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Quote of the Day. “You don’t steal from yourself.”  Ataullah, a farmer in the Jurm Valley of Afghanistan, describing the success of his region’s method of using village councils and direct grants to avoid the corruption that has frustrated so many development efforts. (New York Times)

9/11 Suspect. Key 9/11 Suspect to Be Tried in New York “Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, and four other men accused in the plot will be prosecuted in federal court in New York City, the United States attorney general announced Friday.” Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to Be Sent to New York for Trial "Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and four others accused in the attacks will be put on criminal trial in New York, Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to announce later Friday.”

Afghanistan. Afghan Enclave Seen as Model to Rebuild, and Rebuff Taliban “To avoid the corruption that has frustrated so many development efforts, the people in the Jurm Valley use village councils and direct grants.” Among Obama Aides, Debate Intensifies on Troop Levels “The disclosure that the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan has expressed opposition to deploying more troops lays bare a fierce debate within the Obama administration.”

Euro-Zone. Euro Zone Officially Out of Recession “Even with the rebound, which appeared to be powered by German growth, the region’s outlook remained patchy.” Patchy Euro-Zone Recovery Reflects Imbalances “European economies are showing a two-speed recovery from the 2008-2009 economic recession, with industrial countries in the region’s economic core setting the pace.”

Gregory B. Craig. Craig Steps Down as White House Lawyer “The White House counsel, Gregory B. Craig, has told associates that he intends to step down from his post on Friday.” White House counsel poised to give up post “White House Counsel Gregory B. Craig is expected to announce his departure as early as Friday, people familiar with the situation said, ending an embattled tenure in which he struggled to lead the closure of the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.”

Fort Hood. Scarred, Fort Hood Survivors Move On “Those who lived through the violence at Fort Hood are struggling to live with scars and limps and frayed nerves.” Hasan is charged with 13 counts of murder in Fort Hood shootings “The White House pushed forward Thursday with a review to determine whether U.S. intelligence agencies adequately shared information about Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, and military prosecutors charged the Army psychiatrist with 13 counts of premeditated murder in last week’s rampage at Fort Hood, Tex.”

Obama in Tokyo. In Tokyo, Obama Makes Concession on Marine Base “In an effort to mend fences with Japan, President Obama agreed on Friday to reopen talks on the relocation of the Okinawa base.” Obama, Japan PM quotes at news conference “US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama pledged on Friday to revitalize their strained security alliance as they adapt to a rapidly rising China.”

Pfizer. Pfizer to Leave City That Won Major Land-Use Case “Pfizer said it would pull out of New London, Conn., eight years after its arrival set off a landmark eminent domain battle.”

India. Rural India Gets Chance at Piece of Jobs Boom “Entrepreneurs are experimenting with moving outsourced jobs to corners of India that have been largely cut off from its extraordinary growth.”

Secretary Gates. Gates Condemns Leaks on U.S. Afghan Policy and Ft. Hood “The defense secretary said disclosing unauthorized information would be a career-ender in his department and said: ‘Everybody ought to just shut up.’”

Overdraft Penalties. New Rules Would Restrict Overdraft Fees on Debit Cards “The Federal Reserve will prohibit issuers of debit cards from charging overdraft fees in many instances without the cardholder’s permission.” Fed takes aim at overdraft penalties “The Federal Reserve will begin banning banks from charging many overdraft fees unless customers sign up for the service, an unprecedented move that comes as a wave of consumer reform sweeps Washington.”

Iran. Prosecutors tie Iran, U.S. assets “Federal prosecutors on Thursday moved to seize several U.S. assets allegedly controlled by entities linked to the government of Iran, including a mosque and Islamic school in Potomac, land in Prince William County and a Manhattan skyscraper.”

Palin. With early leak, Sarah Palin’s ‘Going Rogue’ is off and running “The rollout for former Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s highly anticipated and score-settling memoir began Thursday with all the orchestrated stagecraft, wild accusations, inconvenient leaks and media fascination that characterized her campaign as Sen. John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential race.” Rolling Out Sarah Palin’s Side of the Story “The former vice presidential candidate has more to say about the clothes, the pregnancy and her troubles with John McCain’s campaign — including a very big legal bill.”

Swine Flu. New CDC estimates show what toll swine flu is taking in U.S. “About 22 million Americans have become ill with pandemic H1N1 influenza in the past six months and 3,900 have died, according to new estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

Climate Change. U.S. considers backing interim international climate agreement “Less than a month before negotiators will meet in Copenhagen with the lofty goal of crafting a deal to curb global greenhouse gas emissions, the Obama administration is considering endorsing a limited short-term climate pact and deferring more ambitious action until next year.”

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.