Thursday, December 12, 2013

In the news, Wednesday, December 4, 2013


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DEC 03     INDEX      DEC 05
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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

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from AsiaNews.it

Indonesian bishops call for war on drugs and rehabilitation programmes for victims
The Bishops' Conference warns that prison is not the solution for drug addicts who need instead help to reintegrate in society. At the same time, the fight against drug producers and traffickers should be total. In 2013, more than 4.9 million Indonesians made use of illicit drugs.

Mangalika's story: an HIV-positive Catholic woman helps fellow AIDS patients
The 53-year-old woman discovered she had contracted the virus from her husband, a migrant worker, who could not resist the shame and committed suicide. Faith in God, family support and the encouragement of an HIV-positive doctor led Princy Mangalika to establish an NGO for people with HIV/AIDS. In Sri Lanka, the disease is still stigmatised, even though at least 3,000 people are affected. "They threatened me and tried to set fire to my house," she said, "but I thank the Lord for showing me the way."

One person infected, 17 in isolation, and Hong Kong's avian flu nightmare is back
A patient is in critical condition at Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital after consuming poultry in Shenzhen, mainland China. The authorities declare a health alert with 200 people under observation.

Maaloula sisters in Yabrud, Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate reports
The nuns are said to be in good condition. At present, it remains unclear why Islamist insurgents took them or when they will be released. In the now deserted town, Islamists have started torching all Christian-owned homes.

Catholic Bishop calls on political leaders to talk and stop death and violence
BANGLADESH: Mgr Gervas Rozario, bishop of the Diocese of Rajshahi, told AsiaNews that "the killing of innocent civilians is intolerable" and that "people want peace." For this reason, he has called on the government and the opposition to find ways to communicate. Since January this year, 347 people have died in political unrest.

Caritas Philippines: long-term projects for victims of Typhoon Yolanda
After initial emergency response, Nassa and Caritas international study reconstruction projects in the areas most affected. Particular attention is devoted to the work of prevention, with the launch of a plan for the first quarter of 2014. The president of the bishops conference invites volunteers and faithful to read and "apply" Evangelii Gaudium .

Tokyo, the Church slams law on State Secrets: an attack on peace
The Japanese Diet will vote on December 6 on a decree granting the government special powers on matters considered "sensitive." The Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace: "The text is too dangerous, it covers too many topics and puts at risk the Constitution and commitment to peace that we took on before the world."

EU and Danish Protestant Church for the development of poor farmers in Asia
Launched November 29 in Kathmandu, a program for food security that takes in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Nearly 2 million euros for the formation of small farmers and promotion of new farming techniques. Among the beneficiaries, Dalits and indigenous peoples.


Russia: seven churches burned in one year in Tatarstan
Political and spiritual leaders concerned about rising fundamentalism in the Russian autonomous republic with a Muslim majority. Spiritual leaders invite people not to give in to provocations. Local priest: " The Wahhabis are the culprits."

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from Associated Press

STOLEN COBALT-60 FOUND ABANDONED IN MEXICO
A missing shipment of radioactive cobalt-60 was found Wednesday near where the stolen truck transporting the material was abandoned in central Mexico. The highly radioactive material had been removed from its container. Anyone involved in opening the box could be in grave danger of dying within days.

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from The Blaze

ANALYSIS FINDS COST OF OBAMACARE WEBSITE IS WAY MORE THAN ANYONE PREDICTED
The to-date cost of the glitchy Obamacare website has topped $1 billion, easily surpassing the $394 million originally estimated by the Government Accountability Office, according to a Bloomberg Government analysis.

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from Breitbart
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from CNSNews.com

Wasserman Schultz: 'Any of Our Candidates Will Be Able to Run on Obamacare'

WH: Food Stamps 'Are Boosting the Economy'

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from EarthSky

Major cold, snow, and even ice for a large part of the U.S.
Snow and a significant ice event is likely all the way from parts of North Texas into the Great Lakes and U.S. Northeast over the next several days.

Two supermassive black holes in death spiral
Astronomers have spotted what appear to be two supermassive black holes 3.8 billion light-years from Earth, circling each other like dance partners.

Why aren’t the earliest sunsets on the shortest day?
The year’s shortest day comes at the winter solstice. But, for the Northern Hemisphere, the earliest sunsets are in early December.

How high up are meteors when they begin to glow?
The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak on the night of December 13-14, lighting up the nighttime from mid-evening (Friday, December 13) till dawn (Saturday, December 14). The night before should be good for viewing these meteors, too.

