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Quote of the Day. “Regardless of whether one favors the war or not, if it is to be fought, it ought to be paid for." Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) of the House Appropriations Committee, as he introduced the Share the Sacrifice Act of 2010, which adds a chapter to the Internal Revenue Code titled "Temporary Afghanistan War Surtax." (Washington Post)

NEWS AT HOME

Afghanistan. Obama to send 34,000 troops to Afghanistan “President Obama will outline Tuesday his intention to send an additional 34,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials and diplomatic sources briefed Monday as Obama began informing allies of his plan.” Obama Issues Order for More Troops in Afghanistan “President Obama issued orders to send about 30,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan as he prepared to address the nation Tuesday night to explain what may be one of the most defining decisions of his presidency.” Barack Obama to order 34,000 troops to Afghanistan “President Obama will announce today the deployment of an extra 34,000 American troops to Afghanistan, according to sources briefed since the President issued new orders to his military commanders.” Obama ‘to detail Afghan end-game’ “President Barack Obama is to tell the American people that US troops will start to leave Afghanistan within three years, a senior official has said He will outline the rough withdrawal plan in a speech to the nation,” Added forces will be concentrated in southern Afghanistan “When President Obama outlines his new strategy for Afghanistan tonight, a pivotal element will focus on the country’s south, where an influx of troops will try to secure the Taliban’s spiritual center and seize a major center for bomb-making and drug-trafficking.”

Health Care. No Big Cost Rise in U.S. Premiums Is Seen in Study “The Congressional Budget Office said Monday that the Senate health bill could significantly reduce costs for many people who buy health insurance on their own, and that it would not substantially change premiums for the vast numbers of Americans who receive coverage from large employers.” Senate health bill wouldn’t increase insurance costs for most, CBO says “As the Senate opened debate Monday on a landmark plan to overhaul the nation’s health-care system, congressional budget analysts said the measure would leave premiums unchanged or slightly lower for the vast majority of Americans, contradicting assertions by the insurance industry that the average family’s coverage would rise by thousands of dollars if the proposal became law.”

Food Stamps. Food Stamp Use Soars Across U.S., and Stigma Fades  “With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children.”

Employment Inequity. In Job Hunt, College Degree Can’t Close Racial Gap “But there is ample evidence that racial inequities remain when it comes to employment. Black joblessness has long far outstripped that of whites. And strikingly, the disparity for the first 10 months of this year, as the recession has dragged on, has been even more pronounced for those with college degrees, compared with those without.”

Unemployed Veterans. As unemployment ranks swell, veterans fare worse “The unemployment rate for veterans who left the military during the past three years is 18 percent, nearly twice the national average. The average for all veterans is about 11.6 percent. Even those numbers, however, may not reflect the situation as the economy worsened.”

Debt. Rising debt could derail Congress on just about everything “The Senate began a debate Monday over the future of health care in America that’s likely to go on for weeks, but behind the scenes, lawmakers are struggling to resolve an even more explosive issue: how to pay for all their ideas.”

Death Penalty. Death-row inmate’s military service should have been presented, justices say “The Supreme Court gave hope Monday to a Korean War veteran on Florida’s death row, saying courts should take note of his battlefield bravery and likely post-traumatic stress in weighing whether he deserves to be executed for the murders he later committed.” Justices Say Capital Cases Must Weigh War Trauma “A death penalty lawyer’s failure to present evidence of the trauma his client suffered in combat in the Korean War requires a new sentencing hearing, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Iran. Sanctions urged over nuclear expansion  “Iran faced mounting threats of sanctions yesterday over its plans to expand massively its uranium enrichment programme in defiance of an official rebuke from a rare coalition of world powers.” Are Iran’s nuclear enrichment threats mostly bluster? “One day after announcing plans for 10 new nuclear sites, Iran is sending mixed messages about its membership in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”

South Africa. South Africa vows to treat babies with HIV “All South African babies under the age of one will be treated if they test HIV-positive, President Jacob Zuma has announced in a major policy overhaul.”

Iraq. As U.S. focus turns to Afghanistan, Iraq challenges remain While President Barack Obama prepares to announce that he’s sending tens of thousands more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, his problems in Iraq are far from over. The country’s power struggles among Sunni and Shiite Muslim Arabs and between Arabs and Kurds are unfinished, and whether they will turn violent again remains uncertain.”

India. Amid droughts and failed crops, a cycle of poverty worsens “India has long been plagued by unscrupulous moneylenders who exploit impoverished farmers. But with crops failing more frequently, farmers are left even more desperate and vulnerable.”

Honduras. Manuel Zelaya attacks ‘fraudulent’ Honduras election “Deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya says the election of Porfirio Lobo as the next president has served only to intensify the political crisis.” U.S. and some allies at odds over Honduras presidential election “The United States split with some of its Latin American allies Monday over whether to recognize the results of Honduras’s presidential election, with Washington commending the balloting but Brazil saying the vote will not erase the stain of a coup.”

OPINION

A Tragic Mistake  (Bob Herbert, New York Times) “After going through an extended period of highly ritualized consultations and deliberations, the president has arrived at a decision that never was much in doubt, and that will prove to be a tragic mistake. It was also, for the president, the easier option.”

Clear, Hold and Duct Tape  (David Brooks, New York Times) “My impression, pre-speech, is that Obama has negotiated these constraints in a serious manner, and improved some of his options – for example, by accelerating troop deployments. He has not been enthusiastic about expanding the U.S. role in Afghanistan, but he has not evaded his responsibility as commander in chief, and he’s taking brave political risks.”

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.