The latest news on Congress, State Budgets, Death Penalty, Afghanistan Politics, Pakistan, Yemen, Mideast, and Select Op-Eds.

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Quote of the Day. "The Church may be eternal, but not the churches. In the past, these buildings were sacred, but today there is no sense of the sacred." Béatrice de Andia, the founder and president of the Religious Heritage Observatory, in Paris, on the number of French churches in disrepair. (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Pope begins new year with call for respect for creation, trust in God "Having respect for every human being and for all of creation as God's handiwork and having trust in God's overwhelming love are the keys to peace and to a better future, Pope Benedict XVI said."

Religious leaders step up role in immigration reform "Lately, however, religious leaders across the country have launched a more aggressive movement. On the heels of immigration reform legislation introduced last month, the faith-based movement has become louder and more active in calling for what they describe as a 'humane' immigration overhaul."

Report: Over 1,200 Crimes Against Churches in 2009 "There were at least 1,237 crimes committed against Christian churches and ministries in the United States this past year, according to a report released Monday. Included among the crimes are 12 homicides and 38 other violent incidents -- including three sexual assaults and three kidnappings -- 98 arsons and over 700 burglaries."

NEWS AT HOME

Congress. Congress will return to face tough issues "A weary Congress returns to work this month wary of new battles over big-ticket issues, some of its members said. The reason: The surprisingly bitter and unfinished debate over health care reform has sucked much of the political oxygen away from other concerns, such as energy, pollution, immigration reform and budget policy."

Health Care. Democrats plan to fast-track final health care bill "To try to speed final passage and get the bill to President Obama's desk, House and Senate Democrats intend to bypass traditional procedures when they negotiate a final compromise on health care legislation, officials said yesterday, a move that will exclude Republican lawmakers who have vowed to block the bill." Democrats may bypass formal bill process on healthcare "As congressional Democrats work toward a final healthcare bill, they appear increasingly likely to forgo the formal conference committee process for merging House and Senate versions of the legislation, opting instead for closely held negotiations between leaders from the two chambers."

State Budgets. States braced to tighten '10 belts "States across the nation begin the year facing grim budget shortfalls that could mean a repeat of the service cuts, layoffs or furloughs and higher fees imposed in 2009."

Death Penalty. Group Gives Up Death Penalty Work "Last fall, the American Law Institute, which created the intellectual framework for the modern capital justice system almost 50 years ago, pronounced its project a failure and walked away from it."

Climate Change-CIA. C.I.A. Is Sharing Data With Climate Scientists "The nation's top scientists and spies are collaborating on an effort to use the federal government's intelligence assets -- including spy satellites and other classified sensors -- to assess the hidden complexities of environmental change. They seek insights from natural phenomena like clouds and glaciers, deserts and tropical forests."

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan Attack. Suicide bomber who attacked CIA post in Afghanistan was trusted informant from Jordan "The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA operatives in Afghanistan last week was a Jordanian informant who lured intelligence officers into a trap by promising new information about al-Qaeda's top leadership." Behind Afghan Bombing, an Agent With Many Loyalties "The suicide bomber who killed seven C.I.A. officers and a Jordanian spy last week was a double agent who was taken onto the base in Afghanistan because the Americans hoped he might be able to deliver top members of Al Qaeda's network." Intelligence overhaul ordered for Afghanistan "The overhaul announced Monday will broaden the scope of intelligence gathering from hunting down extremists to gathering information about local attitudes, concerns, people and leaders as part of an effort to win over the Afghan population."

Afghanistan Politics. Standoff Builds Over Afghan Cabinet "The tug of war under way between President Hamid Karzai and Parliament over his cabinet picks entered a new phase Monday when the president ordered lawmakers to delay their long-planned winter holiday so he could offer them a new list of nominees." UN leader Ban Ki-moon gives Afghanistan warning "United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that there is a risk that Afghanistan's deteriorating situation could become irreversible." How 'broken promises' brought down a heralded effort to reform the Taliban "Still waiting for the land and money they are owed under a reconciliation program, former insurgents say they have no choice but to go back to fighting."

Pakistan. Pakistan worried U.S. buildup in Afghanistan will send militants across border "As 30,000 U.S. troops begin to deploy to Afghanistan, fears are rising in Pakistan that a stepped-up war just over the border could worsen the increasingly bloody struggle with militancy here."

Yemen. US warns of global Yemen threat "The US secretary of state, has warned that Yemen poses a global threat and has offered US support in the Yemeni government's fight against al-Qaeda." Yemeni officials, fearing backlash, play down partnership with U.S. "As the United States ramps up its counterterrorism role here, senior Yemeni officials are publicly playing down the partnership, fearing that the government could pay a heavy political price for aligning with the United States and appearing too weak to control al-Qaeda on its own."

Mideast. Israel believes Abbas on the verge of agreeing to peace talks "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed cautious optimism Monday that talks with the Palestinians will soon resume."

OPINION

An Uneasy Feeling (Bob Herbert, New York Times) "I'm starting the new year with the sinking feeling that important opportunities are slipping from the nation's grasp. Our collective consciousness tends to obsess indiscriminately over one or two issues -- the would-be bomber on the flight into Detroit, the Tiger Woods saga -- while enormous problems that should be engaged get short shrift."

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.