Ed Thomas
OneNewsNow.com
A bill that would impose strict guidelines against alleged bias or elements reflecting adversely on homosexuals in California's school textbooks, teaching, or activities has moved out of the legislative Assembly's Judiciary Committee. But a spokesman for a pro-family watchdog group accuses SB 777's author of needing to deny actual language that is in the bill, and wrapping it in an offer of new disability benefits, to get its passage.
The controversial bill has proposed to ban any textbooks, teaching, or activities in schools from "'reflecting adversely' upon homosexuals, transgenders, bisexuals and those with gender issues." But Capitol Resource Institute (CRI) executive director Karen England says State Senator Sheila Keuhl, who authored the legislation, declared to the Judiciary Committee that the bill no longer contains the vague language "reflects adversely."
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Friday, June 29, 2007
NOW endorses pro-homosexual military bill
NOW endorses pro-homosexual military bill
Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
A conservative military watchdog says she's not surprised that the National Organization for Women would endorse a bill aimed at repealing the ban on homosexuals serving in the military. The bill -- known as The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246) -- now has 100 co-sponsors in the House.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is urging Congress to support the bill which would scrap the 1993 law that bans homosexual military service. Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, questions NOW's supposed role in representing women.
"The radicalism of this organization, the National Organization for Women, has never represented the majority of women," she states, "and they certainly do not represent the majority of military women."
Donnelly says H.R. 1246 would, in fact, hurt readiness and advance NOW's radical social engineering agenda for the military. "I'm sure that they see that if the military is required by either executive order or a law to accept, and indeed promote, homosexuality in the military, that would certainly advance their agenda quite a bit," says the military watchdog.
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Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
A conservative military watchdog says she's not surprised that the National Organization for Women would endorse a bill aimed at repealing the ban on homosexuals serving in the military. The bill -- known as The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246) -- now has 100 co-sponsors in the House.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is urging Congress to support the bill which would scrap the 1993 law that bans homosexual military service. Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, questions NOW's supposed role in representing women.
"The radicalism of this organization, the National Organization for Women, has never represented the majority of women," she states, "and they certainly do not represent the majority of military women."
Donnelly says H.R. 1246 would, in fact, hurt readiness and advance NOW's radical social engineering agenda for the military. "I'm sure that they see that if the military is required by either executive order or a law to accept, and indeed promote, homosexuality in the military, that would certainly advance their agenda quite a bit," says the military watchdog.
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Green Beret finds mercury in meat from commissary
Green Beret finds mercury in meat from commissary
Military officials launch investigation into source of deadly contamination
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 29, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The military has launched an investigation into the discovery of a liquid metal that appeared to be mercury in a package of ground beef sold to a former Green Beret by a base store at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base in Florida.
"What troops consume is very important," Judd Anstey, a spokesman for the Army Air Force Exchange Service, told WND. "Our office is investigating as well as the vendor."
"We're certainly all very concerned about what this customer believes he found," added Anstey, whose AAFES organization runs many of the military commissaries providing staples to service members.
The report comes from Pat Heminger, a former Green Beret with 23 years in the U.S. Army. Now retired, he and his wife live not far from Homestead, where during the week they take care of grandchildren ages 6 and 8, whose parents work at a hospital.
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Military officials launch investigation into source of deadly contamination
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 29, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The military has launched an investigation into the discovery of a liquid metal that appeared to be mercury in a package of ground beef sold to a former Green Beret by a base store at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base in Florida.
"What troops consume is very important," Judd Anstey, a spokesman for the Army Air Force Exchange Service, told WND. "Our office is investigating as well as the vendor."
"We're certainly all very concerned about what this customer believes he found," added Anstey, whose AAFES organization runs many of the military commissaries providing staples to service members.
The report comes from Pat Heminger, a former Green Beret with 23 years in the U.S. Army. Now retired, he and his wife live not far from Homestead, where during the week they take care of grandchildren ages 6 and 8, whose parents work at a hospital.
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Family fears mercury may be making them sick
Family fears mercury may be making them sick
10:06 PM CDT on Thursday, June 28, 2007
Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News Reporter
One St. Bernard Parish family says something in their house is literally making them sick, and the government says they may be right.
Wearing protective gear, contract workers with the Environmental Protection Agency test the home of Crystal and James Patty and their young children.
They’re searching for mercury, after the Patty’s say they found traces of the substance and got sick.
“Your body starts aching,” said Crystal Patty. “I haven't been able to eat; my gums have been really sore where I can't chew down on it. You get cold and dry sweats, real bad migraine headaches.”
After a sweep of the house, there is a consultation.
“We even looked in the central air closet where the central air unit is, this is behind the air filter, because really, it's the same throughout the house, we can't find the source,” an EPA contractor tells the Patty’s, who don’t know how mercury could have gotten into their home, something EPA officials echo.
“What’s the source of this mercury? That is of concern at the residence in the New Orleans area, we don’t know,” said EPA spokesman David Bary.
The Patty’s say they first discovered a silvery liquid on a television set in the house, then began feeling sick.
“It's heartbreaking. That's why I'm going to get tested right now because I've been feeling bad the last two weeks,” James Patty says.
EPA officials agree: mercury can cause problems. That is why data samples taken from the Patty’s home will be tested over the weekend for complete confirmation.
“It's an inhalation hazard, mercury is toxic and when it volatilizes it can be inhaled, and entered directly into the blood stream and that's where the health problems are usually manifested.” Bary says.
According to the EPA website, mercury can lead to a variety of problems including kidney damage, headaches, respiratory failure and even death.
For now, the Patty’s say they cannot crack the mercury mystery, and they just hope the damage isn’t already done.
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10:06 PM CDT on Thursday, June 28, 2007
Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News Reporter
One St. Bernard Parish family says something in their house is literally making them sick, and the government says they may be right.
Wearing protective gear, contract workers with the Environmental Protection Agency test the home of Crystal and James Patty and their young children.
They’re searching for mercury, after the Patty’s say they found traces of the substance and got sick.
“Your body starts aching,” said Crystal Patty. “I haven't been able to eat; my gums have been really sore where I can't chew down on it. You get cold and dry sweats, real bad migraine headaches.”
After a sweep of the house, there is a consultation.
“We even looked in the central air closet where the central air unit is, this is behind the air filter, because really, it's the same throughout the house, we can't find the source,” an EPA contractor tells the Patty’s, who don’t know how mercury could have gotten into their home, something EPA officials echo.
“What’s the source of this mercury? That is of concern at the residence in the New Orleans area, we don’t know,” said EPA spokesman David Bary.
The Patty’s say they first discovered a silvery liquid on a television set in the house, then began feeling sick.
“It's heartbreaking. That's why I'm going to get tested right now because I've been feeling bad the last two weeks,” James Patty says.
EPA officials agree: mercury can cause problems. That is why data samples taken from the Patty’s home will be tested over the weekend for complete confirmation.
“It's an inhalation hazard, mercury is toxic and when it volatilizes it can be inhaled, and entered directly into the blood stream and that's where the health problems are usually manifested.” Bary says.
According to the EPA website, mercury can lead to a variety of problems including kidney damage, headaches, respiratory failure and even death.
For now, the Patty’s say they cannot crack the mercury mystery, and they just hope the damage isn’t already done.
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FDA bans import of drugged fish from China
FDA bans import of drugged fish from China
Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on the import of five species of seafood from China due to possible contamination with medications.
June 28 2007: 4:54 PM EDT
ROCKVILLE, Md. (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is blocking the import from China of five species of seafood until their importers can prove they are not contaminated.
"FDA is initiating an import alert against several species of imported Chinese farmed seafood because of numerous cases of contamination with drugs and unsafe food additives," said Dr. David Acheson, the agency's assistant commissioner for food protection, in a conference call with reporters.
The species cited are catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace, he said. Basa is similar to catfish; dace is similar to carp.
The medications cited include the antimicrobials nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet and fluoroquinolones.
Nitrofuran, malachite green, and gentian violet have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Use of fluoroquinolones in food-producing animals can result in antibiotic resistance.
None of them is approved for use in farmed seafood in the United States and some of them have been shown to cause cancer when fed to laboratory animals for "prolonged periods of time," Acheson said.
Alerts have been issued in the past, but Thursday's announcement is the largest.
The food will not be allowed into the United States until the importer can prove it is free from harmful contaminants, Acheson said.
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Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on the import of five species of seafood from China due to possible contamination with medications.
June 28 2007: 4:54 PM EDT
ROCKVILLE, Md. (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is blocking the import from China of five species of seafood until their importers can prove they are not contaminated.
"FDA is initiating an import alert against several species of imported Chinese farmed seafood because of numerous cases of contamination with drugs and unsafe food additives," said Dr. David Acheson, the agency's assistant commissioner for food protection, in a conference call with reporters.
The species cited are catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace, he said. Basa is similar to catfish; dace is similar to carp.
The medications cited include the antimicrobials nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet and fluoroquinolones.
Nitrofuran, malachite green, and gentian violet have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Use of fluoroquinolones in food-producing animals can result in antibiotic resistance.
None of them is approved for use in farmed seafood in the United States and some of them have been shown to cause cancer when fed to laboratory animals for "prolonged periods of time," Acheson said.
Alerts have been issued in the past, but Thursday's announcement is the largest.
The food will not be allowed into the United States until the importer can prove it is free from harmful contaminants, Acheson said.
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Explosives-packed car defused in London
Jun 29, 8:52 AM (ET)
By D'ARCY DORAN and DAVID STRINGER
LONDON (AP) - Police thwarted an apparent terror attack Friday near Piccadilly Circus, defusing an explosive car loaded with gas cylinders, nails and a detonator after an ambulance crew reported seeing smoke coming from the vehicle.
The explosives were powerful enough to have caused "significant injury or loss of life" - possibly killing hundreds in an area famed for its nightlife, British anti-terror police chief Peter Clarke said.
Police planned to examine footage from closed-circuit TV cameras in the area, Clarke said, hoping the surveillance network that extends throughout the city would help track the driver.
Officers were called to The Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus, after an ambulance crew - responding to a call just before 1:30 a.m. about an injury at a nearby nightclub - noticed the smoke, Clarke said.
A bomb squad was called to the scene, and manually disabled the bomb.
Early photographs of the silver Mercedes showed a canister, bearing the words "patio gas," indicating it was propane gas, next to the car. The back door was open with blankets spilling out.
The area - packed with restaurants, bars, a cinema complex and theaters - was busy and buzzing at that hour. Haymarket links Piccadilly Circus to the north to the Pall Mall at its southern end.
A British security official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said Britain's domestic spy agency MI5 also would examine possible connections between the bomb attempt and at least two similar foiled plots - including a planned attack on a West End nightclub in 2004 and a thwarted attempt to use limousines packed with gas canisters to attack targets in London and New York.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who took office on Wednesday, said the foiled bombing was a reminder that Britain faces a serious and continuous threat of terrorist attacks and that people should be alert.
"I will stress to the Cabinet that the vigilance must be maintained over the next few days," Brown said.
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By D'ARCY DORAN and DAVID STRINGER
LONDON (AP) - Police thwarted an apparent terror attack Friday near Piccadilly Circus, defusing an explosive car loaded with gas cylinders, nails and a detonator after an ambulance crew reported seeing smoke coming from the vehicle.
The explosives were powerful enough to have caused "significant injury or loss of life" - possibly killing hundreds in an area famed for its nightlife, British anti-terror police chief Peter Clarke said.
Police planned to examine footage from closed-circuit TV cameras in the area, Clarke said, hoping the surveillance network that extends throughout the city would help track the driver.
Officers were called to The Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus, after an ambulance crew - responding to a call just before 1:30 a.m. about an injury at a nearby nightclub - noticed the smoke, Clarke said.
A bomb squad was called to the scene, and manually disabled the bomb.
Early photographs of the silver Mercedes showed a canister, bearing the words "patio gas," indicating it was propane gas, next to the car. The back door was open with blankets spilling out.
The area - packed with restaurants, bars, a cinema complex and theaters - was busy and buzzing at that hour. Haymarket links Piccadilly Circus to the north to the Pall Mall at its southern end.
A British security official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said Britain's domestic spy agency MI5 also would examine possible connections between the bomb attempt and at least two similar foiled plots - including a planned attack on a West End nightclub in 2004 and a thwarted attempt to use limousines packed with gas canisters to attack targets in London and New York.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who took office on Wednesday, said the foiled bombing was a reminder that Britain faces a serious and continuous threat of terrorist attacks and that people should be alert.
"I will stress to the Cabinet that the vigilance must be maintained over the next few days," Brown said.
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Immigration bill dead in Senate
Immigration bill dead in Senate
Procedural vote effectively kills Bush's attempt to enact reform
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A procedural vote in the Senate today effectively killed the controversial immigration reform bill crafted by the White House, Democrats and key Republican leaders.
The tally fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to invoke cloture, which would have cut off debate, leading to a final vote requiring only a simply majority.
Members of both parties on Capitol Hill have said the issue is unlikely to be addressed again until after the 2008 presidential election.
President Bush seemed to accept that fate after an appearance in Newport, R.I.
"Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people, and Congress' failure to act on it is a disappointment," Bush said. "The American people understand the status quo is unacceptable when it comes to our immigration laws. A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn't find common ground. It didn't work."
The roll call, showing how senators voted, counted 12 Republicans among the 46 who favored cloture.
In debate prior to the vote, Republican opponents of the bill noted the widespread opposition expressed by citizens, including Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina who said "our phones have been ringing off the hook."
"What part of 'no' don't we understand?" he asked. "We need to stop this process that is alienating the American people and enforce the laws on the books."
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Procedural vote effectively kills Bush's attempt to enact reform
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A procedural vote in the Senate today effectively killed the controversial immigration reform bill crafted by the White House, Democrats and key Republican leaders.
The tally fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to invoke cloture, which would have cut off debate, leading to a final vote requiring only a simply majority.
Members of both parties on Capitol Hill have said the issue is unlikely to be addressed again until after the 2008 presidential election.
President Bush seemed to accept that fate after an appearance in Newport, R.I.
"Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people, and Congress' failure to act on it is a disappointment," Bush said. "The American people understand the status quo is unacceptable when it comes to our immigration laws. A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn't find common ground. It didn't work."
The roll call, showing how senators voted, counted 12 Republicans among the 46 who favored cloture.
In debate prior to the vote, Republican opponents of the bill noted the widespread opposition expressed by citizens, including Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina who said "our phones have been ringing off the hook."
"What part of 'no' don't we understand?" he asked. "We need to stop this process that is alienating the American people and enforce the laws on the books."
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Fairness Doctrine hammered 309-115
Fairness Doctrine hammered 309-115
By Alexander Bolton
June 28, 2007
The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from using taxpayer dollars to impose the Fairness Doctrine on broadcasters who feature conservative radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
By a vote of 309-115, lawmakers amended the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill to bar the FCC from requiring broadcasters to balance conservative content with liberal programming such as Air America.
The vote count was partly a testament to the influence that radio hosts wield in many congressional districts.
It was also a rebuke to Democratic senators and policy experts who have voiced support this week for regulating talk radio.
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By Alexander Bolton
June 28, 2007
The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from using taxpayer dollars to impose the Fairness Doctrine on broadcasters who feature conservative radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
By a vote of 309-115, lawmakers amended the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill to bar the FCC from requiring broadcasters to balance conservative content with liberal programming such as Air America.
The vote count was partly a testament to the influence that radio hosts wield in many congressional districts.
It was also a rebuke to Democratic senators and policy experts who have voiced support this week for regulating talk radio.
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Gaza: Hamas Violence Troubles Christians
Gaza: Hamas Violence Troubles Christians
By Gary Lane
CBN News
CWNews.com–---BETHLEHEM - Each day, children around the world make their way to school. Many are eager to learn how to read and write and become productive members of their societies.
In contrast, in the Palestinian territories, recent kindergarten graduates - most no more than 5 years old - were demonstrating what they had been taught.
