The latest news on Mine Disaster, Economic Crisis, Nuclear Power, Arctic Refuge, Iran Media Repression, Mideast, Sudan, Thailand, Canada Green Energy, and Select Op-Eds.

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Quote of the Day. "It was one of the most heart-rending things I have heard. She said, 'I get to eat two meals today.'" Pastor Glenn Schwerdtfeger, Columbus, OH, recounting what a little girl said to a volunteer at a community dinner at his church during spring break while schools were closed. (Columbus Dispatch)

RELIGION IN THE NEWS

Latino immigrants proud that L.A.'s next archbishop is 'one of us' "Many agree that such an appointment is long overdue in an archdiocese that is now 70% Latino. Jose Gomez, born in Mexico, is expected to take over next year."

White House reaches out to Muslim world using new tone "Less talk about 'Islamic radicalism'' and a lot more about doing business. In the year since President Obama pledged a new beginning in the relationship with the Muslim world, the White House has begun to change the U.S. focus."

Prayers Abound as Rescuers Search for W. Va. Miners "As four miners remain missing after a deadly explosion in Montcoal, W.Va., churches across the state began prayer vigils in support of affected families and in hopes of a miracle."

Pentecostals find fertile ground in Latin America "The Pentecostal word has spread explosively here in the past 40 years. Estimates suggest that over four in 10 now follow the faith in Guatemala. And the same thing is happening across Central America - traditionally a bastion of Catholicism."

Faith groups mobilise supporters in marginal constituencies over climate "A coalition of development agencies and environmental groups is mobilising thousands of supporters in 51 key marginal constituencies across Britain to try to make climate action central on the General Election agenda."

An evil with many masters (Leonard Pitts, Jr., Miami Herald) "A few words about Christian terrorism. And I suppose the first words should be about those words: 'Christian terrorism.' The term will seem jarring to those who've grown comfortable regarding terrorism as something exclusive to Islam."

NEWS AT HOME

Mine Disaster. West Virginia coal mine rescue crews race against time "Emergency teams stepped up a desperate rescue effort Wednesday despite fading hopes of finding any survivors two days after a devastating explosion killed at least 25 coal miners in the Upper Big Branch mine." As Rescue Efforts Continue for Miners, Officials Press for Answers "As rescue workers waited anxiously on Wednesday to re-enter the Upper Big Branch mine where at least 25 people were killed in a deadly blast this week, federal officials said two safety citations were made against the mine's operator on the day of the explosion."

Economic Crisis. Bernanke says financial crisis is 'largely behind us,' during Dallas talk "Weighing his words, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke declared Wednesday that the crisis that had the nation's financial system teetering on the brink of collapse is 'largely behind us.' 'But we are far from being out of the woods,' the central banker said during a speaking engagement in Dallas on Wednesday." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sounds a warning on growing deficit "Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke warned Wednesday that Americans may have to accept higher taxes or changes in cherished entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security if the nation is to avoid staggering budget deficits that threaten to choke off economic growth."

Nuclear Power. Anti-nuclear in the age of Obama "Longtime activist Lou Zeller struggles to generate opposition to the president's vision in a much different era, when jobs and climate change are bigger concerns than Chernobyl and Three Mile Island."

Arctic Refuge. Federal review of Arctic refuge could lead to more drilling limits "For the first time in two decades, federal wildlife managers will take a look at how they administer the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, including the possibility of asking Congress to make 1.5 million acres of the long-disputed coastal plain off limits to oil and gas development by designating it as wilderness."

U.S. Teacher Jailed in North Korea. US teacher jailed for crossing North Korea border "A North Korean court has sentenced an American man to eight years in prison for illegally crossing its border, the fourth U.S. citizen to be detained on such a charge in less than a year."

