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Quote of the Day. “Like polar bears, these high-elevation butterflies were already living in extreme environments, and now they don’t have any options … Their environment is changing so quickly that they just can’t cope.”  Matthew Forister, a biologist at the University of Nevada-Reno who led a study of beleaguered butterflies in California. (USA Today)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

American Baptist group charged with child kidnapping in Haiti “Ten American Baptists who said they wanted to save orphans after Haiti’s earthquake were charged with child kidnapping Thursday in a case that has raised fears about the trafficking of minors.” Haiti Charges Americans With Child Abduction “Ten Americans who tried to take 33 Haitian children out of the country last week without the government’s consent have been charged with child abduction and criminal conspiracy, as Haitian officials sought to reassert judicial control after the Jan. 12 earthquake.”

Obama, Clinton at prayer breakfast denounce Ugandan anti-gay proposal “President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used the occasion of the National Prayer Breakfast Feb. 4 to denounce a draconian proposed anti-homosexuality law in Uganda — even though the event’s organizers have been closely associated with the Ugandan leaders pushing the bill.”

World’s oldest monastery restored “Egypt completes the restoration of Saint Anthony’s, reputedly the world’s oldest Christian monastery.”

NEWS AT HOME

Unemployment. 20,000 Jobs Lost in January as Jobless Rate Falls to 9.7% “The United States economy shed 20,000 jobs in January, the government said Friday, deepening concern that relief from the deepest economic downturn in a generation would be slow to come. But even as the economy struggled to start creating jobs again, the unemployment rate fell to 9.7 percent from 10 percent in December.” U.S. Slashes 20,000 From Payrolls; Jobless Rate Falls to 9.7% “The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly declined in January, but the economy continued to shed jobs and revisions painted a bleaker picture for 2009, casting doubt over the labor market’s strength.”

Job Creation. Senate Democrats unveil job-creation package “Eager to show Americans that they are focused on reversing widespread unemployment, Senate Democrats on Thursday unveiled a package of legislation dedicated to spurring job growth.” Senate Dems to tackle joblessness with series of bills “After a year in which they wrestled with massive proposals to stimulate the economy and revamp health care, Democrats in Congress appear to be taking a new approach in 2010: Smaller is better.”

Banking Reform. Dodd Denounces Pace of Banking Overhaul “For months, Mr. Dodd has been leading closed-door negotiations over a bill to overhaul the nation’s financial regulations, and on Thursday he expressed dismay at how long the process was taking.”

Bank of America Charged with Fraud. N.Y. Attorney General Cuomo charges Bank of America with fraud “New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo filed fraud charges Thursday against Bank of America and two of its former top executives, alleging that they lied not only to investors but also to government officials who were orchestrating a massive bailout of the bank in the final months of 2008.” Cuomo Sues Bank of America, Even as It Settles With S.E.C. “The legal drama surrounding the controversial takeover of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, one of the pivotal moments of the financial crisis, took a fresh turn on Thursday as the attorney general of New York leveled civil fraud charges against Kenneth D. Lewis, the former Bank of America chief who masterminded the deal.” US bank bosses charged with fraud “Bank of America and two of its former bosses have been charged with fraud for allegedly misleading shareholders during the takeover of Merrill Lynch.”

Tea Party Convention. Tea Party convention begins in Nashville “The grass-roots movement that exploded across the nation last year in revolt against President Obama’s economic policies and health-care agenda reached a critical milestone Thursday as hundreds of conservative activists converged here for the start of the inaugural National Tea Party Convention.” Squabbling threatens to ice ‘Tea Party’ momentum Most political conventions are designed to showcase party unity, but the National Tea Party convention where Sarah Palin is to speak Saturday is sending a very different message. The squabbles that erupted over this weekend’s Nashville gathering reflect larger challenges facing a hot political phenomenon.” US Tea Party ‘revolution’ threatened by discord “As 600 delegates arrived last night for the two-day convention, with a speech by Sarah Palin tomorrow evening as its keynote event, the anti-establishment revolution was beset by internecine battles.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Haiti. Volunteers Fly Supplies Into Hard-to-Reach Areas “The flights, by volunteer pilots flying mostly at their own expense, are part of an unconventional relief mission to get supplies to some of Haiti’s most remote areas.” In Haiti, U.S. has chance to improve image in Latin America “Since last month’s earthquake, this country has been deluged with American assistance. An estimated 6,500 troops are here, along with scores of U.S.-based nonprofit groups. Medics treat the wounded, and soldiers provide security for food deliveries.”

Bombings-Pakistan & Iraq. Karachi bomb blasts leave many dead “Two bomb blasts in the Pakistani city of Karachi, apparently targeting Shia Muslims marking a religious ceremony, have killed at least 22 people.” Deadly blast in Iraq’s Karbala city “At least 27 people have been killed and more than 75 others wounded after two explosions in the Iraqi city of Karbala as hundreds of thousands of Shia pilgrims observed a major religious rite.”

Obama & Dalai Lama. Obama to meet Dalai Lama “The sudden deterioration in US-Chinese relations is set to accelerate after the White House confirmed today that Barack Obama will meet the Dalai Lama in Washington later this month in defiance of Beijing.”

Afghanistan. Top U.S. Commander Sees Progress in Afghanistan “The senior commander of American and allied forces in Afghanistan offered a guarded but unexpectedly upbeat assessment of the war effort on Thursday, saying that while the situation remained dangerous it was no longer deteriorating, and that the stage was set for ‘real progress.’” Gen. McChrystal says conditions in Afghanistan war are no longer deteriorating “The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, whose gloomy assessment of the war last summer prompted the White House to boost troop levels, said Thursday that conditions are no longer deteriorating and predicted further improvements this year.” U.S. commanders in Afghanistan face tougher discipline for battlefield failures “The U.S. military has reprimanded an unusually large number of commanders for battlefield failures in Afghanistan in recent weeks, reflecting a new push by the top brass to hold commanders responsible for major incidents in which troops are killed or wounded, said senior military officials.”

Iraq. Election Panel Puts Off Start of Iraq Parliament Races “Iraq’s independent elections commission announced Thursday that the parliamentary elections campaign, scheduled to start Sunday, would be postponed for five days, as confusion reigned over an appeals court decision that overturned a ban on hundreds of candidates.” Iraq elections may be turning point — backwards “Iraq’s elections next month are a major fork in the road of the country’s post-election development. One way leads towards increasing stability and political freedom; the other marks the route back to sectarianism and violence.”

OPINION

Hunger: Food stamps exist for a reason (Editorial, Boston Globe) “As the lines get longer at food banks from coast to coast, it’s vital to ensure that American families get the nutrition they need even if they’ve fallen on hard times. Charities cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. Nonprofits and public officials alike should encourage those who are eligible for federal food stamps to sign up and use them.”

Backing down on climate change (Editorial, Los Angeles Times) “If changes in the public mood and the party alignment of the U.S. Senate have stalled healthcare legislation, they may have thrown the highly anticipated climate bill under a bus.”

Fiscal Scare Tactics (Paul Krugman, New York Times) “These days it’s hard to pick up a newspaper or turn on a news program without encountering stern warnings about the federal budget deficit. The deficit threatens economic recovery, we’re told; it puts American economic stability at risk; it will undermine our influence in the world. These claims generally aren’t stated as opinions, as views held by some analysts but disputed by others. Instead, they’re reported as if they were facts, plain and simple. Yet they aren’t facts.”

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Quote of the Day. “No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.” Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

At National Prayer Breakfast, Obama warns against ‘erosion of civility’ “President Obama bemoaned the ‘erosion of civility’ in the nation’s political debate Thursday, telling an audience at the National Prayer Breakfast that there is a growing sense that ’something is broken’ in Washington.” National Prayer Breakfast Draws Controversy “The objections are focused on the sponsor of the breakfast, a secretive evangelical Christian network called The Fellowship, also known as The Family, and accusations that it has ties to legislation in Uganda that calls for the imprisonment and execution of homosexuals.”

Obama’s spirituality is largely private, but it’s influential, advisers say “Yet close advisers to the president said the role of faith, while subtle, has been noticeable in and around the Obama White House. One senior official described the president as ‘a prayerful guy.’”

Haitian Bishop Warns Against ‘Militarization’ of U.S. Aid “A Haitian Catholic bishop said the United States ‘can do much more’ to help his earthquake-stricken country, and warned against an ‘excessive militarization’ of American relief efforts.”

NEWS AT HOME

Health Care. Obama suggests Republicans could have a role in health-care bill “President Obama urged congressional Democrats on Wednesday ‘to finish the job on health care,’ but amid tentative signs of bipartisan outreach on Capitol Hill, he suggested that Republicans could be enlisted to play at least some role in negotiating a final bill.” Health Official Can’t Guarantee Openness in Talks “Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, told Congress on Wednesday that she could not guarantee greater openness in negotiations over legislation to remake the nation’s health care system.” Soaring cost of healthcare sets a record “In a stark reminder of growing costs, the government has released a new estimate that healthcare spending grew to a record 17.3% of the U.S. economy last year, marking the largest one-year jump in its share of the economy since the government started keeping such records half a century ago.”

Community Development. Treasury offers loans to banks funding community development “The Treasury Department said Wednesday that it will offer up to $1 billion in low-cost loans to banks that focus on funding development in lower-income communities, part of the administration’s new emphasis on helping smaller banks.”

New Conservative Thinktank. G.O.P. Group to Promote Conservative Ideas “A group of prominent Republicans is forming an organization to develop and market conservative ideas, copying a successful Democratic model and hoping to capitalize on the fund-raising and electioneering possibilities opened up by a recent Supreme Court ruling.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Haiti. 2 U.S. centers open to treat badly injured Haitian evacuees “After a five-day suspension of medical evacuation flights from Haiti that threw the fates of hundreds of gravely injured earthquake victims into doubt, new Federal Coordinating Centers are now open for business at airports in this city and in Atlanta.” Americans questioned over Haiti children “Five of the American Baptists arrested while attempting to take a busload of Haitian children out of the country were questioned in Port-au-Prince yesterday, as the authorities decided whether to charge them with child-trafficking.” Haiti: black market in food aid emerges “Blocks from where US and UN soldiers distribute sacks of rice to Haitian women in earthquake-shattered Port-au-Prince, street vendors are openly selling rice by the cup from bags stamped with US flags.” Rebuilding Effort in Haiti Turns Away From Tents “Shifting tactics in the race to shelter an estimated one million Haitians displaced by the earthquake, aid groups on Wednesday began to de-emphasize tents in favor of do-it-yourself housing with tarpaulins at first, followed by lumber.”

Pakistan. Soldier Deaths Draw Focus to U.S. in Pakistan “The deaths of three American soldiers in a Taliban suicide attack on Wednesday lifted the veil on United States military assistance to Pakistan that the authorities here would like to keep quiet and the Americans, as the donors, chafe at not receiving credit for.”

Afghanistan. Military Officials Say Afghan Fight Is Coming “NATO and the Afghan military are about to launch their biggest joint offensive of the war, and they appear to be making sure the Taliban know they are coming.” Nato readies for assault on Taliban “Thousands of Nato and Afghan troops are gearing up to launch a massive offensive in southern Afghanistan — the largest the country has seen since the 2001 US-led invasion.” Karzai’s Taliban reconciliation strategy raises ethnic, rights concerns at home “Political resistance is building in Afghanistan to President Hamid Karzai’s two-track plan to end the war by negotiating with Taliban leaders while enticing their foot soldiers with the promise of jobs and development projects.”

Israel-Palestine. PM: Peace talks could resume in weeks “‘I have reason to hope, realistically, that in the next few weeks we will renew the peace process with the Palestinians, without preconditions,’ Netanyahu said. ‘I have been saying now for a long time that among the international community there is recognition that Israel wants and is prepared to renew the diplomatic process.’” Israel: Peace talks to resume soon “The Israeli prime minister has said he expects peace talks with the Palestinians, which have been stalled for more than a year, to resume in the coming weeks.”

Iran. Iran Opposition Leaders Urge Rally on Anniversary “Throwing up a challenge to the increasingly violent tactics of Iran’s ruling elite, the country’s two leading opposition figures are urging protesters to defy the government and take to the streets in an antigovernment rally on Feb. 11.” China warning over Iran sanctions “China has said talks of fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme would ‘complicate the situation’ and could derail diplomatic efforts.”

Colombia. Colombian Paramilitaries’ Successors Called a Threat “Criminal armies that emerged from the ashes of the Colombian government’s attempt to disband paramilitary groups are spreading their reach across the country’s economy while engaging in a broad range of rights abuses, including massacres, rapes and forced displacement.”

Poverty & Health. Poor nations face cancer burden “The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that around one-third of cancer deaths are preventable, through education programmes, better detection and treatment. As a result, the disease hits hardest in developing countries, where such programmes are rudimentary, if they exist at all.”

OPINION

The Defense Budget (Editorial, New York Times) “Congress now gets to poke, prod and, we hope, seriously debate the budget and the defense review. It must start with another post-cold-war notion: The country cannot afford to write the Pentagon a blank check. And that means that Congress will have to spend less time listening to defense lobbyists and more time thinking about the country’s real strategic needs.”

The death penalty — it’s unworkable (Michael Traynor, president emeritus of the American Law Institute, Los Angeles Times) “The withdrawal of the model death penalty statute recognizes that it is impossible to administer the death penalty consistently and fairly, and it therefore should not remain a punishment option in this country. The institute could no longer play a role in legitimizing a failed system. How much longer can any of us?”

The message is clear: Israel must not strike Iran (Gideon Levy, Haaretz) “In the sea of brainwashing, intimidation and cliches surrounding us, it’s sometimes worthwhile to listen to a voice from the outside, a voice no less proficient than the Israeli “experts” on security matters and Iran. The voice of reason. Such was the voice of the senior European diplomat who had served as an ambassador in Tehran for about five years and was visiting Israel this week.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “It doesn’t seem right that I can rent a place somewhere for half of what I’m paying. I told my bank, ‘Just take a little bite out of what I owe. That would ease me up. Isn’t that why the president gave you all this money?’”Joe Figliola, Elgin, IL, one of millions of Americans  whose home’s value is below 75 percent of the mortgage balance, and like many others, is considering walking away from the mortgage. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Religious leaders worry that Obama’s faith council is for show “A year ago, President Obama thrilled many religious Americans and worried some secular supporters by announcing that he would not only keep the faith-based infrastructure President Bush had constructed across the government but would expand it, adding a marquee council of faith leaders to advise him.”

Churches win fight over discrimination “Ms Harman, the Equalities Minister, has been engaged in a long dispute with churches and religious organisations over their exemption from anti-discrimination employment law, and how it affects ‘non-religious’ posts.”

Mass graves may have lasting spiritual impact in Haiti “For survivors of the earthquake in Haiti, one horror may linger a lifetime: Many will never know for certain if  or where – their loved ones are buried in the mass graves around Port-au-Prince.”

Idaho church defends members jailed in Haiti “At Central Valley Baptist Church here, officials strongly dispute the suggestion that members of their congregation were engaged in human trafficking.”

Gay groups pressure Obama over prayer breakfast “Progressive religious leaders today, Feb. 2, unveiled plans to hold a multi-city event to protest Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast because of its sponsor’s alleged ties to an anti-gay bill in Uganda.”

Opinion: Christian witness in a paralyzed democracy (David Gushee, Associated Baptist Press) “For those who care about the current state of American democracy, last week was both fascinating and deeply troubling. For Christians who seek to contribute to ‘the peace of the city’ in which God has placed us, we have an obligation to do what we can to encourage the healthy functioning of our political institutions before it is too late.”

NEWS AT HOME

Jobs. Obama takes jobs pitch to N.H. “President Obama yesterday pitched his economic plan to a receptive New Hampshire audience, defending his proposals to cut deficits and ease unemployment even as lawmakers back in Washington picked apart his budget blueprint.” Struggling banks need government help, trade group says “The head of a major trade group for community banks said Tuesday that the Obama administration’s $30 billion program to spur small-business lending would not work unless the government offered money to struggling banks alongside stronger ones.” Stumping for Jobs Plan, Obama Pushes Health Bill “President Obama hit the road again Tuesday to promote the new job-creation program he described as his No. 1 priority, but he refused to abandon his embattled health care legislation, vowing to ‘punch it through’ resistance in Congress.”

Gays in the Military. Pentagon supports ending ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law for gays in military “The Pentagon’s top leaders declared Tuesday for the first time that — after decades of opposition and equivocation from the armed forces — they support an end to the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military.” Top Defense Officials Seek to End ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ “The nation’s top two defense officials called Tuesday for an end to the 16-year-old ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law, a major step toward allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the United States military for the first time.”

