Contributions drop to Dobson's Political Arm

While the revenue of Focus on the Family, the prominent Christian Right organization, climbed to nearly $150 million in 2006, contributions dropped to Focus Action, its lobby group. According to the organization's annual report, 2006 donations fell to $6.3 million from $6.7 million in 2005 and $8.7 million in 2004, its inaugural year. Focus officials declined to comment on the numbers. Rocky Mountain News reports

Workplace deaths rise for Blacks, Latinos, Immigrants, and Youth

In 2005, an average of 16 workers died and more than 12,000 were injured each day, according to the AFL-CIO report, "Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect." A total of 5,734 people died on the job, with significant increases in fatalities among African-American, Latinos, foreign-born, and young workers. These statistics do not include deaths from occupational diseases, which claim the lives of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 workers each year. Amsterdam News reports

Public Divided on "Pro-Choice" vs. "Pro-Life" Abortion Labels

Americans hold a complex set of beliefs about the legality of terminating a woman's pregnancy, according to a recent Gallup poll. The majority want the Supreme Court to uphold its 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which protects abortion rights. Most Americans also say abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances, and believe there should be a ban on "late-term" or "partial-birth" abortions. But when the entire issue is distilled to the labels most commonly used on each side of the debate -- pro-choice vs. pro-life -- the public is split nearly down the middle. Gallup Polls reports

Surveillance Watch: Google Wants You!

Google is working toward "the day when it can tell people what jobs to take and how they might spend their days off," reports The Financial Times. "We are very early in the total information we have within Google," its chief executive told the newspaper. This information would allow it to better target ads and charge higher ad rates. Its new service, allowing people to personalize their Google search page, is providing the building blocks for this enhanced data gathering. Yahoo currently builds profiles from people's searches which it then uses to target ads to their interests. Financial Times reports

Intent to intimidate in letters to Latino Voters as yet unproven

A state investigation has found that Tan Nguyen, the Republican challenger to Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) in 2006, committed no crime when his campaign mailed 14,000 letters to foreign-born Hispanic Democrats warning, in Spanish, that if "you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time" or deportation. Senior Assistant Attorney General Gary Schons said no criminal intent could be proven, but that Nguyen knew about the letter before it was mailed, despite his claims to the contrary. The U.S. Department of Justice voting-rights section is still investigating. Orange County Register reports

Dobson Ally Closes Its Doors

Coral Ridge Ministries' Center for Reclaiming America in Fort Lauderdale has closed, halting its e-mail and petition drives against abortion, pornography and same-sex marriage. Cal Thomas of the Chicago Tribune and The Sun Sentinel report.

Alabama Militia Plotted Assault on Immigrants

Five men accused of belonging to a self-styled militia who were apparently planning an attack on Mexicans were indicted on federal explosives and weapons charges April 26. In a police raid of a home and a camper, agents seized 130 hand grenades, a grenade launcher, about 70 hand grenades rigged to be fired from a rifle, a machine gun, a short-barrel shotgun and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition. Associated Press reports.

Kids as Frontline Soldiers in Culture War

Conservative Christians vowed to keep their kids at home on April 18, the "Day of Silence" students have observed over the past eleven years to bring attention to the bullying and discrimination LGBTQ youth face in the classroom.

"Students shouldn't be forced to self-censor or adopt beliefs contrary to those of their parents and places of worship," Linda Harvey, president and founder of Mission America, in a news release. "Even the strongest of our junior high and high school children are not equipped to serve as frontline soldiers in this culture war."Southern Voice reports.

You Tube, watch out

If you are looking for Christian competition to You Tube -- God Tube: Broadcast Him provides it. It's "godly," but you can't be too sure of the politics of the viewers, as the comments reveal. Watch music videos, a documentary about the shadow Darwin casts on the world, and more. GodTube.com

Family Research Council Sets Date of Next Summit

The Family Research Council, the premier Christian Right lobby group which faced a rout in the 2006 election, has set the date of its next "Values Voter Summit": October 18-21 in Washington, DC. FRC is calling it "a rallying event for patriotic Americans who want to transform the political landscape on issues such as the sanctity of life and marriage, immigration reform, religious freedom, health care, radical Islam, judicial activism, geopolitics, the media and much more."

FRC's Tony Perkins also had some kind words recently for President George W. Bush: "President Bush's decisiveness is cementing his positive impact on a return to a culture of life for this nation. He is setting a high standard for any successor by being a true blue champion of faith, family, and freedom."

Washington briefing here; and Perkins' remarks here.