Military service is compulsory for most Israelis, but the exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is a highly charged issue. The national debate may soon come to a head as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to form a government with parties on both sides of the issue.

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Military service is compulsory for most Israelis, but the exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is a highly charged issue. The national debate may soon come to a head as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to form a government with parties on both sides of the issue.

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The Boy Scouts of America may drop its ban against gay members and leaders, just a dozen years after winning the right to maintain the policy at the U.S. Supreme Court. A lawyer who has written extensively about gay Americans, discrimination and the Scouts discusses what might be going on.

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The Boy Scouts are set to let local troops decide on rules for admitting gay members and leaders, a policy similar to its approach to racial integration that many find unsatisfactory.

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Local police and other community members are warning residents to beware of a phone scam that’s targeted several elderly residents in Petersburg this past year. The caller typically claims to be a grandchild in dire trouble and in need of money. There are some variations on the theme, but as Matt Lichtenstein reports, the scam has been around for a while.
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“My call came from supposedly my grandson who had left and gone to LA for somebody’s wedding is what he said,” Petersburg resident Jeanie Norheim received one of the scam phone calls this summer, “And he said he had this car he was driving, it was a rental, and the airbags blew up in his face and he’s got a broken nose, no teeth, and he could hardly talk decent and so he needed nine thousand dollars to get out of jail and start getting some lawyer help”

When Norheim asked why he didn’t contact his parents, the scammer said he didn’t want them to know about it and urged her not to call them. When she said she didn’t have the money, he asked to talk to her husband, Roald.

“He said, well, let me talk to grandpa. And right then I knew it was not my grandson, because they have never called Roald ‘grandpa’. It has always been ‘Papa’. I said ‘you don’t even sound like my grandson.’ So, I gave the phone to Roald and he told him the same thing and the guy slammed the phone down in his ear when he told him to go jump in the lake. So, that was our experience,” Norheim said.

Norheim said several of her friends got the same phone call. Local police have received reports about the scam but have no leads in the case. They urge residents not give out personal information and to contact the police department. There were reports of similar calls to Juneau residents a year ago.

Nationwide, the FBI says it’s gotten complaints about the so-called “Grandparent Scam” since 2008. There are a number of variations. Sometimes the caller pretends to be another relative or a friend of the relative, their attorney or even an arresting officer or a doctor. But they all prey on a a senior’s urgent concern for a loved-one.

According to Anchorage-based FBI Agent Eric Gonzolez, the scammers can be very convincing, “So people just need to be aware of the scam. When you get a call like this, just hang up. If, for some reason, you may even think it’s believable, call a family member to verify it. But, 99 percent of the time it’s going to be a scheme. Just hang up,” he said.

In addition to contacting local police, you can report such calls to the FBI’s internet crime complaint center. The website includes a variety of statistics and reports about phone and internet scams. The address is ic3.gov

There was a shooting in a West Anchorage apartment Tuesday afternoon. Police say the victim was seriously injured and knew the suspect, who is still being sought. They say there were several other people in the apartment at the time – no identities released yet. Officers say the place was full of bear spray when they arrived, but were not yet ready to say why.

John Minge will leave his Alaska job and move up to become the Chairman and President of BP America in a couple of weeks. Minge has headed BP’s Alaska operations since 2009. He will replace Lamar McKay, who is moving up to head the oil giant’s Upstream operations worldwide.

Minge’s Alaska post will be taken by his Vice President, Janet Weiss.

A tornado touched ground near Adairsville, Ga., leaving major structural damage and at least one death. The severe weather will continue to move east, affecting areas from New York to Pensacola.

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Rubio's push on immigration overhaul is getting him all kinds of attention. But some of it, he probably would be just as happy without.

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I headed down to Homer, Alaska for the day in hopes to score some surf. Unfortunately the wind was howling and the shore break was a sloppy mess. I spent the day instead playing with my slider track for my camera.

Once the sun started going down, I got a call from Mike McCune. He told me he might know where some waves are. He took me to a local secret spot off the beaten path but only a short hike down from the road.

I was astounded of the beauty in this little gem. I will most definitely be returning for some extended adventure time. The waves were picking up and we had about 30-45 min of good light before the session was over. Mike is a GURU surfer so it doesn’t take much for him to get warmed up. A few rides till sun went down and then it was back home to anchorage. Good day in Alaska!

Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky 45 counts of sexual abuse of minors. The judge affirmed a 30 to 60 year sentence.

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With two new phones and a new operating system, the once mobile leader moved more along the lines of its contemporary rivals. The question now is whether it is too little, too late.

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The dish that got its start in France and gained its popularity in America is dying out in its namesake city. Ukrainian chefs say only they make the real deal and are trying to save chicken Kiev, even as urban dwellers turn to exotic foreign cuisine like pizza.

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After years of false starts, national leaders finally seem ready to overhaul the nation's immigration system. A group of bipartisan senators released a new immigration proposal this week and President Obama seemed to endorse it. Guest host Celeste Headlee asks a former immigration official, does the proposal offer real solutions?

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Singer Ella Jenkins has been entertaining and educating children for more than 50 years. She's been dubbed the 'First Lady of Children's Music' and was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Host Michel Martin speaks with Ella Jenkins about her career and new album Get Moving with Ella Jenkins.

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