Stocks Plunge
Stocks sank more than 2 percent Wednesday, following several economic reports that confirmed a struggling recovery and after Moody's downgraded Greece's bond ratings deeper into junk status.

Economists Back US Republicans in Debt Fight
More than 150 economists back U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's call to match any increase in the debt limit with spending cuts of equal size, according to a letter released by the Republican leader's office Wednesday.

Shale Boom in Texas Could Increase U.S. Oil Output
Now the region is in the hottest new oil play in the country, with giant oil terminals and sprawling RV parks replacing fields of mesquite. More than a dozen companies plan to drill up to 3,000 wells around here in the next 12 months. The Texas field, known as the Eagle Ford, is just one of about 20 new onshore oil fields that advocates say could collectively increase the nation’s oil output by 25 percent within a decade — without the dangers of drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the delicate coastal areas off Alaska.

Dems want 62% Top Tax Rate
Media reports in recent weeks say that Senate Democrats are considering a 3% surtax on income over $1 million to raise federal revenues. This would come on top of the higher income tax rates that President Obama has already proposed through the cancellation of the Bush era tax-rate reductions. If the Democrats' millionaire surtax were to happen—and were added to other tax increases already enacted last year and other leading tax hike ideas on the table this year—this could leave the U.S. with a combined federal and state top tax rate on earnings of 62%. That's more than double the highest federal marginal rate of 28% when President Reagan left office in 1989. Welcome back to the 1970s.

US Military Gives Obama Low Marks
U.S. military veterans and those currently on active military duty are less likely to approve of President Obama's job performance than are Americans of comparable ages who are not in the military.

Obama Selects Gen. Dempsey as Next Joint Chief
President Barack Obama announced Army Gen. Martin Dempsey as his choice to succeed Adm. Mike Mullen as chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff Monday, rounding out an overhaul of his national security team in his third year in office.

Congressman questions Obama's autopen signing
Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) is questioning President Obama's use of an autopen in signing an extension of the Patriot Act.?In a letter Friday, Graves asks Obama to confirm that he saw the law prior to its autopen signing.?"Mr. President, I write to request your confirmation that S. 990, as passed by Congress, was presented to you prior to the autopen signing, as well as a detailed, written explanation of your Constitutional authority to assign a surrogate the responsibility of signing bills passed into law," Graves wrote.

Free Economies Must Grow On Solid Principle
Kishore Jayabalan says that when difficult ethical problems arise in economies, we are expected to use our “reason and faith” to resolve moral dilemmas and that the Church plays a most vital role in educating society in basic moral principles. Dr.Vaz-Pinto says that in terms of advancing the necessary foundations of a free society, Asia has made great progress in demanding higher standards for human and political rights as businesses are left freer to grow and develop on their own.

Romney Supports Ethanol Subsidies
It was an odd setting for a policy pronouncement, but on the sidewalk outside the Historical Building here, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney embraced ethanol subsidies. It came just days after and blocks from where his rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Tim Pawlenty, said the subsidies should be phased out. “I support the subsidy of ethanol,” he told an Iowa voter. “I believe ethanol is an important part of our energy solution for this country.” Iowa leads the nation in the production of corn, a main source of ethanol.

US declines to try half Native crimes
There was swelling on the little girl's skull and hemorrhages around her brain. There was a tear between her right ear and scalp. The scars on her 36-pound body were consistent with burns from a space heater, a curling iron and hot noodles. The mother said she had accidentally rolled over onto her daughter in bed, smothering her. The medical examiner concluded that the brown-eyed toddler with the wavy dark hair had been beaten, declaring her death a homicide.

Palin kick-starts bus tour on back of motorcycle
Sarah Palin rumbled through Washington on the back of a Harley as she and her family began an East Coast tour Sunday, renewing speculation that the former Alaska governor would join the still unsettled Republican presidential contest. Wearing a black leather jacket and surrounded by a throng of cheering fans, Palin and family members jumped on bikes and joined thousands of other motorcyclists on the Memorial Day weekend ride from the Pentagon to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Palin didn't mention politics as she visited with participants, but she smiled broadly when many in the crowd urged her to run.