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from East Oregonian

Scammer puts family out of home

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from Facecrooks

2 Million Stolen Passwords Dumped Online
A large number of stolen Facebook passwords were exposed in a massive online dump. Check out the post for more information and for some suggested actions you should take to keep your Facebook account secure. This serves as a prime example of why you shouldn't use the same password for more than one site!


Facebook Wants to Promote Higher-Quality, “Newsy” Content
Facebook is tweaking the news feed so that you're likely to see links to more articles and 'high quality content.' Remember that Facebook uses an algorithm to determine what shows up in your news feed. We recommend using custom lists to streamline and organize your feed. Check out the post for more information and for a link to our guide on creating Facebook Lists.

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from Family Tree Magazine

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from The Farmacy (& Strawbale City)

After Reading This, You’ll Never Look at a Banana in the Same Way Again

How To Clean Your Arteries With One Simple FruitPomegranate Found To Prevent Coronary Artery Disease Progression

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from The Federalist Papers
Georgia School Confiscates Christmas Cards
Here is one more example of out of control public school administrators who think it’s their job to ensure no one is offended by anything remotely related to Christianity or worshiping God: For as long as anyone can remember, teachers at Brooklet Elementary School have posted Christmas cards in the hallways outside their classrooms – until Monday.

Survey Says Democrats Are The Out-of-Touch Extremists
[from Investor's Business Daily]

Harry Reid Exempts Staff From Obamacare

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from Fox News

from Freedom Foundation

For three years, the Olympia based charity Crazy Faith Ministries has been seeking to provide food to the homeless. Their practice is completely lawful, but now they are suddenly at risk of being shut down.

In Portland, the city stopped 11-year-old Madison Root from selling Mistletoe and told her to beg for money instead.

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from The Heritage Foundation

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from iFIBRE ONE News

Semi-truck with two tanker trailers crashes near Grand Coulee

Grocery company connected to credit card frauds upgrades system

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from International Christian Concern
(PERSECUTION.org)

Christmas Attacks Expected from Boko Haram
The Islamic terror group Boko Haram is waging a campaign of religious cleansing in Nigeria, in an effort to establish Sharia rule in the northern territories. Their increasing strength and operational tempo indicate a repeat of attacks on Churches and Christian communities timed to coincide with the holy day. Nigerian security forces are making preparations to thwart any such terror operations, but have thus far not been effective in repulsing Boko Haram's Islamist campaign.

American Pastor Saeed Abedini Threatened at Knifepoint, Health Deteriorating in Deadly Iranian Prison
The latest report has confirmed the worst fears about the conditions confronting American Pastor Saeed Abedini, held in Rajai Shahr prison in Iran. His family was able to visit him Monday and has reported that Saeed’s health is quickly deteriorating in the harsh conditions, he has been denied medicine to treat internal injuries. Rajai Shahr prison houses Iran’s most dangerous criminals and Saeed has been repeatedly robbed and has woken up with prisoners standing over him threatening him with knives.

Persecution of Christians Reaches Unprecedented Global Proportions
Few Christians, especially in the United States, have even a basic understanding of the extent to which Christians around the globe face discrimination, harassment, arrest, and death because of their faith in Christ. The following article, which first examines conditions for Christians living in North Korea, reveals fascinating and alarming statistics about the global breadth of anti-Christian activity. For instance, according to the Pew Forum, Christians faced harassment in 139 nations, or almost three quarters of all countries on earth, between 2006 and 2010. Another estimate is that 80 percent of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed at Christians.

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from The Jerusalem Post

Yadlin: Scope of Iranian retaliation to potential strike is ‘exaggerated’
Former head of Military Intelligence assessed likely Iranian strategic calculations; concludes nightmare scenarios are unlikely.

While a previously unknown Sunni group, Ahrar al-Sunna Baalbek Brigade, claimed responsibility for the attack and Israel denied any involvement, there was evidence for Hezbollah to point the finger at Israel.

Kerry arrives again, with Palestinians pessimistic, Israelis keen on focusing on Iran
Israeli official accuses Palestinians of not being committed to making peace negotiations work, while Palestinian officials charge US is biased in favor of Israel, has not met any promises it made Abbas.

After charming American audience in three "Fast and Furious" movies, Israeli actress and model Gal Gadot is ready to put on a cape and save the world.

Former Shin Bet director Yuval Diskin calls for settlement freeze, asserts solving Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a more existential issue than the Iranian nuclear threat.

