Iran paying Taliban $1K per American soldier killed?
Iran is paying Taliban fighters $1,000 for each U.S. soldier they kill in Afghanistan, according to a report in a British newspaper. The Sunday Times described how a man it said was a “Taliban treasurer” had gone to collect $18,000 from an Iranian firm in Kabul, a reward it said was for an attack in July which killed several Afghan government troops and destroyed an American armored vehicle.

Petraeus Condemns Church's Plan to Burn Qurans
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said the planned burning of Qurans on Sept. 11 by a small Florida church could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort. Gen. David Petraeus said the Taliban would exploit the demonstration for propaganda purposes, drumming up anger toward the U.S. and making it harder for allied troops to carry out their mission of protecting Afghan civilians.

Obama's backdoor gun ban
President Obama is afraid of the M1 Garand, the U.S. rifle that helped win World War II, defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Administration officials earlier this year moved to block the government of South Korea from selling vintage U.S.-made M1 Garands and M1 carbines to eager stateside collectors.

Small businesses feel squeezed by Obama policies
Last year, even as he struggled through the worst of the recession, Chris Upham said revenue at his District-based real estate and construction businesses doubled -- allowing him to hire two agents. But Upham said he hasn't increased his staff thus far in 2010 and he doesn't expect to for the remainder of the year. That's because his taxes rose sevenfold. And he said he anticipates they'll increase again if the Bush tax cuts for people earning $250,000 and above expire at the end of the year.

Orszag: Extend all Bush tax cuts two years
Peter Orszag kicks off his post-White House career as a New York Times columnist by opposing his former boss on tax policy. Barack Obama has spoken in favor of making the middle-class portion of the tax cuts permanent, but opposes extending the tax cuts for the higher earners. Orszag wants them all extended two years, noting that raising taxes on anyone in a period of low consumer demand is asking for trouble.

WaPo: Hey, that Oval Office rug quote got botched
A mistake has been made in the Oval Office makeover that goes beyond the beige. President Obama’s new presidential rug seemed beyond reproach, with quotations from Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. woven along its curved edge. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” According media reports, this quote keeping Obama company on his wheat-colored carpet is from King. Except it’s not a King quote. The words belong to a long-gone Bostonian champion of social progress. His roots in the republic ran so deep that his grandfather commanded the Minutemen at the Battle of Lexington. For the record, Theodore Parker is your man, President Obama.

Pawlenty orders state to reject Obamacare
Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnestota has triggered the ire of the local Planned Parenthood for refusing a federal grant under the new health care law to fund sex education that would push contraceptive use. Pawlenty, who has ordered the state to reject the federal health care legislation "to the fullest extent possible," is instead opting for an abstinence-centered education program. The governor declined to apply for $850,000 towards a federal Personal Responsibility Education Program, which would provide "comprehensive" sex education to Minnesota public schools, by the Monday deadline.

New monthly water bills come with higher fees
When the Kansas City Water Services Department started billing homeowners every month in July, instead of every other month, the department touted convenience for customers. So resident Kathleen Fuller was expecting her bills to be about half what they had been before, because she would get 12 bills annually instead of six. It turns out that the water department essentially increased its service charge without letting many people know.

Two Overland Park hotels 'Best of MidAmerica'
The Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Overland Park Convention Center and the Overland Park Marriott have both been honored with a “2010 Best of MidAmerica” award by Meetings MidAmerica magazine.

Population Control Nut Killed at Discovery Channel
Maryland police shot and killed a population control activist who held several people hostage Wednesday afternoon at the offices of the Discovery Channel, a cable channel staple. James J. Lee has been protesting the channel for years because he said it was not doing enough to promote population control.

Restrictions on Mo Adult Businesses Take Effect
Missouri’s exotic dancers who take it all off in public will soon be breaking the law. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem today refused to temporarily block the state’s strict new law regulating sexually oriented businesses, including strip clubs, adult bookstores and adult movie houses.

Surprise: State Workers Union Endorses Liberal
The Kansas Organization of State Employees notes his support this year for a $13.7 billion state budget that avoided significant cuts to programs or employee furloughs. Holland also is a member of the group. The organization represents 11,000 state workers, and it's been a reliable ally for Democrats.

North Dakota State Upsets KU
Kansas coach Turner Gill’s debut was supposed to be about moving on. Instead, it made KU fans want to live in the past. North Dakota State 6, Kansas 3. The Night The Wheat Stood Still.

Kansas State Beats UCLA
As Daniel Thomas broke away from the pack and barreled toward the end zone at the conclusion of Saturday's 31-22 victory over UCLA at Snyder Family Stadium, Kansas State football players got their swagger back.

Bishop Miege Crushes BV Southwest
The Stags have moved up (again) to 5A and they have no title to defend, just one to fight for right along with the scrum of higher-class competitors. So depending on how you judge their Friday night 54-7 thrashing against upstart Blue Valley Southwest, the Stags earned an “A” for the first big test.

Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic first annual banquet
TKF would like to invite you to attend the first annual banquet of Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic on Thursday, Sept 16 at 6:30 pm at the Overland Park Convention Center. Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic (WPC) is an initiative of Archbishop Naumann and he is the featured speaker at this banquet. During the evening you will hear about the latest technology 3D/4D sonogram machine that the Knights of Columbus have donated. WPC will be using this latest technology to help save lives and you will hear about the recent successes. You will also hear about WPC’s exciting future plans to launch a mobile pregnancy clinic in the Kansas City metro area.

