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Charles Town, WV (CNN) - As he stumps for a string of Republicans in increasingly bitter races, Sen. John McCain warned candidates against overconfidence and defended recent searing attacks on his Democratic colleagues. "These are harsh times," he said, in response to a reporter's question about his criticism of Sen. Barbara Boxer and a conference call in which he slammed Sen. Patty Murray over the use of earmarks.

State Supreme Court justices Richard Sanders and James Johnson stunned some participants at a recent court meeting when they said African Americans are overrepresented in the prison population because they commit a disproportionate number of crimes. Both justices disputed the view held by some that racial discrimination plays a significant role in the disparity. Johnson also used the term "poverty pimp," an apparent reference to people who purportedly exploit the poor in the legal system, say those who attended the meeting. Sanders later confirmed his remarks about imprisoned African Americans, saying "certain minority groups" are "disproportionally represented in prison because...

Beginning last week, President Obama's approval rating is now the lowest it's ever been, with just 45 percent of Americans saying they're satisfied with the job he's doing, according to Gallup...Yet as supporters peel away by the day, one group has yet to significantly give up on the president: African Americans. Though Obama no longer enjoys the 96 percent black approval of months past, he's still never known what it's like to not have the support of at least 80 percent of African American voters. Currently, more than nine out of 10 blacks polled approve of Barack Obama's job performance,...

Israeli Defense Minister Barak’s warning that, if Hizbullah attacks it, Israel would defend itself against the whole regime, got all the attention, but almost unnoticed is his further alert that U.S. military aid to Lebanon may fall into the hands of terrorists. President Obama announced intent to raise that subsidy to $100 million. More specifically, Min. Barak put it, “…the walls between the Lebanese armed forces and Hizbullah—it's quite porous. And whatever you give the Lebanese armed forces might end up in the hands of Hizbullah, be it technology or weapons or whatever.“ (Arutz-7, 7/27/10). This column’s prior analysis made...

A lawsuit filed Monday by a former Bell police officer makes a variety of serious allegations about city officials and suggests voter fraud in a 2009 election. According to the lawsuit, filed by James Corcoran, off-duty police officers in Bell distributed absentee ballots in a 2009 municipal election and told would-be voters which candidates to support. The former police sergeant alleges in the suit that he was forced out of his job of 25 years in retaliation for informing state and federal authorities about the officers’ actions and reporting alleged misconduct involving City Administrator Robert Rizzo and other city officials....

Results stress importance of counseling safer-sex practices, even for older patients This release is available in Chinese.Physicians who prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs for their male patients should be sure to discuss the importance of safer sex practices, even with older patients: that is an important implication of a report in the July 6 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The analysis of insurance records of more than 1.4 million U.S. men over 40 found that those who used ED drugs were more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases than were non-users. "Anyone who does not practice safer sex, no matter...

There was fresh controversy today over child sex abuse and the Catholic church when an archbishop's aide claimed the majority of paedophilia was being perpetrated by gay men. Father John Owen, the communications officer for the archdiocese of Cardiff and a Catholic chaplain at Cardiff University, was a guest on BBC1's The Big Questions. His remarks concerned last Wednesday's publication of the Ryan Inquiry, a 2,565-page report detailing the abuse and rape of children in Ireland's Catholic institutions, and came days after the newly-appointed archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, angered charities by saying it took courage for...

There is no shortage of threats facing America today or emerging on the horizon. In Afghanistan, our military is engaging a dangerous enemy while global terrorism, fueled by a radical ideology, will take more than firepower to defeat. All the while, Iran continues its march toward acquiring nuclear weapons, North Korea continually provokes its neighbors, and China is arming itself faster than any other country in the world. Each of these threats is unique and presents its own set of challenges, which is why America's armed forces must be prepared on all fronts. This requires that we consistently strengthen our...

LOS ANGELES | Abby Sunderland’s quest to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world was star-crossed from the start, and weather was always the principal villain. Originally scheduled to launch in early December to avoid the chilly winter weather and deadly waves in the Indian Ocean, the California teenager and her team met with delays equipping her boat, Wild Eyes, money shortages and unfriendly hometown weather. When she finally set sail Jan. 23, experienced sailors issued warnings given the late start, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When kids are hurt, stressed or emotionally upset and want their mommy, it is for a valid reason. A new study reveals that talking with one’s mother actually helps lower the level of cortisol, a stress hormone. The soothing effect of the mother’s voice is believed to release oxytocin into the brain. Oxytocin is a feel-good chemical that naturally enhances a person’s mood. Seth Pollak of the University of Wisconsin-Madison led the study. Pollak and his team asked 61 girls between the ages of 7 and 12 to deliver a speech or complete a set of math problems in front...

