The plastic grocery bag is fighting for its crinkly life. From the city of San Francisco to Los Angeles County, more than a dozen local governments around the state have proposed or passed plastic-bag restrictions, ranging from recycling mandates to outright bans. Jim Downing in the Sacramento Bee

Increased premiums for low-income families are expected to put the program out of reach for many. A new Medi-Cal policy is also expected to cut enrollees, further weakening the healthcare system. Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times

Early on a late September morning, if all goes according to plan, 1 million Mormons, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, evangelical Christians, Sikhs and Hindus will open their doors, march down their front walks and plant "Yes on Proposition 8" signs in their yards to show they support repealing same-sex marriage in California. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times

After six years without a state sales-tax hike, Gov. Schwarzenegger is proposing a temporary 1-cent increase. For some, the tax is reasonable, but for others, it could make things rough in an already-tough economy. Modesto Bee

With paperwork in hand, Ashley Sparks set off in search of his newest target – a 2005 Winnebago motor home. Sparks, an adjuster for ABA Recovery Service, found the vehicle on a well-manicured street in Point Loma, surrounded by homes nearing the million-dollar mark. David Hasemyer in the San Diego Union-Trib

Turning 21 is treated as a rite of passage by most Americans. Friends are called to hit a bar, or several, and proceed to get the celebrant smashed. But a growing collection of high-powered academics is challenging the norm – suggesting there is nothing magic about the age 21. Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee

"At the first official event Sunday of the Democratic National Convention, a choir belted out a gospel song and was followed by a rabbi reciting a Torah reading about forgiveness and the future. Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun who wrote Dead Man Walking, assailed the death penalty and the use of torture. Young Muslim women in headscarves sat near older African-American women in their finest Sunday hats. Four years ago, such a scene would have been unthinkable at a Democratic National Convention. In 2004, there was one interfaith lunch at the Democratic gala in Boston. (The) same year, 'values voters' helped re-elect President Bush, giving Democrats of faith the opening they needed to make party leaders listen to them. The result was on display at Sunday's interfaith service, staged in a theater inside the Colorado Convention Center, and will be evident throughout the convention agenda and on the sidelines." Boston Globe

"A lap dancer, a lesbian, and a lapsed Christian with a pregnant girlfriend are among the participants on the U.K.'s newest reality show, Make Me a Christian, where Christian leaders attempt to bring a group of unlikely candidates to the faith. The show's premise is to find out if Christianity can help repair the moral fabric of British society. 'I was pleased at first to hear the producers were trying to make Christianity accessible to people who might not usually watch religious programming,' said Charis Gibson, senior press officer for the Evangelical Alliance. After watching the first two episodes, however, she said, 'I'm starting to think I would prefer spending my Sunday nights being bashed repeatedly in the face with a large, leather-bound King James Version.'" Christianity Today

Skepticism about hell is growing even in evangelical churches and seminaries, says one theologian here, a bastion of conservative evangelicalism. "In a pluralistic, post-modern world, students are having a more difficult time with (the idea of) people going to hell forever because they didn't believe the right thing," says Mike Wittmer, professor of systematic theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. "That's the biggest question out there right now: `Would God send someone to hell if they were someone as good as me, but didn't believe what I believe?"' It was easier to believe in hell 20 years ago when missionaries tried to convert people in far-flung places, Wittmer says. In today's global village, many live next to good, non-Christian neighbors and wonder why an all-powerful, loving God wouldn't eventually empty out hell, Wittmer says. "I've noticed in the last five years how that view is making inroads even in conservative churches, whereas five years ago it wasn't even uttered or discussed," he adds. Crosswalk

Some are, due to their new release for homosexual marriages. Most states don't recognize gay marriage, but now Hallmark does. The nation's largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards, featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside. "Two hearts. One promise," one says. Washington Times

Of course John McCain is rich. So is Barack Obama. So are Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Mitt Romney and just about every presidential candidate these days. It doesn't take one rich family to run a country. It takes an oligarchy. McCain's seven houses, Obama's book deals and even Edwards's haircuts tell us plenty about the lifestyles of the rich and politically famous. But what does the personal wealth of candidates tell us about their faith, and in particular their Christian beliefs? And why aren't they being asked those questions? The gospels are filled with the words of Jesus admonishing the rich to take less and give more, trying to get the rich to see that it's not what they have but what they do for others with what they have that matters. Can you call yourself a Christian and spend millions on yourself? Washington Times

Regular church attendance may boost a student's GPA, according to a new study. Students who attend religious services weekly average a GPA of 0.144 higher than those who never attend services, said Jennifer Glanville, a sociologist in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Despite the positive link between church attendance and academic success, the study surprisingly found the importance of religion to teens had "very little impact" on their educational outcomes, Glanville noted, according to the University of Iowa News Services. The study had looked at whether the teens said religion was important to them. "That suggests that the act of attending church - the structure and the social aspects associated with it - could be more important to educational outcomes than the actual religion," the sociologist suggested. Christian Post