Financial Reform. Dodd Calls Obama Plan Too Grand “The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee warned on Tuesday that the Obama administration’s new proposals to rein in Wall Street firms ran the risk of derailing months of delicate negotiations over overhauling financial regulations.”
AIG Bonuses. AIG plans to pay $100 million in another round of bonuses “American International Group plans Wednesday to pay another round of employee bonuses, worth about $100 million, said several people familiar with the matter, a year after similar payments at the bailed-out insurance giant infuriated many Americans and inflamed Washington.” A.I.G. Plan for $100 Million Bonus Payout Draws Fire “The American International Group has agreed to cut employee bonuses by $20 million and will distribute about $100 million on Wednesday, according to people with knowledge of the negotiations.”

Climate Change. Obama Retreats From Goal of Cap-Trade Bill “President Barack Obama said for the first time Tuesday that legislation that would require industries to pay for emissions of greenhouse gases might need to be separated from a more popular ‘green jobs” bill in the Senate, a maneuver that could kill what once had been one of the administration’s top policy priorities.”

Terror Attack. Senators Warned of Terrorist Attack on U.S. by July “America’s top intelligence official told lawmakers on Tuesday that Al Qaeda and its affiliates had made it a high priority to attempt a large-scale attack on American soil within the next six months.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Haiti. Chaos Eases in Effort to Help Feed the Hungry in Haiti “Four days into a new food distribution program from the United Nations that aims to repair a faltering aid effort, paper coupons that can be redeemed for 55 pounds of rice have become more valuable than Haitian money.” Children suffering health problems in Port-au-Prince camps “Children are increasingly suffering health problems in Port-au-Prince’s crowded encampments, say international medical workers, who predict the situation will worsen as Haiti continues to reel from the Jan. 12 earthquake.” Haiti: US ramps up ‘cash for work’ to create jobs, help recovery “While relief efforts involving food, water, and health services continue in Haiti, the United States is also ramping up support for ‘cash for work’ programs designed to get Haitians involved in earthquake clean-up, put cash in pockets, and help get Haiti’s private sector moving again.” Rebuilding will mean reversing past failures “Those programs were a small part of the river of foreign aid that has flowed into Haiti in recent decades, even as it has descended further into the depths of poverty and dysfunction.”

US-Russia Nuclear Treaty. U.S., Russia Agree to Nuclear-Arms Accord “U.S. and Russian arms-control negotiators have reached an ‘agreement in principle’ on the first nuclear-arms-reduction treaty in nearly two decades, administration and arms-control officials said Tuesday.”

Pakistan. US soldiers die in Pakistan blast “Three US soldiers were among 10 people killed when a bomb blast hit a convoy near a school in north-west Pakistan. Three schoolgirls were among the dead while 70 people, including another 63 schoolgirls and two US soldiers, were injured in the explosion in Lower Dir.” U.S. Drones Said to Strike Along Border in Pakistan “In another exceptionally heavy barrage, eight American drones fired at least 17 missiles at suspected militants along the border with Afghanistan on Tuesday.” Obama ups Pakistan drone strikes in assassination campaign “News reports said a volley of missile strikes from US drones killed 16 alleged militants in Pakistan on Tuesday. The use of drones to assassinate Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan has soared under President Barack Obama.”

Afghanistan. Marines, Afghan army plan massive assault on Taliban “The U.S. Marines and Afghan army plan a massive assault on Taliban fighters in Marja, the last community under Taliban control in a sprawling, lawless region once dominated by the insurgency.” With Rawest of Recruits, Buildup of Afghan Police Falters “The attempts to build a credible Afghan police force are faltering badly even as officials acknowledge that the force will be a crucial piece of the effort to have Afghans manage their own security so American forces can begin leaving next year.”

Iran. US wary over Iran uranium offer “The US has reacted warily after Iran appeared to accept a deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.” Iran: No problem with nuclear plan “Iran’s president has indicated his country may be ready to ship its uranium abroad for enrichment, in line with a UN-backed proposal.” Nine face execution as Shah anniversary looms “Nine more Iranian dissidents are to be executed soon, a senior member of the country’s judiciary declared yesterday as the regime stepped up its efforts to deter another huge opposition rally planned for next week.”

Darfur-Sudan. Bashir genocide charge under review “An appeals chamber at the International Criminal Court has ordered the court to reconsider its decision to omit genocide from an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s president.” Sudan president may be charged with Darfur genocide “The president of Sudan may be charged with genocide, in addition to a string of charges covering murder, extermination, torture and rape in Darfur, after a ruling today at the international criminal court in the Hague.”

Israel-Palestine. Palestinian premier speaks at Israeli conference “Before Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad stepped on stage here Tuesday before a gathering of Israeli intellectuals and policymakers, he had already been likened to Israel’s founder, David Ben-Gurion, vilified as the leader of a movement bent on undermining the peace process and dismissed as a technocrat without popular support.” Palestinian PM attends Israel forum “The Palestinian prime minister has met the Israeli defence minister in a public discussion at a conference in the Israeli town of Herzliya.”

Brazilian Dam in Amazon. Fury as dam is approved in heart of Amazon “Brazil has approved the controversial construction of a giant hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon, defying a 20-year protest by indigenous and environmental campaigners who say that the project will devastate the surrounding rainforest and threaten the survival of local tribes.”

OPINION

Commentary: Poor are powerless and we remain silent about Bauer’s remarks (Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald) “Who, then, speaks for the poor? Who raises a voice when they are scapegoated and marginalized? Who cries out when they are abused by police and failed by schools? Who takes a stand when they are exploited by employers and turned away by hospitals? As near as I can tell, no one does.”

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.

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FAITH IN THE NEWS

Possible US charges over adoption bid “Haitian and US officials are considering a trial in the United States for 10 Americans who were arrested while trying to bus ­children out of Haiti without documents or permission. The aborted Baptist “rescue mission” has become a big distraction for a crippled government trying to provide basic life support to millions of earthquake survivor.” Case Stokes Haiti’s Fear for Children, and Itself “Whatever their intentions, the Americans who were detained late Friday at the Dominican border with 33 children struck a deep emotional chord in this earthquake-ravaged country.”

Pope: UK human rights policies breach natural law “The Vatican condemned Britain’s proposed equality law yesterday, complaining that legislation to give homosexual equal rights “violates natural law”.”

Why evangelicals want immigration reform this year (Galen Carey, Washington Post “On Faith”) “Evangelicals support immigration reform because we treat the biblical injunctions to welcome the stranger not merely as good advice but as divine instruction for our good.”

NEWS AT HOME

Budget. Obama budget calls for new spending to lower unemployment, help middle class “As President Obama announced his $3.8 trillion spending plan on Monday, Republicans savaged it as a recipe for fiscal disaster, while Democrats defended the call to drive record deficits even higher to finance measures aimed at putting people back to work.” Obama’s budget proposes $100-billion jobs plan, higher taxes on wealthy “President Obama on Monday sent Congress a $3.8-trillion federal budget that includes a $100-billion jobs package, more education spending, higher taxes on families earning more than $250,000 a year and a focus on controlling the deficit.” Obama’s budget sober on jobs, optimistic on growth “The Obama administration projects rosier economic-growth prospects than most mainstream economists do but a sobering jobless recovery, according to documents released Monday about underlying assumptions in the government’s $3.83 trillion federal budget for 2011. Huge Deficits May Alter U.S. Politics and Global Power “In a federal budget filled with mind-boggling statistics, two numbers stand out as particularly stunning, for the way they may change American politics and American power.” Interactive Graphic: Obama’s 2011 Budget Proposal: How It’s Spent President Obama’s proposal for the 2011 budget.

Military budget. Pentagon budget calls for more unmanned aircraft “U.S. Defense officials outlined plans to double production of unmanned aircraft, part of an expanded 2011 budget unveiled Monday that emphasizes the importance of international hot spots and natural disasters as well as large-scale warfare, as provided under a new strategy document.” Obama wants $192 billion in spending for wars “President Obama wants $192 billion in war spending for the next year and a half, a hefty sum aimed at escalating the war in Afghanistan, amid waning support at home.” QDR: Pentagon revises its long-held two-war doctrine “A key Pentagon strategic document released Monday, called the Quadrennial Defense Review, increases the emphasis on a new range of threats, including cybersecurity. It departs from the military’s traditional goal of being able to fight two conventional wars at once. “

Immigration reform. Latinos seek more support for immigration reform “A leading Latino lawmaker asserted Monday that Latinos, angered at President Obama for his failure to push immigration reform legislation, could stay home from the polls this year. “People are angry and disillusioned,” U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said in an interview.”

Poverty. 1 in 8 get help at food banks “One in eight Americans — 37 million — received emergency food help last year, up 46% from 2005, the nation’s largest hunger-relief group reports today. Children are hit particularly hard, according to the report by Feeding America, a network of 203 food banks nationwide.”  State health plans in jeopardy “The troubled economy is forcing Washington and other states to pare back health insurance programs for low-income people, even as growing joblessness boosts demand for help. Five of six states that use state funds to assist adults not covered by Medicaid are considering cuts, barring new enrollment or raising fees.”

Abstinence education. Abstinence-only programs might work, study says “Sex education classes that focus on encouraging children to remain abstinent can persuade a significant proportion to delay sexual activity, researchers reported Monday in a landmark study that could have major implications for U.S. efforts to protect young people against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Haiti. Medical teams in Florida ramp up to care for Haitians “Joseph Perno’s cellphone started buzzing at 9 a.m. Monday. The county medical coordinator told him to stay sharp. A C-130 cargo plane, carrying 22 seriously injured Haitians, would be arriving at Tampa International Airport that night.”  Near Quake’s Epicenter, a City Ready for Business “It is the thirst for normalcy, not gain, that seems to drive business here in the square, where more than 500 families — some 2,500 people — have moved since the earthquake, according to a list compiled by a committee of 10 chosen to help bring order to the camp.”

Climate change. Countries Submit Emission Goals “The climate change accord reached at Copenhagen in December passed its first test on Monday after countries responsible for the bulk of climate-altering pollution formally submitted their emission reduction plans, meeting the agreement’s Jan. 31 deadline.” U.S., China, others join Copenhagen Accord on climate “The United States, China and dozens of other countries accounting for nearly 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions have signed onto a voluntary agreement to curb climate change.”

Afghanistan. Afghan Official Dismisses Taliban Denial of Talks “The Afghan official in charge of reconciliation acknowledged Monday that the government had been in talks for some time with Taliban leaders to bring them into the government and end the war, dismissing the Taliban’s denials.”

Pakistan. Pakistan ‘captures Taliban base’ “A major Taliban base in the north-western tribal region of Bajaur has been captured by Pakistani troops after days of fierce fighting, officials say.”  Pakistani Taliban leader’s death would be ‘fatal blow’ for group, analyst says “The reported death of the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, a violent Islamist group with close links to al-Qaeda, leaves the predatory and feared militia effectively decapitated, with its fighters on the run from the Pakistani army and public sympathy running low.” Pakistan says it will help train Afghan forces “Pakistan has told U.S. military leaders it is willing to help train Afghan soldiers to fight Taliban forces, the country’s army chief said Monday, a promising gesture by a government at times skeptical of Washington’s strategy.”

Iran. Iran, With Opposition Protests Continuing, Executes More Prisoners “With the government’s opponents planning another large demonstration on Feb. 11, the country is bracing for another wave of executions.” Iran’s Mousavi vows to fight on “Iran’s opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has said he will continue his struggle against the government.”

Somalia. Somali capital clashes claim lives “Anti-government fighters have fired mortar bombs at the presidential palace in the Somali capital, prompting return fire by troops that killed at least 16 people,”  Somalia’s Militants Seek Al Qaeda Alliance “The militant group al Shabaab said it will ally with al Qaeda in a drive to establish an Islamic state in Somalia and fight for Muslims across East Africa, offering a fresh test for U.S.-backed African peacekeepers struggling to defend a weak Somali government.”

Sudan. Big surge in south Sudan hunger “The number of people needing food aid in south Sudan has quadrupled in a year to more than four million, the UN’s World Food Programme says.”

Iraq-UK inquiry. British cabinet ‘misled’ over Iraq war “Ex-cabinet minister Clare Short tells the UK’s Iraq war inquiry that the cabinet was misled on whether the 2003 invasion was legal.” UK cabinet ‘misled’ over Iraq war “Clare Short, who is an outspoken critic of the war, on Tuesday said Peter Goldsmith, the attorney general at the time, did not tell the cabinet of his doubts about whether it would be against international law to invade Iraq.”

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.

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

Quote of the Day. “My parents grew up and carried the scars of racial segregation. I didn’t want to see my children have to face the same problem. We just felt that this certainly was a time to act. If not now, when? If not my generation, what generation?” Joseph McNeil, now 67, one of  four students who sat-in at a Greensboro, NC, lunch counter 50 years ago today, sparking the civil rights movement of the 1960s. (USA Today)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Anglican Head: An Ethical Economy is Built on Ethical People “If the world wants an ethical economy, it must build ethical people. That was the message from the Archbishop of Canterbury at the end of a three-day conference at Trinity Church on Wall Street this past week.”

Church group accused of abducting ‘orphans’ “Ten members of an American Baptist Church are to appear in a Haitian court this morning after being accused of running an illegal adoption scheme.” ‘Orphan Rescue’ attempt hits nerve among Haitians “Ten US Baptists who were detained while trying to take 33 children out of earthquake-shattered Haiti without government permission say they were just trying to do the right thing, applying Christian principles to save Haitian children.”

ICC ‘must probe Nigeria violence’ “A Nigerian rights group urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate violence between Muslims and Christians in Jos.”

In Egypt, Religious Clashes Are Off the Record “The one thing the government would not do was admit the obvious: Egypt had experienced one of the most serious outbreaks of sectarian violence in years. Instead, it said talk of sectarian conflict amounted to sedition.”

NEWS AT HOME

Budget. Deficit to Hit All-Time High “Obama will propose a $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal 2011 that projects the deficit will shoot up to $1.6 trillion this year, but would push the deficit down to about $700 billion, or 4% of the gross domestic product, by 2013.” Obama’s $3.8 trillion budget calls for jobs assistance, tax changes “The $3.8 trillion budget blueprint President Obama plans to submit to Congress on Monday calls for billions of dollars in new spending to combat persistently high unemployment and bolster a battered middle class.” Obama’s budget includes $100-billion jobs plan “President Obama today will propose a $3.8-trillion federal budget that includes a $100-billion jobs package, more education spending and higher taxes on families earning more than $250,000 a year.” White House Aims to Broaden Approach to Global Health “The new policy, details of which the administration plans to release along with the budget, retains HIV/AIDS as the administration’s top funding priority, but will devote new funding to reducing deaths from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, poor nutrition and common treatable illnesses that kill millions every year, particularly women and children.”

Health Care. Democrats quietly working to resuscitate healthcare overhaul “President Obama’s campaign to overhaul the nation’s health-care system is officially on the back burner as Democrats turn to the task of stimulating job growth, but behind the scenes party leaders have nearly settled on a strategy to salvage the massive legislation.”

Immigration. Chances are dim, but advocates will still push for immigration reform “As President Obama vows to refocus Democrats’ attention on jobs and the economy, advocates for overhauling the nation’s immigration laws say they are still gearing up for a battle in the Senate in coming weeks, despite fading hopes for victory.”

Education. Obama to Seek Sweeping Change in ‘No Child’ Law “The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Haiti. As food distribution improves, Haitians want U.S to ‘take over’ “International relief organizations backed by American soldiers delivered hundreds of tons of rice to homeless residents of the Haitian capital Sunday, laboring to ease a food shortage that has left countless thousands struggling to find enough to eat.” U.S. to Resume Military Airlift of Injured Haitians “The White House said Sunday that it would resume a United States military airlift of Haitians seriously injured in the Jan. 12 earthquake, reversing a five-day suspension that doctors worried would strand patients with devastating burns, head and spinal cord trauma, amputations and other wounds.” Haitians in makeshift camps organize ‘platoons’ to provide services “Enter any camp here, from the sprawling, stewing expanse of perhaps 10,000 people in the capital’s central Champ de Mars, to others on soccer fields and golf courses and inside the security barriers of now-crumbled public buildings, and in most cases you’ll find ‘the committee’ – the small group of men and women who have taken it upon themselves to establish security, organize assistance deliveries, and maintain a minimum of sanitation.” Africa mulls resettling Haitians “The African Union has agreed to consider a proposal to resettle thousands of Haitians left homeless by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, and possibly create a state for them in Africa.”

