Ashleigh Banfield slams war news coverage
Banfield, in a speech at Kansas State University, lashed out at "cable news operators who wrap themselves in the American flag and go after a certain target demographic."
The dig was a veiled swipe at Fox News Channel, whose war coverage included a patriotic tinge. Canadian-born Banfield hosted "MSNBC Investigates" on the No. 3 cable news network, MSNBC. While MSNBC's ratings improved during the war, the network still came up short in the ratings game behind No. 1 Fox and CNN.
Radio talker Laura Ingraham diagnosed with cancer
April 26, 2005: Breast cancer – two of the scarier words in the English language.
On this day in 2005, WND readers learned popular radio talk-show host Laura Ingraham had been diagnosed with breast cancer during a routine exam. The author of the best-selling book, "Shut Up & Sing: How the Elites in Hollywood, Politics and the U.N. are Subverting America," called into her own show from the hospital to say she was 'blessed to be surrounded by people who love' her and to ask listeners to pray for her.
"I am absolutely blown away by how helpful and kind everyone has been – including total strangers who have experienced the same roller coaster of emotions," she said. I will have an operation and within a few days will know more about the future. I am hopeful for a bright future and a "normal" life (well, scratch the "normal" part). And remember, I'll be back sooner than you think.
Indeed. Ingraham is still going strong today.
Oxymoron? Fed chairman supports gold standard!
"... Under the gold standard, a free banking system stands as the protector of an economy's stability and balanced growth," he wrote. "In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value" for the dollar.
"This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists' tirades against gold," he wrote. "Deficit [government] spending is simply a scheme for the 'hidden' confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights."
Despite his role as head of the very Fed his earlier analysis condemned, a congressional source told WorldNetDaily that Greenspan still agrees with the premise of his article in 2001.
An ounce of gold on April 27, 2001 was valued at $264. On April 27, 2007, the price of gold is about $685.
Hasta la vista, billboard!
April 28, 2005: Arnold Schwarzenegger was not amused.
On the controversial billboard, the "CA" state abbreviation after "Los Angeles" was crossed out and the word "Mexico" added in its place. In the center of the billboard, placed within the L.A. skyline, was an image of the Angel of Independence, a well-known monument in Mexico City, further suggesting the merging of Los Angeles and Mexico. It also said, "Tu Ciudad. Tu Equipo," or "Your City. Your Team."
"If they want to be responsible, they will take it down," the governor added. "Those mistakes are made. Maybe some marketing person said, 'Do that and it will create a lot of media attention and we'll get great free publicity.' And maybe they didn't think it all the way through. I think it is time to take it down now and say it's a mistake and move on."
Concealed guns prevent mass shootings
April 29, 1999: Before Virginia Tech – before Columbine – the research data revealed what's only become clearer with each tragic mass shooting – allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns reduces options for killers and saves the innocent.
WND reported on a recently released study by John R. Lott, Jr. and William M. Landes of the Chicago University School of Law that concluded "shall-issue laws" for concealed carry weapons had a "significant impact on multiple shootings." Indeed, the authors wrote, "It is the only law-related variable that appears to have a significant impact."
"We also find that shall-issue laws deter both the number of multiple shootings and the amount of harm per shooting," said the study. In addition, the authors discovered that shooting deaths were steadily increasing before a number of states began passing "shall-issue" or "concealed-carry" laws several years before.
Casino becomes no-Bible zone
April 30, 2003: "Thou shalt not place Bibles in our casino hotel rooms."
Such was the commandment from the flashy, new Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, home of the Borgata Babe cocktail waitress and shower-stall-for-two.
The $1.1 billion resort broke ranks with all other casinos, refusing to allow the Gideons to place a Bible in any of its 2,002 hotel rooms.
"What we've found is there's such a diversity of gaming customers that visit Atlantic City, by putting one generic publication in there you're not fulfilling the needs of everybody," Borgata spokesman Michael Facenda said.
"You could do the Mormon Bible, the Quran, the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Greek New Testament. ... Where we ended up is we're not going to put anything in there," he said.
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Gore v. Doll
May 1, 2000: Candidates in the 2000 presidential election suddenly faced an unexpected rival.
The "Barbie for President" campaign was announced and included the launch of an official campaign website that outlines her position on various topics -- including education, the environment and gender equality.
