Quote of the Day. “Winning and losing is part of the game. From the time you start playing, you understand that at the end of the season only one can win and it’s not always going to be you. They won. Congratulations.” Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies on the World Series won by the New York Yankees. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Virginia bishop urges mercy for convicted sniper set to be executed “As Virginia prepared to execute convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad, Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington called for mercy and urged that Muhammad’s sentence be commuted to life in prison without possibility of parole.”
Climate Change Prompts Call for ‘Urgent’ Action Beyond Emissions Cuts “Some of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations have issued a joint statement pressing for urgent action amid changing climate conditions, saying that unless such action is taken, it will not be possible to ensure the food security of the growing world population.”
Burnt Offerings (Lauren Winner, Wall St. Journal) “Last week the joke was ignited—literally, at the Halloween book burning sponsored by Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, N.C. The church’s Web site declared theburning to be ‘a great success.’ Works thrown into the flames included those by supposed heretics Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and emergent church guru Brian McLaren.”
NEWS AT HOME
Rampage kills 12, wounds 31 “The gunshots came out of the blue. An Army psychiatrist, trained to treat soldiers under stress, allegedly opened fire Thursday in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood, Tex.” Suspect Was ‘Mortified’ About Deployment to War “He had also more recently expressed deep concerns about being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. Having counseled scores of returning soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, first at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and more recently at Fort Hood, he knew all too well the terrifying realities of war, said a cousin, Nader Hasan." Fort Hood shooting suspect was to deploy to Iraq soon “He was trained by the military as a psychiatrist to help returning soldiers deal with the mental stress of combat, but by some reports, the horror stories he heard gradually began to change him too.” Fort Hood has felt the strain of repeated deployments "Fort Hood, the Texas military base that was the scene of a mass shooting Thursday, has been hard hit by the growing strain on the Army from multiple combat deployments — with its personnel suffering the highest number of suicides among Army installations since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003."
Health Care.Democrats say House vote on health overhaul set for Sat. could slip to Sun. or next week “A House leader says Democrats haven’t yet lined up enough votes to pass their health care overhaul bill and may push the vote set for Saturday back one day or more.” Abortion, immigration are factors in health-care reform vote “House Democratic leaders were struggling Thursday to contain uprisings on the hot-button issues of abortion and immigration that have left them little margin for error as they attempt to push through a massive health-care reform bill this weekend.” Seniors and doctors give key boost to healthcare bill “With a historic House vote on a $1-trillion healthcare bill barely 48 hours away, battle lines are hardening as lobbying groups for seniors and doctors endorse the legislation, while thousands of protesters swarmed Capitol Hill to oppose it.” House Democrats Seek Allies for Health Care Vote “House Democratic leaders worked furiously on Thursday to secure the final votes for weekend approval of a sweeping health care overhaul as President Obama threw his weight behind the lobbying effort and Republicans dug in against the health plan.”
Unemployment. Unemployment rate jumps to 10.2 percent; highest since 1983 “More than one in 10 members of the American workforce were unable to get a job in October, the Labor Department said Friday, the first time in nearly three decades that the unemployment rate has soared into double digits.” Joblessness passes 10 percent; worst rate in a generation “The good news from the job numbers was that employers shed jobs in October at the slowest pace since near the beginning of the devastating recession that began in December 2007. The bad news offest it, however: the unemployment rate, now at 10.2 percent, is the worst it’s been since 1983."
Climate Change. Democrats Push Climate Bill Through Panel Without G.O.P. Debate “The move suggested that President Obama and Democratic supporters of the bill will have serious problems assembling the votes needed to enact it when it comes to the Senate floor.” Environmental groups debate new tack in climate-change fight "A curious debate has broken out among American environmental groups, as the Senate balkily starts to focus on the threat of climate change. Is this really the time to talk about the threat of climate change?”
Afghanistan. Obama faces competing demands on Afghanistan strategy “As President Obama struggles over a new military strategy for Afghanistan, his advisors are trying to satisfy sharply divergent demands: assuring Americans that any military buildup will be limited while convincing Pakistan and other wary allies that the U.S. presence is substantial and not about to end.” Brown warns Karzai on corruption “Gordon Brown has told Afghan President Hamid Karzai he will not put UK troops ‘in harm’s way for a government that does not stand up against corruption.’” Afghans killed in rocket attack "An investigation has been launched into the deaths of nine people in a rocket attack in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan." Reviews Raise Doubt on Training of Afghan Forces “A series of internal government reviews have presented the Obama administration with a dire portrait of Afghanistan’s military and police force, bringing into serious question an ambitious goal at the heart of the evolving American war strategy – to speed up their training and send many more Afghans to the fight.”
Iran. Foreign journalists held in Iran crackdown “Three journalists, one of them foreign, were arrested at mass demonstrations in Tehran on Wednesday by a regime determined to suppress all independent sources of information inside Iran.”
Mideast. Israel, U.S. voice concern over Abbas withdrawal “Israeli and American officials expressed concern over Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s announcement on Thursday that he will not be running for reelection in January.” Israeli concern over Abbas move “Several officials suggested that if carried through, the move could hamper efforts to secure Middle East peace.”
Pakistan. Key Pakistan Taliban town ‘falls’ “Pakistani forces have captured the strategically important town of Ladha from the Taliban in ongoing clashes in South Waziristan.”
Kenya. International Prosecutor to Seek Inquiry Into Kenya Violence “Members of the political elite in Kenya, a nation where top leaders have long escaped prosecution for corruption and other crimes, could now face an international investigation into the violence that shook the country after disputed elections last year.” ICC prosecutor plans Kenya probe “Luis Moreno-Ocampo has conducted preliminary investigations since February 2008 on the violence that broke out during the vote-counting process and turned into tribal feuds that resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.”
Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai ends Zimbabwe boycott “Zimbabwe’s prime minister has ended his boycott of the country’s unity cabinet, saying he wants to give the body time to work out its difficulties.” Tsvangirai Calls Off Cabinet-Meetings Boycott “Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe announced at the conclusion of a gathering of southern African leaders late Thursday night that his party had called off its boycott of cabinet meetings with President Robert Mugabe, but it was unclear what Mr. Tsvangirai received in return for backing down.”
OPINION
Obama Faces His Anzio (Paul Krugman, New York Times) “If the Democrats lose badly in the midterms, the talking heads will say that Mr. Obama tried to do too much, this is a center-right nation, and so on. But the truth is that Mr. Obama put his agenda at risk by doing too little. The fateful decision, early this year, to go for economic half-measures may haunt Democrats for years to come.”
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.
Quote of the Day. "This decision sends a clear message to all governments that even in the fight against terrorism you can’t forsake the basic rights of our democracies." Armando Spataro, deputy public prosecutor in Milan, Italy, after an Italian court convicted 22 CIA operatives and a U.S. Air Force colonel on kidnapping charges for the U.S. government’s long-standing practice of covertly seizing terrorism suspects abroad without a warrant. (Washington Post)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Ban Ki-moon Urges Faith Leaders to Impact Climate Deal “U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged religious leaders on Tuesday to push their governments to take bolder action on climate change at a key U.N. summit next month.”
Patriarch calls for sacrifice to save Earth “Preserving the planet is linked to saving the human soul, the leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians said Wednesday at the Brookings Institution.”
BMS World Mission writes prime minister about global warming “The urgent need for action on global climate change has caused a 217-year-old British Baptist missionary-sending organization to write what its leaders believe to be the group’s first-ever open letter to a prime minister.”
A City of Mixed Emotions Observes Calvin’s 500th “Though Calvin struck the roots of an incessant striving that fueled the city’s early capitalist economy, if he is remembered at all by Genevans it is as something of a dreary snoop who imposed on the city an unbendingly prudish morality that some say survives to this day in somewhat muted form.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. House leaders prepare for rare Saturday vote on health-care bill “House leaders put in motion the machinery to hold a rare Saturday vote on the most far-reaching expansion of the health-care system in more than 40 years.” Abortion Deal in Health Bill Sets Off Haggling in Congress “House Democratic leaders struggled Wednesday to strike a deal that would restrict the use of federal money to pay for abortions under sweeping health care legislation headed for debate on the House floor this week.” Dems get health ready for House vote “Democratic House leaders are pushing for a final vote on a health care reform bill scheduled for Saturday with last-minute negotiations continuing over taxpayer-funded abortions and other contentious issues.”
Economic Aid. Senate extends home-buyer tax credit and jobless aid “Moving to shore up a still shaky economic recovery, the Senate unanimously agreed Wednesday to extend jobless benefits, continue the popular tax credit for first-time home buyers and offer a new tax break to homeowners who want to move up.”
Election Analysis. Democrats debate Obama agenda’s impact on Democratic Party “Democrats on Capitol Hill began a nervous debate Wednesday about the course President Obama has set for their party, with some questioning whether they should emphasize job creation over some of the more ambitious items on the president’s agenda.” As GOP celebrates victories, ideological battles between moderates and conservatives remain “A rebounding Republican Party is savoring victories in two states that President Obama won last year, but as it tries to build momentum toward what GOP Chairman Michael S. Steele called a "Republican renaissance," it faces troubling ideological fissures within its ranks over how best to reclaim power.” Energized G.O.P. Looking to Avoid an Intraparty Feud“Republicans emerged from Tuesday’s elections energized by victories in Virginia and New Jersey, but their leaders immediately began maneuvering to avoid a prolonged battle with conservative activists over what the party stands for and how to regain power.” Democrats to Use Election to Push Agenda in Congress “Blaming election setbacks on a drop in voter enthusiasm, Congressional Democrats said Wednesday that losses in governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey – and a striking House win in New York – should give new urgency to their legislative agenda, including a sweeping health care overhaul.”
War Funding. Pentagon Expected to Request More War Funding “The nation’s top military officer said Wednesday that he expected the Pentagon to ask Congress in the next few months for emergency financing to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, even though President Obama has pledged to end the Bush administration practice of paying for the conflicts with so-called supplemental funds that are outside the normal Defense Department budget.”
Kids’ Stress. How stressed are kids? More than we think “Worrying about school and about their family’s finances are causing the most stress for kids, according to the American Psychological Association, which for the first time included young people ages 8 to 17 in its annual Stress in America survey, released Tuesday.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Climate Change. Barcelona climate talks beset by rich-poor stalemate “The gap between rich and poor countries over a global climate deal appears insurmountable at UN talks in Barcelona, with countries sticking to positions that are fundamentally as far apart as they were a month ago.”
Afghanistan-British Troop Deaths. Troop Deaths in Afghanistan Stir British Outcry “The deaths of five British soldiers at the hands of an Afghan policeman with whom they were working have unleashed an outcry in Britain and highlighted the vulnerability of Western troops as they carry out a key part of the counterinsurgency strategy to train more members of the Afghan Army and the police." Policeman who killed British troops ‘is back with Taliban’ “The gunman who killed five British soldiers in an attack in Afghanistan’s Helmand province was today back with Taliban fighters who greeted him with flowers, sources close to the Afghan security forces said.”
Afghanistan-U.N. Security fears force UN Afghan relocation “The UN says it will temporarily relocate 600 of its international foreign staff based in Afghanistan. The personnel would return to work once security had been boosted at unsecured accommodation used by the UN” Hundreds of U.N. staffers temporarily leaving Afghanistan “The United Nations is temporarily pulling hundreds of staff members out of Afghanistan while it reviews security arrangements in the wake of an attack by militants on a Kabul guesthouse last week that killed five U.N. employees.”
Iran. Clashes erupt as Iran marks anniversary of embassy siege “Thousands of Iranians took to the streets Wednesday to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, but the annual state-sponsored anti-American rally turned into another sign of the deep divisions persisting in this country.” Dissidents Mass in Tehran to Subvert an Anti-U.S. Rally “Iran’s beleaguered opposition movement struggled to reassert itself on Wednesday, as tens of thousands of protesters braved police beatings and clouds of tear gas on the sidelines of a major, government-sponsored anti-American rally.
Iraq. Iraq MPs in election law stalemate “Iraq’s parliament has met again but failed to agree on a new election law. The stalemate threatens to delay elections scheduled for January 16.” U.S. keeps a low profile ahead of Iraq elections “As Iraqi lawmakers repeatedly miss deadlines for writing the new law urgently needed for elections to go ahead in January — and for U.S. troops to go home — America’s diminishing role in the political process is very much in evidence.”
Honduras. Honduras de facto leader ‘to quit’ “The panel overseeing a deal to end the four month political crisis in Honduras has said that Roberto Micheletti, the country’s interim president, will stand down although it has not given details as to when.”
Mideast. Abbas ‘not to seek re-election’ “Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has said he will not seek re-election when elections are held in January, Palestinian officials have said.” Obama administration missteps hamper Mideast efforts “President Obama came into office insisting that his administration would press hard and fast to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But after nine months, analysts and diplomats say, the administration’s efforts have faltered in part because of its own missteps.”
OPINION
Warnings from the angry middle (E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “Tuesday’s elections were a rebuke to the right wing and a warning to Democrats. They were also a timely reminder that President Obama needs to tune up his celebrated political organization and find a way to make Americans feel hopeful again.”
Trouble ahead for Democrats (David S. Broder, Washington Post) “A year after Barack Obama’s election stirred broad hopes for change among American voters, persistent high unemployment and the spectacle of continued gridlock in Washington threaten Democratic dominance of the political landscape.”
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.
Quote of the Day. "Nonviolence is our most powerful weapon. If they cannot accuse us of terrorism, they cannot stop us. The world will support us." Mohammed Khatib, secretary of the Bilin, West Bank, village council, referred to as “a modern-day Gandhi in a culture that enshrines the language of the gun.” (Los Angeles Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Christian Prison Proposed in Small Ok. Town “A tiny town in Oklahoma is throwing its support behind a push to build a privately run, faith-based prison that would employ only Christians and attempt to rehabilitate inmates using biblical concepts.”
Court rules crucifixes violate freedoms “The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday that the display of crucifixes in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms, prompting an angry reaction from the Vatican and government officials.”
