Daily Archives: October 7, 2008

Could the Connecticut Supreme Court be delaying a controversial same-sex “marriage” decision until after the November elections to keep voters from protecting marriage in the constitution? . . . It’s been nearly 16 months . . .

That Harvard Crimson reports: “Several years back, the leaders of Harvard Medical School and what would become the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences envisioned creating an institute for biologically-inspired engineering. Late last month, Harvard inked a $125 million deal …

Waymon Hudson reports on The Bilerico Project: “I recently had the chance to talk to Steve Hildebrand, the Deputy Campaign Manager for the Obama Campaign and the highest ranking gay staffer for the campaign.” Click the link to see the …

Stateline carries this report that begins: Laid off from your job in Tennessee? Good luck getting unemployment checks right away. So many people have been calling the state lately to apply for benefits that callers often can’t get through. “We’re …

The PR Newswire reports: FindLaw, the leader in Internet marketing services for law firms and the most-visited legal Web site (http://www.findlaw.com), is launching a first-of-its-kind case summary ‘Really Simple Syndication’ (RSS) feed service to deliver up-to-the-minute court opinions in a …

In what he characterized as a case of first impression, Justice Beeler found that the parties’ entry into a Vermont Civil Union at the time that one of the women was pregnant “is strong evidence of the parties’ intention to create familial bonds for their and [the child's] benefit.”

HSLDA reports: “The family had recently legally withdrawn their daughter from public school in order to homeschool her. Instead of accepting the fact she was being homeschooled, however, school officials contacted the truant officer. “

The HRC Backstory Blog reports on efforts by proponents of homosexuality to pass a “nondiscrimination bill” in Montana.

The Troy Record reports: The owners of Cloud 9 club briefly opened the doors of its adjacent adult book and novelty again only to have the police and Code Enforcement slap the padlock back on Monday afternoon. The city raided …

Ohio.com reports: It wasn’t the worm in the tequila, but the gnats in the whiskey that earned a liquor violation for a Norton strip club on Friday. The citation for unsanitary conditions was just the beginning as Norton police, the …

The AP reports: The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled a local alcohol board wrongly denied a strip club’s request to renew its liquor license. The three-judge panel ruled last week that the Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Board’s denial of …

The AP reports: “A federal judge ordered the Bush administration Tuesday to immediately free 17 Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo Bay into the United States, rebuking the government in a landmark decision that could set the stage for the release of …

Brian Leiter’s Law School reports provide more information.

Citizen Link reports: “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, the state’s largest health insurer, is working to defeat the marriage-protection amendment that will go to voters Nov. 4.” Visit Yes2Marriage.org.

“The amendment, known as Proposal 8, leads 47-42 percent in the SurveyUSA poll, which was conducted Oct. 4-5 among 670 likely voters for four California TV stations.”

One News Now carries this AP report.  It indicates: Polis is one of a record 100 gay, lesbian and bisexual candidates for federal, state and local offices winning endorsements this year from the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a national …

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has issued this press release that begins: Americans United for Separation of Church and State today criticized the White House for issuing a report calling for massive new forms of tax funding …

Altar Net has this report describing a Catholic priest who “came out” and anounced his opposition to California’s proposed marriage amendment, Proposition 8.

The Orlando Sentinel has this editorial touting Orlando’s adoption of “gay-partner benefits.” “Our only concern is that the city didn’t extend those benefits to unmarried straight couples. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer reasons that those couples have the option of marriage. …

Equality California has issued this press release indicating that United Here International Union made a $100k contribution to the No on Proposition 8 campaign and intends to raise another $50k. “Unite Here is the merged union of needle trade and …

CNSNews reports: “Rep. John LaBruzzo, a Republican legislator from the New Orleans area, has been under fire for proposing to curb ‘generational welfare’ by offering cash incentives to poor women who voluntarily undergo sterilization.”

The AP reports: “Supporters and opponents of a ballot initiative that would outlaw same-sex marriage in California have poured $41.2 million into the race, more than the combined total spent in the 24 states where similar measures have gone before …

Priests for Life has issued this press release on the Christian Newswire. “Only a pro-abortion zealot would consider the words ‘Choose Life’ to be controversial,” stated Fr. Pavone

The ACLU has issued this press release that begins: In anticipation of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the American Civil Liberties Union today announced the launch of “Dignity Begins at Home,” a new campaign …

The ACS Blog reports that “the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has been accused of submitting multiple voter registrations with false names.”

The Cincinnati Inquirer reports: At Elmwood Place Elementary, the 37 fourth-graders attend school in single-sex classrooms. And, they couldn’t be happier . . . This school year, there are at least 442 public schools in the United States offering single-sex …

The ACLU has issued this press release that begins: The ACLU of Ohio filed a lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court of Northern Ohio against Richland County Judge James DeWeese. In its lawsuit, the ACLU claims he has continued …

LifeNews.com reports: “The Ohio Supreme Court is holding a hearing today on a case involving a secret abortion on a 14-year-old girl who was a victim of rape. A Cincinnati couple is upset their daughter had an abortion at a …

One News Now reports: “Last week, San Diego’s Rock Church hosted The Fine Line rally, which featured speakers and musicians who told the young people to stand for God’s definition of marriage. The event was broadcast live to more than …

The LA Times reports: “The data, released Monday by UCLA’s Williams Institute, found that an estimated 11,000 same-sex couples were married in California from June 17, when the California Supreme Court began allowing the weddings, to Sept. 17.”

