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Quote of the day. “I still favor the death penalty, but I just want to make sure we put the right people to death. At this point, we just do not know.” Missouri State Representative Bill Deeken, a Republican, explaining why he proposed delaying the death penalty for two years until a study can determine whether it is meted out fairly in this state. (New York Times)
Fuel and emissions standards. U.S. to Issue Tougher Fuel Standards for Automobiles “President Obama will announce tough new nationwide rules for automobile emissions and mileage standards on Tuesday, embracing standards that California has sought to enact for years over the objections of the auto industry and the Bush administration.” Auto emissions deal a win for California “The agreement that the Obama administration will announce today forcing dramatic reductions in vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in auto mileage marks a potentially pivotal shift in the battle over global warming -- and a vindication of California's long battle to toughen standards.”
Employee free choice. Labor unions find themselves card-checkmated “Business groups have outmaneuvered workers groups, jeopardizing key components of a congressional proposal that has been unions' top priority. Labor supporters say their side has gotten disorganized.”
Immigration. U.S. to Check Immigration Status of People in Local Jails “The Obama administration is expanding a program initiated by President George W. Bush aimed at checking the immigration status of virtually every person booked into local jails.”
Death penalty. Executions Debated as Missouri Plans One “Officials in this state are preparing to execute a prisoner for the first time since 2005, when criticisms about the state’s lethal injection method emerged and one doctor who carried out executions acknowledged being dyslexic and sometimes 'improvising' when it came to the amounts of chemicals he administered.”
Gun control. Democrats hold fire on gun control “Last week, 27 Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass an amendment that allows concealed weapons in national parks. This week, the Senate could take the first step toward overturning a gun control bill passed by their own Democratic brethren more than a decade ago.”
Pentagon ends Bible quote. Pentagon cuts daily Bible quote “The Pentagon said Monday it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House, as was the practice during the Bush administration.”
Clinton named U.N. envoy to Haiti. Bill Clinton named special envoy to Haiti by U.N. “Former President Bill Clinton, who has pledged his philanthropic weight to help a storm ravaged Haiti, has been named a special envoy to the Caribbean nation on behalf of the United Nations.” Bill Clinton to be U.N.'s envoy in Haiti “The United Nations has asked Bill Clinton to be its emissary to Haiti, where the former U.S. president is popular – unlike the U.N. peacekeepers who have provided the country’s only real security for years.”
Obama-Netanyahu. At White House, Obama and Israel's Netanyahu Differ on Mideast Emphasis “President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu yesterday outlined the shared goals of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and of achieving a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.” No progress visible from Obama-Netanyahu talks “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged Monday from hours of meetings with President Barack Obama agreeing to restart the Palestinian peace process 'immediately,' but with conditions that indicated that no breakthroughs are imminent.” Obama to Netanyahu: New Mideast initiative soon “President Barack Obama told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. will soon present a new peace initiative to include Arab nations alongside Israel and the Palestinian Authority in peace negotiations.” Israel 'deaf' to two-state solution “U.S. calls for a two-state solution 'fell on deaf ears', the Palestinians' chief negotiator with Israel has said.”
Iran. Obama Tells Netanyahu He Has an Iran Timetable “President Obama said Monday that he expected to know by the end of the year whether Iran was making 'a good-faith effort to resolve differences' in talks aimed at ending its nuclear program, signaling to Israel as well as Iran that his willingness to engage in diplomacy over the issue has its limits.” Study urges U.S. to tone down Tehran conflict “As President Obama on Monday promised tough action to persuade Iran not to develop nuclear weapons, a major study prepared for the U.S. Air Force recommended 'de-escalating' unilateral U.S. pressure on Tehran while strengthening multilateral sanctions and engaging Iran on regional security issues.” Iran's spiritual leader discourages electing a pro-Western president “Iran's most powerful political and spiritual leader warned voters Monday against supporting pro-Western candidates in next month's presidential election, comments widely seen as supporting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's approach to foreign policy over those of his challengers.”
Burma. Myanmar Presses Case Against Pro-Democracy Leader “As protests grew around the world, the trial of Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, entered its second day Tuesday as the government pursued its charges that could transform her years of house arrest into the harsher conditions of a prison term.” Asian leaders condemn Burma trial “South East Asian leaders have expressed 'grave concern' in their first official response to the trial of Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.” Brown hails Suu Kyi as Burma's leader “Gordon Brown has sent an extraordinary message of personal support and solidarity to the imprisoned Burmese democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi, telling her she is 'not alone' and heaping pressure on the country's military junta to release her from house arrest.”
Afghanistan. U.S. must work to limit civilian deaths in Afghanistan, Mullen says “The U.S. is jeopardizing its chances of success in Afghanistan by mistakenly inflicting casualties on civilians in airstrikes that undermine support for the war among the general population, the top U.S. military officer said Monday.”
Pakistan. Pakistan grapples with Swat exodus “About 1.5 million refugees have fled the Pakistani military's offensive against Taliban forces in the northwest of the country, officials say.” UN warning over Swat valley crisis “The human exodus from the war-torn Swat valley in northern Pakistan is turning into the world's most dramatic displacement crisis since the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the UN refugee agency warned.”
Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka leader hails 'victory' “Sri Lanka's president declares the country 'liberated' from the Tamil Tigers, as TV pictures show the purported body of their leader.” Tamil Tigers Chief Prabhakaran Reportedly Killed, Effectively Ending Sri Lanka War “One of the world's most ruthless and elusive rebel leaders, Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, was reportedly killed Monday by Sri Lanka's military in a firefight that signaled the effective end to one of Asia's longest-running military conflicts.”
Feature-poverty. Poor? Pay Up “You have to be rich to be poor. That's what some people who have never lived below the poverty line don't understand. Put it another way: The poorer you are, the more things cost. More in money, time, hassle, exhaustion, menace.”
Opinion. War’s Psychic Toll (Bob Herbert, New York Times) “The psychic toll of this foolish and apparently endless war has been profound since day one. And the nation’s willful denial of that toll has been just as profound.”
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