NEWS AT HOME
Election Results. McDonnell handily sweeps Virginia GOP back to power “Virginians elected Republican Robert F. McDonnell the commonwealth’s 71st governor Tuesday, sweeping the GOP to power and emphatically halting a decade of Democratic advances in the critical swing state.” G.O.P. Wins Two Key Governors’ Races; Bloomberg Prevails in a Close Contest“Republicans swept contests for governor in New Jersey and Virginia on Tuesday as voters went to the polls filled with economic uncertainty, dealing President Obama a setback and building momentum for a Republican comeback attempt in next year’s midterm Congressional elections.” Conservative Loses Upstate House Race in Blow to Right “Democrats won a special election in New York State’s northernmost Congressional district Tuesday, a setback for national conservatives who heavily promoted a third candidate in what became an intense debate over the direction of the Republican Party.” Maine voters overturn state’s new same-sex marriage law “Maine voters delivered a potentially crushing blow to gay-rights advocates after a year when their cause seemed to be gaining momentum with legislative and legal victories in four states.”
Election Analysis. Gubernatorial contests serve as warning to Democrats “Off-year elections can be notoriously unreliable as predictors of the future, but as a window on how the political landscape may have changed in the year since President Obama won the White House, Tuesday’s Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey delivered clear warnings for the Democrats.” A Year After Dousing, Republicans’ Hope Rekindled "The Republican victories in the races for New Jersey and Virginia governors put the party in a stronger position to turn back the political wave President Obama unleashed last year, setting the stage for Republicans to raise money, recruit candidates and ride the excitement of an energized base as the party heads into next year’s midterm elections.” GOP victories send message to Democrats “By seizing gubernatorial seats in Virginia and New Jersey, Republicans on Tuesday dispelled any notion of President Obama’s electoral invincibility, giving the GOP a lift and offering warning signs to Democrats ahead of the 2010 midterm elections.”
Health Care. Abortion language complicates Democratic health efforts “House Democratic leaders, while insisting that the finish line is in sight on their overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system, have hit a last-minute snag over the abortion issue.” Health Care Debate Focuses on Legal Immigrants “The debate over health care for illegal immigrants continues to percolate in Congress despite the Obama administration’s efforts to put it to rest, with lawmakers in both houses also wrangling over how much coverage to provide for immigrants who have settled in the country legally.” Some experts worry that cost controls in health-care reform are too cautious “Democrats in Congress are embracing the spirit of President Obama’s call to slow the runaway rise of health-care costs but are shying away from some of the most aggressive techniques for achieving that.” Senate moderates wield influence to seek changes to health-care reform “Moderate lawmakers are exerting their outsize influence in the divided Senate to secure changes to health-care reform legislation, potentially adding more delays to a bill that has already missed several announced deadlines.”
Climate Change. German Chancellor Merkel urges U.S. to act on climate change “German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Congress and the Obama administration Tuesday to take bold steps to address global warming, even as Senate Democrats and Republicans feuded over whether to press ahead with a climate bill.” Tear down mental walls on climate, German chancellor says “German Chancellor Angela Merkel made an impassioned plea Tuesday to a joint session of Congress to work together on efforts to curb global warming and to help forge a binding climate-change deal at an international meeting next month.” Republicans walk out of Senate hearing on climate-change bill “The Republican members of the Environment and Public Works Committee are demanding a full Environmental Protection Agency analysis of the climate bill.” There will be no climate deal, says UN chief “According to Ban Ki Moon such an agreement will not be signed next month and the most likely outcome is voluntary targets, which countries could announce but then ignore.”
Unemployment. Policies sought to add jobs without piling on the deficit “With the nation’s unemployment rate at its highest point in 26 years and projected to rise, the Obama administration is intensifying its search for policies that can stoke job creation without adding significantly to the nation’s crippling budget deficit.”
Premature Births. Premature Births Are Fueling Higher Rates of Infant Mortality in U.S., Report Says “High rates of premature birth are the main reason the United States has higher infant mortality than do many other rich countries, government researchers reported Tuesday in their first detailed analysis of a longstanding problem.”
Homeless Veterans. Shinseki cites plight, plan to help homeless veterans “The Department of Veterans Affairs laid out Tuesday an ambitious five-year goal of curbing the number of homeless veterans, pledging $3.2 billion to an issue that is more rapidly affecting those who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars than by any from past conflicts.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi meets senior US diplomat in Burma “Barack Obama’s policy of engagement with Burma made modest progress today after the detained democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, made a rare exit from the home that has been her prison for much of the past 14 years to meet senior US officials.”
Afghanistan. PM says Taliban shot UK soldiers “The Taliban have said they carried out the fatal shooting of five British soldiers in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has told the Commons.” Abdullah: Karzai victory ‘illegal’ “Abdullah Abdullah, the Afghan presidential candidate who quit the runoff vote, has described as ‘illegal’ his rival Hamid Karzai’s re-election as the country’s president.” U.S. officials fear Karzai can’t keep anti-corruption pledge “President Hamid Karzai vowed Tuesday that he’d clean up his government in his second five-year term, but U.S. officials are worried that the Afghan leader will have to award key posts to ethnic warlords and regional power barons who’re linked to drug trafficking in exchange for their help in his re-election.”
Iran. Unrest as Iran marks embassy siege “Security forces have clashed with opposition protesters as thousands of Iranians gathered on the streets of the capital, Tehran, to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy.” Iran’s anti-government protestors clash with security forces “Iran’s capital erupted in chaos and violence as anti-government protestors and security forces clashed on the 30th anniversary of the seizing of the U.S. Embassy by radical students.” Iran’s supreme leader warns against negotiating with U.S. “Iran’s supreme leader, spurning what he described as several personal overtures from President Obama, warned Tuesday that negotiating with the United States would be ‘naive and perverted’ and that Iranian politicians should not be ‘deceived’ into starting such talks.”
Mideast. U.S. hope dims for high-level Israeli-Palestinian talks over state “The Obama administration has concluded that an early resumption of high-level negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians over a Palestinian state is unlikely in the near future — an acknowledgment that it has fallen short, for now, on one of its major initial foreign policy goals.” Hamas tested rocket with a longer range, Israel says “Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip have test-fired a rocket with a 37-mile range, Israel’s military intelligence chief said Tuesday, giving them the capacity to reach deeper into Israel and strike Tel Aviv’s southern suburbs and possibly its international airport.” Israel seizes ship ‘carrying weapons for Hezbollah’ “Israeli naval special forces today seized a civilian cargo ship near Cyprus which they said was carrying weapons, including rockets, destined for the Hezbollah militant group.”
Darfur. Saved from the death squads: Darfuris given asylum in UK “Hundreds of Darfuris fleeing persecution in Sudan will be given protection in Britain after a government U-turn on its handling of asylum claims brought by refugees from the troubled African state.”
OPINION
A Job Too Big for One Man (Orlando Patterson, New York Times) “The uniqueness of Mr. Obama provides both obstacles and opportunities. My students have found that many young inner city blacks, while they admire him, find him too remote from their lives to be a role model. His policies, if properly carried out, might very well improve their chances in life, but in the end he is more likely to influence the racial attitudes of middle-class blacks and younger white Americans. This is all we can reasonably expect. It will take far more than a single presidency to fully end America’s long struggle with race.”
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.
Quote of the Day. "It was pointed out that the name of the NAACP is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. That confuses folks sometimes. As they say, colored people come in all colors. No one should be denied the right to vote in this country – period." Benjamin Todd Jealous, national president of the NAACP, speaking to a mostly white NAACP chapter in the Maine State Prison. (Washington Post)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Healthcare provision seeks to embrace prayer treatments “Backed by some of the most powerful members of the Senate, a little-noticed provision in the healthcare overhaul bill would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as medical expenses.”
Health Care. Some Democrats concerned over abortion provision in health bill “While House leaders are moving toward a vote on health-care legislation by the end of the week, enough Democrats are threatening to oppose the measure over the issue of abortion to create a question about its passage.” Almost done: just the 2 toughest issues to go before the House votes on health care “Just a few unsolved problems – and one final sales job – stand between House Democratic leaders and a landmark vote on President Barack Obama’s promised remake of the nation’s health care system. Unfortunately for the Democrats, the unresolved issues are among the most vexing out there: abortion and immigration.” Democrats Say House Bill Cuts Premiums for Many “As the House moved toward climactic votes on legislation to remake the health care system, the Congressional Budget Office said Monday that middle-income families might be required to pay 15 percent to 18 percent of their income on insurance premiums and co-payments under the proposal.”
Immigration. Supreme Court seeks White House views on hiring undocumented immigrants “On Monday, the court asked the administration for its views in a challenge to an Arizona law that punishes companies for hiring illegal immigrants. Other states with large immigrant populations will watch the next steps closely, because their own laws and ballot measures could be on the line.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Malaria Vaccine. Africa trial for malaria vaccine “Scientists in Africa have begun trials of a malaria vaccine which, if successful, could save millions of lives on the continent and around the world Developed through two decades of research, the Mosquirix vaccine – also known as RDS,S – is being tested in Africa’s biggest ever clinical trial, spanning seven nations, and involving some 16,000 children.”
Afghanistan. Karzai vows ‘inclusive’ government “Hamid Karzai, who won re-election as Afghan president after his rival withdrew from a runoff vote, has vowed that his government will represent all his countrymen.” Karzai is wild card for U.S. strategy in Afghanistan “As the dust settles from Afghanistan’s election, President Hamid Karzai’s emergence as the victor by default cements the central dilemma facing President Obama as he decides whether to escalate the U.S. involvement in the war there.” Obama Warns Karzai to Focus on Tackling Corruption“President Obama on Monday admonished President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan that he must take on what American officials have said he avoided during his first term: the rampant corruption and drug trade that have fueled the resurgence of the Taliban.”
Mideast. Clinton qualifies praise for Israel on West Bank growth “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to soothe Arab uneasiness Monday over weekend statements she made praising the Israeli government’s offer to ‘restrain’ growth in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying it ‘falls far short’ of the Obama administration’s hopes and is ‘not enough.’" Clinton Denies Easing Pressure on Israel “Struggling to stem protests from the Arab world, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday reiterated that the Obama administration still wanted Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements, even if it regarded Israel’s compromise offer as “unprecedented.””
Iran. US will not alter Iran nuclear deal “The United States has said that a nuclear fuel plan offered to Iran will not be changed after Tehran called for the UN-brokered deal to be reviewed.” Iran’s Politics Stand in the Way of a Nuclear Deal “Iran’s leadership has once again equivocated after agreeing to a deal that would ease its nuclear standoff with the West. But this time, that may be as much a product of the nation’s smoldering political crisis as it is a negotiating tactic, political analysts and Iran experts said.” Iran students carry on protests “Largely absent from international media reports and discounted by Western policymakers more focused on Iran’s nuclear program, the protest movement that erupted after Ahmadinejad’s disputed June 12 reelection has continued to smolder, mostly on college campuses.”
Honduras. Honduras politicians study deal “The leadership of the Honduran Congress is set to start considering an accord that might lead to the return to power of ousted President Manual Zelaya.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “After all, I’m a soldier, I’m an NCO, I’m a problem solver. What’s it going to look like if I can’t get things straight in my head?” Vivienne Pacquette, retired noncommissioned officer who served two tours in Iraq, explaining why women with post-traumatic stress disorder often choose isolation over embarrassment. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Orthodox head brings ‘green’ views to D.C. “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of the world’s 250 million to 300 million Orthodox Christians, arrived in Washington on Sunday night bearing the standard as the world’s foremost religious leader on environmental issues.”
Ministry Aims to End L.A. Homelessness by 2019 “A Christian ministry launched an ambitious initiative this week to cut homelessness on Los Angeles’ infamous Skid Row by 90 percent within three years, and completely end homelessness in the nation’s second largest city within 10 years.”
Science, faith used to be allies (Mark I. Pinsky, USA Today) “What is sometimes obscured by the clamor is that there was once an era in American history when science and religion were considered symbiotic allies, rather than the rancorous adversaries they too often are today.”
Internet full of believers “The World Wide Web has become the hottest place to build a church. A growing number of congregations are creating Internet offshoots that go far beyond streaming weekly services. “
Hate crimes law no threat to religious liberty (Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star) “The clergy is nervous – the hellfire-and-brimstone cultural conservative clergy, anyway. Congress’s recent vote to finally include sexual orientation in hate crimes legislation has caused near hysterics in some religious communities.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. Obama Strategy on Health Care Legislation Appears to Be Paying Off “After months of plodding work by five Congressional committees and weeks of back-room bargaining by Democratic leaders, President Obama’s arms-length strategy on health care appears to be paying dividends, with the House and the Senate poised to take up legislation to insure nearly all Americans.” Health insurance mandate alarms some “Among some libertarians and conservatives, the most troubling aspect of the pending healthcare reform bills is the prospect of a federal requirement that Americans buy insurance.” States likely to shape health reform “The debate over whether to let states opt out of any government-run health insurance plan overlooks a key facet of the health-care measures being assembled in Congress: When Washington is done, the shape of any new health-care system is likely to be finalized in Lansing and Boise and Baton Rouge.”
Climate Change. Senate climate bill faces challenges “The climate-change bill that has been moving slowly through the Senate will face a stark political reality when it emerges for committee debate on Tuesday: With Democrats deeply divided on the issue, unless some Republican lawmakers risk the backlash for signing on to the legislation, there is almost no hope for passage.”
Civil Rights. Martin Luther King’s daughter Bernice takes up mantle as US civil rights leader “Now Bernice King, the youngest child of Martin Luther King, has a new mission: to revitalise the civil rights organisation co-founded by her father as the first woman to lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.”
Politics.G.O.P. Moderate, Pressed by Right, Abandons Race “A moderate Republican whose candidacy for an upstate New York Congressional seat had set off a storm of national conservative opposition abruptly withdrew on Saturday, emboldening the right at a time when the Republican Party is enmeshed in a debate over how to rebuild itself.”
Feature – Foreign Policy. Shared interests define Obama’s world “President Obama is applying the same tools to international diplomacy that he once used as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side, constructing appeals to shared interests and attempting to bring the government’s conduct in line with its ideals.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan. Karzai declared elected president “Hamid Karzai has been declared the elected president of Afghanistan by poll officials, after they scrapped the planned second round of the vote.” Karzai declared Afghan poll winner “Hamid Karzai, the incumbent president, has been declared the winner of Afghanistan’s presidential election.” Ban Ki-moon pledges to stand by next Afghan government “After meeting Karzai and his main rival in the disputed August election, Abdullah Abdullah, Ban urged Afghanistan’s election authority to decide quickly on whether to press ahead with a second round on Saturday.” Out of Race, Karzai Rival Is Harsh Critic of Election“Afghanistan’s last presidential challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the race on Sunday, accusing the government of profound corruption and electoral fraud even as the Obama administration rallied around President Hamid Karzai.”