An examination of policy positions found Barbie closely resembling then-candidate Al Gore.
On the environment, Gore said, "Because of its importance to our air, our water, and the fabric of life itself, I believe that we have an obligation to protect the environment for future generations."
Barbie noted "it's time we take a stand to care for Mother Earth. Clean air, clean water, and a clean environment are vital to our health. Barbie knows our playgrounds, our parks and our neighborhoods will be more kid-safe and kid-friendly if we keep them clean."
Old Glory covers 'Mexico'
May 2, 2005: WND continued its exclusive coverage of a Los Angeles billboard that became a flashpoint over illegal immigration.
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The billboard advertising a local Spanish-language news station drew the ire of immigration activists a week earlier. The ad had the "CA" abbreviation after "Los Angeles" crossed out and the word "Mexico" added in its place in bold red letters.
Kill a rattlesnake, go to jail
May 3, 2003: When James Galloway spotted a hissing rattlesnake on the trail and grabbed a stick to pin it to the ground so it could not strike a 3-year-old girl and her parents walking down the path toward him, most people likely considered him a hero.
When he transported the snake to a nearby parking lot, intending to scoop it up with a shovel so he could release it into the woods, some might have considered him tender hearted. And when the ungrateful snake turned and came at him, resulting in Galloway striking it with the shovel, most would have said he was lucky.
But the state of Michigan did not consider him a lucky, tender-hearted hero. It called him a criminal and convicted him for killing a protected species without a permit – an offense worth $500 and 90 days in jail.
Swift-boat vets fire 1st round across Kerry's bow
May 4, 2004: Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that played such a decisive role in the 2004 presidential campaign, launched its first attack on John Kerry on this day three years ago, with 200 members releasing a letter sent to the Democrat candidate asking him to authorize the Department of the Navy to release all of his military records, including health documents.
Kerry "arrived in country with a strong anti-Vietnam War bias and a self-serving determination to build a foundation for his political future," said Retired Rear Adm. Roy Hoffman. "He was aggressive, but vain and prone to impulsive judgment, often with disregard to specific tactical assignments. He was a loose cannon."
Kerry reportedly spent 45 minutes on the phone with Hoffman trying to discourage the group from going forward. It was to no avail – the group kept up the pressure until Election Day.
Old soldiers do die
May 5, 2005: On this day, two years ago, WND reported the sad news of the death of an American hero, retired Army Col. David Hackworth.
One of the most decorated veterans in U.S. history, Hackworth had been a vocal advocate for military reform in the years since he returned from Vietnam.
He had written a weekly column for WorldNetDaily for seven years before succumbing to bladder cancer.
"Hack never lost his focus," said Roger Charles, president of Soldiers for the Truth, a California-based veterans group for which Hackworth served as chairman. "That focus was on the young kids that our country sends to bleed and die on our behalf. Everything he did in his retirement was to try to give them a better chance to win and to come home. That's one hell of a legacy."
Bible literalism 'pagan superstition'?
May 6, 2006: Galileo must be spinning in his grave.
"Religion needs science to keep it away from superstition and keep it close to reality, to protect it from creationism, which at the end of the day is a kind of paganism – it's turning God into a nature god," he said. "And science needs religion in order to have a conscience, to know that, just because something is possible, it may not be a good thing to do."
Consolmagno stated that the Christian God is a supernatural god. In the past, the belief in God being supernatural led the clergy to become involved in science to find natural explanations for things like thunder and lightning. Pagans often attribute thunder and lightning to vengeful gods.
"Knowledge is dangerous, but so is ignorance," he said. "That's why science and religion need to talk to each other."
Abortion bracelet as Mother's Day gift
May 7, 2005: A gift promoting abortion might be the last thing someone searching for a Mother's Day present might have in mind, but the National Organization for Women offered jewelry that does just that.
The sale is prompting some negative reaction, including comments from Kimberly Fletcher, the founder and president of Homemakers for America.
"Imagine going to mom and saying, 'Happy Mother's Day, mom. Thanks for giving life. Here's your Keep Abortion Alive bracelet.' NOW is seriously out of touch with the mothers of America," Fletcher said. "I think I'll stick with flowers."
666 wrong number of 'the Beast'?
