Sponsors
Today's News
US warns of further bank failures
The US treasury secretary has warned some banks will still fail despite the $700bn government rescue package to shore up the financial system.
Henry Paulson called for the plan's swift implementation, but said the financial crisis would not end soon.... read the story
McCain, Obama debate omits culture war issues
Political pundits, the media, and Americans expressed disappointment at the second presidential debate Tuesday night, which was described as lackluster and even boring.
Besides a few jabs, pointing fingers, and name calling, the town-hall format debate failed to elicit any emotional responses from the presidential candidates. Instead, the political rivals seemed to be playing it safe, using the debate as a soapbox to rehash their economic, energy, tax, and the war on terror policies.... read the story
Shepherds Ministries Offers First Of Its Kind College
What would change under an 'Obama' Supreme Court?
A group that promotes constitutionalist judicial nominees warns that the top priority of a Barack Obama Supreme Court would be to require taxpayers to fund unlimited abortion rights.
Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, says given Obama's opposition to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, the nation's highest court under an Obama administration would likely reverse the federal ban on partial-birth abortion. According to Levey, two of the top ten priorities of an Obama Supreme Court would be to find that there is a constitutional right to taxpayer-funded abortions, and to order all 50 states to "bless" homosexual "marriage."... read the story
Nepal appoints 3-year-old as new living goddess
Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and cascaded flowers and grains of rice over a 3-year-old girl who was appointed a living goddess in Nepal on Tuesday.
Wrapped in red silk and adorned with red flowers in her hair, Matani Shakya received approval from the priests and President Ram Baran Yadav in a centuries-old tradition with deep ties to Nepal's monarchy, which was abolished in May.... read the story
Stocks fluctuate despite emergency rate cut
An angst-ridden stock market searched for stability Wednesday as investors weighed whether an emergency interest rate cut would boost confidence and end the paralysis in credit markets. The major indexes moved in and out of positive territory, with the Dow Jones industrials at times falling more than 200 points or rising more than 100.... read the story
Change your process to boost profits
Here's something to ponder: The only difference between a rut and grave is that a grave has four sides instead of three.
We mention this fact because if your innovation efforts are limited exclusively to products, you may be in a rut. At the very least, you are missing a golden opportunity to delight your customers, increase sales, and save some money along the way. Wherever there is interaction among your brand, your people, and your customer, there is an opportunity for service innovation and increased profits. That is absolutelly no small thing these days, when the bad economic news keeps coming in waves.... read the story
Rate cut gives dollar a ride
The dollar was mixed against global currencies Wednesday, after nations around the globe issued emergency interest rate cuts.
In a move to boost economic growth in the midst of a worsening global financial crisis, the Federal Reserve lowered its fed funds rate by half a percentage point to 1.5%.... read the story
'Fireproof' soars past $12 million
Faith-based movie “Fireproof” hung in the box office top ten this past weekend, raking in $3.99 million across 852 locations.
Over the past two weeks, the pro-marriage flick has pulled in $12.4 million, according to final figures released Monday by Media By Numbers LLC.... read the story
The line on credit lines
If you're lucky enough to secure a credit line in this nasty economic environment, you better know how and when to use it.
A revolving credit line allows borrowers to pay an upfront fee to have access to a pool of funds as they need them. The lender charges interest (to be paid monthly or quarterly) only on the amount drawn down.... read the story
Don't let hard times derail your advertising
Life is not a zero-sum game.
O.K., maybe in politics it is. If your candidate wins, the other guy loses. That's one reason why political advertising tends to get increasingly malevolent as campaigns approach their climax. (Fasten your seat belt, because this year's campaign season looks to be worse than ever.)... read the story
US anti-Obama book author faces Kenya deportation
The American author of a best-selling book blasting White House hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday faced deportation from Kenya after being detained by security officials.
Jerome Corsi, who was scheduled to unveil "The Obama Nation" to the Kenyan public at a Nairobi hotel, was detained in Nairobi early Tuesday for "visa-related issues" and then taken to the international airport.
