Daily Archives: January 21, 2009

The School Law Blog reports: “The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear the appeals of several families in a challenge to Pennsylvania’s record-keeping requirements for home-schooled children . . . “

Rutherford Institute: “Judge John Preston Bailey of the Northern District of West Virginia has ruled that a First Amendment lawsuit dealing with the right of a political group to circulate petitions and collect signatures at a state park can move …

Lambda Legal has issued this press release that reports on an Ohio lesbian custody case where: “Lambda Legal argues that Ohio’s antigay constitutional amendment has no impact on Ohio courts’ authority to order shared custody between former same-sex partners.”

Grand Junction Free Press: “The Grand Junction City Council tonight will again consider a liquor license for Fantasy, a strip club proposed by Kevin Eardley for an industrial north Grand Junction neighborhood. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City …

East Valley Tribune: The language of HB 2400 is designed to mirror the federal law, a move Murphy believes will immunize it from future legal challenges, including an exception from the ban to save the life of the mother. And …

The Border Fire Report: In the first 21 months of operation, the Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS) recorded information on more than 1,200 alleged incidents of human trafficking, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today …

AP: “Kentucky may not seize 141 online casinos’ Internet domain names in an attempt to block them from operating within the state’s borders, a three-judge appeals panel ruled. In a 2-1 opinion Tuesday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals panel said …

“If (homosexuals) can marry, what is the reason that public policy says one person can’t marry more than one person?” said Suffredine, a former provincial lawmaker.

The AP reports: A three-judge panel from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal rejected a Christian civil rights group’s argument that the city violated the state constitution and ran afoul of public policies that favor marriage over unmarried cohabitation . …

The Wall Street Journal: Republicans forced a delay to the scheduled confirmation vote for Eric Holder, President Barack Obama’s nominee for attorney general. The one-week delay, Republicans said, would help address several concerns, including Mr. Holder’s role in the pardon …

AP: “A new report from the Connecticut Catholic Conference shows a 12 percent increase in abortions performed in the state between 2000 and 2007, despite a national decline . . . “

The ACLU Blog links to a purported draft Executive order to close Guantanamo. The order provides in part: The detention facilities at Guantánamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than …

AP reports: “. . . The Senate voted 94-2, with Republican Sens. David Vitter of Louisiana and Jim DeMint of South Carolina opposing . . . “

The Herald Times Reporter: “Attorneys representing Manitowoc County responded Tuesday to a federal lawsuit claiming the county violated the Establishment Clause to the First Amendment when they allowed a nativity scene to remain on the Manitowoc County Courthouse lawn during …

AsiaNews.it: “At the origin of the violence is a dispute over land acquired by a Catholic of the village, and the marriage between a Christian young man and a Muslim young woman. In spite of the charges, the local police …

ANSA.it: “A group of Muslims who prayed in front of the Colosseum during a protest march against the Israeli offensive in Gaza this weekend was accused of threatening behaviour by centre-right politicians on Monday . . . Concerns over extremism …

The Christian Institute: “Boy Scouts in Dundee will be able to pledge allegiance to ‘Allah’ and drop the traditional oath to God and Queen, says the Scout Association in Scotland. The Association has given its backing to starting Dundee’s 45th …

The Catholic News Agency: “The Supreme Court in Spain has stripped the Diocese of Canarias of the right to determine the qualifications of teachers hired to teach the Catholic faith. The court ruled this week in favor of a woman …

The Christian Telegraph reports: “In an interview with the L’Osservatore Romano, Italian politician Mario Mauro said he sees the prevention of discrimination against Christians as an important aspect of his new role in the European Union, reports Catholic News Agency.”

Operation Save America has issued this press release on the Christian Newswire: “Local pastors, business leaders, crisis pregnancy center directors, and Christians will join Operation Save America for a press conference and a Memorial Service, mourning 36 years of unabated …

AP: “A 22-year-old man has been shot and killed inside a Springfield strip club.”  The report indicates he was shot in the back of the head while sitting at the bar after being involved in a fight.

Kare11.com: “The Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says it’s suing a charter school that caters to Muslim students.  The ACLU names Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy, or TiZA, and the Minnesota Department of Education in a lawsuit in …

Michael Foust writes in the Baptist Press: Five minutes before noon — before Obama had taken the oath of office — the website still had a link to then-President Bush’s statement backing a ban on partial-birth abortion and supporting a …

KXNet.com reports: “Law Enforcement want to know more about strippers and others in the adult entertainment business. That’s why a bill says those individuals in sexually orientated businesses have to register with the state Tax Department . . . “

ABC: Hill’s exotic dancer agency would be directly across the street from the studio, where little girls are learning to dance ballet, and tap. Deanna Garcia’s daughter is one of the students . . . Parents and business owners took …

Christian Newswire carries this update on the 40 Days for Life Campaign.  “The campaign dates of February 25 through April 5 coincide with the Christian season of Lent.”

