Signs of the Times

Gay Activists Focusing on Rights Issues other than Marriage

Gay rights advocates are rethinking their political strategy after losing the right to marry in California. Votes in California, Florida and Arizona that bring to 29 the number of states whose constitutions ban same-sex marriage are likely to prompt more focus on passing legislation to include gays in laws covering hate crimes and discrimination, advocates say. "Marriage is just an issue where the public is not there yet," says Clyde Wilcox, co-editor of The Politics of Gay Rights. Many gays welcomed Barack Obama's victory. An Edison-Mitofsky survey at polling places found that 70% of gay voters chose Obama, compared with 53% of voters overall. Obama has voiced support for civil unions and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act so gays could enjoy the federal benefits, such as Social Security survivor payments, that married couples do.

Calif. Supreme Court to Take Up Prop. 8

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's highest court agreed Wednesday to hear several legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage but refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules. The California Supreme Court accepted three lawsuits seeking to nullify Proposition 8, a voter-approved constitutional amendment that overruled the court's decision in May that legalized gay marriage. All three cases claim the measure abridges the civil rights of a vulnerable minority group. They argue that voters alone did not have the authority to enact such a significant constitutional change.

• JJ Commentary: Huh? Voters don’t have the authority? What happened to government “of the people, for the people, by the people?”

Americans Don't Know Civics

USA TODAY — From high-school dropouts to college graduates to elected officials, Americans are "alarmingly uninformed" about the USA's history, founding principals and economy — knowledge needed to participate wisely in civic life, says a report released Thursday. The study, the third in a series by the non-profit Intercollegiate Studies Institute, finds that half of U.S. adults can name all three branches of government, and 54% know that the power to declare war belongs to Congress. Almost 40% incorrectly said that it belongs to the president. Those who have held elected office lack civic knowledge; 43% do not know the Electoral College is a constitutionally mandated assembly that elects the president. One in five thinks it "trains those aspiring for higher office" or "was established to supervise the first televised presidential debates."

Among findings: 71% earn an F; the average score was 49%. Ages 25 to 34 had an average score of 46%; ages 45 to 64 had a 52% average. Of 164 respondents who say they have held elected office, 44% was average. Those with bachelor's degrees had an average score of 57% vs. 44% for those with a high-school diploma. The average score for advanced degree-holders inches up to 65%, or a D. Civic knowledge declines in proportion to time spent using passive media, such as TV.

Supreme Court to Review Barack's Citizenship

WORLDNETDAILY — A case that challenges President-elect Barack Obama's name on the 2008 election ballot citing questions over his citizenship has been scheduled for a "conference" at the U.S. Supreme Court. Conferences are private meetings of the justices at which they review cases and decide which ones to accept for formal review. This case is set for a conference Dec. 5, just 10 days before the Electoral College is scheduled to meet to make formal the election of Obama as the nation's next president. Some believe that Obama was actually born in Kenya, and the constitution forbids the foreign-born from being President.

Mexican Emigration Drops 42% over last Two Years

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican emigration has dropped 42% over the last two years, a government study released Thursday showed, confirming that America has become less appealing amid an economic downturn and stepped up raids against illegal migrants. About eight of every 1,000 Mexicans emigrated between February and May of this year, according to the survey conducted by the National Statistics and Geography Institute. That's a 42% drop from the same period in 2006. In all of 2007, an estimated 814,000 Mexicans emigrated, compared to 1.2 million in 2006. Experts say America's economic troubles and tighter border security have deterred many Mexicans from risking the journey to the United States, a trip that often means long desert treks, dodging bandits and bribing corrupt police.

Napolitano is Obama's Pick for Homeland Security

ARIZONA REPUBLIC — Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security, multiple news agencies reported late Wednesday. If appointed, the Democrat in her second term would head the sprawling federal agency, which is responsible for immigration policy and border security as well as emergency response issues. A popular Democratic governor in a red-state, and an early Obama supporter, Napolitano, 51, has been the focus of Cabinet speculation for weeks. Her departure would send ripples through Arizona politics. Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer, next-in-line to the governorship, would serve the remaining two years of Napolitano's term - putting all three branches of state government under GOP control. In making Gov. Janet Napolitano his top pick to head the Department of Homeland Security, President-elect Barack Obama has signaled a moderate approach toward immigration and border policies and laid the path to pursue comprehensive reform later. As the Democratic governor of a border state and a former federal prosecutor, Napolitano would bring to the job years of experience in dealing with border and immigration issues, something previous Homeland Security chiefs have lacked.