A retired Congressman thinks politicians who want to condemn the controversial immigration law in Arizona should take a second look at their oaths of office. Duncan Lee Hunter, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, hasn't read the Arizona law but from what's he's heard, it sounds to him like the cities and counties declaring resolutions against the state need to reexamine their oaths of office. “Do they also oppose the federal law that says it’s illegal to come into this country without coming in the right way?” Hunter asked when interviewed at a San Diego golf tournament to...

In latest quarterly survey by the National Association for Business Economics, the index that measures employment showed job growth for the first time in two years -- but a majority of respondents felt the fiscal stimulus had no impact.

Monday April 19, 2010 The Definitive Paper Showing Homosexuality at Root of the Sex Abuse Crisis TODAY'S HEADLINES   |   SEND NEWS TIPS   |   DONATE SHARE:  E-MAIL   PRINT      By John-Henry WestenApril 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A must-read paper produced by Human Life International Research Director Brian Clowes has closed the book on the question of whether homosexuality in the priesthood is a root cause of the clerical sexual abuse crisis.  Citing numerous research studies, Clowes demonstrates that homosexuality is strongly linked to sexual abuse of minors, and that celibacy is definitely not a cause of pedophilia.Clowes cites studies, including:...

"I think there's a huge disconnect between the stock market and the real economy," says Lynn Tilton, founder and CEO of private equity firm Patriarch Partners. With a portfolio of more than 70 small and mid-sized businesses, many of them manufacturing companies, Tilton has a strong understanding of Main Street. Having previously held varied positions at a number of Wall Street firms, including Goldman, Oppenheimer and Morgan Stanley, she also understands that world.

SANTIAGO, Chile – The Vatican's second-highest authority says the sex scandals haunting the Roman Catholic Church are linked to homosexuality and not celibacy among priests. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, made the comments during a news conference Monday in Chile, where one of the church's highest-profile pedophile cases involves a priest having sex with young girls. "Many psychologists and psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relation between celibacy and pedophilia. But many others have demonstrated, I have been told recently, that there is a relation between homosexuality and pedophilia. That is true," said Bertone. "That is...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's brother-in-law Dr. Hagai Ben-Artzi on Wednesday called U.S. President Barack Obama an anti-Semite in an interview with Army Radio. "It's not that Obama doesn't like Bibi," he referring to Netanyahu using his nickname. "He doesn't like the nation of Israel." Netanyahu was quick to distance himself from Ben-Artzi's remarks, saying he completely disagrees with his brother-in-law. Netanyahu said he has a deep appreciation for President Obama's commitment to Israel's security, which he has expressed many times, and also for the deep ties between the two countries.

As a nationwide strike highlights Greece's painful effort to fix its finances, much of the rest of the world is confronting an equally sobering reality, says analyst Fareed Zakaria. "You can't spend money you don't have forever and hope people will lend you money, which is what has been going on," Zakaria said in an interview with CNN. He says governments, particularly in developed countries, rushed to bail out financial institutions in the economic crisis, leading to a massive increase in public debts. Now the bill is beginning to come due.

Internal Toyota documents derided the Obama administration and Democratic Congress as “activist” and “not industry friendly," a revelation that comes days before the giant automaker's top executives testify on Capitol Hill amid a giant recall. According to a presentation obtained under subpoena by the House Oversight and Government Relations committee, Toyota referred to the “changing political environment” as one of its main challenges and anticipated a "more challenging regulatory" environment under the Obama administration's purview. This document, in addition to piles of other records, will be front and center this week as the Japanese automaker girds to face lawmakers hungry...

People are afraid to lose money and an unusual study released on Monday explains why -- the brain's fear center controls the response to a gamble. U.S. | Science | Health | Lifestyle The study of two women with brain lesions that made them unafraid to lose on a gamble showed the amygdala, the brain's fear center, activates at the very thought of losing money. [...]

I recently suggested that seniors will die sooner if Congress actually implements the Medicare cuts in the health-care bill put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. My colleagues who defend the bill—none of whom have practiced medicine—predictably dismissed my concern as a scare tactic. They are wrong. Every American, not just seniors, should know that the rationing provisions in the Reid bill will not only reduce their quality of life, but their life spans as well. My 25 years as a practicing physician have shown me what happens when government attempts to practice medicine: Doctors respond to government coercion...