The latest news on Election, Immigration, Economy, Afghanistan, UK-France Nuclear Cooperation, Sudan, Mideast Talks, and Select Op-Eds.
Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »
Quote of the day. "I pray for the victims of this absurd violence, which is even more savage because it struck defenseless people, gathered in God's house, which is a house of love and reconciliation." Pope Benedict XVI, after praying for victims of the church bombing in Iraq. (Catholic News Service)
RELIGION IN THE NEWS
Priests among 58 killed during terror siege at Iraq church “Christian community was grieving and afraid on Monday after terrorists seized a Baghdad church during evening Mass, held the congregation hostage and triggered a raid by Iraqi security forces that left at least 58 people dead.” Church Attack Seen as Strike at Iraq's Core “But for survivors, the tragedy went deeper than the toll of the human wreckage: A fusillade of grenades, bullets and suicide vests had unraveled yet another thread of the country’s once eclectic fabric.” Iraqi survivors tell of hiding in priests' dressing room amid gunfire, blasts “As the siege began, dozens piled into the room in the Syrian Catholic Church in Baghdad. Those who couldn't find hiding places were killed by militants.”
Religion, Politics Getting too Cozy, Carter Warns “For a man who evangelized foreign leaders and taught Sunday school while U.S. president, Jimmy Carter has some strong words for what he sees as an “excessive melding of religion and politics.”
Haitian mourn earthquake victims on Day of the Dead “As some celebrated All Saints Day by honoring the spirits of their dead with church services and visits to cemeteries, the day took on a heightened significance in this broken capital as Haitians remembered those lost in the Jan. 12 earthquake.”
NEWS AT HOME
Election-what to watch. Here's what to look for as election night unfolds All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 37 in the Senate are up for grabs. Voters also will choose 37 governors. USA TODAY political reporter John Fritze provides clues in this guide on whether Democrats or Republicans will be in power. States are grouped according to when their last polls close.” What to Watch Hour-by-Hour: Senate Races | House Races
Election. 5 hours that will reshape Congress “But as voters head to the polls today after a year of competitive primary elections and anti-Washington anger there's little doubt Republicans will make significant advances in Congress. The only question left: How significant?” Election Day puts Democratic control of Congress and Obama's agenda on the line “The Democratic Congress that enacted President Barack Obama's far-reaching health care law and plowed staggering sums into economic relief is at risk Tuesday in an election that promises to shake up the political order across the nation.” Finding Clues to the Future in Flood of Midterm Data “Beyond the results of the more than 500 House, Senate and governor's races, the nation will be looking at the returns for answers to bigger questions.” Democrats bracing for losses “The campaign of 2010 ended as it began: loudly. But the nationwide barrage of last-ditch attack ads and the sniping among the country's political leaders appeared to have little effect on the dynamics of the year. “Winners Tuesday May Benefit From Economic Cycle “In the longer term, though, the importance of any wave election isn’t only about the sheer number of seats gained and lost, but also about when the wave hits — or, more specifically, where it falls in the economic cycles of the country.”
Election-issues. The war the election forgot “In this turbulent election season — amid the talk of "tea parties" and the economy and President Obama's approval rating and the fight to control Congress and bailouts and deficits and fear and anger — there is little mention of Afghanistan or Iraq.” House takeover would give GOP ways to attack health law “If Rep. Joe Barton becomes the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee next year, the Texas Republican vows to make life miserable for Democratic defenders of the health care overhaul law. “
Immigration. Federal Appeals Court Weighs Arizona Law on Immigrants “Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona and her team of lawyers defended the state’s strict new immigration law in a federal appeals court on Monday, facing a panel of three judges who sharply questioned the way the law would be carried out.” Judge faults Justice in immigration case “A federal appellate judge expressed deep skepticism Monday about a Justice Department lawsuit challenging Arizona's new immigration law, leaving uncertain the Obama administration's chances of stopping the law from taking effect.” Court signals backing for Arizona immigration law “A federal appeals court appeared willing Monday to reinstate, but weaken, a central provision of an Arizona law allowing police to stop and question suspected illegal immigrants.”