Pakistan. Pakistan takes Taliban stronghold “Pakistan’s army says it has captured a key Taliban stronghold in South Waziristan, as a bomb kills at least 30 in Rawalpindi.”
Iraq. Scattering of Attacks in Iraq “A week after the deadliest attack in Iraq in more than two years, a scattering of smaller bomb attacks around the country on Sunday raised fears of a sustained escalation in violence as American forces withdraw.”
Iran. Iranian guards warn over protest “Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned opposition groups not to hold protest rallies as the country marks 30 years since the seizure of the US embassy.” Opposition in Iran Urges Continuing Challenge “As Iran prepares for a major commemorative rally on Wednesday, the leaders of the opposition movement called over the weekend for a renewed challenge to the government, setting the stage for a possible showdown between protesters and the police.” Iran wants review of nuclear plan “Iran said today that it has not rejected a U.N.-backed plan aimed at limiting the country’s ability to make nuclear weapons, and it called for a technical panel to review the plan.”
Mideast. Top U.S. officials: Mideast peace talks have hit impasse “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. special envoy George Mitchell again Monday afternoon in an attempt to find a way to allow the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. Senior U.S. officials admit that the talks have reached an impasse.”
Latin America Arms Sales. Weapons sales are on the rise in Latin America “Whether it’s called an ‘arms race’ or a ‘coincidental modernization’ of existing stocks, a wave of weapons purchases by Latin American nations is causing neighbors to watch each other with growing mistrust and fear.”
OPINION
Abortion foes seek to use health plan to curb access (Editorial, USA Today) “Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., is leading an effort to change that bill and ban abortion coverage in any government-run ‘public option’ or in any private policy purchased through the new medical insurance exchanges. That goes too far. It would mark a broad new expansion in the effort to restrict access to abortion.”
Add abortion restrictions (Rep. Bart Stupak, (D-MI), Opposing view, USA Today) “House Democratic leaders introduced their health care plan last week with language, known as the Capps amendment, that would mandate public funding for abortion. The Capps amendment is being sold as a compromise that maintains the status quo on the issue of federal funding for abortion. That is simply not the case.”
Hearts, minds and health care (By E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “The next health-care fight has already started. It’s the battle to define the bill that President Obama will eventually sign as a victory for consumers, taxpayers and the common good.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “You get a real sense of the gravity when you see the faces of those who are there to greet their loved ones. You can see the genuine anguish on their faces. It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by what you see.” Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, accompanying President Obama to Dover, Delaware, to meet with the families of war casualties. (New York Times)
Tackling climate change a ‘moral imperative, say UK faith leaders “Leaders from the largest faith communities, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, have joined representatives of faith based organisations across the UK to call for ‘urgent measures’ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the run-up to Copenhagen.”
Beliefnet Co-Founder Steps Down for FCC Post “The co-founder, editor-in-chief and president of Beliefnet announced Wednesday that he will step down from his various posts in the company to head a government media commission.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. House Democrats announce health-care bill “After six months of dealmaking, House Democratic leaders introduced a health-care reform bill Thursday that would expand coverage to almost all Americans and overhaul the insurance industry while asking the wealthiest taxpayers to pay much of the tab.” Buoyant Democrats Unveil Health Care Legislation “House Democrats on Thursday unveiled their bill to remake the health care system and said they had the votes to pass it. But Republicans said gimmicks had been used to hide the measure’s long-term costs.” Health plan gains support in House “House Democrats on Thursday closed in on the votes they need to pass sweeping healthcare legislation, as party leaders introduced a 1,990-page bill designed to guarantee near-universal coverage for the first time in the nation’s history.”
Ethics Inquiry. Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry “House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.” Ethics Inquiries Into Lawmakers Surface via Security Breach “The House ethics committee announced Thursday that it would begin full investigations into two House members, Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson, but a security breach threatened to make public the names of many other members facing ethics inquiries.”
School Standards. Federal Researchers Find Lower Standards in Schools “A new federal study shows that nearly a third of the states lowered their academic proficiency standards in recent years, a step that helps schools stay ahead of sanctions under the No Child Left Behind law.” Some States Drop Testing Bar “The research, issued by the U.S. Department of Education, called into question the rigor of tests that states select to comply with student-improvement mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind law. It also cast doubt on claims of educational progress made by many states.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Climate Change. Will U.S. go empty-handed to world climate talks? “Without a new law requiring cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. could end up going empty-handed to the international climate talks in December.” EU edges closer to deal on climate change fund “European leaders were edging towards agreement today on a massive international fund for developing countries to combat climate change after an appeal for them to show leadership from Ban Ki Moon, the UN General-Secretary.” EU push for climate funding unity “EU leaders are trying to break an impasse over funding to help poor countries combat global warming on the last day of their Brussels summit.”
Honduras. Honduras rivals resolve deadlock “The interim leader of Honduras says he is ready to sign a pact to end its crisis which could include the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.” Zelaya to return as Honduras President “The interim government of Honduras has yielded to international pressure and agreed to allow the return to power of Manuel Zelaya, the ousted President who was toppled in a military coup four months ago.”
Darfur. Africa backs Darfur crimes court “African leaders have agreed to establish a new court to bring justice to the Sudanese region of Darfur.”
Pakistan. Clinton Challenges Pakistanis on Al Qaeda “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on a visit meant to improve relations with Pakistan, strongly suggested Thursday that some Pakistani officials bore responsibility for allowing terrorists from Al Qaeda to operate from safe havens along this country’s frontier.” Clinton rebukes Pakistan on hunt for al-Qaeda leaders “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed doubt Thursday over Pakistan’s failure to locate top al-Qaeda leaders in the eight years since they escaped over the border from Afghanistan.” Clinton faces Pakistani anger at drone attacks “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today came face-to-face with Pakistani anger over U.S. aerial drone attacks in tribal areas along the Afghan border, a strategy that U.S. officials say has succeeded in killing key terrorist leaders.” Pakistan strikes deep into al-Qa’ida territory “After a sweep of a militant stronghold in the lawless tribal region of South Waziristan, the Pakistani army has recovered passports purportedly belonging to two leading al-Qa’ida figures, including a member of the notorious Hamburg cell that orchestrated September 11.”
Iran. Iran’s conditions push nuclear deal close to collapse “Hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough over Iran’s nuclear programme were dwindling tonight after Tehran demanded changes to a uranium exchange deal that European diplomats described as ‘unacceptable’.” Iran ’seeks change to nuclear deal’ “Iran has handed over its response to a draft deal brokered by the UN’s nuclear watchdog under which the country would ship abroad most of its low-enriched uranium.” Iran Rejects Deal to Ship Out Uranium, Officials Report “Iran told the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday that it would not accept a plan its negotiators agreed to last week to send its stockpile of uranium out of the country.” Iran counters U.N. on uranium plan “Iran on Thursday appeared to reject a key element of a U.N.-backed proposal aimed at quickly reducing its stockpile of enriched uranium, offering an informal oral counteroffer that diplomats said fell far short of a tentative deal reached earlier this month.”
Afghanistan. Asian powers urge Afghan commitment “The foreign ministers of India, China and Russia have urged the world to remain engaged in Afghanistan, with Moscow advocating a greater role for regional powers in stabilising the Central Asian nation.” UN to boost Afghanistan security “The UN Security Council has backed a call by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for more protection for UN staff and facilities in Afghanistan.” Support Grows for Pursuit of Peace Deals With the Taliban “The idea of talking to the Taliban — a strategy advocated by Afghan officials — has become increasingly seductive as the Western death toll in the conflict mounts.”
OPINION
What we can achieve in Afghanistan (Robert B. Zoellick, Washington Post) “This is one of the most difficult environments in which we work. Yet we have seen real, measurable progress: in the health sector, education, community development, microfinance and telecommunications.”
The Defining Moment (Paul Krugman, New York Times) “For this is the moment of truth. The political environment is as favorable for reform as it’s likely to get. The legislation on the table isn’t perfect, but it’s as good as anyone could reasonably have expected. History is about to be made – and everyone has to decide which side they’re on.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “I could never admit to something I didn’t do. I realized that if I was going to die in prison because of saying I’m innocent, well that was what was going to happen.” Dewey Bozella, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., released from prison after 26 years, when his conviction was overturned. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Mayor Deprives Rival of Black Clergy’s Support “In his quest for a third term, Mr. Bloomberg has deprived Mr. Thompson of what many once regarded as his political birthright: the blessings of the city’s most powerful black ministers, who together preach to tens of thousands of congregants each week.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. House health-care reform bill includes public option, Medicaid expansion “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will unveil a health-care reform bill on Thursday that includes a government insurance option and a historic expansion of Medicaid, although sticking points in the legislation involving abortion and immigration remain unresolved.” Pelosi Backs Off Having Set Rates for Public Option “Under pressure from moderate-to-conservative members of the House Democratic caucus, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided to propose a government-run insurance plan that would negotiate rates with doctors and hospitals, rather than using prices set by the government.” House Compromises on Public Option “House Democrats signaled that the health-care bill will include a government insurance plan that would negotiate payment rates with hospitals and doctors instead of having them tied to Medicare rates.” Health care bills would limit out-of-pocket costs“Consumers would be spared having to pay huge medical bills under Democratic health care legislation that’s moving through Congress, as lawmakers agree on the need to put limits on how much people would pay out of their own pockets.”
President Salutes War Dead.Obama breaks from Bush by saluting coffins of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan “President Obama publicly rejected the cloak of secrecy surrounding the return of US military dead late last night when he met the coffins of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan in a solemn, unannounced ceremony.”
Hate Crimes. Obama signs bill expanding hate protection to gays “When a gay Wyoming college student was slain in 1998, congressional Democrats pledged to broaden the definition of federal hate crimes by the end of that year to include attacks based on sexual orientation.” Obama signs first major federal gay-rights law“President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed the first major piece of federal gay rights legislation, a milestone that activists compared to the passage of 1960s civil-rights legislation empowering blacks.”
Cuba Embargo. U.N. condemns Cuba embargo by U.S. “The United States found itself up against virtually the entire world Wednesday as country after country at the United Nations denounced the nearly 50-year-old trade embargo against Cuba, which the island government says is as strong as ever under President Barack Obama.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Chile. Chilean Leader’s Legacy Is Upended Traditions and Balanced Books “With only five months until she leaves office, Ms. Bachelet is increasingly likely to be remembered as one of her country’s most popular leaders. Polls this month show her public approval to be above 70 percent, and in recent weeks she has recorded the highest levels since Chile went from dictatorship to democracy in 1990.”
Afghanistan. Afghan attack puts aid programs at risk “The deaths of five U.N. employees in a Taliban assault on a Kabul guesthouse Wednesday is forcing the world body and humanitarian agencies to reevaluate the way they operate in Afghanistan, officials said, putting at risk programs aimed at helping millions of people and stabilizing the war-torn country.” Attack in Afghan Capital Illustrates Taliban’s Reach “As if to emphasize the ease and precision with which they could hit their targets inside the capital, the siege was accompanied by a minor rocket attack on the presidential palace and was followed two hours later by a rocket attack on the Serena Hotel.” Obama seeks Afghanistan data to determine U.S. troop levels “President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle.”
Pakistan. Pakistan mourns bomb victims “The first funerals have been held for some of the 105 victims of a massive car bomb attack that tore through a crowded market in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.” U.S. Speeds Aid to Pakistan to Fight Taliban "Even as the Pakistani government plays down the American role in its military operations in Taliban-controlled areas along the border with Afghanistan, the United States has quietly rushed hundreds of millions of dollars in arms, equipment and sophisticated sensors to Pakistani forces in recent months.”
Improvised Bombs Spread. Makeshift Bombs Spread Beyond Afghanistan, Iraq“American military officers are expressing concern over the spreading use of makeshift bombs beyond the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan to other countries in the region, as well as in East Asia and South America.”
Iraq. Deep Corruption Rattles Iraq’s Fragile State “As Iraqi officials work to assign blame for the deadly attacks on the heart of the government on Sunday, concern is rising that a greater security threat may come from within the system in the form of corruption, from the top leadership of ministries down to soldiers who man checkpoints.”
Iran. Iran ‘reply’ on nuclear fuel deal “The UN’s nuclear watchdog says it is hopeful an agreement with Iran can be reached after Tehran’s response to a new offer on uranium refinement." Iran ready to co-operate with nuclear agency – Ahmadinejad “The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, today said his country was ready to co-operate with the international community over its nuclear programme but insisted it would not give up its atomic ambitions.” House panel approves bill to punish Iran “A House committee, seeking to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, approved a bill Wednesday aimed at punishing Tehran by cutting off its access to gasoline and other refined petroleum products.”
Darfur. Mbeki unveils Darfur peace plans “Hybrid courts with Sudanese and foreign judges should investigate violence in Sudan’s Darfur region, a report by ex-South Africa leader Thabo Mbeki says.”
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe deports UN rights expert “Manfred Nowak, the UN special rapporteur on torture, has been deported from Zimbabwe a day after being detained by security officials on arrival in Harare.” Anger at Zimbabwe UN envoy snub “The UN’s torture investigator has made an angry return to South Africa after being refused entry to Zimbabwe.”
OPINION
More Schools, Not Troops(Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times) “Dispatching more troops to Afghanistan would be a monumental bet and probably a bad one, most likely a waste of lives and resources that might simply empower the Taliban. In particular, one of the most compelling arguments against more troops rests on this stunning trade-off: For the cost of a single additional soldier stationed in Afghanistan for one year, we could build roughly 20 schools there.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “I liken myself to the old woman who lives in a shoe. The seams are tearing, and people are just popping out all over.” Mary L. Fifield, the president of a Boston community college, on the surge in enrollments at community colleges, including a large number of recent high school graduates who can’t afford four-year colleges due to the recession. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Annual religious-freedom report cites concerns in familiar, new places “An independent government panel that monitors global religious-freedom conditions thanked the State Department for its latest comprehensive report on the subject Oct. 26, but said the administration could move more boldly to protect freedom of conscience in some places.”
Jewish Leaders Welcome New Catholic Statement on Conversion “Jewish leaders are welcoming a revised statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that rejects suggestions that interfaith dialogue could lead to the conversion and baptism of Jews.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. Reid hopes to sway enough senators on ‘public option’ “Shy of a safe majority even with the provision that states may opt out of a government health plan, the Senate leader offers possible concessions and favors to Democrats and Republicans on the fence.” Democrats Divided Over Reid Proposal for Public Option “Senate Democrats voiced deep disagreements on Tuesday over the idea of a government-run health insurance plan, suggesting that the decision by the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, to include a public plan in major health care legislation had failed, at least initially, to unite his caucus.” Centrists unsure about Reid’s public option “Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid’s risky decision to bring to the chamber’s floor a health-care bill containing a government insurance plan was met with skepticism by moderate Democrats, who said they still do not know whether they could support a public option on a final vote.”
