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Quote of the Day. "Together, we are on a journey from ground zero to Global Zero -- a world free of weapons of mass destruction ... Let us realize our dream of a world free of nuclear weapons so that our children and all succeeding generations can live in freedom, security, and peace." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of that city. (UN News Centre)
RELIGION IN THE NEWS
Church of Pakistan Seeks Prayers as Deadly Flood Toll Passes 1,500 "As flood waters continue to wreak havoc in Pakistan, the country's leading ecumenical church body has called upon the worldwide Christian community to pray."
Religious Groups Press for CIA Torture Probe "Twenty religious organizations are calling for Congress and President Obama to ensure a fair and thorough investigation into allegations of forced human experimentation by the CIA on detainees after 9/11."
Commentary: How Christianity failed Anne Rice (Leonard Pitts Jr., McClatchy/The Miami Herald) "'Today, I quit being a Christian.' With those words last week on Facebook, Anne Rice delivered a wake-up call for organized religion. The question is whether it will be recognized as such."
NEWS AT HOME
Unemployment. Sluggish hiring keeps U.S. jobless rate at 9.5% in July "The employment picture in the U.S. remained bleak last month as the nation's payrolls fell for a second straight month, with private-sector businesses adding a disappointingly scant number of new jobs. The jobless rate held steady at 9.5% in July." Weak private hiring shows recovery on the ropes "Private employers added fewer workers to their payrolls in July than expected and hiring in June was much weaker than had been thought, a blow to an economic recovery that is failing to gain traction."
Justice Kagan. Senate confirms Elena Kagan's nomination to Supreme Court "The Senate confirmed U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan on Thursday as the 112th justice to the Supreme Court, making her the fourth woman to sit on the court." Kagan Joins Supreme Court After 63-37 Vote in Senate "The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to a seat on the Supreme Court on Thursday, giving President Obama his second appointment to the court in a year and a victory over Republicans who sharply challenged her credentials and record."
Oil Spill. BP shoots a stream of cement into damaged well "It took BP a mere five hours to pump a stream of cement down its troublesome well Thursday, completing another major step in its final push to end the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe and forever shut down the source of the nation's largest offshore oil spill." BP Done Pumping Cement Into Well "Because no significant amount of oil has leaked since the well was tightly capped on July 15, the start of the cementing was almost anticlimactic."
Proposition 8 Decision. Gay Marriage Ruling a Challenge for Both Parties "A federal judge's decision on Wednesday overturning Proposition 8 -- California's ban on same-sex marriage -- has tossed a largely unwanted issue into the middle of the November midterm elections." Both sides in same-sex marriage debate see chance to galvanize support after California ruling "The decision by a federal judge Wednesday to strike down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage came at a pivotal time in the debate over the issue, as gay rights groups are embroiled in more than two dozen court cases across the country." Q&A: What the Proposition 8 ruling means "A hearing Friday will weigh whether same-sex couples can marry while the case is under appeal. Schwarzenegger praised the ruling, and polls show the public growing more accepting of gay marriage."
States & School Lunches Cut Food Stamps. Senate Votes $26 Billion for States and Schools "The Senate on Thursday approved $26 billion in aid to states and school districts to prevent the layoffs of tens of thousands of teachers and government workers while allocating $600 million to strengthen border security as senators headed toward an August recess." Senate approves major expansion of school lunch programs "The legislation, approved without a vote under a bipartisan strategy that sponsors hoped could be swiftly replicated in the House, was designed to give added help to jobless and low-income parents at a time when the economy continues to lag and a new school year is about to start." One-two punch hits food stamps "In a matter of hours Thursday, the Senate approved state fiscal aid and child nutrition bills which help pay for themselves by cutting more than $14 billion from food stamps."
Forced Military Extensions. Forced military extension to end "The number of Army soldiers forced to serve beyond their commitment has been cut in half in the past year and is on track to be eliminated by March 2011, Pentagon records and interviews show."
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Hiroshima. US attends first Hiroshima atomic bomb anniversary "The Japanese city of Hiroshima is marking the 65th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack. For the first time, a representative of the United States, which dropped the bomb on the city, is attending." John Roos is first US representative to attend Hiroshima memorial ceremony in Japan "Roos's presence at an event to mark 65 years since a US bomb left Hiroshima in ruins has raised hopes that president Barack Obama will visit the city when he attends a meeting of Apec leaders in Japan in November." A first: U.S., nuclear powers join Hiroshima memorial "The U.S., Britain and France participated for the first time Friday in the annual commemoration of the A-bomb attack on Hiroshima, in a 65th anniversary event that organizers hope will bolster global efforts toward nuclear disarmament."
Terror Attacks Down. Last year, 10,999 terrorist attacks worldwide
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