Daily News Digest

The latest news on Budget deficit, Vice-presidents, Illegal hiring, Education, Bridge repair, Church shooting, Military execution, Israel-Syria, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Peru, and Editorial

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Budget deficit. Bush to leave a record budget deficit of $482 billion "White House officials blamed the slowing economy and a $150-billion bipartisan stimulus package for the worsening picture for the 2009 fiscal year, but Democrats cited the president's tax cuts and fiscal management over his eight years in office." Bush successor faces massive debt "President Bush, who entered the White House to budget surpluses, will bequeath the largest-ever budget deficit to his successor, and the men vying for that honor struggled to explain how they will dig out from the inherited red ink." US deficit soaring to record half-trillion dollars as Bush leaves "The government's budget deficit will surge past a half-trillion dollars next year, according to gloomy new estimates, a record flood of red ink that promises to force the winner of the presidential race to dramatically alter his economic agenda."

Vice-presidents. Evangelicals warn against McCain-Romney ticket "Prominent evangelical leaders are warning Sen. John McCain against picking former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as his running mate, saying their troops will abandon the Republican ticket on Election Day if that happens." Kaine in 'Serious' Talks With Obama "Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has told close associates that he has had 'very serious' conversations with Sen. Barack Obama about joining the Democratic presidential ticket and has provided documents to the campaign as it combs through his background."

Illegal hiring. Internal Justice Dept. Report Cites Illegal Hiring Practices "For nearly two years, a young political aide sought to cultivate a "farm system" for Republicans at the Justice Department, hiring scores of prosecutors and immigration judges who espoused conservative priorities and Christian lifestyle choices." Justice finds that Gonzales aides broke federal hiring laws "Top aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales violated federal laws and Justice Department policies by selecting employees based on their conservative and Republican leanings."

Education. No funds to lend to 40,000 students "The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority said it will not be able to provide student loans this fall for the first time in its 26-year history, leaving more than 40,000 families without an important source of tuition funds just weeks before college classes begin."

Bridge repair. 1 in 4 US bridges needs upgrading, says report by nationwide transportation officials group "At least $140 billion is needed to make major repairs or upgrades to one of every four U.S. bridges, transportation officials from states across the country said in a report."

Church shooting. Hate for Liberals and Gay People Drove Gunman, Police Say "Police say a man who entered a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sunday and shot eight people, killing two, was motivated by a hatred for liberals and gay people." Conditions of 3 wounded in Tenn. church shooting improve "Three people wounded in a fatal shotgun rampage at a Unitarian church were off the hospital's critical list Tuesday, a day after a candlelight vigil tried to comfort congregation members and others trying to 'make sense of the senseless.'"

Military execution. Execution by Military Is Approved by President "President Bush approved the first execution by the military since 1961, upholding the death penalty of an Army private convicted of a series of rapes and murders more than two decades ago." Bush approves execution of soldier, first in 50 years "President Bush approved the execution of an Army soldier who terrorized Fayetteville, N.C., for months in the late 1980s and was eventually convicted of raping and killing four women, and raping and attempting to kill another."

Israel-Syria. Jerusalem officials: Syria taking talks with Israel seriously "Senior officials in Jerusalem confirmed that Syria has carried out a number of measures in recent weeks that reflect that it is taking talks with Israel seriously. Syrians See an Economic Side to Peace "A settlement with Israel 'would lift a huge weight from our shoulders,' said Ghimar Deeb, a Syrian lawyer and economist who works with the United Nations here. It would lead to the lifting of sanctions, which would give Syria access to new investment, high-tech supplies and training opportunities."

Pakistan. Pakistan plans a push into its tribal areas "Meeting a key Pentagon demand, Pakistan's military is planning to move a major unit of its regular army into the tribal areas on its western border, a largely lawless area used as a haven by Al Qaeda and Afghan insurgents."

Iraq. Air Force Plans Altered Role in Iraq "The commander of American and allied air forces in the Middle East has completed a detailed plan for how air power would be refocused in Iraq if, as is widely anticipated, the number of American ground troops was reduced in the final months of the Bush presidency and beyond."

Iran. Iran's president blames US, 'big powers' for global ills, says world on verge of new era "Iran's president blamed the U.S. and other 'big powers' for nuclear proliferation, AIDS and other global ills, and accused them of exploiting the U.N. and other organizations for their own gain and the developing world's loss."

Darfur. UN split over Darfur peace force "South Africa and Libya are pushing the UN to suspend accusations against Sudan's president, linking the issue to a Darfur peacekeeping mandate."

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe power-sharing talks break off "Power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's opposition and negotiators for President Robert Mugabe have broken off, officials said. One said the talks stalled over Mugabe's insistence that he remain president." Zimbabwe talks stall over Tsvangirai role "Power-sharing talks in Zimbabwe between the government and opposition were near collapse last night, as negotiations faltered over the role of Morgan Tsvangirai in a possible unity government."

Peru. Peru's women unite in kitchen - and beyond "The kitchens started in the 1970s and persisted through the '80s and '90s, through dictatorship, terrorism, and hyperinflation that brought Peru to its knees. And now that global food prices have put basic staples out of reach for families across the region, the kitchens that feed an estimated half million residents of metropolitan Lima every day are again providing a refuge."

Editorial. Mr. Novak Takes Leave (Washington Post) "Along with many readers, we were saddened to learn yesterday that, at least for a short while, we won't be receiving any columns from Robert D. Novak to publish on the opposite page. Mr. Novak has been writing a column since 1963 -- that's not a typo -- and, to our knowledge, he has never missed a deadline. He revealed yesterday that he has a brain tumor."