Ahead of Kerry visit, Palestinian officials voice pessimism on peace process
Erekat asks US secretary of state to save talks; other PLO officials complain no progress has been made in talks, and say US bias in favor of Israel "does not serve peace"; Kerry to arrive in Israel Wednesday night. Are the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks doomed to fail?

Defense Ministry chemical attack drill set for Jerusalem
Ministry stresses that drill is not tied to any current developments.

US court orders Iran to pay $9 million to families of '97 Jerusalem terror attacks
NGO wins 1st potential seizure of Iranian funds in US; Actual transfer of funds could still be blocked by appeal, current diplomatic process.

A new Blog by Mordechai Kedar

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from KHQ Local News (Spokane)

Kids Go Christmas Shopping With Deputies

Firefighters Battle Big Barn Fire In Spokane County
Around 8:30am Wednesday morning crews responded to a barn fire at 5700 N. Havana. No one was inside the barn but it was full of arcade games.

Abortion Covered In Most Health Plans For Congress
New Jersey Republican Rep. Chris Smith, who opposes abortion, said Wednesday only nine of the 112 insurance plans offered to Congress through the Washington, D.C., insurance market exclude abortion as a covered benefit.

OBAMA: It's Time To Raise Minimum Wage

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from KOMO News (Seattle)

Owners: smaller liquor stores face extinction without tax break

1 day after lawsuit, railroads offer benefits to same-sex spouses

'They're still running and still shooting - Sandy Hook school, please'
Recordings of 911 calls from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that were released Wednesday show town dispatchers urged panicked callers to take cover, mobilized help and asked about the welfare of the children as gunshots could be heard at times in the background.

Judge who gave 1-month rape sentence says he won't resign
 A Montana judge says he doesn't deserve to lose his job for commenting that a 14-year-old rape victim appeared "older than her chronological age" when he sentenced her teacher-rapist to just a month in prison.

Portland mayor to review laws after girl, 11, banned from selling mistletoe
An 11-year-old girl was told she couldn't sell mistletoe at the Portland market because she wasn't an authorized seller, but it was okay for people just to ask for money. Now the mayor says he's reviewing the policy and has invited her back.

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from KREM 2 News (Spokane)
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from KXLY 4 News (Spokane)
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from Money Talks News

Here’s Who Made Consumer Reports’ Nice and Naughty List
The magazine compiled a list of companies it says were naughty or nice based on the companies’ policies and practices.

Why Kids Probably Don’t Need Toys
How non-toys can actually make some of the best toys!

Can You Opt Out of Medicare?

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from National Review

The GOP Civil War
A longtime combatant looks at the GOP, and conservatives’ place in it, from the early days of NR on.

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from Natural Society

What Big Pharma is Afraid Diabetes Patients Will Find OutYou don’t need to be one of the 15 million people in the US with this disease. Up to 90% of all diabetes type 2 (also called adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes) is caused by poor diet, lack of physical fitness, and lifestyle choices. You can “cure” yourself.




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from NPR

Poll: Support For Obama Among Young Americans Eroding

Administration Says You Can Now Escape HealthCare.Gov 'Prison'

These Days, School Lunch Hours Are More Like 15 Minutes

Fertility Drugs, Not IVF, Are Top Cause Of Multiple Births

Probing The Unknowable Mysteries Of The Brain

What To Expect When You're Expecting ... To Share Your Baby Photos
Smartphones and the Internet have made it easier than ever for people to share photos of their friends, family, pets and children. But sharing personal photos raises technological and ethical questions.

Public Party Planned for One-Year Anniversary of Legal Pot
City of Seattle OKs pot smoking at public party under the Space Needle. It's BYOB (bring your own bud).

Idaho Void Of "Super Zips," State's Most Elite Zip Codes Are Near Boise

Even Disconnected Computers May Face Cyberthreats

PolyMet copper-nickel mine: Economic opportunity or too environmentally risky?
For years, Polymet Mining has tried to demonstrate a viable plan for the waste produced by its project. The latest study on how an open pit copper-nickel mine could change the landscape just north of the town of Hoyt Lakes, Minn. will be released Friday in a 1,800-page environmental impact statement.

Stolen Radioactive Material Found In Mexico

Moon Turnips? NASA Takes Gardening to New Heights

Dead Mice Update: Tiny Assassins Dropped On Guam Again
Brown tree snakes came to Guam aboard ships and planes decades ago. Since then, they've devastated the local bird population. Federal researchers continue to experiment with a unique way to kill the invaders: Drop mice laced with poison into the trees where the snakes hang out.

