Monday, December 16, 2013

In the news, Thursday, December 12, 2013


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DEC 11      INDEX      DEC 13
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Some links to some sources may require subscription.

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from ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice)

Testifying Before Congress Urging Action for American Pastor Saeed Abedini

Yesterday, the Myanmar government released 41 political prisoners to coincide with the opening of the Southeast Asian Games in Naypyidaw. But already two of them have been re-arrested. AAPP leaders note that former prisoners of conscience are subjected to severe restrictions; unfair rules limiting their rights and freedoms should be abolished.

For Indian Priest, Evangelii Gaudium challenges the people of Mumbai
Fr Aniceto Pereira, vice rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount in Bandra, talks about Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation. Calling the pope, the "John the Baptist or our generation," he highlights the pontiff's critique of today's culture and economy, which closely touch the Indian city, caught as it is between "glitzy wealth and poverty that kills, spiritually as well."

Young members of Islamist group arrested in connection with Church burning in Tatarstan
The Ministry of Interior reports the incidents without specifying which group they belong to. The young men are allegedly responsible for two of the seven church fires recorded this year in the predominantly Muslim Russian republic.
CHINA: Shortly after marking his 93rd birthday, Msgr. Liu Jinghe died in his diocese. Reconciled with the universal Church during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, he spent years in Maoist prisons and labor camps. Once free, he held important positions in the Patriotic Association and the board of bishops not recognized by Rome.

Pope: Fraternity, foundation and path to peace against selfishness, exploitation and abuse
Francis’ message for the World Day of Peace. The foundation of the fraternity is the common fatherhood of God. The "Globalisation of indifference." The increasing number of interconnections and communications, "make us neighbors but not brothers." "International agreements and national laws, despite being highly desirable and necessary, are not sufficient by themselves to bring humanity to avoid the risk of armed conflict. This requires a conversion of heart which allows everyone to recognize themselves in their brother." "The succession of economic crises should lead to appropriate rethinking of models of economic development and a change in lifestyle." A "change of heart."

Korea celebrates as kimchi becomes part of the world's heritage
The decision was taken at the UNESCO general assembly. The Korean dish is thus added to humanity's 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' because it has "voluntarily" been passed through the generations and represents the communal spirit of Koreans in winter, solidifying their Korean identity.

Baby hatches arrive in China to save abandoned children
After Xian, Shenzhen will also open a "baby hatch," a small structure equipped to accommodate abandoned infants. Catholic sources tell AsiaNews: "A good step forward in favor of life, which is under constant threat in the country. But we will have to see how it will be managed."

Card. Gracias: Indian Church condemns the brutal attack on Delhi clergy
The archbishop of Mumbai defines police attack (even with batons) on consecrated and lay women as "disgraceful , dishonorable and deplorable”. It is a behavior that " reflects the lack of dignity and respect for women in this country." The cardinal appeals to the Prime Minister of India.

After 3 years of ignored petitions, a group of demonstrators poison themselves in Beijing
The twelve protesters are all from Wuhan, capital of Hubei , where their houses were demolished by the government without any agreement with the owners. They had demanded justice for a long time, but each time were imprisoned, beaten and sent home. In protest they drunk pesticide under the Qianmen tower.

Temperatures below zero and 10 cm of snow. Extraordinary distribution of blankets and fuel coupons. Many camps are makeshift, made of wood and plastic sheeting.
from Breitbart
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from CBS News (& affiliates)
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from CNSNews.com (& NewsBusters)
from The Federalist Papers

Obamacare Shocker: Richest 1% Get Best Health Care; 99% Get Shafted

UPDATE: School drops sex harrasment charge against 6-year-old boy who kissed girl

Teachers union seeks $10k severance for teacher who raped boy

Daryl Issa Accuses Kathleen Sebelius of Criminal Obstruction of Justice in HealthCare.gov Probe

South Carolina Is About To Nullify Obamacare

ESPN Drops Christmas Ad for Referencing ‘God’ and ‘Jesus’

Over-criminalization undermines respect for legal system

Colleges can’t ban guns, rules Florida court in major 2nd Amendment victory

Mark Levin: Do Republicans not understand that the WHOLE THING is going to collapse?

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from Freedom Foundation

Tales of Tyranny - The Errol Speed Story
Orcas Island resident Errol Speed built an accessory building on his property, following what he believed were the county's rules. After discovering a minor code violation, San Juan County prosecuted Errol and took him to court in a criminal trial.

