Scrolling around...May 31, 2013

Podcast: Islam and Christianity in Britain-An Exchange
Damian Thompson and Michael Nazir-Ali

Gallup:Most Americans Say Religion Is Losing Influence in U.S.
But 75% say American society would be better off if more Americans were religious

10 Worst-Paying College Majors
You probably already know that college grads have an easier time finding jobs, and earn more those who only have a high school diploma. But that's not the whole story. Some college majors offer a much worse return on investment, with starting salaries that are no better than high school grads' pay, according to a new study released Wednesday. The study, conducted by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, looked at 2010 and 2011 salaries and unemployment rates among college grads between the ages of 22 and 26. The startling conclusion: Some majors have starting salaries no better than the average salary of a high school graduate, which is about $29,900 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Education....

Holder media backlash intensifies
...Major news outlets lined up to reject Attorney General Eric Holder’s offer of an off-the-record meeting Thursday as his conflict with the press corps escalated.

The New York Times, the Associated Press, The Huffington Post and CNN were the first major outlets to decline the offer, and Fox News, Reuters, CBS News, McClatchy and NBC News followed. The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News and Politico have said they plan on attending the meeting...

IRS may have targeted conservatives more broadly
...While the developing scandal over the targeting of conservatives by the tax agency has largely focused to date on its scrutiny of groups with words such as “tea party” or “patriot” in their names, these examples suggest the government was looking at a broader array of conservative groups and perhaps individuals. Their collective experiences at a minimum could spread skepticism about the fairness of a powerful agency that should be above reproach and at worst could point to a secret political vendetta within the government against conservatives.

The emerging stories from real people raise questions about whether the IRS scrutiny extended beyond applicants for tax-exempt status and whether individuals who donated to these tax-exempt organizations or to conservative causes also were targeted...

Where Is My Awareness Concert?
The celebrities gathered backstage, musicians and actors and the like, preparing for this important event. The big event has one purpose, to raise awareness about an unthinkable tragedy and travesty.

The U.N. report has the grisly details. Each year, over 100,000 people are killed for no other reason than for who they are and what they believe. The families of a million or more destroyed as a result. Minorities living in fear in their own countries...

Girl Scouts Join Planned Parenthood at Huge Pro-Abortion Conference
...The global organization is a well-known advocate for sexual and reproductive rights, including abortion, for youth, and claims to speak for all of its 10 million members...

Calif. Senate: Scouts didn't go far enough
...On May 23, delegates at the Boy Scouts' national meeting approved new guidelines allowing homosexual-identifying youth to be members. The policy still prohibits openly homosexual adults from serving as leaders. Six days later the California Senate, by a vote of 27-9, passed a bill that would reverse the tax-exempt status of youth organizations that discriminate on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation...

In California, Obamacare to Increase Individual Health Insurance Premiums by 64-146%
...That Obamacare more than doubles insurance premiums for many Californians is especially ironic, given the political posturing of the President and his administration in 2010...