Radio America Online News Bureau

The U.S. is by far the most generous nation on earth – especially towards developing nations.  But who is leading the way?  It’s not foreign aid from the U.S. government, but increasingly generous contributions from religious congregations around the U.S.  So how much are churchgoing Americans giving to developing nations?  What exactly is that money going towards?  How is it being delivered?  And how does the U.S. stack up in comparison with other industrialized nations?  We ask Carol Adelman, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Prosperity.  The center just published its latest ‘Index of Global Philanthropy’.

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We have Wednesday’s top news… What is President Obama saying about the swine flu?  Why is the World Health Organization raising the pandemic threat level?  What legislative gift did Congress give the president on his 100th day in office?  What do the latest poll numbers suggest about support for Obama?  How did the economy perform in the first quarter of 2009?  What happened on Wall Street Wednesday?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, April 29, 2009.

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So what do Republicans think of President Obama’s first 100 days in office?  What philosophy have they seen emerge on the economy and many other issues?  Why is his approach to the military very concerning to others?  What’s the real impact of his upcoming energy plan?  And what do all Americans need to know about how Nancy Pelosi is running the House of Representatives?  We ask Utah Rep. Rob Bishop.

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Legislation has been introduced on Capitol Hill to install hate crimes protection against homosexuals.  But while touted as equal rights legislation, why is this really an assault on religious freedom?  What penalties could preachers face for teaching what the Bible says about homosexuality?  What penalties to people already face for sharing their faith with gay people?  And what do black Americans think about the gay movement calling their efforts a push for civil rights?  We ask Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., founder of the High Impact Leadership Coalition.

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On Wednesday, the preliminary numbers show a 6.1 percent contraction of the economy.  What’s driving the decline?  What will the revised numbers look like?  What silver lining can be found in this dismal number?  And how big is the threat of inflation in the coming months?  We ask Bill Beach, director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation.

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The much overrated ‘First 100 Days in Office’ has arrived for President Obama.  So how effective has he been in terms of getting things done?  What major problems could be just around the corner for him?  How long will Americans cut him some slack? And why can’t the media stop talking about him?  We ask Larry Sabato, professor of political science at the University of Virginia.  His latest book is “The Year of Obama”.

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We have Tuesday’s top news…Why is Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter switching parties?  What reaction is his announcement getting among Republicans and Democrats?  What was the Senate vote on HHS nominee Kathleen Sebelius?  How much money does President Obama want to fight the swine flu?  What ruling did the Supreme Court give on television profanity today?  And what happened on Wall Street?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Tuesday, April 28, 2009.

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As he announced his migration to the Democratic party, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said Republicans were veering too far to the right and specifically slammed the Club for Growth for running GOP moderates out of office.  So how does the Club for Growth respond?  What is their political mission?  Are they costing Republicans seats in Congress?  And why has Sen. Specter been a prime target of the Club for Growth?  We ask David Keating, executive director at the Club for Growth.

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On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that “fleeting” profanity on broadcast television is indecent and falls under the FCC’s power to penalize.  How significant is this decision?  How valid is the networks’ defense of free speech rights?  And is prime time television and cleaner or less violent these days?  We ask Dan Isett, Director of Public Policy at the Parents Television Council.

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Why is Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter leaving the Republican Party?  Is it just political or something more?  How are Republican leaders responding to this decision?  Why are Democrats rolling out the red carpet for Specter when they likely would have won the seat anyway?  Will we see Democratic challengers in the race?  Will we see other Republicans in the race besides former Rep. Pat Toomey?  We ask Shira Toeplitz of Roll Call newspaper.

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