British Professor Calls for Selective Sterilized
British Professor David Marsland called for certain "unfit" members of society to be forcibly sterilized. "Professor Marsland's comments only go to show that no evil is ever fully buried in the past," said Monsignor Barreiro. "Every time we think we've seen the last of the Sangerian calls to forcibly sterilize and otherwise do away with the disabled, we are aghast at their return." Monsignor Barreiro was referring to Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood.

Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure
Public records indicate that Susan G. Komen for the Cure (“Komen”) affiliates (Missouri is not among them) provided grants to local Planned Parenthood chapters. Though Komen’s grants were for breast health care services, Planned Parenthood (the largest single abortion provider in the country) stated in its 2007-2008 annual report that 31,729 fewer breast exams and 15,560 more abortions were provided in 2007 than in 2006. Donors are not able to control how an organization designates its funds.

Responsible Fatherhood
Americans seem more confused than ever about the role of fathers in children’s lives. Current research points to the following practical guidelines for responsible fatherhood.

Kids Get Green Light to Surf Sexual Sites
Schools in one region of Scotland are lifting the Internet filters on their school computers so students will be able to access sexually explicit websites if they choose, according to a new report from the Christian Institute.

Craigslist Removes Adult Services Section
Craigslist has closed the adult services section of its website, two weeks after 17 state attorneys general demanded it shut down the section. The 17 state attorneys general state that the on-line site promoted prostitution and child trafficking.

Trapped Chile Miners Realize their Souls at Stake
Mario Gomez, 62, the oldest member of the group, has taken on the role of spiritual leader and urges the men to pray daily in the makeshift chapel he has created in a corner of the subterranean chamber. His job has been aided by 33 mini bibles and rosary beads for each of the men sent from the Vatican this week with a blessing from Pope Benedict and lowered into the mine with the daily supplies of food and medicine. In addition, one of the 33 miners trapped has promised his family that once rescued, he and his wife will officially marry in the Church after being civilly married for 25 years.

Reverend Lady Gaga?
Lady Gaga is one of the "role models" that are children have. The singer wants to become an ordained minister to perform gay marriage ceremonies. How serious do you think she considers marriage?

Miley’s LOL Movie Pushes Planned Parenthood
The "Hannah Montana," good-girl image, which made Miley rich and famous, is something she's eager to leave behind. If you're expecting a G-rated family feature, you can forget it. Miley, according to reports, plays a teenage girl who "has sex, engages in a lesbian kiss and smokes pot." Lovely.

Iranian Woman Sentenced to Stoning Death
If you have never seen the movie, "The Stoning of Soraya M.", it is a must see. This case may not have been brought to the media's attention if it hadn't been for a courageous film producer and this movie. Benedict XVI is monitoring the case of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning and has not ruled out getting involved through diplomatic channels, the Vatican said Sunday.

Comic’s Life Turned Around by Priest
Felipe Esparza was voted the "Last Comic Standing," awarding him the $250,000 grand prize along with a one-year development deal with NBC. Esparza grew up in a housing project and became involved with a gang "just for the drugs," started drinking at 15 and by 19, he said, he was an alcoholic. Jesuit Father Greg Boyle came to the family's house and talked to Esparza, persuading him to turn in a weapon and telling him about a drug treatment center that had helped other youths with their addictions.

A Senior's Prayer Intentionally Produces Laughter
Mary Maxwell was asked to give the invocation at Home Instead Senior Care's 2009 Convention. Initially it seemed like a normal prayer, but it soon took a very funny turn. Mary shines a very funny light on the foibles of aging, to the delight of this audience of senior-care experts.

Cleaver defends Obama, stimulus
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver accused Barack Obama’s opponents of obstructing plans for economic recovery in a speech Monday to the National Baptist Convention USA in Kansas City.

Gospel of St. Luke 4: 38-44 38 Then Jesus, rising up from the synagogue, entered into the house of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in the grip of a severe fever. And they petitioned him on her behalf. 39 And standing over her, he commanded the fever, and it left her. And promptly rising up, she ministered to them. 40 Then, when the sun had set, all those who had anyone afflicted with various diseases brought them to him. Then, laying his hands on each one of them, he cured them. 41 Now demons departed from many of them, crying out and saying, “You are the son of God.” And rebuking them, he would not permit them to speak. For they knew him to be the Christ. 42 Then, when it was daytime, going out, he went to a deserted place. And the crowds sought him, and they went all the way to him. And they detained him, so that he would not depart from them. 43 And he said to them, “I must also preach the kingdom of God to other cities, because it was for this reason that I was sent.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

The innovative “driveway tax” approved by the Mission City Council should be more correctly labeled the “drive away tax” because the new levy will be a significant factor in driving business away from the city. Another innovative idea might be to cut nonessential city spending.

This huge tax increase comes at a time when large and small businesses are struggling to survive the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The city of Mission is currently home to tens of thousands of square feet of vacant retail space that has suddenly become more expensive to lease.

The price of every product or service sold in Mission will reflect the increased cost of doing business in that city. The city fathers apparently forgot a fundamental rule of economics: “If you want less of something, tax it.”