The children, dressed in battle fatigues and carrying toy automatic rifles, chanted their replies to the instructor:
"What is your path?" They were asked. "Jihad," they answered. "What is your most lofty aspiration?" "Death for the sake of allah," they replied.
Because of the aggressive spread of extremist Islamic ideas like this, thousands of Palestinian Christians have fled Palestinian-controlled areas like Bethlehem.
Bethlehem is the birthplace of Christ and was once a Christian city. But today, Christians are only about 10 to 15 percent of the population here. Some observers say that if the mass exodus continues, within another generation it could become a city of Christian holy sites without any Christian residents.
Justice Weiner of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs believes that is happening. He has spent years investigating persecution and the exodus of Christians in Palestinian territories.
"The Christians who were once the dominant commercial and economic force in these towns have seen their numbers dwindle," Weiner said. "They've seen their land stolen and expropriated. They've been forced to sell or to close their businesses, they sense hostility walking down the street. They're afraid to wear crosses, and they sometimes are abused verbally when they go to church."
Despite this mass exodus, members of the First Baptist Church in Bethlehem have chosen to stay, to be a beacon of light in this community. And for that, some have paid a high price.
That's because not only do they share their faith with others, they embrace the Old Testament along with the New - the entire Bible as the word of God, including the promises to the Jews.
"We are born-again Christians; we believe in God's promise with Abraham," First Baptist Pastor Steve Khoury said. "It's an everlasting covenant from God, it's an everlasting covenant with Abraham. He made it with him and his offspring. That is not very well respected in our culture, in our territory that we live in, the Palestinian territory."
For that, they are persecuted not only by Muslims who see them as Zionist supporters of Israel, but by traditional Christians who embrace a belief known as "replacement theology."
Replacement theology is the idea that Christians have replaced the Jews as God's chosen people. And like the Muslim majority, many say God gave Israel and the Palestinian territories to them, not the Jews.
Churches that teach otherwise are attacked because they are viewed as Zionists, betrayers of the Palestinian cause.
First Baptist Church has been fire-bombed 14 times. Also, two young women were shot to death for inviting non-Christian children to vacation Bible school.
"Persecution has made our church stronger," Khoury said. "I've been beaten up and shoved in trash cans just for one simple reason: for discipling other young men who are from another faith. My father's been shot at three separate times for one simple reason: carrying a cross and walking every day and professing Jesus Christ and Him alone. Our church family gets persecuted every day."
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By Gary Lane
CBN News
CWNews.com–---BETHLEHEM - Each day, children around the world make their way to school. Many are eager to learn how to read and write and become productive members of their societies.
In contrast, in the Palestinian territories, recent kindergarten graduates - most no more than 5 years old - were demonstrating what they had been taught.
The children, dressed in battle fatigues and carrying toy automatic rifles, chanted their replies to the instructor:
"What is your path?" They were asked. "Jihad," they answered. "What is your most lofty aspiration?" "Death for the sake of allah," they replied.
Because of the aggressive spread of extremist Islamic ideas like this, thousands of Palestinian Christians have fled Palestinian-controlled areas like Bethlehem.
Bethlehem is the birthplace of Christ and was once a Christian city. But today, Christians are only about 10 to 15 percent of the population here. Some observers say that if the mass exodus continues, within another generation it could become a city of Christian holy sites without any Christian residents.
Justice Weiner of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs believes that is happening. He has spent years investigating persecution and the exodus of Christians in Palestinian territories.
"The Christians who were once the dominant commercial and economic force in these towns have seen their numbers dwindle," Weiner said. "They've seen their land stolen and expropriated. They've been forced to sell or to close their businesses, they sense hostility walking down the street. They're afraid to wear crosses, and they sometimes are abused verbally when they go to church."
Despite this mass exodus, members of the First Baptist Church in Bethlehem have chosen to stay, to be a beacon of light in this community. And for that, some have paid a high price.
That's because not only do they share their faith with others, they embrace the Old Testament along with the New - the entire Bible as the word of God, including the promises to the Jews.
"We are born-again Christians; we believe in God's promise with Abraham," First Baptist Pastor Steve Khoury said. "It's an everlasting covenant from God, it's an everlasting covenant with Abraham. He made it with him and his offspring. That is not very well respected in our culture, in our territory that we live in, the Palestinian territory."
For that, they are persecuted not only by Muslims who see them as Zionist supporters of Israel, but by traditional Christians who embrace a belief known as "replacement theology."
Replacement theology is the idea that Christians have replaced the Jews as God's chosen people. And like the Muslim majority, many say God gave Israel and the Palestinian territories to them, not the Jews.
Churches that teach otherwise are attacked because they are viewed as Zionists, betrayers of the Palestinian cause.
First Baptist Church has been fire-bombed 14 times. Also, two young women were shot to death for inviting non-Christian children to vacation Bible school.
"Persecution has made our church stronger," Khoury said. "I've been beaten up and shoved in trash cans just for one simple reason: for discipling other young men who are from another faith. My father's been shot at three separate times for one simple reason: carrying a cross and walking every day and professing Jesus Christ and Him alone. Our church family gets persecuted every day."
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BBC reporter held on behalf of al-Qaida?
BBC reporter held on behalf of al-Qaida?
Group demands release of jihad prisoners, threatens to kill Johnston
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
TEL AVIV – There is growing fear among Israeli and Palestinian security agencies that kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston is being held in the Gaza Strip on behalf of al-Qaida.
A number of elements in a video of Johnston obtained by government officials this week indicate the broadcast was produced by al-Qaida, security sources told WND.
Johnston was abducted from a street in the Gaza Strip March 12, marking the longest detention of any foreign correspondent held captive in Gaza.
Several videos have been released taking credit for Johnston's kidnapping on behalf of a group calling itself Army of Islam. The videos and statements faxed to news agencies demanded prisoners associated with al-Qaida be freed from British and Jordanian jails.
"Johnston will be slaughtered like a sheep if our demands are not met," said the latest Army of Islam statement, released this week.
The statement demanded Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisi, held in Jordan, be released. Al-Maqdisi is known as the spiritual mentor of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
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Group demands release of jihad prisoners, threatens to kill Johnston
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
TEL AVIV – There is growing fear among Israeli and Palestinian security agencies that kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston is being held in the Gaza Strip on behalf of al-Qaida.
A number of elements in a video of Johnston obtained by government officials this week indicate the broadcast was produced by al-Qaida, security sources told WND.
Johnston was abducted from a street in the Gaza Strip March 12, marking the longest detention of any foreign correspondent held captive in Gaza.
Several videos have been released taking credit for Johnston's kidnapping on behalf of a group calling itself Army of Islam. The videos and statements faxed to news agencies demanded prisoners associated with al-Qaida be freed from British and Jordanian jails.
"Johnston will be slaughtered like a sheep if our demands are not met," said the latest Army of Islam statement, released this week.
The statement demanded Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisi, held in Jordan, be released. Al-Maqdisi is known as the spiritual mentor of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
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Veggie Booty snack food recalled in Canada, U.S.
Veggie Booty snack food recalled in Canada, U.S.
Updated Thu. Jun. 28 2007 4:41 PM ET
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- A popular snack food is being recalled in Canada and the United States because of concerns about contamination.
All lots and sizes of Veggie Booty Snack Food are being recalled, the company said, following a report of 51 cases of salmonella poisoning that may be associated with the product.
Georgine Hertzwig of Robert's American Gourmet in Sea Cliff, N.Y., said the company acted after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration contacted them about the illnesses in 17 states.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Hertzwig said none of the products has tested positive for salmonella, but the company acted as a precaution after the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that many of the infected people has eaten the product.
Veggie Booty Snack Food is sold in supermarkets, health food stores, vending machines and online in the United States and Canada. It is sold in flexible plastic foil bags in 4 ounce, 1 ounce and half-ounce portions. The brand name is Robert's American Gourmet, and all codes and expiration dates of Veggie Booty are being recalled.
The company said consumers who purchased Veggie Booty and still have the product in their homes should discard the contents and contact the company at 1-800-626-7557 for reimbursement.
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Updated Thu. Jun. 28 2007 4:41 PM ET
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- A popular snack food is being recalled in Canada and the United States because of concerns about contamination.
All lots and sizes of Veggie Booty Snack Food are being recalled, the company said, following a report of 51 cases of salmonella poisoning that may be associated with the product.
Georgine Hertzwig of Robert's American Gourmet in Sea Cliff, N.Y., said the company acted after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration contacted them about the illnesses in 17 states.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Hertzwig said none of the products has tested positive for salmonella, but the company acted as a precaution after the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that many of the infected people has eaten the product.
Veggie Booty Snack Food is sold in supermarkets, health food stores, vending machines and online in the United States and Canada. It is sold in flexible plastic foil bags in 4 ounce, 1 ounce and half-ounce portions. The brand name is Robert's American Gourmet, and all codes and expiration dates of Veggie Booty are being recalled.
The company said consumers who purchased Veggie Booty and still have the product in their homes should discard the contents and contact the company at 1-800-626-7557 for reimbursement.
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Guerilla Fighter Finds God
Guerilla Fighter Finds God
CBN News
CWNews.com–---Every morning, Rosario Rivera and a group of volunteers prepare food for more than 500 poor children in the Comas district of Lima, Peru. It's an unexpected twist in the turbulent life of a woman who committed herself to guns and violence in her teens.
She said, “When I arrived at the Orolla police station, I saw four workmen tied up. Who knows how many days they had gone without food, and they were being beaten with sticks on the head and arms. I felt such furious anger in my heart, and that day committed myself to armed resistance.”
Determined she would start a revolution, Rosario traveled to Cuba at the age of 18 and returned to Perú as part of the "Tupac Amaru" guerilla movement. She was preparing to enter Bolivia in 1967, alongside communist fighter Che Guevara.
“Then, right there on the border between Perú and Bolivia, I felt something strongly in my heart, and I told the commander that I thought it wasn't the right time to go into Bolivia,” she said. “Then he got so angry with me, he came up to me, spit on me and dismissed me from his army. And that's why I am alive today.”
When she returned to Lima, Rosario attended a Luis Palau evangelistic campaign and felt so challenged by the message that she planned to kill the preacher. But one morning God revealed Himself to her and she could not resist His call.
Rosario said, “And then God did a very personal work here in my house, and He cleaned out all the garbage in my mind and converted me.”
Ever since then, Rosario Rivera has given her life over to Christ. Today, she is a Christian who shows her love for God by helping her neighbors.
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CBN News
CWNews.com–---Every morning, Rosario Rivera and a group of volunteers prepare food for more than 500 poor children in the Comas district of Lima, Peru. It's an unexpected twist in the turbulent life of a woman who committed herself to guns and violence in her teens.
She said, “When I arrived at the Orolla police station, I saw four workmen tied up. Who knows how many days they had gone without food, and they were being beaten with sticks on the head and arms. I felt such furious anger in my heart, and that day committed myself to armed resistance.”
Determined she would start a revolution, Rosario traveled to Cuba at the age of 18 and returned to Perú as part of the "Tupac Amaru" guerilla movement. She was preparing to enter Bolivia in 1967, alongside communist fighter Che Guevara.
“Then, right there on the border between Perú and Bolivia, I felt something strongly in my heart, and I told the commander that I thought it wasn't the right time to go into Bolivia,” she said. “Then he got so angry with me, he came up to me, spit on me and dismissed me from his army. And that's why I am alive today.”
When she returned to Lima, Rosario attended a Luis Palau evangelistic campaign and felt so challenged by the message that she planned to kill the preacher. But one morning God revealed Himself to her and she could not resist His call.
Rosario said, “And then God did a very personal work here in my house, and He cleaned out all the garbage in my mind and converted me.”
Ever since then, Rosario Rivera has given her life over to Christ. Today, she is a Christian who shows her love for God by helping her neighbors.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
China seafood ban benefiting Arkansas farmers
A Seafood Ban Benefiting Arkansas Farmers
Catfish farmer Joey Lowery is wrapping up his day's work on his family farm in Jackson County.
He's been raising and selling about two million pounds of catfish every year for two decades. And for him product safety comes first.
"We feel like the only way to compete is to raise the bar and to just do a better job," says Lowery.
Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked seafood imports from China saying catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace may be contaminated with certain medications.
Some Chinese fish farmers use the drugs to cut down on disease among their fish. United States farmers can't use the medications.
David Archeson with the FDA says, "The concern is really long-term exposure from some of the drugs that are in these types of seafood. It's not a short-term exposure issue. You don't need to worry what's on your dinner table tonight."
Experts say it may be more than a year before the China problem is fixed, which means the majority of the catfish will come from U.S. producers.
Lowery explains, "It's more work, more sales and more business."
This is the break down. Right now 25 percent of all U.S. cat fish production comes from here in Arkansas generating nearly $600 million a year for the state. But Lowery says it's more than a financial boost. He wants the ban to be a teaching tool for Arkansans who are shopping for fish.
"If they're concerned about where the product comes from and if it is not properly labeled on the shelf, ask the manager where he is purchasing the product from,” says Lowery.
The banned fish from China is not marked, so if you're in the grocery store or a restaurant and you want to know, you'll have to ask the manager.
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Catfish farmer Joey Lowery is wrapping up his day's work on his family farm in Jackson County.
He's been raising and selling about two million pounds of catfish every year for two decades. And for him product safety comes first.
"We feel like the only way to compete is to raise the bar and to just do a better job," says Lowery.
Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked seafood imports from China saying catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace may be contaminated with certain medications.
Some Chinese fish farmers use the drugs to cut down on disease among their fish. United States farmers can't use the medications.
David Archeson with the FDA says, "The concern is really long-term exposure from some of the drugs that are in these types of seafood. It's not a short-term exposure issue. You don't need to worry what's on your dinner table tonight."
Experts say it may be more than a year before the China problem is fixed, which means the majority of the catfish will come from U.S. producers.
Lowery explains, "It's more work, more sales and more business."
This is the break down. Right now 25 percent of all U.S. cat fish production comes from here in Arkansas generating nearly $600 million a year for the state. But Lowery says it's more than a financial boost. He wants the ban to be a teaching tool for Arkansans who are shopping for fish.
"If they're concerned about where the product comes from and if it is not properly labeled on the shelf, ask the manager where he is purchasing the product from,” says Lowery.
The banned fish from China is not marked, so if you're in the grocery store or a restaurant and you want to know, you'll have to ask the manager.
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
Police storm Christian's home
Police storm Christian's home
One believer imprisoned, possessions confiscated
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Earlier this year WND reported on plans by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi," and now confirmed reports from Voice of the Martyrs reveals that the persecution of Christians in Iran is intensifying.
WND reported that Ahmadinejad is urging Iranians to prepare for the coming of the Mahdi by turning the country into a mighty and advanced Islamic society and by avoiding the corruption and excesses of the West. Shiites believe the 12th imam disappeared as a child in the year 941, but when he returns he will reign on earth for seven years, before bringing about a final judgment and the end of the world.
Voice of the Martyrs, which makes available a newsletter providing updates on the persecution of Christians around the world, says in a new report Christians in Iran "are being detained, interrogated and in one case, imprisoned because of their faith in Jesus Christ."
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One believer imprisoned, possessions confiscated
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Earlier this year WND reported on plans by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi," and now confirmed reports from Voice of the Martyrs reveals that the persecution of Christians in Iran is intensifying.
WND reported that Ahmadinejad is urging Iranians to prepare for the coming of the Mahdi by turning the country into a mighty and advanced Islamic society and by avoiding the corruption and excesses of the West. Shiites believe the 12th imam disappeared as a child in the year 941, but when he returns he will reign on earth for seven years, before bringing about a final judgment and the end of the world.
Voice of the Martyrs, which makes available a newsletter providing updates on the persecution of Christians around the world, says in a new report Christians in Iran "are being detained, interrogated and in one case, imprisoned because of their faith in Jesus Christ."