Afghanistan. Saudis ‘mediating Taliban talks’ “Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister of Afghanistan, has said that reconciliation talks with the Taliban are under way. Ghani, currently a senior fellow for the Brookings Institution in Washington, also said that Saudi Arabia had been active in mediation.” U.S. makes small strides in getting Afghan army fighting fit, but hurdles remain “As part of President Obama’s plan to dramatically increase the size of the Afghan National Army, the first contingent of additional U.S. troops has arrived and begun taking over the training of new Afghan recruits, hoping to build up the local force to 134,000 battle-ready soldiers in 10 months.”

Israel-Gaza. Israel reprimands top officers over Gaza “Israel has revealed it has reprimanded two top army officers for authorising an artillery attack which hit a UN compound in Gaza last year.”  IDF denies disciplining top officers over white phosphorous use in Gaza war “The Israel Defense Forces on Monday denied that two of its senior officers had been summoned for disciplinary action after headquarters staff found that the men exceeded their authority in approving the use of phosphorus shells during last year’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli government wrote in a recent report.”

US-Russisa Arms Talks. US-Russia arms talks resume “Negotiations over a new arms control treaty between the US and Russia resumed in Geneva today amid growing criticism of Barack Obama’s conciliatory policy towards the Kremlin from human rights groups and a newly emboldened Republican party.”

Iran. U.S. beefs up defenses near Iran “The Obama administration has increased the U.S. military presence near Iran and is accelerating installation of antimissile systems in nearby countries, officials said Saturday, as the White House builds pressure for stern new sanctions against Tehran.” US anti-missile sales raise tensions with Iran “Tensions in the Gulf between the US and Iran are set to rise further after it emerged that American-made anti-missile systems are to be deployed to Washington’s Arab allies in the region.”

OPINION

Zinn’s life was a testament to possibility (James Carroll, Boston Globe) “Unlike many radicals, he was no mere denouncer. He so believed in America that he believed it could transcend itself. He lifted up alternative futures, and insisted they were possible. Indeed, Zinn’s life was a testament to possibility, as all who revere his memory know from their own experience.”

The Counter Revolution (Howell Raines, New York Times) “On the morning of Feb. 1, 50 years ago today, four black freshmen at North Carolina A&T State University seated themselves at the all-white lunch counter in a Woolworth’s dime store in Greensboro. Within hours, news of this bold act by the Greensboro Four, as they would come to be called, had grapevined its way from A&T to the campuses of historically black colleges in Atlanta and Nashville.”

Justice Alito’s candid response to Obama’s rebuke (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “Alito’s inability to restrain himself during the State of the Union address brought to wide attention a truth that too many have tried to ignore: The Supreme Court is now dominated by a highly politicized conservative majority intent on working its will, even if that means ignoring precedents and the wishes of the elected branches of government.”

Tim Tebow: Cultural warrior? (Tom Krattenmaker, USA Today) “Over the course of 30 seconds during Sunday’s Super Bowl, Tim Tebow will complete his evolution from college football superhero to culture-wars flash point.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “We don’t know exactly what is happening in this country. The president is putting on his karakul hat, talking about security in London, but here our mullahs are being killed, our soldiers are being killed, our innocent civilian people are being killed, and nobody cares.”  Abdul Qadir, son-in-law of an Afghan Imam killed yesterday by shots from a NATO convoy. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Rowan Williams goes to Wall Street to tell the money men to repent “The whole world, and not just Britain, is broken, with continents such as Africa feeling forgotten and uncared for, the Archbishop of Canterbury said in the heart of New York’s financial district yesterday.”

£10,000 grant for Christian police who believe prayer can cut crime “A [British] Christian policing group which believes that the power of prayer can catch criminals and keep officers safe from harm has been awarded a £10,000 grant [$16,000 US dollars] from the Home Office to widen its involvement with local church groups.”

HAITI

Lack of crowd control hampers food and water delivery to Haitian quake victims “For more than 500 people who have banded together in solace and solidarity in a field here, there is no food. At the beginning of the week, a delegation went to the mayor’s office, then to the United Nations and back to the mayor.” Haiti begins tearing down Port-au-Prince without rebuilding plans in place “More than two weeks after the Jan. 12 earthquake, the work of taking apart a ravaged city is slowly, and chaotically, beginning.” As Aftershocks Continue, Haiti Ponders Rebuilding “More than two weeks after the earthquake that devastated much of this country’s southern half, the capital remains a city of teetering walls, dangling electrical wires and precariously balanced heaps of jagged cinder block and wrought iron, all rattled daily by aftershocks.” Haiti recovery ‘to take decades’ “The acting head of the UN mission in Haiti has said reconstruction will take several decades, following the devastating earthquake two weeks ago.”

NEWS AT HOME

Congress Agenda. After Obama speech, Democrats confused about path ahead “A day after President Obama called on them to renew efforts to pass his ambitious agenda, congressional Democrats remained in disarray Thursday about how to move forward, with at least some pointing at the White House as the cause of the legislative standstill gripping Capitol Hill.” His Health Bill Stalled, Obama Juggles an Altered Agenda “The White House on Thursday signaled the outlines of its strategy for breaking the partisan logjam holding up President Obama’s agenda, saying Democrats would move quickly to underline their commitment to fixing the broken economy and to build an election-year case against Republicans if they do not cooperate.” While Confident Health Care Will Pass This Year, Democrats Still Search for a Plan “Democratic leaders in Congress voiced resolute optimism on Thursday that they would adopt major health care legislation this year, and they said that doing so was a crucial element of President Obama’s broader agenda to create jobs, revive the economy and reduce federal budget deficits.” Hard slog for SOTU proposals “Some of what Obama proposed is likely to encounter little resistance. Other ideas, such as energy legislation, were in trouble before his speech and not in much better shape after it. And most of his proposals fall into the middle, facing a long, hard slog.”

President & Congress v. Supreme Court. Obama-Alito tensions surface at State of the Union address “Legal scholars could not recall a similar incident in which a president criticized a high court ruling in a State of the Union speech. On the other hand, it is rare for the justices to hand down a momentous decision in mid-January, just before the president goes to Capitol Hill for his annual speech to the assembled lawmakers.” A Rare Rebuke, in Front of a Nation “It is not unusual for presidents to disagree publicly with Supreme Court decisions. But they tend to do so at news conferences and in written statements, not to the justices’ faces.” Democrats prepare legislation to counter ruling on campaign spending “Sensing a clear political opportunity, congressional Democrats are rushing to craft legislation to counter a Supreme Court ruling that they fear could lead to a flood of foreign spending on U.S. political campaigns.”

Army Suicides. Army’s suicide ‘crisis’ leads to action “Alarmed by the suicides of eight soldiers in the year’s first eight days, the Army’s No. 2 general told commanders to have face-to-face contact with GIs to remind them ‘each one is valued by our Army,’ according to the Jan. 8 memorandum provided to USA TODAY.”

Climate Change. U.S. formalizes pledge on cutting greenhouse gases “The Obama administration pledged Thursday that the United States would cut its greenhouse gas emissions about 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 — a step that would bolster the global warming deal brokered at climate talks last month.”

Kansas Trial. Doctor’s Killer Puts Abortion on the Stand “Scott Roeder, the man charged with murder in the shooting of George R. Tiller, one of the few doctors in the country to perform late-term abortions, took the witness stand in his own defense on Thursday, and said that, yes, he did it.” Abortion foe Scott Roeder tells jury of killing Dr. George Tiller “Before shooting him point-blank in the forehead at church last spring, Scott Roeder considered many ways of killing Wichita physician George Tiller.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Third World Disease Vaccine. Rotavirus vaccines could reduce deaths in Third World Vaccines that protect against severe disease and death from rotavirus infections in the “United States and other developed countries work nearly as well in developing countries and should be widely employed there.”

Afghanistan. UK summit unveils new Afghan policy “Control over some of Afghanistan’s provinces is to be handed over to the Afghan government by the end of 2010, according to foreign ministers attending a one-day international conference in London.” Afghan president plans meeting on reintegrating, reconciling with insurgents “Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that he will convene a nationwide meeting of tribal, religious and political leaders in the next few weeks to discuss reintegrating and reconciling with insurgents. Afghan government officials said Taliban members would also be welcome to attend.” War Plan for Karzai: Reach Out to Taliban “Afghanistan’s president declared Thursday that reaching out to the Taliban’s leadership would be a centerpiece of his plan to end the eight-year-old war in his country, setting in motion a risky diplomatic gambit that could aggravate frictions with the United States.” U.S. cool to Karzai plan on Taliban “Afghan President Hamid Karzai told world leaders Thursday that he intends to reach out to the top echelons of the Taliban within a few weeks, accelerating a peace initiative that has troubled U.S. and many other Western leaders.”

Israel-West Bank. Israel Signals Tougher Line on West Bank Protests “For more than a year, this village has been a focus of weekly protests against the Israeli security barrier, which cuts through its lands. Now, the village appears to be at the center of an intensifying Israeli arrest campaign.”

Iran. Iran’s Opposition Seeking to End Stand-Off “Furthering a trend that has been visible for several weeks now, a prominent Iranian opposition leader made conciliatory remarks on Thursday that were apparently aimed at defusing tensions and ending the nation’s political crisis.”

Iraq-UK Inquiry. I believed beyond doubt that Iraq had WMD, Tony Blair tells inquiry “Tony Blair today robustly defended his decision to take Britain to war against Saddam Hussein in 2003, saying he believed ‘beyond doubt’ that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.” Blair Grilled on Iraq War “In a much-anticipated appearance before a public inquiry, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair defended his decision to go to war with Iraq and said he didn’t mislead the public in the build-up to the conflict.” Blair denies ‘covert’ Bush deal “Tony Blair has denied striking a ‘covert’ deal with George Bush to invade Iraq at a private meeting in 2002 at the US president’s ranch.”

OPINION

Obama’s banking proposals are a good first step (Joseph E. Stiglitz, Los Angeles Times) “In the last two weeks, President Obama finally proposed tough new restrictions on the big banks, and then he underlined them in his State of the Union speech. It’s a start.”

In State of the Union address, President Obama put himself on the outside looking in (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post) “President Obama’s State of the Union address didn’t signal a political shift to the left or the right. It sounded more like a shrewd attempt to move from the inside to the outside — to position himself alongside disaffected voters, peering through the windows of the den of iniquity called Washington and reacting with dismay at the depravity within.”

The Perot Option (David Brooks, New York Times) “There is a specter haunting America: the specter of a saner, updated version of Ross Perot. He is lurking out there, ready to ride the free-floating anger and distrust of Washington. He is out there now in one of his homes or private jets, getting madder by the day. He is large of ego, full of money and cranky in mien.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “This issue transcends race and faith. From the gold diggers in the 19th century … to the governor in the 20th century, we are a state of immigrants. We are the state of California.” Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, at a prayer vigil/rally in Santa Ana, CA as part of a national day calling for comprehensive immigration reform. (Orange County Register)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Faith Leaders Highlight Need to Remember Holocaust “Christian leaders across denominations commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday to keep alive the memory of the atrocities that took place in the Nazi concentration camps more than 65 years ago and to also highlight the need to be alert in protecting human life today.”

International Holocaust Remembrance Day / Across Europe, Jewish leaders vow: Never again “Israel’s leaders, with Iran on their minds, vowed never again to allow the ‘hand of evil’ to kill Jews as the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day yesterday.”

HAITI

Amid Earthquake’s Ruins, Signs of Revival in Haiti “This devastated capital showed increasing signs of stirring back to life on Wednesday as Haitians restarted factory assembly lines, visited their barbers, sought replacement cellphones and even picked up their dry cleaning.” Girl’s rescue 15 days after quake offers a rare moment of joy in devastated Haiti “Fifteen days after an earthquake devastated this nation, a teenage girl was rescued from the rubble of her house — weak and thirsty — on a hillside in the capital.” A day in the life of a Haiti tent city “A rooster crows, and two street preachers stand near the gates of a new tent city. They are both women, both wearing black kerchiefs over their hair. One shouts hoarsely into a bullhorn while the other sings sweetly from a ’singing bible,’ a book of hymns.” Envisioning a new Haiti “The Monitor spoke to two dozen scholars, aid workers, environmentalists, and diplomats with deep roots in Haiti about their blue-sky visions in this dark time. They looked beyond the immediate disaster and outside the frustrating box of financial and political restraints that have foiled years of efforts to help Haiti, to prescribe their own solutions for the country’s problems.”

NEWS AT HOME

State of the Union. First State of the Union speech by President Obama: ‘We face a deficit of trust’ “President Obama delivered an urgent plea for unity on Wednesday night during his first State of the Union address, seeking to recapture the energy that propelled him into office and to reverse his party’s trajectory after a series of recent setbacks.” Obama speech emphasizes jobs, and the job he’s done “Warning that the nation had developed a ‘deficit of trust’ in government, President Obama on Wednesday promised to put the public’s top concerns — jobs and the economy — at the center of his second year in office while continuing to press for the rest of his stalled agenda.” Obama to Party: Don’t ‘Run for the Hills’ “President Obama vowed Wednesday night not to give up on his ambitious legislative agenda, using his first State of the Union address to chastise Republicans for working in lock-step against him and to warn Democrats to stiffen their political spines.” Obama strives to revive the spirit of 2009 “President Obama’s State of the Union address was an unusually candid attempt to recapture the magic of his first months in office — an effort to remind Americans why they admired him in January 2009, and to persuade them to feel that way again.” In State of the Union, Obama takes on partisan dysfunction of Washington “President Obama used his first State of the Union address to reset his relationship with the American middle class. But it was the politics of Washington, rather than any specific policy, that the president spoke about with the most passion after a year when the change he pledged proved elusive.”

Health Care. Health Care Gives Way to Economy and Jobs “But after spending 2009 emphasizing that a health care overhaul was his top domestic priority, Mr. Obama gave it much less prominence in his address. He did not mention it until more than half an hour in – a sign of how imperiled the bill has become.” State of health reform: still grim “With Democrats in Congress looking for a way out of the health care impasse, President Barack Obama offered them words of encouragement but little else – no concrete plan to jump-start progress on a bill, no timeline for getting it done and no guidance on what he wants to see in what was once his top legislative initiative.”

Native Americans Suffer Winter. Storm Takes Steep Toll on Destitute Tribe “A tiny tribe of Lakota Sioux has been battling wind, rain and subzero temperatures this week as ice storms lash one of the U.S.’s poorest communities and leave thousands without electricity, heat or drinking water.”

Mountaintop Mining. EPA crackdown on mountaintop coal mining criticized as contradictory “But to many people in Appalachia, the orders coming out of Washington, especially one this month, have appeared contradictory and mysterious, signing off on some mines and blocking others. Environmentalists are unhappy because they fear federal officials are losing their nerve to take on the powerful coal industry.”

University Endowments. Investment Losses Cause Steep Dip in University Endowments, Study Finds “Reflecting the difficult financial environment for higher education, university endowments lost an average of 18.7 percent in the last fiscal year, the worst returns since the Great Depression, according to a study of hundreds of public and private institutions.”

Passing-Howard Zinn. Howard Zinn, author of ‘People’s History’ and left-wing historian, dies at 87 in California “Howard Zinn, an author, teacher and political activist whose leftist ‘A People’s History of the United States’ became a million-selling alternative to mainstream texts and a favorite of such celebrities as Bruce Springsteen and Ben Affleck, died Wednesday.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Yemen. Hillary Clinton among those praising Yemen’s efforts against al-Qaeda “Yemen pledged Wednesday to implement broad political and economic reforms in exchange for a package of long-term development and security assistance from countries concerned that it could become a permanent base for international terrorist operations.” As Nations Meet, Clinton Urges Yemen to Prove Itself Worthy of Aid “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton administered a dose of tough love, saying Yemen, an impoverished Arab nation, must earn increased foreign aid by rooting out corruption, settling internal strife and protecting the rights of girls and young women.”

Afghanistan. Karzai seeks Afghan reconciliation “Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has said his country must reach out to its ‘disenchanted brothers’ in an effort to stabilise the war ravaged nation.” Afghan Tribe Vows to Fight Taliban in Return for U.S. Aid “The leaders of one of the largest Pashtun tribes in a Taliban stronghold said Wednesday that they had agreed to support the American-backed government, battle insurgents and burn down the home of any Afghan who harbored Taliban guerrillas.” Pakistan seeks role as mediator in possible Taliban-Afghanistan peace talks “Pakistan, which once sponsored Taliban forces but turned against them under American pressure in 2001, now hopes to play a role as a broker in proposed negotiations among Taliban leaders and the Afghan government, with support from the United States.” ‘Military-led strategy in Afghanistan will fail’ “The military strategy in Afghanistan is seriously flawed and is doomed to failure without major adjustments, the outgoing head of the UN there has warned.” The new Afghan plan: buy off Taliban “The plan, to be approved at a 60-nation conference in London today, comes amid unexpected signs of growing political support for the equally high-risk idea of talks leading to a political settlement with the Taliban leadership.”