Church fined for excessive tree pruning
Every two to three years, Eddie Sales trims and prunes the crape myrtles at his church, Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church. But this year, the city of Charlotte cited the church for improperly pruning its trees. "We always keep our trees trimmed back because you don't want to worry about them hanging down in the way," said Sales, a church member. The church was fined $100 per branch cut for excessive pruning, bringing the violation to $4,000. "I just couldn't believe it when I heard about it," Sales said. "We trim our trees back every three years all over our property, and this is the first time we have been fined."

Russian Mob Overtakes Italian Mob in US
When the feds busted a syndicate of Russian-speaking nightclub owners and their so-called Bar Girls, it seemed like just another titillating tale from South Beach. But the April bust showed that the FBI is taking the Eastern European mob a lot more seriously these days than the Italian Mafia. La Cosa Nostra is no longer the bureau’s Public Enemy No. 1 when it comes to organized crime in South Florida. “Eurasian organized crime is our No. 1 priority,” said FBI supervisory special agent Rick Brodsky of the Miami office.

Shootout in South Beach Injuries Multiple Officers
Four bystanders were shot and three officers wounded on South Beach Monday morning in a deadly police-involved chase and firefight on Collins Avenue.

Jack Cashill: Deconstructing Obama
Author Jack Cashill's study of the origins of "Dreams from My Father" and Barack Obama's improbable literary ascendancy.

John Wayne: Why I Love America
John Wayne was not only a great actor, but a great patriot. He loved & defended America with his influence as a hollywood star. Something you hardly see anymore in "Hollywood"!

Judge Rules Pastor Can Say 'Jesus Christ' at Memorial Day Ceremony
A federal judge in Texas ruled Thursday that the government cannot prohibit a Houston preacher from saying “Jesus Christ” while delivering an invocation at an upcoming Memorial Day ceremony to be held at the national cemetery in the city. "The government does not have the right to write its peoples' prayers," Kelly Shackelford, the CEO of the Liberty Institute, said.

Atheist Converts After Mock Prayer to Win $1m Lottery
Taking a joke further, Sal Bentivegna, 28 prayed out aloud saying, “God, I don’t know if you’re real or not, but if you are there, please let my mother win a million dollars.” He added, “If Jesus wants me to believe in him, that’s what he’ll do”. The following day his mother bought a “Lotto Tree” of unscratched instant win tickets. Sal was then left absolutely stunned when he found out his mother had won exactly a million dollars. Realizing that the odds of his mother winning were so farfetched, Sal has now become a firm believer.

Married Couples Form Minority of US Households
According to data gathered by the Census Bureau in 2010, married couples now constitute only 48 percent of U.S. households, slipping four percentage points below the previous year’s statistic as part of an overall downward trend. The shift coincides with growth in the elderly population and a sharp increase in cohabiting couples, up 13 percent since 2009.

As the Family Goes, So Goes the Economy
A recent report by the Family Research Council suggests that the long-term fix for the economy must come from the family. Tweaking foreclosure rules may make it possible for more people to keep their homes, but it is the relationships within the home that ultimately determines prosperity. The paper, entitled Marriage and Economic Well-Being, shows that married couples are better off economically than persons in any other family structure. The paper reports that only 5.8 percent of married families were living in poverty in 2009.

Proposed Bill Would Ban US Catholic Adoption Agencies
A proposal in Congress would ban Catholic adoption agencies and undercut the needs of children by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of marital status or sexual orientation, two legislative experts say. Lori Windham, Senior Counsel with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty said, “The Catholic Church would have to choose between following their religious beliefs and shutting down.”

The 50 Best/Worst Childhood Fads
They were the best of fads, they were the worst of fads—all at the same time. The faddish objects of our childhood were sometimes loved and sometimes hated but they were hard to ignore. Here are a list of the 50 best/worst from the 1960s to today.