Climate Change. White House Steps Up Climate Efforts “The Obama administration and some Senate Democrats expressed fresh urgency on Tuesday about the need to address climate change and refashion the nation’s energy economy.” Economics of climate change move to the fore “For a decade or more, the political battle over climate change has been fought largely over the validity of the science of global warming. But Tuesday, as the Environment and Public Works Committee opened its first hearing on a Senate climate change bill, those concerns took a rear seat to a different issue: the potential economic impact of climate change.”
Economy. Congress fears risk of economic relapse“Fear that the economy might fall back into recession is compelling Congress to extend unemployment benefits and incentives for homebuying that lawmakers hope will help sustain growth.” Unemployed hope Congress extends benefits once again “The Senate is expected to act this week on extending the benefits for 14 weeks, with an additional six weeks for states whose unemployment rate is above 8.5 percent.” Homeless students: Increasingly, families taking shelter anywhere they can “School district officials said the boy is one of a record number of area students living in motels, campgrounds, shelters, cars and, yes, storage facilities.”
Bankers.Bankers face activists’ anger in the streets of Chicago “Some 5,000 union members and community activists marched through downtown Chicago Tuesday, expressing public frustration with the banking industry – namely, what demonstrators charge is a lack of transparency and accountability regarding $350 billion in federal bailout money.”
Legal Aid. Civil Gideon’ Trumpets Legal Discord “A new California law that gives poor residents the right to an attorney in civil matters such as child custody and foreclosure is being hailed as a model that could transform the nation’s legal landscape.”
Single Households. Single households surge in D.C. area “Living alone is on its way to becoming the new norm in parts of the Washington area, as the proportion of households headed by married couples has declined and one-person households have jumped.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Japan. Japan’s A-bomb cities urge Obama to visit "The mayors of the two cities, devastated by American atomic bombs in 1945, invited Mr Obama after he gave a speech in April calling for a world free of nuclear weapons. Hopes were also raised when he won the Nobel Peace Prize."
Afghanistan. Eight U.S. soldiers killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan “October became the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the eight-year-old war in Afghanistan when two bombs killed eight soldiers and an interpreter in separate attacks Tuesday.” Afghanistan attack kills 6 U.N. workers “Militants armed with automatic rifles, grenades and suicide vests attacked a guesthouse in central Kabul at dawn today, killing at least five U.N employees, including an American.” U.S. to Protect Populous Afghan Areas, Officials Say “President Obama’s advisers are focusing on a strategy for Afghanistan aimed at protecting about 10 top population centers, administration officials said Tuesday, describing an approach that would stop short of an all-out assault on the Taliban while still seeking to nurture long-term stability.” Obama redefines White House relationship with top field commander “President Obama does not have the one-on-one relationship with Gen. McChrystal that President Bush did with Gen. Petraeus, but rather a more traditional one along the chain of command.”
Drone Attacks. US warned on drone attacks “The US has been warned that its use of drones to target suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan may violate international law.”
Pakistan. Carnage as car bomb hits Peshawar “At least 91 people are killed by a car bomb in Peshawar, north-west Pakistan, in the deadliest such attack this year.” Clinton vows to support Pakistan “Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has pledged Washington’s support for Pakistan in its fight against ‘brutal extremist groups.’”
Iran. Iran nuclear sanctions ‘unlikely’ “President Dmitry Medvedev’s adviser Sergei Prikhodko said sanctions on Iran ‘are unlikely in the near future,’ Russian news agencies reported.”
Iraq. Legislators in Iraq Block a Deal on Election Law “The country’s political parties failed to agree on election laws on Tuesday, despite a proposed deal put together by the nation’s top political figures the day before.” Iraq seeks approval for nuclear plant “An Iraqi minister says Baghdad has contacted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), based in Vienna, to seek its approval to relaunch a peaceful nuclear programme.”
African Union. AU agrees displaced persons pact “African Union members could soon be obliged to help and protect millions of citizens uprooted by conflict and natural disasters, after the body agreed a convention on internally displaced people.”
OPINION
Democracy with a dose of moral clarity (Michael Gerson, Washington Post) “Sandel is best at what he calls bringing ‘moral clarity to the alternatives we confront as democratic citizens.’ In this cause, he outlines three attempts to define the meaning of justice, each with large public consequences.”
Don’t Build Up(Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times) “It is crunch time on Afghanistan, so here’s my vote: We need to be thinking about how to reduce our footprint and our goals there in a responsible way, not dig in deeper.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “When the starting gun sounded on the clean energy race, the United States stumbled.” U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, encouraging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to craft an ambitious climate change bill. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Clinton discourages anti-defamation laws to protect religion “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized on Monday an attempt by Islamic countries to prohibit defamation of religions, saying such policies would restrict free speech.”
Archbishop warns of possible genocide in El Salvador “Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas of San Salvador expressed concern this week over the increase in violence in El Salvador and the likelihood that the government will employ military personnel to put an end to it.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. Reid says health-insurance bill will include opt-out public option “Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid announced Monday that he will include a government-backed insurance plan in the chamber’s health-care reform legislation, a key concession to liberals who have threatened to oppose a bill without such a public option.” Public Option Push in Senate Comes With Escape Hatch“His proposal came with an escape hatch: A state could refuse to participate in the public insurance plan by adopting a law to opt out.” Senate to add ‘public option’ to healthcare bill “In a dramatic sign of Democrats’ growing confidence that they have the votes to pass a far-reaching healthcare overhaul, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday that the bill he intended to send to the Senate floor next month would include a "public option."
Trafficking. FBI, police rescue 52 children in series of prostitution raids “The raids are the latest in a long-running effort, Operation Cross Country, aimed at child prostitution rings around the country. Almost 1,600 agents and officers took part in the raids, which led to federal and state charges against a total of 691 suspects.”
Runaways.For Runaways on the Street, Sex Buys Survival "Most of the estimated 1.6 million children who run away each year return home within a week. But for those who do not, the desperate struggle to survive often means selling their bodies.”
Climate Change. Obama says momentum growing for climate change legislation “President Obama declared today that a ‘consensus is building’ around climate change legislation and characterized opponents as preoccupied with the past instead of a ‘clean energy future.’" Administration Steps Up Efforts on Climate Bill “The White House and its allies in the Senate intensified their campaign Tuesday, in the face of some determined opposition, to advance a bill that its supporters say will reduce global warming while making the United States more secure.”
Newspapers Decline. The accelerating decline of newspapers “U.S. newspaper circulation has hit its lowest level in seven decades, as papers across the country lost 10.6 percent of their paying readers from April through September, compared with a year earlier.” U.S. Newspaper Circulation Falls 10% “The two-decade erosion in newspaper circulation is looking more like an avalanche, with figures released Monday showing weekday sales down more than 10 percent since last year, depressed by rising Internet readership, price increases, the recession and papers intentionally shedding unprofitable circulation.”
Global Health Funds. Bill and Melinda Gates to Lobby for Global Health Funds "Bill and Melinda Gates will make an unusual personal appeal to Washington officials Tuesday night, asking them to continue funding global health initiatives despite the recession and to commit to nearly halve the number of child deaths worldwide by 2025."
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan. Afghan bombs kill eight US troops “Eight US soldiers have been killed in bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan, say Nato-led forces.” Obama defends deliberate approach on troop levels for Afghanistan war “President Obama fired back Monday at critics who accuse him of taking too long to review war strategy in Afghanistan, telling an audience of military personnel he will not rush his decision on whether to send additional troops there.” Push for Afghanistan troop increase continues on deadly day “On a day when 14 U.S. servicemen and drug agents were killed in helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, the largest such toll in more than four years, momentum continued to build to send more troops to the war zone.” Kerry Calls for Patient Strategy in Afghanistan “Calling for a broad, patient war strategy, John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Monday that Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the American military commander in Afghanistan, was trying to do too much in a relatively short time.” U.S. official resigns over Afghan war “When Matthew Hoh joined the Foreign Service early this year, he was exactly the kind of smart civil-military hybrid the administration was looking for to help expand its development efforts in Afghanistan.”
Iran. Iran ‘to accept UN nuclear deal’ “Iran will accept a UN draft deal on its nuclear programme if ‘very important changes’ are made, Iranian state media report.” Iran reportedly seeks to amend deal on overseas enrichment of its uranium “Iran will respond to an American-backed International Atomic Energy Agency proposal within 48 hours but its counteroffer will include ‘important adjustments,’ said Iran’s state-controlled Al Alam, citing unnamed sources.” Iran’s top officials appear split over sending uranium abroad “High-ranking Iranian officials appear divided over a draft proposal with the United States and other countries that would transfer the bulk of the Islamic republic’s enriched uranium stockpile out of the country.”
Pakistan. Pakistan advances in Taliban area “Pakistan’s security forces are continuing their push into Taliban strongholds in the South Waziristan region, military officials say.” Pressure From U.S. Strains Ties With Pakistan “The Obama administration is putting pressure on Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and Qaeda militants from the country’s tribal areas, but the push is straining the delicate relations between the allies.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “I’m just tired of it all, and I don’t want to be in my house anymore. One month there is money, and the next month there is none. One day, she is taking it out on me and hitting me, and the next day she is ignoring me. It’s more stable out here.” Betty Snyder, 14, explaining why she has joined the growing number of teenage runaways caused by the recession now living on the streets. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Crunch time nears for health reform, but hurdles remain for Catholics “The push is on to get a health reform bill through Congress, and some longtime Catholic supporters of a more accessible and affordable American health system are hoping they are not going to have to push back.”
Kennedy spars with church on abortion “The late Senator Edward M. Kennedy seemed to mend his differences with the Catholic Church just before his death. But less than two months later, his youngest son has plunged into a firestorm of controversy with the church.”
A charity event that always hits its stride “This is the 40th anniversary of Crop Hunger Walk, a national interfaith program sponsored by Church World Service and viewed by many as the granddaddy of charity walks.”
Pope calls for peace and reconciliation in Africa “Pope Benedict XVI ended a three-week Vatican meeting on Africa on Sunday with a call for peace and reconciliation among all people on the continent, regardless of ethnic and religious differences.”
Our Indivisible Environment (Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Wall St Journal) “Is this an issue for Caesar or for God? We believe it must be approached in both its political and spiritual dimensions. Climate change will only be overcome when all of us –scientists and politicians, theologians and economists, specialists and lay citizens — cooperate for the common good.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. Next phase in health-care debate: The art of the deal “With a growing sense that Democrats may have the votes to pass health-care reform, many participants are now attempting to shape the components of landmark legislation rather than to defeat it.” Democrats Are Optimistic That Public Option Will Be Approved “Several Democratic senators voiced optimism on Sunday that Congress would pass a health care bill containing at least the germ of a government-run insurance program.” Senate on Verge of Health Bill “Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health coverage.”
Financial Institutions. Trying to Rein In ‘Too Big to Fail’ Institutions “Congress and the Obama administration are about to take up one of the most fundamental issues stemming from the near collapse of the financial system last year – how to deal with institutions that are so big that the government has no choice but to rescue them when they get in trouble.”
Prisons. Arizona May Put State Prisons in Private Hands “State officials will soon seek bids from private companies for 9 of the state’s 10 prison complexes that house roughly 40,000 inmates, including the 127 here on death row. It is the first effort by a state to put its entire prison system under private control.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Climate Change. Fleeing drought in the Horn of Africa “Africa is already home to one-third of the 42 million people worldwide uprooted by ethnic slaughter, despots and war. But experts say climate change is quietly driving Africa’s displacement crisis to new heights.” Rainforest treaty ‘fatally flawed’ “A vital safeguard to protect the world’s rainforests from being cut down has been dropped from a global deforestation treaty due to be signed at the climate summit in Copenhagen in December.”
Iraq. Baghdad bomb fatalities pass 150 “Iraqi officials have raised the death toll from Sunday’s bombings in Baghdad to 155 and they say another 500 people were wounded in the explosions.” Bombings rock Iraq’s political landscape “Twin car bombs that devastated three government buildings and killed 132 people Sunday underlined a new strategy in Iraq’s contest for power ahead of January elections: spectacular blows aimed at destroying faith in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s ability to secure the country as the United States withdraws.” Bombings in Iraq, Deadliest Since 2007, Raise Security Issue“Two synchronized suicide car bombings struck at the heart of the Iraqi government here on Sunday, severely damaging the Justice Ministry and provincial council complexes, leaving a scene of carnage that raised new questions about the government’s ability to secure its most vital operations.” World leaders condemn Iraq attacks “World leaders have joined their Iraqi counterparts in condemning Sunday’s double bombing in Baghdad – the deadliest attack in Iraq in two years – and offered their condolences to the Iraqi people.”
Afghanistan. US military says 14 Americans killed in separate helicopter crashes in Afghanistan “A helicopter crash and separate collision involving two other choppers killed 14 Americans on Monday in one of the deadliest days for U.S. troops in the war in Afghanistan.” Karzai holds head high as nation turns to runoff “According to his aides and political confidants, Karzai has rebounded from the evident humiliation of that moment and now sees himself as a statesman who helped save Afghan democracy.” Afghan Rivals Rule Out Power-Sharing Deal “President Hamid Karzai and his top rival for the office said over the weekend that they had ruled out a power-sharing deal before the runoff election.” NATO Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort “Defense ministers from NATO on Friday endorsed the ambitious counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan proposed by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, giving new impetus to his recommendation to pour more troops into the eight-year-old war.”
Israel-Palestine. Israeli police, Palestinian protesters clash “Israeli police stormed the grounds of Al Aqsa mosque Sunday, using clubs and stun grenades to subdue hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinians in the worst clashes in a month of unrest in and around Jerusalem’s Old City.” After two weeks of quiet, violence flares again on Temple Mount “Yesterday’s disturbances appear to have been sparked, as in the past, by printed announcements by Jewish groups seeking to gain access to the Temple Mount to pray.”
