From the Wire

Tuition continues to rise: For the second year in a row, tuition at America’s public universities rose to record setting heights, according to a national survey released Monday by the College Board. Tuition rose an average of 10.5 percent for the 2004-2005 fiscal school year, becoming the second largest increase in more than a decade, with last years increase of 13 percent being the highest. Private universities increased six percent as well. The increases at private universities are among the highest in a decade. Of the 2,700 colleges surveyed, factors for the increases included shrinking endowments, big increases in health insurance costs for campus employees and higher education spending by states. The survey found that, although financial aid is increasing as well, financial grants may not be able to keep up with them. College Board analyzers have stated that the increases in financial aid have gone largely to upper-income families.

Relief agency official kidnapped in Iraq: Margaret Hassan, the British-born director of International Care in Iraq who holds dual nationality in Britain and Iraq, was kidnapped as she drove to work on Tuesday in Baghdad. Soon afterwards, a televised videotape was released by her abductors and given to Al Jazeera, the Arabic-language television network. The station declared that responsibility was claimed by an unknown group and that it was unclear if any demands were made. The whereabouts of Hassan are unknown as well. Hassan has lived in Iraq for over 30 years, 25 of which were spent in humanitarian relief and 12 working for International Care. The latest movement of abductions has focused on foreign nationals such as aid workers, contractors and journalists. It is not known if Hassan was kidnapped for a ransom or in a movement to expel foreign forces.

Episcopal Church rebuked for views: The Episcopal Church USA was rebuked on Monday by an Anglican Church commission for ordaining a gay bishop in N.H. as well as sanctioning same-sex marriages. The commission has requested that the three dozen bishops who consecrated V. Gene Robinson, the gay bishop, to withdraw until they offer an apology. The Episcopal Church was asked to apologize for causing division in the Anglican Communion, the second-largest church body in the world with over 77 million members worldwide. The commission has also called for the Episcopal Church to refrain from sanctioning same-sex marriages or be in danger of being removed from the Communion. Bishop Robinson was not asked to resign from his position, a move that delighted liberals and angered conservatives. The commission convened over a year ago to help heal the growing schism in the church.