The AP reports: Republican U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith is airing a new TV ad touting his support for a law to protect gays from hate crimes. The campaign ad highlights Smith’s work with Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts on …

GayPolitics.com reports: “The victories of two openly gay school board candidates in Louisiana mark the election of the state’s first two openly gay elected officials. Victory endorsee Thomas Robichaux (right) and Seth Bloom both won their elections to the Orleans …

LifeSiteNews.com reports: “Archbishop George Niederauer had received instructions from the Vatican to cease allowing homosexual persons to adopt children through the Catholic agency. San Francisco’s homosexual activist mayor, Gavin Newsom, then threatened to withdraw funding from Catholic Charities.”

CBS5.com reports: “According to the poll, likely California voters overall now favor passage of Proposition 8 by a five-point margin, 47 percent to 42 percent. Ironically, a CBS 5 poll eleven days prior found a five-point margin in favor of the …

The White House has released the text of the President’s remarks yesterday to the Cincinnati Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society and the Ashbrook Center. 

LifeNews.com reports: “. . . A new poll from Survey USA indicates growing support for Sarah’s Law. With less than a month before the election, the survey found 52 percent of California residents plan to support the measure.” Yes on 4 – …

GetReligion.org has this report that begins: ”Three major American newspapers published articles in the last two days on the significance of the president’s power to appoint Supreme Court justices and how that significance is impacting, or not impacting, the current presidential …

Erwin Chemerinsky has this commentary in the LA Times.  He begins:  Why are the two major presidential candidates virtually ignoring the importance of this election in determining the composition of the Supreme Court and the future of constitutional law? One …

UCANews reports:  . . . They suggested the bishop’s detention could be linked to the fact that a journalist working for foreign media had made an appointment to meet a parish lay leader of the diocese. The sources learned that …

The Times of India reports: “China has denied permission for Catholic bishops to travel to Rome for a Church meeting, a Vatican spokesman said on Friday, in a sign of new strains between Beijing’s communist government and the Vatican.”

Deseret News reports:  The Fundamentalist LDS Church has filed a federal lawsuit challenging court-ordered reform efforts to its real-estate arm. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, accuses the attorneys general of Utah and Arizona, …

The NY Times reports: In a sign of its growing prominence, Indonesia’s Council of Ulemas moved its headquarters from the basement of a major mosque here into an expensive new office tower in the heart of downtown. The council was established …

It may be a free market of competing ideologies and political interests, they say, but what goes on in the classroom is merely operant conditioning in the pragmatic flavor of the day.

Tony Mauro has reports on the First Amendment Center: “The Supreme Court seemed skeptical yesterday of the argument that the First Amendment rights of non-union members should include refusing to pay fees that support certain kinds of national union litigation.” …

Bishop Eugene Robinson endorsed Barak Obama in his personal capacity indicating that he would not discuss the matter from the pulpit. Meanwhile, Rev. Luke Emrich, a Milwaukee pastor, endorsed McCain in his personal capacity from the pulpit.

Cornell Law Professor Michael C. Dorf, a self described “liberal”,  has this commentary on Findlaw discussing ADF’s Pulpit Initiative.  He writes:  In this column, I will argue that neither side in this debate is right. The Constitution neither protects nor …

The Missoulian has issued this opinion editorial discussing ADF’s Pulpit Intitiative that concludes:  To be clear: religious leaders still have every right to promote their favored candidates and causes – but they cannot do so from the pulpit without risking …

OneNewsNow.com reports: “Delta Airlines has announced it is changing course and will have its Internet service filtered. Pat Trueman, special counsel to Alliance Defense Fund, is pleased because that will leave flight attendants to focus on their work rather than monitoring …

How Appealing reports that the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that a suit brought by parents alleging that a child hood vaccine caused neurological damage to their child can go forward. “In a landmark decision, the state high court unanimously …

  ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE October 7, 2008 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS:  (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom U.S. Supreme Court clears way for specialty plates featuring ‘Choose Life’ message High Court lets decision in favor of …

The 6th Circuit has issued an opinion in M.A.L. v. Kinsland, No. 07-1409 (6th Cir. Oct. 7, 2008). ADF and National Legal Foundation were involved in this case. Excerpts from the ruling:   ______ ROGERS, Circuit Judge. This case presents …

Harry R. Jackson, Jr.  has this commentary on Townhall. He writes: . . . While all this excitement is taking place nationally, there is a quiet tragedy brewing that can have just as much impact as the financial crisis. It …

In Gonzales v. Carhart, the Supreme Court upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. In so doing, the Court used the prospect of regret to justify limiting choice.

NJ.com reports: As a New Jersey governor and national Republican figure, Christie Whitman won votes and political acclaim by supporting abortion rights. But the stance got Whitman bounced from a speaking gig at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred …

The AP reports: A mistrial was declared Monday after a jury could not decide whether to award damages to four firefighters who claimed they were sexually harassed after being forced to participate in a gay pride parade last year. The …

Sen. Patrick Leahy has this post on The Hill’s Congress Blog.  It begins: The balance on our nation’s federal courts is precarious, with seven out of the nine Supreme Court Justices and 60 percent of all Federal judges appointed by …

FRC is hosting an event featuring live Internet streaming that is described as follows: Join leading researchers and clinicians for a discussion about abortion history and associated mental health effects. Data from numerous studies and the National Comorbidity Study, the …

Douglas Johnson has this article on National Review that begins: “The Barack Obama ‘messaging machine’ is now in full overdrive mode, seeking to mislead religiously committed Americans into thinking that Obama has a middle-of-the-road position on abortion policy and will …

The AP reports: A federal judge has scolded California officials for failing to provide the billions of dollars a court-appointed receiver says is needed to upgrade the state’s prison health care system. U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson made it clear …

Tresa Baldas has this report on the National Law Journal.  She writes: If sleep disorders and sex problems can be used as criteria for filing disability claims, as courts have held, “being male” could also be a legally recognized disability. …