The latest news on Financial Reform, Health Care, Foreclosures, Dying in Prison, Climate Change, Taliban, Al Qaeda, Pakistan, Iran, Iran Nuclear Program, Sudan -- Darfur, and Select op-eds.
Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »
Quote of the Day. “We’re down, but we’re not out. And that’s a classic American story.” Dayne Walling, mayor of Flint, MI, on community gardening where abandoned neighborhoods are becoming green space and community gardens. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Millions Worldwide 'Stand Up' Against Poverty “Congregations and faith communities around the United States are taking this Sunday to focus on the principles of Jubilee -- a time when those enslaved because of debts are freed, lands lost because of debt are returned, and community is restored.”
NAE Deals with Criticism After Immigration Statement “Leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals have issued several clarifications on the group’s stance on immigration reform in the days since it released its resolution on the issue.”
The many meanings of a cross (Gregory Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times) “I'm all for the separation of church and state. I believe that government endorsement of any particular religious sect or tradition has a corrosive effect on both the state and the faith in question. But I also think the attempt to separate religion from government is veering toward a foolish, parochial and ultimately impossible quest to separate religion from culture.”
NEWS AT HOME
Wall St. Bonuses. Obama aides contrast Wall Street bonuses with unemployment “Top Obama administration officials sharply criticized Wall Street firms planning to pay big bonuses, pointedly contrasting the soaring profits some financial companies have recorded in recent days with continuing high jobless rates across the country.” Obama Aides Go on TV to Criticize Wall Street “Striking a populist tone, several of President Obama’s leading advisers on Sunday issued stern warnings to Wall Street.” Obama aides lash banks over bonuses “Obama administration officials blasted record payouts to the nation's top Wall Street executives Sunday, calling them 'offensive' and advocating new financial regulations they say would prevent future taxpayer bailouts.” Bailout Helps Fuel a New Era of Wall Street Wealth “Even as the economy continues to struggle, much of Wall Street is minting money -- and looking forward again to hefty bonuses.”
Financial Reform. Big financial firms losing power on Capitol Hill "Large banks are on the verge of losing a key legislative battle over the shape of financial reform, an unusual setback that reflects the continued political backlash over their role in creating the financial crisis."
Health Care. Health Care Poses Stiff Tests for Top Democrats “While they may have different styles and different sets of Democrats to assemble behind separate proposals, Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid have an identical goal: passage this year of a major health-care overhaul.” Obama to wait and see on healthcare bill “The White House will not commit to healthcare legislation that would cap insurance premiums or tax benefits, taking a wait-and-see approach as congressional negotiators seek a deal, advisors said Sunday.” White House aides reaffirm public option is not mandatory “The television airwaves were filled Sunday with rat-a-tat over reforming the nation's health-care system, as top administration officials hit the talk show circuit and interest groups waged a record advertising blitz.” Millions are being spent to lobby Congress on health care overhaul “In the first six months of 2009, financial disclosures show, health-care groups spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars -- that's billion, with a 'b' -- to hire lobbyists who can influence Washington's deliberations on health care and insurance reform.”
Foreclosures. Foreclosures Force Ex-Homeowners to Turn to Shelters “Growing numbers of Americans who have lost houses to foreclosure are landing in homeless shelters, according to social service groups and a recent report by a coalition of housing advocates.” Housing counselors take front line of crisis “That means counselors are trying to stanch a powerful tide: More than 300,000 homes are getting foreclosure filings monthly, according to RealtyTrac.”
Immigration. U.S. Alters Disputed Immigration Rules for Police “Addressing one of the most contentious immigration policies in recent years, the Obama administration unveiled changes Friday in a program that allows state and local police officers to enforce federal immigration law.”
Dying in Prison. Fellow Inmates Ease the Pain of Dying in Jail “As courts have handed down longer sentences and tightened parole, about 75 prisons have started hospice programs, half of them using inmate volunteers.”
Climate Change. Energy Firms Deeply Split on Bill to Battle Climate Change “As the Senate prepares to tackle global warming, the nation’s energy producers, once united, are battling one another over policy decisions worth hundreds of billions of dollars in coming decades.” UK warns of climate 'catastrophe' “The UK faces a 'catastrophe' of floods, droughts and killer heatwaves if world leaders fail to agree a deal on climate change, the prime minister has warned.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan. Karzai vote 'below 50 per cent' “Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's president, is facing a runoff vote after a UN-backed election watchdog recommended that thousands of ballots apparently cast in his favour be scrapped.” U.S. Signals Delay in Afghan Troop Decision “The White House signaled Sunday that President Obama would postpone any decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan until the disputed election there had been settled and resulted in a government that could work with the United States.” U.S. says credible partner in Afghanistan is crucial “Before President Obama commits additional troops to Afghanistan, the U.S. needs assurances that Afghan leaders preside over a stable government that is legitimate in the eyes of its citizens, top Democratic officials said in TV appearances Sunday.” White House, key Democrat turn up heat on Karzai “President Obama's top White House aide and Sen. John Kerry warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai that Obama won't send more troops to Afghanistan unless the country has a credible and legitimate government.”
