The Common Good

Daily News Digest

The Top 10 Stories of February 12, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-12-2013

Quote of the day.
"This is a population that's hidden. They're forgotten about. They're out of sight, out of mind." Erika Kelly, assistant vice president for policy and legislation, Meals On Wheels Association of America, on the elderly poor the organization serves as it faces budget cuts through sequestration.
(USA Today)

1. 5 things to watch for in the State of the Union. 
The president views the speech as finishing a thought that began with the Inauguration, aides say, with a deeper focus on job creation and the economy but no shortage of attention to the controversial social issues that top his to-do list.
(Politico)

2. In Afghanistan pullout, Pentagon favors phased reduction over 3 years.
The Pentagon is pushing a plan that would keep about 8,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan once the NATO military mission there ends in 2014 but significantly shrink the contingent over the following two years, according to senior U.S. government officials and military officers.
(Washington Post)

3. As cuts loom, the political forecast is mostly hostile.
After days of private strategy sessions, Republicans and Democrats are poised this week for the same kind of ugly partisan combat over spending and taxes that’s spawned fiscal chaos and sent Congress’ approval ratings plunging.
(McClatchy News)

4. Rising voice of gun ownership is female.
In the debate over firearms regulations, the voices of gun owners have largely been those of men. But at firing ranges across the country, a growing number of women are learning to use firearms and honing their skills.
(New York Times)

5. Q & A on Benedict's bombshell.
When you're talking about a church with more than 2,000 years of history, you don't get a chance to use terms such as "uncharted waters" very often, but that's precisely where Catholicism finds itself in the wake of Benedict XVI's bombshell announcement that he plans to resign Feb. 28.
(National Catholic Reporter)

6. A turbulent tenure for a quiet scholar.
If written words alone could keep the church on course, Benedict would likely be viewed as a solid success. … But when it came to the major challenges facing the church in the real world, Benedict often appeared to carom from one crisis to the next.
(New York Times)

7. North Korea conducts third controversial nuke test.
Defying U.N. warnings, North Korea on Tuesday conducted its third nuclear test in the remote, snowy northeast, taking a crucial step toward its goal of building a bomb small enough to be fitted on a missile capable of striking the United States.
(Associated Press)

8. Militant threats test role of a Pentagon command in Africa.
Created five years ago to focus on training the armed forces of dozens of African nations and strengthening social, political and economic programs, the Pentagon’s Africa Command now finds itself on a more urgent mission: confronting a new generation of Islamist militants who are testing the United States’ resolve to fight terrorism without being drawn into a major conflict.
(New York Times)

9. Iran converts uranium to fuel, easing bomb fears.
Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that it was converting some of its higher-grade enriched uranium into reactor fuel, a move that could help to prevent a dispute with the West over its nuclear program hitting a crisis in mid-2013.
(Reuters)

10. Mali 'hesitant' over U.N. peace force.
The government of Mali is "hesitant" over the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force, a senior U.N. official says.
(BBC)

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The Top 10 Stories of February 11, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-11-2013

Quote of the day.
"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry."Pope Benedict XVI, announcing his plans to resign the papacy on February 28.
(Associated Press)

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The Top 10 Stories of February 8, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-08-2013

Quote of the day.
"I do worry sometimes that as soon as we leave the prayer breakfast, everything we''ve been talking about the whole time at the prayer breakfast seems to be forgotten on the same day as the prayer breakfast. You''d like to think the shelf life wasn''t so short. I go back to the Oval Office and I start watching the cable news networks and it''s like we didn''t pray." President Barack Obama speaking to the National Prayer Breakfast.
(Politico)

1. Lawmakers consider regulating drone strikes.
CIA Director-designate John Brennan''s vigorous defense of drone strikes to kill terror suspects — even American citizens — overseas is causing key lawmakers to consider lifting secrecy from what has become an important weapon in the fight against al-Qaida.
(Associated Press)

2. Immigration advocates begin lobbying campaign.
Immigration advocates, backed by the White House, have begun a nationwide lobbying campaign, including rallies in more than a dozen cities and a planned demonstration on the Mall.
(Washington Post)

3. Senators seek deal on gun-sale background checks.
A bipartisan quartet of senators, including two National Rifle Association members and two with "F" ratings from the potent firearms lobby, are quietly trying to find a compromise on expanding the requirement for gun-sale background checks.
(Associated Press)

4. White House director of faith-based office is leaving his post.
President Obama announced on Thursday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington that Joshua DuBois, the young pastor he appointed four years ago to lead the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, would step down on Friday.
(New York Times)

