Top Stories
Senate Votes Down Controversial UN Disability Treaty
A treaty that would have allowed the UN to establish policy
for Americans with disabilities was turned down in the Senate yesterday,
failing by 6 votes. It needed 67 votes
and got just 61, including that of Arizona Senator John McCain, who was left
disabled by war injuries. Several veterans
groups also backed it. However, the
treaty made no exceptions for parental rights, which could have led to handing
over sovereignty to the UN in those cases.
Egyptian Unrest Continues, President Back in Palace
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is reportedly safe and
back at his presidential palace after violent protests yesterday forced him to
leave. More than 100-thousand people
jammed the streets of Cairo
Tuesday, with shouts of “Leave, Leave.”
Police used tear gas to try to break things up. Eighteen people were left injured, none
seriously. These protests started about
a week ago, as more people are becoming concerned about new powers Morsi is
granting himself.
Philippine Typhoon Kills Hundreds, Displaces Thousands
More than 270 people have been confirmed dead in that
typhoon that hit the Philippines,
sparking flash floods and landslides.
Several villagers in New Bataan are said to still be missing in the
strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.
More than 170-thousand have fled their homes, and it’s been devastating
to the coconut and banana plantations there.
Court Ruling Has Effect of Allowing CA Ministries to Still
Counsel People from a Biblical Basis
A federal judge in California
has stopped a new law from going into effect there that banned ministries from
helping people trying to overcome homosexuality. The ban on so-called “Gay Cures” was the
first law of its kind in the nation, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown back in
September. It stopped counselors from
expressing their opinions about homosexuality to patients, based on the premise
that it put them at greater risk of suicide.
The judge in the case called their evidence questionable, at best.
Unconventional Discipline Technique Gets Arizona Principal
in Hot Water
A principal at a high school in Mesa, Arizona
is under fire for his unorthodox discipline of two boys who had gotten into a fight. The boys were given a choice: Be suspended,
or hold hands for an hour in front of fellow students. They opted for the hand holding, and now the
pictures are all over social media. The
school district says they will address the issue. Students have rallied in support of the
principal.
Is A La Cart Cable Programming Closer to Reality?
You know how you always wished you could just pay a little
bit for all the channels you do watch instead of all the stuff you don’t? We may be moving a little closer to that with
the news that Netflix has outbid the Starz movie channel for the rights to show
Disney movies shortly after they leave theaters. That deal means those movies will be more
widely available online with your basic Netflix subscription.
Faith
Live Nativity in Washington
D.C.
A live nativity scene will be on display in front of the
Supreme Court and the Capitol today, part of the Nativity Project. That’s an effort to remind our nation’s
leaders especially, that our Constitution provides freedom “of” religion, not
freedom “from” religion.
Family & Relationships
Court Allows Nevada
to Continue With Accurate Definition of Marriage
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit that challenged Nevada’s marriage
amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman. That amendment passed by 70-percent back in
2000 and again two years later. It also
says Nevada
does NOT recognize same-sex marriages from other states. The judge in the case said maintaining one
man/one woman marriage is a “legitimate state interest” and that it does not
take away existing rights.
Work
Recognizing Achievement Helps Build Culture of Praise
You don’t have the money to give all of your workers a big
raise, or even a Christmas bonus, but you’d still like to let them know you
appreciate them. A nice pat on the back
in front of their peers goes a long way.
A group called Achievers sells software that helps companies reward
employees, and they say a couple things you can do is set a culture of praise –
especially in staff meetings, and if you’re going to give tangible gifts – make
them personal, not a one size fits all gift for everybody.
Finances & Economy
Lead Foot Costs You More Unleaded
If Christmas travel is like Thanksgiving travel, the
airports won’t be as crowded as in past holidays because more people opt to
drive instead of fly to save some cash.
However, Josh Elledge with Savings Angel says if you drive too fast
you’re gonna end up costing yourself anyway. He says, “Slow down. I had no idea
but every five miles per hour that you drive over 60 miles per hour is like
paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas. Now if you drive aggressively—I
don’t think anyone listening to us would—but those who do drive aggressively…
they can actually pay as much as one dollar more per gallon. More money savings
tips at www.SavingsAngel.com.
Car Sales Up
November was a good month for car sales, led by Chrysler
with a 14-percent sales gain over 2011.
Ford was up 6-percent and G-M almost 3.5-percent. Similar numbers from foreign auto makers, as
overall sales were up 15-percent, thanks in part to a rebound following
Hurricane Sandy, which hurt October sales.
Health
Study Shows Sleeplessness Really Is a Pain
If you slept more at night, you’d have less pain during the
day. New research suggests that daytime
sleepiness leads to an increase in pain sensitivity, and that if you could
extend your sleep by a couple of hours a night it would help.
God Fat Bad Fat
You’ve probably heard of trans fats and know they’re not
good for you - but Dr. Udo Erasmus says just like there is good and bad
cholesterol, there are good and bad fats, and making the right choice between
them could make all the difference. He says, “More diseases respond positively
to making that one change in our diet than anything else that we do.” Green
vegetables and cold water fish would be examples of things that have good fats
in them.
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