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Quote of the Day. “We have an obligation to help them. They’re our sons. It doesn’t matter if they are here or there.” Javier Avendano, a farmer in Miahuatlán, Mexico, sends money when he can to his two sons — immigrants who wait tables in central Florida and have seen their hours cut back and their tips drop sharply. (New York Times)

G.M. Loss. G.M., Citing Progress, Reports Loss of $1.15 Billion “G.M. said it had $42.6 billion on hand at the end of September and would begin repaying loans to the U.S. and Canadian governments more than five years.”

Health-Care Reform. Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform “Critics say the industry is trying to establish a higher price base before Congress passes legislation that tries to curb drug spending in coming years.” Opponents of health-care effort look to fund a critical economic study “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an assortment of national business groups opposed to President Obama’s health-care reform effort are collecting money to finance an economic study that could be used to portray the legislation as a job killer and threat to the nation’s economy, according to an e-mail solicitation from a top Chamber official.” Immigration looms as sticking point in health-care legislation “The 31-year-old woman creeping gingerly into Adventist HealthCare’s free-standing emergency department in Germantown was obviously in pain, and physician Orlee Panitch quickly diagnosed the problem: gallstones.” House health bill includes Medicaid relief for states “Wedged in the House health-care bill is $23.5 billion that looks a lot more like new federal stimulus spending than anything to do with national health-care reform.”

Pakistan. U.S. Asks More From Pakistan in War “The Obama administration warned Pakistan that failing to expand its fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda would undercut the new strategy and troop increase for Afghanistan.” Pakistan’s Zardari criticized over U.S. alliance, insurgency and shortages “President Asif Ali Zardari, who entered office 14 months ago on a wave of post-dictatorship goodwill and sympathy for his slain wife, Benazir Bhutto, now faces growing public anger and disillusionment over his remote presidency.”

Obama in China. Obama Pushes Rights With Chinese Students “At a town hall meeting, President Obama’s answers stood out as a stark snapshot of a his efforts to reach China’s youth while not offending its authorities.” China Is Sending More Students to U.S. “American universities are enrolling a new wave of Chinese undergraduates, according to the annual Open Doors report.” Obama reaches out to China in first visit “President Obama met a carefully screened audience of Chinese students in a town hall-style meeting on Monday, telling them that relations between the United States and China have often faced ‘tumultuous winds,’ but that the two countries have developed ‘deep and even dramatic ties.’"

CIT Group. CIT’s bankruptcy raises new questions about bailout “A year ago, the financial system was tottering and government officials arranged a $2.3 billion emergency cash infusion into CIT Group, a troubled lender to small businesses.”

Iraq. Thirteen Bodies Found Near Baghdad “Gunmen killed at least 13 people in a Sunni village west of Baghdad, dumping their bullet-riddled bodies in a cemetery, Iraqi security officials said Monday.”

Genetic Testing. Law Seeks to Ban Misuse of Genetic Testing “The law would prohibit the use of genetic information in hiring decisions or in determining coverage.”

Kevin Rudd. Australian Leader Apologizes for Child Migrants “Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued an apology for child migrant programs that forcibly brought an estimated 150,000 British youngsters to the Commonwealth.”

U.N. Food Summit. Countries Agree on New Approach to Fight Hunger “World leaders at a food summit in Rome on Monday agreed on a new strategy to fight hunger, and pledged an increase to aid but did not meet levels sought by the U.N.” World leaders at UN summit vow to aid farmers in bid to help starving “World leaders at a United Nations food summit in Rome today agreed a strategy to help the world’s one billion starving people by increasing aid to farmers in developing countries – but failed to pledge the specific funds the UN had hoped for.”

Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, Opposition Sees an End Run “President Daniel Ortega has been among the most calculated in the region in stymieing opposition to his bid to maintain power.”

Germany. Social Democrats in Germany Strive to Rebound From Election Pummeling “Fighting for its survival after its worst ever election result, Germany’s opposition party adopted a wealth tax as it sought to recapture left-wing voters.”

Patriarch Pavle. Patriarch Pavle, Serbian Church Leader, Dies at 95 “Patriarch Pavle called for peace and conciliation during the Balkan ethnic wars of the 1990s but failed to openly condemn extreme Serb nationalism.” Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle dies “Patriarch Pavle, who headed the Serbian Orthodox Church during the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s as Serbs warred with neighbors of other faiths, died on Sunday, a top church official said.”

Afghanistan. French and Afghan troops move to begin supply road in hostile area “Hundreds of French and Afghan troops on Sunday pushed into a hostile valley in eastern Afghanistan where militants launch quick attacks and then disappear into hillside villages. The mission: Secure the area for a planned bypass road around the Afghan capital to move supplies from neighboring Pakistan.”

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.