Daily News Digest

The latest news on Voter ID upheld, Health programs, Farm bill food assistance, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, GI Bill, Immigrants, Global food crisis, Climate change, Abortion-India, Iran-Iraq, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan.

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Voter ID upheld. Voter ID law upheld "The Supreme Court opened the door to state laws that require voters to show a photo identification before casting a ballot on election day." High court's OK of voter IDs likely to spur more such laws "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold Indiana's photo ID law in elections will permit Republican-dominated legislatures in nearly a dozen other states to pass legislation that liberal political advocates say will disenfranchise poorer, Democratic-leaning voters." In a 6-to-3 Vote, Justices Uphold a Voter ID Law "The Supreme Court upheld Indiana's voter identification law, concluding in a splintered decision that the challengers failed to prove that the law's photo ID requirement placed an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote."

Health programs. Study Warns Job Losses Will Strain Government Health Programs "Leading health researchers projected that each percentage-point rise in unemployment during the economic downturn would swell the uninsured by 1.1 million, stoking demand for government health coverage just as states face pressure to cut benefits."

Farm bill food assistance. Senate Democrats Calling for More Food Assistance "Citing hunger riots in developing countries and soaring grain prices around the world, Senate Democrats called for a swift increase of $200 million in foreign food aid, on top of an additional $350 million that President Bush has requested in a supplemental spending measure."

Rev. Jeremiah Wright. As Minister Repeats Comments, Obama Tries to Quiet Fray Sen. Barack Obama again sought to distance himself from the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. yesterday after his former pastor capped a weekend media offensive with an appearance in Washington in which he revisited many of his most controversial comments." Wright calls accusations unfair, says black church is misunderstood "The Rev. Jeremiah Wright was correct Monday when he told an audience at the National Press Club that the black church in America is widely misunderstood. At the same time, Wright's explanation of black church traditions, as well as his vigorous defense of his controversial statements about the United States and race, are also unlikely to be understood."

GI Bill. Some War Veterans Find GI Bill Falls Short "Decades after the GI Bill transformed American society after World War II, another generation of veterans is returning home -- more than 800,000 as of last summer. What they find is quite different from the comprehensive benefits that once covered all the costs of an education,"

Immigrants. Number of California's potential immigrant voters to swell "In the first detailed analysis of potential immigrant voters and their children in California legislative districts, a study to be released today shows they could constitute nearly one-third of state voters by 2012."

Global food crisis. UN sets up taskforce to tackle global food crisis "The UN secretary general today said he would head a special taskforce to address food shortages and price rises around the world." UN sets up food crisis task force "Mr Ban said the world faced "widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale" because of soaring food prices."

Climate change. Warming 'affecting poor children' "Climate change is already affecting the prospects for children in the world's poorer countries, according to Unicef. The UN children's agency says that increases in floods, droughts and insect-borne disease will all affect health, education and welfare."

Abortion-India. Indian Prime Minister Denounces Abortion of Females "The Indian prime minister described the widespread practice of aborting female fetuses as a "national shame", and called for stricter enforcement of laws devised to prevent doctors from helping parents to avoid the birth of unwanted daughters."

Iran-Iraq. Iraq jumps into U.S.-Iran tussle "In echoing the Pentagon's latest accusations of Iranian meddling, the Iraqi government has placed itself firmly where it has long said it does not want to be: caught in the middle between Washington and its neighbor to the east." Is an Iranian general the most powerful man in Iraq? "Iranian Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani has ensured the election of pro-Iranian politicians, met frequently with Iraqi leaders, and backed Shiite elements in the Iraqi security forces. His behind-the-scenes role illustrates how President Bush's decision to topple Saddam Hussein enabled Iran to extend its influence in Iraq."

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Opposition Reunites "With many of their activists under violent attack and hundreds of their supporters in jail, the leaders of Zimbabwe's divided opposition formally announced that the two groups had reunited, claiming control of Parliament for the first time in the nation's history and demanding that President Robert Mugabe concede the recent election."

Afghanistan. Drugs for guns: how the Afghan heroin trade is fuelling the Taliban insurgency "The heroin flooding Britain's streets is threatening the lives of UK troops in Afghanistan, an Independent investigation can reveal. Russian gangsters who smuggle drugs into Britain are buying cheap heroin from Afghanistan and paying for it with guns."