Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »

Economic hard times. Tent cities filling up with casualties of the economy “Marshall is among a growing number of the economic homeless, a term for those newly displaced by layoffs, foreclosures or other financial troubles caused by the recession.” More Middle-Class New Yorkers Face Eviction “Lawyers, judges and tenant advocates say the staggering economy has sent an increasing number of middle-class renters across New York City to the brink of eviction, straining the legal and financial services of city agencies and charities.” Recession hits hard in families headed by women “More than 1 million women who are heads of family households, a category in which the majority are single moms, were unemployed in March, straining budgets that were, in many cases, already tight and affecting children across the country.”

Immigration. Court Bars Identity-Theft Law as Tool in Immigration Cases “The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a favorite tool of prosecutors in immigration cases, ruling unanimously that a federal identity-theft law may not be used against many illegal workers who used false Social Security numbers to get jobs.” Supreme Court limits identity theft law “The Supreme Court on Monday took away one of the government’s tools for prosecuting and deporting workers in this country illegally, ruling that the crime of identity theft was limited to those who knew they were using another person’s Social Security number.”

Death penalty. Death Penalty Repeal Fails in Colorado “An effort to repeal Colorado’s death penalty law stumbled Monday in the State Senate after two hours of sometimes anguished and angry debate, leaving the bill in limbo and supporters scrambling to find votes as the end of the session looms this week.”

Flu. With flu fizzling, health experts rethink school closures “With more data suggesting the swine flu outbreak may not be as deadly as first feared, U.S. health officials are reconsidering their earlier advice on when schools should be closed over health concerns about the virus.” Mexican officials lower flu alert level “Amid signs that the H1N1 influenza outbreak in Mexico is waning, health authorities there said Monday that they were lowering the alert level and would begin allowing nonessential businesses to reopen, starting with restaurants Wednesday. Museums, churches and libraries can open a day later.” Poverty, Tendency to Self-Medicate Help Drive Up Flu Deaths in Mexico “…a critical factor, according to specialists here, is that flu victims have delayed checking into hospitals until their condition has deteriorated so much they cannot be saved. While medicines are plentiful and cheap at Mexican pharmacies, swine flu antiviral medication was often not available or prohibitively expensive.”

Pakistan. Porous Border With Pakistan Could Hinder U.S. Troops “But if Taliban strategists have their way, those forces will face a stiff challenge, not least because of one distinct Taliban advantage: the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan barely exists for the Taliban, who are counting on the fact that American forces cannot reach them in their sanctuaries in Pakistan.” The Taliban Tightens Hold In Pakistan’s Swat Region “Taliban forces tightened their grip on Pakistan’s Swat region Monday and continued resisting the military’s efforts to dislodge them from neighboring Buner, bringing a fragile peace accord closer to collapse and the volatile northwest region nearer to full-fledged conflict.” Pakistanis told to flee Swat valley “A senior Pakistani government official has urged residents of the Swat valley to flee the troubled region in the northwest where a peace deal with Taliban appears to be crumbling amid intense fighting.”

Afghanistan. Mullen Says Afghan War Is U.S. Military’s Top Priority “Afghanistan is now the U.S. military’s top priority for assigning troops, equipment and other resources, the nation’s most senior military officer said for the first time yesterday.”

Israel-Palestine. Obama gets tougher with Israel on Palestinians, Iran “As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington May 17 approaches, the United States is sending strong messages on the establishment of a Palestinian state and Israeli settlement activity.” Addressing U.S., Hamas Says It Grounded Rockets “He also reached out in a limited way to the Obama administration and others in the West, saying the movement was seeking a state only in the areas Israel won in 1967.” Netanyahu moots ‘fresh’ approach “Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says he is willing to resume peace talks with the Palestinians without delay or conditions.”

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe activists jailed again “Zimbabwe human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko has been ordered back to jail for plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe, her lawyer said.”

Iraq. Iraq: No extension of U.S. pullback date from cities “Iraq will not extend the June 30 deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from urban areas despite concerns about a resurgence of violence in recent weeks, a spokesman said Monday.”