Iran. Top Iran official says West’s nuclear plan a coverup for theft “The powerful speaker of Iran’s parliament Saturday derided a Western-backed proposal to transfer the bulk of the country’s enriched-uranium stockpile abroad as a trick meant to rob Iran of its nuclear fuel.” Both Iran and West Fear a Trap on Uranium Deal “Just before international inspectors on Sunday were guided for the first time into an Iranian nuclear enrichment plant whose existence was a state secret until recently, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament warned his countrymen to beware of American efforts to ‘cheat’ Iran out of the nuclear fuel that has become the country’s currency in reasserting its power.” UN nuclear team visits Iran site "A team from the UN’s nuclear watchdog has inspected a controversial Iranian uranium enrichment plant near the town of Qom."
Pakistan. Pakistan captures Taliban stronghold "Pakistan notched up the first major success of its Waziristan campaign yesterday with the capture of Kotkai, home to the Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, a week after it launched a sweeping assault on the militants’ heavily protected mountain fortress." Pakistan villagers take up guns, sticks against Taliban “With most of Swat back in the hands of the government after a military operation that drove the Taliban into hiding, thousands of Pakistanis in towns like Kanju have been banding together to form lashkars, or tribal militias, to help keep trouble from coming back.”
India. Dalit women find their voice through a newspaper “Khabar Lahariya, or ‘News Waves,’ is India’s first newspaper written, read and run by tribal women and those from the Dalit, or so-called untouchable, caste.”
OPINION
The Minefield at Home (Michael Jernigan, New York Times) “Those of us with post-traumatic stress disorder – I’m one of them – feel like strangers here, carrying around a burden many people are unaware of or just can’t understand. The possibilities for misunderstandings, collisions and alienation are great."
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.
Quote of the Day. "Icons are like the horizon between heaven and earth. When you pray in front of an icon it is like you are praying in front of a window into heaven. Even those who are not Christians can stand and appreciate and believe there is something holy there, and sometimes this causes them to study about it." Dennis Bell, an artist, explaining a Pan Orthodox Icon Exhibit being shown in Washington D.C. this weekend. (Washington Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Diverse faiths on common ground “Fighting Poverty With Faith, a coalition of dozens of faith leaders and organizations, wrapped up a week of events in Washington, where the group pushed an anti-poverty and green-jobs agenda.”
Survey: Evangelicals Greener, but Still Skeptical “More evangelical Christians are boarding the green bandwagon, but they do so with a dose of skepticism about popular beliefs concerning global warming, a new survey found.”
Tough times not universal “In many congregations, emptier pockets have translated into lighter collection plates. Many houses of worship, their members hard hit by the recession, are finding themselves in bad shape. But some feel downright blessed, as they pull in higher offerings and launch building projects.”
NEWS AT HOME
Executive Pay. Government widens control over paychecks “The Federal Reserve joined the Treasury Department on Thursday in imposing new limits on executive pay, extending the government’s control over compensation at taxpayer-owned companies to institutions that are merely government regulated.” Fed Hits Banks With Sweeping Pay Limits “In a one-two punch at the pay culture of banks and Wall Street firms blamed for the financial crisis, the U.S. government announced plans to aggressively regulate compensation at thousands of lenders and impose steep pay cuts at seven companies that received billions in federal aid.”
Health Care. Reid leaning toward public option “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is leaning toward putting a public insurance option in the Senate health reform bill – a signal that Reid increasingly believes he can get the votes needed for a plan that would allow states to opt out of the program." Support for public option grows in House and Senate “House Democrats are coalescing around an $871 billion health-care package that would create a government-run insurance plan to help millions of Americans afford coverage, raise taxes on the nation’s richest families and impose an array of new regulations on private insurers.” Senate Leader Takes Risk Pushing Public Insurance Plan “In pushing to include a government-run health insurance plan in the health care bill, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is taking a calculated gamble that the 60 members of his caucus could support the plan if it included a way for states to opt out.”
Consumer Protection. House panel passes new consumer-protection bill “A key congressional panel voted Thursday to create a federal agency aimed at protecting Americans from the predatory lending practices and other abuses that hastened the financial crisis.” Vote Backs a Financial Oversight Body “The House Financial Services Committee voted on Thursday to create an agency to protect consumers from predatory lending, deceptive credit card terms and other abuses.”
Hate Crimes. Senate passes hate crimes bill that would extend protection to gays, lesbians “The Senate cleared a historic hate crimes bill Thursday for President Obama’s signature, approving new federal penalties for attacks on gay men and lesbians.” Senate Approves Broadened Hate-Crime Measure “The Senate voted Thursday to extend new federal protections to people who are victims of violent crime because of their sex or sexual orientation, bringing the measure close to reality after years of fierce debate.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Climate Change. China and U.S. Try to Speed Global Climate Strategy “Senior American and Chinese officials urged their governments on Thursday to accelerate joint efforts to reduce pollution, even as their diplomats appeared at odds over crucial elements of a global strategy to fight climate change to be considered in Copenhagen in December.” Ottawa dashes hope for climate treaty in Copenhagen “Hope is vanishing that a historic deal to address climate change can be concluded in Copenhagen, and Environment Minister Jim Prentice says the best chance is for a political agreement that would pave the way for a treaty to be signed later.” Government launches map to highlight global warming threat “Released by the [British] Government today, it illustrates a rise in global average temperature of four degrees Centigrade by 2060, and as such represents a dramatic acceleration of previous forecasts made as recently as 2007 by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).”
Pakistan. U.S. aiding Pakistani military offensive “The U.S. military is providing intelligence and surveillance video from unmanned aircraft to the Pakistani army to assist in its week-old offensive in South Waziristan, marking the deepest American involvement yet in a Pakistani military campaign,” Refugees don’t think Pakistan’s anti-Taliban efforts are serious “The Pakistani army’s latest offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan, probably the country’s most significant anti-terror operation since 2001, so far has failed to convince residents of the frontier area that the state is finally determined to wipe out the Islamic extremists.” US passes giant Pakistan aid bill “The US Senate has passed a big defence spending bill which aims to ensure that military aid to Pakistan is used solely to fight America’s war on terror’.”
Afghanistan. With no US decision on Afghanistan, what will NATO discuss? “NATO allies in Afghanistan are in strategic limbo as they await a decision from the Obama administration on its strategy and the troops needed to implement it.” A New Vote Poses Similar Troubles for Afghans “The serious fraud that clouded the credibility of Afghanistan’s presidential election last summer is unlikely to be repeated on the same scale in the runoff set for Nov. 7, but it cannot be altogether eliminated."
Taliban. Insurgents Share a Name, but Pursue Different Goals “As it devises a new Afghanistan policy, the Obama administration confronts a complex geopolitical puzzle: two embattled governments, in Afghanistan and Pakistan; numerous militias aligned with overlapping Islamist factions; and hidden in the factions’ midst, the foe that brought the United States to the region eight years ago, Al Qaeda.”
Iran. Deadline for Iran to approve deal draws near “The US and Israel launched a major joint military exercise yesterday as a deadline neared for Iran to approve a deal to delay its development of nuclear weapons and prevent Israel from attacking its nuclear facilities.” World awaits Iran nuclear answer “Iran is due to respond to a UN proposal on exporting most of its enriched uranium to Russia for further refining.” A Lone Cleric Is Loudly Defying Iran’s Leaders “A short midlevel cleric, with a neat white beard and a clergyman’s calm bearing, Mehdi Karroubi has watched from his home in Tehran in recent months as his aides have been arrested, his offices raided, his newspaper shut down. He himself has been threatened with arrest and, indirectly, the death penalty.”
Mideast. White House urges Mid-East push “The US has urged Israel and the Palestinians to press forward to re-launch deadlocked peace talks.” Mideast Gain Is Modest, Clinton Tells President “Mrs. Clinton went to the White House with what several administration officials acknowledge was a meager report: a little progress has been made, they said, but in some respects the atmosphere for talks is actually worse now than it was a month ago.”
U.S.-Japan. Japan Probes 1960s Nuclear Agreements With U.S. “U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates cautioned Japan this week against letting a fact-finding mission into decades-old secret nuclear-weapons agreements affect relations between the two countries, according to an official familiar with the matter.”
OPINION
The Quiet Revolution(David Brooks, New York Times) “Over the past few days I’ve spoken to people ranging from Bill Gates to Jeb Bush and various education reformers. They are all impressed by how gritty and effective the Obama administration has been in holding the line and inciting real education reform.”
Mr. Obama, be tough on climate change (Bill McKibben, Boston Globe) “Leaders need to take risks to help educate their populaces about both the dangers of climate change and the possibilities for a rapid transformation of energy economies.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “We have to ask ourselves, with Marx, whether the forms of alienation of which he spoke have their origin in the capitalist system. If money as such does not multiply on its own, how are we to explain the accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few?” Georg Sans, professor of the history of contemporary philosophy at the pontifical Gregorian University, writing in the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. (London Times online)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
400,000 former Anglicans worldwide seek immediate unity with Rome “Leaders of more than 400,000 Anglicans who quit over women priests are to seek immediate unity with Rome under the apostolic constitution announced by Pope Benedict XVI.” Offer Raises Idea of Marriage for Catholic Priests “The invitation to join the Catholic Church extends to married Anglican clergy, leading some to wonder whether the move could liberalize the church on a crucial issue: celibacy.” Pope’s Wooing of Anglicans Challenges Archbishop “Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Pope Benedict XVI are both noted theological scholars leading flocks through complicated times. In recent days, Archbishop Williams’s already tough mission became even more difficult.”
Executive Pay. Obama administration to cut executive pay at 7 bailed-out firms “The Obama administration plans to order companies that have received exceptionally large amounts of bailout money from the government to slash compensation for their highest-paid executives by about half on average.” U.S. to Order Steep Pay Cuts at Firms That Got Most Aid "Responding to the furor over executive pay at companies bailed out with taxpayer money, the Obama administration will order the firms that received the most aid to slash compensation to their highest-paid employees.”
Democrats Lose Big Test Vote on Health Legislation “Democrats lost a big test vote on health-care legislation on Wednesday as the Senate blocked action on a bill to increase Medicare payments to doctors at a cost of $247 billion over 10 years.” Senate blocks Medicare payment bill “With budget anxieties pervading the congressional healthcare debate, the Senate on Wednesday sidetracked popular legislation that would have increased Medicare payments to doctors by nearly $250 billion over the next decade.” Poll: 1 in 4 Adults Say Family Member Lost Health Coverage “More than a quarter of U.S. adults report that at least one member of their immediate family lost health insurance coverage within the past year, a new poll reveals.”
Immigration & Census. Health care not done, GOP changes subject back to immigration “Immigration, an issue placed on the congressional backburner by attempts to revamp the nation’s health-care system, is percolating again as Republican lawmakers are pushing a measure that would require U.S. Census forms to include a question about the citizenship status of respondents.”
Unemployment. Payroll Pandemic “Even as the manufacturing and service sectors of the U.S. economy simultaneously expanded in September for the first time since the recession began in December 2007, payrolls declined in 43 states last month, pushing up the unemployment rates in 23 of them.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Global Hunger. Experts Worry as Population and Hunger Grow “Scientists and development experts across the globe are racing to increase food production by 50 percent over the next two decades to feed the world’s growing population, yet many doubt their chances despite a broad consensus that enough land, water and expertise exist.” Drought pushes 23m Africans to brink of starvation “A four-year drought has pushed as many as 23 million people to the brink of starvation across East Africa, making it the worst in a decade or more. Close to four million of those at risk are in Kenya, where one person in ten survives on emergency rations.” Ethiopia asks for urgent food aid “The Ethiopian government has asked the international community for emergency food aid for 6.2 million people.”
Climate Change. India and China sign climate pact “India and China have signed a five-year deal aimed at combating climate change. The countries have agreed to strengthen dialogue and co-operate on battling global warming.”
Afghanistan. In Helmand, a model for success? “Before a battalion of U.S. Marines swooped into this dusty farming community along the Helmand River in early July, almost every stall in the bazaar had been padlocked, as had the school and the health clinic.” Militants deepen their foothold in Afghanistan’s north “As the Obama administration moves into a crucial phase of deliberations over the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, residents of a widening arc of territory a half-day’s drive from the capital, Kabul, describe daily lives fraught with danger as the militants’ foothold becomes stronger.” Effort aims to give Afghan fighters way out “New efforts aimed at persuading low-level Taliban fighters to lay down their arms have become the centerpiece of U.S. and Afghan government strategy as the White House debates whether to boost troop levels there.” Australia to review Afghan force “Australian Defence Minister John Faulkner has asked for recommendations on how to complete operations in Afghanistan as early as possible.”
Iraq. Stalemate in Parliament Could Delay Iraq Elections “The Iraqi Parliament announced Wednesday that it had reached a stalemate over drafting an election law. That could well delay the election, scheduled for Jan. 16, and might even slow down the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.” Delay in Iraqi elections may slow pace of U.S. troop pullout “U.S. commanders may have to slow the pace of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq if Baghdad delays national elections scheduled for Jan. 16 or if other political instability develops, senior Pentagon officials said Wednesday.”
Iran. U.S., Iran move closer to nuclear deal “Deft diplomacy and regional security woes are driving Tehran and Washington toward a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, experts say, illustrated by movement Wednesday in talks to transfer most of the Islamic Republic’s fissile material abroad to be processed for medical uses.” Iran Deal Would Slow Making of Nuclear Bombs “Iranian negotiators have agreed to a draft deal that would delay the country’s ability to build a nuclear weapon for about a year, buying more time for President Obama to search for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear standoff.”
Iran-Israel. Israel ‘met Iran’ at atomic talks “Senior Israeli and Iranian officials have met face-to-face and discussed the threat of nuclear arms, Israel says. Israeli officials told the BBC each side attended panel sessions of a disarmament and non-proliferation conference in Cairo in September.” Iran, Israel attend secret nuclear meet in Cairo “Israeli and Iranian representatives recently took part in a conference in Cairo on nuclear non-proliferation in the Middle East, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) said Thursday, but Tehran said the report on the meeting was untrue.”
Colombia. US congressional hearing highlights Colombia rights abuses “United Nations Special Rapporteur Margaret Sekaggya told a congressional panel Tuesday of her continued concern over what she has called a ‘pattern of harassment and persecution against human rights defenders.’" Colombia rights defenders say they’re under constant attack “Human rights defenders in Colombia are under constant attack for their work, facing murder, death threats, illegal surveillance, arbitrary detentions and prosecutions, activists told a congressional panel in Washington on Tuesday.”
Arms Control. Clinton urges support for U.S.-Russian arms-control treaty “With a congressional battle looming, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday defended the administration’s broad arms-control agenda and said that reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles would be a critical first step in preventing the spread of the deadly weapons to other countries.”
