Top Stories

Romney and Obama Debate #1 Tonight

Tonight is the first of three presidential debates, with just over a month to go until Election Day. Already people on both sides are trying to predict who will “win” the debate, but Melody Gardner has a word of warning for us regarding how much stock we put into either candidate.

Melody is the author of a new book called “Christianity and Politics”, which seeks to encourage a Biblical discussion of God’s role for government.
(Hear Dennis Hutchinson's complete interview with Melody Gardner via the link at right)

More News of Security Omissions at US Consulate Attacked in Lybia

New letters obtained in a freedom of information request appear to show that the State Department refused to get involved when the company in charge of protecting the U-S Consulate in Benghazi, Libya raised security concerns ahead of last month’s terror attack there. A source with knowledge of two State Department meetings told Fox News that Blue Mountain Libya felt the security provided by its UK partner was substandard. Those meetings reportedly took place back in June and July.

US Warns Americans In Egypt

The U-S Embassy in Cairo is issuing new warnings for Americans living in Egypt, especially female missionaries. The embassy’s website says the government has credible information that terrorists are targeting female missionaries. Already several Christian families are fleeing their homes in northern Sinai after threats from Muslims there.

Taxes Will Rise if No Tax Deal Reached

A new non-partisan analysis takes a look at how much more it may cost you if Congress and the president aren’t able to come to a deal regarding the Bush tax cuts by the end of the year. The Tax Policy Center says the average household will face about 34-hundred dollars more in taxes next year, and about 88-percent of households would see an increase of some kind.

Smoked Salmon Implicated in Salmonella Cases

Dutch smoked salmon is the latest culprit of salmonella. About 100 people have become sick after eating salmon from a Dutch fish producer called Foppen – and the fear is that may just be the tip of the iceberg.

Faith

The Jesus Film... There's an App For That!

A new app is bringing the Jesus Film to your smartphone – in over 1,100 languages. Jesus Film Media is an app that gives anybody with an Android or iOS device access the full film, AND some 66,000 video clips, allowing you to share it with anyone as you talk to them about Jesus. JesusFilmMedia.org has all you need to know.

Christian Fraternity at Yale May Be Denied Recognition

A Christian fraternity at Yale University may be denied official recognition because it restricts membership to those who believe in Jesus. Beta Upsilon Chi had no more than announced their chapter’s formation, when the student newspaper at Yale called for them to change their membership rules to comply with Yale’s anti-discrimination policies. That policy bans groups from using sex, race, religion, age, disability, or nationality. However, there are women only groups that are allowed to exclude men. Beta Upsilon Chi is the largest Christian fraternity in the nation.

Family & Relationships

Serious Faith Impacts Divorce Rates

You’ve probably heard that the divorce rate among Christians is just as high as it is among non-believers. Maybe not. New research from LifeWay suggests people who practice a traditional faith – Christian or not – have a divorce rate that is markedly lower than others. Some of the key behaviors are church attendance, reading your Bible & other spiritual material, praying privately and together as a couple, and living as a serious disciple. When you look into different faiths and denominations, it shows Catholic couples are 31-percent less likely to divorce. Protestant couples are 35-percent less likely; and Jewish couples – 97-percent less likely to divorce.

US Birth Rate is Down

The U-S birth rate is down for the fourth year in a row, which some say can be a sign that the weak economy is dampening our enthusiasm. However the drop in 2011 was a little less than it was the previous three years. And some good news that the teen birth rate hit a new low.

Finances and Economy

Saving Money on the Little Things Will Add Up

Everybody has had occasions where they’ve made a bad spending decision. The key is to not let those decisions turn into bad habits. That takes being intentional about how you spend your money – And a new list shows 8 areas where you may be wasting money. Those include ATM fees, buying new clothes, lottery tickets, buying DVDs or paying more for 3-D, eating lunch out, spending more for a hardcover book, and maybe the biggest – bottled water. Drinking it from the tap can save you up to 14-hundred dollars per year.

Auto Sales Up

Auto sales around the nation were up last month, led by Toyota and Volkswagen. Chrysler led U-S carmakers with 12-percent sales gain, thanks mostly to an 89-percent jump in sales of the Dodge Avenger. Ford sales were pretty flat, because they discontinued the Ranger pickup. GM car sales were good, but truck sales were down.

Work

Good Jobs News for College Grads

It’s been a rough three to four years for college grads when it comes to hiring, but a new report shows things may be looking up in 2013. The National Association of Colleges and Employers suggests a 13-percent bump in hiring is coming for the Class of 2013. Andy Ernst with the staffing firm Robert Half says the trend rose this year, as well, especially in the areas of business, computers, accounting, and IT. Further, 25 year olds with a college degree have a current unemployment rate of 4.1%. High school grads of the same age are unemployed at a rate of 8.8%.

Ernst also advises your college student to be agressive in seeking job opportunities, and to take full advantage of professional social media, networking sites, and the good 'ol college campus career center, because "Jobs are'nt going to come to them, you must me agressive." and to top it all off, he encourages a good attitude to help you land--and keep-- your dream job.

Pop-Up Ads Generate Dollars AND Jobs

The dot-com bubble of the 1990s may be the key to fixing the jobs problem in America. A new study shows that all those annoying Internet pop-up ads and ads on sites like Facebook generated 530 billion dollars and helped support more than 5 million jobs last year.

Health

Hydration Hydration Hydration

Calories in vs. calories out may help with weight loss, but WHAT you eat or drink can have an impact on your performance at the gym. Researchers in Dallas say drinking 2-3 cups of fluid 2 hours before you workout, and then another cup or 2 a half hour before will help your hydration and give you more energy. That could be water, or something like low-fat milk or V8 juice. Sports drinks are only recommended if it’s really hot or humid. As far as food, avoid stuff that’s high in fiber and fat beforehand.