Iran. Iran executes two over poll unrest “Iran has hanged two men over widespread protests that followed the country’s disputed presidential election in June last year, an Iranian news agency has said.” Iranian activists hanged at dawn “Two Iranians convicted of being ‘enemies of God’ and trying to topple the Islamic regime were hanged at dawn today. It was the first known execution of opposition activists since June’s disputed presidential election prompted massive street protests.”

Guinea. Guinea appoints civilian PM “Guinea has sworn in a civilian prime minister as a transitional government has taken power in the latest step towards democratic elections in the West African country.”

Honduras. Zelaya goes into exile in Dominican Republic “As a new Honduran president took office Wednesday, former leader Manuel Zelaya flew into exile in the Dominican Republic under a deal that ends months of turmoil since his ouster by the military last summer.”

OPINION

Obama shows he’s a conciliator–and also willing to fight (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “There was an unexpected poignancy to the moment . Barack Obama, who once strode across the political landscape as a master of the persuasive arts, found himself needing to prove that mastery all over again.”

Military partnerships may be the nation’s best path to peace (David Ignatius, Washington Post) “Gen. Stanley McChrystal this week expressed a truth that military commanders know better than anyone: “A political solution to all conflicts is the inevitable outcome,” he told the Financial Times. The problem is getting to that political settlement in a way that the combatants find acceptable. This can take years, even decades.”

How companies became ‘persons’ (Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune)
“Riddle me this: When is a corporation like a freed slave?
Answer: When it is trying to win human rights in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.”

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.

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

Quote of the Day. “HMD 2010 is an opportunity for us all, whoever we are, wherever we are, whatever we do or don’t believe. It’s a day for everybody to take on the experiences of those who suffered this most horrendous persecution and to make their voices and their hopes part of our shared future.” Carly Whyborn, chief executive of the U.K. Holocaust Memorial Trust on today’s observance of Holocaust Memorial Day, which coincides with the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. (Ekklesia)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Evangelicals Hold Immigration Reform Vigils across U.S “Evangelical leaders across the nation on Tuesday participated in prayer vigil events to call for comprehensive immigration reform. The vigils took place in six cities where immigration policy is especially contentious: Phoenix; Denver; Santa Ana, Calif.; Chicago; Memphis, Tenn.; and Miami.”

The spirit is alive and well in Haiti “Makeshift revivalist meetings and other religious gatherings are springing up from the rubble of Haiti’s sprawling capital in the tent cities that are now home to tens of thousands of survivors of the Jan. 12 earthquake. Evangelical preachers, Roman Catholic priests and voodoo practitioners are all welcome in the tent cities.”

42 arrested at Capitol while calling for closing Guantanamo prison “A campaign to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, escalated Jan. 21 with the arrest of 42 people at the U.S. Capitol. The protesters, members of the group Witness Against Torture, were calling attention to the lapsed one-year deadline that President Barack Obama had imposed on closing the controversial prison.”

HAITI

On a floating hospital, a drama of life and death “Haiti’s hard news keeps coming. Patients board the hospital ship every day. More than six days into the Comfort’s mission here, more than 450 patients are on board – people who were crushed under rubble, who are sick with infections and nursing diseases made worse by neglect.” Haiti’s Children Adrift in World of Chaos “Haiti’s children, 45 percent of the population, are among the most disoriented and vulnerable of the survivors of the earthquake. By the many tens of thousands, they have lost their parents, their homes, their schools and their bearings.” Haiti slows orphan flights over human trafficking concerns “Acting on persistent fears that homeless and orphaned children will be victimized by human traffickers, the Haitian government in Port-au-Prince has put the brakes on the large-scale migration of orphans destined for adoptive families in the U.S.” Haitian survivors fight for food “Scenes of fighting have broken out in the Haitian capital as survivors continue to have little food and water two weeks after an earthquake devastated the Caribbean island.”

NEWS AT HOME

State of the Union. Obama will reset his agenda in State of the Union speech “When President Obama appears before Congress and the nation on Wednesday night to deliver his State of the Union speech, his goals will be to reset his agenda, assure his demoralized party that he has not given up on key priorities and try to convince a skeptical public that he can still change Washington.” Obama’s State of the Union address will focus on economy “With his State of the Union address tonight, President Obama aims to deliver a game-changing message, one capable of convincing Americans that his policies will create jobs, curb spending and restore prosperity.” President Obama to Tout Jobs Push “Obama intends to use his State of the Union address to focus on his jobs agenda as he tries to regain the confidence of a disheartened electorate.” In Speech, Obama to Admit Missteps in First Year “When Mr. Obama presents his first State of the Union address on Wednesday evening, aides said he would accept responsibility, though not necessarily blame, for failing to deliver swiftly on some of the changes he promised a year ago.”

Health Care. Dem impasse on health bill continues “Democrats searching for a way to resuscitate health reform ran into a wall of opposition from party moderates Tuesday – throwing into doubt whether congressional leadership can salvage the sweeping reform plan that once was President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority.” Democrats Put Lower Priority on Health Bill “With no clear path forward on major health care legislation, Democratic leaders in Congress effectively slammed the brakes on President Obama’s top domestic priority on Tuesday, saying they no longer felt pressure to move quickly on a health bill after eight months of setting deadlines and missing them.” Congressional leaders slow down health overhaul push, searching for answers on how to proceed “Congressional leaders are taking health care legislation off the fast track as rank-and-file Democrats, wary of unhappy midterm election voters, look to President Barack Obama for guidance in his State of the Union address.”

Climate Change. Advocates of Climate Bill Scale Down Their Goals “As they watch President Obama’s ambitious health care plan crumble, the advocates of a comprehensive bill to combat global warming are turning their sights to a more modest package of climate and energy measures that they believe has a better chance of clearing Congress this year.”

Banks. Financial industry’s anxiety is rising over Obama’s plan “The financial sector has coolly navigated around government attempts to restrict executive pay and risky investments, but many on Wall Street worry that the Obama administration’s latest proposal would hit the industry.” Ailing Banks Favor Salaries Over Shareholders “A handful of big banks that are struggling in the postbailout world are, by some measures, the industry’s most magnanimous employers. Roughly 90 cents out of every dollar that these banks earned in 2009 and sometimes more is going toward employee salaries, bonuses and benefits, according to company filings.”

Military Families. Military families cry for help “Kammerdiener is among thousands of unpaid caregivers – parents, spouses, siblings and war buddies – helping veterans injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars get through each day, says Barbara Cohoon, deputy director of government relations for the non-profit National Military Family Association. She says the caregivers are a vulnerable group, often under-recognized, and in need of help to navigate the military’s medical system.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Yemen. U.S. to Join Talks on Helping Yemen “A month after the failed airplane bomb plot that put this country’s problem with Al Qaeda in the international spotlight, the United States and 20 other countries are gathering for a conference on Wednesday in London to discuss ways to address Yemen’s growing instability.” Yemen ‘promises reform’ ahead of London terror meeting “Yemen’s government has promised urgent political and economic reform to help fight al-Qaeda, in a statement drawn up ahead of international talks.” U.S. military teams, intelligence deeply involved in aiding Yemen on strikes “U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops who in the past six weeks have killed scores of people, among them six of 15 top leaders of a regional al-Qaeda affiliate, according to senior administration officials.”

Afghanistan. Afghanistan, allies to launch new effort to return Taliban to society “The Afghan government, U.S. officials and NATO are preparing a new effort to bring mid- and low-level Taliban fighters back into society. In doing so, they face the task of convincing militants that the jobs and amnesty they promise this time will materialize.” U.S. Wrestling With Olive Branch for Taliban “As the Obama administration pours 30,000 additional troops into Afghanistan, it has begun grappling with the next great dilemma of this long war: whether to reconcile with the men who sheltered Osama bin Laden and who still have close ties to Al Qaeda.” NATO struggling to fulfill commitments for more troops in Afghanistan “NATO is struggling to make good on commitments to deploy extra forces to Afghanistan, one month after the Obama administration said it was counting on the alliance to send as many as 10,000 more troops to serve alongside U.S. soldiers.”  Military involvement jeopardises aid workers “The warning by eight international charities comes on the eve of an international conference in London, where donors are expected to pledge hundreds of millions of dollars for development and reconciliation to complement Nato’s counter-insurgency strategy.”

Iraq. Latest Bombings Add New Layer of Anxiety and Suspicion in Baghdad “These days, as Iraq prepares for elections on March 7 and the United States readies for a withdrawal of tens of thousands of combat troops by the end of August, people here brace for more of the same.”

Honduras. Honduras military chiefs cleared over ousting Zelaya “Military commanders in Honduras have been cleared of abusing their power by expelling then-President Manuel Zelaya from the country last June. The Supreme Court dismissed the charges brought by state prosecutors against the six commanders.”

Adults Only, Please (Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times) “Sometimes you wonder: Are we home alone? Obviously, the political and financial elites to whom we give authority often act on the basis of personal interests. But we still have a long way to go to get out of the mess we are in, and if our elites do not behave with a greater sense of the common good we could find our economy doing a double dip with a back flip.”

Commentary: Jesus doesn’t belong on a gun sight (Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald) “Mother Teresa’s faith drove her to foreswear material riches and spend half a century working to uplift the wretched poor of Calcutta. Martin Luther King’s faith drove him to gamble his very life in a dangerous campaign to win human and civil rights for African-American people. And then there’s Glyn Bindon, whose faith led him to inscribe coded Bible verses on his gun sights.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “We played black gospel and blues for those Iranians. They were just hugging us they were so excited. They loved it.” Sylvester Hoover, 52, owner of Baptist Town MS’s only business, a one-room grocery, laundromat and barbecue grill; on his visit to Iran with Dr. Aaron Shirley, a pediatrician who serves the rural poor, to study a low-cost rural health-care delivery system that has helped cut infant deaths by 70% over the last three decades. (Los Angeles Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Christians, Muslims, Jews Worship at Megachurch “It was an unusual Sunday morning worship at Northwood Church in Keller, Texas. Christians, Muslims and Jews sat together in the megachurch to hear an evangelical pastor preach about Jesus.”

Ex-Relief Worker: Christians Credited, Blamed for U.S. Deeds “The world does not see a distinction between the United States and Christians, said a former humanitarian worker who served in South Asia and Africa and worked with refugees when he returned to the United States. ‘America is seen to be a Christian country,’ said Galen Carey, now director of governmental affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals.”

France steps closer to face veil ban “The committee’s near 200-page report has proposed a ban in hospitals, schools, government offices and on public transport.”

Nigerians trade blame over violence “Christians and Muslims in central Nigeria are accusing each other of starting the recent clashes in which hundreds of people were killed in and around the city of Jos in Plateau state.”

God’s not dead: How LA fills the pews … and we don’t (Lucy Broadbent, Times Online) “It’s not that I am especially pious. Believe me, I was mostly praying for cashmere this Christmas. As the old joke goes: Am I religious? No, I’m Church of England. But I have a confession to make: I do go to church, and not just at Christmas either. I go all the time. Even on weekdays sometimes.”

HAITI

Relief. Haiti seeks food and shelter so displaced residents can survive the coming weeks “Haiti’s government made an emotional appeal for more aid Monday, asking for food to feed 1.5 million people for 15 days, as international donors gathered for a conference here to attempt to organize an orderly path to recovery for the quake-devastated nation.” Desperate Haitians over-run UN food hand-out “Yesterday UN peacekeepers were forced to use pepper spray and rubber bullets as a food hand-out at one of the biggest homeless encampments in the centre of Port-au-Prince was over-run by thousands of starving people. Fighting Starvation, Haitians Share Portions Stealing food, it is widely known, might get you killed. Children are most likely to return with something to eat, but no matter what is found, or how hungry the forager, everything must be shared.”

Rebuilding. Agreement on Effort to Help Haiti Rebuild “Concerned about corruption and wobbly Haitian leadership, international donors agreed Monday during a meeting in Montreal on a 10-year rebuilding effort for earthquake-damaged Haiti, one that would create an even better capital city and that the government said would cost $3 billion.” Builders dream of a better Haiti “A group of architects, engineers and urban planners has met every day since the devastating quake, discussing not how to rebuild but how to start anew.” Helping Haiti long-term is discussed by world leaders “The United States and other allies of Haiti agreed Monday to a 10-year effort to rebuild Port-au-Prince and foster the long-term development that has eluded the Caribbean country despite decades of foreign assistance.”

Donations. Haiti relief donations now tax-deductible for 2009 “Cash donations to Haiti relief efforts are now officially deductible on 2009 tax filings. President Barack Obama on Friday signed a bill passed by Congress to encourage Americans to continue giving to the beleaguered nation following a devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.”

NEWS AT HOME

Government Spending Freeze. Obama to propose freeze on government spending “Under mounting pressure to rein in mammoth budget deficits, President Obama will propose in his State of the Union address a three-year freeze on federal funding that is not related to national security,” Obama Seeks Freeze on Many Domestic Programs “President Obama will call for a three-year freeze in spending on many domestic programs, and for increases no greater than inflation after that, an initiative intended to signal his seriousness about cutting the budget deficit.” Obama to seek spending freeze, more aid to middle class “Moving to address rising voter anger over federal deficits and the tattered shape of their own pocketbooks, President Obama will propose a freeze on non-defense-related federal spending as well as expanded aid to middle-class families in his State of the Union speech Wednesday night.” Obama proposes economic help for middle class “With economic anxiety showing few signs of abating, President Obama announced a set of proposals Monday intended to address middle-class pocketbook concerns.”

Health Care. Decision Looms on Advancing Health Care Bill “Seeking to avert the collapse of major health care legislation, the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress face a crucial decision about whether to use a procedural maneuver that would allow them to advance the bill  despite the loss of their 60-vote majority in the Senate.” Health care progress unlikely by State of the Union “Senate Democratic leaders said Monday that they don’t expect to have a decision on how to move forward with health care reform in time for President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Wednesday.”

Safety Net. Safety-net programs see more on rolls “Welfare rolls rose in 2009 for the first time in 15 years, but the 5% increase was dwarfed by spikes in the number of people receiving food stamps and unemployment insurance.”

Teen Pregnancy. Rise in teenage pregnancy rate spurs new debate on arresting it “The pregnancy rate among teenage girls in the United States has jumped for the first time in more than a decade, raising alarm that the long campaign to reduce motherhood among adolescents is faltering.” Teen pregnancies, abortions rise “The teen pregnancy rate in the USA rose 3% in 2006, the first increase in more than a decade, according to data out today. The data also show higher rates of births and abortions among girls 15-19.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

California Prison in Mexico? Schwarzenegger ponders building prisons in Mexico for illegal immigrants “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday offered yet another way California can save on incarcerating illegal immigrants: pay to build prisons in Mexico.” Mexico ‘could take US inmates’ “California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has suggested the state could reduce prison spending by housing undocumented inmates in Mexican jails.”

Afghanistan. Britain, Japan to help reintegrate Taliban foot soldiers “Britain and Japan have agreed to head an international fund, expected to total up to $500 million over the next five years, as part of a broad plan to help lure Taliban fighters away from the insurgency with the promise of jobs, protection against retaliation, and the removal of their names from the lists of US and NATO targets.” NATO weighs Taliban truce in plans for Afghan peace “After hitting southern Afghanistan with tens of thousands of additional soldiers in an effort to weaken a resurgent Taliban, the NATO-led military alliance is considering a plan to end the war by entering power-sharing negotiations with Taliban leaders and former fighters.” Germany to boost Afghan forces “Germany currently has 4,300 soldiers in the country – the third-largest foreign contingent after the US and UK.” U.S. Envoy’s Cables Show Concerns on Afghan War Plans “The United States ambassador in Kabul warned his superiors here in November that President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan ‘is not an adequate strategic partner’ and ‘continues to shun responsibility for any sovereign burden,’ according to a classified cable that offers a much bleaker accounting of the risks of sending additional American troops to Afghanistan than was previously known.”

