democrats want to triple spending on a program that is now treating 1.4 million people, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, where he will visit in two weeks.  Democrats also want to slash spending on a multimillion-dollar component that emphasizes sexual abstinence. And that has conservative groups furious."]
Carter Launches Bold Baptist Movement to End Factions christianpost.com 2/5/8 ["What will mark this convocation as a success is the attendance number as well as "the fact that we want to avoid anything other than harmony, cooperation [and] a positive attitude as a group of Christians," Carter said at a press conference Wednesday just before the meeting began."]
 

Putin's man takes chance to stress continuity reuters.com 2/4/8 ["Putin, Russia's most popular politician, has said he will consider becoming Medvedev's prime minister.  Medvedev, chairman of Russia's gas giant Gazprom..."]
Bush Proposes First $3 Trillion Budget ap.google.com 2/4/8 ["will project huge budget deficits, around $400 billion for this year and next and more than double the 2007 deficit of $163 billion. But even those estimates could prove too low given the rapidly weakening economy and the total costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which Bush does not include in his request for the budget year beginning Oct. 1."]
Bird flu spreads in Bangladesh, port city on alert reuters.com 2/4/8 ["So far no human infection has been reported in Bangladesh, though some 4 million people are involved in poultry farming across the country.  The neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal has put 26 people in isolation with bird flu symptoms after the most serious outbreak of the disease in poultry."]
 

Getting Knocked Down by Prime ARMs businessweek.com 2/3/8 ["In Arizona, between the third quarters of 2006 and 2007, there was a 902% rise in foreclosures started against homeowners who had prime adjustable-rate mortgages, known as ARMs, according to the Mortgage Bankers Assn. ARMs, whether prime or subprime, are the real culprit in the housing crisis because they've allowed too many people to buy homes with almost no money down, with the hope that they could flip the properties or have rates drop before the loans reset.  The rise in prime ARM foreclosure starts isn't isolated to a few states. Nationally, foreclosure starts related to prime ARMs jumped 253% in the third quarter of 2007 when compared to a year earlier. "]
Judges: 'Gay' exposure OK for kindergarteners wnd.com 2/3/8 ["In a case that could wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court, an appeals panel upheld dismissal of a lawsuit by Massachusetts parents seeking to prevent discussion of homosexual families in their children's elementary school classrooms."]
Biggs's Tips for Rich: Expect War, Study Blitz, Mind Markets bloomberg.com 2/3/8 ["Barton Biggs has some offbeat advice for the rich: Insure yourself against war and disaster by buying a remote farm or ranch and stocking it with ``seed, fertilizer, canned food, wine, medicine, clothes, etc.''  ...Biggs is no paranoid survivalist. He was chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley before leaving in 2003 to form hedge fund Traxis Partners."  Editor: It is not a good sign when such a respected man is making such suggestions in such a widespread media such as Bloomberg.]
U.S. loses its status as economic world power newsday.com 2/3/8 ["What makes the American case so acute, in foreign eyes, is that it comes at a time when the United States is massively in debt to China and oil-rich countries like Russia and the nations of the Arab gulf. As America cuts interest rates to keep banks solvent, the dollar becomes less attractive to those countries who are keeping America afloat. Yet we need their capital to keep our ailing banks afloat."]
Wheat Rallies, Extending Record in Minneapolis, on Low Supply bloomberg.com 2/3/8 ["Wheat rose in Chicago on signs of rising demand for limited U.S. supplies of high-protein spring varieties. Prices touched a record in Minneapolis, topping $14 a bushel for the first time for any U.S. wheat contract."]
Another undersea Internet cable damaged in Mideast: Indian firm afp.google.com 2/3/8 ["The cause of the latest cable damage was not immediately known.  Flag Telecom owns another undersea cable which was damaged off Egypt on Wednesday in the Mediterranean. Indian media reports have attributed that damage to a ship's anchor which dropped on the cable.  On the same day in Kuwait, the government reported two cables damaged by "weather conditions and maritime traffic.""  Editor: Now I'm very suspicious...]
Middle East Internet Blackouts Spur Geopolitical Suspicions prisonplanet.com 2/3/8 ["Unprecedented mass Internet outages throughout the Middle East and Asia after no less than four undersea Internet cables were cut without explanation are spurring suspicions that a major event of geopolitical proportions may be just around the corner."]
US mock disaster drill: Trains, planes and bloggers threaten America dailyherald.com 2/3/8 ["The $3 million, invitation-only war game simulated what the U.S. described as plausible attacks over five days in February 2006 against the technology industry, transportation lines and energy utilities by anti-globalization hackers. The government is organizing another multimillion-dollar war game, Cyber Storm 2, to take place in early March."]
Hypocrites Gather In Atlanta newswithviews.com 2/3/8 [By Paul Proctor  "According to the Associated Press, a group of Baptists recently met in Atlanta at a gathering called, Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, "to develop common ministries" and "challenge any perception that all Baptists accept conservative Southern Baptist views." The AP reported that host and former president, Jimmy Carter "hopes [the] moderate Baptist meeting in Georgia will serve as [a] model of unity.""]
 

