News Updates, 3/31

Notre Dame: Archbishop Nienstedt’s Hits the Mark
One more Bishop weighed in today, the Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. His letter to the President of Notre Dame was absolutely clear and extremely short. He did not need a lot of words...The Archbishop wrote: “I write to protest this egregious decision on your part. President Obama has been a pro-abortion legislator. He has indicated, especially since he took office, his deliberate disregard of the unborn by lifting the ban on embryonic stem cell research, by promoting the FOCA agenda and by his open support for gay rights throughout this country. It is a travesty that the University of Notre Dame, considered by many to be a Catholic University, should give its public support to such an anti-Catholic politician.”

President of US Bishops Conference: Notre Dame Obama Invite an "Extreme Embarrassment"
Speaking as the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, this weekend Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said that the University of Notre Dame's decision to host and honor President Obama at their commencement ceremony this year was an "extreme embarrassment" to Catholics.

Randall Terry Is Not the Spokesman for Catholic Orthodoxy
...In recent years, even before he converted to Rome, Randall Terry has pushed himself beyond battles to protect life into the fight for Catholic orthodoxy. And he bids fair to do the same thing to legitimate Catholic concerns that he has done elsewhere, make them cartoonish and even silly...

Commentary: Closing Ranks on Canon 915: Bishops Confirm that Sebelius Should Not Receive Communion
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius received some good news last week when abortionist Dr. George Tiller was found not guilty of breaking state laws regulating late-term abortion....But Governor Sebelius got some bad news as well -- something not noticed much in Catholic media or the secular press. The bishops of Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, confirmed publicly they would uphold the declaration of her ordinary, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, stating that Governor Sebelius should not present herself for communion.
[Truly, a miracle! Now if the rest of the Death Peddling "Catholics" in DC would receive the same medicine!]

Vatican raps medieval mystic cited by Obama
Gioacchino da Fiore dubbed 'false and heretical'

Following atheist trend, Britons seek 'de-baptism'
Some publishing renouncements in the newspaper ads

British Museum finds relics of 39 saints
...when 12th-century altar was opened for first time

Thousands march in Spain against abortion reforms
Chanting: 'Get out of here and let the children live'

Pell: 'Australia hardest country for vocations'
Sydney cardinal believes new religious orders are hope

Portuguese bishop challenges Pope on condoms
Says people with AIDS are 'morally obliged' to use them
[Another heretic masquerading as a cleric...]

Hilary Clinton on Guadalupe: Who painted image?
Makes unexpected stop to leave flowers at shrine

Fire destroys Catholic orphanage in India
Priest was tied up and beaten, woman killed

Papal spokesman to resign after PR disasters?
European press reporting Fr. Lombardi is history

When a bishop has to leave the Church of England to stand up for Christians, what hope is left?
The resignation of Michael Nazir-Ali as Bishop of Rochester is a terrible blow, not just for the Church of England but for Britain. The bishop says he is resigning so that he can work for endangered or beleaguered Christian minorities both abroad and in the UK.

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Other News
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Taliban Chief Vows 'Amazing' Attack on Washington 'Soon'
The commander of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a Pakistani police academy and said the group was planning a terrorist attack on the White House that would "amaze" the world.

North Korea Threatens War Against Japan Over Missile
North Korea's government vowed to wage war against Japan if Japanese defense forces try to shoot down a missile that the communist nation says will carry a communications satellite.

Goldman Sachs: 1000-1 leverage in Derivatives (OCC.gov PDF)
JPM $87T vs $1.7T in total assets, BAC $38T vs $1.4T in total assets, C $31T vs $1.2T in total assets, GS $30T vs $0.16T in total assets

US Banks Operate Without Reserve Requirements
Banks typically have 3% of their assets in cash in order to meet customer needs. Since 1960, banks have been allowed to use this “vault cash” to satisfy their reserve requirements. Today, required reserves of banks has fallen to the point where it is now exceeded by vault cash, which means lowering reserve requirements to zero would have virtually no impact on the banking system. US banks are already operating free of any reserve constraints.

Geithner's Oligarchs
F Wiliam Engdahl, economist, author, and risk consultant speaks to Paul Jay about Geithner's plan to rescue the financial institutions in the United States. Engdahl says the plan doesn't address the concentration of financial power in the United States, that is based in five major financial institutions. He says his plan is like a "band aid for a bad hemorrhage"

Former AIG exec draws scrutiny - Federal prosecutors and FBI investigating AIG's Cassano
ABC said its own investigation determined Cassano set up dozens of companies -- some off-shore -- to keep transactions off AIG books and hidden from U.S. and British regulators.
[But - the DemonRats said that AIG collapsed due to the lack of regulations - Isn't shis FRAUD?]

Wall Street v Main Street - Auto Workers Turn on Obama
Many assembly line autoworkers reacted with skepticism and anger Monday to the Obama administration's tough tactics, which stoked long-simmering feelings that the people who put the country on wheels get treated differently than the wizards of Wall Street.

Dodd Mopped Up With AIG Campaign Contributions
The Sen. Christopher Dodd re-election campaign collected $162,100 from AIG employees and their spouses soon after they had received an e-mail pleading for donations to the Connecticut Democrat from Joseph Cassano, AIG Financial Products chief executive...

Who will raise kids: Mom, Dad or state?
Parental rights: 67 in Congress pushing to amend Constitution
[HT to DM for the update!]

Missouri retracts report linking militias, 3rd party candidates
The Missouri Highway Patrol last week retracted a controversial report on militia activity and will change how such reports are reviewed before being distributed to law enforcement agencies.

Another Day, Another Scary Nomination
As usual, President Barack Obama is multi-tasking the dismantling of the American system on so many fronts that not all of the outrages can be properly monitored. So while you should be mortified by his dictatorial power grab with General Motors, please don't miss his recent nomination of former Yale Law School Dean Harold Koh as legal adviser for the State Department.

Did Murtha Say What He Meant?“If I’m corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district.”
[Liar, thief, cheat]