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from Fox News

from The Heritage Foundation

The "Sexiest Man Alive" Enlisted to Promote Obamacare

Conservative Leaders Voice Outrage at Firing of RSC Executive Director
Tensions between the Republican establishment and conservative movement reached a fever pitch Wednesday after House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) attacked conservative groups and a long-time Capitol Hill staffer lost his job as executive director of the Republican Study Committee.

The More You Buy, the More You Save
The Ryan-Murray budget deal would increase the deficit by $45 billion over the next three years.

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from Huffington Post
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from International Christian Concern
(PERSECUTION.org)

Civil Rights Groups Call for Real Reform to Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws
After the Federal Sharia Court (FSC) of Pakistan declared its decision that only death sentences were appropriate in cases where an individual was found guilty under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, a Christian civil rights group has called on the government to make real reforms to the controversial laws that have abused religious minorities for decades. Many Christians believe that this change to Pakistan's blasphemy laws will only make the abuse of them more deadly. Christians and other religious minorities are disproportionately accused and convicted under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Many are falsely accused by members of Pakistan's majority Sunni Muslim population seeking to eliminate a business rival or just abuse them as religious minorities. Please pray for real reform to Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Christian Leaders Beaten and Detained by Police for Peaceful Protest
Christian leaders participating in a peaceful march on the Indian Parliament in Delhi were attacked and beaten by police Wednesday. These Christian leaders, including bishops and nuns, were marching to highlight the inequality of Dalit/Low-Caste Christians and Muslims in India. Dalit Hindus are given many rights and privileges by the Indian government because they come from a traditionally low-caste family. These rights and privileges are designed to bring their families out of the low caste, giving them better economic opportunities in India. Unfortunately, these rights and privileges only apply to Dalit Hindus and are not given to Dalits coming from other faith backgrounds.

Malaysia: Religious Intolerance Towards Christians Reaching Dangerous Levels
Conditions for Malaysia's approximately three million conditions appear to be growing gradually worse as the government holds firm on its decision to ban religious minorities in the country from using the Arabic word "Allah" to refer to God. Christians in the country have been using the word for more than a century and are rightfully concerned that the government is dictating what type of vocabulary can be used by religious groups. Coupled with outright political campaigning by the current government which promised to solidify the role of the state as the "defender of Islam" and even anti-Christian advertisements, the countries faithful feel that levels of intolerance are reaching dangerous proportions.

Indonesian Citizens Forced to Display Religious Affiliation on ID Cards Fear Discrimination
Religious groups across the board in Indonesia were disappointed last month when Indonesia's parliament decided to retain the policy of requiring citizens to publicly state their religious affiliation on personal identification cards. Rights groups point out that this makes citizens easy targets for discrimination in a nation where radical Islamic groups have actively persecuted religious minorities for years. The requirement is of particular concern for ICC in areas such as Sulawesi and the Molluccas, where radical Islamic groups waged a quasi-war against Christian villages from 1998-2003. Although official tolls are lower, as many as 10,000 Christians are believed to have been slaughtered during those years. Forcing citizens to identify their faith on ID cards is a recipe for easy persecution.

444 Days in Iran: Pastor Saeed Still in Prison
International Christian Concern (ICC) continues to call for the release of American-Iranian Saeed Abedini. December 12th marks 444 days since Saeed was taken to an Iranian prison, simply because of his Christian faith. Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) co-chaired a joint subcommittee hearing on Iran’s continued persecution of Pastor Saeed. The dangers that Saeed faces in the brutal prison are real and it is crucial that the American people and the American government remain fully engaged to see this father and husband brought home to his family.

Iranian Pastor Avanessian Sentenced to 3 ½ years Prison by the Revolutionary Court
Pastor Avanessian has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after being found guilty of “anti-government activities and promotion of ideas contrary to the sanctity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The 61-year-old Pastor is suffering from serious medical conditions, including heart disease and kidney problems. The sentence brought against him may very well be seen as a death sentence as it is unlikely that he would be able to survive the harsh prison conditions.

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from The Jerusalem Post

Police, IDF called in to help motorists stranded in snow in Jerusalem; BG Airport shut temporarily
Jerusalem Mayor Barkat says city facing "a rare storm, the likes of which we've never seen"; turns to IDF's Gantz, J'lem district police chief for help in freeing trapped drivers as snowfall continues to pound capital.

'American who went missing in Iran in 2007 was on rogue CIA mission'
'Washington Post' reports that ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson was not in Iran as a private citizen as has been claimed.

