The latest news on Mid-Atlantic Blizzard, Bipartisan Talks, Jobs, Suburban Poverty, Iran, US-Jordan Nuclear Agreement, Afghanistan, UK Military, and Select Op-Eds.

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Quote of the Day. "I feel better, I feel lighter, I got my privacy back. People say, 'You'll be back.' But I read more, walk the dogs more. I'll be fine." Laura LeNoir, Birmingham, Ala., explaining why she ended her Facebook account. (USA Today)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

No Consensus for Obama Advisers on Tricky Church-State Issues "The council advising the White House on faith-based issues has voted on two contentious issues for religious charities that receive government funds."

TEXAS FAITH: Should religious groups advocate for specific candidates? "In a recent decision, the Supreme Court opened the door for corporations and labor unions to contribute directly in support of political candidates. Some conservative Christian political organizations have been critical of federal limitations affecting their ability to campaign for a candidate by advancing a particular message before an election."

Archbishop says Saints' win another sign of hope city is rebuilding "New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond said the New Orleans Saints' win in Super Bowl XLIV win was 'not just a football victory.' 'I think it's another sign of hope in that our rebuilding is not just a possibility -- it's a reality.'"

Anglican Church facing the threat of extinction "The Anglican Church in Canada -- once as powerful in the nation's secular life as it was in its soul -- may be only a generation away from extinction, says a just-published assessment of the church's future."

NEWS AT HOME

Mid-Atlantic Blizzard. Fourth Washington snowstorm of season tests area power lines, patience "As the fourth powerful winter storm of the season started arriving in Washington on Tuesday, the beleaguered region surrendered to the forces of nature, shutting down governments and schools -- some until next week -- in response to a forecast for a foot of snow and gale-force winds that threatened to topple trees and take down power lines." Storm Batters East, Closing Schools and Grounding Planes "A powerful snowstorm, the second to sweep across the Northeast in less than a week, arrived in the New York area on Wednesday morning, closing schools, courts and the United Nations and threatening to play havoc with the rhythms and routines of those who did not simply stay home."

Bipartisan Talks. Obama meets with Republicans to bridge partisan divide "President Obama brought Republicans to the negotiating table on Tuesday, hoping to stem a steady deterioration in relations between the two parties that has brought business in Washington to a standstill, left the Democratic agenda in tatters and angered voters who are eager to have lawmakers address their concerns." Two Parties Join Together, Then Resume Divided Ways "President Obama and Republican leaders, each eager to show they can put aside partisanship, agreed Wednesday that they had pinpointed a handful of areas -- most of them related to jobs creation -- where the two sides might be able to work together."

Jobs. Senate jobs bill a show of bipartisanship "In a rare move toward bipartisanship, Senate Democrats prepared Tuesday to unveil an $85-billion jobs bill that would include payroll tax breaks for employers who create new jobs, aid to small businesses and other GOP-backed ideas to attack unemployment." Senate Dems propose tax relief for jobs "Senate Democrats circulated a jobs bill Tuesday that includes a $10 billion plan to exempt companies from paying the employer's share of Social Security payroll taxes for new hires if they are unemployed and hired this year. A recent Congressional Budget Office report estimates that the idea could create up to 18 jobs per $1 million in tax relief." Reid pushes $80B jobs bill "Several key Democrats say there is no deal on an $80 billion jobs bill -- even as Majority Leader Harry Reid has been pushing for quick action in the Senate ahead of a snowstorm that has largely shut down Capitol Hill."

Education. Education secretary pushes to revise student loan practices "Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Tuesday urged the Senate to overhaul student lending, asserting that the banking industry has had 'a free ride from taxpayers for too long' and that executives with lending giant Sallie Mae have enriched themselves as borrowers rack up college debt."

Suburban Poverty. Suburbs: The new face of America's poor? "The suburbs -- not the inner cities -- are now home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the US, according to a report by the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. The population of poor jumped 15 percent between 2000 and 2008 -- reversing the previous decade's gains -- but the suburbs saw the biggest increase, climbing by 25 percent."

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Haiti. New leaders rise from rubble in Haiti's camps of homeless "In the power vacuum, Haitians have had to fend, and lead, for themselves. Many of those who lost their homes are trying to remake their lives in one of more than 500 encampments that have sprouted up around the city. Some are home to a few dozen people; others to tens of thousands." Haiti raises earthquake toll to 230,000 "Haiti's government has raised the death toll for the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Jan. 12 to 230,000, up from 212,000, and says more bodies remain uncounted."

Iran. Arrests by Iran Are a Bid to Quell Wide Protests "In recent weeks, security officials have unleashed an epidemic of arrests across Iran in an effort to neutralize the political opposition, silence critical voices and head off widespread protests when the nation observes the anniversary of the revolution on Thursday." Russia, U.S. harshly condemn Iran's nuclear move "Iran's move on Tuesday to produce higher-grade uranium for a medical reactor prompted widespread international condemnation and an uncharacteristically harsh response from Russia, whose support is key to U.S.-led efforts to impose tough new sanctions against the Islamic Republic." US seeks significant Iran sanctions "The US president has said the international community is pursuing 'a significant regime of sanctions' against what Washington calls Iran's intransigence." U.S. Eyes Tougher Sanctions Over Iran Nuclear Program "The Obama administration is working on a series of sanctions that would take aim at the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran, publicly singling out the organization's vast array of companies, banks and other entities in an effort to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions."

US-Jordan Nuclear Agreement. Jordan and U.S. Move Closer to Nuclear Pact "Jordan is in advanced talks with the Obama administration to conclude a civilian nuclear-cooperation agreement with the U.S., according to Jordanian and U.S. officials. A deal would make Jordan the second Arab state in less than a year, following the United Arab Emirates, to secure nuclear assistance from Washington."

Afghanistan. As Afghan assault looms, many civilians haven't fled "As U.S.-led coalition troops prepare for a long-awaited offensive against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, few civilians have managed to escape the town at the center of the operation, raising the risk of civilian casualties that could undermine the Obama administration's military strategy for the country."

UK Military. UK military creaking under relentless strain "Budget cuts and relentless fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have left more than half of the ships, aircraft and ground units of the Armed Forces with 'serious or critical weaknesses,' MPs say today."

Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan parliament dissolved amid turmoi "The President of Sri Lanka dissolved Parliament last night and announced fresh elections as the Opposition called for nationwide protests over the arrest of General Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief."

OPINION

The Case Against Corporate Speech (Ralph Nader & Robert Weissman, Wall St. Journal) "Last month, by a vote of 5 to 4, the U.S. Supreme Court gave carte blanche to the world's largest corporations to spend unlimited sums of money to support or oppose candidates for elected office. Big Business domination of Washington and state capitals will now intensify."

Come together, right now, over immigration reform (Tamar Jacoby, Los Angeles Times) "Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have been working for months in a genuinely consensual way to craft a balanced, bipartisan immigration reform bill. And far from dooming it, as many think, the Massachusetts election could start the thaw that creates space for a measure to move."

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.