Japan. U.S. pressures Japan on military package “Worried about a new direction in Japan’s foreign policy, the Obama administration warned the Tokyo government Wednesday of serious consequences if it reneges on a military realignment plan formulated to deal with a rising China.”
OPINION
Will Obama Finally Pay Attention to Sudan? (John Prendergast, Wall St Journal) “Crafting a sensible strategy on paper is a necessary but insufficient step. The real test is implementing these fine principles. To do so, U.S. officials must first recognize that the status quo in Darfur, Southern Sudan, and other vulnerable areas is unacceptable.”
More Troops Are a Bad Bet (Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times) “We have been similarly oblivious to the strength of nationalism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly among the 40 million Pashtuns who live on both sides of the border there. That’s one reason the additional 21,000 troops that President Obama ordered to Afghanistan earlier this year haven’t helped achieve stability, and it’s difficult to see why 40,000 more would help either."
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.
Quote of the Day. "The real impact of these cuts is on families. Parents are forced to find makeshift care, one day with a neighbor, one day with an aunt, in order to get to work." William Eddy, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Early Education and Care, on the effect of cutting child care subsidies. (USA Today)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Vatican extends a hand to disgruntled Anglicans “In a remarkable bid to attract disillusioned members of the Anglican Communion, the Vatican announced Tuesday that it is establishing a special arrangement that will allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while preserving their liturgy and spiritual heritage, including married priests.” Vatican Bidding to Get Anglicans to Join Its Fold "In an extraordinary bid to lure traditionalist Anglicans en masse, the Vatican said Tuesday that it would make it easier for Anglicans uncomfortable with their church’s acceptance of female priests and openly gay bishops to join the Roman Catholic Church while retaining many of their traditions.”
Health Care.Liberals increase pressure for public insurance plan in health bill “Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid is facing intensifying pressure from liberal lawmakers to revive a proposed government insurance plan before health-care reform legislation reaches the Senate floor, amid signs that moderate Democrats may be warming to the idea.” Senate Democrats Hit Snag With Doctor Payment Bill “In the face of solid Republican opposition, Senate Democrats on Tuesday backed down from their effort to increase Medicare payments to doctors without offsetting any of the cost over the next 10 years.” White House relies on core healthcare team “President Obama’s overhaul hinges on six crucial individuals and their skill at negotiating behind closed doors. Now Rahm Emanuel, Nancy-Ann DeParle and the others will see if their efforts pay off.”
Poverty Formula. New formula shows more living in poverty “A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations shows that about 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government’s official figure.”
College Tuition. Recession drives up college tuition nationwide “Tackling severe budget problems, four-year public colleges in the U.S. raised annual tuition and fees by an average 6.5%, to $7,020 this fall, the board found in its annual survey. That figure does not include room, board and other expenses.”
Wages. Wage stagnation is another side effect of recession “Compensation so far in 2009 has been cut by the largest amount in nearly two decades, with a government index of real average weekly earnings down 1.9 percent since its high point last December. And the average workweek – now down to 33 hours – is the shortest on modern record.”
Immigration. San Francisco Alters When Police Must Report Immigrants “The San Francisco board of supervisors voted Tuesday to overturn a city policy that has been at the center of a national debate over offering illegal immigrants sanctuary.” Hispanic Immigrants’ Children Fall Behind Peers Early, Study Finds “The children of Hispanic immigrants tend to be born healthy and start life on an intellectual par with other American children, but by the age of 2 they begin to lag in linguistic and cognitive skills.”
Death Penalty. Democrats running for Texas governor signal support for death penalty “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Schieffer said Tuesday that he still supports the death penalty but believes that the process needs more scrutiny.” One Reporter’s Lonely Beat, Witnessing Executions “Of all the consequences of shrinking newsrooms, one of the oddest is this: Fewer journalists are available to watch people die. But Michael Graczyk has witnessed more than 300 deaths, and many of those were people he had come to know.”
Afghanistan Policy. U.S. deeply split on troop increase for Afghan war “As President Obama and his war cabinet deliberate a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, Americans are evenly and deeply divided over whether he should send 40,000 more troops there, and public approval of the president’s handling of the situation has tumbled.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan. With New Afghan Vote, Path to Stability Is Unclear “President Hamid Karzai’s concession of the need for a runoff election in Afghanistan appears to have prevented his country from slipping into paralysis, but has created a new landscape of risks and uncertainty.” Afghanistan’s Karzai accepted runoff election only after hours of tense talks “After nearly 20 hours of tense, exhausting talks over four days, Sen. John F. Kerry was convinced by midday Tuesday that Afghan President Hamid Karzai had accepted the need for a runoff election.” Karzai rival backs Afghan run-off “Abdullah Abdullah, the Afghan presidential candidate, has agreed to a run-off vote on November 7 with Hamid Karzai, the incumbent president.”
Pakistan. Attack shuts all Pakistan schools “All schools and universities have been closed across Pakistan a day after suicide bombers attacked an Islamic university in the capital, Islamabad.” Taliban retakes town as Pakistan offensive runs into trouble “Taliban guerrillas recaptured the birthplace of the Pakistani Taliban leader from the Pakistani army and inflicted the heaviest casualties yet in Pakistan’s high-stakes offensive in South Waziristan.” Pakistan Finds Local Allies Against Ferocious Foe “As Pakistani soldiers fought their way into the forbidding heartland of the Mehsud tribal territory on Tuesday against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants, they faced the most ferocious fighters in Pakistan, men whose ancestors were legendary for never succumbing to the British.”
Israel. Deputy PM to Haaretz: Israel must probe Gaza war “Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor thinks Israel should establish its own independent committee to investigate Israel Defense Forces activity in the Gaza Strip during last winter’s Operation Cast Lead.” Israel joins US for defence drill “Israel and the US are due to begin a two-week military defence exercise, thought to be the largest of its kind.” Israel push to change laws of war “Israel’s prime minister has instructed his government to draw up plans for a ‘world wide campaign’ to lobby for changes in the international laws of war.”
Iran. Iran nuclear fuel deal ‘agreed’ “Iran and three world powers have been handed a draft agreement aimed at reducing international concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme.” Draft deal reached on Iran’s nuclear program, IAEA says “The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said today that Iran and three world powers have a draft deal to help allay concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program.”
Climate Change. As Time Runs Short for Global Climate Treaty, Nations May Settle for Interim Steps “With the clock running out and deep differences unresolved, it now appears that there is little chance that international climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December will produce a comprehensive and binding new treaty on global warming.” India provides new hope for climate deal “India’s climate change policy was in turmoil yesterday as its Environment Minister admitted that he had made a proposal to adjust the country’s position that caps on greenhouse gases should apply only to rich countries.”
Brazil. Violence in the Newest Olympic City Rattles Brazil “Suddenly, the celebration has been overwhelmed by hand-wringing that Rio’s chronic drug violence, its Achilles’ heel, is being laid bare before the world, and at a particularly inopportune time.”
OPINION
My mission — and motivation (Richard Goldstone, The Jerusalem Post) “Five weeks after the release of the Report of the Fact Finding Mission on Gaza, there has been no attempt by any of its critics to come to grips with its substance. It has been fulsomely approved by those whose interests it is thought to serve and rejected by those of the opposite view.”
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.
Quote of the day. “We’ve spent the last few decades shoveling money at the rich like there was no tomorrow. We abandoned the poor, put an economic stranglehold on the middle class and all but bankrupted the federal government — while giving the banks and megacorporations and the rest of the swells at the top of the economic pyramid just about everything they’ve wanted.” Bob Herbert op-ed column, Safety Nets for the Rich. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Vatican reveals plan to welcome disaffected Anglicans “In a move with potentially sweeping implications for relations between the Catholic church and some 80 million Anglicans worldwide, the Vatican has announced the creation of new ecclesiastical structures to absorb disaffected Anglicans wishing to become Catholics.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health care. Most support public option for health insurance, poll finds “A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public.” Basic Medicare Premium to Rise 15% Next Year “The increase means that monthly premiums would top $100 for the first time, a stark indication of the rise in medical costs that is driving the debate in Congress about a broad overhaul of the health care system.”
Death penalty. Death penalty’s cost effectiveness evaluated in report “States could save hundreds of millions of dollars by eliminating the death penalty, according to a report released today.” Death penalty not a deterrent, police chiefs say “Death-penalty opponents have new allies from an unlikely source: U.S. police chiefs, who say capital punishment does not deter murderers and has become a low law-enforcement priority.” Controversy Builds in Texas Over an Execution “Questions about whether Gov. Rick Perry allowed the execution of a man some arson experts say may have been innocent, and then hindered an investigation into the evidence, continue to reverberate across Texas, where issues surrounding capital punishment have rarely stirred such controversy.”
Census. Census predicts big fall in responses “Turbulent political and economic times roiling the nation are expected to diminish initial participation by households in next year’s Census despite a $326 million marketing blitz that far outspends previous Census campaigns.” Latino pastors gather to support full census count “Southern California pastors representing 1,200 Latino Protestant congregations unveiled plans Monday to marshal their collective forces to urge full participation in the 2010 census and reject calls to boycott the decennial count.”
Recycling. Nudging Recycling From Less Waste to None “Across the nation, an antigarbage strategy known as “zero waste” is moving from the fringes to the mainstream, taking hold in school cafeterias, national parks, restaurants, stadiums and corporations.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Sudan. North-south conflict to be emphasis of new U.S. policy on Sudan “The Obama administration’s new policy toward Sudan, formally announced Monday, turns the spotlight back on where the troubled nation’s problems first began: the split between the Islamic north and the largely animist and Christian south.” Obama to offer Sudan ‘incentives’ “The US has said it will renew tough economic sanctions against Sudan soon, but also promised broad engagement with Khartoum in an effort to end the "ongoing dire human consequences of genocide" in Darfur.” White House’s New Sudan Strategy Fits Envoy’s Pragmatic Style “On Monday, the administration unveiled a new policy in Sudan, outlining an effort that officials said was aimed at ending the mass human suffering there, promoting a definitive peace and preventing Sudan from serving as a haven for terrorists.”
Afghanistan. Karzai agrees to Afghan presidential runoff “Bowing to intense international pressure, Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed today to a runoff next month with his main challenger in August’s disputed presidential election.” Afghanistan to hold poll run-off “Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s president, is to face a run-off vote against his main election rival following a ruling by the country’s election commission.” Afghan Leader Said to Accept Runoff After Election Audit “Under heavy international pressure, President Hamid Karzai appears set to concede as early as Tuesday that he fell short of a first-round victory in the nation’s disputed presidential election, but the path to ensuring that the country has credible leadership remains uncertain,” As the Commander in Chief Deliberates, Frustration Builds Within the Ranks “A number of active duty and retired senior officers say there is concern that the president is moving too slowly, is revisiting a war strategy he announced in March and is unduly influenced by political advisers in the Situation Room.”
Pakistan. Pakistan forces ‘making progress’ “Pakistan’s military has claimed early victories as troops push deeper into suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda strongholds in South Waziristan.” Refugees flee from South Waziristan “As Pakistani warplanes pound the Taliban up to 260,000 people may flee battle, say aid workers.”
Iran. U.S., allies begin talks with Iran on nuclear program “Iran threatened to accelerate its uranium enrichment capabilities if talks with world powers that began Monday in Vienna don’t yield a compromise on an international plan to provide materials for Tehran’s nuclear program.”
Israel. Goldstone rejects Israel protests “UN human rights investigator Richard Goldstone has rejected Israel’s claim that the peace process would be harmed by his report on the offensive in Gaza.” State to weigh inquiry panel on Goldstone report “The diplomatic-security cabinet will meet today to discuss Israel’s diplomatic and legal response to the Goldstone report and its endorsement by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.” Painful Mideast Truth: Force Trumps Diplomacy “As the Obama administration tries to broker a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is a dark truth lurking: force has produced clearer results in this dispute than talk.”
Iraq. Threats to Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable “Political bickering and increase in violence from insurgents could derail the US President’s plan to bring troops home.” In Najaf, Iraq’s Shiite clerics push for direct elections “Najaf is to Shiites what Vatican City is to Roman Catholics, but some of Shiite Islam’s highest spiritual figures operate here out of public view, issuing occasional utterances on issues they consider central to Iraqi society.”
India. Indian Firms Shift Focus to the Poor “Indian companies, long dependent on hand-me-down technology from developed nations, are becoming cutting-edge innovators as they target one of the world’s last untapped markets: the poor.”
Honduras. Honduran talks deadlocked on reinstating Zelaya “Representatives of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the de facto government that replaced him in a coup returned to negotiations Monday, but the two sides remained deadlocked over whether to return Zelaya to power.”
OPINION
Feed hungry, then help them feed themselves (DeWayne Wickham, USA Today) “There are a billion people who are chronically hungry. That’s roughly one of every seven inhabitants of this planet. Hunger is a far greater pandemic than AIDS. Nearly 16,000 children die of hunger every day,”
The Afghanistan problem (Gilles Dorronsoro, Los Angeles Times) “The huge cultural misunderstandings between Western forces and the Afghan people make it unlikely any counterinsurgency mission in the countryside will succeed.”
Rights Watchdog, Lost in the Mideast (Robert L. Bernstein, New York Times) “In repeatedly condemning Israel, and mostly ignoring closed regimes in the Middle East, Human Rights Watch is drifting from its core values, and its role as a global arbiter of morality.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quote of the Day. “We’re down, but we’re not out. And that’s a classic American story.” Dayne Walling, mayor of Flint, MI, on community gardening where abandoned neighborhoods are becoming green space and community gardens. (New York Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Millions Worldwide ‘Stand Up’ Against Poverty “Congregations and faith communities around the United States are taking this Sunday to focus on the principles of Jubilee – a time when those enslaved because of debts are freed, lands lost because of debt are returned, and community is restored.”
NAE Deals with Criticism After Immigration Statement “Leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals have issued several clarifications on the group’s stance on immigration reform in the days since it released its resolution on the issue.”
The many meanings of a cross (Gregory Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times) “I’m all for the separation of church and state. I believe that government endorsement of any particular religious sect or tradition has a corrosive effect on both the state and the faith in question. But I also think the attempt to separate religion from government is veering toward a foolish, parochial and ultimately impossible quest to separate religion from culture.”