Iraq. Blast Hits Central Baghdad as Attacks Accelerate “A day after bombs rocked three hotels in central Baghdad, another suicide bomber detonated explosives Tuesday outside the forensics department of the Interior Ministry.” Iraq crime lab bomber kills many “A suicide car bomber has killed at least 18 people and injured 80 at a government forensics centre in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.”

Iraq-UK Inquiry. Straw rejected Iraq legal advice “Jack Straw rejected advice in early 2003 that invading Iraq without UN backing would break international law, the Iraq inquiry has heard.” Blair in Spotlight for Role in Iraq War “Tony Blair will undergo a public grilling this week over the U.K.’s role in the Iraq war, raising questions about the former prime minister’s legacy and his value to the Labour Party he once led as it prepares for a tough election battle.”

Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi ‘to be freed in November’ “Burma’s military government is contemplating the release of the country’s democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, at the end of the year, but only after the anticipated date of national elections, according to reports from Rangoon.”

South Africa. On historic South African street, tourists trump traditions “Soweto, the heartland of anti-apartheid ferment in the 1970s, is still a mostly poor community of matchbox houses and tin shacks on the outskirts of Johannesburg. But when a half-million soccer fans descend on South Africa for the World Cup this summer, Soweto will be scrambling for a piece of the tourist dollar – even if it has to abandon some of its unruly traditions.”

OPINION

Don’t Give Up Now (Editorial, New York Times) “Democrats should take another look at what really happened in Massachusetts and then summon the nerve to enact comprehensive health care reform.”

The woman Democrats need (Ethan Porter, Boston Globe) “On the day after Tuesday’s electoral loss, the Obama administration brought an unfamiliar face to the White House – Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard Law professor noted for her staunch advocacy on behalf the middle class and fierce criticism of the bank bailouts.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “It’s kind of cool for a change. I mean, we do this in Iraq, but at the same time there we’re killing people, you know what I mean?” Sgt. Eric DeJesus, a 26-year-old from New Jersey, on the U.S. Army distributing food and water in Haiti. (Los Angeles Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Homeless Haitians gather to praise God “It was an astounding sight. In the heart of Port-au-Prince, a city reduced to ruins, many hundreds of homeless Haitians gathered yesterday morning to thank God and rejoice.”

New evangelical group calls for cancellation of Haiti’s debt “A new organization of progressive evangelicals has formed, calling for complete cancellation of Haiti’s foreign debt in order to aid an already-fragile economy devastated by a Jan. 12 earthquake.”

Pope to priests: Go forth and blog “Pope Benedict XVI has a new commandment for priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog. The pope, whose own presence on the Web has heavily grown in recent years, urged priests on Saturday to use all multimedia tools at their disposal to preach the Gospel and engage in dialogue with people of other religions and cultures.”

HAITI

Haiti’s Homeless Are Short Hundreds of Thousands of Tents, Aid Groups Say “As officials focused Sunday on the Herculean task of this nation’s physical recovery – clearing the wreckage and setting up housing for the hundreds of thousands left homeless by an earthquake – desperate relatives of those still missing pleaded with the authorities not to give up the search.” New mission in Haiti: Finding shelter and aid for survivors “Haitians awoke Sunday to a land littered with crumpled buildings as international aid efforts turned more and more attention to finding shelter and getting aid to those hundreds of thousands who survived the most devastating natural disaster in Haiti’s history.” Debate grows in aftermath of quake: Should U.S. let more Haitians immigrate? “From morning until night, Dieula Celestin’s cellphone rings in Miami’s Little Haiti. It is her younger brother, Roger Paul, calling from Port-au-Prince, where he and their 65-year-old mother live with no food, no job and no money in the street outside the remnants of their house.”

NEWS AT HOME

State of the Union. Obama to Offer Aid for Families in State of the Union Address “President Obama will propose in his State of the Union address a package of modest initiatives intended to help middle-class families, including tax credits for child care, caps on some student loan  payments and a requirement that companies let workers save automatically for retirement.” White House Toughens Tone “Coming off one of the most difficult weeks of his presidency, Barack Obama has beefed up his political staff and is expected to deliver an uncompromising State of the Union address.”

Health Care. White House defends healthcare legislation despite Senate loss “The Obama administration tried Sunday to steady itself and its top domestic priority after last week’s stunning Massachusetts Senate upset, as a top White House official vowed to move ahead with comprehensive healthcare legislation because ‘the underlying elements of it are popular and important.’”

March for Life. Thousands march in D.C. demonstration against abortion “Chanting, yelling and singing their way down Constitution Avenue, tens of thousands of abortion opponents marched through the cold Friday in the annual March for Life, marking the 37th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.”

California Budget. Schwarzenegger’s budget plan puts unions in the cross-hairs “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has put organized labor squarely in his cross-hairs in 2010, opening a fight that will largely determine the shape of his final year in office. Schwarzenegger’s proposals would cut the size of the union workforce, reduce pay, shrink future pensions and roll back job protections won through collective bargaining.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan War. Petraeus: Afghanistan will take longer than Iraq “The new American-led surge in Afghanistan will take longer to fight the insurgency than a similar injection of force in Iraq three years ago when violence fell sharply within months, the top US general in the region told The Times.” U.N. Seeks to Drop Some Taliban From Terror List “The leader of the United Nations mission here called on Afghan officials to seek the removal of at least some senior Taliban leaders from the United Nations’ list of terrorists, as a first step toward opening direct negotiations with the insurgent group.” McChrystal hopes for Taliban deal “An increase in the number of foreign troops in Afghanistan could lead to a negotiated peace with the Taliban, the commander of Nato forces in the country has said.”

Afghanistan Elections. Afghanistan postpones elections until September “Afghanistan’s election commission announced Sunday that it is postponing scheduled parliamentary elections from May until September, bowing to logistical concerns, worries about potential voting fraud and the likelihood that the U.S. troop ’surge’ will lead to intensified fighting in parts of the country.” Afghanistan postpones parliamentary elections “Under strong international pressure to reform Afghanistan’s electoral system before holding another nationwide vote, the government of President Hamid Karzai on Sunday put off balloting for a new parliament until September.”

Pakistan. Pakistan’s Rebuff Over New Offensives Rankles U.S. “The Pakistani Army’s announcement last week that it planned no new offensive against militants for as long as a year has deeply frustrated senior American military officers, and chipped away at one of the cornerstones of President Obama’s strategy to reverse the Taliban’s gains in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Gates Sees Fallout From Troubled Ties With Pakistan “Nobody else in the Obama administration has been mired in Pakistan for as long as Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. So on a trip here this past week to try to soothe the country’s growing rancor toward the United States, he served as a punching bag tested over a quarter-century.”

OPINION

They Still Don’t Get It (Bob Herbert, New York Times) “How loud do the alarms have to get? There is an economic emergency in the country with millions upon millions of Americans riddled with fear and anxiety as they struggle with long-term joblessness, home foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and dwindling opportunities for themselves and their children.”

Supreme Court ruling calls for a populist revolt (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “The only proper response to this distortion of our political system by ideologically driven justices is a popular revolt. It would be a revolt of a sort deeply rooted in the American political tradition. The most vibrant reform alliances in our history have involved coalitions between populists (who stand up for the interests and values of average citizens) and progressives (who fight against corruption in government and for institutional changes to improve the workings of our democracy). It’s time for a new populist-progressive alliance.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “He didn’t think of the ramifications, I guess. You can’t expect the whole world to know what this ritual is all about. I would suggest, pray on the plane and put the tefillin on later on. Pray, and fulfill the ritual later.” Rabbi Shmuel Greenberg, White Plains NY, on a young man from his congregation who caused a panic on board a jet as he put on the small leather boxes attached to leather straps that observant Jews wear during morning prayers. A flight attendant thought it looked ominous, as if the young man were wrapping himself in cables or wires, and the plane was diverted to Philadelphia. (New York Times)

 
FAITH IN THE NEWS
 
Firm to Remove Bible References From Gun Sights “Bowing to Pentagon concerns and an international outcry, a Michigan arms company said Thursday that it would immediately stop embossing references to New Testament Scriptures on rifle sights it sells the military.”
 
Pro-life challenges change “The Obama administration and a Congress narrowly controlled by Democrats present both new challenges and new opportunities for Catholic pro-life advocates on Capitol Hill.”
 
Blaming quake on victims shows biblical ignorance (Rich Nathan, Columbus Dispatch) “The religious person’s proper response to suffering is not explanation but compassionate relief. We are not in the signal box with God. Faith tells us that in the end, God will put this world to right. Right now, our job is to shut up, roll up our sleeves, and get to work relieving the suffering.”
 
TOP STORY-EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI
 
Haiti: operation under way to evacuate 400,000 “Operations were under way last night to evacuate 400,000 refugees from Haiti’s earthquake-shattered capital into tented villages in the suburbs and surrounding countryside.” Aid Groups Focus on Haiti’s Homeless “Haiti has approved plans for more than a dozen sprawling tent cities in and around Port-au-Prince, the first step in an epic relocation effort that could reshape the country as up to one million people displaced by the earthquake find new places to live.” As search for survivors slows in Haiti, humanitarian efforts intensify “The hunt for survivors of Haiti’s earthquake slowed Thursday, but a humanitarian operation intensified, with relief workers sending food to imperiled orphans and truckloads of water and generators snarling traffic in the capital.” Government Turns to Long-Term Needs “The government in Port-au-Prince, overwhelmed in the early days of Haiti’s emergency, is turning attention to longer-term care for survivors and shelter for the estimated one million homeless.”
 
NEWS AT HOME
 
Supreme Court & Campaign Spending. Supreme Court rejects limits on corporate spending on political campaigns “A divided Supreme Court on Thursday swept aside decades of legislative restrictions on the role of corporations in political campaigns, ruling that companies can dip into their treasuries to spend as much as they want to support or oppose individual candidates.” Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit “Overruling two important precedents about the First Amendment rights of corporations, a bitterly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections.” Court ruling on campaign spending could pay off for GOP “The Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to wipe out most campaign spending limits, coming on top of the Massachusetts Senate race upset, could prove to be a major blow to Democrats and a boost to Republicans in the November midterm elections.” High court shows it might be willing to act boldly “The Roberts court ended its term last summer avoiding a constitutional showdown with Congress over the Voting Rights Act. But its first major decision of the current term might signal a new willingness to act boldly.”
 
President Takes On Banks. Obama proposes tough limits on largest banks “President Obama expanded his new offensive on Wall Street on Thursday, proposing rules that would impede the growth of the largest banks and bar them from making what he called ‘reckless’ investments.” With Populist Stance, Obama Takes On Banks “The tougher approach to financial regulation that President Obama outlined on Thursday reflected a changed political climate, the rebound in big banks’ fortunes after their taxpayer bailout and a shift in power within the administration away from those who had been seen as most sympathetic to Wall Street.” Obama takes on banks and their ‘obscene bonuses’ “The White House, reeling from setbacks in Congress, may be spoiling for a showdown with an unpopular industry that has returned to high profits, big bonuses and risky business a year after being rescued with hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ dollars.” President Obama attacks banking ‘masters of the universe’ “While he was locking horns with the self-styled Masters of the Universe, the President was also beginning the daunting task of reviving his popularity with America’s struggling middle-class voters.”
 
Health Care. Democrats are urged to preserve broad healthcare overhaul “Even as congressional Democrats began examining ways to scale back their far-reaching health legislation, a wave of consumer groups, patient advocates and doctors on Thursday called on Democrats not to abandon the comprehensive health overhaul they’ve worked so long to pass.” A New Search for Consensus on Health Care Bill “Even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi affirmed her commitment to pass far-reaching health care legislation this year, members of Congress and health policy experts began Thursday to deal with the reality that a smaller bill would have a better chance.” Pelosi: House won’t pass Senate bill to save health-care reform “As Democrats continued to grapple with the consequences of their loss in Massachusetts, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday eliminated the most obvious avenue for completing health-care reform, saying the House will not embrace the version of the legislation already approved by the Senate.” Dem health care talks collapsing “Health-care reform teetered on the brink of collapse Thursday as House and Senate leaders struggled to coalesce around a strategy to rescue the plan, in the face of growing pessimism among lawmakers that the president’s top priority can survive.”
 
Mayors & Stimulus. Conference of Mayors Stresses Need for New Round of Stimulus Money  “Saying that last year’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan has failed to ease urban unemployment, the nation’s mayors are asking the federal government for a second wave of stimulus money.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
 
Pakistan. Robert Gates brings praise and pressure to Pakistan “Using a mixture of praise and pressure, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked Pakistan government officials today to build on their offensives against militants at the same time he tried to reassure a skeptical Pakistani public about American aims in the region.” US to end Pakistan ‘trust deficit’ “Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, has sought to build bridges with the next generation of Pakistan’s military leaders and end a ‘trust deficit’ that he said has hampered co-operation between the countries.” U.S. Offers Pakistan Drones to Urge Cooperation “The United States will provide a dozen unarmed aerial spy drones to Pakistan for the first time as part of an effort to encourage Pakistan’s cooperation in fighting Islamic militants on the Afghanistan border.”
 
Afghanistan. New Afghan initiative: Convince insurgents to switch sides “Facing a worsening Taliban-led insurgency and growing domestic opposition to the Afghanistan war, the leaders of the U.S. and Britain are under pressure to find a political path out of a conflict that they concede can’t be won militarily.” U.S. ambassador puts brakes on plan to utilize Afghan militias against Taliban “The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and senior Afghan officials have resisted moving forward with a bold and potentially risky initiative to support local militias in Afghanistan that are willing to defend their villages against insurgents, according to U.S. officials.”
 
Yemen. Al Qaeda’s Deep Tribal Ties Make Yemen a Terror Hub  “Yemen’s al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is a largely homegrown movement, with carefully cultivated local ties. That sets it apart from other al Qaeda affiliates, and could make it much more difficult to dislodge.”
 
Israel-Palestine. US envoy holds talks in West Bank “US Envoy George Mitchell has met Palestinian leaders a day after holding talks in Israel in his latest push to restart peace talks.” Mitchell holds talks with Abbas as hopes for ME peace fade “The US envoy to the Middle East was holding talks with the Palestinian leader on Friday afternoon, even as hopes that Washington could restart Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations anytime soon continued to fade.” Mitchell acknowledges difficulties “Israel and the Palestinians have questioned each other’s commitment to peace amid the launch by George Mitchell, the US envoy for the Middle East, of a new round of shuttle diplomacy.”
 
China & Internet. China denounces US free internet call “China has denounced US criticism of its internet controls, saying it could harm ties between the two countries.” Clinton attacks China’s new ‘Berlin Wall’  “Hillary Clinton has deepened a row over freedom of expression in China by warning Beijing that its alleged attack on Google would have ‘consequences’ and comparing its censorship of the internet to the Berlin Wall.”
 
OPINION

The Court’s Blow to Democracy (Editorial, New York Times) “With a single, disastrous 5-to-4 ruling, the Supreme Court has thrust politics back to the robber-baron era of the 19th century. Disingenuously waving the flag of the First Amendment, the court’s conservative majority has paved the way for corporations to use their vast treasuries to overwhelm elections and intimidate elected officials into doing their bidding.”
 
Campaign finance ruling reflects Supreme Court’s growing audacity (Michael Waldman, Washington Post) “This far-reaching ruling augurs a significant power struggle. For the first time since 1937, an increasingly conservative federal judiciary faces a progressive and activist Congress and president.”
 
Do the Right Thing (Paul Krugman, New York Times) “A message to House Democrats: This is your moment of truth. You can do the right thing and pass the Senate health care bill. Or you can look for an easy way out, make excuses and fail the test of history.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “The special forces guys — they hunt men basically. We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. We do, we hunt them down. Get the hound of heaven after them, so we get them into the kingdom. That’s what we do, that’s our business.” Lieutenant-Colonel Gary Hensley, chief of the US military chaplains in Afghanistan, in a recorded sermon to soldiers. (Al Jazeera)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Religious Groups Step In to Fill In the Gaps “With Haiti’s government unable to provide for its people, it has fallen to groups like this one to fill the gap as best they can. Religious missions, with their deep community connections, are proving to be critical conduits of help, both spiritual and material.”

Thousands of volunteers made helping in Haiti a habit “Relief agencies, many run by U.S. religious groups, have raced to Haiti since the devastating earthquake a week ago. But thousands of professional aid workers and faith-driven volunteers had been going for years.”

Americans’ bias against Jews, Muslims linked, poll says “A poll about Americans’ views on Islam concludes that the strongest predictor of prejudice against Muslims is whether a person holds similar feelings about Jews.”