5. Obama administration embraces major new cut in nuclear weapons.
Senior Obama administration officials have agreed that the number of nuclear warheads the U.S. military deploys could be cut by at least a third without harming national security, according to those involved in the deliberations. 
(McClatchy News)

6. Keystone XL: pressure on Kerry ahead of meeting with Canada counterpart.
The U.S. secretary of state, John Kerry, steps into America''s biggest environmental controversy on Friday in his first meeting with a foreign minister since his swearing in.
(Guardian)

7. Senate hearing draws out a rift in U.S. policy on Syria.
Deep divisions in the Obama administration over rising violence in Syria spilled into public view for the first time in a blunt exchange between Senator John McCain of Arizona and the leaders of the Pentagon.
(New York Times)

8. Iranians brace for hard times as U.S. imposes new round of sanctions.
The U.S. imposed its newest round of sanctions on February 6, with the aim of blocking Iran''s ability to trade its oil for gold and precious metals, and blacklist financial, shipping and communications companies. Already feeling the strain, Iranians are bracing for more hard times.
(Guardian)

9. Syrian troops battle rebels around Damascus.
Heavy fighting is continuing around the Syrian capital, as government forces try to halt a rebel advance. Activists said clashes continued in Jobar district in Damascus on Friday amid rocket shelling by government forces on the eastern district and nearby neighborhoods.
(Al Jazeera)

10. UN says bribe payments soar in Afghanistan.
A new United Nations report on corruption in Afghanistan has found that $3.9bn, twice the nation''s domestic revenue, was paid in bribes in 2012.
(Al Jazeera)

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The Top 10 Stories of February 7, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-07-2013

Quote of the day.
“If you want to go to a university where the government decides what kind of subjects are fit for discussion, I suggest you apply to a school in North Korea.” Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, defending Brooklyn College’s decision to co-sponsor a panel discussion about a movement that calls for economic boycotts and sanctions against Israel.
(New York Times) 

1. Senators, Brennan brace for CIA hearings showdown.
Obama’s nominee to head the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, will address what role the targeted killings of terrorists, either by using drone strikes or other means, have played and should play in national security policy.
(NBC News)

2. Congress to see memo backing drone attacks on Americans.
The White House on Wednesday directed the Justice Department to release to the two Congressional Intelligence Committees classified documents discussing the legal justification for killing, by drone strikes and other means, American citizens abroad who are considered terrorists.
(New York Times)

3. Democrats seek to stave off $1 trillion in cuts.
With at least one million jobs on the line, Senate Democrats on Wednesday said they were closing in on legislation to temporarily head off nearly $1 trillion in cuts that were already affecting Pentagon decision-making and could force significant reductions in staffing and services across the government.
(New York Times)

4. Long-term jobless folks' outlook brightens.
The prospects of the nation's most beleaguered workers — the long-term unemployed — are improving. The number of Americans out of work at least six months fell to 4.7 million in January, down from 5.5 million a year ago and the lowest since June 2009.
(USA Today)

5. United States could fall short of its 2020 climate goal.
The United States is not on track to meet its international commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the World Resources Institute.
(Washington Post)

6. For U.S. leader in Afghan war, much time making peace.
After 19 months in Afghanistan, Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of American and coalition forces here, is leaving a war that has become as much about damage control and crisis diplomacy as fighting the Taliban.
(New York Times)

7. Iran's supreme leader rejects direct talks with U.S.
Iran's supreme leader Thursday strongly rejected proposals for direct talks with the United States, effectively quashing suggestions for a breakthrough one-on-one dialogue on the nuclear standoff and potentially other issues. 
(Associated Press)

8. Tunisia political crisis deepens after assassination.
The killing of anti-Islamist politician Chokri Belaid sparked violent protests. The prime minister then announced plans for a new, technocratic government. But the ruling Islamist party Ennahda rejected the move.
(BBC)

9. Syria capital Damascus sees heavy fighting.
Fierce fighting broke out in the Syrian capital, Damascus, as rebels attacked forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, witnesses and rebels said. Much of the violence was centered around the Jobar district and a key junction on the Damascus ring road.
(BBC)

10. Indian investors are forcing Ethiopians off their land.
Ethiopia's leasing of 600,000 hectares (1.5m acres) of prime farmland to Indian companies has led to intimidation, repression, detentions, rapes, beatings, environmental destruction, and the imprisonment of journalists and political objectors.
(Guardian)

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The Top 10 Stories of February 6, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-06-2013

Quote of the day.
“It is my great hope that I’ll be a great justice, and that I’ll write opinions that will last the ages.  But that doesn’t always happen. More importantly, it’s only one measure of meaning in life. To me, the more important one is my values and my impact on people who feel inspired in any way by me.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in an interview at a recent book signing.
(New York Times)

