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Quote of the day. “To me, the worst thing would be that out of naiveté, or out of stupidity, or out of fear, you didn't know when to speak or you didn't know what to say. What I ask from God is that He illuminate me so that I can do what I need to do." Father Miguel Lopez, on his ministry in Michoacan, Mexico, a state where the violence of the narcotics trade leads to assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion. (Washington Post)
Immigration reform. Obama Says Immigration Reform Is a Priority, but Won't Happen Soon “President Obama, attending a North American summit with the leaders of Mexico and Canada, said Monday that his administration will pursue a comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. immigration system this year but that no action on legislation will happen before 2010.” At Mexico summit, Obama says immigration reform will have to wait “Locked in a healthcare debate that is claiming much of his energy, President Obama acknowledged that a push to overhaul the nation's immigration system will have to wait until 2010 and even then will prove a major political test.” Obama Sets Immigration Changes for 2010 “Flanked by his counterparts from Mexico and Canada, President Obama on Monday reiterated his commitment to pursuing comprehensive immigration reform, despite his packed political agenda and the staunch opposition such an initiative is likely to face.”
Immigrants and health care. Debate heats up on healthcare for illegal immigrants “To cover the needs of an estimated 6.8 million uninsured illegal immigrants, some advocates have proposed broadening the healthcare overhaul legislation now before Congress. But fierce opposition has kept the idea off the table.”
Health care. White House Adapts to New Playbook in Health Care Debate “The White House on Monday started a new Web site to fight questionable but potentially damaging charges that President Obama’s proposed overhaul of the nation’s health care system would inevitably lead to 'socialized medicine,' 'rationed care' and even forced euthanasia for the elderly.” In healthcare debate, 'reality' is in dispute "President Obama and his allies in the healthcare debate began moving more forcefully Monday to rebut what they said was 'misinformation' spread by opponents of the legislation and to spotlight the disruptive nature of protests at town halls held by lawmakers.” Health care 'town brawls' put Blue Dogs in a tough spot “Across the country, well-organized groups of grassroots conservatives opposing a government-run health care plan have converged on traditionally sleepy August town hall meetings with lawmakers.”
Economy. Cities Tolerate Homeless Camps “Nashville is one of several U.S. cities that these days are accommodating the homeless and their encampments, instead of dispersing them.” Ailing States Face Bleak Outlook in Next Fiscal Year “As states across the country grapple with the worst economy in decades, most have cut services, forced workers to take unpaid days off, shut offices several days a month and scrambled to find new sources of revenue.” With jobs harder to find, work gets easier for Army recruiters “Traditionally the Army has attracted the young. But as the number of jobs dwindles across the country, more Americans are enlisting later in life, drawn by the promise of steady work and benefits.”
Religion. Slump Strains Church Finances as Need Grows “Across the country, congregations of all sizes and denominations are struggling with issues of faith and finance as the recession grinds on.” New Nuns and Priests Seen Opting for Tradition “A new study of Roman Catholic nuns and priests in the United States shows that an aging, predominantly white generation is being succeeded by a smaller group of more racially and ethnically diverse recruits who are attracted to the religious orders that practice traditional prayer rituals and wear habits.”
Suu Kyi-Burma. Suu Kyi returned to house arrest “Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's detained opposition leader, has been sentenced to another 18 months under house arrest after being found guilty of violating an internal security law.” Burma court finds Suu Kyi guilty “Critics of Burma's military regime say the verdict is designed to prevent her from taking part in elections in 2010. Ms Suu Kyi has spent nearly 14 of the past 20 years in detention.”
Buy American. Obama underplays Buy American policy “Barack Obama is playing down Buy American government procurement policies that exclude Canadian suppliers, suggesting it is an isolated problem and raising hopes that local U.S. governments might cut deals with provinces to expand cross-border bidding.”
Afghanistan. Afghanistan's presidential election campaign an exercise in peril “In this wartime election season, having Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers as campaign trail companions isn't particularly unusual.” Potent Roadside Bombs Slow Marines' Offensive in Afghanistan “In this harsh and unforgiving part of southern Afghanistan, where thousands of U.S. Marines are battling the Taliban this summer, the growing prevalence of roadside bombs means that even a small mishap can have deadly consequences.” Afghanistan Enlists Tribal Militia Forces “The Afghan and U.S. governments have launched a new effort to enlist tribal fighters from many of the country's most violent provinces in the war against the Taliban, hoping that a tactic first used in Iraq can help turn the tide here as well.”
Zimbabwe. 'There is a God up there, and he is watching' “Pentecostal church and apostolic groups are growing fast in Zimbabwe, where an estimated 70 to 80% of the population is Christian (though some indigenous belief systems survive).”
Palestine. Fatah elects new leadership “The leadership of the Palestinian Fatah movement has been overhauled after a vote by party delegates gathered at a conference in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, early results have shown.” Young leaders dominate Fatah vote “Younger leaders have gained powerful posts in Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, early results from its first poll in 20 years show.” Fatah Turns to Nation Building, Though It Doesn’t Discard the Rifle “Hoping to satisfy as wide a constituency as possible, the Palestinian delegates to the Fatah conference, scheduled to conclude here on Tuesday, have tried to broadcast a message both peaceful and militant.”
Congo. Congo's Women Treated as Spoils of War “For the women of eastern Congo, a U.S.-backed Congolese military operation meant to save them from abusive rebels has turned into a nightmare of its own.” U.S. urges justice for DR Congo women “The U.S. secretary of state has said that young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo must press the government to take action against corruption and sexual violence in the war-torn east of the country.”
North Korea. N. Korean Ship Searched for Radioactive Material “Indian authorities have detained a North Korean vessel and are searching it for radioactive material, the first time a ship has been seized and boarded under sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council in June.”
Opinion A Scary Reality (Bob Herbert, New York Times) “You can put whatever kind of gloss you want on last week’s jobs numbers, but the truth is that while they may have been a bit better than most economists were expecting, they were still bad, bad, bad.” Rationing health care (Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune) “What the scaremongers don't like to talk about is how much our private insurers ration now -- mostly for the sake of their own profits.”
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