Taliban. In Afghanistan, experts question strategy of reconciliation for insurgents "'Not every Taliban is an extremist ally,' Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said last week. One of the primary tasks of President Obama's Afghanistan strategy review, she said, is 'trying to sort out who is the real enemy.'" A Variety of Sources Feed Into Taliban’s War Chest “The Taliban in Afghanistan are running a sophisticated financial network to pay for their insurgent operations, raising hundreds of millions of dollars from the illicit drug trade, kidnappings, extortion and foreign donations that American officials say they are struggling to cut off.” Flow of terrorist recruits increasing “Midway through a propaganda video released last month by a group calling itself the German Taliban, a surprise guest made an appearance: a cleanshaven, muscular gunman sporting the alias Abu Ibrahim the American.”
Al Qaeda. Questions about Al Qaeda's next move “Some intelligence experts speculate that, under increasing Pakistani pressure, the terrorist network may try to relocate once again to Afghanistan. Others are not so sure.” Setbacks weaken Al Qaeda's ability to mount attacks, terrorism officials say “As Al Qaeda is weakened by the loss of leaders, fighters, funds and ideological appeal, the extremist network's ability to attack targets in the United States and Western Europe has diminished.”
Pakistan. Pakistan pounds Taliban targets “Pakistani troops backed by heavy artillery are continuing to pound suspected Taliban targets in South Waziristan province.” Pakistan 'push into Taliban area' “The Pakistani army has said it has pushed deeper into South Waziristan as it battles to wrestle control of the region from the Taliban and al-Qaeda.” By Air and Ground, Pakistani Soldiers Penetrate Militant Heartland “The Pakistani military moved deeper into South Waziristan on Sunday, hitting Taliban targets with F-16 fighter jets, as troops supported by helicopter gunships climbed higher into the mountainous terrain,”
Iran. Dozens killed in suicide attack on Iran's Revolutionary Guard “In a brazen attack on Iran's military elite, a suicide bomber on Sunday killed six Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and 36 others at a gathering of tribal leaders in a southeastern province near the Pakistani border known for drug running and religious extremism,” Iran: US, UK, Pakistan behind bomb “The chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard accused the United States, Britain and Pakistan on Monday of having links with Sunni militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed five senior Guard commanders and 37 others.”
Iran Nuclear Program. Iran 'doubts' over nuclear deal “Iran appears to be backing away from a proposed deal to resolve the crisis over its nuclear programme, Iranian media reports suggest." Tough second leg in Iran's nuclear match “Today's meeting is supposed to clinch a deal to ship Iran's uranium out of the country and help defuse the nuclear crisis, but it is far from clear whether Tehran will go along.”
Sudan -- Darfur. Seized aid workers freed in Sudan “Two foreign aid workers held hostage in Sudan's volatile Darfur region have been released.” US offers 'incentives' to Sudan “US President Barack Obama has offered Sudan 'incentives' if it acts to improve situation on the ground, unveiling a new policy on Khartoum." Obama has little choice on Sudan “But even opponents of the revised US strategy unveiled in Washington agree Sudan has reached a very fragile juncture. Obama had little choice but to soften Washington's approach and try something different -- or risk a geostrategic and human calamity.” Sudan’s Critics Relieved That Obama Chose a Middle Course “A day after the first details began to emerge of the Obama administration’s long-awaited policy for Sudan -- one that proposes working with the government rather than isolating it -- advocates of a tougher approach toward Khartoum said they wished the administration had been stronger.”
OPINION
The Unemployed Wait (Editorial, New York Times) “More than a million jobless Americans are in danger of losing benefits by the end of the year unless Congress passes an extension of unemployment insurance. The House has acted, but the Senate, which has a better bill, has been bogged down by obstruction from Republicans.”
Rebranding America (Bono, New York Times) “Many have spoken about the need for a rebranding of America. Rebrand, restart, reboot. In my view these 36 words, alongside the administration’s approach to fighting nuclear proliferation and climate change, improving relations in the Middle East and, by the way, creating jobs and providing health care at home, are rebranding in action.”
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.