NEWS AT HOME
Wall St. Bonuses. Obama aides contrast Wall Street bonuses with unemployment “Top Obama administration officials sharply criticized Wall Street firms planning to pay big bonuses, pointedly contrasting the soaring profits some financial companies have recorded in recent days with continuing high jobless rates across the country.” Obama Aides Go on TV to Criticize Wall Street “Striking a populist tone, several of President Obama’s leading advisers on Sunday issued stern warnings to Wall Street.” Obama aides lash banks over bonuses “Obama administration officials blasted record payouts to the nation’s top Wall Street executives Sunday, calling them ‘offensive’ and advocating new financial regulations they say would prevent future taxpayer bailouts.” Bailout Helps Fuel a New Era of Wall Street Wealth “Even as the economy continues to struggle, much of Wall Street is minting money – and looking forward again to hefty bonuses.”
Financial Reform. Big financial firms losing power on Capitol Hill "Large banks are on the verge of losing a key legislative battle over the shape of financial reform, an unusual setback that reflects the continued political backlash over their role in creating the financial crisis."
Health Care. Health Care Poses Stiff Tests for Top Democrats “While they may have different styles and different sets of Democrats to assemble behind separate proposals, Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid have an identical goal: passage this year of a major health-care overhaul.” Obama to wait and see on healthcare bill “The White House will not commit to healthcare legislation that would cap insurance premiums or tax benefits, taking a wait-and-see approach as congressional negotiators seek a deal, advisors said Sunday.” White House aides reaffirm public option is not mandatory “The television airwaves were filled Sunday with rat-a-tat over reforming the nation’s health-care system, as top administration officials hit the talk show circuit and interest groups waged a record advertising blitz.” Millions are being spent to lobby Congress on health care overhaul “In the first six months of 2009, financial disclosures show, health-care groups spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars — that’s billion, with a ‘b’ — to hire lobbyists who can influence Washington’s deliberations on health care and insurance reform.”
Foreclosures. Foreclosures Force Ex-Homeowners to Turn to Shelters“Growing numbers of Americans who have lost houses to foreclosure are landing in homeless shelters, according to social service groups and a recent report by a coalition of housing advocates.” Housing counselors take front line of crisis “That means counselors are trying to stanch a powerful tide: More than 300,000 homes are getting foreclosure filings monthly, according to RealtyTrac.”
Immigration. U.S. Alters Disputed Immigration Rules for Police “Addressing one of the most contentious immigration policies in recent years, the Obama administration unveiled changes Friday in a program that allows state and local police officers to enforce federal immigration law.”
Dying in Prison. Fellow Inmates Ease the Pain of Dying in Jail “As courts have handed down longer sentences and tightened parole, about 75 prisons have started hospice programs, half of them using inmate volunteers.”
Climate Change. Energy Firms Deeply Split on Bill to Battle Climate Change “As the Senate prepares to tackle global warming, the nation’s energy producers, once united, are battling one another over policy decisions worth hundreds of billions of dollars in coming decades.” UK warns of climate ‘catastrophe’ “The UK faces a ‘catastrophe’ of floods, droughts and killer heatwaves if world leaders fail to agree a deal on climate change, the prime minister has warned.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan. Karzai vote ‘below 50 per cent’ “Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s president, is facing a runoff vote after a UN-backed election watchdog recommended that thousands of ballots apparently cast in his favour be scrapped.” U.S. Signals Delay in Afghan Troop Decision “The White House signaled Sunday that President Obama would postpone any decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan until the disputed election there had been settled and resulted in a government that could work with the United States.” U.S. says credible partner in Afghanistan is crucial “Before President Obama commits additional troops to Afghanistan, the U.S. needs assurances that Afghan leaders preside over a stable government that is legitimate in the eyes of its citizens, top Democratic officials said in TV appearances Sunday.” White House, key Democrat turn up heat on Karzai “President Obama’s top White House aide and Sen. John Kerry warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai that Obama won’t send more troops to Afghanistan unless the country has a credible and legitimate government.”
Taliban.In Afghanistan, experts question strategy of reconciliation for insurgents "’Not every Taliban is an extremist ally,’ Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said last week. One of the primary tasks of President Obama’s Afghanistan strategy review, she said, is ‘trying to sort out who is the real enemy.’" A Variety of Sources Feed Into Taliban’s War Chest “The Taliban in Afghanistan are running a sophisticated financial network to pay for their insurgent operations, raising hundreds of millions of dollars from the illicit drug trade, kidnappings, extortion and foreign donations that American officials say they are struggling to cut off.” Flow of terrorist recruits increasing “Midway through a propaganda video released last month by a group calling itself the German Taliban, a surprise guest made an appearance: a cleanshaven, muscular gunman sporting the alias Abu Ibrahim the American.”
Al Qaeda. Questions about Al Qaeda’s next move “Some intelligence experts speculate that, under increasing Pakistani pressure, the terrorist network may try to relocate once again to Afghanistan. Others are not so sure.” Setbacks weaken Al Qaeda’s ability to mount attacks, terrorism officials say “As Al Qaeda is weakened by the loss of leaders, fighters, funds and ideological appeal, the extremist network’s ability to attack targets in the United States and Western Europe has diminished.”
Pakistan. Pakistan pounds Taliban targets “Pakistani troops backed by heavy artillery are continuing to pound suspected Taliban targets in South Waziristan province.” Pakistan ‘push into Taliban area’ “The Pakistani army has said it has pushed deeper into South Waziristan as it battles to wrestle control of the region from the Taliban and al-Qaeda.” By Air and Ground, Pakistani Soldiers Penetrate Militant Heartland “The Pakistani military moved deeper into South Waziristan on Sunday, hitting Taliban targets with F-16 fighter jets, as troops supported by helicopter gunships climbed higher into the mountainous terrain,”
Iran. Dozens killed in suicide attack on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard “In a brazen attack on Iran’s military elite, a suicide bomber on Sunday killed six Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and 36 others at a gathering of tribal leaders in a southeastern province near the Pakistani border known for drug running and religious extremism,” Iran: US, UK, Pakistan behind bomb “The chief of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard accused the United States, Britain and Pakistan on Monday of having links with Sunni militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed five senior Guard commanders and 37 others.”
Iran Nuclear Program. Iran ‘doubts’ over nuclear deal “Iran appears to be backing away from a proposed deal to resolve the crisis over its nuclear programme, Iranian media reports suggest." Tough second leg in Iran’s nuclear match “Today’s meeting is supposed to clinch a deal to ship Iran’s uranium out of the country and help defuse the nuclear crisis, but it is far from clear whether Tehran will go along.”
Sudan — Darfur. Seized aid workers freed in Sudan “Two foreign aid workers held hostage in Sudan’s volatile Darfur region have been released.” US offers ‘incentives’ to Sudan “US President Barack Obama has offered Sudan ‘incentives’ if it acts to improve situation on the ground, unveiling a new policy on Khartoum." Obama has little choice on Sudan “But even opponents of the revised US strategy unveiled in Washington agree Sudan has reached a very fragile juncture. Obama had little choice but to soften Washington’s approach and try something different – or risk a geostrategic and human calamity.” Sudan’s Critics Relieved That Obama Chose a Middle Course “A day after the first details began to emerge of the Obama administration’s long-awaited policy for Sudan – one that proposes working with the government rather than isolating it – advocates of a tougher approach toward Khartoum said they wished the administration had been stronger.”
OPINION
The Unemployed Wait(Editorial, New York Times) “More than a million jobless Americans are in danger of losing benefits by the end of the year unless Congress passes an extension of unemployment insurance. The House has acted, but the Senate, which has a better bill, has been bogged down by obstruction from Republicans.”
Rebranding America (Bono, New York Times) “Many have spoken about the need for a rebranding of America. Rebrand, restart, reboot. In my view these 36 words, alongside the administration’s approach to fighting nuclear proliferation and climate change, improving relations in the Middle East and, by the way, creating jobs and providing health care at home, are rebranding in action.”
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.
Quote of the Day. “Where are these people going to work? They did not think this through.” — Maria Diaz, a 13-year employee at the Highways and Transportation Department in Puerto Rico, in response to Gov. Luis Fortuno’splan to decrease the territory’s $3.2 billion deficit by eliminating more than 20,000 public sector jobs. (New York Times)
Bank of America. Bank of America Posts a Loss and Misses Forecast "The third-quarter loss came as growing numbers of consumer loans soured and the bank paid millions of dollars to wean itself off government life support." Rising Loan Losses Pull Bank of America To Q3 Loss "Rising losses from consumer and commercial loans dragged Bank of America Corp. (BAC) to a third quarter loss of $1 billion despite impressive trading and investment banking revenues, which were helped in part by the Charlotte bank’s purchase last year of Merrill Lynch & Co."
Acorn.Acorn’s Woes Strain Its Ties to Democrats "The group’s relationship with the Democratic Party has always been productive and uneasy." Judy Biggert goes after ACORN "’It’s abundantly clear that ACORN and its affiliates cannot be trusted as a federally-certified entity,’ said Biggert, a senior member of the House."
Afghan Elections.Runoff Expected In Afghan Election "An investigation of allegedly fraudulent ballots in Afghanistan’s troubled election has reduced President Hamid Karzai’s portion of the vote to about 47 percent, an outcome that will trigger a runoff between him and his closest competitor, according to officials familiar with results."
Immigrations Enforcement.DHS Reshapes Its Immigration Enforcement Program "A controversial federal program that deputizes state and local law enforcement agents to catch illegal immigrants is expanding under the Obama administration, despite changes announced this summer intended to curb alleged racial profiling and other police abuses."
Pakistan.Pakistan Attacks Show Tightening of Militant Links "A wave of recent attacks shows that the Taliban, Al Qaeda and militant groups are tightening their alliance." New Attack in Pakistan Targets Police Station "The bombing in Peshawar, which killed at least 11, was the latest in a string of attacks that have left at least 150 people dead this month." Double bombing kills 13 at Pakistan police station "Three suicide attackers, including a woman, attacked a police station in northwestern Pakistan, killing 13 people Friday while army airstrikes killed a dozen suspected militants in a Taliban stronghold ahead of an expected ground offensive."
Afghanistan.4 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan "The soldiers were killed after their patrol vehicle hit an improvised explosive device, officials said on Friday." Four US service members killed in Afghanistan blast "Four American service members were killed Thursday by a bomb that exploded in southern Afghanistan, according to officials with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force." Publishing Images of U.S. Casualties in Afghanistan Limited "The U.S. military command in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday imposed a new ban on publication of photographs taken by embedded journalists that identify American war casualties."
Obama — New Orleans.Obama Meets Critics in New Orleans "Deflecting criticism that he has not made the area enough of a priority, President Obama acknowledged that more work must be done and vowed that he will ‘not forget about New Orleans.’" Obama Makes His First Presidential Trip to New Orleans "In his first visit here since taking office, President Obama sought Thursday to reassure frustrated residents that his administration is working aggressively to repair the hurricane-damaged city and return people to their jobs and homes."
Jobs.Job Program Found to Miss Many States That Need It Most "The Obama administration released data on businesses that got stimulus contracts directly from the federal government."30,000 Stimulus Jobs, Many in D.C. Area, Reported "Businesses that received federal contracts from stimulus spending reported creating or saving about 30,000 jobs, according to figures released Thursday. The reports also suggest that the program has been particularly beneficial for the Washington region."
Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Unions Protest Job Cuts "Union members in San Juan spoke out Thursday against a plan to lay off more than 20,000 government workers."
Congo. U.N. Rights Official Denounces Drive Against Rebels in Congo "A top U.N. human rights investigator on Thursday blasted a U.N.-backed Congolese military operation targeting rebels in eastern Congo, calling its results ‘catastrophic.’"
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.
Duane "News Digester" Shank and the Sojourners team are out of the office. But here are some links to Duane’s usual sources to browse until his return:
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.
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.
Quote of the Day. "Obviously, if you are wiping with 80-proof alcohol, you are probably being about as safe as you can be. Germs don’t like … a high volume of alcohol." Very Rev. Steve Lipscomb, dean of Grace Episcopal Cathedral in Topeka, Kan., which has begun wiping its Communion chalices with vodka-soaked gauze after each parishioner takes a sip in an effort to combat the H1NI virus. (Los Angeles Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
The Pastor Who Has Obama’s Attention “Seventy miles from Washington’s prying eyes, Barack Obama has been attending church from time to time at Camp David, where services are led by a 39-year-old Navy chaplain with a famous last name, a compelling life story and a fervent belief in a God who works miracles.”
UN agency head tells synod that fighting hunger is a matter of faith “The teachings of the Catholic Church and of Islam urge believers to manage resources wisely, providing for the poorest and avoiding all waste and excess, the head of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization told the Synod of Bishops for Africa.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. Finance Committee Passes Bill With One GOP Vote “As the last of five congressional committees completed work Tuesday on a health-care reform package, lawmakers braced for a debate before the full House and Senate about whether Americans are ready to embrace the far-reaching changes necessary to extend coverage to millions of Americans.” Republican’s Vote Lifts a Health Bill, but Hurdles Remain“After months of relentless courting and suspense, Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Republican of Maine, cast her vote with Democrats on Tuesday as the Senate Finance Committee approved legislation to remake the health care system and provide coverage to millions of the uninsured.” Healthcare overhaul bill clears Senate Finance Committee “The 14-9 vote by the Senate Finance Committee sets the stage for the final legislative push amid intense lobbying by healthcare providers, consumer advocates, labor unions and other interest groups.”
Immigration. Immigration Rally Draws Thousands “The event was timed to the unveiling of an immigration bill by Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, Democrat of Illinois and chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.” Tougher rules on policing illegal immigrants “The Wake County Sheriff’s Department is one of eight local law enforcement agencies in North Carolina and 66 across the nation authorized by the federal government to identify illegal immigrants and process them for possible deportation under a program known as 287(g).” ‘Toughest sheriff’ vows face-off with feds over illegals “The sheriff has announced he will defy the U.S. Department of Homeland Security by doing a street sweep for illegal immigrants one day after the expiration of the agreement that has permitted him to conduct such operations for the past three years.”
Afghanistan. Biden No Longer a Lone Voice on Afghanistan “From the moment they took office, Mr. Biden has been Mr. Obama’s in-house pessimist on Afghanistan, the strongest voice against further escalation of American forces there and the leading doubter of the president’s strategy.” Reconciliation Efforts in Afghanistan Flounder “As Washington policymakers debate the U.S. role in Afghanistan, most agree that one element will be important to whatever strategy emerges: the need for reconciliation with insurgents who can be bought off or persuaded to lay down their weapons.” General: we could buy our way to Afghan victory “Afghan insurgents should be offered amnesties and removal from the coalition’s ‘wanted’ list if they lay down their arms, says the British general charged with coaxing fighters away from their extremist leaders.” UK sends 500 more troops to Afghanistan “Gordon Brown says the UK will send 500 more forces personnel to Afghanistan — but only if key conditions are met.”