Model Kathy Ireland: De-Fund Planned Parenthood
“I’ve never set out to win a popularity contest. I came from [being previously pro-choice], but when I was confronted with the science – and I spoke to top scientists throughout our country asking, ‘Would you please just show me some shred of evidence that the unborn is not a human being?’ and no one has been able to show me any, and I will continue to fight for those human rights until someone can show me otherwise,” she continued. Ireland says that her position on abortion has cost her friends in the liberal entertainment industry.

You and I are Paying to Support China's One Child Policy
Through UNFPA, we are helping finance the infrastructure used in coercive family planning in China. In 2001, the US stopped funding UNFPA on the basis that it is complicit in coercive family planning in China. In 2008, the US State Department reaffirmed that assessment, yet we restored funding in 2009 with the Obama administration. Through our tax money, we are funding forced abortions in China. Not only elective abortions. Forced abortions. It doesn’t matter whether you are pro-life or pro-choice on this issue. No one can support forced abortions. The World Health Organization reports over 500 female suicides per day in China. I highly recommend that you watch the video.

Spain Indicts Salvadoran Soldiers for Priests Killings
A Spanish judge has charged 20 Salvadoran soldiers with the killing of six Jesuit priests and two women during El Salvador's civil war. The priests, five of whom were Spanish, their housekeeper and her daughter were shot dead by soldiers in 1989.

Feeling Lucky?
Superstitions of baseball players, sailors, and actors might bring you good luck. Only, don't call it that -- saying good luck is bad luck, according to long-standing actors' tradition.

Am I Allowed To Say "Good Luck"?
As a Christian, am I allowed to say “good luck” to somebody? Do we believe in “luck”? It could present to the world a misunderstanding of Christianity. Scripture even uses it in some translations: “Do not reveal your thoughts to every one, lest you drive away your good luck.” - Sirach 8:19 (RSV) Instead we could say things like, “Cheers” or “Fare thee well” or “godspeed” – or maybe “I wish all of God’s blessings for you in the future.” In the end, it comes down to the intent of the message. Most of the time, saying "good luck" means, "hope it works out for you".

Prayer and Goosebumps
How often do you say to someone, “I will keep you in my prayers,” and then completely forget to pray for them? One day I was given the most brilliant piece of advice that made me feel ecstatic for having received it and stupid for not having thought of it myself. The advice is pretty simple: When you tell someone that you will pray for them, as soon as you turn around (or hang up the phone, or hit “send” on your email, etc.), SAY A PRAYER FOR THEM!

The Feast of the Ascension
The first thing to remember about the Ascension is that it is about sharing in Jesus’ joy. It is about celebrating his return to the heavenly glory to which he refused to cling (Phil 2:6-11). It is about rejoicing that his crown of thorns has been replaced with the kingly crown, that the mocking crowd at Calvary has been replaced with myriads of adoring angels. It is also a feast of hope. "He goes to prepare a place for us," (Jn 14:2).

Army Dad Surprises Daughter at High School Graduation
This Dad got back from Afghanistan on leave just to see his daughter graduate from high school. Near the end of the video, the girl says she's following in her father's footsteps.

Actor John Stamos to Perform with Beach Boys at Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Concert
Also performing at this 2nd annual fundraising concert will be The Lettermen. Both groups will sing their many hits from the 60s-80s. Tickets are $35, and sponsorships are welcome.

Heritage: The History of Memorial Day
We celebrate Memorial Day, and in a special Heritage in Focus podcast, The Heritage Foundation’s vice president of American Studies, Matt Spalding, fills us in on the history and importance of this day. “If you want to get a sense of what Memorial Day is, the great poet is Lincoln,” Spalding says. “Lincoln was able to connect the death of soldiers to what America means.” As we honor our soldiers, it’s important to recall the timeless principles that have enabled us to enjoy our freedoms and flourish as a people.

Gospel of Mt 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

We celebrate Memorial Day, and in a special Heritage in Focus podcast, The Heritage Foundation’s vice president of American Studies, Matt Spalding, fills us in on the history and importance of this day. “If you want to get a sense of what Memorial Day is, the great poet is Lincoln,” Spalding says. “Lincoln was able to connect the death of soldiers to what America means.” As we honor our soldiers, it’s important to recall the timeless principles that have enabled us to enjoy our freedoms and flourish as a people.