The latest news on Jobs, Financial Reform, AIG Bonuses, Climate Change, Terror Attack, US-Russia Nuclear Treaty, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Darfur-Sudan, Israel-Palestine, and Select Op-Eds.

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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.