The latest news on Ft. Hood Memorial, Health Care, Afghanistan Policy, Financial Reform, Climate Change, Unions, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mideast, Cuba, and Select op-eds.
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Quote of the Day. "There's a level of responsibility that's involved, like having a little baby. It compels you to extend yourself and not think only of yourself. I have to think about him first." Eric Jenkins, a New York state prison inmate, speaking of a puppy he’s working with through the “Puppies Behind Bars” program in which inmates train dogs to work with disabled veterans. (USA Today)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Christian Coalition Goes Green, Supports Climate Change Legislation (Robert Parham, Ethics Daily) “When the Christian Coalition joins the National Wildlife Federation in urging the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that will address constructively climate change, one is tempted to think of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah's vision of a time when the "wolf shall dwell with the lamb."
Cardinal praises vote for health reform with ban on abortion funding “Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. bishops, praised the House for approving a reform bill that provides "adequate and affordable health care to all" and "voting overwhelmingly" for a prohibition on using federal money to pay for most abortions.”
In the Iraq war, Christians pushed to the brink “Iraq’s Christians have been targeted for kidnapping and forced to flee their homes. One advocate says that in a generation, Christians could be gone from the land they’ve lived in for 2,000 years.”
NEWS AT HOME
Veterans Day. Services remember world war dead “Ceremonies of commemoration are being held around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the end of World War I.” Veterans eager to continue service at home “As the nation honors millions of veterans who served their country in numerous wars, those fresh from battle in Iraq and Afghanistan say they are ready for another tour of duty, but this time as a civic engagement in their home communities.”
Ft. Hood Memorial. President, at Service, Hails Fort Hood’s Fallen“President Obama took on the role of national eulogist on Tuesday for the first time since assuming office as he led the country in mourning 13 active and retired soldiers gunned down not on a foreign battlefield but here on their home post by one of their own.” Obama praises the fallen at Ft. Hood memorial “President Obama tried to console a grieving military Tuesday, telling the families of those killed in last week's shooting rampage at Ft. Hood that their "loved ones endure through the life of our nation." President Obama honors fallen troops at Fort Hood “President Barack Obama, on his first presidential visit to Fort Hood, the day before Veterans Day, memorialized 13 soldiers on Tuesday, all of them killed, authorities believe, by a fellow soldier Thursday afternoon.”
Health Care. Reid Says Health Bill Will Be Done by Christmas “The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said Tuesday that he expected to bring major health care legislation to the floor next week and to complete work on the bill before Christmas.” President Clinton urges Senate action on healthcare “With Senate leaders navigating a tricky path to move healthcare legislation forward, Democrats on Tuesday received a blunt warning from the president who tried in vain to provide universal coverage 15 years ago -- and who suffered the political consequences of failure.”
Afghanistan Policy. Obama in Afghan troop level talks “US President Barack Obama is to discuss US policy in Afghanistan with his national security team, as speculation mounts over a decision on troop levels.” Top Obama Advisers Favor Adding Troops in Afghanistan “Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton are coalescing around a proposal to send 30,000 or more additional American troops to Afghanistan.” Obama Receives New Afghan Option “President Barack Obama on Wednesday will consider a new compromise plan for adding troops to Afghanistan that would deploy 30,000 to 35,000 new forces, including as many as 10,000 military trainers, over the next year or more.” Obama, war council to review Afghanistan troop options “President Obama and his war council plan today to review four basic strategy options for Afghanistan that could increase the number of U.S. troops there by as many as 40,000 or fewer than 10,000.”
DC Sniper Executed. Muhammad is executed for sniper killing “John Allen Muhammad, the sniper who kept the Washington region paralyzed by fear for three weeks as he and a young accomplice gunned down people at random, was executed Tuesday night by lethal injection.” D.C.-area sniper John Allen Muhammad is executed “A defiant John Allen Muhammad, who terrified the Washington area in 2002 as he orchestrated a series of sniper shootings, including 10 murders, was executed by lethal injection Tuesday night.”
Financial Reform. Dodd's reform plan takes aim at the Fed “The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping regulatory reform bill that would strip the Federal Reserve of nearly all of its power to oversee banks, setting up a possible clash with the Obama administration, which has argued for the central bank to play a pivotal role in addressing financial threats.” Senate Plan Would Expand Regulation of Risky Lending “The chairman of the Senate banking committee proposed a financial overhaul on Tuesday that included consolidating bank regulators, creating a consumer financial protection agency and imposing new restraints on exotic financial instruments and credit rating agencies.”
Climate Change. U.N. leader urges Senate to speed up climate effort “United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon met with Senate Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday and urged them to save international climate talks next month by speeding up work on a climate and energy bill.” Gloomy Energy Report Sets the Stage for Climate Talks “As the world heads for tough negotiations over a global climate deal next month, an influential forecasting agency said on Tuesday that current energy policies were not sustainable, and that a vast transformation of energy use was required to fend off the worst consequences of global warming.”
Unions. Survey Finds Deep Shift in the Makeup of Unions “A study has found that just one in 10 union members is in manufacturing, while women account for more than 45 percent of the unionized work force.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Taliban leaving al-Qaeda behind “As violence rises in Afghanistan, the power balance between insurgent groups has shifted, with a weakened al-Qaeda relying increasingly on the emboldened Taliban for protection and the manpower to carry out deadly attacks, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.” Taliban expands control of Nuristan “Taliban fighters are expanding their control of Afghanistan's Nuristan province, an area they claim to have recaptured from US troops.”
Pakistan. US denies Pakistan nuclear report “The US government has rejected a report that Washington has a team ready to secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenal due to fears that the country is unstable.”
Mideast. PM offers Obama additional gestures to get Abbas on board in peace talks “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed additional Israeli gestures to the Palestinian Authority during his White House meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama Monday night, in an effort to persuade PA President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to resume talks with Israel.” Blair Hails Economic Steps in West Bank “Palestinians marked two significant economic breakthroughs on Tuesday, counterpoints to the growing crisis in peace negotiations with Israel: a second cellphone company opened, with a planned investment of hundreds of millions of dollars; and a long-closed crossing point from Israel opened to limited motor traffic.” Abbas leaves Palestinians facing bleak future “A President threatening to quit, his potential successor languishing in an Israeli jail and a peace process heading nowhere: rarely have prospects for the Palestinian people looked so bleak.”
Cuba. Cuba's blogosphere has developed a sharper edge “Carefully, but with daring determination, some Cubans whose blogs once focused largely on the frustrations of daily life are moving toward sharp-edged commentaries and activities that some fear will eventually lead to a crackdown by the communist government.”
Honduras. U.S. Tries to Salvage Honduras Accord “Under fire from allies in Latin America and on Capitol Hill, the Obama administration moved Tuesday to try to salvage the American-brokered agreement that had been billed as paving the way for a peaceful end to the coup in Honduras.” Manuel Zelaya's backers: Boycott Honduran election “A U.S.-brokered accord that was supposed to return ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to power has collapsed. And his supporters, who have been organizing street protests against his successor, are down to their final card: calling on Hondurans to boycott upcoming elections.”
OPINION
Healing our troubled vets (Editorial, Los Angeles Times) “The public is kinder to its veterans today than it was during the Vietnam War, when soldiers risked their lives overseas only to face scorn from antiwar activists when they got home. Yet veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan may be having a harder time readjusting to civilian life than previous generations of warriors.”
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.