"A decision has been made that he will be deported tonight because he flouted immigration rules," a government official said without elaborating.... read the story
McCain and Obama trade blows on economy
The US presidential hopefuls have set out their economic policies in a debate dominated by the financial crisis and differences over foreign policy.
Barack Obama said more must be done to help the middle classes and that John McCain's tax cuts would aid the rich.... read the story
Fed's new tool: Business loan bailout
The Federal Reserve announced a new program to help the battered market for short-term business loans - taking its closest step yet to lending directly to businesses.
The program addresses commercial paper, a form of short-term funding crucial to many businesses operations.
"The Treasury believes this facility is necessary to prevent substantial disruptions to the financial markets and the economy and will make a special deposit at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in support of this facility," the Fed stated.... read the story
McCain talks the walk
John Mccain has finally begun to talk his walk with Jesus. Until recently, the details about the Republican presidential nominee's Christian convictions were missing in action. Starting this summer, McCain and some of his closest Vietnam War-era buddies began pulling back the narrative curtain.... read the story
Suit on tobacco ads sparks feisty debate
The Supreme Court waded yesterday into a complicated legal debate over whether tobacco companies can be sued in state courts for deceptive advertising of "light" cigarettes, a dispute that has divided government regulators and the business community.... read the story
Pope: modern culture pushing God out
Pope Benedict XVI warned Sunday that modern culture is pushing God out of people's lives, causing nations once rich in religious faith to lose their identities.
Benedict celebrated a Mass in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls to open a worldwide meeting of bishops on the relevance of the Bible for contemporary Catholics.... read the story
Obama is making evangelicals think twice
Winning Missouri worked twice for President Bush's White House ambitions. Barack Obama seems to have taken notice. For the past three months, the Democratic presidential nominee has been spending significant time in Missouri. In all but one election during the past century, Show-Me State voters have sided with the winner in presidential elections.... read the story
Small business owners react to the bailout
As the House of Representatives was set to vote on the newly reconfigured economic bailout package (passed by the Senate on Oct. 1 and by the House on Oct. 3), small business owners across the country—some of whom are already squeezed by the credit crunch (BusinessWeek.com, 9/26/08)—are reacting with a mix of frustration, anger, and disbelief as the government attempts to relieve the ailing credit markets with a $700 billion rescue plan. The day before the legislation was expected to be pushed through the House, BusinessWeek's Stacy Perman spoke with a spectrum of small business owners across the country who shared their reactions to the plan.... read the story
Gay marriage friends, foes clash at LA hearing
The only public hearing to be held on California's most contested ballot initiative turned into a de-facto debate Thursday on whether gay marriage was good for children raised by the couples.
The hearing focused on Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot that seeks to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that allowed same-sex unions.... read the story
As Palin brings up Ayers, Obama team cites Keating
The presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama for the first time criticized Sen. John McCain for his role in the "Keating Five" savings-and-loan scandal yesterday, saying the issue is fair game after a weekend of attacks by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin over the Democrat's ties to Vietnam War-era radical William Ayers.... read the story
Tear gas fired at mass Thai rally
Police in Thailand have fired tear gas to disperse a demonstration by thousands of anti-government protesters in Bangkok.
Dozens of people were injured as police intervened in the dawn protest in front of parliament.
The clashes came just hours before new PM Somchai Wongsawat was to deliver a key policy statement.
The protesters say he is a proxy for ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and want the government to resign.... read the story
Reconsidering executive compensation
American evangelicals are becoming a wealthy lot. This has created opportunities for the wider evangelical world. Rich evangelicals have deployed their financial resources to establish new ministries, expand opportunities for young leaders, and develop initiatives around the world.
But didn't Jesus talk about it being easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God? The rich young ruler went away sorrowful in the Gospel of Luke. Money, in and of itself, was not the problem. It was the love of money that tripped him up. He may have been generous, but he wasn't willing to sell everything. I can hardly blame him.... read the story
Major global prayer initiative for Jerusalem peace begins
Millions of Christians from around the world are expected to take part in the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem on Sunday.
