The latest news on Inauguration, Abortion, Hunger, Veterans, Health Care, Obama-McCain Meet, Nuclear Security, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Congo, India, and Select Op-eds.

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Inauguration. Can Mall Be Filled For an Inauguration? 4 Million May Try It. "District and federal officials are preparing for as many as 4 million people for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, a crowd that would be three or four times larger than previous big events on the Mall."

Abortion. Some Abortion Foes Shifting Focus From Ban to Reduction "Frustrated by the failure to overturn Roe v. Wade, a growing number of antiabortion pastors, conservative academics and activists are setting aside efforts to outlaw abortion and instead are focusing on building social programs and developing other assistance for pregnant women to reduce the number of abortions." Protests Over a Rule to Protect Health Providers "A last-minute Bush administration plan to grant sweeping new protections to health care providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a torrent of objections, including a strenuous protest from the government agency that enforces job discrimination laws."

Hunger. Government report shows more U.S. children wanted for food in 2007 than any time since 1998 "Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year's sharp economic downturn, the Agriculture Department reported Monday."

Veterans. Newest Veterans Hit Hard by Economic Crisis "While few Americans are sheltered from the jolt of the recent economic crisis, the nation's newest veterans, particularly the wounded, are being hit especially hard. The triple-whammy of injury, unemployment and waiting for disability claims to be processed has forced many veterans into foreclosure, or sent them teetering on its edge."

Health care. Political temperature may be just right for healthcare overhaul "But the bleak environment may paradoxically spur the kind of costly, sweeping overhaul of the nation's healthcare system that has eluded policymakers in Washington for decades, many political strategists, industry leaders and economists say."

Obama-McCain meet. Old rivals Obama, McCain discuss working together "A fierce campaign less than two weeks behind them, President-elect Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain met Monday in Chicago to talk about ways to work together on government reform, fiscal responsibility and boosting the economy." Obama and McCain Vow to Work Together for Reform "President-elect Barack Obama continued his reconciliation tour yesterday, sitting down with former rival John McCain for the first time since the election, a meeting that resulted in a joint statement promising that they will work together to 'change the bad habits of Washington.'"

Nuclear security. Report on Threat From Nuclear Bombs Cites Urgent Need for Global Security "When armed men attacked South Africa's most closely guarded nuclear facility a year ago, they penetrated the detection systems at the perimeter, cut through an electrified fence and broke into the emergency control center, shooting one worker there in the chest before escaping."

Africa. War on terror's hidden front "Aside from training African proxies to fight extremists, the mission will focus primarily on undermining the roots of terrorism - that is, thwarting extremist recruitment by building clinics, digging wells, inoculating cattle and offering services primarily to Africa's rural Muslim populations."

Iraq. Iraqi and American Critics of Security Pact Speak Up "Iraqi and American critics of a security agreement governing American troops in Iraq voiced their objections, a day after the Iraqi cabinet approved the pact and sent it to Parliament for ratification." A guide to the U.S. security agreement with Iraq "Iraq's parliament began considering a security agreement that will determine the future of American forces in the country and, if approved, set Dec. 31, 2011, as the end date for the U.S. occupation of Iraq." Top U.S. military officer says he is comfortable with terms of security deal with Iraq "The nation's top military officer said Monday it probably would take two to three years for the United States to safely move its forces and equipment out of Iraq. However, fulfilling President-elect Barack Obama's campaign promise to get out in 16 months is possible, said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." Top judge: U.S. and U.K. acted as 'vigilantes' in Iraq invasion "One of Britain's most authoritative judicial figures last night delivered a blistering attack on the invasion of Iraq, describing it as a serious violation of international law, and accusing Britain and the U.S. of acting like a 'world vigilante.'"

Afghanistan. U.S.-Afghan rift builds around Karzai's overture to Taliban "Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents rejected an offer of talks from Kabul and threatened for the first time to strike a target in the West, suggesting many years of violent conflict to come." Taliban rejects Karzai's offer "Mullah Omar, the elusive leader of the anti-government Taliban, appears to have rejected an offer from Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, of protection in exchange for peace talks."

Iran. MI chief: Dialog can halt Iranian nukes "Barack Obama's election as U.S. president and the world financial crisis present an opportunity to halt the Iranian nuclear drive through diplomacy, [Israeli] Military Intelligence head Amos Yadlin said Monday."

Congo. More flee rebel advance after Congo ceasefire is shot to pieces "Renewed fighting shattered any hopes of a speedy end to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday as rebels pushed on with an offensive hours after their leader said that he would observe a ceasefire."

India. U.K. announces £825m aid package for India "Britain will spend £825m over the next three years in aid to India, a nuclear-armed power that sent a spacecraft to the moon last month, to lift 'hundreds of millions of people' out of poverty, the international development secretary said today."

Commentary. The Formerly Middle Class(David Brooks, New York Times) "In this recession, maybe even more than other ones, the last ones to join the middle class will be the first ones out. And it won't only be material deprivations that bites. It will be the loss of a social identity, the loss of social networks, the loss of the little status symbols that suggest an elevated place in the social order. These reversals are bound to produce alienation and a political response. If you want to know where the next big social movements will come from, I'd say the formerly middle class."