More U.S. Soldiers Seek Substance Abuse Help

USA TODAY — The number of soldiers seeking help for substance abuse has climbed 25% in the past five years, but the Army's counseling program has remained significantly understaffed and struggling to meet the demand, according to Army records. About 13,500 soldiers sought drug counseling this year and 7,200 soldiers were diagnosed with an abuse or dependency issue and enrolled in counseling, Army data show. That compares with 11,170 soldiers reporting to drug counseling in 2003, when 5,727 enrolled. Army records show 2.38% of all soldiers had positive results on routine drug urinalysis screening, a 10-year record. In 2004, when combat troops returned from Iraq in large numbers, 1.72% had positive results. The Army requires one drug counselor for every 2,000 soldiers, yet is currently operating with one for 3,100 soldiers, a chronic shortage exacerbated by the increase in substance abuse cases.

India: Reports of Rewards to Kill Christians

The UK-based Christian Today reports that radical Hindu militants are inciting the general population to act against Christians with various incentives, offering money, food and even liquor. "People are being offered rewards to kill, and to destroy churches and Christian properties," a spokesman for the All India Christian Council (AICC) told Release International. "Different tasks have different rewards," he added. "They are being offered foreign liquor, chicken, mutton and weapons. They are being given petrol and kerosene." According to Good News India, pastors in refugee camps are prime targets, earning $250 US dollars. According to the AICC, violence in India has spread from Orissa into 13 more states.

Iran has Enough Enriched Uranium to Build Nuke

Nuclear experts scanning over reprts from the International Atomic Energy Agency have concluded that Iran now has enough enriched uranium to produce an atomic weapon, though it needs to be further refined, according to The New York Times on Thursday. "They clearly have enough material for a bomb. They know how to do the enrichment. Whether they know how to design a bomb, well, that's another matter," top-physicist Richard Garwin told the newspaper. Recent IAEA reports say that Iran has produced rougly 630 kilograms of enriched uranium, which is enough to produce a single nuclear weapon if purified further. It is unknown whether Iran has enough centrifuges configured to enrich the uranium to weapons-grade material, since there may be hidden facilities besides the Natanz plant.

Jobless claims hit 16-year high

The number of new jobless claims hit 542,000 last week, the highest level in 16 years, according to the Labor Department. "The four-week average of claims, which smooths out fluctuations, was even worse: it rose to 506,500, the highest in more than 25 years," AP says. The worst isn't over, according to projections cited by The Washington Post. "The most pessimistic of 17 Federal officials expects joblessness to rise to 8% at the end of 2009, which would be the highest in a quarter-century," the paper says.

Congress OKs Extension of Jobless Benefits

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jarred by new jobless alarms, Congress hurriedly approved legislation Thursday to keep unemployment checks flowing through the December holidays and into the new year for a million or more laid-off Americans whose benefits were running out. The White House, which had opposed broader legislation containing the benefits extension, urged passage of the new version and said President George W. Bush would quickly sign it. As Congress prepared to leave town — perhaps for the year — there was no such resolution on helping the auto industry, a disaster in the making that could lead to hundreds of thousands if not millions of additional lost jobs.

Mortgage Aid Falls Short

WASHINGTON — Two government programs designed to help hundreds of thousands of delinquent borrowers avoid foreclosure are having negligible effects, a top Bush administration official acknowledged Wednesday. One program will be revamped immediately, and the other possibly in the near future. Steve Preston, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said both private industry and government efforts have fallen short as the foreclosure crisis has exceeded all but the most dire forecasts. "Few lenders have actually signed up, and few borrowers are submitting applications," Preston said. "So clearly we needed to make meaningful changes."

Economy hits Immigrants Harder than Most

USA TODAY — Low-skilled immigrants are taking a hard hit from the faltering economy, losing jobs, sending less money to families overseas and cutting back spending at businesses that cater to them. The effect is most pronounced on immigrants, both legal and illegal, working in struggling sectors such as construction and manufacturing. The Pew Hispanic Center, a non-partisan research organization, estimates there are 11.9 million illegal immigrants in the USA this year. In October, the jobless rate was 6.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the rate for Hispanics was 8.8%. Slightly more than half of the Hispanic labor force is foreign-born. Day laborers may be among the most affected. Revenue at Hispanic-owned businesses was down 15% to 20% from July through September, compared with the same quarter last year.

