Brooke Bellah

National: Larry Craig...gay?
From: Newsweek
Iowa Senator Larry Graig was arrested in June for "lewd conduct in an airport bathroom." News of his arrest however, did not leak out until this week. Craig held a press conference stating that "I am not gay. I never have been gay." Craig also had earlier allegations against him for the same offense. He plead guilty to this particular offense, but is now stating that he wishes he hadn't done so. (duh) He is married...to a woman ;)
Opinion:
It's possible that he coud have been at the wrong place at the wrong time, but fact that he has earlier allegations against him makes this story highly unlikely. I feel bad for his wife. I believe there will be a spotlilght on the discussion of gay rights because of this news. So what if he is gay? He is married, yes, but he can't help who he is. This is the position that mainstream America will take. In my opinion, soliciting sex in a public area should be illegal no matter what your sexual preference is.

National: Same-sex marriages made legal in Iowa
From: CNN
Six same-sex couples sued the state of Iowa for not allowing them to be issued marriage licenses. They won, and the law that states marriage is strictly between a man and a woman has now been abolished. Many homosexuals are rejoicing this as one step closer to same-sex marriage neing made legal across the entire nation.
Opinion:
It is only a matter of time before the United States makes a new constitutional amendment legalizing gay marriage. I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman, but the United States professes to be based on the idea of "freedom and equality for all", so by this standard they are forced to pass this amenmdent. The court ruling in Iowa is just one step closer to the inevitable.

International: Crash in Brazil kills 8
From: CNN
A train carrying over 200 people and moving at speeds of 60 miles an hour crashed into an empty train in Rio de Janeiro, on Thursday. Eight people were killed and dozens more were injured. Blowtorches had to be used to free the remainig passengers, but authorities say everyone has escaped from the wreckage. No more fatalities are expected.
Opinion:
It may take a few weeks at the most to get underground traffic moving again in the city. Also, the train system will probably make changes in the way the trains are run. Some people may be afraid to ride the trains for a little while, but this won't last too long. I remember something similar happened on Thunder Mountain at Disneyland a few years ago, and no one is afraid to ride that ride anymore. There have been no long-term effects of that crash, and there will most likely be none in this case as well.