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Untreatable TB threat 'apocalyptic scenario'
Untreatable TB threat 'apocalyptic scenario'
30,000 infected annually now, but toll could become 8 million 'time bombs'
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Posted: June 24, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The World Health Organization is appealing for billions of dollars in funding to avert the apocalypse en route if a virtually untreatable form of tuberculosis that already infects 30,000 people a year is left unchecked.
The TB, called XDR-TB for extensively drug resistant, is virtually immune to currently available antibiotics, turning aside the effects of both front-line and secondary drugs, officials have said.
It has been in the news of late because of an American airline passenger, Andrew Speaker, an Atlanta, Ga., lawyer, who was diagnosed, then traveled to Europe for his wedding, and returned, on commercial airliners, potentially exposing hundreds of people to the frequently fatal disease.
He now is being treated at a special center in Denver that deals with cases of tuberculosis.
"XDR-TB is a threat to the security and stability of global health. This response plan identifies costs, milestones and priorities for health services that will continue to have an impact beyond its two-year time line," said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan.
The organization is appealing for $2.15 billion in funding to develop a battle plan – and tools – to fight the drug-resistant TB. It is expected that it would save 134,000 lives over two years, and many more in the future.
The extensively drug resistant TB has been reported in 37 countries in all parts of the world since it first was identified in 2006, the agency said.
"There is somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000, we roughly estimate, cases of extensive drug resistant TB each year," Paul Nunn, coordinator of WHO's Stop TB Department, informed a recent meeting.
The program, called "Global MDR-TB and XDR-TB Response Plan 2007-2008" sets out measures needed to prevent, treat and control those threats. MDR-TB is multiple-drug resistant, while XDR-TB is extensively drug resistant.
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30,000 infected annually now, but toll could become 8 million 'time bombs'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 24, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The World Health Organization is appealing for billions of dollars in funding to avert the apocalypse en route if a virtually untreatable form of tuberculosis that already infects 30,000 people a year is left unchecked.
The TB, called XDR-TB for extensively drug resistant, is virtually immune to currently available antibiotics, turning aside the effects of both front-line and secondary drugs, officials have said.
It has been in the news of late because of an American airline passenger, Andrew Speaker, an Atlanta, Ga., lawyer, who was diagnosed, then traveled to Europe for his wedding, and returned, on commercial airliners, potentially exposing hundreds of people to the frequently fatal disease.
He now is being treated at a special center in Denver that deals with cases of tuberculosis.
"XDR-TB is a threat to the security and stability of global health. This response plan identifies costs, milestones and priorities for health services that will continue to have an impact beyond its two-year time line," said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan.
The organization is appealing for $2.15 billion in funding to develop a battle plan – and tools – to fight the drug-resistant TB. It is expected that it would save 134,000 lives over two years, and many more in the future.
The extensively drug resistant TB has been reported in 37 countries in all parts of the world since it first was identified in 2006, the agency said.
"There is somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000, we roughly estimate, cases of extensive drug resistant TB each year," Paul Nunn, coordinator of WHO's Stop TB Department, informed a recent meeting.
The program, called "Global MDR-TB and XDR-TB Response Plan 2007-2008" sets out measures needed to prevent, treat and control those threats. MDR-TB is multiple-drug resistant, while XDR-TB is extensively drug resistant.
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Senate Returning to Immigration Bill
Senate Returning to Immigration Bill
Jun 24 11:19 AM US/Eastern
By JIM ABRAMS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senators pushing a new immigration policy appealed Sunday to wavering supporters ahead of renewed debate on securing the borders and dealing with 12 million undocumented immigrants.
A fragile compromise was pulled from the Senate in early June, then resurrected after bipartisan negotiations with the White House. The bill awaits a crucial test vote this week. With several senators distancing themselves from the proposal, the outcome was too close to call.
"We'll see if between the two parties we have 60 votes" needed to keep the bill moving toward a final vote, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D- Calif.
The measure would tighten borders, require workplace verification and create a guest worker program. It also would lay out a way by which the estimated 12 million people illegally in the U.S. could gain legal status and work toward citizenship.
President Bush long has advocated an immigration overhaul. On Saturday, he urged lawmakers to "summon the courage" to support what could be the last major legislative achievement of his presidency. "The status quo is unacceptable," he said in his weekly radio address.
But he faces dissension from fellow Republicans who demand better border security and oppose any policy that suggests amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
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Jun 24 11:19 AM US/Eastern
By JIM ABRAMS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senators pushing a new immigration policy appealed Sunday to wavering supporters ahead of renewed debate on securing the borders and dealing with 12 million undocumented immigrants.
A fragile compromise was pulled from the Senate in early June, then resurrected after bipartisan negotiations with the White House. The bill awaits a crucial test vote this week. With several senators distancing themselves from the proposal, the outcome was too close to call.
"We'll see if between the two parties we have 60 votes" needed to keep the bill moving toward a final vote, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D- Calif.
The measure would tighten borders, require workplace verification and create a guest worker program. It also would lay out a way by which the estimated 12 million people illegally in the U.S. could gain legal status and work toward citizenship.
President Bush long has advocated an immigration overhaul. On Saturday, he urged lawmakers to "summon the courage" to support what could be the last major legislative achievement of his presidency. "The status quo is unacceptable," he said in his weekly radio address.
But he faces dissension from fellow Republicans who demand better border security and oppose any policy that suggests amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
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Bush: Plan has permanent ban for illegals
Bush: Plan has permanent ban for illegals
Uses radio address to lobby for Senate's 'amnesty' idea
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Posted: June 23, 2007
5:00 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
President Bush today offered the promise of a future permanent ban on illegal aliens in the United States – if the U.S. Senate moves forward with a compromise "comprehensive" immigration reform package that was killed earlier.
"Right now, our laws are ineffective and insufficient. For example, crossing the border illegally carries weak penalties. In addition, participation in illegal gangs is not enough to bar admission into our country," he said on his weekly radio address.
"And when we cannot get other countries to accept the return of their citizens who are dangerous criminals, in most cases our government can only detain these aliens for six months before releasing them into society," he said.
"This is unacceptable. The bill before the Senate addresses these problems. Under this bill, those caught crossing illegally will be permanently barred from returning to the United States on a work or tourist visa.
"Under this bill, anyone known to have taken part in illegal gang activity can be denied admission to our country. And under the bill, we will be able to detain aliens who are dangerous criminals until another country accepts their return," he said.
However, it also grants legal status to the estimated 12-20 million illegal aliens already within the United States, and that has generated considerable opposition among Republicans and even some Democrats.
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Uses radio address to lobby for Senate's 'amnesty' idea
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 23, 2007
5:00 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
President Bush today offered the promise of a future permanent ban on illegal aliens in the United States – if the U.S. Senate moves forward with a compromise "comprehensive" immigration reform package that was killed earlier.
"Right now, our laws are ineffective and insufficient. For example, crossing the border illegally carries weak penalties. In addition, participation in illegal gangs is not enough to bar admission into our country," he said on his weekly radio address.
"And when we cannot get other countries to accept the return of their citizens who are dangerous criminals, in most cases our government can only detain these aliens for six months before releasing them into society," he said.
"This is unacceptable. The bill before the Senate addresses these problems. Under this bill, those caught crossing illegally will be permanently barred from returning to the United States on a work or tourist visa.
"Under this bill, anyone known to have taken part in illegal gang activity can be denied admission to our country. And under the bill, we will be able to detain aliens who are dangerous criminals until another country accepts their return," he said.
However, it also grants legal status to the estimated 12-20 million illegal aliens already within the United States, and that has generated considerable opposition among Republicans and even some Democrats.
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Anglican Church of Canada to debate whether to bless same-sex unions
Anglican Church of Canada to debate whether to bless same-sex unions
Jun 23 12:59 PM US/Eastern
WINNIPEG (CP) - Leaders of Canada's third-largest denomination are preparing to vote on an issue that has already divided the country's two million congregants.
The Anglican Church of Canada is holding its General Synod in Winnipeg and is deciding whether to bless the unions of same-sex couples.
The decision could ultimately lead to a split from the worldwide church.
Some of the more conservative Anglican churches have already threatened the U.S. church with expulsion over its blessings of same- sex couples.
A blessing is intended for a couple who have united in a civil ceremony or some other union and is not the same as a marriage.
The debate comes the day after delegates voted in Fred Hiltz from Atlantic Canada as the new head of Canada's Anglicans.
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Jun 23 12:59 PM US/Eastern
WINNIPEG (CP) - Leaders of Canada's third-largest denomination are preparing to vote on an issue that has already divided the country's two million congregants.
The Anglican Church of Canada is holding its General Synod in Winnipeg and is deciding whether to bless the unions of same-sex couples.
The decision could ultimately lead to a split from the worldwide church.
Some of the more conservative Anglican churches have already threatened the U.S. church with expulsion over its blessings of same- sex couples.
A blessing is intended for a couple who have united in a civil ceremony or some other union and is not the same as a marriage.
The debate comes the day after delegates voted in Fred Hiltz from Atlantic Canada as the new head of Canada's Anglicans.
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Bill paves way for Canada's 'disappearance'
Bill paves way for Canada's 'disappearance'
Critics say country moving toward 'deep integration' with U.S.
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Posted: June 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Lawmakers in Canada appear to be paving the way for "deep integration" with the U.S. and Mexico with a proposed measure that advances the controversial Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America promoted by the Bush administration, notes WND columnist Jerome Corsi.
It's an issue Corsi has fully investigated for his newest book, "The Late Great USA."
The conservative minority government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pressing for "The Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement", which would enable a Canadian company to challenge laws in provinces that block the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Murray Dobbin, a Vancouver author and journalist critical of SPP, argued in an article titled, "The Plan to Disappear Canada – 'Deep Integration' comes out of the shadows," the secretive trilateral bureaucratic working groups organized under the auspices of SPP are "harmonizing" virtually every important area of public policy with the U.S., including "defense, foreign policy, energy (they get security, we get greenhouse gases), culture, social policy, tax policy, drug testing and safety and much more."
The proposed legislation would allow companies that believe provincial laws and regulations harm their NAFTA rights to demand up to $5 million in compensatory damages for each violation.
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Critics say country moving toward 'deep integration' with U.S.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Lawmakers in Canada appear to be paving the way for "deep integration" with the U.S. and Mexico with a proposed measure that advances the controversial Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America promoted by the Bush administration, notes WND columnist Jerome Corsi.
It's an issue Corsi has fully investigated for his newest book, "The Late Great USA."
The conservative minority government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pressing for "The Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement", which would enable a Canadian company to challenge laws in provinces that block the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Murray Dobbin, a Vancouver author and journalist critical of SPP, argued in an article titled, "The Plan to Disappear Canada – 'Deep Integration' comes out of the shadows," the secretive trilateral bureaucratic working groups organized under the auspices of SPP are "harmonizing" virtually every important area of public policy with the U.S., including "defense, foreign policy, energy (they get security, we get greenhouse gases), culture, social policy, tax policy, drug testing and safety and much more."
The proposed legislation would allow companies that believe provincial laws and regulations harm their NAFTA rights to demand up to $5 million in compensatory damages for each violation.
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Finally! The full exposé of North American agenda
Finally! The full exposé of North American agenda
Book documents plans for merger of U.S., Mexico, Canada
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
WASHINGTON – Resistance to enforcing immigration laws and border security by political elites in the nation's capital is, at least in part, a result of plans to promote political, social and economic integration of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, charges a new book, "The Late Great USA."
"It's the only context in which the current immigration travesty makes sense," says Jerome Corsi, co-author of the best-selling "Unfit for Command," "and it must be stopped."
Millions of Americans, shocked by the Senate "grand bargain" on immigration that gives the precious gift of legalization to millions of illegal aliens and felons, have taken to the phones to demand no amnesty. But, claims Corsi, there's far more to the current Senate bill – a story documented in shocking detail in "The Late Great USA: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada," published by WND Books.
"Prior to this 'grand bargain' cooked up in a backroom by our so-called representatives, many people had never heard of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, yet several amendments in the Senate bill are designed specifically to further the SPP's agenda," explains Corsi.
In "The Late Great USA," Corsi shows how the SPP, an agreement signed in 2005 by Bush, Paul Martin of Canada and Vicente Fox of Mexico, is nothing less than a full-frontal assault on American sovereignty.
This aim to create a North American Union between the United States, Mexico and Canada is the real reason behind "comprehensive immigration reform."
Says Corsi, "Bush's goal to create a North American Union – with no borders, a shared currency, and utterly no voice for average Americans in their own futures – is the real reason he won't enforce immigration laws."
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Book documents plans for merger of U.S., Mexico, Canada
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
WASHINGTON – Resistance to enforcing immigration laws and border security by political elites in the nation's capital is, at least in part, a result of plans to promote political, social and economic integration of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, charges a new book, "The Late Great USA."
"It's the only context in which the current immigration travesty makes sense," says Jerome Corsi, co-author of the best-selling "Unfit for Command," "and it must be stopped."
Millions of Americans, shocked by the Senate "grand bargain" on immigration that gives the precious gift of legalization to millions of illegal aliens and felons, have taken to the phones to demand no amnesty. But, claims Corsi, there's far more to the current Senate bill – a story documented in shocking detail in "The Late Great USA: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada," published by WND Books.
"Prior to this 'grand bargain' cooked up in a backroom by our so-called representatives, many people had never heard of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, yet several amendments in the Senate bill are designed specifically to further the SPP's agenda," explains Corsi.
In "The Late Great USA," Corsi shows how the SPP, an agreement signed in 2005 by Bush, Paul Martin of Canada and Vicente Fox of Mexico, is nothing less than a full-frontal assault on American sovereignty.
This aim to create a North American Union between the United States, Mexico and Canada is the real reason behind "comprehensive immigration reform."
Says Corsi, "Bush's goal to create a North American Union – with no borders, a shared currency, and utterly no voice for average Americans in their own futures – is the real reason he won't enforce immigration laws."
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Democrats hope to hush Rush
Democrats hope to hush Rush
Feinstein looking at Fairness Doctrine, says talk radio 'overwhelmingly 1 way'
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Posted: June 24, 2007
7:30 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is "looking at" bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, a controversial policy designed to ensure equal time for all political viewpoints on radio, but criticized by many as resulting in the opposite result.
When asked by Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" if she would revive the measure, said, "Well, I'm looking at it, as a matter of fact, Chris, because I think there ought to be an opportunity to present the other side. And unfortunately, talk radio is overwhelmingly one way."
Wallace pointed out, "But the argument would be it's the marketplace, and if liberals want to put on their own talk radio, they can put it on. At this point, they don't seem to be able to find much of a market."
Feinstein responded: "Well, apparently, there have been problems. It is growing. But I do believe in fairness. I remember when there was a fairness doctrine, and I think there was much more serious correct reporting to people."
The Democrat said talk radio tends to be one-sided.
"It also tends to be dwelling in hyperbole. It's explosive. It pushes people to, I think, extreme views without a lot of information."
Among the targets of leftist Democrats is conservative champion Rush Limbaugh, the most-listened to host in the history of talk radio, who has railed against in the Fairness Doctrine for years.
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I have an idea...maybe we can attempt to aim this at TV News Media? Oh wait, that would not work in the liberal's favor, considering that almost all TV News Media is not fair or balanced, and is currently Left/Liberal/Democrat. Talk about not being fair? With conservative's pretty much only having their view point expressed on talk radio and blogs, the liberals now even want to take that away, because it's a threat to them! Why is it a threat? Because like it or not, the majority of Americans lean towards the conservative side, and agree with conservative radio. Unfortunately, not enough speak up nearly as much as the liberals do.
Feinstein looking at Fairness Doctrine, says talk radio 'overwhelmingly 1 way'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 24, 2007
7:30 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is "looking at" bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, a controversial policy designed to ensure equal time for all political viewpoints on radio, but criticized by many as resulting in the opposite result.
When asked by Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" if she would revive the measure, said, "Well, I'm looking at it, as a matter of fact, Chris, because I think there ought to be an opportunity to present the other side. And unfortunately, talk radio is overwhelmingly one way."