America – A Nation of Forgetfulness and Neglect! lasttrumpetministries.org 2/2/8 [By Pastor David Meyer  ""]
A New Century: A New Reformation crossroad.to 2/2/8 [""To that end, Warren is trying to increase civility in the world, and he is calling Christians to act on their own teachings. 'I think we need a second Reformation in the church about how we behave,' he asserts.  'The first Reformation was about creeds. I think the second Reformation needs to be about deeds…'  "He calls this second Reformation a 'mobilization.' Saddleback is developing a 'Peace Plan” and worldwide mission to promote reconciliation through service.... "]
Reconciling Faith and Politics barackobama.com 2/2/8 ["In June of 2006, Senator Obama delivered what was called the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own religious conversion and doubts...  if we don't reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, then the Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons and Alan Keyeses will continue to hold sway.  ...Pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes are wielding their enormous influences to confront AIDS, Third World debt relief, and the genocide in Darfur. Religious thinkers and activists like our good friend Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo are lifting up the Biblical injunction to help the poor as a means of mobilizing Christians against budget cuts to social programs and growing inequality."]
 N.Y. court declares out-of-state gay marriages valid reuters.com 2/2/8 ["...appeals court ruled on Friday that valid same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries must be recognized in New York, the first known ruling of its kind in the country, a rights group said."]
Bush Subprime Plan Undermined, States Shun Borrowers bloomberg.com 2/2/8 ["The reluctance to lend threatens to undermine a pivotal part of the president's plan for alleviating the worst housing slump in 26 years. More than 50 percent of subprime borrowers are being rejected by state programs because their homes have lost too much value or they've accumulated excessive debt, estimates Geoffrey Cooper, emerging markets director at a unit of MGIC Investment Co., the country's biggest mortgage insurer."]
 Third undersea Internet cable cut in Mideast cnn.com 2/2/8 [Editor: Moral of the story, do not rely too heavily on the Internet - for business, news, or communication.  Invest in shortwave radios and other means of obtaining the news and for communication.]
The Turtle Has Landed newswithviews.com 2/2/8 [By Dr. Laurie Roth  "The AAM puts it in perspective for us reminding us that domestic manufacturing was at a high of 53 percent in 1965 but 40 years later it accounts for ONLY 9 percent of our GDP."]
 UK:  Survival of early babies 'doubles' telegraph.co.uk 2/2/8 ["A study at one of Britain's top neonatal units found that one third of babies born between 22 and 25 weeks' gestation survived in the early 1980s but this had risen to 71 per cent by the late 1990s.  The biggest improvements were among the 24 and 25-week babies.  Campaigners have already called for the 24-week abortion limit to be lowered, but experts have previously argued there has been little improvement in the chances of babies born very early."]
[Ron] Paul: No federal funds for TTC herald-coaster.com 2/2/8 ["has filed a bill in the House of Representatives to prevent the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor from receiving federal dollars.  The TTC is a large transportation network championed by Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Department of Transportation that would carve a wide swath out of central Texas to add highway lanes, rail lines and other infrastructure to major trade routes in the state."]
 NYC Subways Adding Dogs, Armed Officers newsday.com 2/2/8 ["Teams of police officers armed with submachine guns and bomb-sniffing dogs will soon be patrolling the busiest parts of New York City subways as part of a major increase in regional security funding.  The subway initiative is one use of the $151.2 million in new grant money from the Department of Homeland Security to transit systems in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Last year, they received $98 million."]
Banks join to rescue Ambac: sources reuters.com 2/2/8 ["The stakes are high for banks, insurers and the broader economy. Bond insurers, which guarantee more than $2.4 trillion of debt, are expected to suffer billions of dollars of losses after insuring repackaged subprime mortgages. They are looking to raise capital to protect their credit ratings."]
 

Economic Stimulus Package: Macabre Waltz Into The Abyss newswithviews.com 2/1/8 [By Devvy Kidd  "By the time the interest is paid to the privately owned FED, it will be roughly $300 billion borrowed dollars."]
S&P Lowers or May Cut $534 Billion of Subprime Debt bloomberg.com 2/1/8 ["The downgrades may extend bank losses to more than $265 billion and have a ``ripple impact'' on the broader financial markets, S&P said in a statement today. The securities represent $270.1 bi