The Iowa Family Policy Council reports: Tune in to Praise 940AM tomorrow afternoon (January 21st) at 2:00 to hear IFPC President Chuck Hurley debate local UCC Pastor and homosexual “marriage” proponent Matt Mardis-Lecroy. As the Iowa Supreme Court deliberates over …

AOL News: “When President Barack Obama took the oath of office today, his communications team flipped the switch on the brand new, redesigned White House web site. The Obama Administrations boasts that it’s primary web presence will be the most …

Christian Newswire: “Members of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign (SNMAC), the world’s largest network of men and women harmed by abortion, will give their personal abortion testimonies at Washington, DC’s March for Life on Thursday and San Francisco’s Walk …

Citizen Link: “Legislation sitting in the Maryland House would require doctors to provide terminally ill patients who wish to die with information from groups that advocate physician-assisted suicide . . . ” Wesley Smith writing at Second Hand Smoke: Maryland …

The Washington Post: In a memo issued by new White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the president tells agency and department heads that : “…no proposed or final regulation should be sent to the Office of Federal Register for …

Washington Post: The Senate approved seven of President Obama‘s Cabinet-level appointees yesterday but delayed a planned vote on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton‘s confirmation to be secretary of state because of objections from a Republican member . . . he seven …

The Wall Street Journal: “Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has been released from the hospital after suffering a seizure during an inaugural luncheon . . . Doctors blamed fatigue for the seizure. Mr. Kennedy, first elected to the U.S. Senate in …

Radio World Online reports: . . . “We’re fairly certain that we’re going to see a major sea change in terms of the increase of threats, either expressed or implied, to the freedom of Christian broadcasters to broadcast opinions and …

WVMetroNews: The state Supreme Court will decide whether a baby girl will stay with the lesbian couple in Fayette County that wants to adopt her . . . The state should do everything it can to make sure that kids are …

Catholic Culture: “Supporters of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez hurled tear-gas canisters at the residence of the papal nuncio in Caracas on Monday morning, January 19, after a speech in which Chavez denounced his critics, including the country’s Catholic bishops . …

Catholic Culture reports: “Vice President-elect Joe Biden received a standing ovation during Mass yesterday at Washington’s Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where President John F. Kennedy regularly attended Mass while president . . . ” LifeNews coverage of Biden’s stance on …

AFP: Sweden may allow homosexuals to wed in the Lutheran Church or civil ceremonies as of May if parliament adopts legislation presented to parliament Wednesday, the prime minister’s party said . . . According to the proposal, pastors who do …

The Capital Times reports on a new ad campaign by the Freedom from Religion Foundation encouraging Obama to “rebuild that wall” and dismantle the “Faith Based Initiative.” The report indicates: Arguing that government “should run on facts, not faith,” the …

LifeSiteNews.com: Bolivia will hold a nationwide referendum this Sunday to approve or reject a new constitution containing pro-abortion language, and providing special rights for homosexuals and “transgender” people. The new document will also nullify Bolivia’s existing recognition of Catholicism, declaring …

The Daily Progress: . . . Jeffery King, a pastor at Rosehill Baptist Church in Albemarle County, filed suit against Cardinal Health Inc. on Jan. 7 in Charlottesville’s federal court . . . In September, the EEOC filed a suit …

The Local: Sweden’s legacy of lax attitudes toward pornography has come back to haunt the country’s national library, which has been found to have large quantities of child pornography in its collection . . . Citing “the child’s right to …

The Sacramento Bee: Angered by the passage of Proposition 8, grass-roots activists are working to place measures on the ballot to reverse California’s ban on same-sex unions . . . Two groups took the first step toward qualifying a ballot …

The LA Times carries this editorial with this subcaption: “On the heels of Pastor Rick Warren’s invocation, Obama should drop the semantics and acknowledge that denying same-sex marriage is discriminatory.”

The NY Times: Kara Neumann, 11, had grown so weak that she could not walk or speak. Her parents, who believe that God alone has the ability to heal the sick, prayed for her recovery but did not take her …

AP: “. . . Hawaii lawmakers convene a new session Wednesday in which they expect to consider legalizing gambling, recognizing gay marriage and preserving Hawaiian lands. The session runs through May 7 . . . “

AP: “A right-wing lawmaker should be prosecuted for inciting racial hatred with anti-Islamic statements that include calling the Quran a ‘fascist book,’ a Dutch court ruled Wednesday . . . Wilders told Dutch media it was a ‘black day for …

Lyle Denniston has this commentary on SCOTUS Blog discussing the issue and How Appealing links to several other reports on the same topic.

The Washington Post: “Might a New administration and Congress bring a new approach to the handling of judicial nominations? Might pettiness give way to rationality and fair-mindedness? Don’t count on it. But in such a week, we can hope . …

AP: . . . The Supreme Court, in an order Wednesday, said it won’t consider reviving the Child Online Protection Act, which lower federal courts struck down as unconstitutional. The law has been embroiled in court challenges since it passed …

Reuters: Many U.S. troops in Iraq were overjoyed to see President Barack Obama take his oath, but some were unhappy about one thing the Democrat has promised to do: permit gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly . . . …

WV Department of Health and Human Resources had temporarily placed the child with a same-sex couple, but that couple now seeks to to adopt rather than place the child in a family with a mom and dad . . .

Should cyber-speech promoting suicide be afforded First Amendment protection? Would criminalization arise when an individual simply posts instructions on the best way to commit suicide by hanging? Or, would it only arise when an individual provides such information to another whom that individual knows is seeking such information and is likely to use it to commit suicide? Section I of this Note presents and applies the traditional First Amendment jurisprudence to cyber-speech promoting suicide. Section II presents an overview of the Supreme Court’s discussion of speech and the internet. Section III introduces the constitutionality of existing federal statutes that criminalize cyber-stalking. This analysis is useful because it shows how crime-facilitating cyber-speech squares with the First Amendment. Also, since the criminalization of cyber-stalking is a recent development, the analysis provides insight into how the use of cyber-speech to promote suicide may stand against a First Amendment challenge. Finally, Section IV uses cyber-stalking statutes as guidance for drafting statutes that prohibit the use of cyber-speech to promote suicide.