Anti-gay church loses in funeral protesters case
Hello on this Thursday, the first day of November 2007. I’m Kristin Volk with a UPI Headline Update. An anti-gay church has been ordered by a federal jury to pay nearly 11 million dollars. That money was awarded to a father of a Marine yesterday whose funeral was picketed by members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Church members showed up at that funeral holding signs and chanting derogatory slogans. They’ve picketed funerals of dozens of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, claiming that God is punishing the US because of its tolerance for homosexuality. The family sued the church for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lawyers for the church argue that funerals are public and the First Amendment protects all points of view. Both Senator Hillary Clinton and former Senator John Edwards have picked up major union endorsements for their presidential candidate run. Clinton received a nod from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. That union’s endorsement was one of the most sought after by the Democratic presidential hopefuls. John Edwards accepted the official backing of the Service Employee’s International Union’s Granite chapter in New Hampshire. The former senator won the endorsement in a very close vote over Senator Barack Obama. A top GOP senator is warning that Michael Mukasey’s nomination for attorney general is at risk. Senator Arlen Specter says he hopes to have a closed-door …