Average Gasoline Price Falls Below $2

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) — The national average price for a gallon of gasoline has fallen below $2 for the first timel since March 2005, the Energy Department and AAA say. The price for regular unleaded gasoline fell for the ninth week in a row, sinking to $1.989 a gallon overnight Friday. Thirty states have gasoline prices that average under $2 a gallon. But oil refiners, the chief buyers of crude, aren't celebrating. Gasoline prices are falling even harder and faster than crude oil, so U.S. refiners are losing money on every gallon of gasoline they sell.

Falling gasoline prices are putting extra money in the pockets of consumers, but there is concern some drivers may return to their gas-guzzling vehicles. The chairman of the Senate Energy Committee said Monday the new Congress probably will not approve legislation to raise the federal tax on gasoline. Americans pay an 18.4-cent federal tax on each gallon of gasoline they buy, plus another 29 cents on average in combined state and local taxes.

Fannie, Freddie Halt Foreclosures for the Holidays

USA TODAY — Mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will suspend foreclosures and evictions for owners of occupied homes through the holidays — the latest effort to keep people in their houses. Freddie and Fannie, which were seized by the government in September, announced Thursday that they will contact an estimated 16,000 borrowers who are facing foreclosure or evictions between Wednesday and Jan. 9. Those proceedings will be delayed and the homeowners will have a chance to work with mortgage servicers to modify their home loans into affordable payments.

Bush Promotes Action Plan on Global Financial Crisis in South America

LIMA, Peru (AP) — President George W. Bush, struggling to get ahead of a global financial crisis, hopes to win more converts at a summit here for an action plan aimed at showing governments have the will and the means to halt the turmoil. Bush embarked Friday on what could be his final overseas trip as president, leaving the White House in the early morning to fly to Peru for the annual gathering of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

• JJ Commentary: Regional organizations in Asia and South America are growing in significance and are following the European Union model. The North American Union is next on tap in the march toward the one-world government prophesied in Revelation 13.

Iceland gets Billions in Aid amid Financial Meltdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday approved a two-year, $2.1 billion support program for Iceland designed to restore confidence and stabilize the country's shattered economy. The approval had been held up because of a British-Icelandic dispute over Britons' accounts in failed Icelandic banks. After the IMF announcement, four Nordic countries agreed to lend Iceland $3.1 billion, Finland's Finance Ministry said. The four countries agreeing to the package were Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Iceland needs the financing to buy imports and support its currency, which has lost around two-thirds of its value since the beginning of the year because of the collapse of its banking system.

Ireland's Economy not Roaring Back

Ireland's fall perhaps is the hardest because it was riding so high. Economic growth since the early 1990s ranged from 4.5% to 10.7% — higher than Europe and the USA. That's why Morgan Stanley analyst Kevin Gardiner dubbed it the Celtic Tiger in 1994. By 2006, Ireland provided full employment and the highest incomes in the eurozone, except for tiny Luxembourg. Now the jobs and high incomes are disappearing as construction projects are postponed, houses remain unsold, and property prices are in free-fall. About 35,000 new houses sit unsold across the country, according to Ireland's Construction Industry Federation. More than 250,000 Irish — 6.7% of the workforce — receive jobless benefits now, a 60% increase over last year.

Post-Earthquake Honesty

BEIJING (AP) — More than 19,000 schoolchildren died in a massive earthquake that struck Sichuan province in May, China acknowledged Friday for the first time. The earthquake left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing, but the government has never before said how many of the casualties were students. Most of them perished when their shoddily built schools collapsed. Their deaths become a sensitive political issue for the government, with parents of dead children staging protests demanding investigations. Many parents says they have been subjected to intimidation and financial inducements to keep them silent. Millions of those displaced in the earthquake still need quilts and repairs to their homes if they are to survive the coming winter, which is expected to be unusually cold.

Weather Signs

BRISBANE, Australia — Two strong storms cut power to tens of thousands of homes and flooded streets along Australia's east coast Thursday, sweeping away one woman in her car amid the worst flooding in decades. The first storm early Thursday dumped almost 8 inches of rain in a matter of hours on Brisbane, Queensland's capital, and surrounding towns. Strong winds lashed coastal areas in the southeast corner of the state. A second storm swept through the region on Thursday night, cutting power to 45,000 premises. Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said police had recovered the body of the woman who was swept away from a town west of Brisbane. Her death brought to two the number of people killed by violent weather in the east of Australia in the past five days.