PHILADELPHIA – When Mitt Romney came to an inner-city charter school here Thursday to promote his new education agenda, he received something of a history lecture about the persecution of blacks in America and the struggles of African American children to meet the academic achievements of their white counterparts. Seeking to broaden his appeal heading into the general election, Romney was venturing for his first time in this campaign into an impoverished black neighborhood to hear the concerns of local educators and community leaders. But here in the streets of West Philadelphia, the emotion surrounding his contest with the nation’s first black president was raw, as dozens of neighborhood residents shouted, “Get out, Romney, get out!”Romney arrived at Universal Bluford Charter School aboard his logo-emblazoned ... Continue reading →
His entire life seemed to hang by a thread.Then late one night in 2007, while sitting at his computer in his suburban Atlanta, Johnston came across an article by a Mormon academic in Arizona whose wife had also left the church. Johnston, a burly former Army technician, e-mailed the man explaining his situation. I have no idea what to do, he said. There’s no one I can talk to. A response came back almost immediately: Hang in there. I know what you’re going through. Johnston’s blue eyes widen when he recalls the relief he felt. “Yes! That’s what I thought. I knew, there must be more, but how do I find them?” Five years later, Johnston, who now lives in Frederick, has become a leader ... Continue reading →
The Vatican’s chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, declined to give more details on the reasons for the dismissal, but analysts say the move should be read in the context of an internal Vatican struggle over controversial new rules for financial transparency.Since 2010, Gotti Tedeschi, together with the bank’s director general, Paolo Cipriani, has been under investigation for alleged money laundering.In the past, the Vatican Bank, which operates under the protection of the Vatican’s status as a sovereign nation, has been often accused of involvement in shady financial operations, such as money laundering for Italian politicians and even mafia bosses.According to Giuseppe Di Taranto, professor of finance with LUISS University in Rome, in recent years “Pope Benedict XVI has spearheaded an effort to bring more ... Continue reading →
Prosecutors blame Lynn for helping keep the priests on his list and many more in ministry, where they were had access to countless other children.Lynn testified that the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua wouldn’t let parishes announce the real reason an accused priest was being removed. Parishioners were often told their priest had health problems when he left for sex-offender treatment, according to testimony over the past nine weeks. “The cardinal wouldn’t allow us to announce in those days why someone was leaving. But mental health was health,” Lynn said.Lynn also said the head of the archdiocese forbade staff from telling accusers their alleged abuser had other victims.Bevilacqua died Jan. 31, two months before his longtime secretary for clergy went on trial.Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington ... Continue reading →
“We are the front-runner, and we hope we can conclude this today and get 50-plus” percent, said Mourad Mohammed Aly, a media adviser to Morsi, although that outcome remained unlikely. With turnout reportedly lower than on Wednesday, all five front-runners voiced optimism about their prospects even as several acknowledged Morsi’s relatively strong early showing. The campaign of former Arab League chief Amr Moussa also put Morsi in the lead, with 25 percent of the vote, and Moussa just behind him with 23 percent, based on exit polls at 13,000 polling stations. “The turnout is not very good today. Of course this is why Morsi’s ahead, because his voters show up anyway. They bus them in,” said Ahmed Kamel, Moussa’s public relations advise. “We hope in ... Continue reading →
Prosecutors blame Lynn for helping keep the priests on his list and many more in ministry, where they were had access to countless other children.Lynn testified that the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua wouldn’t let parishes announce the real reason an accused priest was being removed. Parishioners were often told their priest had health problems when he left for sex-offender treatment, according to testimony over the past nine weeks. “The cardinal wouldn’t allow us to announce in those days why someone was leaving. But mental health was health,” Lynn said.Lynn also said the head of the archdiocese forbade staff from telling accusers their alleged abuser had other victims.Bevilacqua died Jan. 31, two months before his longtime secretary for clergy went on trial.Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington ... Continue reading →
Pro-life activists march up Constitution Avenue at the March for Life rally on January 23, 2012 in Washington, DC. Activists gather each year to protest on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. (Brendan Hoffman - GETTY IMAGES) For decades, abortion was thought of as an issue that riled up religious zealots in the Bible Belt. “Enlightened” Americans, however, saw abortion as the key to women’s liberation and a more egalitarian society. Their notions about history and progress assured them that abortion was an essential part of the path forward, for women and for society more broadly. Wednesday’s news that Gallup is now recording the lowest level of self-described pro-choicers in its history of tracking the abortion issue is ... Continue reading →
Pro-life activists march up Constitution Avenue at the March for Life rally on January 23, 2012 in Washington, DC. Activists gather each year to protest on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. (Brendan Hoffman - GETTY IMAGES) For decades, abortion was thought of as an issue that riled up religious zealots in the Bible Belt. “Enlightened” Americans, however, saw abortion as the key to women’s liberation and a more egalitarian society. Their notions about history and progress assured them that abortion was an essential part of the path forward, for women and for society more broadly. Wednesday’s news that Gallup is now recording the lowest level of self-described pro-choicers in its history of tracking the abortion issue is ... Continue reading →
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