1. President Obama calls for short-term fix to avert automatic spending cuts.
President Obama on Tuesday urged Congressto head off deep automatic spending cuts set to hit the Pentagon and other federal agencies on March 1 and replace them, at least for a few months, with a new debt-reduction package that includes fresh tax revenue.
(Washington Post)

2. House G.O.P. open to residency for illegal immigrants.
House Republicans on Tuesday staked out what they cast as a middle-ground option in the debate over immigration, pushing an approach that could include legal residency but not a path to citizenship — as their Democratic counterparts favor — for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.
(New York Times)

3. Immigration's latest ally: Christian right.
The usual suspects pushing immigration reform have a new ally in the fight this time — the religious right. Christian conservatives, who stayed on the sidelines in 2006 or opposed reform outright, have sprung into action for the cause.
(Politico)

4. Senate Dems face dilemma over push for assault-weapons ban.
Senate Democrats are facing a major dilemma on how hard they should push for an assault weapons ban, a sensitive topic for vulnerable centrists who are running for reelection next year.
(The Hill)

5. Lost votes, problem ballots, long waits? Flaws are widespread.
The flaws in the American election system are deep and widespread, extending beyond isolated voting issues in a few locations and flaring up in states rich and poor, according to a major new study from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
(New York Times)

6. Brennan nomination exposes criticism on targeted killings and secret Saudi base.
President Obama’s plan to install his counterterrorism adviser as director of the CIA has opened the administration to new scrutiny over the targeted-killing policies it has fought to keep hidden from the public, as well as the existence of a previously secret drone base in Saudi Arabia.
(Washington Post)

7. Top Tunisian opposition leader shot dead.
A top Tunisian opposition figure, Shokri Belaid, leader of the left-leaning opposition Democratic Patriots party, has been shot dead as he was leaving his home. … Belaid had been critical of Tunisia's leadership, especially the Islamic party Annahda that dominates the government.
(Al Jazeera)

8. Iran's Ahmadinejad seeks strategic axis with Egypt.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the first visit to Cairo by an Iranian leader in more than three decades, called for a strategic alliance with Egypt and said he had offered the cash-strapped Arab state a loan, but drew a cool response.
(Reuters)

9. World powers back U.N. force in Mali.
African and other world powers have thrown their support behind a proposal that would see the United Nations deploy a peacekeeping force to Mali, taking over responsibilities from a similar African force.
(Al Jazeera)

10. Although splintered, al-Qaeda finds new life in unstable areas.
Pushed to the brink of collapse in its traditional strongholds, al-Qaeda has staged an unlikely but limited recovery over the past year through affiliates that have taken root in chaotic environments awash in weapons and beyond the reach of the U.S. military and CIA drones. 
(Washington Post)

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The Top 10 Stories of February 5, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-05-2013

Quote of the day.
“Men, women, children have all prayed for me. And because of these prayers, God has given me this new life. This is a second life. I want to serve the people.” Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani teenager shot in the head last October, in her first interview, saying she intends to continue campaigning for girls’ education.
(McClatchy News)

1. Obama hails Minneapolis gun efforts.
President Obama brought his battle against gun violence to Minneapolis on Monday, praising the city for its efforts to reduce youth gunplay to an audience that included survivors of Minnesota gun tragedies.
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

2. House GOP seeks path on immigration.
The House Judiciary Committee meets Tuesday on immigration reform, and Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) wants everyone to be clear it isn’t to talk about the Senate proposal. Rather, it is the first of several hearings for members to hear about current immigration policy and then find out where they stand.
(Politico)

3. Violence act returns in test of Republicans' appeal to women.
Restarting a politically tinged debate, the Senate voted 85 to 8 on Monday evening to take up a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act.
(New York Times)

4. Republican, Democratic lawmakers will meet separately on budget cuts.
Lawmakers for both major political parties will huddle separately behind closed doors starting Tuesday, plotting strategy for the coming fight over how to prevent deep, across-the-board automatic federal spending cuts scheduled to begin on March 1.
(McClatchy News)

5. Lawyers seek to limit New York police surveillance of Muslims.
Civil rights lawyers filed papers in federal court Monday seeking to prohibit the New York Police Department's surveillance of Muslim communities when there is no evidence that they are linked to terrorism or other illegal activities.
(CNN)

6. John Kerry takes the helm at State.
New Secretary of State John F. Kerry is signaling an early push to rekindle Middle East peace talks, making lengthy telephone calls to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders even before starting work at the State Department on Monday.
(Washington Post)

7. Justice Department memo reveals legal case for drone strikes on Americans.
A confidential Justice Department memo concludes that the U.S. government can order the killing of American citizens if they are believed to be “senior operational leaders” of al-Qaida or “an associated force” — even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the U.S.
(NBC News)

