The latest news on Afghan Response, Analysis, Health Care, Jobs, Financial Reform, Iran, Jerusalem, Zimbabwe, China, and Select Op-Eds.

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Quote of the Day. “Dickens was about half right. This is the toughest year anyone can remember, and a lot of charities have their backs against the wall.’’ Michael Durkin, president of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, recalling the author’s best-of-times, worst-of-times paradox. (Boston Globe)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Christian publishing giant Zondervan pulls 'kung fu' book “Evangelical publisher Zondervan has pulled a leadership book featuring a kung fu theme after Asian-American Christian leaders led an online protest against its imagery.”

Church activists: Leaders must consider climate change effects on poor “World leaders and negotiators participating in this month's U.N. Climate Change Conference must remember that the world's poorest and most vulnerable people will suffer most from environmental factors, church activists say.”

Minarets and Europe's crisis “The mind is boggled by the fact that Switzerland, a country renowned for its tolerant nature, could come to see less than a handful of minarets as a threat to its identity and culture.”

Moving towards a united Christianity "By opening a new chapter of theological engagement and concrete co-operation with Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, Pope Benedict XVI is changing the terms of debate about church reunification. In time, we might witness the end of the Great Schism between east and west and a union of the main episcopally-based churches.”

NEWS AT HOME

Afghanistan Policy. Obama: U.S. security is still at stake “President Obama announced Tuesday that he will send 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan by next summer and begin withdrawing forces in July 2011, making his case to the nation that Islamist extremism in the region remains an enduring threat to the security of Americans.” Obama Adds Troops, but Maps Exit Plan “President Obama announced Tuesday that he would speed 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in coming months, but he vowed to start bringing American forces home in the middle of 2011, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment.” Obama outlines Afghan troop surge, stresses exit strategy “Looking to end one of America's longest wars, President Barack Obama will send another 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan by next summer, but start to withdraw at least some American forces in July 2011.”

Afghan Response. Afghans react to Obama troop plan “Afghan officials, the Taliban and Pakistani analysts have voiced a mixed reaction to the US president's plan to order 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan.” Taliban vow to fight US troop surge “The Taliban say they will step up their fight in Afghanistan, after pledges by the US and its allies to send large reinforcements to the country.”

Analysis. With Troop Pledge, New Demands on Afghans “President Obama’s commitment Tuesday night to redouble America’s campaign in Afghanistan left unanswered what is perhaps the most decisive question of all: will the Afghans step up too?” With narrower military goals, Obama ups the ante “Six months after saying he doubted that 'piling on more and more troops' was the road to success in Afghanistan, and then warning his commanders not to ask for more, President Obama has given Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal nearly all the troops that he wanted.” Obama's Afghanistan strategy counts on time as an ally “In his speech Tuesday at West Point, President Obama turned at least one piece of conventional military thinking on its head: The belief that announcing a timetable for withdrawing from a war simply emboldens the enemy to wait things out.”

Health Care. Senators express hope for a health reform bill “Senators prepared to cast their first votes Wednesday on health-care reform, but even as partisan divisions hardened and contentious amendments stacked up, Democrats increasingly expressed optimism that they would succeed in passing a bill before Christmas.” Senators Pitch to Women and Elderly on Health Bill “In a day of desultory debate on sweeping health care legislation, senators appealed to two potent political constituencies on Tuesday, with Democrats seeking additional medical benefits for women and Republicans vowing to preserve and protect Medicare for older Americans.” American Indians Stand to Gain in Health Overhaul “The health care overhaul now being debated in Congress appears poised to bring the most significant improvements to the Indian health system in decades.”

Jobs. How to spur job growth? Obama will ask the experts “The nation's 10.2 percent unemployment rate gets renewed attention this week as President Barack Obama hosts a jobs summit on Thursday, a day before the Labor Department reports new job numbers that are unlikely to show significant improvement.” N.C. borrowing billions for jobless “The problem is that with about one-half million people out of work, the state has more unemployment claims than it can pay. So it has been borrowing from the federal government since February, sometimes as much as $20 million a day.”

