Top Stories
Michigan Governor signs Right to Work Bills
With thousands of protesters outside, Michigan
lawmakers yesterday gave final approval to make Michigan a “Right-To-Work” state, meaning
that workers will no longer be forced to join a union as a condition of their
employment. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder
signed the bills within hours of their passage by the State House, and told Fox
News it’s all about being pro-worker.
“It’s about giving the workers the freedom to choose whether
their resources go to a union or not. And I actually don’t view this as
anti-union because it really gives the unions an opportunity to present their
value case, and if they see value they should join and if they don’t, why
should their resources go there?”
The debate was not without drama, as one Democrat lawmaker
used his time on the floor to say “There will be blood” – and there was, as
several fights broke out on the Capitol lawn and protestors tore down at least
two warming tents.
Shopping Mall Shooting in Oregon
A tragic scene at a mall in Portland, Oregon
yesterday as a gunman opened fire, killing two people and wounding another
before killing himself. Police say
they’ve identified the shooter, but have not officially released his name or
given any indication as to a possible motive.
The wounded girl is said to be in serious condition. The mall will be closed today.
Nurses Top “Trust” Poll While Clergy Lags Way Behind
What professionals do you trust the most? A new Gallup
poll shows 85-percent of us agree that nurses are tops in honesty and
ethics. 75-percent rank pharmacists up
there as well, and both of them score higher than clergy – with just 52-percent.
Mandela Hospitalized
Nelson Mandela is in the hospital again, having some tests
done and fighting a lung infection. The
former South African leader is 94 now.
Remember he spent nearly thirty years behind bars, fighting the white
minority rule there called “Apartheid.”
Mandela was elected the first black president in South Africa in 1994.
Church Around the World
Blasphemy Laws on the European Books
For the past year or so, Pakistan has been in the news quite
often regarding its blasphemy laws. They
may be getting company soon.
Christianity Today says while some countries are now striking down laws
that criminalize offenses against religion, others are strengthening them. 8 out of 45 countries in Europe
have laws against blasphemy, and 36 have laws against defamation of
religions. Some examples include the
Dutch parliament, which has accepted a motion to do away with a law that made
it a crime to insult God. In Ireland,
the newly elected leadership says they want to update a law that criminalizes
blasphemy. At the same time, people in Greece
that helped put on a blasphemous play about the life of Christ are now facing
charges for insulting religion.
Faith
Did Faith Cause Boxer to Lose Fight?
I don’t know if you’re much of a boxing fan, but there was a
big title fight last weekend - and a lot of people were surprised at the
result, as Manny Pacquiao lost to Juan Manuel Marquez in a 6th round knock
out. That’s the old news. The interesting thing is “WHY” people are
saying he lost. Earlier this year,
Pacquiao announced to the media that he had become a born-again Christian, and
some followers of his say that’s why he lost – because he ran away from his
Catholic faith. A pastor from the Philippines,
where Pacquiao is from, has come to his defense saying “through this loss,
Manny will glorify God and bring more people to the Savior’s feet.”
Free Audio Bible Christmas Story
Everybody’s looking for the perfect gift this time of year,
and if you can’t find it, then perfectly cheap will do. Faith Comes By Hearing has both. They’re offering audio of the Christmas story
free at their website. Again listen free at their website www.FCBH.org.
Family & Relationships
Physical Activity Promotes Better Grades
Another reason to go ahead and let Jimmy join the basketball
league at the rec center – his grades.
New research out of the University
of Tennessee shows that
middle schoolers in good shape do better on standardized tests and tend to get
better grades.
Work
Police Officers Face Difficulties Similar to Shift Workers
Sleep studies have shown that shift workers, especially
those on late shifts, have more problems sleeping than those who work a more
normal nine to five type of job. What
you may not know is that 40-percent of police officers are affected. There are other jobs with midnight shifts,
but Dr. Charles Czeisler says it’s different for our boys in blue. He says, “officers with obstructive sleep apnea had a doubling of the
risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes an increased risk of falling asleep at
the wheel and an increased risk of depression.” Dr. Czeisler also says
that all shift workers have a heightened health risk, and it’s a good idea to
be checked out for sleep apnea.
Finances & Economy
Investors Look to Foreclosures
As the economy has continued to sputter, there has been an
increase in foreclosures – and now it looks like more investment firms are
stepping in and snapping up those homes, hoping to make a profit in the long
run. For example the Blackstone Group
has bought about 6,500 homes and Colony Capitol another 4,000. The idea is to fix them up, if they need it,
then rent them out or sell them off at a profit. That could be a sign that they believe home
prices are going to continue to rise.
Health
Healthiest States
America’s
2012 Health Rankings are out and Vermont
is tops again, for the fourth year in a row.
Overall, the United Health Foundation says Americans are living longer,
but are also sicker and have more chronic illness. In Family Life Nation, Wisconsin was the best, coming in at number
sixteen. Texas brings up the rear at number
forty. (Tennessee-39; Michigan-37;
Georgia-36; Florida-34; New Mexico-32; Arizona-25; Kansas-24; California-22)
Forbidden Foods’ Guilty Pleasures
You know you shouldn’t eat all the chocolate - and that’s
what makes it oh so good. New research
out of Northwestern suggests that the guilt associated with indulging in those
so-called forbidden foods enhances your enjoyment of them, especially among
women.
Obesity Rates Falling in Some Cities
The message is starting to get through. After decades of rising childhood obesity
rates, some cities are starting to see a drop now. New York, Los Angeles, and Anchorage,
Alaska are among the biggest
cities to see the rate fall, and it appears to be trending that way in several
others.
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