Wallace pointed out, "But the argument would be it's the marketplace, and if liberals want to put on their own talk radio, they can put it on. At this point, they don't seem to be able to find much of a market."
Feinstein responded: "Well, apparently, there have been problems. It is growing. But I do believe in fairness. I remember when there was a fairness doctrine, and I think there was much more serious correct reporting to people."
The Democrat said talk radio tends to be one-sided.
"It also tends to be dwelling in hyperbole. It's explosive. It pushes people to, I think, extreme views without a lot of information."
Among the targets of leftist Democrats is conservative champion Rush Limbaugh, the most-listened to host in the history of talk radio, who has railed against in the Fairness Doctrine for years.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
I have an idea...maybe we can attempt to aim this at TV News Media? Oh wait, that would not work in the liberal's favor, considering that almost all TV News Media is not fair or balanced, and is currently Left/Liberal/Democrat. Talk about not being fair? With conservative's pretty much only having their view point expressed on talk radio and blogs, the liberals now even want to take that away, because it's a threat to them! Why is it a threat? Because like it or not, the majority of Americans lean towards the conservative side, and agree with conservative radio. Unfortunately, not enough speak up nearly as much as the liberals do.
Your doctor could put you on no-gun list
Your doctor could put you on no-gun list
Congress fast-tracks plan to let physicians ban weapons ownership
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Naomi Laine
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The House of Representatives has fast-tracked new legislation to "improve" the National Instant Criminal Background Check System by allowing doctors to now decide who can own firearms.
The proposal, H.R. 2640, was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., in the wake of the April tragedy at Virginia Tech, when a gunman shot and killed more than 30 people, then killed himself.
McCarthy, whose own husband was killed in a random shooting on a commuter train in New York City in 1993, introduced the "NICS Improvement Act," which sailed through the House in three days.
The plan is the first congressional effort to curtail gun ownership rights in a decade, but by being put on the fast track was exempted from the ordinary committee hearings and public scrutiny most proposals are sent through.
"Millions of criminal records are not accessible by NICS and millions others are missing critical data," said McCarthy. "Each year, tens of thousands of barred individuals slip through the cracks of the system and gain access to firearms. Simply put, the NICS system must be updated on both the state and federal level."
If the Act passes in the Senate, it would provide grants so states can add the names of criminals to the NICS system, which would label them as unable to own firearms, but it also flags those with medical or psychological issues as unfit to possess a gun.
The plan allows names to be entered into the NICS system based solely on a physician's diagnosis or prescription of a medication: adults who have taken Ritalin and soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would be classified as mentally ill and given the same opportunity to own firearms as convicted felons: None.
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Congress fast-tracks plan to let physicians ban weapons ownership
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Naomi Laine
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The House of Representatives has fast-tracked new legislation to "improve" the National Instant Criminal Background Check System by allowing doctors to now decide who can own firearms.
The proposal, H.R. 2640, was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., in the wake of the April tragedy at Virginia Tech, when a gunman shot and killed more than 30 people, then killed himself.
McCarthy, whose own husband was killed in a random shooting on a commuter train in New York City in 1993, introduced the "NICS Improvement Act," which sailed through the House in three days.
The plan is the first congressional effort to curtail gun ownership rights in a decade, but by being put on the fast track was exempted from the ordinary committee hearings and public scrutiny most proposals are sent through.
"Millions of criminal records are not accessible by NICS and millions others are missing critical data," said McCarthy. "Each year, tens of thousands of barred individuals slip through the cracks of the system and gain access to firearms. Simply put, the NICS system must be updated on both the state and federal level."
If the Act passes in the Senate, it would provide grants so states can add the names of criminals to the NICS system, which would label them as unable to own firearms, but it also flags those with medical or psychological issues as unfit to possess a gun.
The plan allows names to be entered into the NICS system based solely on a physician's diagnosis or prescription of a medication: adults who have taken Ritalin and soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would be classified as mentally ill and given the same opportunity to own firearms as convicted felons: None.
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Ignacio Ramos reported in 'emaciated' condition
Ignacio Ramos reported in 'emaciated' condition
Congressional aide says Border Patrol agent 'languishing in solitary'
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A congressional aide who visited Ignacio Ramos in prison said the convicted Border Patrol agent appeared emaciated, losing more than 30 pounds in solitary confinement.
Ramos, who is appealing his 11-year sentence for the non-lethal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler, has been in a "special housing unit" since he was beaten by inmates in February at the medium-security Federal Correctional Complex in Yazoo City, Miss., said Tara Setmayer, spokeswoman for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.
"He was very happy to see me, but, overall, he was very emotional," Setmayer told WND. "He is demoralized. Languishing in solitary for 135 days takes its toll on anyone."
The men who bloodied Ramos with kicks from steel-toed boots are in the same unit, Setmayer said.
Although the prison tries to make a distinction, she noted, "the protective measures are punitive, so he suffers all of the same restrictions as those there for disciplinary reasons."
A lockdown had been implemented prior to Setmayer's visit June 11, and Ramos had not received a hot meal in two days, Setmayer said.
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Congressional aide says Border Patrol agent 'languishing in solitary'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A congressional aide who visited Ignacio Ramos in prison said the convicted Border Patrol agent appeared emaciated, losing more than 30 pounds in solitary confinement.
Ramos, who is appealing his 11-year sentence for the non-lethal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler, has been in a "special housing unit" since he was beaten by inmates in February at the medium-security Federal Correctional Complex in Yazoo City, Miss., said Tara Setmayer, spokeswoman for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.
"He was very happy to see me, but, overall, he was very emotional," Setmayer told WND. "He is demoralized. Languishing in solitary for 135 days takes its toll on anyone."
The men who bloodied Ramos with kicks from steel-toed boots are in the same unit, Setmayer said.
Although the prison tries to make a distinction, she noted, "the protective measures are punitive, so he suffers all of the same restrictions as those there for disciplinary reasons."
A lockdown had been implemented prior to Setmayer's visit June 11, and Ramos had not received a hot meal in two days, Setmayer said.
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Judge bans word 'rape' at rape trial
Judge bans word 'rape' at rape trial
Defense lawyers say witnesses 'can't reach legal conclusions'
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A California appeals court recently ruled "family values" could be considered "hate speech," but now a judge in Nebraska has gone even further, banning the use of the words "rape" and "sexual assault" during a trial for a man accused of sexual assault.
The new order comes from Jeffre Cheuvront, a district judge in Lancaster County, who granted a defense motion to ban such words. A defense lawyer, Clarence Mock, told the Lincoln Star-Journal those references should be restricted to keep the trial fair.
"Rape" is not even a legal term, he noted. And while "sexual assault" is, that references something only the jury can determine, he said.
"Under the rules of evidence, witnesses can't reach legal conclusions," he told the newspaper.
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Defense lawyers say witnesses 'can't reach legal conclusions'
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A California appeals court recently ruled "family values" could be considered "hate speech," but now a judge in Nebraska has gone even further, banning the use of the words "rape" and "sexual assault" during a trial for a man accused of sexual assault.
The new order comes from Jeffre Cheuvront, a district judge in Lancaster County, who granted a defense motion to ban such words. A defense lawyer, Clarence Mock, told the Lincoln Star-Journal those references should be restricted to keep the trial fair.
"Rape" is not even a legal term, he noted. And while "sexual assault" is, that references something only the jury can determine, he said.
"Under the rules of evidence, witnesses can't reach legal conclusions," he told the newspaper.
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Medical authorities confirm body to be missing Ohio woman
Medical authorities confirm body to be missing Ohio woman
Joe Milicia - Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 24, 2007
AKRON, Ohio - A body found at the end of a dayslong search for a woman nearly nine months pregnant is indeed hers, a medical examiner confirmed Sunday as investigators pieced together the case against the boyfriend accused of killing her.
The body found Saturday in a park was that of 26-year-old Jessie Davis, whose due date was July 3, the Summit County medical examiner's office said. Bobby Cutts Jr., who authorities suspect is the father, is charged with two counts of murder.
The cause of death had not yet been determined, said Lisa Kohler, the Summit County medical examiner. Her office had said it might be difficult to determine the cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition.
The fetus was still in the woman's womb, Kohler said as she left her office Sunday. She declined to comment further. Confirmation of Davis' identity had been announced on a recording from the medical examiner's telephone hotline.
Davis, of Lake Township near Canton, was reported missing after her mother found Davis' 2-year-old son, Blake, home alone, with bedroom furniture toppled and bleach spilled on the floor. Blake gave investigators their first clues, saying: "Mommy was crying. Mommy broke the table. Mommy's in rug."
Thousands of volunteers searched for Davis for several days, while investigators questioned Cutts, 30, a police officer who is Davis' boyfriend and has an estranged wife. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Davis' relatives have said they believed Cutts, of North Canton, was the father of both Blake and the fetus Davis was carrying.
Investigators have refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Davis' body and Cutts' arrest.
There was no immediate response to messages seeking comment Sunday from Davis' family members and Cutts' lawyer. Cutts' pastor, the Rev. C.A. Richmond, declined to comment as he entered a services in Canton on Sunday.
The body was found in an area known as Top O' the World because of its elevation. The area contains a dirt road, a small dirt parking area and a couple of benches overlooking a grassy field.
The body was found in that field, said Roger Riggins, an investigator for the medical examiner's office.
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Joe Milicia - Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 24, 2007
AKRON, Ohio - A body found at the end of a dayslong search for a woman nearly nine months pregnant is indeed hers, a medical examiner confirmed Sunday as investigators pieced together the case against the boyfriend accused of killing her.
The body found Saturday in a park was that of 26-year-old Jessie Davis, whose due date was July 3, the Summit County medical examiner's office said. Bobby Cutts Jr., who authorities suspect is the father, is charged with two counts of murder.
The cause of death had not yet been determined, said Lisa Kohler, the Summit County medical examiner. Her office had said it might be difficult to determine the cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition.
The fetus was still in the woman's womb, Kohler said as she left her office Sunday. She declined to comment further. Confirmation of Davis' identity had been announced on a recording from the medical examiner's telephone hotline.
Davis, of Lake Township near Canton, was reported missing after her mother found Davis' 2-year-old son, Blake, home alone, with bedroom furniture toppled and bleach spilled on the floor. Blake gave investigators their first clues, saying: "Mommy was crying. Mommy broke the table. Mommy's in rug."
Thousands of volunteers searched for Davis for several days, while investigators questioned Cutts, 30, a police officer who is Davis' boyfriend and has an estranged wife. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Davis' relatives have said they believed Cutts, of North Canton, was the father of both Blake and the fetus Davis was carrying.
Investigators have refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Davis' body and Cutts' arrest.
There was no immediate response to messages seeking comment Sunday from Davis' family members and Cutts' lawyer. Cutts' pastor, the Rev. C.A. Richmond, declined to comment as he entered a services in Canton on Sunday.
The body was found in an area known as Top O' the World because of its elevation. The area contains a dirt road, a small dirt parking area and a couple of benches overlooking a grassy field.
The body was found in that field, said Roger Riggins, an investigator for the medical examiner's office.
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Thursday, June 21, 2007
2 girls kicked off Oregon bus for kissing
2 girls kicked off Oregon bus for kissing
William McCall- Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
PORTLAND, Ore.- A transit agency chief apologized Wednesday to two teenage girls who were kicked off a city bus for kissing each other.
The girls, both 14, said a female passenger complained about their kiss. The driver then stopped the bus along the street and forced them off.
"Removing the girls from the bus was not consistent with our policy," said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. "I want to reiterate that we welcome all riders on our system."
The 64-year-old driver also violated company policy that requires operators to call for assistance before removing any minors, TriMet said in a statement.
The driver, an 11-veteran who was not identified, will be disciplined, TriMet officials said, though no details were released.
"TriMet sincerely apologizes to the girls and their families for this incident," Hansen said in the statement.
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William McCall- Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
PORTLAND, Ore.- A transit agency chief apologized Wednesday to two teenage girls who were kicked off a city bus for kissing each other.
The girls, both 14, said a female passenger complained about their kiss. The driver then stopped the bus along the street and forced them off.
"Removing the girls from the bus was not consistent with our policy," said TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen. "I want to reiterate that we welcome all riders on our system."
The 64-year-old driver also violated company policy that requires operators to call for assistance before removing any minors, TriMet said in a statement.
The driver, an 11-veteran who was not identified, will be disciplined, TriMet officials said, though no details were released.
"TriMet sincerely apologizes to the girls and their families for this incident," Hansen said in the statement.
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N.Y. Assembly passes 'gay marriage'
N.Y. Assembly passes 'gay marriage'
by Erin Roach
ALBANY, N.Y. (BP)--New York became only the second state in which a legislative chamber has voted to legalize "gay marriage," as the state Assembly passed a measure by an 85-61 margin June 19 to allow homosexual couples to receive marriage licenses in the state.
The measure won't have any immediate effect, though, because the leader of the Republican-dominated state Senate reiterated his opposition to the bill and said it would not come up for a vote in his chamber before the end of the annual legislative session.
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director for issue analysis with Focus on the Family Action, told Baptist Press New York Assembly members are headed down the wrong road.
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by Erin Roach
ALBANY, N.Y. (BP)--New York became only the second state in which a legislative chamber has voted to legalize "gay marriage," as the state Assembly passed a measure by an 85-61 margin June 19 to allow homosexual couples to receive marriage licenses in the state.
The measure won't have any immediate effect, though, because the leader of the Republican-dominated state Senate reiterated his opposition to the bill and said it would not come up for a vote in his chamber before the end of the annual legislative session.
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director for issue analysis with Focus on the Family Action, told Baptist Press New York Assembly members are headed down the wrong road.
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Colson: Christians must stop 'privatizing' faith
Colson: Christians must stop 'privatizing' faith
Allie Martin
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
Chuck Colson says attacks in America against Christianity are increasing in scope, frequency, and intensity. Christians, he says, must be ready to defend a biblical worldview in an anti-Christian society.
The world is more dangerous today than ever before, says the founder of Prison Fellowship. Colson says Christians -- clergy and laity alike -- must do a better job of engaging the culture and answering the attacks against their faith. In the U.S., he says, that includes being on guard against radical Islam and standing strong in the battle for truth.
"We have a great, fabulous answer, because Christianity has been the most humanizing influence in human history," Colson says. "Christianity is the only belief system open to all people -- rich, poor, black, white, east, west; it's a universal appeal."
In addition, says the ministry founder, it is not a faith that forces itself on people. "It's not an imposition; it is a proposal, because we believe in free will," he explains. "If you look at Christianity, the essence of which is love and grace, it becomes tremendously appealing to people -- and yet, they have this negative stereotype."
Colson believes most Christians cannot defend their faith because the church no longer puts a premium on the defense of biblical truth. "We privatize the faith," he says. "We don't care so much any longer about truth, as we do about therapy.
"You know, when truth retreats in a church, therapy takes over -- [we are more concerned about] how can we make people feel better about themselves. That's not what the church is for," he states. "The church is for worshipping God."
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Allie Martin
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
Chuck Colson says attacks in America against Christianity are increasing in scope, frequency, and intensity. Christians, he says, must be ready to defend a biblical worldview in an anti-Christian society.
The world is more dangerous today than ever before, says the founder of Prison Fellowship. Colson says Christians -- clergy and laity alike -- must do a better job of engaging the culture and answering the attacks against their faith. In the U.S., he says, that includes being on guard against radical Islam and standing strong in the battle for truth.
"We have a great, fabulous answer, because Christianity has been the most humanizing influence in human history," Colson says. "Christianity is the only belief system open to all people -- rich, poor, black, white, east, west; it's a universal appeal."
In addition, says the ministry founder, it is not a faith that forces itself on people. "It's not an imposition; it is a proposal, because we believe in free will," he explains. "If you look at Christianity, the essence of which is love and grace, it becomes tremendously appealing to people -- and yet, they have this negative stereotype."