May 8, 2005: For centuries, people have been intrigued by the number 666, the "number of the beast" from the Book of Revelation in the New Testament.
Not only is it mentioned in the Bible, it has been associated with the Satanism, universal price codes and the game of roulette.
Book 'em, WND
The new imprint debuted with a wide variety of titles, including a book authored by radio talk-show sensation Michael Savage, one by Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris and another by Jack Cashill and James Sanders on the downing of TWA Flight 800.
"Beginning in 2003, we'll have our own titles to sell – books developed specifically with our readership in mind," explained WND Editor Joseph Farah. "We believe this will mean significantly higher sales and a major breakthrough in publishing edgy titles that might scare away the major players in the publishing industry establishment."
"WorldNetDaily is first and foremost an innovative news agency, and our titles will reflect that focus – they will be timely, newsworthy and often examining topics the establishment publishing industry ignores," said WND Senior Editor and Co-founder Elizabeth Farah.
Five years after its creation, WND Books is still going strong with a new partner, World Ahead Publishing.
Zogby: Kerry will win in 2004
May 10, 2004: Six months out from the 2004 election, pollster John Zogby took a leap of faith and predicted a winner in November.
"I have made a career of taking bungee jumps in my election calls," Zogby wrote in a column. "Sometimes I haven't had a helmet and I have gotten a little scratched. But here is my jump for 2004: John Kerry will win the election."
Zogby cited four reasons for his prediction: Bush's lackluster poll numbers, very few undecided voters, Kerry's lead on the top three issues on voters' minds and Kerry's reputation as a "good closer."
Concluded Zogby: " We are unlikely to see any big bumps for either candidate because opinion is so polarized and, I believe, frozen in place. There are still six months to go and anything can still happen. But as of today, this race is John Kerry's to lose."
And he did.
'Runaway bride' action doll for sale
May 11, 2005: Never underestimate the ability of the entrepreneurial spirit to turn tragedy into entertainment.
Even as Jennifer Wilbanks, the Georgia woman who disappeared days before her wedding date and ended up in New Mexico by way of Las Vegas, was entering a medical treatment program "to address physical and mental issues," a company known for marketing culturally relevant action figures was introducing a limited-edition 'runaway bride' doll.
Sporting Wilbanks' shoulder-length dark hair and pearly-white smile, the new doll joined Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Sen. Hillary Clinton in the "Female Heroes" section.
Infrared picks up invisible UFOs
May 12, 2004: Mexico received a taste of what it's like to be invaded by aliens when 11 unidentified flying objects reportedly flew around a military surveillance plane that was looking for drug traffickers.
Jamie Maussan, a journalist and UFO enthusiast, told reporters the objects, seen on infrared video footage released by the Mexican air force, seemed "intelligent" because at one point they changed direction and surrounded the plane that was chasing them.
"They were invisible to the eye but they were there, there is no doubt about it. They had mass, they had energy and they were moving about," Maussan said after showing the 15-minute footage.
"We are not alone! This is so weird," one of the pilots can be heard yelling. The plane's crew had just switched on the infrared camera after first picking up the objects by radar.
Anti-Clinton church loses tax-exempt status
May 13, 2000: A Binghamton, N.Y., church found itself on the wrong side of the line dividing what belongs to God and what belongs to Caesar, a federal appeals court ruled.
On Oct. 30, 1992, just four days before the presidential election, the Landmark Church placed full-page ads in USA Today and the Washington Times warning Christians that Clinton's positions concerning abortion, homosexuality and the distribution of condoms to teen-agers in schools violate biblical principals.
A notice at the bottom of the ad appealed for "tax-exempt donations" to pay for placing the ad.
Bad move, said the IRS, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and finally, the court.
Cabbie bounces barfing baby boy
Catherine Soldan, 25, said she called a counselor at the hospital after her 6-month-old baby, Corbitt, threw up twice. The counselor told her the service would contact a cab and pay for them to be transported to the hospital.
The taxi picked them up, and during the trip the boy began vomiting again. That's when, according to Soldan, the driver told the two to get out.
"He said, 'Is he getting sick?' And I said, 'Yes.' He said to get out. I said, 'He's a baby.' He said, 'I don't care what he is,'" said Soldan.
Soldan said she yelled at the driver, and he then left them. She said she was stunned by the driver's behavior.
