A former first lady is breaking with conservatives, and defending President Obama's speech to the nation's school children; an Arizona pastor asks his congregation to join him in praying for the president's demise.  Details are on today's KISS News Now!

• President Barack Obama's back-to-school pep talk to the nation's students airs today from Virginia, but fueled by conservative protesters, some school districts in metro Atlanta and across the country are refusing to show it--or requiring students to bring in signed permission slips to watch it.  President Obama's message on the value of staying in school, earning good grades and developing their talents has been called "socialist indoctrination" by conservatives.
  
  But former first lady Laura Bush (here with the president on Inaguration Day) says Republicans who think their children risk being indoctrinated with socialism by the president should get over themselves.  She defends the president's speech and says parents need to be preaching the same message.
  
  "I think there are a lot of people that should do the same," she tells CNN, "and that is encourage their own children to stay in school, to study hard and to try to achieve the dreams that they have." Read President Obama's speech here.
  
  Mrs. Bush says it's important to respect the president, and that President Obama has been doing a good job under tough circumstances.
  
  "I think he is.  I think he's got, you know, he's got a lot on his plate, and he's tackled a lot to start with, and that's probably made it more difficult.
  
  One loud critic has now changed his mind; though Florida Republican party chair Jim Greer first said he was appalled about Mr. Obama's address, he now says it's a good speech.
  
  
   
• While sometimes religious leaders may disagree with a politician's policies, you usually hear them say they have nothing against them personally.  Not Reverend Steven Anderson of Tempe, Arizona.  Last month, Anderson gave a sermon at Faithful Word Baptist Church which he'd entitled "Why I Hate Barack Obama."
  
  "I hate Barack Obama," said Anderson on August 16.  "You say, 'Well, you just mean you dont like what he stands for.'  No.  I hate the person.  'No, you mean you just don't like his policies.' No.  I hate him!"
  
  Anderson also says that for the good of the nation, he is praying that the president "dies and goes to hell."
  
  "If you want to know how I'd like to see Obama die, I'd like him to die of natural causes," said Anderson last week. "I don't want him to be a martyr, we don't need another holiday.  I'd like to see him die, like Ted Kennedy, of brain cancer."  It was one of Anderson's parishioners, 28-year-old Christopher Broughton, who showed up outside an Obama event in Phoenix carrying an AR-15 semiautomatic assault rifle and a pistol earlier this month.
  
   
• A gang of armed robbers sticks up a Georgia State freshman walking back to his dorm.  Dakota Rogers was heading from MARTA along John Wesley Dobbs when he ran into the five men--one of whom pulled a gun.  While the gunman held the weapon on him, a buddy reached into Rogers pockets to steal his wallet, four bucks in cash and his iPod.   They charged up $300 on his credit cards before he could cancel them.
  
  
• After more than 20 years, Milwaukee Police arrest the so-called Northside Strangler.  Chief Ed Flynn says suspect Walter Ellis has been in custody before, but never had to provide DNA.  Now, DNA from his toothbrush links him to the 9 murders, which date back to 1986.  Cops think eight victims were prostitutes, the other a runaway.
  
  
• The Georgia State Patrol has identified the motorcyclist killed in a Sunday night crash near College Park.  44-year-old John Frederick Freeman of McDonough led troopers on a 21 mile high speed chase until he hit the median wall on I-85 at Old National Highway; he was thrown into traffic.
  
  
• A Gwinnett County policeman is on leave after being busted for a DUI over the long holiday weeekend.  27-year-old James Stoudenmire, a four-year veteran of the force, was charged after a fender-bender early Saturday on Pleasant Hill Road after a night at Wild Bill's.
  
  
• In KISS news about your health: Fulton County offers seasonal flu shots starting today at county health centers for $25 a pop.
  
  
• Shawn Merriman is back at practice with the San Diego Chargers after a 2.5 hour stint in jail.  Merriman was arrested Sunday, accused of choking his girlfriend Tila Tequila when she tried to leave his house. Merriman says she seemed drunk and he was trying to help by keeping her from driving.
  
   
• Today's the day we see Tyra Banks' real hair--in her words, no wigs, no extensions, no nothing.  Her hairdresser will do her hair live on the air to premiere the new season of her talk show.  Tyra says women should be proud of the hair they have.
  
  
• Marietta's Melanie Oudin gets a day off today after making it to the quarterfinals of the US Open.  The 17-year-old had a come-from-behind win Monday over Russia's Nadia Petrova.
  
  
• The KISS 104.1 weather forecast: mostly to partly sunny, high of 86, lows 62-67.