The annual event, observed each year on the first Sunday of October, boasts support from many prominent Christian leaders including T.D. Jakes, Jack Hayford, John Hagee, Sunday Adeleja, Ravi Zacharias, Michael W. Smith, and Joyce Meyer.... read the story
Technology addiction
In February, John Blanchard took to his blog and declared, "My name is John and I am a technology addict."
The 27-year-old California musician was logging so many hours on Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and video-sharing site Vimeo that he was neglecting family and friends.... read the story
Keeping customers in a crummy economy
Even before the U.S. economic outlook darkened as the gravity of the financial crisis came into focus, companies started to get more aggressive in their attempts to hold onto old customers and attract new ones. Telephone companies' offers for two months of free service and reduced rates, discounted gym membership renewals, and generous gift cards from high-end department stores all underscore a pervasive fear on Main Street: With the uncertainty around the credit seize-up, consumers may be digging in for a long hibernation.... read the story
Obama's link to '60s radical fuels new attacks
Republican John McCain's campaign spent the weekend trying to tie the Democratic nominee to a 1960s radical. "It's really important for Americans to start knowing who the real Barack Obama is," vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Sunday in Long Beach, Calif.
Palin led the attacks that Republicans took up across the television dial. The focus was on Bill Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground who lives near Obama in Chicago, served with him on two charity boards and held a reception for him in 1995.... read the story
Germany clinches bank rescue deal
Germany's finance ministry has agreed a 50bn euro ($70bn; £40bn) plan to save one of the country's biggest banks.
The deal, reached with private banks, to save Hypo Real Estate is worth 15m euros more than the first rescue attempt, which fell apart on Saturday.... read the story
Atheist group sues Bush over national prayer day
The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other officials over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation sued Friday in U.S. district court, arguing that the president's mandated proclamations calling on Americans to pray violates a constitutional ban on government officials endorsing religion.... read the story
US warns of further bank failures
The US treasury secretary has warned some banks will still fail despite the $700bn government rescue package to shore up the financial system.
Henry Paulson called for the plan's swift implementation, but said the financial crisis would not end soon.... read the story
McCain, Obama debate omits culture war issues
Political pundits, the media, and Americans expressed disappointment at the second presidential debate Tuesday night, which was described as lackluster and even boring.
Besides a few jabs, pointing fingers, and name calling, the town-hall format debate failed to elicit any emotional responses from the presidential candidates. Instead, the political rivals seemed to be playing it safe, using the debate as a soapbox to rehash their economic, energy, tax, and the war on terror policies.... read the story
Shepherds Ministries Offers First Of Its Kind College
Click here to learn more about our unique and unprecedented College for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
What would change under an 'Obama' Supreme Court?
A group that promotes constitutionalist judicial nominees warns that the top priority of a Barack Obama Supreme Court would be to require taxpayers to fund unlimited abortion rights.
Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, says given Obama's opposition to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, the nation's highest court under an Obama administration would likely reverse the federal ban on partial-birth abortion. According to Levey, two of the top ten priorities of an Obama Supreme Court would be to find that there is a constitutional right to taxpayer-funded abortions, and to order all 50 states to "bless" homosexual "marriage."... read the story
Nepal appoints 3-year-old as new living goddess
Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and cascaded flowers and grains of rice over a 3-year-old girl who was appointed a living goddess in Nepal on Tuesday.
Wrapped in red silk and adorned with red flowers in her hair, Matani Shakya received approval from the priests and President Ram Baran Yadav in a centuries-old tradition with deep ties to Nepal's monarchy, which was abolished in May.... read the story
Stocks fluctuate despite emergency rate cut
An angst-ridden stock market searched for stability Wednesday as investors weighed whether an emergency interest rate cut would boost confidence and end the paralysis in credit markets. The major indexes moved in and out of positive territory, with the Dow Jones industrials at times falling more than 200 points or rising more than 100.... read the story
Change your process to boost profits
Here's something to ponder: The only difference between a rut and grave is that a grave has four sides instead of three.