"It's not like this was somebody who'd been out drinking all night or something and was throwing up in his car," Soldan said. "It was a little bit of baby spit."
'The Matrix Rewhited'
Part two of the trilogy introduced two new enemies: twins with pale skin and light-colored hair.
"There are even dreadlocked albinos who look like a vanilla Milli Vanilli," is the way movie critic Carrie Rickey termed them.
"For the last 40 years filmmakers have used albino characters as villains, and they're almost always vicious, inhuman characters, depicted as freaks," dermatologist and self-proclaimed film buff Dr. Vail Reese added.
Warner Bros. did not taking the issue lightly.
"They're not albinos!" a studio spokeswoman stressed to WND regarding the new villains. "They're not even human. They're vampires, 15th century vampires. ... These characters do not possess the qualities that albinos possess. They don't have red eyes. They become invisible. Clearly, they're not real people."
MySpace hosts wannabe terrorists
May 16, 2006: While concerns about MySpace.com often focus on its use by sexual predators, the popular youth networking website may also pose a risk to the nation's security.
An investigation found the website to be fertile ground for inspiring and recruiting a new generation of Islamic terrorists, according to independent analyst Laura Mansfield.
A young man from Seattle, for example, who gave his name as Amin Al-Mujaahid As-Salafi – or "Salafi Jihaadi – has a blog that features images of al-Qaida leaders Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, British jihadist Abu Hamza, and the 19 hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, referring to them as the "Magnificent 19."
Stripper mom: I'm following the Bible
May 17, 2002: The mother of a 5-year-old California girl who was facing expulsion from a Christian school because the woman worked as a stripper just couldn't understand why her chosen profession was a problem.
Christina Silvas, a 24-year-old single mom, argued that since her job took her away for only three days a week – the days her daughter, Abby, was with her father – she was therefore available to be "the one to teach [her daughter] the Bible at home," thus upholding the commitment she made with the school to partner in her daughter's education.
"The Bible calls on parents to be hands-on," Silvas said.
School officials offered to cover the girl's last month's tuition of $400 if Silvas would change jobs. They also offered to support Silvas both financially and spiritually, and to help her find a different job that was in keeping with the school's values. Silvas declined the offer and later appeared in Playboy Magazine.
Great grandma's tattoo: 'Do Not Resuscitate'
May 18, 2006: It's not that Mary Wohlford, an 80-year-old retired Texas nurse, had never heard of living wills – she had one hung on the side of her refrigerator – it's that she just wasn't taking any chances.
That's why she had the phrase "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" tattooed on her chest – to make it absolutely clear where she stood in the event she ever become incapacitated.
"People might think I'm crazy, but that's OK," Wohlford said. "Sometimes the nuttiest ideas are the most advanced."
"This is a modern day and age," she said. "You have to advance with the times. We never even had a living will 20 years ago. Now I think we've got to go to the next step."
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'A' is for 'agenda'
May 19, 2005: Diversity, it seems, has its limits.
While welcoming a pro-homosexual activist organization – even inviting it to present a workshop – the National PTA rejected an application from Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays to be an exhibitor at its annual convention.
The leading pro-"gay" group was OK'd to distribute a 'how-to' guide for improving the school environment for LGBT students, and the homosexual-affirming video for schoolchildren, "It's Elementary," was scheduled to be exhibited at the conference.
"As we indicated on the application, our purpose at the National PTA exhibit is to distribute educational publications promoting inclusive school environments for ex-gay students and educators," said Regina Griggs, PFOX's executive director. "We fit right in because one of the themes of this year's National PTA convention is diversity. Ex-gays are people, too."
Pepsi president likens U.S. to middle finger
May 20, 2005: University commencement speeches have a way of becoming notoriously newsworthy, and the one delivered two years ago to graduates at Columbia Business School by Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo's chief financial officer, was no exception.
"The middle finger anchors every function that the hand performs and is the key to all of the fingers working together efficiently and effectively," she said. "This is a really good thing, and has given the U.S. a leg up in global business since the end of World War I.
"However, if used inappropriately – just like the U.S. itself, the middle finger can convey a negative message and get us in trouble," she said.
The Pespi Syndrome, indeed. Nooyi spent the next week issuing apologies as the blogosphere went into meltdown.