The referendum taking place this week in the Southern Sudan on whether the region should remain part of Sudan or become its own independent state has enjoyed a high voter turnout, according to official reports, despite criticism from international communist groups and the Russian and Chinese governments. The region includes Darfur, known to be a hotbed of genocidal activity against the native African population, much of which is Christian, by the majority Sudanese Arab Janjaweed militias. The region has for decades been the scene of policies akin to religious and racially-motivated "ethnic cleansing."

A research study conducted by the free market libertarian organization The Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, recently released its annual Freedom in the 50 States Index. For 2011, the findings are grim, in many cases, but encouraging in others. Unsurprisingly, New Hampshire earned the coveted #1 position for overall freest state in the country.

The federal government, in using its illegitimate and unconstitutional authority to regulate various industries — such as food, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and other commodities — has raised the ire of producers and advocates of raw milk consumption, including Amish communities throughout the American heartland.

San Francisco, California, is a city known for being a bastion of all things progressive, secular, countercultural and counter-traditional. Ever since the Hippie Movement of the 1960s took root in the city, various liberal policies have been enacted, including some of America’s first laws pandering to the homosexual community (hate crimes legislation, “non-discrimination” policies, etc.), abortion advocates (such as laws imposing heavy fines on pro-lifers who protest outside clinics), and even laws pandering to the animal rights and public health lobbies (such as policies restricting fast food restaurants from marketing to children).

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for comments he made at a recent rally Planned Parenthood staged to save taxpayer funding for its abortion business.

First it was your body, and then your DNA. Now, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants to scan individual traveler’s shoes.

The FBI announced last week that its new identification system has reached its initial operating capacity. Known as Next Generation Identification (NGI), the Lockheed Martin-built program serves as an incremental upgrade of the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or IAFIS — which will revolutionize law enforcement’s ability to process fingerprints.

The flagship branch of Expectant Mother Care, the largest chain of Crisis Pregnancy Centers in New York City, was recently brutally vandalized. CEO Christopher Slattery (pictured, left) told Life News: