News Updates, 6/18

Key US Bishops: No Ecclesiastical Sanctions Against Notre Dame
On the first day of their three-day meeting in San Antonio, the bishops of the United States heard reports on the “great continental mission” taking place in Latin America and on the defense of traditional marriage. In separate interviews with John Allen, two key bishops-- Bishop George Kicanas of Tucson, vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry of Los Angeles, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education, said there would be no sanctions against the University of Notre Dame for honoring President Barack Obama at its May 17 commencement ceremony...

Church vandalized, Jesus statue decapitated
Vandals spray painted graffiti and cut the head of a statue outside Saint Ann’s Catholic Church on Park Road Monday night. Police are investigating the damage. A police report values the statue at $3,000 and puts the total damage at $4,500.

"No priest, no evil one/Can keep us/From feeling like Hitler’s children."
That creepy line, according to Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism, was part of a Hitler Youth song popular during the late 1930s. Goldberg has posted two excerpts from his book in response to the idea, still widely prevalent, that Hitler was a Christian of some sort or another..."In 1935 mandatory prayer in school was abolished, and in 1938 carols and Nativity plays were banned entirely. By 1941 religious instruction for children fourteen years and up had been abolished altogether, and Jacobinism reigned supreme"...

Vatican warns SSPX not to ordain priests
Plans include 21 new priests in three countries

More proof of Hitler's plan to kill Pius XII
Son of German intelligence officer comes forward

Catholic colleges promote pro-abortion internships
...including Feminist Majority Foundation and NOW

PBS to begin phasing out religious programming
No more Catholic Masses or Mormon devotionals

MySpace, Facebook users at Vatican hit firewalls
Employees banned from accessing social networking sites

St. Paul's cathedral declared national shrine
Rector: 'We're thrilled with receiving that distinction'

Study: homosexual behavior among animals common
Claim it's 'part of necessary biological adaptation'

Former Catholic priest in photo scandal marries
'Fr. Oprah' left Church for Anglican communion

Catholic bishops meeting to focus on liturgy
Three-day conference taking place in San Antonio

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Other Issues
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EDITORIAL: A witness to Walpin-gate
"..Our witness, a staff member, said the board was hostile and rude. He said the board repeatedly interrupted Mr. Walpin and peppered him with questions on multiple issues. He fully confirmed Mr. Walpin's account that the board excused Mr. Walpin for 15 minutes and that when Mr. Walpin returned to find his notepapers out of order, the board refused to give him time to get them straight...

Obama fires two more inspector generals who were critical of him?
Both inspectors general had investigated sensitive subjects at the time of their firings. [Senator] Grassley is now concerned about whether a pattern is emerging in which the independence of the government's top watchdogs -- whose jobs were authorized by Congress to look out for waste, fraud and abuse -- is being put at risk...
[The Rule of Law is OUT, replaced by the Rule of 0bama!]

New flu strain 'has mutated, become more infectious'
The new strain of influenza appears to have mutated to become more infectious for humans, the online edition of science magazine Nature reported Monday, referencing research by a team including Prof. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of Tokyo University's Institute of Medical Science...
[In related Flu news, we have this (which might portend something ominous): E627K Acquisition in Swine H1N1 Raises Pandemic Concerns]

Las Vegas newspaper gets subpoena to ID online commenters
A Nevada newspaper says it has been served a federal grand jury subpoena seeking information about readers who posted comments on the paper's Web site. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that its editor, Thomas Mitchell, plans to fight the request, which the newspaper received after reporting on a federal tax fraud case against business owner Robert Kahre...

Suitcase With $134 Billion Puts Dollar on Edge
Two Japanese men are detained in Italy after allegedly attempting to take $134 billion worth of U.S. bonds over the border into Switzerland. Details are maddeningly sketchy, so naturally the global rumor mill is kicking into high gear.

Bigest Financial Crime in History - Nor Reported by the Mainstream (State) Press
Why is the apprehension of two Japanese men with $134.5 billion of U.S. Treasury bonds hidden in their suitcases not on the Nightly News? This is a huge story and could indicate a massive coverup by the U.S. and Japanese governments. Why isn't the Secretary of the Treasury being interviewed?...

Libya records 13 cases of bubonic plague
Thirteen cases of bubonic plague have been recorded in eastern Libya, near the border with Egypt, Health Minister Mohamad Hijazi told AFP on Wednesday, stressing the situation was under control.

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War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength
-1984