8. Report says 54 countries helped C.I.A. after 9/11.
Some 54 countries helped facilitate the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret detention, rendition and interrogation program in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a new human rights report that documents broad international involvement in the American campaign against Al Qaeda.
(New York Times)

9. Iran's Ahmadinejad on historic visit to Cairo.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discussed the crisis in Syria with his Egyptian counterpart Tuesday in the first visit by an Iranian leader to Cairo in more than three decades, marking a historic departure from years of frigid ties between the regional heavyweights.
(Associated Press)

10. South Korea warns against North Korea nuclear test.
South Korea's unification minister has warned that North Korea's proposed third round of nuclear testing will be a major threat to the region.
(Al Jazeera)

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The Top 10 Stories of February 4, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-04-2013

Quote of the day.
“These manuscripts, they are not just for us in Timbuktu. They belong to all of humanity. It is our duty to save them.” Ali Imam Ben Essayouti, leader of a 14th-century mosque in Timbuktu, on saving 8,000 historical manuscripts from Islamic extremists.
(New York Times)

1. Birth control rule altered to allay religious objections.
The Obama administration on Friday proposed yet another compromise to address strenuous objections from religious organizations about a policy requiring health insurance plans to provide free contraceptives, but the change did not end the political furor or legal fight over the issue.
(New York Times)

2. In immigration debate, same-sex marriage comes to the fore.
President Obama is aiming to grant same-sex couples such as Oliveira and his American husband, Tim Coco, equal immigration rights as their heterosexual counterparts. The proposal could allow up to 40,000 foreign nationals in same-sex relationships to apply for legal residency and, potentially, U.S. citizenship.
(Washington Post)

3. States set to spend again.
A healthy jump in tax collections is letting states spend money on things they haven't been able to afford since the recession struck five years ago. Big spending turnarounds are underway this year in education, tourism promotion and worker pay.
(USA Today)

4. Republican energy plan calls for more drilling, nothing to rein in greenhouse gases.
The Senate’s top Republican on energy issues, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, has crafted a blueprint for U.S. energy policy that calls for increased drilling while opposing laws to cap greenhouse gases that are blamed for global warming.
(McClatchy News)

5. Tech, telecom giants take sides as FCC proposes large public WiFi networks. 
The federal government wants to create super WiFi networks across the nation, so powerful and broad in reach that consumers could use them to make calls or surf the Internet without paying a cellphone bill every month.
(Washington Post)

6. Justin Welby takes over as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The new Archbishop of Canterbury has been confirmed into the role in a legal ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral.
(BBC)

7. U.S. attempts to restart peace talks with the Taliban.
As the Obama administration nears a decision on the pace of U.S. combat troop withdrawals from Afghanistan between now and the end of 2014, jump-starting reconciliation has become a key element of its exit strategy.
(Washington Post)

8. Iran open to 'fair' nuclear talks with U.S.
Iran is ready for direct talks with the United States on its nuclear program as long as Washington has "fair and real intentions," said Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.
(Al Jazeera)

9. India president backs rape laws.
India's president has approved harsher punishment for rapists, including the death penalty, after the gang rape of a student sparked demands for tougher laws.
(BBC)

10. Under Egypt's political unrest seethes the rising anger of the poor.
At the heart of the discontent is public anger over the battered economy, specifically the president's failure to improve the lives of millions of people like Abdelaziz who voted for him last year.
(Chicago Tribune/Los Angeles Times)

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The Top 10 Stories of February 1, 2013

by Duane Shank 02-01-2013

 Quote of the day.
“We must continue to be an open and caring congregation that reaches out to everyone and realize that makes you somewhat vulnerable. That’s just part of being present in the world and being present with those people who are deeply broken and hurting.” David Blackmon, coordinating pastor of Asheville, N.C., First Baptist Church on churches having to balance security against the call to ministry in the community.
(Associated Baptist Press)

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The Top 10 Stories of January 31, 2013

by Duane Shank 01-31-2013

Quote of the day.
“Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying — too many children. We must do something. It will be hard. But the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you.” Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, in a statement at a Senate hearing on gun control.
(Politico)

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The Top 10 Stories of January 30, 2013

by Duane Shank 01-30-2013

Quote of the day.
"It's hard growing up with all this violence that seems to be happening all the time, in public and at school. But most people my age, we say it's terrible, we mourn on the day, and we move on. Because we have to. I think it pushes us to be the best we can be, so we can make a difference for the future." Colin Janison, 16, a high school junior in Las Vegas, on how his generation copes with the events of our times.
(USA Today)

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