News Updates, 6/12

Massachusetts Cardinal: No abortions at Catholic hospitals
Caritas Christi Health Care, which operates six hospitals in Massachusetts, will neither perform abortions nor make referrals to other health care providers for patients seeking abortions, Cardinal Sean O'Malley said. O'Malley issued the statement after Catholic and anti-abortion activists criticized the decision by Caritas Christi, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, to enter into a partnership with a secular health care company...

Ranjith Packs His Bags? (Robert Moynihan)
Pope Benedict XVI has decided to send one of the staunchest supporters of his liturgical reform in the Roman Curia away from the Eternal City. Why? — The Pope has decided that Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith (photo), the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments and one of the strongest supporters of Benedict's liturgical reform, will be transferred this summer to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka (his native country), where he will become archbishop, reliable Vatican sources confirmed today. The decision will be announced publicly in the next few days, the sources said...

The Basement of the Culture of Death
With a pro-abortion president in the White House, new sub-groups in the broader "culture of death" are coming into view. One of them is dark, indeed. Take two recent events: Dr. George Tiller is compared to Martin Luther King, Jr. The president of Catholics for Choice attacks a political appointee, Alexia Kelley, who defended Obama's abortion record before the nation's Catholic voters. As head of Catholics in Alliance with the Common Good, Alexia Kelley was second only to Doug Kmiec in making Obama's record on abortion palatable to [confused or dissident] Catholics...

A new religion masquerading as Christianity, Part 1
Recently the Barna Research Group released a study on the religious practices of liberals and Christians. According to the report: "The research...discovered that liberals are more likely than conservatives to develop their own set of religious beliefs rather than adopt those proposed by a church or other entity. A greater percentage of liberals also indicated they are very open to accepting different moral views than those they presently possess."

Clinic gave free abortions in honor of Tiller
Abortionist was shot and killed by extremist gunman

Nebraska doc wants to take over for Tiller
Says he will perform third-term abortions in Kansas

Illinois court: Priest may not sue accusers
Two brothers say Chicago cleric molested them
[Separation of Church & State?]

Bishop: Romance not found between priest, killer
Murderer claimed he killed lover after late-night quarrel

Anglican bishop to priests: drop comedy routine
Quit quashing focus on God with 'half-baked comic lines'

Wanda: Pope wanted me to publish correspondence
Lublin bishop blasts 87-year-old woman for 'narcissism'

Rev. Wright: Them Jews keeping me away from Obama
'He'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck'

Teacher accused of displaying Bible in class
Sues school district for religious harassment

Christian leader: evangelicals have lost their way
Author pans silly trends, 'Jesus is my boyfriend' music

=========
Other Issues
=========

Maryland Teen Beaten to Death by Gang Members
A Maryland teen was beaten to death by a pack of heathens. The video is from ABC. Did you hear about it? Was it a hate crime? Oops! That's not politically correct question to ask...
[Where's Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson???]

House Health-Care Bill to Include $600 Billion in Tax Increases
Health-care overhaul legislation being drafted by House Democrats will include $600 billion in tax increases and $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said...
[Secede, revolt, both??? These clowns and cheats deserve prison, at best!]

Chavez: Gov't may shutter critical TV channel
CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez threatened to close down an opposition-sided news network, saying the defiant Globovision channel's days on the airwaves will be numbered if its directors don't stand down...

Texas AG says GM contracts break state law
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says General Motors is trying to force car dealers into contracts that violate Texas law. Abbott filed an objection Friday in GM's pending bankruptcy case in federal court in New York...
[Don'cha know, King Obama trumps state law - and, it seems, Federal law.]

Obama ousts AmeriCorps' IG who investigated friend
[Chairman] Obama says he has lost confidence in the inspector general who investigates AmeriCorps and other national service programs and has told Congress he is removing him from the position...

Hartford Gets $3.4 Billion in TARP Funds
Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (HIG.N) said on Friday it will take $3.4 billion of federal bailout money and plans to sell as much as $750 million of common stock.

A better-dressed Soviet-style communism
...People who not long ago shunned and even ridiculed people like me for clearly speaking out about this intention are now decrying the surrender to socialism and accepting descriptive terms like "neo-communist" that suggest the Obama faction's ultimate goal: the establishment of a better-dressed, more astutely implemented version of Soviet-style communism in the United States...

Obama proposal “would have devastating impact on health care access”
At Sacramento press conference, healthcare professionals plead with president not to revoke conscience protection regulation

Obama Care: We Cannot Afford It
...Do you think we can afford it? We ran a $189.7 billion deficit this last month folks. Annualized this is a staggering $2.276 trillion dollars - for one year. That's the difference between tax receipts and spending. $2.276 trillion dollars. We cannot keep doing this. Our lenders (the Chinese, Saudis and others) will not permit us to keep doing this. If we don't stop this stupidity, here and now, interest rates will start to move dramatically higher...
[And the consequences of that are even high unemployment, house values falling yet again, and much more!!!]

IRS Weighs Rules for Taxing Private Use of Work Cellphones
The IRS is weighing a proposal to deem one-quarter of employees' use of work cellphones as personal use and therefore subject to tax as a fringe benefit...
[More "Change" you can believe in! Next in line for taxation as benefits: company provide PC, airconditioning, water & coffee, access to company provided restrooms, etc. Time for a real "tea party" yet? Sounds like it's well past time to abolish the IRS, the 16th & 17th amendments...for a start.]

Japan’s Trust in U.S. Treasuries Is ‘Unshakable’
Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said his government is confident about the outlook for U.S. Treasuries, signaling the second-biggest foreign holder of the securities will keep buying them...
[The Titanic is unsinkable!]

Majority now cosponsors Ron Paul's Fed audit
Less than 24 hours after WND reported a proposal from U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, to audit the Federal Reserve was approaching majority support in the U.S. House, he is confirming the plan has reached that "crucial benchmark."

Inconvenient truths: Holocaust Museum shooter (a LIBERAL)hated Fox News, Murdoch
I noted yesterday and this morning that Holocaust Museum nutball was an equal-opportunity hater. He railed against Fox News and Rupert Murdoch. And now this:...

GOP: bankruptcy key to unwinding mega-institutions
Regulators should rely on the bankruptcy process to unwind large systemically significant financial institutions rather than allowing government bailout dollars to help resolve insolvent mega-banks, according to a broad regulatory reform proposal introduced by House Republican lawmakers on Thursday...