Colson believes most Christians cannot defend their faith because the church no longer puts a premium on the defense of biblical truth. "We privatize the faith," he says. "We don't care so much any longer about truth, as we do about therapy.
"You know, when truth retreats in a church, therapy takes over -- [we are more concerned about] how can we make people feel better about themselves. That's not what the church is for," he states. "The church is for worshipping God."
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Indonesian Sunday School Teachers Released
Indonesian Sunday School Teachers Released
By Lucille Talusan
CBN News
CWNews.com–--- There's a breakthrough of sorts in another Muslim country where Christians are persecuted.
As CWN News first reported last week, authorities in Idramayu, Indonesia, have released three Christian Sunday school teachers imprisoned since 2005.
Christian World News has been following the story of Rebekka, Ratna, and Etty from the very beginning.
And today, we bring you their happy ending.
Finally! It is a sweet taste of freedom for Etty, Ratna, and Rebekka as they were reunited with their families and friends from church the day after they were released from the Indramayu state prison.
The highlight of the gathering was a thanksgiving service. The three women can't help but be emotional as they praised and worshiped the one true God, who alone can set the captives free.
Of all their loved ones, their young children suffered the most from the long separation from their mothers.
"I was sad when I knew mommy was imprisoned because my mother is a good person," Ester Pangesti, Etty's daughter, said. "All she tried to do was to share the good news to the children."
But sharing the good news from the Bible to their Sunday school class, which included many Muslim children, caught the ire of Islamic extremists.
In 2005, the three Sunday school teachers were convicted of converting Muslim children to Christianity and sentenced to three years in prison.
While in prison, the women shared their faith with fellow inmates. Their good behavior paved the way to an early release on June 8.
The women say they have no regrets because their experience taught them many lessons.
"I know about how to depend on God,” Rebekka Zakaria said. “Before, I was a doctor and I had much money. I never needed help from others. But now I know God can use other people to bless me, to visit me and to take of me. I thank God that he sends me many Christian soldiers around the world to take care of me."
Now that the women are free, their safety is at stake because Islamic radicals are still threatening to attack them.
"Humanly speaking, of course, there is fear, but two years in prison has taught us that God is our only faithful helper and we believe He will always protect us," Etty said.
The women say they'll continue teaching Sunday school, but this time they will be more cautious and wiser.
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By Lucille Talusan
CBN News
CWNews.com–--- There's a breakthrough of sorts in another Muslim country where Christians are persecuted.
As CWN News first reported last week, authorities in Idramayu, Indonesia, have released three Christian Sunday school teachers imprisoned since 2005.
Christian World News has been following the story of Rebekka, Ratna, and Etty from the very beginning.
And today, we bring you their happy ending.
Finally! It is a sweet taste of freedom for Etty, Ratna, and Rebekka as they were reunited with their families and friends from church the day after they were released from the Indramayu state prison.
The highlight of the gathering was a thanksgiving service. The three women can't help but be emotional as they praised and worshiped the one true God, who alone can set the captives free.
Of all their loved ones, their young children suffered the most from the long separation from their mothers.
"I was sad when I knew mommy was imprisoned because my mother is a good person," Ester Pangesti, Etty's daughter, said. "All she tried to do was to share the good news to the children."
But sharing the good news from the Bible to their Sunday school class, which included many Muslim children, caught the ire of Islamic extremists.
In 2005, the three Sunday school teachers were convicted of converting Muslim children to Christianity and sentenced to three years in prison.
While in prison, the women shared their faith with fellow inmates. Their good behavior paved the way to an early release on June 8.
The women say they have no regrets because their experience taught them many lessons.
"I know about how to depend on God,” Rebekka Zakaria said. “Before, I was a doctor and I had much money. I never needed help from others. But now I know God can use other people to bless me, to visit me and to take of me. I thank God that he sends me many Christian soldiers around the world to take care of me."
Now that the women are free, their safety is at stake because Islamic radicals are still threatening to attack them.
"Humanly speaking, of course, there is fear, but two years in prison has taught us that God is our only faithful helper and we believe He will always protect us," Etty said.
The women say they'll continue teaching Sunday school, but this time they will be more cautious and wiser.
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Texas Crowd Kills Passenger in Vehicle That Hit Child (FoxNews)
Texas Crowd Kills Passenger in Vehicle That Hit Child
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
By Sara Bonisteel
Police were searching Wednesday for more than a dozen people who may have been involved in the beating death of a man who was a passenger in a car that struck and injured a child not far from a Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas.
David Rivas Morales died Tuesday from injuries sustained in an assault by an unknown number of black men following the car accident, which occurred in the parking lot of an East Austin apartment complex, police said.
"It doesn't seem to be a hate crime, it really seems to be a spontaneous act resulting from that collision with that child," Harold Piatt, the commander of the Austin Police Department's Robbery Homicide Unit. "We don't know if there were any words exchanged between the driver and the men to start with that escalated this to the assault."
The incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Booker T. Washington apartments, near Rosewood Park, where the city's Juneteenth celebrations were wrapping up, Piatt said.
The driver of the car carrying Morales struck a 3- or 4-year-old girl, apparently prompting the attack.
"The driver, for whatever reason, whether he realized he was involved in the collision or his vehicle forced a stop, got out of the car, got into a confrontation with several men and was assaulted," Piatt said.
Morales came to his aid and was fatally attacked in what police are calling a "spontaneous homicide." He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2007
By Sara Bonisteel
Police were searching Wednesday for more than a dozen people who may have been involved in the beating death of a man who was a passenger in a car that struck and injured a child not far from a Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas.
David Rivas Morales died Tuesday from injuries sustained in an assault by an unknown number of black men following the car accident, which occurred in the parking lot of an East Austin apartment complex, police said.
"It doesn't seem to be a hate crime, it really seems to be a spontaneous act resulting from that collision with that child," Harold Piatt, the commander of the Austin Police Department's Robbery Homicide Unit. "We don't know if there were any words exchanged between the driver and the men to start with that escalated this to the assault."
The incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Booker T. Washington apartments, near Rosewood Park, where the city's Juneteenth celebrations were wrapping up, Piatt said.
The driver of the car carrying Morales struck a 3- or 4-year-old girl, apparently prompting the attack.
"The driver, for whatever reason, whether he realized he was involved in the collision or his vehicle forced a stop, got out of the car, got into a confrontation with several men and was assaulted," Piatt said.
Morales came to his aid and was fatally attacked in what police are calling a "spontaneous homicide." He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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Crowd kills man after car hits child (OneNewsNow)
Crowd kills man after car hits child
Liz Austin Peterson- Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
AUSTIN, Texas- Police on Wednesday were pleading for witnesses to help them track down members of an angry mob that beat a man to death after the car he was riding in apparently struck and injured a child.
Investigators were struggling to piece together what happened Tuesday when David Rivas Morales died defending the driver from members of a crowd. There could have been anywhere from two to 20 attackers, Austin Police Commander Harold Piatt said.
The car in which Morales, 40, was a passenger had entered an apartment complex's parking lot when it struck a 2-year-old boy, Piatt said. The boy was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver got out of the car to check on the child and was confronted by several people, Piatt said. When they attacked the driver, Morales got out of the car to protect the driver and was attacked as well. Police said no guns or knives were used.
The driver got away and is cooperating with investigators. Police identified the child as Michael Hosea Jr.
There were conflicting accounts of how many people were in the area. Police originally estimated 2,000 to 3,000 and a woman who lives at the complex said hundreds who had been at a Juneteenth festival filled the parking lot and street.
But late Wednesday police spokeswoman Toni Chovanetz said only 20 people were in the area where the assault occurred.
Chovanetz also said there was no connection to the nearby city-sponsored festival for Juneteenth, which commemorates Texas slaves getting the word that they had been freed.
Margaret Morales said a young boy came to her door to tell her that her brother was lying on the ground outside. She found David Morales, sprawled on the pavement 100 feet from her townhouse, battered and choking on blood.
She said her mother came running after hearing her screams, but police wouldn't let either of them get close to him.
Police arrived one minute after receiving a 911 call, by which time the beating had stopped, Chovanetz said. But the Morales family complained that medical help was slow in coming.
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Liz Austin Peterson- Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
AUSTIN, Texas- Police on Wednesday were pleading for witnesses to help them track down members of an angry mob that beat a man to death after the car he was riding in apparently struck and injured a child.
Investigators were struggling to piece together what happened Tuesday when David Rivas Morales died defending the driver from members of a crowd. There could have been anywhere from two to 20 attackers, Austin Police Commander Harold Piatt said.
The car in which Morales, 40, was a passenger had entered an apartment complex's parking lot when it struck a 2-year-old boy, Piatt said. The boy was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver got out of the car to check on the child and was confronted by several people, Piatt said. When they attacked the driver, Morales got out of the car to protect the driver and was attacked as well. Police said no guns or knives were used.
The driver got away and is cooperating with investigators. Police identified the child as Michael Hosea Jr.
There were conflicting accounts of how many people were in the area. Police originally estimated 2,000 to 3,000 and a woman who lives at the complex said hundreds who had been at a Juneteenth festival filled the parking lot and street.
But late Wednesday police spokeswoman Toni Chovanetz said only 20 people were in the area where the assault occurred.
Chovanetz also said there was no connection to the nearby city-sponsored festival for Juneteenth, which commemorates Texas slaves getting the word that they had been freed.
Margaret Morales said a young boy came to her door to tell her that her brother was lying on the ground outside. She found David Morales, sprawled on the pavement 100 feet from her townhouse, battered and choking on blood.
She said her mother came running after hearing her screams, but police wouldn't let either of them get close to him.
Police arrived one minute after receiving a 911 call, by which time the beating had stopped, Chovanetz said. But the Morales family complained that medical help was slow in coming.
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A Bible Marathon in Jerusalem
A Bible Marathon in Jerusalem
By Erica Whate
CBN News Guest Writer
June 21, 2007
CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - A Bible-reading marathon was recently held in Jerusalem. The event drew believers from many nations, representing over 20 languages. Together they gathered for a public reading of the entire Bible in the garden of the Narkis Street Baptist House.
Sponsored by the Planning Committee of the International Congregation, the vision arose in the heart of Rodney Stafford, one of the congregation's members. Stafford was moved upon hearing about other Bible marathons that had taken place in Europe. He felt it would be meaningful to host such an event in Jerusalem, the city from which the Gospel went out to the nations.
The reading took several days. What first might have appeared to be a daunting and tedious task caught many participants off guard, their tears evidence of the deep response the Word of God evokes in people's hearts.
But then, a marathon is inherently an emotional event. I always get a lump in my throat watching a marathon runner push that last mile toward the finish line. Likewise, the Bible marathon in Jerusalem was an emotional affair.
Dozens of readers took part: Young and old, those struggling with terminal illness, a young widow with five small children. Everyday people, all dealing with the experiences and challenges that life brings, came together with one voice to read aloud the history of God's salvation and the hope that is yet to come.
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By Erica Whate
CBN News Guest Writer
June 21, 2007
CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - A Bible-reading marathon was recently held in Jerusalem. The event drew believers from many nations, representing over 20 languages. Together they gathered for a public reading of the entire Bible in the garden of the Narkis Street Baptist House.
Sponsored by the Planning Committee of the International Congregation, the vision arose in the heart of Rodney Stafford, one of the congregation's members. Stafford was moved upon hearing about other Bible marathons that had taken place in Europe. He felt it would be meaningful to host such an event in Jerusalem, the city from which the Gospel went out to the nations.
The reading took several days. What first might have appeared to be a daunting and tedious task caught many participants off guard, their tears evidence of the deep response the Word of God evokes in people's hearts.
But then, a marathon is inherently an emotional event. I always get a lump in my throat watching a marathon runner push that last mile toward the finish line. Likewise, the Bible marathon in Jerusalem was an emotional affair.
Dozens of readers took part: Young and old, those struggling with terminal illness, a young widow with five small children. Everyday people, all dealing with the experiences and challenges that life brings, came together with one voice to read aloud the history of God's salvation and the hope that is yet to come.
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Texas sting shows states pursuing MySpace predators
Texas sting shows states pursuing MySpace predators
Ed Thomas
OneNewsNow.com
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says MySpace.com is the largest social networking site in the world, making it a magnet for sexual predators -- which is why he says the state's Cyber Crimes and Fugitives units set up the crackdown that resulted in last week's announced arrest of seven sex offenders with registered profiles on the site.
According to Abbott, MySpace complied with a subpoena requesting subscriber information from background checks the site conducted on them, and the resulting data led Texas authorities to the seven men after a two-week operation. "We ordered MySpace.com to provide us information detailing all registered sex offenders who had established a profile on MySpace.com," the attorney general explains.
Abbott says the history of one of the men arrested, Patrick Blevins, is a typical example of the urgency to protect online users from possible sexual predators using online social networking sites.
"The arrest of Mr. Blevins demonstrates the magnitude and the urgency of the situation we are dealing with," the Texas official states. "He is a habitual sex offender with multiple arrests in two states for sexual misdeeds."
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Ed Thomas
OneNewsNow.com
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says MySpace.com is the largest social networking site in the world, making it a magnet for sexual predators -- which is why he says the state's Cyber Crimes and Fugitives units set up the crackdown that resulted in last week's announced arrest of seven sex offenders with registered profiles on the site.
According to Abbott, MySpace complied with a subpoena requesting subscriber information from background checks the site conducted on them, and the resulting data led Texas authorities to the seven men after a two-week operation. "We ordered MySpace.com to provide us information detailing all registered sex offenders who had established a profile on MySpace.com," the attorney general explains.
Abbott says the history of one of the men arrested, Patrick Blevins, is a typical example of the urgency to protect online users from possible sexual predators using online social networking sites.
"The arrest of Mr. Blevins demonstrates the magnitude and the urgency of the situation we are dealing with," the Texas official states. "He is a habitual sex offender with multiple arrests in two states for sexual misdeeds."
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U.S. nuclear envoy visits North Korea
U.S. nuclear envoy visits North Korea
Jae-Soon Chang- Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
SEOUL, South Korea- The chief U.S. nuclear envoy made a rare trip to North Korea on Thursday in a surprise bid to accelerate international efforts to press the communist government to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Christopher Hill's trip came ahead of the expected resumption of six-nation talks next month following the resolution of a key financial dispute that had blocked progress.
The trip is Hill's first to North Korea, as well as the first by a U.S. nuclear envoy since the latest crisis with the North over its nuclear development began in late 2002.
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Jae-Soon Chang- Associated Press Writer
OneNewsNow.com
June 21, 2007
SEOUL, South Korea- The chief U.S. nuclear envoy made a rare trip to North Korea on Thursday in a surprise bid to accelerate international efforts to press the communist government to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Christopher Hill's trip came ahead of the expected resumption of six-nation talks next month following the resolution of a key financial dispute that had blocked progress.
The trip is Hill's first to North Korea, as well as the first by a U.S. nuclear envoy since the latest crisis with the North over its nuclear development began in late 2002.
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Baptists Strategize on Homosexuality
Baptists Strategize on Homosexuality
Associated Press
June 21, 2007
CBNNews.com - SAN ANTONIO - The Southern Baptist Convention has created a new job of national strategist on gender issues to work with gays and lesbians who want to overcome their homosexuality.
The Reverend Bob Stith started the new job on June first.
At the denomination's annual meeting last week, Stith said he wants to equip churches to bring men and women "to wholeness in Jesus Christ" so that "this temptation doesn't dominate their life."
Several evangelical groups, including Exodus International and Focus on the Family, run programs teaching that homosexuality is a sin that can be overcome.
Gay rights groups and many medical professionals say faith-based programs advocating "reparative therapy" for gays and lesbians are dangerous to patients.
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Associated Press
June 21, 2007
CBNNews.com - SAN ANTONIO - The Southern Baptist Convention has created a new job of national strategist on gender issues to work with gays and lesbians who want to overcome their homosexuality.
The Reverend Bob Stith started the new job on June first.
