SOAP or file_get_contents of https page fails

[jvanv8]

I have a script that needs to connect via soap to a secure webservice address.
Worked great... until yesterday (server was not rebooted)

Now I get an error:

Request for file (https://[edited out]) was invalid, HTTP code: 0
Couldn't resolve host '[edited out]'

If I try to grab the contents of a page with the php function file_get_contents I get this error:

Warning: file_get_contents() [function.file-get-contents]: 
php_network_getaddresses: getaddrinfo failed: 
Name or service not known in /home/mysite/public_html/test.php on line 9

Warning: file_get_contents(https://any.secure.website.you.want) 
[function.file-get-contents]: failed to open stream: 
Permission denied in /home/mysite/public_html/test.php on line 9

I don't know if this means anything but somewhere else I heard a mention of OpenSSL... I have OpenSSL and it's running:
OpenSSL support enabled
OpenSSL Version OpenSSL 0.9.8b 04 May 2006
PHP version is 5.2.0

Is this a firewall issue?? file_get_contents works fine on non https addresses.
Server is dedicated so I have access to just about everything.

[jvanv8]

This is still a problem.

Actually I discovered that it isn't associated with https sites.
file_get_contents('http://www.yahoo.com');
works but
file_get_contents('http://www.google.com');
does not

very very strange.