It was time once again for the Crosstalk team to clear the news desk and Jim did just that by presenting the following news stories for listener comment:

--Reverend Louie Giglio will not give the benediction at the upcoming January 21st
   presidential inauguration to avoid controversy over a message he preached against
   homosexuality 15 years ago.
--President Obama signs the 633 billion dollar defense law but disagrees with the
   conscience rights provision.
--The Marine Corps has advised its legal staff that spouses clubs operating on its
   installations must admit same-sex spouses if they want to remain on the bases.
--The Washington National Cathedral will soon begin performing homosexual marriages.
--The National Institutes of Health says they have awarded the Fenway Institute a 3 year
   $800,000 grant to address health disparities in LGBTQ youth of color through the
   National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparity.
--Openly gay British Columbia elementary school teacher suspended for showing his 4th
   grade students a sexually charged YouTube video featuring men in drag.
--Kids need to see more gay people on TV according to a BBC report.
--The Anglican Church says the blessing of homosexual couples is not enough.
--Reverend Scott Lively is accused of committing crimes against humanity in violation of
   international law just by sharing his biblical views on homosexuality during a 2009
   visit to Uganda.
--V.P. Joe Biden compared restrictions on guns to auto safety regulations such as air
   bags.
--NRA president disappointed that recent task force meeting over gun violence seemed to
   have more to do with attacking the 2nd Amendment rather than doing something to
   improve child safety.
--Bank of America reportedly freezes the account of a gun manufacturer.
--According to the most recent statistics from the F.B.I., more Americans commit
   murders with hammers than with assault rifles or other long guns.
--Louisiana sheriff’s department to hold four-hour course on how to operate firearms.
--New York representative looks to repeal presidential term limits.
--Planned Parenthood achieved record abortions and profits in the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
--Planned Parenthood does on average one abortion every 94 seconds.
--Atheist Richard Dawkins says that raising your child to believe in hell is worse than
   sexual abuse.
--A Muskegon abortion clinic, closed by the fire marshal the day after Christmas for
   multiple code violations, is unlikely to reopen.
--Eric Holder is staying on at the Justice Department.
--President Obama signs bill guaranteeing secret service protection for the rest of
   his life.
--White House Press secretary places the blame for the 16.4 trillion dollar national debt     
   on Congress.
--There’s talk about the minting of a trillion dollar platinum coin in order to avoid having
   to raise the debt ceiling.
--New video game featuring a black alien female superhero delivered to earth to fight
   global warming is about to hit the market due to a $100,000 grant from the Obama
   administration.
--In one of its last actions of 2012, on Christmas Eve, the U.N.’s General Assembly
   agreed to extend for another 3 years the formula that has American taxpayers
   contributing more than one-fifth of the U.N.’s regular budget.