Kerry back again, continues pushing Abbas, Netanyahu
Kerry to meet Abbas first, Netanyahu on Friday; John Allen, working on security ideas for accord, to join Kerry for Abbas meeting; PA president reiterates objection to interim deal, opposition to armed intifada.
Victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence must know and trust that we are here to support them.
Washington insists move closes loopholes in current sanctions regime taken advantage of by the Islamic Republic, and does not impose new penalties that would violate Geneva deal.
Should Israel increase payment to better accommodate the needs of IDF soldiers who's families are abroad? There are currently 3,200 lone soldiers – 1,500 from the Former Soviet Union, 1,300 from the US, and the rest from other countries.
Despite anxiety, there are no indications that anti-Semitism has become a part of the protesters’ discourse.
Israel Prison Service began moving 480 migrants currently held in nearby Saharonim prison to the facility.

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from KING 5 (Seattle)

Photographer sues Seattle Police over 2012 May Day arrest
Freelance photographer Joshua (Alex) Garland, who was covering the 2012 May Day protests in Downtown Seattle, filed a lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court claiming his arrest for assaulting a Seattle Police officer violated civil rights.

Machinists angry they didn't get to vote on offer

Machinists leaders reject 777X counteroffer

TSA agent confiscates sock monkey's pistol

Judge rules charter schools can move forward

Device trade-ins earn you cash this holiday
Cell phones are expected to be one of the hottest gift items this holiday season. But not everyone is in a position to pay full price. As Jesse Jones explains you can save some cash by just using your old device.

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from KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (Seattle)

Boeing statement on union talks
Boeing officials say their “best and final counterproposal” to the Machinists union was rejected by the union leadership.

North Korea executes leader's uncle as a traitor
North Korea said Friday that it executed Kim Jong Un's uncle as a traitor for trying to seize supreme power, a stunning end for the leader's former mentor, long considered the country's No. 2.

Superior Court judge says charter schools unconstitutional
King County Judge Jean Rietschel found that a charter school can't be defined as a "common school" because it's not under the control of voters in a school district.
This is a disappointingly inaccurate account of the court decision. Of the seven complaints, the trial judge ruled that only one was accepted, declared that portion of the law unconstitutional, and severed it from the rest of the law. That leave most of the law intact. The case will, indeed, now go to the WA Supreme Court, which may widen the ruling, leave it as is, or narrow the rule.

Outrage over rich teen's 'affluenza' defense in 4 deaths
There's no end to the Internet outrage after a Texas teen who killed four people appears to have gotten a lenient sentence precisely because he's from a wealthy, privileged family.

Bob Barker celebrates birthday on 'Price'
The veteran game-show host, at the helm of "The Price Is Right" from 1972 to 2007, was invited back by current host Drew Carey on Thursday to celebrate the milestone birthday.

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from KOMO News (Seattle)

Seattle private school coach facing child porn charges in Canada
A coach and substitute teacher at a Seattle private school was arrested in Canada this week after he allegedly surreptitiously videotaped students during a school-sponsored skiing trip.

Head of controversial dog warehouse arrested after outburst
FORKS, Wash.  --  A tense standoff between the man who runs a controversial animal shelter and outraged dog lovers who claim he's horribly neglecting the animals turned violent this morning.
Previous story:  Critics trying to rescue dogs from 'sanctuary of sorrow'

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from KREM 2 News (Spokane)

No marijuana retail applications filed in unincorporated Spokane Co.

Probation for TX teen who killed four in DWI crash citing 'affluenza'

Crude oil transfer station hearing in Spokane Valley

Spokane gang-related murderer to spend life in prison

Local Probation Dept. requests $100,000 to track criminals at home

Newlywed accused of pushing husband off cliff to plead guilty

Calls on planes up to each airline, says US official
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Thomas Wheeler told members of Congress that while his agency sees no technical reason to ban calls on planes, Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told him Thursday that the DOT will be moving forward with its own restrictions.

Interpreter at Mandela event: I was hallucinating

Water pipe burst interrupts WSU wi-fi during finals week

SPD officers undergoing crisis training by 2014
The Spokane Police Department is undergoing crisis training to help officers when they interact with people who are mentally ill. The department wants officers to be prepared to calm things down if a situation escalates.

Yakima company's Facebook response goes viral

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from KXLY 4 News (Spokane)

Police looking for shoplifting numbers to crack down on liquor theft
Many of the shoplifting incidents that turn violent involve liquor. Soon the Washington legislature may be asked to pass a law mandating stores to report liquor losses.

Newlywed pleads guilty to second-degree murder
Jordan Linn Graham, who is accused of killing her husband Cody Johnson by pushing him off a cliff in Glacier National Park in July, has admitted to second-degree murder.

Interpreter at Mandela memorial defends work
The interpreter who has been criticized for his sign language at the Nelson Mandela memorial stands by his work. He admits he suffers from schizophrenia, but he says it is being treated.