BREAKING NEWS-CAMPAIGN SPENDING

Supreme Court rolls back campaign spending limits “The Supreme Court has ruled that corporations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, easing decades-old limits on their participation in federal campaigns.”

TOP STORY-EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI

Aftershock and Relief. Nightmare in Haiti: Untreated Illness and Injury “A strong aftershock rattled Haiti once again on Wednesday, causing even more physical damage and further traumatizing the jittery population. But the authorities said the biggest dangers now facing survivors of last week’s major earthquake were untreated wounds and rising disease, not falling debris.” Earthquake aftershock in Haiti spurs exodus from Port-au-Prince “Haitians pushed and clawed onto rusty boats and dented buses by the thousands Wednesday, hoping to escape a capital city newly unnerved by the strongest aftershock since the Jan. 12 earthquake.” Haiti homeless reach 2 million “Earth-moving equipment is being used in an effort to speed up the burial of 200,000 people estimated to have died in last week’s disaster while estimates of those made homeless have leapt by a third to 2 million.” US diverts 4,000 troops to Haiti “The US is sending another 4,000 sailors and marines to Haiti for the earthquake relief effort, diverting them from deployments in the Gulf and Africa.” Marine unit headed for Afghanistan now rerouted to Haiti “About 4,000 marines and sailors from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, N.C., who were scheduled to leave for Afghanistan this week, will instead steam to Haiti to support humanitarian relief operations.”

Haitian Immigrants. Vows to Move Fast for Haitian Immigrants in U.S. “Federal immigration officials met with dozens of community leaders and laid out plans to expedite the process and provide most illegal Haitian workers with documents, including work permits, within three months.” 200,000 undocumented Haitians to seek legal status “Federal immigration officials are expecting up to 200,000 undocumented Haitian immigrants, including nearly 68,000 in South Florida, to apply for a new federal immigration program that would allow the migrants to legally remain and work in the United States for 18 months.”

NEWS AT HOME

Massachusetts Election. Obama blames Massachusetts Senate loss on middle-class economic pain “President Obama on Wednesday blamed the Democrats’ stunning loss of their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate on his administration’s failure to give voice to the economic frustrations of the middle class.” Scott Brown’s Massachusetts win fueled by independent voters “In 2008, most independent voters went for Obama. But Scott Brown’s US Senate victory in Massachusetts shows that, even in a liberal state, independents won’t necessarily stick with him.” A new political landscape “Scott Brown emerged from his hotel room late yesterday morning for his first press conference as US Senator-elect, telling a function room packed with scores of reporters that he would head to Washington immediately, but deflecting questions about specifics of his agenda.” How will Obama adjust, and will it save his presidency? “President Barack Obama grappled Wednesday with the fallout from the stunning Republican Senate election in Massachusetts, a stinging loss that could drive him to stay the course in tough times – a la Ronald Reagan in 1982 – or tack toward the center and work more with the Republicans – as Bill Clinton did after 1994.”

Health Care. Democrats reconsider healthcare possibilities “President Obama and congressional Democrats are rethinking their healthcare strategy in the wake of a Republican victory in the Massachusetts Senate race, giving serious consideration to abandoning the comprehensive approach in favor of incremental steps that might salvage key elements of the package.” Obama Weighs Paring Goals for Health Bill “President Obama signaled on Wednesday that he might be willing to scale back his proposed health care overhaul to a version that could attract bipartisan support, as the White House and Congressional Democrats grappled with a political landscape transformed by the Republican victory in the Massachusetts Senate race.” House Democrats reluctant to take up Senate health-care reform bill “Determined to enact a health-care reform bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggled Wednesday to sell the Senate version of the legislation to reluctant Democrats, even as party moderates raised doubts about forging ahead without bipartisan support.”

Bank Limits. Proposal Set to Curb Bank Giants “President Barack Obama on Thursday is expected to propose new limits on the size and risk taken by the country’s biggest banks, marking the administration’s latest assault on Wall Street in what could mark a return, at least in spirit, to some of the curbs on finance put in place during the Great Depression.” Obama to Propose Limits on Risks Taken by Banks “President Obama on Thursday will publicly propose giving bank regulators the power to limit the size of the nation’s largest banks and the scope of their risk-taking activities.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Climate Change. U.N. Official Says Climate Deal Is at Risk “Just a month after world leaders fashioned a tentative and nonbinding agreement at the climate change summit meeting in Copenhagen, the deal already appears at risk of coming undone.”

Pakistan. Gates increases pressure on Pakistan “Stepping up pressure on Pakistan to help thwart further terrorist attacks on India, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Wednesday that the Indian government probably would not show the same level of restraint that it did in 2008 if struck again.” Pakistan Resists Call by U.S. to Root Out Militants “The Pakistani Army indicated Thursday that it would not launch any new offensives against extremists in the mountainous region of North Waziristan for at least six months, pushing back against calls by the United States to root out militants staging attacks along the Afghan border.” Pakistan snubs US over militants “Pakistan’s army has said it will launch no new offensives on militants in 2010, as the US defence secretary arrived for talks on combating Taliban fighters.”

Afghanistan. Afghanistan plans dramatic increase in security “The Afghan government and its international partners agreed yesterday to increase significantly the country’s security forces and outlined plans to lure Taliban militants from the fight in a bid to turn the tide of the war.” U.S. Envisions a Continuing Civilian Presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan “The Obama administration’s ambitious civilian push in Pakistan and Afghanistan will keep thousands of Americans in those countries for years – rebuilding Afghan agriculture, rooting out corruption and using the local media to counter anti-American sentiment.” Taliban Overhaul Their Image in Bid to Win Allies “The Taliban have embarked on a sophisticated information war, using modern media tools as well as some old-fashioned ones, to soften their image and win favor with local Afghans as they try to counter the Americans’ new campaign to win Afghan hearts and minds.”

Israel-Palestine. Peres to Abbas: Resume talks or face new intifada “President Shimon Peres recently warned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that continuing the deadlock in negotiations with Israel could lead to a third intifada and that in delaying, Abbas was ‘playing with fire.’” Barak, Mitchell discuss peace process “Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with US Mideast envoy George Mitchell in Tel Aviv on Thursday morning, to discuss security and diplomatic matters. A statement from the Defense Ministry said that the two-hour meeting focused on steps needed to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.”

Vietnam Dissidents. Vietnamese dissident jailed for seven years “Leading Vietnamese dissidents, including a human rights lawyer and an anti-government blogger, received long jail sentences on Wednesday in the latest sign of an ongoing crackdown on its domestic critics by the country’s Communist Government.”

China v. Google. Clinton launches attack on China over cyberspying “Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, dramatically raised the stakes with China over internet freedom today, insisting that that those who carry out cyber attacks should face ‘international condemnation.’” Google Hopes to Retain Business Unit in China “But as Google prepares for talks with the Chinese government over its decision to stop cooperating with censorship laws there, the rest of Google’s business and operations in China hangs in the balance.”

OPINION

Some Frank Talk About Haiti (Nicholas Kristof, New York Times) “So in the coming months as we help Haitians rebuild, let’s dispatch not only aid workers, but also business investors. Haiti desperately needs new schools and hospitals, but also new factories.”

Commentary: A Poor People’s Campaign is needed today (Lewis Diuguid, The Kansas City Star) “A Poor People’s Campaign filled the final year of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life as he tried to draw attention to families in despair. What’s sad is that same all-out effort is needed today.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “I use it as my alarm clock, because it has an annoying ringtone that doesn’t stop until you turn it off. At night, I can text or watch something on YouTube until I fall asleep. It lets me talk on the phone and watch a video at the same time, or listen to music while I send text messages.” Francisco Sepulveda, a 14-year-old Bronx eighth grader, speaking of his smart phone, an example of a new study showing that those aged 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day using electronic devices. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

What’s behind Christian-Muslim fighting in Nigeria? “The Nigerian Army was sent in Tuesday to stop violence that began Sunday, after Christians protested the construction of a mosque and after Muslim protesters attacked a Catholic church. Fighting is centered in the city of Jos – an acronym for “Jesus Our Savior.”

Teacher With Bible Divides Ohio Town “To some, Mr. Freshwater is a hero unfairly punished for standing up for his Christian beliefs. To others, he is a zealot who pushed those beliefs onto students.”

TOP STORY

Haiti Earthquake. Strong aftershock rattles Haiti “A strong aftershock has rocked Haiti, sending screaming people running into the streets, eight days after another quake devastated the country.” As airports are readied for Haiti aid, deliveries hit bottleneck “U.S. forces rushed Tuesday to prepare new airports to boost the flow of aid to Haiti, but a week after an earthquake devastated its capital the relief effort was increasingly hampered by a crimp in the supply chain: a shortage of gasoline that left medicine, food and water sitting out of reach of the needy.” U.S. troops move into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to help keep order, distribute aid “Hundreds of U.S. troops surged into the epicenter of Haiti’s earthquake-ravaged capital Tuesday to guard convoys and food distribution sites, while thousands more stationed themselves on ships and helicopters offshore to bolster relief and recovery efforts.” U.S. Troops Patrol Haiti, Filling a Void “But with the government of President René Préval largely out of public view and the needs so huge, many Haitians are shunting aside their concerns about sovereignty and welcoming anybody willing to help – in camouflage or not.” Tiny Steps Toward Basic Services “While the world has rushed to rescue those trapped in the rubble, and provide assistance to the tens of thousands left without shelter, food and water, Haitians have jumped in as well to help the relief effort, to slowly begin the gargantuan task of digging out and carrying on.”

NEWS AT HOME

Massachusetts Election. Big win for Brown “The stunning, come-from-behind victory caps a dramatic surge in recent days as Brown, a state lawmaker from Wrentham once thought to have little chance of beating a popular attorney general, roared ahead of Coakley to become the first Republican senator elected from Massachusetts since 1972.” Republican Brown beats Coakley in special Senate election in Massachusetts “Republican Scott Brown dealt a devastating blow to President Obama’s domestic agenda Tuesday night by capturing the Senate seat of the late Edward M. Kennedy, the legendary Democrat who had made health-care reform the cause of his political career.” G.O.P. Senate Victory Stuns Democrats “Scott Brown, a little-known Republican state senator, rode an old pickup truck and a growing sense of unease among independent voters to an extraordinary upset Tuesday night when he was elected to fill the Senate seat that was long held by Edward M. Kennedy in the overwhelmingly Democratic state of Massachusetts.” Democratic Defeat Imperils Health Care Overhaul “Senate Democrats prepared to meet on Wednesday to consider the fate of the Democratic health care overhaul now that Scott Brown’s decisive Senate victory in Massachusetts has cost them their razor-thin advantage.”

Election Analysis. Voter anger caught fire in final days “Angry Massachusetts voters sent Washington a ringing message yesterday: Enough. Voter anxiety and resentment, building for months in a troubled economy, exploded like a match on dry kindling in the final days of the special election for US Senate.” A Year Later, Voters Send a Different Message “Special elections come and go. And the party that wins the White House one year ordinarily loses seats in the next Congressional election that comes along. But what happened in Massachusetts on Tuesday was no ordinary special election.” Democrats find themselves on wrong end of the politics of discontent “President Obama and the Democrats rode a wave of anger aimed at the presidency of George W. Bush to victories in 2006 and 2008. Now, a year to the day after Obama was sworn into office, in a dramatic reversal of fortunes, populist anger has turned sharply against the president and his party.”

Military & Congressional Trips. Military Helps Fund Congressional Trips “Military officials bought thousands of dollars worth of alcohol, food and other amenities for the U.S. lawmakers they accompanied on trips overseas, travel records viewed by The Wall Street Journal show.”

Consumer Protection. Obama Pressing for Protections Against Lenders “President Obama on Tuesday stepped into the middle of a fierce lobbying battle by reinforcing his support for an independent agency to protect consumers against lending abuses that contributed to the financial crisis.”

Budget Deficit. White House, Democratic lawmakers cut deal on deficit commission “Faced with growing alarm over the nation’s soaring debt, the White House and congressional Democrats tentatively agreed Tuesday to create an independent budget commission and to put its recommendations for fiscal solvency to a vote in Congress by the end of this year.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan. Karzai plans to woo Taliban “Afghanistan’s president will unveil a plan in the next eight days to offer work, education, pensions and land to Taliban fighters who lay down their weapons.” After Attack, Afghans Question Motives or See Conspiracies “Stoic about the assault, convinced that it would happen again and lacking faith in the government’s ability to stop such attacks, those who work near the sites that were attacked were most interested in the question of why the insurgents had not killed more civilians.” U.S. aid workers find few trained Afghan partners “Alongside the thousands of additional U.S. troops, civilian aid workers are surging into Afghanistan to help refurbish schools, open rural health clinics, build irrigation systems, vaccinate livestock and provide fertilizer to farmers.”

Al Qaeda & South Asia. Al-Qaeda ’seeking South Asia war’ “Al-Qaeda is trying to destabilise the whole of South Asia hoping to provoke war between India and Pakistan, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says.” Gates warning on South Asia threat “The US defence secretary has cautioned India and Pakistan that South Asian groups are seeking to destabilise the entire region and could trigger a war between them.”

Yemen. Yemen jets raid ‘al-Qaeda hideout’ “Yemeni fighter jets have attacked the home of a suspected leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, as the military steps up pressure on the group.” Ex-Convicts From U.S. Said to Join Yemen Radicals “Some American former convicts who converted to Islam in prison have moved to Yemen and a few may have joined extremist groups there, according to a new Senate report.”

Iran. Iran ‘formally rejects nuclear fuel deal’ “Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency it does not accept the terms of a deal to ease concerns about its nuclear programme, diplomats say.”

OPINION

The lesson of Massachusetts? Anger (Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times) “Much of the disaffection in Massachusetts came from self-described independents. That’s significant because independents are concentrated in middle-class suburbs where physical and economic security are overriding preoccupations. Today, those anxieties are both real and justified, though not as critiques of Obama’s first year.”

GOP win doesn’t mean health reform is dead (Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post) “The first thing to say is that while those of us who are Washington insiders may be focused on health reform, the country has its mind on lots of other things. First and foremost is a lousy economy that has resulted in lots of lost jobs and lost wealth, a big spike in the federal deficit, and big budget shortfalls for state and local governments.”

Centrist, and Yet Not Unified (David Leonhardt, New York Times) “But given the sudden uncertainty over health reform’s fate, this does seem to be an important time to boil down its substance. Here’s my attempt: The bills before Congress are politically partisan and substantively bipartisan.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “It’s like we’ve got more going on in our parking lot than we do within the walls of the church.” Craig Goodwin, pastor of Millwood (WA) Community Presbyterian Church. When the church was told it would have to close its farmers’ market on the church parking lot or the lot could no longer be claimed as tax-exempt, it decided to keep the market and pay the $700 in annual taxes. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

As Haitians Flee, the Dead Go Uncounted “Along with everything else stolen by last week’s earthquake, Haitians must now add another loss: the ability to identify and bury the dead. Funeral rites are among the most sacred of all ceremonies to Haitians.”

Compassion more widespread than violence in Haiti, say Mennonites “Acts of compassion – Haitians working together to help neighbours and strangers – is far more prevalent than the incidents of violence that are reported on the international media, say Mennonite aid workers.”

Obama speaks from pulpit, noting progress and difficulty in America “President Obama, speaking Sunday from the pulpit of a church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sometimes spoke, called on the congregation to rally around the spirit that had helped their ancestors pursue a long road to freedom.”

Radio Show for Focus on the Family Founder “Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family and an influential voice for Christian conservatives, is about to depart from the organization he created and is starting a radio program that will give him greater leeway to hold forth on politics.”

Visiting Rome synagogue, pope honors memory of Holocaust victims “Laying a wreath at a memorial to Roman Jews rounded up by the Nazis in 1943 and joining in a standing ovation to a dwindling group of Holocaust survivors, Pope Benedict XVI broke the ice with Rome’s Jewish community even before he began to speak.” Pope welcomed to Rome synagogue despite tensions “This was only the second papal trip to the Rome synagogue, after John Paul II’s groundbreaking visit in April 1986. Benedict was greeted warmly, including an emotional reunion with the former Chief Rabbi of Rome, Elio Toaf, who hosted John Paul twenty-four years ago.”

U.S. Military Weapons Inscribed With Secret ‘Jesus’ Bible Codes “Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found.”

Religious Violence Erupts in Nigeria “Religious violence between Christians and Muslims erupted again Tuesday in Nigeria, as security forces issued a 24-hour curfew for the city of Jos where rioters have burned homes and killed at least 27 people.”