At the denomination's annual meeting last week, Stith said he wants to equip churches to bring men and women "to wholeness in Jesus Christ" so that "this temptation doesn't dominate their life."
Several evangelical groups, including Exodus International and Focus on the Family, run programs teaching that homosexuality is a sin that can be overcome.
Gay rights groups and many medical professionals say faith-based programs advocating "reparative therapy" for gays and lesbians are dangerous to patients.
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State education chief pushes 'gay' pornfest
State education chief pushes 'gay' pornfest
Board member calls comments an 'in your face' problem
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Posted: June 21, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
California Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, under whose supervision hundreds of thousands of children are being educated, has used his state position and taxpayer-funded stationery to praise a "gay" pride event that has been used in the past to expose children to sexually explicit activities.
"As a school board member who cares about academics and the success of all students, I want to know how Mr. O'Connell's letter has anything to do with public education and instruction," said Priscilla Schreiber, the president of the Grossmont Unified High School District governing board.
"I am outraged that a person in this high-ranking elected position would advocate an event where diversity is not just being celebrated, but where pornography and indecent exposure is being perpetrated on the young and innocent children of our communities," she said.
O'Connell's letter to Mike Karim, of the San Diego LGBT Pride, notes that it is "with great pleasure that I offer my support for the 2007 celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Awareness Festival. I am truly honored to recognize an endeavor that promotes equality and respect in our communities."
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Board member calls comments an 'in your face' problem
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Posted: June 21, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
California Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, under whose supervision hundreds of thousands of children are being educated, has used his state position and taxpayer-funded stationery to praise a "gay" pride event that has been used in the past to expose children to sexually explicit activities.
"As a school board member who cares about academics and the success of all students, I want to know how Mr. O'Connell's letter has anything to do with public education and instruction," said Priscilla Schreiber, the president of the Grossmont Unified High School District governing board.
"I am outraged that a person in this high-ranking elected position would advocate an event where diversity is not just being celebrated, but where pornography and indecent exposure is being perpetrated on the young and innocent children of our communities," she said.
O'Connell's letter to Mike Karim, of the San Diego LGBT Pride, notes that it is "with great pleasure that I offer my support for the 2007 celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Awareness Festival. I am truly honored to recognize an endeavor that promotes equality and respect in our communities."
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Planned Parenthood accused in woman's death
Planned Parenthood accused in woman's death
Lawsuit says clinic worker triggered 'raging systemic infection'
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A lawsuit has been filed against Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties for the death of a woman who died of toxic shock syndrome after a clinic worker found – but did not treat – a serious infection.
The medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit has been brought by Aletheia Meloncon, whose 21-year-old daughter, Edrica Goode, died on Valentine's Day of this year. The Riverside County coroner, in fact, concluded that Goode died of "toxic shock syndrome secondary to retained laminaria cervical dilators."
The case is being handled by Jack M. Schuler, the senior trial lawyer for the Schuler and Brown law firm. He is a trial specialist and has handled cases of personal injury, wrongful death, product liability and intellectual property disputes.
He said the situation goes beyond an ordinary malpractice or negligent death case, because it has happened before.
"Any health care provider in California is required to make a report to [the state] about any unusual occurrences. This is the third death of a Planned Parenthood patient within the last few years they haven't bothered to report. In fact, they were even cited by the California Department of Health for that failure, and agreed a few years ago to correct their manner of doing business."
"I believe that takes it out of the area of negligence and into potential concealment," he told WND.
The problem was the "seaweed stick cervical dilators" used by Planned Parenthood in preparation for an abortion. They are inserted into the vagina to dilate for the abortion procedure as well as to remove the unborn child.
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Lawsuit says clinic worker triggered 'raging systemic infection'
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A lawsuit has been filed against Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties for the death of a woman who died of toxic shock syndrome after a clinic worker found – but did not treat – a serious infection.
The medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit has been brought by Aletheia Meloncon, whose 21-year-old daughter, Edrica Goode, died on Valentine's Day of this year. The Riverside County coroner, in fact, concluded that Goode died of "toxic shock syndrome secondary to retained laminaria cervical dilators."
The case is being handled by Jack M. Schuler, the senior trial lawyer for the Schuler and Brown law firm. He is a trial specialist and has handled cases of personal injury, wrongful death, product liability and intellectual property disputes.
He said the situation goes beyond an ordinary malpractice or negligent death case, because it has happened before.
"Any health care provider in California is required to make a report to [the state] about any unusual occurrences. This is the third death of a Planned Parenthood patient within the last few years they haven't bothered to report. In fact, they were even cited by the California Department of Health for that failure, and agreed a few years ago to correct their manner of doing business."
"I believe that takes it out of the area of negligence and into potential concealment," he told WND.
The problem was the "seaweed stick cervical dilators" used by Planned Parenthood in preparation for an abortion. They are inserted into the vagina to dilate for the abortion procedure as well as to remove the unborn child.
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Bush signs order for 'questionable' stem cells
Bush Signs Executive Order Encouraging Ethically Questionable "Pluripotent Stem-cell Research"
By John Jalsevac
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While President Bush pleased pro-life advocates today by proving willing once again to defend human life by vetoing a bill that would have allowed federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, he has also left them scratching their heads after he simultaneously issued an executive order in support of so-called "pluripotent" stem-cell research, which some argue is nothing more than embryonic stem cell research under a different name.
The scientifically complex--and consequently, seemingly morally muddy--source of stem-cells known as pluripotent stem-cells involves "reprogramming" adult cells to act like embryonic stem-cells through a process called "altered nuclear transfer" (ANT).
However, while many pro-life advocates have welcomed this type of research as a way to avoid the creation and destruction of embryos while still being able to reap the possible benefits that embryo-type cells could yield, other pro-life ethicists and scientists have argued that, as it is currently being practiced, pluripotent stem-cell research just amounts to the same thing as embryonic stem-cell research, except with a few more steps thrown in and a different name.
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By John Jalsevac
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While President Bush pleased pro-life advocates today by proving willing once again to defend human life by vetoing a bill that would have allowed federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, he has also left them scratching their heads after he simultaneously issued an executive order in support of so-called "pluripotent" stem-cell research, which some argue is nothing more than embryonic stem cell research under a different name.
The scientifically complex--and consequently, seemingly morally muddy--source of stem-cells known as pluripotent stem-cells involves "reprogramming" adult cells to act like embryonic stem-cells through a process called "altered nuclear transfer" (ANT).
However, while many pro-life advocates have welcomed this type of research as a way to avoid the creation and destruction of embryos while still being able to reap the possible benefits that embryo-type cells could yield, other pro-life ethicists and scientists have argued that, as it is currently being practiced, pluripotent stem-cell research just amounts to the same thing as embryonic stem-cell research, except with a few more steps thrown in and a different name.
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Arabs squat on Jewish property by Temple Mount
Arabs squat on Jewish property by Temple Mount
Strategic complex accesses entrance leading to Jerusalem's Western Wall
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Posted: June 21, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM – Arab squatters are living illegally in a strategic Jewish-owned apartment complex accessing an entrance leading to Jerusalem's Western Wall and Temple Mount, WND has learned.
The apartment in question was purchased by a Jewish organization that collects hundreds of millions of dollars in Jewish donor funds for the stated purpose of Jewish settlement.
The Jewish National Fund, or JNF, seemingly has done little to boot the Arab squatters from its property and has turned down offers from other Jewish groups to purchase the strategic apartment for Jews to live in.
The apartment in question is located just inside Herod's Gate, one of eight gates that access Jerusalem's Old City and the walkways to the Western Wall and Temple Mount. The property is about 3,300 square feet and is considered strategic since it comprises the archway accessing the path in the area to the Temple Mount.
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Strategic complex accesses entrance leading to Jerusalem's Western Wall
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Posted: June 21, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM – Arab squatters are living illegally in a strategic Jewish-owned apartment complex accessing an entrance leading to Jerusalem's Western Wall and Temple Mount, WND has learned.
The apartment in question was purchased by a Jewish organization that collects hundreds of millions of dollars in Jewish donor funds for the stated purpose of Jewish settlement.
The Jewish National Fund, or JNF, seemingly has done little to boot the Arab squatters from its property and has turned down offers from other Jewish groups to purchase the strategic apartment for Jews to live in.
The apartment in question is located just inside Herod's Gate, one of eight gates that access Jerusalem's Old City and the walkways to the Western Wall and Temple Mount. The property is about 3,300 square feet and is considered strategic since it comprises the archway accessing the path in the area to the Temple Mount.
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The terrorists even terrorists won't talk to
Abbas rejects talks with Hamas 'terrorists'
June 21, 2007
PALESTINIAN president Mahmoud Abbas today delivered a withering attack on Hamas in his first public speech since the Islamists' takeover of Gaza, and ruled out any dialogue with them.
Mr Abbas accused Hamas of carrying out killings against his security forces "unprecedented" in Palestinian history and plotting its takeover at the behest of foreign powers.
He said the Islamists had given Israel an "excuse to punish an entire people" and even accused the group with which he uneasily shared power for 15 months of having plotted to kill him.
"It was a premeditated plan agreed between Hamas leaders in Gaza and abroad, with foreign elements from the region," he said of the Islamists' seizure of control in the territory last Friday after a week of ferocious fighting.
"No dialogue with putschists, murderers and terrorists," he thundered in an address to a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, of which he is chairman but of which Hamas is not a member.
Mr Abbas strongly defended his decision to dismiss the Hamas-led national unity government last Thursday and swear in an emergency cabinet at the weekend that Hamas has dismissed as an illegitimate lackey of Israel and the US.
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June 21, 2007
PALESTINIAN president Mahmoud Abbas today delivered a withering attack on Hamas in his first public speech since the Islamists' takeover of Gaza, and ruled out any dialogue with them.
Mr Abbas accused Hamas of carrying out killings against his security forces "unprecedented" in Palestinian history and plotting its takeover at the behest of foreign powers.
He said the Islamists had given Israel an "excuse to punish an entire people" and even accused the group with which he uneasily shared power for 15 months of having plotted to kill him.
"It was a premeditated plan agreed between Hamas leaders in Gaza and abroad, with foreign elements from the region," he said of the Islamists' seizure of control in the territory last Friday after a week of ferocious fighting.
"No dialogue with putschists, murderers and terrorists," he thundered in an address to a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, of which he is chairman but of which Hamas is not a member.
Mr Abbas strongly defended his decision to dismiss the Hamas-led national unity government last Thursday and swear in an emergency cabinet at the weekend that Hamas has dismissed as an illegitimate lackey of Israel and the US.
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Revived illegals bill 'security nightmare'
Revived illegals bill 'security nightmare'
AG's ex-chief immigration adviser says it makes life in U.S. easier for terrorists
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The recasting of the Senate's immigration reform bill as national security legislation is a farce, contends a former chief adviser to the U.S. attorney general, arguing the plan offers alien terrorists easier ways to obtain legal status and carry out attacks on Americans.
"The top priority in this bill is extending amnesty as quickly and easily as possible to as many illegal aliens as possible," writes Kris W. Kobach, professor of law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. "The cost of doing so is to jeopardize national security."
Kobach, former chief adviser on immigration law to Attorney General John Ashcroft, contends it's a "certainty that many more illegal alien terrorists are quietly at work in the United States."
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AG's ex-chief immigration adviser says it makes life in U.S. easier for terrorists
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The recasting of the Senate's immigration reform bill as national security legislation is a farce, contends a former chief adviser to the U.S. attorney general, arguing the plan offers alien terrorists easier ways to obtain legal status and carry out attacks on Americans.
"The top priority in this bill is extending amnesty as quickly and easily as possible to as many illegal aliens as possible," writes Kris W. Kobach, professor of law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. "The cost of doing so is to jeopardize national security."
Kobach, former chief adviser on immigration law to Attorney General John Ashcroft, contends it's a "certainty that many more illegal alien terrorists are quietly at work in the United States."
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
Want to see Porn? Free Pornography...is it a problem?
Do you think Porn is a problem? Are you tempted to look at porn?
Some people say Porn destroys family's & divides homes. Some people say it is perfectly okay to look, as long as you are not doing the act with a real person.
To fairly judge, we have to look at the source, the only true source...
Click here if you want to see porn! (Warning...suitable for most ages!)
Then decide if you will pursue this sin, or walk away and cling to the Cross!
Some people say Porn destroys family's & divides homes. Some people say it is perfectly okay to look, as long as you are not doing the act with a real person.
To fairly judge, we have to look at the source, the only true source...
Click here if you want to see porn! (Warning...suitable for most ages!)
Then decide if you will pursue this sin, or walk away and cling to the Cross!
Islamic pressure in Paris forces evangelical congregation to vacate building
Islamic pressure in Paris forces evangelical congregation to vacate building
Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
After a long struggle against Islamic intimidation, an evangelical church in the outskirts of Paris has been forced to vacate the 1,000-square-foot facility where it had been meeting.
The Temple de Paris Church has been located in the Paris suburb of Bagnolet. Christine Thabot, the wife of the pastor, says Muslims have been trying to get rid of them since 2005, but local authorities had permitted the church to remain in the facility, paying 8,000 euros a month (~ $9,400 U.S.) in rent.
According to Thabot, the Muslims changed their strategy. "They attacked our owner this time," she explains. "They took up the case and [told him he was] not allowed to have this church open -- and on Friday we [were told] that we had to get out of our premises."
Thabot says Temple de Paris Church has been unable to secure another worship center. "For an evangelical or Protestant church, it is almost next to impossible to buy or to rent any premises," she says. "As soon as they find out you are a church, there is nothing open to us."
Thabot says many churches in the area have been closed and have had similar difficulties in securing new facilities. But she claims Muslims can secure property for building a mosque simply by paying one euro to the authorities.
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Chad Groening
OneNewsNow.com
After a long struggle against Islamic intimidation, an evangelical church in the outskirts of Paris has been forced to vacate the 1,000-square-foot facility where it had been meeting.
The Temple de Paris Church has been located in the Paris suburb of Bagnolet. Christine Thabot, the wife of the pastor, says Muslims have been trying to get rid of them since 2005, but local authorities had permitted the church to remain in the facility, paying 8,000 euros a month (~ $9,400 U.S.) in rent.
According to Thabot, the Muslims changed their strategy. "They attacked our owner this time," she explains. "They took up the case and [told him he was] not allowed to have this church open -- and on Friday we [were told] that we had to get out of our premises."
Thabot says Temple de Paris Church has been unable to secure another worship center. "For an evangelical or Protestant church, it is almost next to impossible to buy or to rent any premises," she says. "As soon as they find out you are a church, there is nothing open to us."
Thabot says many churches in the area have been closed and have had similar difficulties in securing new facilities. But she claims Muslims can secure property for building a mosque simply by paying one euro to the authorities.
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Gays aim to expand Massachusetts 'marriages'
Gays aim to expand Massachusetts 'marriages'
By Cheryl Wetzstein
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 17, 2007
The defeat of a Massachusetts marriage amendment last week may re-energize efforts to repeal a law blocking same-sex couples from out of state from "marrying" there, warns the leader of a group that seeks to protect marriage in the U.S. Constitution.
The larger goal of homosexual-rights activists has always been to redefine marriage at the national level, said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage.
If Massachusetts lawmakers repeal the legal barrier to marriage in their state, same-sex couples from across the nation will travel there, get "married" and sue in federal court to strike down any laws or state amendments in their home states that protect traditional marriage, Mr. Daniels said. The goal, he added, is to make Massachusetts' same-sex "marriage" policy "the new social norm for America."
Massachusetts has allowed same-sex "marriage" since a 2003 court ruling; however, a 1913 law blocks couples from marrying in Massachusetts if they cannot marry in their home states. Because no other state allows same-sex "marriage," this law has effectively restricted same-sex "marriage" to couples who live in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, the state legislature voted 151-45 to kill a citizen-supported amendment aimed at ending same-sex "marriage." Lawmakers are expected to move quickly to strike the 1913 law, Mr. Daniels said, adding that the Democrat-led Congress is unlikely to do anything to discourage the de facto opening of same-sex "marriage" to the nation.