We mention this fact because if your innovation efforts are limited exclusively to products, you may be in a rut. At the very least, you are missing a golden opportunity to delight your customers, increase sales, and save some money along the way. Wherever there is interaction among your brand, your people, and your customer, there is an opportunity for service innovation and increased profits. That is absolutelly no small thing these days, when the bad economic news keeps coming in waves.... read the story
Rate cut gives dollar a ride
The dollar was mixed against global currencies Wednesday, after nations around the globe issued emergency interest rate cuts.
In a move to boost economic growth in the midst of a worsening global financial crisis, the Federal Reserve lowered its fed funds rate by half a percentage point to 1.5%.... read the story
'Fireproof' soars past $12 million
Faith-based movie “Fireproof” hung in the box office top ten this past weekend, raking in $3.99 million across 852 locations.
Over the past two weeks, the pro-marriage flick has pulled in $12.4 million, according to final figures released Monday by Media By Numbers LLC.... read the story
The line on credit lines
If you're lucky enough to secure a credit line in this nasty economic environment, you better know how and when to use it.
A revolving credit line allows borrowers to pay an upfront fee to have access to a pool of funds as they need them. The lender charges interest (to be paid monthly or quarterly) only on the amount drawn down.... read the story
Don't let hard times derail your advertising
Life is not a zero-sum game.
O.K., maybe in politics it is. If your candidate wins, the other guy loses. That's one reason why political advertising tends to get increasingly malevolent as campaigns approach their climax. (Fasten your seat belt, because this year's campaign season looks to be worse than ever.)... read the story
US anti-Obama book author faces Kenya deportation
The American author of a best-selling book blasting White House hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday faced deportation from Kenya after being detained by security officials.
Jerome Corsi, who was scheduled to unveil "The Obama Nation" to the Kenyan public at a Nairobi hotel, was detained in Nairobi early Tuesday for "visa-related issues" and then taken to the international airport.
"A decision has been made that he will be deported tonight because he flouted immigration rules," a government official said without elaborating.... read the story
McCain and Obama trade blows on economy
The US presidential hopefuls have set out their economic policies in a debate dominated by the financial crisis and differences over foreign policy.
Barack Obama said more must be done to help the middle classes and that John McCain's tax cuts would aid the rich.... read the story
Fed's new tool: Business loan bailout
The Federal Reserve announced a new program to help the battered market for short-term business loans - taking its closest step yet to lending directly to businesses.
The program addresses commercial paper, a form of short-term funding crucial to many businesses operations.
"The Treasury believes this facility is necessary to prevent substantial disruptions to the financial markets and the economy and will make a special deposit at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in support of this facility," the Fed stated.... read the story
McCain talks the walk
John Mccain has finally begun to talk his walk with Jesus. Until recently, the details about the Republican presidential nominee's Christian convictions were missing in action. Starting this summer, McCain and some of his closest Vietnam War-era buddies began pulling back the narrative curtain.... read the story
Suit on tobacco ads sparks feisty debate
The Supreme Court waded yesterday into a complicated legal debate over whether tobacco companies can be sued in state courts for deceptive advertising of "light" cigarettes, a dispute that has divided government regulators and the business community.... read the story
Pope: modern culture pushing God out
Pope Benedict XVI warned Sunday that modern culture is pushing God out of people's lives, causing nations once rich in religious faith to lose their identities.