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Arms Reduction Treaty Signed. US and Russia hail nuclear treaty "US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, have signed a landmark nuclear arms treaty in the Czech capital, Prague." U.S. and Russia Sign Nuclear Arms Pact "The treaty signed by President Obama and President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia in Prague on Thursday would trim the two powers' strategic nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in half a century." U.S., Russia sign nuclear arms treaty "With an agreement to scale back the weaponry of the world's two greatest nuclear powers, President Obama and Russian President Dimitry Medvedev signed a long-sought treaty that still will require the ratification of both governments." Critics uneasy about Russian concessions in arms-control deal "As President Obama prepares to sign a landmark arms-control treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a chorus of skeptics here is quietly expressing concerns that Moscow has conceded too much in the deal." U.S. looks to nonnuclear weapons to use as deterrent "As the White House pushes for cuts in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, the Pentagon is developing a weapon to help fill the gap: missiles armed with conventional warheads that could strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour."

Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz opposition 'seizes power' "Opposition leaders in Kyrgyzstan say they have seized power after taking control of security headquarters, state television and other government buildings following two days of unrest." U.S. voices concern as protests plunge Kyrgyzstan into chaos "Opposition demonstrators appeared Wednesday to have seized power in Kyrgyzstan, which is host to an important U.S. military base, after a day of bloody clashes that left dozens dead and forced the Central Asian country's president to flee the capital." Upheaval in Kyrgyzstan Could Imperil Key U.S. Base "The president of Kyrgyzstan was forced to flee the capital, Bishkek, on Wednesday after bloody protests erupted across the country over his repressive rule, a backlash that could pose a threat to the American military supply line into nearby Afghanistan."

Iran Media Repression. Iran worst for press freedom, rights group finds "The latest figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based human rights group, show that Tehran is continuing to stamp out perceived opposition in the local media."

Mideast. Weighing an Obama Plan to End a Mideast Logjam "The White House is still pushing for Israelis and Palestinians to start indirect talks, but President Obama may introduce his own proposal." Netanyahu says Israel will reject imposed peace plan "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in private meetings in recent days that Israel would not accept a Middle East peace agreement that is forced on it from the outside, sources said yesterday." I.M.F. Says West Bank Economic Growth Is Imperiled by Israel and Arab States "The International Monetary Fund is preparing a report on the Palestinian economy that praises the actions of the West Bank government and the large donations of Western countries, especially European ones, but argues that healthy recent growth rates are imperiled by the parties that claim to have the most at stake -- Israel and the Arab states."

Sudan. Election boycott widens in Sudan "One of Sudan's main opposition parties has said that it will boycott all the elections due to start on Sunday."

Thailand. Bangkok under emergency rule "Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thailand's prime minister, declared a state of emergency in Bangkok today, handing the army broad powers to restore order after anti-government protesters broke into a parliament building." Thai Protesters Storm Parliament "The televised announcement came after nearly a month of street demonstrations by the red-shirted protesters, who paralyzed the city's commercial district in recent days and paraded through the city in defiance of government restrictions."

Canada Green Energy. Ontario takes green lead with record $8-billion energy investment "The Ontario government will announce today that it is awarding just over $8-billion in renewable energy projects to dozens of companies, making it the biggest investment of its kind in Canadian history."

OPINION

An old, sad story at a West Virginia mine (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) "Only after disasters such as this one do we remember that regulations exist for a reason, that their enforcement can, literally, be a matter of life and death. We will eventually learn what went wrong at Upper Big Branch and whether the safety violations were part of the problem. But then what will we do?"

Why Hamid Karzai makes a bad partner for the U.S. (Peter W. Galbraith, Washington Post) "President Obama will soon have 100,000 troops fighting a counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan. Their success depends on having a credible Afghan partner. Unfortunately, Obama's partner is Hamid Karzai."

A sea change in attitudes toward illegal immigration? (Dan Schnur, Los Angeles Times) "Results from a just-released Los Angeles Times/USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences poll may signal another sea change in public opinion on immigration. As Barack Obama and Congress trade barbs about whether and how to confront the issue of immigration reform, they should consider how voter sentiments on the volatile issue continue to evolve."

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.