Several Items of Interest

Russia to Outlaw "Homosexual Propaganda"
Last month, the Russian parliament approved by a vote of 388-1-1 a draft law outlawing the disemination of "homosexual propaganda" to minors, prompting the Obama administration to pull out of "civil society" dialogue, WORLD News Service reports.  The legislation, backed by the combined efforts of the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church, would also ban public events promoting homosexual rights, charge fines of up to $16,000 for any public displays of "homosexual propaganda," and block web content inappropriate for younger audiences.  After two more readings, it goes to Russian president Vladimir Putin for his signature.  The bill, designed to protect minors from the influence of "sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism," is part of a growing national trend towards promoting traditional Russian values over Western liberalism.

U. S. Government Extends Federal Benefits to Homosexuals in Military
The U. S. government announced last week that it was extending a number of federal benefits to homosexuals in the military, the Christian News Network reports.  The announcement was made by outgoing Department of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who stated that he would like to see the accommodations implemented by October 1, if not before.  among the 22 total benefits include hospital visitations, military child care and legal services, participation in family groups on base and privileges in commissaries.  Because the federal Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the government from recognizing any other relationship outside of one man and one woman as being in a marriage, certain other benefits could not be extended, including assistance with housing and the provision of healthcare benefits.  DOMA is currently being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to hear an oral argument on the issue next month and rule on the matter in June.

Marco Rubio: Only One Savior, and It's Not Me
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has made many headlines in recent weeks, first for his high-profile efforts to pass an immigration overhaul, then for his selection as the Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech.  Though the next presidential election is still years away, Rubio is already being seen as a potential GOP frontrunner for the nomination.  But after a new TIME magazine cover story dubbed him "The Republican Savior," Rubio took to Twitter for his response, the Wall Street Journal reports. Rubio tweeted Feb. 7: There is only one savior, and it is not me. # Jesus."

CDC: Teen Births Hit Record Lows in 2011
The number of U.S. babies born to teen mothers dropped to record lows in 2011, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jim Liebelt reports.  Fewer women gave birth in their 20s as well than in prior years, the researchers said in findings published in Pediatrics  -  but the birth rate increased for those in their late 30s and early 40s.  The new data showed an 8-percent drop in teen births between 2010 and 2011, with just over 3 percent of 15-to 19-year-olds having babies during that period. CDC statistician Brady Hamilton, lead author of the report and his colleagues calculated that 3l6 million more babies would have been born to women in that age group over the last two decades had the teen birth rate not been falling since a peak in 1991.  Hamilton said the decline in teen births, in particular, is especially welcome news and reflects the efforts of programs and policies targeting that age group.

(Religion Today Daily Headlines, Feb. 14, 18 & 19)