Benedict celebrated a Mass in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls to open a worldwide meeting of bishops on the relevance of the Bible for contemporary Catholics.... read the story
Obama is making evangelicals think twice
Winning Missouri worked twice for President Bush's White House ambitions. Barack Obama seems to have taken notice. For the past three months, the Democratic presidential nominee has been spending significant time in Missouri. In all but one election during the past century, Show-Me State voters have sided with the winner in presidential elections.... read the story
Small business owners react to the bailout
As the House of Representatives was set to vote on the newly reconfigured economic bailout package (passed by the Senate on Oct. 1 and by the House on Oct. 3), small business owners across the country—some of whom are already squeezed by the credit crunch (BusinessWeek.com, 9/26/08)—are reacting with a mix of frustration, anger, and disbelief as the government attempts to relieve the ailing credit markets with a $700 billion rescue plan. The day before the legislation was expected to be pushed through the House, BusinessWeek's Stacy Perman spoke with a spectrum of small business owners across the country who shared their reactions to the plan.... read the story
Gay marriage friends, foes clash at LA hearing
The only public hearing to be held on California's most contested ballot initiative turned into a de-facto debate Thursday on whether gay marriage was good for children raised by the couples.
The hearing focused on Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot that seeks to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that allowed same-sex unions.... read the story
As Palin brings up Ayers, Obama team cites Keating
The presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama for the first time criticized Sen. John McCain for his role in the "Keating Five" savings-and-loan scandal yesterday, saying the issue is fair game after a weekend of attacks by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin over the Democrat's ties to Vietnam War-era radical William Ayers.... read the story
Tear gas fired at mass Thai rally
Police in Thailand have fired tear gas to disperse a demonstration by thousands of anti-government protesters in Bangkok.
Dozens of people were injured as police intervened in the dawn protest in front of parliament.
The clashes came just hours before new PM Somchai Wongsawat was to deliver a key policy statement.
The protesters say he is a proxy for ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and want the government to resign.... read the story
Reconsidering executive compensation
American evangelicals are becoming a wealthy lot. This has created opportunities for the wider evangelical world. Rich evangelicals have deployed their financial resources to establish new ministries, expand opportunities for young leaders, and develop initiatives around the world.
But didn't Jesus talk about it being easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God? The rich young ruler went away sorrowful in the Gospel of Luke. Money, in and of itself, was not the problem. It was the love of money that tripped him up. He may have been generous, but he wasn't willing to sell everything. I can hardly blame him.... read the story
Major global prayer initiative for Jerusalem peace begins
Millions of Christians from around the world are expected to take part in the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem on Sunday.
The annual event, observed each year on the first Sunday of October, boasts support from many prominent Christian leaders including T.D. Jakes, Jack Hayford, John Hagee, Sunday Adeleja, Ravi Zacharias, Michael W. Smith, and Joyce Meyer.... read the story
Technology addiction
In February, John Blanchard took to his blog and declared, "My name is John and I am a technology addict."
The 27-year-old California musician was logging so many hours on Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and video-sharing site Vimeo that he was neglecting family and friends.... read the story
Keeping customers in a crummy economy
Even before the U.S. economic outlook darkened as the gravity of the financial crisis came into focus, companies started to get more aggressive in their attempts to hold onto old customers and attract new ones. Telephone companies' offers for two months of free service and reduced rates, discounted gym membership renewals, and generous gift cards from high-end department stores all underscore a pervasive fear on Main Street: With the uncertainty around the credit seize-up, consumers may be digging in for a long hibernation.... read the story
Obama's link to '60s radical fuels new attacks
Republican John McCain's campaign spent the weekend trying to tie the Democratic nominee to a 1960s radical. "It's really important for Americans to start knowing who the real Barack Obama is," vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Sunday in Long Beach, Calif.
Palin led the attacks that Republicans took up across the television dial. The focus was on Bill Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground who lives near Obama in Chicago, served with him on two charity boards and held a reception for him in 1995.... read the story
Germany clinches bank rescue deal
Germany's finance ministry has agreed a 50bn euro ($70bn; £40bn) plan to save one of the country's biggest banks.
The deal, reached with private banks, to save Hypo Real Estate is worth 15m euros more than the first rescue attempt, which fell apart on Saturday.... read the story
Atheist group sues Bush over national prayer day
The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other officials over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation sued Friday in U.S. district court, arguing that the president's mandated proclamations calling on Americans to pray violates a constitutional ban on government officials endorsing religion.... read the story