Opinion: Haiti, Pat Robertson, and the instinct to explain evil (David Gushee, Associated Baptist Press) “It is not wrong to ask such questions. But most explanations create more theological problems than they solve, and involve making claims beyond the competence of the human mind, as the book of Job so clearly shows. The best response to evil seems to be to weep with those who weep, while working alongside them to repair broken lives, broken societies, and our broken world.”

TOP NEWS

Haiti Aid. US starts aid airdrops into Haiti “The US military has begun airdropping food and water supplies into earthquake-hit Haiti. Some 14,000 ready-to-eat meals and 15,000 litres of water were dropped north-east of the capital, Port-au-Prince,” Haiti earthquake relief is stifled by chaos in Port-au-Prince “Security has emerged as one of the most formidable challenges in this earthquake-shattered capital, officials said Monday, limiting the ability of the United Nations and relief officials from elsewhere to distribute the food and medicine beginning to pile up at the airport.” Haitian quake victims wait in the shadow of international aid “But until those in charge figure out how to distribute it, all that emergency aid remains out of reach for those living almost under the flight path.” Escaping the Capital as Help Is Arriving “… the exodus from the capital accelerated on Monday, by boat, bus, car and truck, in uncertain quest for shelter, fresh water and stability in the countryside. They sought to leave an anarchic city marked by acute shortages of basic goods and aid efforts hampered by bottlenecks and security fears.”

Haiti Aftermath. Survivors’ Fears Turn to Homelessness “Swaths of Haiti’s capital have been transformed into vast refugee camps, as Haitians who saw massive loss of life from last week’s earthquake now grapple with widespread homelessness.” Haiti earthquake survivors face disease threat “The spread of disease has become a major concern in Haiti, medical experts said today, as relief groups struggled to speed up the delivery of supplies to hungry and thirsty earthquake survivors.” Million orphans face uncertain future in Haiti “Unicef estimates that with 380,000 children already struggling with the loss of one or both parents before disaster struck, the scale of the crisis facing authorities there now has leaped to ‘unbearable proportions.’”

Haiti Immigrants. Haitians Illegally in US Given Protected Status “Calling the aftermath of the earthquake ‘a disaster of historic proportions,’ the secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano, said she was granting the designation, known as temporary protected status, for Haitian immigrants because their safety would be at risk if they were deported.” US to change illegal Haitian immigrants’ status “In an attempt to ensure the flow of remittances to devastated Haiti, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Friday that the Obama administration would temporarily grant legal status to the tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants who were living in the United States illegally before this week’s earthquake.”

NEWS AT HOME

King Day. Marking King Day, From Oval Office to Soup Kitchen “The White House installed a rare signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation in the Oval Office on Monday, just in time for President Obama to mark his first Martin Luther King’s Birthday in office.”

Massachusetts Election & Health Care. Democrats May Seek to Push Health Bill Through House “The White House and Democratic Congressional leaders, scrambling for a backup plan to rescue their health care legislation if Republicans win the special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday, have begun laying the groundwork to ask House Democrats to approve the Senate version of the bill and send it directly to President Obama for his signature.” Senate election in Massachusetts could be harbinger for health-care reform “Democrat Martha Coakley’s struggle to stave off a potentially devastating defeat in Tuesday’s special Senate election in Massachusetts marks a critical turning point in the year-long debate about health-care reform.” Healthcare backup plans carry huge risks “White House officials and Democratic congressional leaders are exploring whether to finish their healthcare overhaul without further Senate action in case a Republican victory today in the Massachusetts Senate race deprives them of a filibuster-proof majority.”

FBI & Phone Records. FBI broke law for years in phone record searches “The FBI illegally collected more than 2,000 U.S. telephone call records between 2002 and 2006 by invoking terrorism emergencies that did not exist or simply persuading phone companies to provide records.”

Working Women. More wives are the higher-income spouse, Pew report says “In a trend that researchers call ‘the rise of wives,’ women are increasingly better-educated than their husbands and have emerged as the dominant income-provider in one of five marriages.” More Men Marrying Wealthier Wives “The analysis examines Americans 30 to 44 years old, the first generation in which more women than men have college degrees. Women’s earnings have been increasing faster than men’s since the 1970s.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan. Kabul paralyzed by bombings, shootouts with Taliban fighters “A small but determined squad of at least seven attackers laid siege to the heart of the Afghan capital Monday morning, detonating explosives, hurling grenades and engaging in a fierce four-hour gun battle with security forces in one of the most brazen insurgent assaults on Kabul in at least a year.” Kabul Attack Shows Resilience of Afghan Militants “But increasingly the Taliban are bringing the fight into the cities, further demoralizing Afghans and lending to the impression that virtually no part of the country is safe from the group’s penetration.” Daring Taliban attack in Kabul dispels any complacency “The daring raid illustrated the Taliban’s skill at carrying out reconnaissance that can set the stage for such an attack, and exposed glaring weaknesses in the U.S.-backed Afghan government’s ability to adequately secure the heart of the country.”

Iran. Review: Iran never halted nuke work in ‘03 “U.S. intelligence agencies now suspect that Iran never halted work on its nuclear arms program in 2003, as stated in a national intelligence estimate made public three years ago, U.S. officials said.”

Chile Election. Billionaire Pinera wins Chile runoff “Pinera’s triumph ends a 20-year hold on power by Frei’s Concertacion political alliance, which is also the party of incumbent President Michelle Bachelet. The coalition has held power since Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s 17-year authoritarian regime ended in 1990.” Billionaire wins Chile election “Mr Pinera promised a tough law-and-order programme and vowed to use his business know-how to boost the economy.”

OPINION

King: ‘Now is the time to make real the promise’ (James Carroll, Boston Globe) “King launched the civil rights movement, but was not satisfied – because he saw that racial discrimination was embedded in violence. Therefore he drew the link with the nation’s violence in Vietnam. He then brought together powerful movements opposing racism and war – but still he was not satisfied. He saw how the brew of racism and violence was essential to poverty, and he recast the movement again, launching the Poor Peoples’ Campaign. Yes, a class revolt, and it got him killed.”

Blacks in Retreat (Bob Herbert, New York Times) “It has been easy for people to forget in the decades since we lost the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that he was a passionate fighter for economic justice as well as civil rights. The two goals were as closely linked as the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water.”

What I Saw in Haiti (Ban Ki-moon, Washington Post) “As we rush to Haiti’s aid, let us keep in mind this larger picture. Those people on the streets of Port-au-Prince asked for jobs, dignity and a better future. That is the hope of all the world’s poor. Doing the right thing for Haiti in its hour of need will be a powerful message of hope for them as well.”

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.

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

Duane "News Digester" Shank and the Sojourners team are out of the office. But here are some links to Duane’s usual sources to browse until his return:

The New York Times
The Washington Post
The Washington Times
The Los Angeles Times
The Boston Globe
The Chicago Tribune
McClatchy
The Christian Science Monitor
The Wall Street Journal
USA Today
The Globe & Mail
Toronto Star
BBC
Guardian
Haaretz
Al Jazeera

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.

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.

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

Quotes of the Day.

“The city looks a bit like what you see in a war zone on television after a couple of bombs had dropped.” Magalie Boyer, with World Vision in Haiti.
(The Times of London)

“So many schools seem to have collapsed. Children were still in school when the earthquake hit, so there are many children trapped. It’s horrifying.” Sophie Pérez, director of Care International in Haiti. (The Times of London)

“There are people digging with their hands, searching for people in the rubble. There was unimaginable destruction.”  Bernice Robertson, an analyst with the International Crisis Group. (New York Times)

TOP STORY – Earthquake in Haiti

Earthquake in Haiti. Tens of thousands feared dead after Haiti earthquake “Haitian leaders estimated Wednesday that tens of thousands of people have died in the aftermath of the earthquake that throttled this impoverished Caribbean nation, as the United States and other countries mobilized a vast rescue and relief effort to assist the legion of desperate survivors.” Haiti Lies in Ruins; Grim Search for Untold Dead “Survivors strained desperately on Wednesday against the chunks of concrete that buried this city along with thousands of its residents, rich and poor, from shantytowns to the presidential palace, in the devastating earthquake that struck late Tuesday afternoon.” Haiti feeling aftershocks of massive earthquake “Rescue workers dragged corpses from collapsed buildings, dazed homeless wandered the streets and the death toll climbed Wednesday as dozens of aftershocks from a massive earthquake rattled Port au Prince, Haiti.”

World Response. International earthquake relief begins arriving in a devastated Haiti “Promised emergency aid from abroad began flowing into Haiti’s earthquake-ravaged capital today as residents awoke for a second morning to a battered landscape of toppled buildings and legions of dead and injured, with many people still unaccounted for in the debris.” Race against time for Haiti earthquake aid “After a warning from the country’s Prime Minister that the eventual death toll could top 100,000, governments and aid agencies from around the world were working to channel personnel and supplies to the battered Haitian capital.” Obama orders rapid mobilization of U.S. rescue, relief efforts for Haiti “President Obama mobilized the U.S. government Wednesday for a massive rescue and relief operation in the devastated capital of Haiti, ordering swift military and diplomatic assistance and pledging an aggressive effort to save the lives of those caught in Tuesday’s earthquake.” U.S. Mobilizes to Send Assistance to Haiti “President Obama, facing the first large-scale humanitarian crisis of his presidency, moved quickly to send help to Haiti, pledging Wednesday that the Haitians and their devastated island nation would have the ‘unwavering support’ of the United States.” US rushes troops to Haiti quake “The US is sending up to 3,500 troops and 2,200 marines to Haiti to help survivors of the devastating earthquake.”

Religious Response. Massive Haiti Quake Propels Massive Outpouring “From denominations and mission agencies to broadcasters and foreign governments, groups and individuals are responding to the devastation in Haiti with an outpouring of aid, on-site efforts, and calls for prayer and donation.” Bishops request collections for Haiti in all U.S. churches “Parishes across the United States have been asked to take up a second collection Jan. 16-17 to help ease ‘the terrible suffering of our brothers and sisters in Haiti’ after a magnitude 7 earthquake.”

Deportation of Haitians Suspended. U.S. suspends deportation of Haitians “As a result of the chaos and death caused by the earthquake in Haiti, U.S. immigration officials have decided to temporarily suspend the deportation of Haitians, the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.” In Quake Aftermath, US Suspends Deportations to Haiti “Immigration officials said it was clear they could be putting Haitians’ safety at risk by sending them back to a country staggering from the vast destruction of the quake. About 30,000 Haitians in the United States are facing deportation orders, immigration officials said.”

NEWS AT HOME

Roots of the Economic Crisis. Panel Rips Wall Street Titans “Comparing Wall Street titans to shady car salesmen, a committee investigating the financial crisis grilled the nation’s top bankers Wednesday in the latest example of Washington’s smoldering anger at an industry many there feel hasn’t atoned for its role in the slump.” In Capitol Hill hearing, bankers remain torn on their role in crisis “A year after the financial system nearly went over the brink, the congressional commission investigating the roots of the crisis confronted four of the world’s most powerful bankers on Wednesday and challenged them to take more responsibility for their role in upending the global economy.” Few Burns for Four Bankers on the Hot Seat “The four bankers of the apocalypse strode into the Congressional hearing room and formed a crooked line. They raised their hands haltingly, looking at one another as if to see whether the other guys were going to do it, too. It was one of the more indecisive swearings-in you will ever see on Capitol Hill.”

Tax on Banks. Administration to propose tax on large banks to target risk-taking, bonuses “A proposed tax on large banks, which President Obama plans to announce on Thursday, is intended to constrain risk-taking and discourage outsize bonuses, in addition to recouping some of the cost of the government’s various bailout programs.” Lawmakers, regulators have banks’ bonuses in their sights “With public furor rising over big bonuses for bankers, the White House, Congress and financial regulators all suddenly say they want strong restrictions on executive pay. They’re offering bold ideas, probing hearings and a pledge that something finally will get done.”

Health Care. Obama joins congressional leaders in talks to work out health-care kinks “President Obama spent several hours with congressional leaders Wednesday in a marathon negotiating session aimed at resolving outstanding differences between the House and Senate Democrats over health-care legislation and pushing his top domestic priority through to final passage.” Obama and Lawmakers Seek Accord on Health Care “With a growing sense of urgency, President Obama and top Congressional Democrats held a marathon negotiating session on Wednesday in an effort to thrash out agreements on sweeping health care legislation that could provide insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans.” Tax expansion could pay for healthcare overhaul “Democratic congressional leaders are considering a new strategy to help finance their ambitious healthcare plan — applying the Medicare payroll tax not just to wages but to capital gains, dividends and other forms of unearned income.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Civilian Deaths. ’09 Deadliest Year for Afghans, U.N. Says “Last year was the most lethal for Afghan civilians since the American-led war began here in late 2001, with the Taliban and other insurgent groups causing the vast majority of noncombatant deaths, according to a United Nations survey released Wednesday.” Deaths at Hands of Militants Rise in Pakistan “The number of Pakistani civilians killed in militant attacks rose by a third in 2009 over the previous year, according to a new research report, a toll that exceeded even the number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan.”

Pakistan. Raid ‘misses’ top Pakistan militant “The Pakistani Taliban deny their leader Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a US missile attack near the Afghan border.” Pakistan drone attack ‘kills many’ “A suspected US drone attack has killed at least 18 people and injured 14 others in Pakistan’s northwest tribal belt, near the Afghan border, security officials say.”

Afghanistan. Senate Democrats leave Kabul still wary of U.S. troop surge “On the first visit to Afghanistan by Senate Democrats since President Barack Obama’s decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, Carl Levin of Michigan and Al Franken of Minnesota Wednesday reported signs of progress and expressed optimism that a Taliban takeover of the U.S.-backed government can be averted.”

Iraq. U.S. Companies Join Race on Iraqi Oil Bonanza “A wave of American companies have been arriving in Iraq in recent months to pursue what is expected to be a multibillion-dollar bonanza of projects to revive the country’s stagnant petroleum industry, as Iraq seeks to establish itself as a rival to Saudi Arabia as the world’s top oil producer.”

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.

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

TOP NEWS

Earthquake in Haiti. Hundreds of thousands may have died in Haiti quake, PM says “The Haitian prime minister said Wednesday several hundred thousand people may have died in Haiti’s powerful earthquake.” Haiti earthquake: devastation emerges “UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the head of the UN mission in Haiti and his deputy were among more than 100 staff missing.” Haiti president describes `unimaginable’ catastrophe; U.S. pledges support “Haitian President René Préval issued an urgent appeal for his earthquake-shattered nation Wednesday, saying he had been stepping over dead bodies and hearing the cries of those trapped under the rubble of the national Parliament.” World rallies to aid stricken Haiti after quake “The international Red Cross said that up to 3 million people – 30 per cent of the population – had been affected by the quake, which looked set to prompt a huge international aid response.” Haiti earthquake: How to help “A list of charitable organizations active in the nation.”

Quote of the Day. “It’s hard because everyone’s addicted to their cellphone. That’s where we come in. We put a real, human face to it. We’re going to put the pressure on legislatures.” Jennifer Smith, president of FocusDriven, a new organization patterned after Mothers Against Drunk Driving, that will combat driver cellphone use, after a new study showing that 28% of traffic accidents occur when people talk on cellphones or send text messages while driving. (Washington Post)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

New statement ‘first-ever consensus’ on religious expression and U.S. law “A diverse group of leaders who often find themselves on opposite sides of the contentious battles at the intersection of church and state joined forces Jan. 12 to unveil an unprecedented consensus statement aimed at advancing public understanding of — and preventing needless controversy over — the legal issues around religious expression in the public square.”

Peace and justice are global Christian priorities, says new WCC chief “The global ecumenical movement must bring the hope of peace and justice to a suffering and divided world, says the new General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev Olav Fykse Tveit.”

Contractor Jailed in Cuba Was Aiding Religious Groups, U.S. Says “The United States contractor detained in Cuba last month and accused of being a spy is a 60-year-old social worker from the Washington suburbs who had gone to Cuba to provide communications equipment to Jewish nonprofit organizations.”

NEWS AT HOME

Health Care. Congress fights healthcare fatigue to finish bill “Facing an electorate more worried about jobs and the economy than healthcare, House and Senate Democrats have stepped up efforts to get a compromise bill to President Obama by the end of the month.” Labor Campaigns Against Tax on Health Plans “Having failed to persuade President Obama to scrap a proposed tax on high-cost health insurance policies, labor leaders took their case Tuesday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and they said they received a more favorable response.”