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By Cheryl Wetzstein
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 17, 2007
The defeat of a Massachusetts marriage amendment last week may re-energize efforts to repeal a law blocking same-sex couples from out of state from "marrying" there, warns the leader of a group that seeks to protect marriage in the U.S. Constitution.
The larger goal of homosexual-rights activists has always been to redefine marriage at the national level, said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage.
If Massachusetts lawmakers repeal the legal barrier to marriage in their state, same-sex couples from across the nation will travel there, get "married" and sue in federal court to strike down any laws or state amendments in their home states that protect traditional marriage, Mr. Daniels said. The goal, he added, is to make Massachusetts' same-sex "marriage" policy "the new social norm for America."
Massachusetts has allowed same-sex "marriage" since a 2003 court ruling; however, a 1913 law blocks couples from marrying in Massachusetts if they cannot marry in their home states. Because no other state allows same-sex "marriage," this law has effectively restricted same-sex "marriage" to couples who live in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, the state legislature voted 151-45 to kill a citizen-supported amendment aimed at ending same-sex "marriage." Lawmakers are expected to move quickly to strike the 1913 law, Mr. Daniels said, adding that the Democrat-led Congress is unlikely to do anything to discourage the de facto opening of same-sex "marriage" to the nation.
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Southwest Airlines stands by sponsorship of DC 'homosexual pride' event
Southwest Airlines stands by sponsorship of DC 'homosexual pride' event
Jim Brown
OneNewsNow.com
Southwest Airlines is defending its recent sponsorship of a homosexual pride celebration in Washington, DC, last weekend. The airline says it has no regrets about its decision.
Southwest Airlines and SunTrust Banks were among the corporate sponsors for the Capital Pride Festival, an event in which homosexuals took to the streets to demand what they call "full legal and social equality" -- namely the legalization of same-sex "marriage." The Family Research Council criticized the sponsors, arguing it was an "irrational business decision" to "put their name and their money behind radical homosexual activities."
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Jim Brown
OneNewsNow.com
Southwest Airlines is defending its recent sponsorship of a homosexual pride celebration in Washington, DC, last weekend. The airline says it has no regrets about its decision.
Southwest Airlines and SunTrust Banks were among the corporate sponsors for the Capital Pride Festival, an event in which homosexuals took to the streets to demand what they call "full legal and social equality" -- namely the legalization of same-sex "marriage." The Family Research Council criticized the sponsors, arguing it was an "irrational business decision" to "put their name and their money behind radical homosexual activities."
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State lawmakers coerced into derailing marriage amendment, says Mass. activist
State lawmakers coerced into derailing marriage amendment, says Mass. activist
A Massachusetts pro-family leader says homosexual activists "brought in the big guns" to lobby enough state representatives to prevent citizens from voting on a marriage amendment.
Massachusetts lawmakers have blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that would have let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage in the only state that allows it. The proposal, which sought to change the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, needed 50 votes to advance to the 2008 statewide ballot. It received only 45, with 151 lawmakers opposed.
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A Massachusetts pro-family leader says homosexual activists "brought in the big guns" to lobby enough state representatives to prevent citizens from voting on a marriage amendment.
Massachusetts lawmakers have blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that would have let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage in the only state that allows it. The proposal, which sought to change the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage, needed 50 votes to advance to the 2008 statewide ballot. It received only 45, with 151 lawmakers opposed.
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BBC network admits it: We're biased toward left
BBC network admits it: We're biased toward left
Acknowledges failure to offer debate due to inherent liberal culture of staff
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Posted: June 17, 2007
10:50 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation, has acknowledged the network is biased toward the left, following a report commissioned by the company.
A yearlong probe revealed the corporation especially partial in its treatment of single-issue politics such as climate change, poverty, race and religion, according to the London Times.
"It concludes that the bias has extended across drama, comedy and entertainment, with the corporation pandering to politically motivated celebrities and trendy causes," the paper said.
The report cites the danger of BBC programs being undermined by the liberal culture of its staff, who need to challenge their own assumptions more.
"There is a tendency to 'group think' with too many staff inhabiting a shared space and comfort zone," says the report.
It notes staff tend to mimic each other's common left-leaning values.
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Acknowledges failure to offer debate due to inherent liberal culture of staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 17, 2007
10:50 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation, has acknowledged the network is biased toward the left, following a report commissioned by the company.
A yearlong probe revealed the corporation especially partial in its treatment of single-issue politics such as climate change, poverty, race and religion, according to the London Times.
"It concludes that the bias has extended across drama, comedy and entertainment, with the corporation pandering to politically motivated celebrities and trendy causes," the paper said.
The report cites the danger of BBC programs being undermined by the liberal culture of its staff, who need to challenge their own assumptions more.
"There is a tendency to 'group think' with too many staff inhabiting a shared space and comfort zone," says the report.
It notes staff tend to mimic each other's common left-leaning values.
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Tancredo pulls plug on 'sanctuary cities'
Tancredo pulls plug on 'sanctuary cities'
Even Democrats throw support behind amendment to nix funds to local governments shielding illegals
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The eighth time was a charm for Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., when the House passed his amendment to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill yesterday to withhold federal emergency-services funding from "sanctuary cities" that protect illegal aliens.
The 234-to-189 tally included 50 Democrats voting in favor.
"The issue has come to fruition," Tancredo told the Rocky Mountain News. "The people of the country really have spoken. It's a really good indicator of just how much closer to the people the House is than the Senate is."
Tancredo has offered the similar amendments at least seven times since 2004 and all have failed, some by wide margins.
The amendment passed yesterday does not include a definition of "sanctuary city." The Homeland Security appropriations bill now goes to the Senate.
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Even Democrats throw support behind amendment to nix funds to local governments shielding illegals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The eighth time was a charm for Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., when the House passed his amendment to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill yesterday to withhold federal emergency-services funding from "sanctuary cities" that protect illegal aliens.
The 234-to-189 tally included 50 Democrats voting in favor.
"The issue has come to fruition," Tancredo told the Rocky Mountain News. "The people of the country really have spoken. It's a really good indicator of just how much closer to the people the House is than the Senate is."
Tancredo has offered the similar amendments at least seven times since 2004 and all have failed, some by wide margins.
The amendment passed yesterday does not include a definition of "sanctuary city." The Homeland Security appropriations bill now goes to the Senate.
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Police Searching for Missing Pregnant Woman in Ohio
Police Searching for Missing Pregnant Woman in Ohio
Sunday, June 17, 2007
By Sara Bonisteel
Ohio police are searching for a missing pregnant woman Sunday after her mother found the woman's 2-year-old son alone last week in her Lake Township, Ohio, home.
Jessie Marie Davis, 26, of North Canton, Ohio, was last heard from Wednesday, when she spoke to her mother, Patty Porter, by cell phone, Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson said. Davis is nine-months pregnant.
Authorities planned to canvas the neighborhood Sunday afternoon.
"At this point it's just very frightening because they don't have any actual suspects," said Jane Davis, the missing woman's sister. "They're just looking for any possible clues at this point."
Porter discovered her daughter missing Friday morning, when she found her 2-year-old grandson home alone.
"I said ... 'Where's Mommy?'" Porter said. "And he just said 'Mommy broke the table, and Mommy's in the rug.'"
Davis' house showed no sign of forced entry, but her cell phone, comforter and sheets were missing from the residence, Swanson said. Her purse and vehicle were found at the home.
"The mattress was partially off the bed and the nightstand was knocked over and the lamp was knocked over and somebody had poured bleach all over the floor," Porter said.
Jane Davis told FOX News that it appeared her sister had been missing for a day to a day and a half before her mother discovered the 2-year-old.
"She would never have left her son," Jane Davis told FOX News. "She is the greatest, greatest mother, and he is her whole life, and she would never ever have left him there by himself, even for a minute."
The father of Jessie Marie Davis' toddler and unborn child is a Canton, Ohio, police officer, her sister said. He is also married to another woman.
Both he and his wife, from whom he separated in February, have been questioned and are not suspects, they said.
"At this point he's doing everything he needs to do to cooperate with police to help us find her," Davis told FOX News.
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
By Sara Bonisteel
Ohio police are searching for a missing pregnant woman Sunday after her mother found the woman's 2-year-old son alone last week in her Lake Township, Ohio, home.
Jessie Marie Davis, 26, of North Canton, Ohio, was last heard from Wednesday, when she spoke to her mother, Patty Porter, by cell phone, Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson said. Davis is nine-months pregnant.
Authorities planned to canvas the neighborhood Sunday afternoon.
"At this point it's just very frightening because they don't have any actual suspects," said Jane Davis, the missing woman's sister. "They're just looking for any possible clues at this point."
Porter discovered her daughter missing Friday morning, when she found her 2-year-old grandson home alone.
"I said ... 'Where's Mommy?'" Porter said. "And he just said 'Mommy broke the table, and Mommy's in the rug.'"
Davis' house showed no sign of forced entry, but her cell phone, comforter and sheets were missing from the residence, Swanson said. Her purse and vehicle were found at the home.
"The mattress was partially off the bed and the nightstand was knocked over and the lamp was knocked over and somebody had poured bleach all over the floor," Porter said.
Jane Davis told FOX News that it appeared her sister had been missing for a day to a day and a half before her mother discovered the 2-year-old.
"She would never have left her son," Jane Davis told FOX News. "She is the greatest, greatest mother, and he is her whole life, and she would never ever have left him there by himself, even for a minute."
The father of Jessie Marie Davis' toddler and unborn child is a Canton, Ohio, police officer, her sister said. He is also married to another woman.
Both he and his wife, from whom he separated in February, have been questioned and are not suspects, they said.
"At this point he's doing everything he needs to do to cooperate with police to help us find her," Davis told FOX News.
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Christian teen debaters think, speak on their feet
Christian teen debaters think, speak on their feet
500 homeschoolers from 34 states compete in national championship
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
BELTON, Texas – In stifling central Texas heat, and amid raging thunderstorms and tornado warnings, hundreds of well-dressed, well-coifed, homeschooled teenagers from 34 states competed in the national championships in debate and speech with top winners coming from as far as California and Virginia.
It was the culmination of a year of local and regional tournaments around the country for the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association – a growing organization producing articulate young citizens and highly sought-after recruits for some of the nation's top colleges.
The NCFCA debate league was founded in 1995 by Christy Shipe and her father, Michael P. Farris, head of the Home School Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, and chancellor of Patrick Henry College. Shipe saw a need for a forum in which homeschoolers could participate in competitive forensics and collaborated with her father for a solution.
The solution took the form of a league specifically designed for homeschooled students, and was originally called the "HSLDA Debate League." The league was fathered by Farris' organization at its inception, but when it began to take on its own identity due to exponential growth, Shipe and Farris knew it was time for the organization to mature. It was separated from HSLDA and renamed the "National Christian Forensics and Communications Association" in 2001.
In the last five years, according to NCFCA President Michael Larimer, the number of participating families has tripled. The organization now retains over 2,000 affiliate families. As each family often contains multiple participants, the real number of competitors is closer to 5,000, with clubs and debaters located in 45 states across 10 regions.
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500 homeschoolers from 34 states compete in national championship
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
BELTON, Texas – In stifling central Texas heat, and amid raging thunderstorms and tornado warnings, hundreds of well-dressed, well-coifed, homeschooled teenagers from 34 states competed in the national championships in debate and speech with top winners coming from as far as California and Virginia.
It was the culmination of a year of local and regional tournaments around the country for the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association – a growing organization producing articulate young citizens and highly sought-after recruits for some of the nation's top colleges.
The NCFCA debate league was founded in 1995 by Christy Shipe and her father, Michael P. Farris, head of the Home School Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, and chancellor of Patrick Henry College. Shipe saw a need for a forum in which homeschoolers could participate in competitive forensics and collaborated with her father for a solution.
The solution took the form of a league specifically designed for homeschooled students, and was originally called the "HSLDA Debate League." The league was fathered by Farris' organization at its inception, but when it began to take on its own identity due to exponential growth, Shipe and Farris knew it was time for the organization to mature. It was separated from HSLDA and renamed the "National Christian Forensics and Communications Association" in 2001.
In the last five years, according to NCFCA President Michael Larimer, the number of participating families has tripled. The organization now retains over 2,000 affiliate families. As each family often contains multiple participants, the real number of competitors is closer to 5,000, with clubs and debaters located in 45 states across 10 regions.
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Wrist slap for 'Have sex, take drugs' school seminar
Wrist slap for 'Have sex, take drugs' school seminar
But officials rebuff request from legislature for dismissals
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Some Boulder, Colo., High School officials have been given a "reprimand" for setting up and taking students as young as 14 to a seminar in which the children were told to "have sex, do drugs," but a request from the state legislature for further action has been turned down.
Helayne Jones, the president of the Boulder Valley District School Board, read a letter at a public meeting on the issue stating that "actions" were taken on the complaints the seminar generated, and several Boulder High staff members were given "verbal reprimands." In addition, a letter was sent to parents about the situation.
But the letter said no dismissals are contemplated over the seminar called "STDs: Sex, Teens and Drugs."
Requests for that level of punishment came from a number of parents outraged their children were subjected to the seminar, as well as members of the Colorado Legislature.
All of the Republican state senators on the Senate Education Committee had written to the school. "The minors who sat through this dubious discussion were subjected to the most dangerous kind of input any youth could get from a presumed authority figure: a green light to engage in destructive behavior," the letter said.
The senators said the production, a part of the Conference on World Affairs of the University of Colorado, was "a disgrace."
Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, signed the letter.
"This is ludicrous. Here we have a school that actually required students to attend an assembly where they were urged to try sex and drugs," he said. "Is that really the biggest challenge we face with today's youth – getting them to try sex and drugs? It's like the people in charge over there are operating in some alternative universe."
It was comments from forum panelist Joel Becker, a psychologist from UCLA, that sparked the most outrage.
"I am going to encourage you to have sex and encourage you to use drugs appropriately," Becker said. "Why I am going to take that position is because you are going to do it anyway," he continued. "I think as a psychologist and health educator, it is more important to educate you in a direction that you might actually stick to. So, I am going to stay mostly on with the sex side because that is the area I know more about. I want to encourage you to all have healthy, sexual behavior."
Lawmakers noted that majority Democrats in the state legislature have decided to impose a mandatory comprehensive sex education plan on students, but refused to adopt a Republican bill setting statewide standards for math and science knowledge.
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But officials rebuff request from legislature for dismissals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Some Boulder, Colo., High School officials have been given a "reprimand" for setting up and taking students as young as 14 to a seminar in which the children were told to "have sex, do drugs," but a request from the state legislature for further action has been turned down.
Helayne Jones, the president of the Boulder Valley District School Board, read a letter at a public meeting on the issue stating that "actions" were taken on the complaints the seminar generated, and several Boulder High staff members were given "verbal reprimands." In addition, a letter was sent to parents about the situation.
But the letter said no dismissals are contemplated over the seminar called "STDs: Sex, Teens and Drugs."
Requests for that level of punishment came from a number of parents outraged their children were subjected to the seminar, as well as members of the Colorado Legislature.
All of the Republican state senators on the Senate Education Committee had written to the school. "The minors who sat through this dubious discussion were subjected to the most dangerous kind of input any youth could get from a presumed authority figure: a green light to engage in destructive behavior," the letter said.
The senators said the production, a part of the Conference on World Affairs of the University of Colorado, was "a disgrace."
Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, signed the letter.
"This is ludicrous. Here we have a school that actually required students to attend an assembly where they were urged to try sex and drugs," he said. "Is that really the biggest challenge we face with today's youth – getting them to try sex and drugs? It's like the people in charge over there are operating in some alternative universe."
It was comments from forum panelist Joel Becker, a psychologist from UCLA, that sparked the most outrage.