Financial Reform. House panel likely to pass final pieces of financial reform “The final pieces of a package to overhaul the financial regulatory system are expected to win approval Wednesday from a key House committee with the support of black lawmakers who previously blocked the legislation to protest President Obama's handling of the economy.”

Same-Sex Marriage in DC. D.C. Council approves same-sex marriage bill “The D.C. Council voted overwhelming Tuesday to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, a key step in a process that could enable gay couples to marry in the nation's capital by the spring.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Iran. Russia and China ready to get tough with Tehran over nuclear programme “Russia signalled a dramatic toughening of policy towards Iran yesterday by declaring that it was ready to back sanctions against Tehran’s nuclear programme.” Iran says IAEA resolution 'illegal' “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has rejected as 'illegal' a UN nuclear watchdog resolution over the country's disputed nuclear activities.” British yachtsmen freed by Iran “The crew are said to have drifted into Iranian waters mistakenly while sailing from Bahrain to Dubai for a race.”

Climate Change. India targets carbon dioxide cuts “India has targeted drastic carbon dioxide intensity cuts over the next 10 years, a government report has shown. The world's fourth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide is aiming to reduce its carbon intensity by 24 per cent by 2020 compared with 2005 levels.” U.S., Chinese pledges to cut emissions put pressure on India “Recent announcements by the United States and China to cut carbon dioxide emissions are propelling India to make its own commitment to slow greenhouse gas emissions and go to the upcoming Copenhagen climate summit with a firm proposal on reductions.” Cost of fighting global warming 'to double' “Preventing runaway global warming may be twice as expensive as previously thought and Britain will have to incur billions of pounds of additional debt to cover its share of the cost, according to the world’s most influential climate change economist.”

Jerusalem. EU envoys: Israel trying to sever East Jerusalem from West Bank “A classified report drafted by European consuls in East Jerusalem and Ramallah slams Israeli policy in East Jerusalem and recommends that the European Union take steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority's status in the city.” EU proposes new Palestinian capital “An EU document stressing that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a future Palestinian state brought a sharp response today from Israel, which claimed Brussels was damaging the prospects of peace talks restarting.”

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe predicts economic upturn “Zimbabwe's first budget since its unity government began sharing power 10 months ago predicts a healthy economic future for the country.”

China. China taking on growing role in U.N. peacekeeping missions "After bulking up its armed forces with new missiles and other advanced weaponry, China recently invited U.S. and other foreign military officials to inspect a less bellicose side of the People's Liberation Army: a fleet of bulldozers."

OPINION

The Afghanistan Speech (New York Times) “In his speech Tuesday night, President Obama showed considerable political courage by addressing that pessimism and despair head-on. He explained why the United States cannot walk away from the war and outlined an ambitious and high-risk strategy for driving back the Taliban and bolstering the Afghan government so American troops can eventually go home.”

A show of resolve (Chicago Tribune) “President Barack Obama asked his citizenry Tuesday night to give fresh support -- and 30,000 fresh troops -- to a war in Afghanistan that many Americans don't understand. He made a compelling case on five key matters:”

A welcome move by Obama (Globe & Mail, Toronto) “Canadians unaccustomed to whistling “Hail to the Chief” should cheer Barack Obama's speech on Afghanistan. Mr. Obama's approach is a welcome intensification of efforts in the country, and is the best possible plan for a region that is beset with danger and presents political difficulties at home.”

Leading article: A policy of calm remains the best course with Iran (Independent, London) “From Tehran's point of view, the country already faces a hostile West determined to isolate it and bludgeon it into compliance with their demands on its nuclear ambitions. Further confontration with the West carries with it no additional risks and could even benefit the besieged administration at home by staging a public tweaking of the tail of the British lion, as it did with the UK Marines seized two and a half years ago.”

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.