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from POLITICO
President Barack Obama arrived in Southeast Washington Wednesday with a clear message: White people are poor too. The conversation that assumes inequality is about poverty — and that both are about race — is a dangerous error that has infected American thinking and warped American politics, he argued in the middle of a long speech hosted by the Center for American Progress.

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from PreventDisease.com

Yet Another Reason To Avoid McDonald's - Your Chicken Order May Have An Unexpected Surprise
If you're still not convinced you should avoid McDonald's, here is yet another reason. Katherine Ortega took her 5-year-old son to a Newport McDonald's, where they bought a box of fried chicken wings (a special promotion). As she passed them around her dinner table, she realized that one of the wings wasn't a wing at all.
This story is 13 years old, and it's not clear according to snopes.com whether the "McNoggin" was ever examined by investigators. This is the kind of story that can be damaging to the credibility of those who continue to pass it around.

Thank Your Grandmother For Advancing Human Civilization
Grandmothers and grandchildren are natural allies. They have the most important thing in common. Namely, the one in between, the baby's parent and grandmother's child. Having grandmothers put on their aprons, pitch in, and fill in the spaces left by busy working parents is not just a nicety, but may actually have helped us to advance as a species. Let’s hear it for the critical contributions of the post-menopausal segment of our community!

Peer-Reviewed Study Shows Shocking Link Between Induced Abortion and Cancer
After decades of denial, the link is now clear. Anti-abortion activists are rightfully highlighting a new meta-analysis of studies published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Causes and Control. The study concluded that there is a significant association and increased risk of breast cancer in women as the number of induced abortions increases. Even a single abortion was found to raise the risk of breast cancer by a whopping 44 percent.

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from Real Clear Politics

Chris Matthews: Sarah Palin's Appeal Is "She Doesn't Give A Rat's Butt What The Facts Are"
Did Chris Matthews' relentless personal attacks against Sarah Palin encourage Martin Bashir's smears against her?

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from Reuters

Netanyahu says Iranian missiles could eventually reach U.S.
"They're not developing those ICBMs for us. They can reach us with what they have. It's for you," he told CBS News.

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from The Right Scoop

MARK LEVIN: Republicans are pushing amnesty AGAIN

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from Space.com (& CollectSpacc)

SpaceX Launches Satellite To Geostationary Orbit For First Time
An upgraded Falcon 9 rocket lofted the SES-8 telecommunications satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit of 80,000km on Dec. 3rd, 2013.

Signs of Water Found on 5 Alien Planets by Hubble Telescope

What's In An Alien Planet's Atmosphere?
When a planet transits its star, the change in light tells its tale. Size, mass and atmospheric composition can be derived. Especially critical: Does it have oxygen, the marker of life?

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from The Spokesman-Review

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from The Star (Grand Coulee)

Truck wrecks at bottom of dam hill
The big rig pulling double tanker trailers, reportedly full of cement (the dry powder, not the mixed concrete) was headed north down the steep hill alongside the dam when it left the road to the right just below the Visitor Center, just as it entered the town of Coulee Dam.

Doctor: tensions, stakes high at hospital
Doctors and other health care providers at Coulee Medical Center have vowed to quit if the hospital’s chief executive officer doesn’t leave, one frustrated doctor finally told The Star last week. Dr. Jacob Chaffee said the situation is critical and that doctors would already have resigned if they hadn’t been convinced to stay.

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from The Telegraph (UK)

Church of England upgrades Prayer Book as smartphone app
Church of England creates app so that worshippers can follow services on iPhones and tablets from the pews

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from ThatsNonsense.com

Is Your Facebook Account Sending Spam Messages?
One of the easiest ways to know if something is wrong with your Facebook account is when it starts posting spam messages automatically.

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from Viral Nova

from The Washington Examiner

Who was standing behind Obama today? White House won't say
Four Obamacare “Success” Stories Cited By Obama During Tuesday’s Remarks All Had One Thing In Common: None Purchased Health Insurance Through Obamacare.
from The Washington Post
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from The Weekly Standard

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from WND (World Net Daily)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

Fox News atheist Democrat: I met Jesus
She’s the intelligent, gorgeous, Democratic commentator at Fox News who has been an atheist for much of her life until she says she had a personal encounter with Jesus. It was in 2006 during an overseas trip that Kirsten Powers says, “I woke up in what felt like a strange cross between a dream and reality. Jesus came to me and said, ‘Here I am.’”

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