Homelessness. ‘Tent City’ of Homeless Is Rejected in Florida “It was the end, for now, of an emotional dispute between residents fearful of the homeless and advocates who had argued for immediate help in a county with the state’s largest homeless population and where the recession has been especially severe.”
Military Recruiting.In Downturn, Military Reports Historic Recruiting Success “For the first time in more than 35 years, the U.S. military has met all of its annual recruiting goals, as hundreds of thousands of young people have enlisted despite the near-certainty that they will go to war."Droves of recruits to ease burden on troops “The U.S. military Tuesday reported the biggest surge in recruits since the end of the draft — an increase that likely will relieve pressure on troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by allowing them to spend more time at home between overseas deployments.”
Nobel Prize. Nobel panel defends Obama choice “In a rare public defence of a process normally shrouded in secrecy, four of the Nobel peace prize jury’s five judges have spoken about a selection they said was both merited and unanimous.”
Global Hunger. UN warns of worsening hunger “The UN’s annual report on global food security confirms that more than one billion people — a sixth of the world’s population — are undernourished.”
Iraq. Iraq releases new death toll figure “At least 85,000 people have been killed in Iraq by bombs, murders and fighting from 2004 until 2008, Iraq’s human rights ministry says.”
Pakistan. U.S. Seeks to Ease Pakistanis’ Concerns Before Obama Signs Aid Bill “President Obama plans to sign a bill providing Pakistan $7.5 billion in economic aid Wednesday after Congress issues a statement designed to placate Pakistanis’ objections that conditions attached to the legislation violate their sovereignty, U.S. and Pakistani officials said.” US seeks to calm Pakistan aid fears “US senators have been trying to allay fears in Pakistan over conditions attached to $7.5bn worth of non-military aid it has promised for the next five years.” Obama’s Pakistan policy rocked by aid package fury “Officials of the two countries were locked in last-minute negotiations on how to salvage the Kerry-Lugar Bill, which triples US civilian aid to Pakistan. It seeks to broaden the campaign against Islamic militancy by fighting poverty in regions along the Afghan border and tries to ensure that military aid is not misspent."
Iran. Iran investigating prominent opposition cleric “Iranian authorities launched a provocative attack on the opposition movement Tuesday by announcing a special investigation of prominent cleric Mehdi Karroubi over his accusations that security forces raped and tortured protesters after the disputed June reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.” Could an Israeli air strike stop Iran’s nuclear program? “The short answer is yes, but it’s unlikely that Israel could destroy all of Iran’s nuclear sites, and it would run the risk of leaving behind an angrier and even more committed enemy.”
Israel. ‘Israel abuses detention without trial’ “Twenty-eight Palestinians have been held in administrative detention for two to four years, and one has been held for four-and-a-half years, according to a report due to be released early Wednesday morning by two human rights organizations, B’Tselem and Hamoked.”
South Africa. Police fire on S African protests “South African police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators protesting against poor living conditions during a rally in the country’s northeast.”
OPINION.
Insurers push back (Editorial, Los Angeles Times) “The push for comprehensive healthcare reform started the year with such strong support from doctors, hospitals and industry groups, it seemed too good to last. And it didn’t.”
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.
Quote of the Day. "We are out here fighting … and I find out the United States of America is deporting my dad? I feel anger, betrayal, rage. But you can’t lose concentration out here." Pfc. Janos V. "Johnny" Lutz, serving with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, on learning that his father, a legal permanent resident, was arrested and is scheduled for deportation to his native Hungary, apparently for missing a hearing. (Los Angeles Times)
Churchgoers Redefine Worship with Faith in Action “Pews were empty as Christians across the country wore their white and orange ‘Don’t Go to Church. Be The Church’ shirts in observance of Faith in Action Sunday on Oct. 11 … A collaborative effort between Outreach Inc. and World Vision, the annual campaign encourages churchgoers each year to shift their focus from themselves to others.”
Bishops advise US on humanitarian, moral issues in Afghanistan “Long-term development and humanitarian assistance, protecting civilians and dealing with the root causes of terrorism should be among the guiding principles of how the United States deals with problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace.”
Health Care. Partisan split likely in key Senate health care vote “President Barack Obama’s effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system is expected to clear its last committee hurdle Tuesday — but almost certainly without the strong bipartisan endorsement he and some moderate Republicans have sought.” As Panel Votes Today, Democrats Look Ahead “The Senate Finance Committee will hold a landmark vote on health-care reform legislation Tuesday that is expected to underscore the deep partisan divisions that have emerged and hardened over five months of debate.” Congress Is Split on Effort to Tax Costly Health Plans “A proposed tax on high-cost, or ‘Cadillac,’ health insurance plans has touched off a fierce clash between the Senate and the House as they wrestle over how to pay for legislation that would provide health benefits to millions of uninsured Americans.” Universal healthcare coverage appears elusive “As a key Senate committee prepares today to pass its plan to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system, senior Democrats are acknowledging that it may be impossible to provide coverage to all Americans — a central goal of President Obama and his congressional allies.”
Afghanistan Policy. Number of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Overlooks Thousands of Support Troops “President Obama announced in March that he would be sending 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. But in an unannounced move, the White House has also authorized — and the Pentagon is deploying — at least 13,000 troops beyond that number, according to defense officials.” Views on Afghanistan Buildup Bring Clinton and Gates Together in an Alliance “… as President Obama leads yet another debate on whether to deploy tens of thousands of additional troops there, the secretary of state and the secretary of defense will once again constitute a critical voting bloc, the likely leaders of an argument for a middle ground between a huge influx of soldiers and a narrow focus aimed at killing terrorists from Al Qaeda.”
Environment. Cleansing the Air at the Expense of Waterways “Even as a growing number of coal-burning power plants around the nation have moved to reduce their air emissions, many of them are creating another problem: water pollution.”
Cuba Travel. Bills to lift Cuba travel ban gaining momentum in Congress “A powerful campaign to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba is rumbling through Congress, with both backers and opponents predicting eventual victory and a Cuban-American Senator holding a key vote.”
Agent Orange. Door Opens to Health Claims Tied to Agent Orange “Under rules to be proposed this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to add Parkinson’s disease, ischemic heart disease and hairy-cell leukemia to the growing list of illnesses presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange, the toxic defoliant used widely in Vietnam.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Pakistan. In Pakistan, a Deadly Resurgence “At summer’s end, there were hints of optimism in the battle against Pakistan’s Islamist insurgents. The military said it had routed the Taliban from the verdant Swat Valley.” Pakistan Aid Places U.S. in the Midst of a Divide “The new aid package for Pakistan passed by Congress last month – a promise of $7.5 billion for civilian needs over the next five years – has unwittingly thrust the United States into the center of the perennially uneasy relationship between Pakistan’s powerful military and its weak civilian governments.” Pakistani army facing threat from Punjabi, al-Qaida and Taliban militants “Pakistan’s army made a stark admission today of the scale of the threat it faces from a nexus of Punjabi, al-Qaida and Taliban militants whose attacks are increasingly coordinated, include soldiers in their ranks and span the country.”
Iran. US ‘to hold back on Iran sanctions’ “The US believes this is not the time to impose more sanctions against Iran as part of its push to get the country to end its nuclear programme.” Russian foreign minister opposes threatening Iran with sanctions “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that the threat of sanctions against Iran would be counterproductive, resisting U.S. efforts to win agreement for measures if Iran fails to prove that its nuclear program is peaceful.”
Congo. UN criticised on Congo offensive “United Nations peacekeepers have been criticised for supporting a government military offensive in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A joint report by several international aid agencies said the mission had had ‘disastrous’ humanitarian consequences.” Report targets military for Congo unrest “More than 1,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 900,000 displaced in eastern Congo by Rwandan Hutu militiamen and Congolese forces since January, humanitarian groups said today.”
North Korea. North Korea tests more short range missiles “North Korea test-fired short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan yesterday, in a gesture of defiance as it rebuilds diplomatic bridges with South Korea add the United States.” N Korea ‘readying more missiles’ “North Korea is reportedly preparing to conduct more short-range missile tests, ratcheting up tensions in the region after indicating it was ready to return to negotiations on its nuclear arsenal.”
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.
Quote of the Day. "Churches are very soft targets and very vulnerable to attack from terrorists and other homegrown, disgruntled individuals. Unfortunately, most religious leaders are living in denial." Pastor Ken Pagano, who resigned last month at the New Bethel Church in Louisville, Ky. to co-found the International Security Coalition of Clergy to focus on Second Amendment and church-security issues. (Washington Times)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Evangelical Movement at ‘Head-Snapping’ Moment “The evangelical movement is at a ‘head-snapping’ generational change with younger evangelicals ‘revolting’ against the tone of the Christian Right, says a prominent religious scholar.”
Churches that Split over Race to Worship in Philadelphia “More than two centuries after racial divisions sparked the birth of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the black and white congregations at the center of the split will worship together for the first time in late October in Philadelphia.”
Archbishop offers ‘nuanced but powerful’ criticism of the Iraq war “Dr Rowan Williams’ comments came in what has been described as ‘a nuanced but powerful sermon’ as part of a memorial service he led this weekend for the 179 British personnel who died in the conflict.”
Is God OK With Today’s Workload? (Cary McMullen, Lakeland, FL Ledger op ed) “You hear a lot about companies wanting to be ‘leaner.’ Financial analysts praise corporations for ‘high productivity.’ Translation: These companies are demanding the same work from fewer employees, working fewer hours, for the same or less pay.”
California Christians worship in a big way “Thanks to good weather, sprawling suburbs and a number of charismatic pastors, the Golden State has more of these megachurches — defined as those with at least 2,000 congregants — than any other state.”
Inner-city L.A. hungers for good grocery stores “A coalition of community, faith-based and environmental groups is trying to draw quality supermarkets to neighborhoods in East and South Central L.A., where residents have little access to fresh fruit and vegetables.”
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. New Bill Would Raise Rates, Says Insurance Group “After months of collaboration on President Obama’s attempt to overhaul the nation’s health-care system, the insurance industry plans to strike out against the effort on Monday with a report warning that the typical family premium in 2019 could cost $4,000 more than projected.” Insurance Industry Assails Health Care Legislation “In a blistering new attack, the health insurance industry said Sunday that health care legislation drafted by Senate Democrats would drive up premiums, rather than making coverage more affordable, as the White House contends.” Study finds disconnect between healthcare needs and support for reform “A new study points to a political paradox in the long, wrenching debate over revamping the healthcare system: Some members of Congress whose constituents stand to gain the most are nonetheless opposing the bill, while others whose constituents will likely pay more for little reward are some of its most ardent supporters.”
Climate Change. Obama Urged to Intensify Push for Climate Measure “President Obama is coming under renewed pressure internationally and in the United States to throw his weight behind climate-change legislation, which advocates fear has suffered in light of the president’s sweeping domestic agenda.”
Death Penalty. Execution Methods Examined “[Ohio Gov. Ted] Strickland’s decision to delay two more executions and review the way Ohio has executed 32 prisoners since 1999 could influence the way condemned prisoners elsewhere are put to death, according to experts on the death penalty.”
Gay Rights. At March, Gay Rights Activists Push for Nationwide Equality “Tens of thousands of gay-rights activists marched Sunday in Washington to show President Obama and Congress that they are impatient with what they consider piecemeal progress and are ready to fight at the federal level for across-the-board equality.” Thousands march in Washington for gay rights “Tens of thousands of gays, lesbians and supporters marched through the nation’s capital Sunday in a festive, forceful call for equality, culminating in a boisterous rally at the Capitol.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan Policy. US and UK ‘working closely on Afghan strategy’ “[Foreign Secretary David Miliband] hailed the ’shared strategy’ on Afghanistan and said the two countries were working closely together to ensure the coalition effort was ‘as clear, as effective and as decisive as possible.’"Afghan quits election fraud inquiry “A member of a UN-backed panel set up to investigate complaints of fraud in Afghanistan’s presidential election resigned today, blaming the ‘interference of foreigners,’ in a setback to attempts to restore legitimacy to the electoral process.” Civilian Goals Largely Unmet in Afghanistan “Even as President Obama leads an intense debate over whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, administration officials say the United States is falling far short of his goals to fight the country’s endemic corruption, create a functioning government and legal system and train a police force currently riddled with incompetence.”
Pakistan. Pakistan says latest deadly assault cements plan to strike at Taliban stronghold “Pakistan’s government, which for weeks claimed to have broken the back of the Taliban, found itself on Sunday sifting through the aftermath of a highly coordinated 22-hour siege by militants that left at least 19 people dead and deeply embarrassed the country’s leadership.” Pakistanis say U.S. hoards intelligence “Despite growing success targeting militants in Pakistan’s northwest, the U.S. is refusing to share intelligence with Pakistan about al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban leaders thought to be hiding in the southwest province of Baluchistan, three senior Pakistani officials say.”
Palestine. Palestinian unity hopes dim “A reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, the rival Palestinian parties, has been delayed, following a bitter dispute over the Palestinian decision not to back a UN report on alleged Israeli war crimes.”
Iran. Diplomacy in the lead on Iran nuclear issue — for now “Agreement to open Iran’s hidden nuclear complex to inspection has reduced talk of military action and put diplomacy back on track — at least for a while. But even as the U.S. tries to build international pressure, emerging details suggest it might already be too late for an armed strike.” Britain bans trade with two Iranian companies “Britain has stepped up the pressure on Iran over its nuclear weapons programme by banning UK companies from trading with Bank Mellat, a key Iranian bank, and its state-owned shipping fleet.”
Climate Change — Africa. Africa ‘needs climate change cash’ “African leaders have said the continent will need $65bn to deal with the effects of global warming and called for the support of rich nations.”
OPINION
Wrong Paths to Immigration Reform(Editorial, New York Times) “The vast majority are those whom President Obama has vowed to help get right with the law, by paying fines and earning citizenship. Treating the majority of illegal immigrants as potential Americans, not a criminal horde, is the right response to the problem.”
Yes We Can (Pass Climate Change Legislation) (John Kerry and Lindsey Graham, New York Times) “… we refuse to accept the argument that the United States cannot lead the world in addressing global climate change. We are also convinced that we have found both a framework for climate legislation to pass Congress and the blueprint for a clean-energy future that will revitalize our economy, protect current jobs and create new ones, safeguard our national security and reduce pollution.”
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.