Economy. Economic picture still cloudy “With economic angst potentially driving the results of Tuesday's elections, indicators released Monday sent mixed signals about the pace of the U.S. recovery.” States' stimulus boost starts fading in June “State and local government finances continue to slowly improve, but the outlook is cloudy because federal aid to states will start to shrink in about eight months.” Debt Panel Pauses Until After Elections “The group, which has a Dec. 1 deadline for recommending how to reduce the annual deficits swelling the federal debt, purposely has done little to date beyond five public hearings, and it has decided nothing lest any decisions leak and blow up in the flammable mix of a campaign year with control of Congress in the balance.”
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Yemen-al Qaeda. Yemen launches search for Al Qaeda bomb maker “Yemeni special forces launched an offensive Tuesday across two rugged provinces searching for an Al Qaeda bomb maker believed to have devised the concealed explosives that were intercepted in two packages last week before reaching the U.S.” Yemen begins hunt for plot suspect “A major military and intelligence operation is under way in Yemen as authorities attempt to track down an alleged Saudi bomb-maker who is a key suspect in a foiled air cargo bomb plot over the weekend.” Mail bomb plotters 'used dry run' “US intelligence officials tracked suspicious shipments in September that they now suspect were a dry run for last week's foiled parcel bomb plot.”
Afghanistan. U.S. bases shifting to Afghan control “U.S. Marines have begun handing over some of their small bases to the Afghan army in this once-volatile district in the country's southwest, a transition that top military commanders intend to cite as proof that the Obama administration's troop escalation and counterinsurgency strategy are succeeding.” Afghan Police Unit Defects to Taliban, Leaving Burning Station Behind “In Khogeyani, a volatile area southwest of the capital, the entire police force on duty Monday morning appears to have defected to the Taliban side.” Afghan civilian deaths caused by allied forces rise “U.S. and allied forces have failed to reduce the number of civilian fatalities caused by them in Afghanistan despite a two-year effort by American commanders, internal U.S. military statistics show.”
UK-France nuclear cooperation. UK, France plan joint nuclear tests “Britain and France will sign a treaty on Tuesday that will see the two countries test the safety of their nuclear weapons stocks in a joint facility in France.” Leaders hail UK-France agreement “David Cameron has said new treaties on defence and nuclear co-operation with France were a "new chapter" in a long history of defence cooperation. Speaking alongside French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the UK PM said it would make both countries' citizens safer and would save money.”
Sudan. Obama renews Sudan sanctions “Barack Obama has renewed sanctions against Sudan's government, keeping pressure on Khartoum to stick to the timetable for holding a referendum on southern independence.”
Mideast talks. Netanyahu expects Obama to resume Mideast efforts after midterms “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that the Obama administration will renew its initiatives to relaunch direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority after the U.S. midterm elections conclude on Tuesday, “
OPINION
Immigration foes could get boost from elections (Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald) “If the Republican Party wins by a landslide in Tuesday's mid-term elections, as most polls suggest, we are likely to see growing support in Congress for Arizona-style anti-immigration laws that many Hispanics fear would lead to growing discrimination against them.”
Decoding the Tea Party's ire (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post) “Obama has made mistakes that rightly cost him political support. But I can't help believing that the Tea Party's rise was partly due to circumstances beyond his control - that he's different from other presidents, and that the difference is his race.”
The two-year 'era' (Michael Gerson , Washington Post ) These rapid shifts are a warning to political commentators: Don't overinterpret a given political moment. While the ideological predispositions of most Americans are pretty well set, two factors still vary greatly from election to election - ideological intensity and the support of independents.
Fast Track to Inequality (Bob Herbert, New York Times) “The clearest explanation yet of the forces that converged over the past three decades or so to undermine the economic well-being of ordinary Americans is contained in the new book, “Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer — and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class.”
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.
