News Roundup

The number of immigrant applications has surged, so legal immigrants will have to wait longer for visa or naturalization papers. American Apparel is addressing the plight of illegal immigrants in a clothing ad that advocates immigration reform. The ad says the system "amounts to an apartheid system," and undocumented workers should be able to gain citizenship in the United States. CEO Dov Charney says, "This is at the core of my company, at the core of my soul."

Google Inc. is displaying a social conscience too, investing more than $26 million in organizations and companies Google hopes will make the world a better place. The founders hope Google can impact the world "by ambitiously applying innovation and significant resources to the largest of the world's problems."

Iran suppresses most political speech except for that of the Radical Left. Their message is anti-government and anti-religious, but it's also anti-West - perhaps why the government allows it.

The New York Times takes its readers to a female genital cutting ceremony, a practice most decry as brutal and violating. The article says experts warn against blindly judging those who practice it: "Progress is best made by working with local leaders and opinion-makers to gradually shift the public discussion of female circumcision from what it's believed to bestow upon a girl toward what it takes away."

Montana's governor has started a rebellion against the new federal regulation regarding driver IDs. The rules make all license holders under age 50 reapply for a Real ID license. Anyone who doesn't will have to undergo pat-downs when entering federal buildings or airports, leading to long lines and probable lawsuits.

One five-letter word - "among" - is stirring a church vs. science debate in the Mormon church.

Egypt is cracking down on Muslims who convert to Christianity (sometimes to divorce or marry a non-Muslim) and then re-convert to Islam. Egyptian fatwa committee Al Azhar says re-converting is a "grave crime."

Does thinness lead to popularity for high school girls, or is it the other way around?

A federal appeals court says states must foot the bill to transport female inmates to get abortions.