Texas teen gets probation for deadly DWI crash
Psychologist says teen is product of privileged parents who never set limits

IKEA recalls children's wall lamps
CPSC: One toddler killed, one injured

Boy, 6, will not face sexual harassment claim
The Colorado school responsible for the suspension of a 6-year-old boy after he kissed a classmate on the hand has changed the boy's disciplinary offense from "sexual harassment" to "misconduct."

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from Money Talks News

Saving and Sex Appeal: 6 Reasons Why Savers Are More Attractive

9 Ways to Profit From Broken Electronics

Frugal Family Feast: Chicken Piccata With Lemon Caper Sauce

Get What You Want for Christmas: Buy It Yourself
More than half of us will self-gift this year. Sometimes "self-gifting" makes a lot of sense. Just make sure you're not using it as an excuse for impulse buying.

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from Mother Nature Network

10 natural cough remedies
The next time you have an annoying cough, take your grandmother's advice and try one of these natural remedies.

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from National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA

Hubble Space Telescope Sees Evidence of Water Vapor Venting off Jupiter Moon
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has observed water vapor above the frigid south polar region of Jupiter's moon Europa, providing the first strong evidence of water plumes erupting off the moon's surface.

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from Natural Society

“Dirty Dozen Plus”: Apples, Celery, Cherry tomatoes, Cucumbers, Grapes, Hot peppers, Nectarines (imported), Peaches, Potatoes, Spinach, Strawberries, Sweet bell peppers, Kale/collard greens, Summer squash.
“Clean Fifteen”: Asparagus, Avocados, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Sweet Corn, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Mango, Mushrooms, Onions, Papayas, Pineapples, Sweet Peas, Sweet Potatoes.


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from NBC News (& affiliates)

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from NPR

Social Supermarkets A 'Win-Win-Win' For Europe's Poor
Somewhere between a food pantry and a traditional grocery store lies an opportunity to help feed those in need.  Enter "social supermarkets," a European model that offers discounted food exclusively to those in poverty.

The Future Of Blocks — Building On The Past
Blocks grow with you — from basic alphabet blocks and geometric building blocks, to Tinker Toys and Legos and girder and panel sets, to bricks and split-face cinder blocks.

Boehner Blasts Tea Party Groups Over Budget Deal Criticism

At 77, Robert Redford Goes Back To His Roots

Why Meningitis That Hit Princeton Is Hard To Beat With Vaccines

Kim Jong Un's Uncle, Formerly North Korea's No. 2, Is Executed

Photographer Intisar Abioto Approaches 'The Black Portlanders' By The Numbers

A Simple, Solemn Tribute to Sandy Hook Victims
Connecticut's Poet Laureate began with a simple line, "in the snow lightly falling," and the results are a heartfelt poem and a choral dedication to Newtown.

U. City's Gabe Fleisher Continues To 'Wake Up To Politics'
The White House Subscribes To This St. Louis 6th Grader's Politics. "He’s going to go places that most kids can’t even imagine,” his school principal says.

What would you do with 9 tons of salmon you can’t sell?
A salmon donation to a Juneau food pantry makes use of fish that would have otherwise been thrown overboard.

Mandela Sign Language Interpreter Says He Had Schizophrenic Episode
Thamsanqa Jantjie says he was hearing voices and seeing hallucinations, according to media reports.

Mexico's Patron Saint Is Also Its Hello Kitty
In Mexico, Dec. 12 is the day to celebrate the country's most revered religious icon: the Virgin of Guadalupe. One woman has taken her devotion of the Virgin and turned it into a multimillion-dollar company.

Starting in the 1980s, leaders in Garden City, Kan., decided that they were going to treat the immigrant influx as a blessing, not a curse. Working conditions are tough, but the jobs offer decent wages, and a good support system provides a brighter future.

NPR's Renee Montagne talks about history and the future of Disney Animation with John Lasseter - the chief creative officer of both Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.


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from One Minute Healings

HOW TO TELL IF A VITAMIN IS NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC
[from Food Matters]

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from PreventDisease.com

FDA Concedes Antibiotic Use In Farm Animals Must Be Phased Out

Refrigerated Fruit Loses Over 80 Percent of Its Antioxidants
Freeze-drying strawberries keeps all their Vitamin C and polyphenols and 92% of their antioxidants, saving more nutrients than by chilling which can lose over 80% of antioxidant concentrations.

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from Tea Party Patriots
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from ThatsNonsense.com

Burundanga Drug Used on Business Cards? - Facebook Rumour

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from The Washington Post

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from The Weekly Standard

Subsidizing Rich and Poor
There are better ways to help workers than the minimum wage.

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from Wenatchee World

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