Fwd: 37 Percent of All U.S. Deaths in Afghanistan War Have Occurred Since Obama?s Troop Surge

Today's Headlines Thursday, May 6, 2010

37 Percent of All U.S. Deaths in Afghanistan War Have Occurred Since Obama's Troop Surge (CNSNews.com) - More than a third of all U.S. casualties in the nearly nine-year-long war in Afghanistan have occurred since May 15, 2009, the day when the first major wave of President Barack Obama's troop surge arrived in that country. Obama Freezes Budget for Program Designed to Stop Terrorists from Getting U.S. Visas (CNSNews.com) – Four months after the attempted Christmas Day bombing over Detroit and nine years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, only 14 of the 57 U.S. consulates identified as being at "high risk" for potentially providing visas to terrorists have secure visa programs in place. President Obama, meanwhile, is planning to freeze the program's budget for fiscal 2011. According to a Congressional Research Service report, a lack of funding could hamper expansion of the Visa Security Program to the many high-risk consulates that still do not have a unit. Record Number of Islamic Nations, Fewer 'Free' Countries, Coming to U.N. Human Rights Council (CNSNews.com) – Next week's election for new members of the U.N. Human Rights Council is expected to result in a greater share of seats going to the Organization of the Islamic Conference than ever before, while the number of countries deemed "free" falls to a new low. The Islamic group has been the driving force behind two items on the council's agenda that trouble human rights advocates and some Western governments – the campaign against religious "defamation" and repeated condemnations of Israel. Reid: 'Someone' Should Offer Amendment to Prevent Treasury From Accessing Financial Records of Law-Abiding Citizens (CNSNews.com) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says he wishes "someone" would offer an amendment to the financial regulatory bill to prevent the federal government from probing Americans' private financial records. A provision in the bill would allow a new Treasury Department agency to demand "any data or information" from any financial firm and use a subpoena to get that information if necessary. Reid, however, did not respond when asked whether he would personally support such an amendment. Obama Administration Tries to Combat Growing Criticism From Right and Left Over Response to Oil Spill (CNSNews.com) – Amid mounting criticism of its response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama administration on Wednesday released a day-by-day account of its response, stressing that it was quick to take action. "We have compiled this chronology in the spirit of transparency so the American people can have a clear understanding of what their government has been and is doing to respond to the massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster," said the White House deputy homeland security adviser. Franklin Graham: Christians Will Lose the Power to Pray Outside Church Walls 'Maybe in My Lifetime' (CNSNews.com) – Two top evangelical leaders sounded a defiant tone on the eve of National Day of Prayer -- warning that the American right to freedom of religion "is being eroded every day" and may be lost in an onslaught of secularism unless Americans "have the guts to stand up." Republican Congressmen Urge Defense Department to Re-Invite Franklin Graham to National Day of Prayer Event (CNSNews.com) – Reps. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.) are pressing Defense Secretary Robert Gates to reconsider the military's decision to revoke its invitation to Rev. Franklin Graham to participate in a National Day of Prayer event at the Pentagon. Their letter said the right to possess one's own religious beliefs and to express them freely was chief among the liberties the Founding Father's sought to protect. Ariz. Immigration Law Identical to Federal Laws Requiring Alien Documentation, Attorney Who Helped Craft It Says (CNSNews.com) – One of the men who helped write Arizona's new immigration law said he's confident it will withstand legal challenges, because the law specifically addresses issues such as racial profiling, which are likely to be the basis of state or federal lawsuits. Sen. Cornyn: 'More Boots on the Ground,' 'Better Technology' Needed to Secure U.S. Border (CNSNews.com) - "Clearly the border is still too porous and is being exploited for all sorts of criminal purposes," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told CNSNews.com. He said a combination of more manpower and technology such as drones and aerial radar would improve the situation. Republican Senator Pushes for Completion of Double-Layer Border Fence (CNSNews.com) – Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) says he will introduce an amendment requiring the federal government to complete 700 miles of secure, double-layer fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border within one year. More than 600 miles of single-layer pedestrian fencing and vehicle barriers now exist, but critics say the current infrastructure is not secure enough. Brits Go to the Polls Under an Electoral System Many Want Reformed (CNSNews.com) – After 13 years of Labor Party rule and a hard-fought, month-long campaign, Britain's voters are casting ballots Thursday with no clear picture of who will form their next government. While the Conservative Party looks set to win the popular vote, the size of its projected victory, combined with the quirks of Britain's "first past the post" system, may not give it the majority it needs in the House of Commons to form a government alone. Times Square Bombing Attempt No Systemic Failure, White House Says Washington (CNSNews.com) – After the failed attempt to blow up a passenger jet over Detroit on Christmas Day, President Obama asserted, "A system failure has occurred." But the White House says there was no system failure in the Times Square bombing attempt, even though the suspect almost got away. CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Actress Kim Kardashian: Fox News 'Very Reputable,' The 'Only News in the House' (CNSNews.com) - Actress and model Kim Kardashian turned down CBS's invitation to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner, but told CNSNews.com that she decided to attend as a guest of Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. Kardashian said Fox News Channel, which is often criticized by liberals, is "the only news in the house" where she resides. NBC's Meredith Vieira: 'Real Shocker To Me' That Obama Hadn't Done National Press Conference for 7 Months (CNSNews.com) – Meredith Vieira, co-host of NBC's Today Show, also said that a president "should be available to the media as much as possible because that's the only way the public can get answers." Actor and Activist Adrian Grenier: 'We May Starve To Death,' 'Something May Get Us Before Climate Change' OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Times Square Car Bomb Suspect Did A Trial Run Federal Agency Allowed BP to Avoid Filing A Blowout Plan for Gulf Rig TV News Employee in Los Angeles Hits Multi-Million-Dollar Lottery Jackpot Greek Bank Workers Strike Over Deaths During Wednesday's Rioting Auto Industry Supports Black Boxes, Brake Override System Russian Special Forces Storm Oil Tanker, Arrest Pirates Retirement of Powerful House Democrat Gives Republicans an Opening in Wisconsin Study Points to More Older, Unmarried, Educated Moms in U.S. Romanian Designer Creates 'Skyscraper' Shoes That Boost Women's Height From Meat to Wages, Economic Woes Fuel Anger and Political Unrest in Egypt Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP: Freddie Mac asks U.S. for $10 billion as losses pile up Five students sent home for wearing American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo Sharing the doctor: Group visits a growing trend in health care Town's health care bill triggers pain; In Framingham, deep split over rising costs Computer glitches are driving up Census costs Granny pod: Virginia launching portable housing for aging relatives 'Rove, GOP secretly plot vast network to reclaim power' FCC will seek to regulate Internet providers Kerry, Lieberman gambling that Gulf oil spill will boost their energy bill PG&E ordered to release SmartMeter reports Pennsylvania tax agency runs ad to scare delinquent citizens into paying back taxes Baltimore City Council to hear pro-bicycle bills Faisal Shahzad: 'Money Woes, Long Silences and a Zeal for Islam' Mayor seeks federal intervention for New Orleans Police Department COMMENTARY Risk: The New Four-Letter Word By Ed Feulner The risks we take often deliver the greatest rewards. We shouldn't surrender our great American spirit for the promise of safety that bureaucrats can never deliver.