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Quote of the Day. “Winning and losing is part of the game. From the time you start playing, you understand that at the end of the season only one can win and it’s not always going to be you. They won. Congratulations.”  Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies on the World Series won by the New York Yankees. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Virginia bishop urges mercy for convicted sniper set to be executed “As Virginia prepared to execute convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad, Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington called for mercy and urged that Muhammad’s sentence be commuted to life in prison without possibility of parole.”

Climate Change Prompts Call for ‘Urgent’ Action Beyond Emissions Cuts “Some of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations have issued a joint statement pressing for urgent action amid changing climate conditions, saying that unless such action is taken, it will not be possible to ensure the food security of the growing world population.”

Burnt Offerings (Lauren Winner, Wall St. Journal) “Last week the joke was ignited—literally, at the Halloween book burning sponsored by Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, N.C. The church’s Web site declared the burning to be ‘a great success.’ Works thrown into the flames included those by supposed heretics Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and emergent church guru Brian McLaren.”

NEWS AT HOME

Rampage kills 12, wounds 31 “The gunshots came out of the blue. An Army psychiatrist, trained to treat soldiers under stress, allegedly opened fire Thursday in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood, Tex.” Suspect Was ‘Mortified’ About Deployment to War “He had also more recently expressed deep concerns about being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. Having counseled scores of returning soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, first at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and more recently at Fort Hood, he knew all too well the terrifying realities of war, said a cousin, Nader Hasan." Fort Hood shooting suspect was to deploy to Iraq soon “He was trained by the military as a psychiatrist to help returning soldiers deal with the mental stress of combat, but by some reports, the horror stories he heard gradually began to change him too.” Fort Hood has felt the strain of repeated deployments "Fort Hood, the Texas military base that was the scene of a mass shooting Thursday, has been hard hit by the growing strain on the Army from multiple combat deployments — with its personnel suffering the highest number of suicides among Army installations since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003."

Health Care. Democrats say House vote on health overhaul set for Sat. could slip to Sun. or next week “A House leader says Democrats haven’t yet lined up enough votes to pass their health care overhaul bill and may push the vote set for Saturday back one day or more.” Abortion, immigration are factors in health-care reform vote “House Democratic leaders were struggling Thursday to contain uprisings on the hot-button issues of abortion and immigration that have left them little margin for error as they attempt to push through a massive health-care reform bill this weekend.” Seniors and doctors give key boost to healthcare bill “With a historic House vote on a $1-trillion healthcare bill barely 48 hours away, battle lines are hardening as lobbying groups for seniors and doctors endorse the legislation, while thousands of protesters swarmed Capitol Hill to oppose it.” House Democrats Seek Allies for Health Care Vote “House Democratic leaders worked furiously on Thursday to secure the final votes for weekend approval of a sweeping health care overhaul as President Obama threw his weight behind the lobbying effort and Republicans dug in against the health plan.”

Unemployment. Unemployment rate jumps to 10.2 percent; highest since 1983 “More than one in 10 members of the American workforce were unable to get a job in October, the Labor Department said Friday, the first time in nearly three decades that the unemployment rate has soared into double digits.” Joblessness passes 10 percent; worst rate in a generation “The good news from the job numbers was that employers shed jobs in October at the slowest pace since near the beginning of the devastating recession that began in December 2007. The bad news offest it, however: the unemployment rate, now at 10.2 percent, is the worst it’s been since 1983."

Climate Change. Democrats Push Climate Bill Through Panel Without G.O.P. Debate  “The move suggested that President Obama and Democratic supporters of the bill will have serious problems assembling the votes needed to enact it when it comes to the Senate floor.” Environmental groups debate new tack in climate-change fight "A curious debate has broken out among American environmental groups, as the Senate balkily starts to focus on the threat of climate change. Is this really the time to talk about the threat of climate change?”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

AIDS Funding. Slowed funding imperils global gains against AIDS, Doctors Without Borders says “Slowed funding from international donors, including the United States, is imperiling recent dramatic gains in treating AIDS patients in the developing world, according to a new report.”

Afghanistan. Obama faces competing demands on Afghanistan strategy “As President Obama struggles over a new military strategy for Afghanistan, his advisors are trying to satisfy sharply divergent demands: assuring Americans that any military buildup will be limited while convincing Pakistan and other wary allies that the U.S. presence is substantial and not about to end.” Brown warns Karzai on corruption “Gordon Brown has told Afghan President Hamid Karzai he will not put UK troops ‘in harm’s way for a government that does not stand up against corruption.’” Afghans killed in rocket attack "An investigation has been launched into the deaths of nine people in a rocket attack in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan." Reviews Raise Doubt on Training of Afghan Forces “A series of internal government reviews have presented the Obama administration with a dire portrait of Afghanistan’s military and police force, bringing into serious question an ambitious goal at the heart of the evolving American war strategy – to speed up their training and send many more Afghans to the fight.”

Iran. Foreign journalists held in Iran crackdown “Three journalists, one of them foreign, were arrested at mass demonstrations in Tehran on Wednesday by a regime determined to suppress all independent sources of information inside Iran.”

Mideast. Israel, U.S. voice concern over Abbas withdrawal “Israeli and American officials expressed concern over Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s announcement on Thursday that he will not be running for reelection in January.” Israeli concern over Abbas move “Several officials suggested that if carried through, the move could hamper efforts to secure Middle East peace.”

Pakistan. Key Pakistan Taliban town ‘falls’ “Pakistani forces have captured the strategically important town of Ladha from the Taliban in ongoing clashes in South Waziristan.”

Honduras. Deal over Honduran crisis ‘dead’ “A deal to resolve the political crisis in Honduras is ‘dead,’ ousted President Manuel Zelaya has said.” Honduras’ Manuel Zelaya says U.S.-backed deal to reinstate him has failed “Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in a military-backed coup four months ago, said today that a U.S.-brokered deal to end his nation’s political crisis has collapsed.”

Kenya. International Prosecutor to Seek Inquiry Into Kenya Violence “Members of the political elite in Kenya, a nation where top leaders have long escaped prosecution for corruption and other crimes, could now face an international investigation into the violence that shook the country after disputed elections last year.” ICC prosecutor plans Kenya probe “Luis Moreno-Ocampo has conducted preliminary investigations since February 2008 on the violence that broke out during the vote-counting process and turned into tribal feuds that resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.”

Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai ends Zimbabwe boycott “Zimbabwe’s prime minister has ended his boycott of the country’s unity cabinet, saying he wants to give the body time to work out its difficulties.” Tsvangirai Calls Off Cabinet-Meetings Boycott “Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe announced at the conclusion of a gathering of southern African leaders late Thursday night that his party had called off its boycott of cabinet meetings with President Robert Mugabe, but it was unclear what Mr. Tsvangirai received in return for backing down.”

OPINION

Obama Faces His Anzio (Paul Krugman, New York Times) “If the Democrats lose badly in the midterms, the talking heads will say that Mr. Obama tried to do too much, this is a center-right nation, and so on. But the truth is that Mr. Obama put his agenda at risk by doing too little. The fateful decision, early this year, to go for economic half-measures may haunt Democrats for years to come.”

Sojourners’ Daily Digest is a compilation of the top news related to our commitments of life and peace, economic and racial justice, and care of creation, with a special focus on news of the engagement of faith in public life.