Budget Commission. Talks to Begin on Creating a Bipartisan Budget Panel “Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will begin talks this week with leading lawmakers about creating a bipartisan budget commission, an idea that has long languished in Congress but could become central to the Obama administration’s promise to reduce annual deficits.”

Wall Street. Will Wednesday’s Wall Street inquiry find the real villains? “It’s been 77 years since the Pecora Commission combed through cabinets full of banking records, exposed the abuses that led to the stock market crash of 1929 and created a public furor that eased passage of sweeping securities reforms.” Wall St. Pay Is a Focus of Many in Washington “Everyone in Washington is taking a swing at Wall Street pay.”  For Bankers, Saying ‘Sorry’ Has Its Perils “As America recovers from the worst financial crisis since the Depression, some of the nation’s chief executives are offering that rarest of statements – an apology. But often, their words are so carefully parsed, scrubbed by lawyers or picked over by public relations professionals that it is unclear just how much mea is in their culpa.”

Race Relations. Many say U.S. race relations have improved under Obama, but divides remain “President Obama has ignited a surge of optimism among African Americans as they assess race relations and their prospects for the future, but the hope for reconciliation that accompanied the election of the nation’s first black president remains far off.” Blacks in poll more optimistic about the future “Despite high unemployment and shrinking incomes, black Americans are more satisfied with their situation than at any time in the past 25 years, and more than half say life will get better for them.”

Homelessness. Demand overwhelms program to prevent homelessness “In rural communities and urban areas alike, one of the least expensive and most unheralded new initiatives of the stimulus bill is quietly saving hundreds of thousands of Americans from homelessness.”

Military Deployments. An ‘unprecedented’ cycle of combat tours “Repeated deployments weigh heavily on troops American soldiers of the 21st century are quietly making history, serving in combat longer than almost any U.S. soldiers in the nation’s past, military historians say. For many, the fighting seems without end, a fatalism increasingly shared by most Americans.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan. 2 drone strikes kill 16 suspected insurgents in Afghanistan “The attacks, coming in advance of an expected offensive by U.S. Marines in the area, signaled what could be a change of tactics against Taliban fighters planting roadside bombs or laying ambushes.” Deadly Protest in Afghanistan Highlights Tensions “A volatile town in southern Afghanistan erupted Tuesday as rumors spread that American servicemen had desecrated a Koran and defiled local women in a nearby village. Taliban provocateurs on the scene whipped up a crowd and goaded it to violence, When the riot was over, at least eight protesters were dead and about a dozen wounded.” Deadliest year for Afghan civilians “The number of civilians killed in war-related violence in Afghanistan touched 2,412 last year, the highest number since the 2001 US-led invasion, the UN has said.”

Yemen. ‘Al-Qaeda chief’ killed in Yemen “The alleged leader of an al-Qaeda cell in Yemen has been killed in an exchange of fire with security forces, according to a provincial governor.”

Uganda — Anti-Gay Legislation. Uganda may soften anti-gay bill “The Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, has broken his silence over controversial anti-gay legislation and hinted that the proposed draconian punishments may be reduced.”  Uganda president wary of gay bill “Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has distanced himself from a bill proposing execution for some gay people. He stressed that the MP who proposed the bill, who is a member of the ruling party, did so as an individual and was not following government policy.”

Iraq. Blair gave secret promise to Bush over Iraq “Tony Blair promised George Bush that Britain would support military action by the United States to overthrow Saddam Hussein in a series of secret notes written a year before the invasion of Iraq. The content of the notes was revealed yesterday by Mr Blair’s former spokesman, Alastair Campbell.”

OPINION

Tax Them Both (Editorial, New York Times) “Washington should impose two taxes to recoup the $120 billion spent to bail out the financial system: a tax on the large banks and a tax on huge bonuses.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “When I was a kid growing up … it was a special thing to do. Now, it’s like you’re getting on a Greyhound bus to go somewhere. The crowding, the screening through the security … in the last couple years, flying is just not a pleasant experience.” Tom Seeley, Brooklyn, NY, on why he and his family now drive to Chicago to visit relatives. (USA Today)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Religious leaders push immigration reform “A coalition of top religious leaders, including Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, on Monday urged the heads of local congregations and synagogues to help persuade their faithful to support a push for comprehensive immigration reform.”

Putting their faith into the foreclosure fight “Many faith-based groups say that, in the mire of the nation’s financial malaise, they have been galvanized by religious themes such as forgiveness (for homeowners unable to keep up with mortgage payments) and the sin of usury (lending money at exorbitant interest rates).”

Selfishness, lack of respect for life lead to destruction, pope says “War, hunger, oppression, environmental degradation and the current global financial crisis are all the result of selfishness and a lack of respect for the human person created in God’s image, Pope Benedict XVI told diplomats from around the world.”

NEWS AT HOME

Health Care. Deadline looms over reform “House and Senate Democrats still have major differences to iron out as they race to send President Barack Obama health care reform before his State of the Union address — not the least of which is whether they can even meet his latest deadline.” Labor leaders object to ‘Cadillac tax’ for healthcare “Underscoring a rift in the Democratic political coalition, national labor leaders met with President Obama on Monday and raised objections to a proposed tax that they said would harm union members and cause a backlash in the November midterm election.” President Signals Flexibility on Health Plan Tax “President Obama told union leaders at a private White House meeting on Monday that he remained committed to taxing high-cost insurance policies as a way to drive down health costs. But he also signaled that he was willing to amend the proposal to “make this work for working families,”

Bank Bonuses. Obama considers new fee on banks “The budget that President Obama submits next month is likely to include new fees on financial firms as the White House seeks to recover the full costs of its $700 billion bailout of the banking industry, officials said.” Large Wall Street bonuses spark talk of new levy on financial industry “As Wall Street prepares to pay rich bonuses once again, Obama administration officials are considering a new tax on the financial industry — a move that could temper resentment over banking’s rapid recovery at a time when more than 15 million Americans remain out of work.” Obama Weighs Tax on Banks to Cut Deficit “The general idea is to devise a levy that would help reduce the budget deficit, which is now at a level not seen since World War II, and would also discourage the kinds of excessive risk-taking among financial institutions that led to a near collapse of Wall Street in 2008.”

Immigration. Immigration reform’s economic impact is debated “As the U.S. unemployment rate hovers at around 10 percent, a key question is emerging in the unfolding immigration reform debate: whether legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants will further erode the economy or speed its recovery. The answer is hard to pin down because of clashing conclusions in recently issued reports.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan. War’s Fury No Longer Pauses for Afghan Winter “American military leaders and Taliban commanders are vowing to carry the fight to each other and skip the traditional winter vacation, and there is every sign that they are doing just that.” U.S. general says Taliban defeated in ‘heartland’ “U.S. forces have driven the Taliban from most towns and villages in the strategic Helmand province of Afghanistan, leaving incoming troops with the mission of holding key areas and rebuilding the economy, Marine commanders say.”

Yemen-Somalis. Somalis fleeing to Yemen prompt new worries in fight against al-Qaeda “Thousands of Somali boys and teenagers fleeing war and chaos at home are sailing to Yemen, where officials who have long welcomed Somali refugees now worry that the new arrivals could become the next generation of al-Qaeda fighters.”

Iran-Professor Killed. Tehran professor killed by bomb “The report said Massoud Mohammadi, a professor of nuclear physics, was killed by a remote-controlled bomb attached to a motorcycle parked outside his home in the north of the Iranian capital.” Iran blames US, Israel for killing scientist “Iran’s state media accuse Israel and the US of being involved in a bomb attack which killed an Iranian physicist in Tehran.”

China-Missiles. China tests missile technology after Taiwan-US deal “China has tested a new technology that can intercept and destroy missiles in mid-air in a display of military strength just days after the United States angered Beijing by selling Patriot missiles to Taiwan.” China tests interceptor missile “China has successfully tested its advanced air defence capabilities, intercepting a missile in mid-flight within its territory.”

OPINION

The No. 1 killer in Afghanistan? Poverty (Khaled Hosseini, USA Today) “Whether President Obama’s plan to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan will deny al-Qaeda a haven and turn the tide against the insurgency remains to be seen. But with all this focus on the military side of the war, it is important to remember that the No. 1 killer in Afghanistan isn’t al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Poverty causes more deaths of Afghan civilians annually than all the IEDs, suicide attacks and roadside bombs combined.”

A Serious Proposal (Bob Herbert, New York Times) “The president of the American Federation of Teachers says she will urge her members to accept a form of teacher evaluation that takes student achievement into account and that the union has commissioned an independent effort to streamline disciplinary processes and make it easier to fire teachers who are guilty of misconduct.”

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.

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Quote of the Day. “Green is not just the environment. It’s politics, government, social justice.”Jennifer Auceda, 17, student at a “green school” in New York City where environmental education is a basic part of the curriculum. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Catholic bishops begin postcard campaign for immigration reform “More than 1.5 million postcards have been ordered for the legalization effort, including 45,000 for the San Bernardino diocese. The postcards are part of the ‘Justice for Immigrants’ campaign.”

Bush faith-based push failed to boost churches’ social-service role “Eight years of President George W. Bush’s faith-based agenda to increase religion’s role in providing social services had little impact on day-to-day ministries of local congregations, according to a scholar at Duke Divinity School.”

Ninth Church Vandalized in Malaysia as Tensions Rise “A ninth church was vandalized Monday in Malaysia in a series of arson attacks that have raised religious tensions surrounding a dispute over the use of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians in this mostly Muslim nation.”

EEOC: Charges of Religion-related Job Bias Hits Record “Incidents of alleged religion-based workplace discrimination hit record highs in fiscal year 2009 according to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission.”

Pope denounces violence against immigrants “The Pope has denounced the violent clashes between Italians and illegal immigrants that have injured dozens in the southern town of Rosarno in the past few days.”

NEWS AT HOME

Health Care. Unions Rally to Oppose a Proposed Tax on Health Insurance “And as Senate and House leaders seek to negotiate a final health care bill, unions are pushing mightily to have that tax dropped from the legislation.” Mandatory health insurance becomes an issue “The so-called individual mandate, a centerpiece of the sweeping effort to overhaul the country’s health care system, seemed a non-issue during most of the early debate just months ago, but in recent weeks it has emerged as another obstacle in the effort to pass legislation providing health insurance to millions of Americans who lack it.”

Congress. As old-timers depart, Congress breaks down under new dynamics “Among them: the rise of hyper-partisanship magnified by today’s Internet, talk radio and cable TV ideologues; the drawing of legislative district lines to maximize partisan purity and to avoid making lawmakers have to appeal to voters of all stripes; and the passing from the scene of legislative veterans who came of age politically in the pre-technology age and who were schooled in the art of compromise.”

Women Diplomats. ‘Hillary effect’ cited for increase in female ambassadors to U.S. “Women remain a distinct minority — there are 182 accredited ambassadors in Washington — but their rise from a cadre of five in the late 1990s to five times that is opening up what had been an elite’s men club for more than a century. A key reason is the increase in the number of top U.S. diplomats who are women, what some call the ‘Hillary effect.’”

Bank Bonuses. Banks Brace for Bonus Fury “Critics of Wall Street firms are grumbling that this year’s bonuses are far too generous. But some recipients are none too happy, either: They’re complaining too much of the payout is coming in stock instead of cash.” Banks Prepare for Bigger Bonuses, and Public’s Wrath “The bank bonus season, that annual rite of big money and bigger egos, begins in earnest this week, and it looks as if it will be one of the largest and most controversial blowouts the industry has ever seen.”

Immigrant Prison Deaths. Officials Hid Truth About Immigrant Deaths in Jail “Silence has long shrouded the men and women who die in the nation’s immigration jails. For years, they went uncounted and unnamed in the public record.”

Proposition 8. Two Ideological Foes Unite to Overturn Proposition 8 “So Mr. Boies, who worked for Al Gore in the 2000 case, says he has some perspective on their latest fight. It finds him and Mr. Olson, one of the nation’s most prominent conservative litigators, working together in an attempt to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 California ballot measure that outlawed same-sex marriage.” Prop. 8 trial to include unprecedented testimony “Scholars, gay and lesbian partners and opponents of same-sex marriage are expected to testify about the nature of marriage and homosexuality during an unprecedented federal trial today to determine whether gays and lesbians may marry.”

Abortion. Abortion rights activists brace for another year of challenges “Supporters of a woman’s right to choose an abortion had reason to feel confident a year ago, with a newly elected Democratic president whose party controlled the House and the Senate.”

Homelessness. Agency uses stimulus money to centralize help for homeless “Shelter-shuffling is a burden for desperate people and makes the system less efficient, the Community Shelter Board says. Starting this month, the agency is using federal stimulus money to launch a ‘centralized point of access’ plan.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan. British journalist killed in Afghanistan “Rupert Hamer, 39, the Defence Correspondent of the Sunday Mirror, was embedded with US Marines in Helmand Province and on patrol when the roadside bomb struck.” White House Aides Said to Chafe at Slow Pace of Afghan Surge “Senior White House advisers are frustrated by what they say is the Pentagon’s slow pace in deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and its inability to live up to an initial promise to have all of the forces in the country by next summer.” Afghans more optimistic for future, survey shows “Most Afghans are increasingly optimistic about the state of their country, a poll commissioned by the BBC, ABC News and Germany’s ARD shows. Of more than 1,500 Afghans questioned, 70% said they believed Afghanistan was going in the right direction.”

Yemen. Obama: No US troops to Yemen “The US president has said he has no intention of sending troops to Yemen, adding that he still believes the centre of al-Qaeda activity lies along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Yemeni president vows crackdown on al-Qaeda branch “Yemen’s president vowed over the weekend to track down al-Qaeda militants who refuse to renounce terrorism, as President Obama affirmed in a magazine interview that he has no plans at the moment to send troops to Yemen in response to concerns that the terrorist network’s presence has become more dangerous in that country.”

Iran. Panel Ties Ally of Iran Leader to Protester Deaths “An Iranian parliamentary panel said Sunday that Tehran’s prosecutor, an ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was responsible for the beating deaths of three imprisoned protesters last summer.” Iranian inquiry faults prosecutor in protesters’ deaths “An Iranian parliamentary probe has singled out a former Tehran prosecutor as being responsible for the violent deaths of three protesters in a now-closed prison facility after anti-government demonstrations in July.” Iran’s opposition spreads to heartland “Defying the predictions of some who dismissed it as a phenomenon limited to big cities, the ‘green’ opposition movement appears to have spread to the heartland, with video and credible reports emerging from towns in the provinces.”

Israel-Palestine. In West Bank, conditions ‘not ripe’ for Palestinian uprising “Israelis and Palestinians point to a weak, fractured Palestinian leadership that has disavowed violence, the tight Israeli control and a budding West Bank economy that discourages a new intifada.” Israel to construct Egypt barrier “Israel’s government has approved plans for the construction of a barrier along its border with Egypt in a bid to keep out illegal migrants and militants.”

Lebanon. Hariri’s struggles in Lebanon show limits of U.S. influence “The victory by a pro-U.S. faction in last June’s parliamentary election has given way to a situation in which Hezbollah will keep its large arms stockpile and a veto over major government decisions, while efforts are underway to repair relations with neighboring Syria.”

OPINION

Immigration reform and the healthcare debate (Editorial, Los Angeles Times) “Thus, immigration reform would go a long way toward paying for healthcare reform — if we can summon the political will to accomplish both.”

Israel needs to rethink its Gaza strategy before it’s too late (Editorial, Haaretz) “Instead of erring by invoking the default solution of more force, which does not create long-term security or ease the distress of the Palestinians in Gaza, the crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip should be opened and indirect assistance rendered to rebuild its ruins.”

Democrats are ready to compromise to get health reform done (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “But more than negotiators can afford to acknowledge openly, there is broad agreement on the kinds of concessions the Senate can make to the House and still preserve the 60 votes needed for passage.”

The Other Plot to Wreck America (Frank Rich, New York Times) “What we don’t know will hurt us, and quite possibly on a more devastating scale than any Qaeda attack. Americans must be told the full story of how Wall Street gamed and inflated the housing bubble, made out like bandits, and then left millions of households in ruin. Without that reckoning, there will be no public clamor for serious reform of a financial system that was as cunningly breached as airline security at the Amsterdam airport.”

Religion and Women (Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times) “Religions derive their power and popularity in part from the ethical compass they offer. So why do so many faiths help perpetuate something that most of us regard as profoundly unethical: the oppression of women?”

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.

I’ve long been interested in archaeology, particularly biblical archaeology.  So it caught my eye when the Jerusalem Post reported this morning that the oldest known example of written Hebrew was discovered about eighteen months ago and recently deciphered.  Written on a piece…

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