"I am going to encourage you to have sex and encourage you to use drugs appropriately," Becker said. "Why I am going to take that position is because you are going to do it anyway," he continued. "I think as a psychologist and health educator, it is more important to educate you in a direction that you might actually stick to. So, I am going to stay mostly on with the sex side because that is the area I know more about. I want to encourage you to all have healthy, sexual behavior."
Lawmakers noted that majority Democrats in the state legislature have decided to impose a mandatory comprehensive sex education plan on students, but refused to adopt a Republican bill setting statewide standards for math and science knowledge.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
British law threatening U.S. freedom of speech
British law threatening U.S. freedom of speech
Experts: Lawsuit by Saudi billionaire puts American journalists under foreign courts
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By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The author of a U.S.-published book that accused a former Saudi banking executive of funding terrorism is battling a precedent that experts say could give any foreign libel law priority over U.S. free press and speech guarantees.
The case involving Rachel Ehrenfeld is one of the "most important First Amendment cases of the past 25 years," and its potential for damaging the U.S. free press is "not yet readily recognized," 30-year American Civil Liberties Union board member Harvey Silverglate told her.
Ehrenfeld, who has posted information about her case on the website of the American Center for Democracy, which she directs in its research of Middle East-based terrorism, told WND the situation is very simple, and very scary.
In 2003, she documented and wrote, "Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It," that alleged Saudi Arabian billionaire Khalid Salim A. Bin Mahfouz helped in that pipeline of financing.
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Experts: Lawsuit by Saudi billionaire puts American journalists under foreign courts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The author of a U.S.-published book that accused a former Saudi banking executive of funding terrorism is battling a precedent that experts say could give any foreign libel law priority over U.S. free press and speech guarantees.
The case involving Rachel Ehrenfeld is one of the "most important First Amendment cases of the past 25 years," and its potential for damaging the U.S. free press is "not yet readily recognized," 30-year American Civil Liberties Union board member Harvey Silverglate told her.
Ehrenfeld, who has posted information about her case on the website of the American Center for Democracy, which she directs in its research of Middle East-based terrorism, told WND the situation is very simple, and very scary.
In 2003, she documented and wrote, "Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It," that alleged Saudi Arabian billionaire Khalid Salim A. Bin Mahfouz helped in that pipeline of financing.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Rockets Fired From Lebanon Fall on Northern Israel
Rockets Fired From Lebanon Fall on Northern Israel
Sunday, June 17, 2007
JERUSALEM — Two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon fell on northern Israel Sunday afternoon, police and the military said. No one was hurt, but there was some damage, they said.
They were the first rockets fired from Lebanon since last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, when almost 4,000 rockets were fired at Israel.
Sunday's attack raised the possibility of an Israeli reprisal raid and a new flareup between the two countries. It came as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was arriving in the United States for talks. In New York, an official with Olmert said the prime minister was briefed about the incident. "Israel will not succumb to this provocation but will monitor the situation carefully," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, indicating that Israel would not hit back.
The rocket attack came as a new defense minister, former premier and army chief Ehud Barak, was about to take over from Amir Peretz, defeated in a party primary election.
Peretz was convening military and security commanders for a meeting that was planned before the rocket attack. Security officials said they would discuss how Israel should respond.
One of the rockets hit a factory and the other hit a car. Channel 2 TV's Arab affairs analyst, Ehud Yaari, said a splinter Palestinian group in Lebanon was probably behind the attack, .
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
JERUSALEM — Two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon fell on northern Israel Sunday afternoon, police and the military said. No one was hurt, but there was some damage, they said.
They were the first rockets fired from Lebanon since last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, when almost 4,000 rockets were fired at Israel.
Sunday's attack raised the possibility of an Israeli reprisal raid and a new flareup between the two countries. It came as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was arriving in the United States for talks. In New York, an official with Olmert said the prime minister was briefed about the incident. "Israel will not succumb to this provocation but will monitor the situation carefully," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, indicating that Israel would not hit back.
The rocket attack came as a new defense minister, former premier and army chief Ehud Barak, was about to take over from Amir Peretz, defeated in a party primary election.
Peretz was convening military and security commanders for a meeting that was planned before the rocket attack. Security officials said they would discuss how Israel should respond.
One of the rockets hit a factory and the other hit a car. Channel 2 TV's Arab affairs analyst, Ehud Yaari, said a splinter Palestinian group in Lebanon was probably behind the attack, .
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Southern Baptist split over politics
By ERIC GORSKI
AP Religion Writer
SAN ANTONIO --Folded into the Rev. Frank Page's wallet is a yellow scrap of paper with the date and time he is to speak with yet another Republican candidate for the White House.
He already has visited one GOP front-runner over breakfast at a country club and met another at the headquarters of a car dealership in his home state.
The South Carolina pastor seems taken aback by the attention, but he shouldn't be: He leads a large congregation in a state with an early primary and is president of the 16.3 million-strong Southern Baptist Convention, perhaps the largest single bloc of evangelical voters and a must-have Republican constituency.
Page, in an interview at his denomination's annual meeting here last week, said he offers his thoughts about salvation to candidates but never an endorsement. And he talks to Democrats, too. He sees the political courtship as a duty: The nation's leaders need to hear a Christian viewpoint, he believes.
But some Southern Baptists would rather stay out of politics altogether. A small but vocal number of pastors believe the denomination is too cozy with Republicans and too political in general. By flirting with the line separating good citizenship and a grab for power, they say, a denomination already experiencing flat membership risks alienating more people.
Others contend such talk might inspire Southern Baptists to retreat from the public square and cede ground on urgent social issues such as abortion.
If anything, the debate is likely to become even more magnified in coming months because no one Republican candidate has captured the conservative evangelical imagination - and all of them are trying.
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AP Religion Writer
SAN ANTONIO --Folded into the Rev. Frank Page's wallet is a yellow scrap of paper with the date and time he is to speak with yet another Republican candidate for the White House.
He already has visited one GOP front-runner over breakfast at a country club and met another at the headquarters of a car dealership in his home state.
The South Carolina pastor seems taken aback by the attention, but he shouldn't be: He leads a large congregation in a state with an early primary and is president of the 16.3 million-strong Southern Baptist Convention, perhaps the largest single bloc of evangelical voters and a must-have Republican constituency.
Page, in an interview at his denomination's annual meeting here last week, said he offers his thoughts about salvation to candidates but never an endorsement. And he talks to Democrats, too. He sees the political courtship as a duty: The nation's leaders need to hear a Christian viewpoint, he believes.
But some Southern Baptists would rather stay out of politics altogether. A small but vocal number of pastors believe the denomination is too cozy with Republicans and too political in general. By flirting with the line separating good citizenship and a grab for power, they say, a denomination already experiencing flat membership risks alienating more people.
Others contend such talk might inspire Southern Baptists to retreat from the public square and cede ground on urgent social issues such as abortion.
If anything, the debate is likely to become even more magnified in coming months because no one Republican candidate has captured the conservative evangelical imagination - and all of them are trying.
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Fleeing generals left men to their fate
Fleeing generals left men to their fate
By Charles Levinson, Sunday Telegraph
In the last enclave of Fatah-controlled territory in the Gaza Strip, special forces officer Abu Hassan steeled himself for death.
The 30-year-old Fatah soldier's ordeal during the 18-month power struggle with Hamas, and especially during last week's bloody civil war, opens a window on his Fatah movement's collective fate in the Gaza Strip. It also provides a glimpse into why the Iranian-backed Hamas won, and why the pro-West Fatah floundered.
His fears for the future, expressed hours before Fatah was ousted, reflected the apprehensions of many Palestinians in Gaza, concerned about what Hamas rule will mean. Having spent a decade in the Palestinian security services, the married father of two, preparing for a battle to the death, said he would have no place under Hamas rule.
He was talking to The Sunday Telegraph on Thursday, inside the Gaza City compound of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
Two hours earlier, Gaza's once-mighty Preventative Security Services headquarters fell. Mr Hassan and his men arrived too late to assist their besieged comrades. He said he saw Hamas gunmen slit the throats of two surrendering officers.
"Once Hamas takes over we will have no place to live in Gaza. Even if we surrender they will kill us," he said, with bandaged soldiers from the week's battles standing behind him. "Our only option is to fight to the death."
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By Charles Levinson, Sunday Telegraph
In the last enclave of Fatah-controlled territory in the Gaza Strip, special forces officer Abu Hassan steeled himself for death.
The 30-year-old Fatah soldier's ordeal during the 18-month power struggle with Hamas, and especially during last week's bloody civil war, opens a window on his Fatah movement's collective fate in the Gaza Strip. It also provides a glimpse into why the Iranian-backed Hamas won, and why the pro-West Fatah floundered.
His fears for the future, expressed hours before Fatah was ousted, reflected the apprehensions of many Palestinians in Gaza, concerned about what Hamas rule will mean. Having spent a decade in the Palestinian security services, the married father of two, preparing for a battle to the death, said he would have no place under Hamas rule.
He was talking to The Sunday Telegraph on Thursday, inside the Gaza City compound of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
Two hours earlier, Gaza's once-mighty Preventative Security Services headquarters fell. Mr Hassan and his men arrived too late to assist their besieged comrades. He said he saw Hamas gunmen slit the throats of two surrendering officers.
"Once Hamas takes over we will have no place to live in Gaza. Even if we surrender they will kill us," he said, with bandaged soldiers from the week's battles standing behind him. "Our only option is to fight to the death."
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Hamas wakes up to grim reality
Hamas wakes up to grim reality
ANNETTE YOUNG IN JERUSALEM
"GAZA is becoming the Mogadishu of the Mediterranean," said one Palestinian official who refused to be named. "People thrown off the rooftops of 10-storey buildings, Palestinians shooting other Palestinians at point blank, others shot in front of their families. So Hamas is in control but do they really think people won't forget what has happened given our culture of pay-back and revenge?"
Yesterday, as locals awoke to the reality of a Hamas-controlled Gaza, people were beginning to count the cost of last week's fighting. Some shops began opening, university students returned to classes and people nervously left their homes for the first time in five days.
With Israel having closed the Erez and Karni border crossings, and Egypt having done the same with the Rafah crossing, Gaza is effectively sealed off from the rest of the world, with its 1.5 million residents having no choice in the past week but to stay in their homes as gun battles raged on the streets outside.
"I still haven't yet been outside my building in the last week. None of my family has," said Professor Naji Shurab, a lecturer in political science at Al Azhar University. "All we did is sit in front of the television trying to work out what was going on as we heard gunfire outside.
"While Hamas has the ability to keep the gangs in control, that is not the problem. It's whether they will be able to ensure the hospitals have enough supplies, people have food and that salaries are being paid.
"And are they going to talk to the Israelis about reopening the border crossings to get aid in and also ensure that water and electricity is still supplied to Gaza?"
Yesterday, Hamas officials called on Palestinians to bring an end to the looting of Fatah military bases and homes belonging to Fatah officials.
In a scene which one bystander likened to looting in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, hundreds of people swarmed through the unoccupied villa of former Fatah security chief, Mohammed Dahlan (now based in the West Bank), after his neighbourhood fell to Hamas, stripping everything, including windows, doors and flower pots.
"The battle is over. Hamas is in control of the streets but the main issue for Palestinians is to push both sides to understand that the only way to achieve victory is through dialogue and not with violence," said Ahmad Shawa, the Gaza co-ordinator for the Palestinian NGO Network. "But with the border crossings closed - which are our lifeline - we are facing a shortage of food and medicine and the situation is becoming more critical by the day."
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ANNETTE YOUNG IN JERUSALEM
"GAZA is becoming the Mogadishu of the Mediterranean," said one Palestinian official who refused to be named. "People thrown off the rooftops of 10-storey buildings, Palestinians shooting other Palestinians at point blank, others shot in front of their families. So Hamas is in control but do they really think people won't forget what has happened given our culture of pay-back and revenge?"
Yesterday, as locals awoke to the reality of a Hamas-controlled Gaza, people were beginning to count the cost of last week's fighting. Some shops began opening, university students returned to classes and people nervously left their homes for the first time in five days.
With Israel having closed the Erez and Karni border crossings, and Egypt having done the same with the Rafah crossing, Gaza is effectively sealed off from the rest of the world, with its 1.5 million residents having no choice in the past week but to stay in their homes as gun battles raged on the streets outside.
"I still haven't yet been outside my building in the last week. None of my family has," said Professor Naji Shurab, a lecturer in political science at Al Azhar University. "All we did is sit in front of the television trying to work out what was going on as we heard gunfire outside.
"While Hamas has the ability to keep the gangs in control, that is not the problem. It's whether they will be able to ensure the hospitals have enough supplies, people have food and that salaries are being paid.
"And are they going to talk to the Israelis about reopening the border crossings to get aid in and also ensure that water and electricity is still supplied to Gaza?"
Yesterday, Hamas officials called on Palestinians to bring an end to the looting of Fatah military bases and homes belonging to Fatah officials.
In a scene which one bystander likened to looting in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, hundreds of people swarmed through the unoccupied villa of former Fatah security chief, Mohammed Dahlan (now based in the West Bank), after his neighbourhood fell to Hamas, stripping everything, including windows, doors and flower pots.
"The battle is over. Hamas is in control of the streets but the main issue for Palestinians is to push both sides to understand that the only way to achieve victory is through dialogue and not with violence," said Ahmad Shawa, the Gaza co-ordinator for the Palestinian NGO Network. "But with the border crossings closed - which are our lifeline - we are facing a shortage of food and medicine and the situation is becoming more critical by the day."
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Fatah gunmen storm West Bank parliament building
Hundreds of Fatah gunmen have stormed Hamas-controlled institutions in the West Bank, including parliament and government ministries, and told staffers that those with ties to Hamas will not be allowed to return.
At the parliament, the Fatah supporters chanted, "Hamas Out," climbed on the roof of the building and fired in the air. They planted Fatah and Palestinian flags on the building.
They also tried to seize the deputy speaker, but were stopped by employees. The gunmen planted Fatah flags and Palestinian banners on the buildings they had taken over.
Many government employees tied to Hamas had not showed up for work on Saturday, the start of the work week in the West Bank, after Hamas took control of Gaza in a military campaign. Apparently, the staffers feared reprisals.
A member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Fatah, said his group planned to take control of all Hamas institutions, in response to Hamas' takeover of Gaza.
At the parliament building, Fatah gunmen entered the office of Deputy Speaker Hassan Kreisheh and tried to grab him, but Fatah employees stopped them. Other Fatah activists took over the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, Fatah gunmen took over the Hamas-controlled city council and planted the Fatah flag on the top of the building. Fatah supporters also kidnapped seven Hamas supporters, and deposed a senior member of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, Fatah gunmen took over offices of the Education Ministry and the Interior Ministry, warning Hamas-allied employees not to return to work, Al Aqsa members said.
On the first day of Hamas rule in Gaza, a sense of uncertain calm has descended the region following a week of civil fighting.
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At the parliament, the Fatah supporters chanted, "Hamas Out," climbed on the roof of the building and fired in the air. They planted Fatah and Palestinian flags on the building.
They also tried to seize the deputy speaker, but were stopped by employees. The gunmen planted Fatah flags and Palestinian banners on the buildings they had taken over.
Many government employees tied to Hamas had not showed up for work on Saturday, the start of the work week in the West Bank, after Hamas took control of Gaza in a military campaign. Apparently, the staffers feared reprisals.
A member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Fatah, said his group planned to take control of all Hamas institutions, in response to Hamas' takeover of Gaza.
At the parliament building, Fatah gunmen entered the office of Deputy Speaker Hassan Kreisheh and tried to grab him, but Fatah employees stopped them. Other Fatah activists took over the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, Fatah gunmen took over the Hamas-controlled city council and planted the Fatah flag on the top of the building. Fatah supporters also kidnapped seven Hamas supporters, and deposed a senior member of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, Fatah gunmen took over offices of the Education Ministry and the Interior Ministry, warning Hamas-allied employees not to return to work, Al Aqsa members said.
On the first day of Hamas rule in Gaza, a sense of uncertain calm has descended the region following a week of civil fighting.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
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