Indecency Complaints to FCC Rise Fourfold

REUTERS, Nov. 10 — Complaints to the Federal Communications Commission regarding obscene programming on radio and television increased dramatically over the past three months, from 6,161 complaints during the previous three months to 26,185, said Reuters.

While the FCC did not release information on the shows that received the complaints, insiders believe that a majority of them resulted from campaigns launched by the Parents Television Council against programs on ABC and FOX.

Some critics describe the FCC's numbers as inflated because they count each complaint, whether it was sent by an individual more than once or whether it was sent through an advocacy group.

“The FCC … permits a process whereby indecency complaints appear to be artificially inflated relative to other types of complaints,” said Adam Thierer, a senior fellow with the Progress and Freedom Foundation.

On Nov. 29 the Senate Commerce Committee plans to hold an “Open Forum on Decency.”

Alito Questioned Abortion Decision

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Nov. 15 — Twenty years ago, current Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito argued that the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion, reported The Times.

The disclosure was made through a job application released by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The application was for a promotion Alito, a Catholic, had applied for during the Reagan administration.

Abortion supporters questioned Alito's views.

“Here, unfortunately, the memo itself created the perception of bias,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. “It will be crucial for this nominee to address the issue head on.”

Fired California Teacher Reaches Settlement

KXTV, Nov. 11 — Marie Bain, the Sacramento Catholic high school teacher who was fired in October, has reached a settlement with the Diocese of Sacramento, said KXTV.

Bain had been fired on the orders of Sacramento Bishop William Weigand after a parent of a student at Loretto High School complained that Bain had volunteered for Planned Parenthood.

Bain said that her involvement at Planned Parenthood took place prior to her being hired by the high school this fall, and that she had not participated in any activities since taking the job.

In exchange for an undisclosed sum of money for lost income, Bain agreed that she would not sue the diocese.

FDA Decision on ‘Morning-After’ Pill Faulted

LOS ANGELES TIMES, Nov. 15 — Federal drug regulators abandoned their science-based decision-making when they ruled in 2004 against allowing the “morning-after” birth control pill to be sold over-the-counter, said the Times. The revelation was made through a Government Accountability Office report.

The organization reported that it found four aspects of the FDA's review “unusual.” It said FDA heads Dr. Florence Houn, Dr. Jonca Bull and Dr. John Jenkins refused to sign the agency's decision, that high-level management was more involved in the decision than usual, that there were conflicting accounts among mid-level and senior managers over whether the decision to reject the pharmaceutical request was made before scientific evaluations had been done, and that the FDA's rationale for shielding younger adolescents did not follow FDA practices.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, who requested the inquiry, suggested that the FDA bowed to politics in deciding not to make the drug available.

“GAO's final report describes an appalling level of manipulation and suppression of the science,” said Waxman.

Those opposed to making the drug available over the counter argue that it would lead to greater promiscuity by teens.