The latest news on the Wall Street Bailout, Bailout-Presidential Campaign, Cost of War, Hurricane Ike, Use of Force, Abortion, Pay Equity, United Nations, Pakistan, Iran, South Africa, Israel, India's Military, North Korea, and Select Op-eds.

Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »

Wall Street bailout. As Hill Debates Bailout, Wall St. Shifts Continue "Congressional Democrats considering the Bush administration's emergency plan to shore up the U.S. financial system countered with their own demands yesterday, presenting draft legislation giving the government power to cut salaries of chief executives at firms that participate in the bailout and slash severance packages for their top management." Fed jumps in for Wall St. again "The Federal Reserve took another big step to reshape Wall Street and end the era of goliath investment banks, even as Congressional Democrats worked to put their imprint on the Treasury Department's unprecedented $700-billion plan to shore up the economy." Big Financiers Start Lobbying for Wider Aid "Even as policy makers worked on details of a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, Wall Street began looking for ways to profit from it." Can you trust a Wall Street veteran with a Wall Street bailout? "Making the rounds on the Sunday morning talk shows, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson repeatedly said today's financial problems were long in the making. He should know. He was part of the Gold Rush that has brought the global financial system to the brink of collapse." Economic crisis leaves older workers facing uncertainty "In times of financial turmoil, older workers are turning to a time-tested remedy -- more work. A retirement that seemed possible early this month may be shrinking out of sight for people with investments at the mercy of market upheavals."

Bailout-presidential campaign. Candidates Seek Changes In Wall Street Rescue Plan "Both presidential candidates called Sunday for speedy, bipartisan consideration of the Bush administration's $700 billion economic rescue proposal." 2 Candidates Back Bailout, With Caveats "Senators John McCain and Barack Obama warned Sunday that there should be more oversight built into the government's $700 billion plan to stabilize the financial markets but said the potentially enormous expenditure would not force them to scale back their ambitious governing agendas."

Cost of war. Measuring the political cost of war "Polls show the war in Iraq has dropped on the list of national priorities. But a wealth of research suggests the war's most painful costs -- the lives of soldiers -- could sway the presidential election in battleground states across the country."

Hurricane Ike. Rail getting back on track, but Houston extends curfew "Making another step forward in recovering from Hurricane Ike, Metro officials announced late Sunday that the light rail will run on a regular schedule. Meanwhile, HPD says Houston will extend its citywide midnight-6 a.m. curfew." Immigration debate takes back seat as Southeast Texas looks to Latinos in rebuilding from Ike "Along with the promise of fresh jobs, there are fears of abuse and exploitation of workers, and rumors that immigration officials will be poised at job sites to arrest the undocumented."

Use of force. Gates Says West Should Avoid Extremes of Force "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates challenged Western powers to avoid past mistakes of lurching between excessive military resolve and excessive restraint, as the world faces threats from a resurgent Russia, violent Islamic extremism and rogue leaders seeking nuclear arms."

Abortion. S. Dakota Readies Again for Abortion Fight "For the second time since 2006, South Dakota voters are being asked to outlaw almost all abortions. A ballot initiative called Initiated Measure 11 would ban the procedure except in cases of rape, incest and a narrow interpretation of the health and life of the woman." Abortion foes begin to make their case in Russia "A fledgling antiabortion movement is beginning to stir in Russia. Driven by a growing discussion of abortion as a moral issue and, most of all, by a government worried about demographics, doctors and politicians are quietly struggling to lower what is believed to be one of the world's highest abortion rates."

Pay equity. Study Ties Wage Disparities To Outlook on Gender Roles "Men with egalitarian attitudes about the role of women in society earn significantly less on average than men who hold more traditional views about women's place in the world, according to a study being reported today."

United Nations. Ban says he's tired of U.N. bashing "On the eve of the annual meeting here of world leaders, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon complained that he is perceived as 'invisible' and that neither he nor his organization gets enough credit for efforts to reform and to alleviate global ills."

Pakistan. Pakistan blast toll rises to 53; 2 U.S. service members among the dead "Pakistani investigators combed through the charred wreckage of the Marriott Hotel here in search of clues to who was behind a suicide truck bombing that killed at least 53 people, including two members of the U.S. military." Pakistani leaders 'should have been at bombed hotel' "Pakistan's top leaders were to have attended a state dinner at the luxury Islamabad hotel devastated in a suicide bomb attack on Saturday but changed venue at the last minute, it emerged today." After Bombing, Pakistan's President Is Pressured "Pakistan continued to reel from the deadly truck bomb blast at the Marriott Hotel here on Saturday, as the government described the bombing as an attack on democracy." Pakistan troops 'repel U.S. raid' "Pakistani troops have fired at two U.S. helicopters forcing them back into Afghanistan, local Pakistani intelligence officials say."

Iran. IAEA chief: Iran could be hiding nukes "The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned that he cannot guarantee that Iran is not running a secret nuclear program, comments that appeared to reflect a high level of frustration with stonewalling of his investigators." Iranian president: Military will 'break the hand' any who attack its nuclear facilities "'If anyone allows himself to commit even a tiny offense against Iran's legitimate interests, borders and sacred land, our armed forces will break his hand before he pulls the trigger,' Ahmadinejad said during the parade."

South Africa. South Africa: Mbeki Hands in Resignation "President Thabo Mbeki formally announced his early resignation in an address televised live in South Africa on Sunday night. He said he had handed his letter of resignation to the Speaker of the South African Parliament, Baleka Mbete." South Africa President Thabo Mbeki officially resigns, denies impropriety "President Thabo Mbeki went on national television Sunday to announce his resignation and deny charges that he had pressured prosecutors to go after his bitter rival, Jacob Zuma, whose supporters had forced the South African leader from office." Mbeki quits leaving a country divided "South Africa is facing its biggest political crisis since the end of apartheid after President Mbeki resigned as head of state, admitting defeat in the bitter power struggle within the ruling African National Congress."

Israel. Olmert hands in his official resignation "Thirty-three months after dramatically filling in for a stroke-stricken Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert -- facing a number of corruption allegations -- formally tendered his resignation to President Shimon Peres on Sunday evening." Israel poised for coalition talks "Israel's president is expected to ask Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to form a new government on Monday." Livni offers Barak 'real partnership' "In private conversations yesterday, Livni said that if Labor Party leader Ehud Barak agrees to join a government under her leadership, he will be made 'a full partner.'"

India's military. Land of Gandhi Asserts Itself as Global Military Power "India, which gave the world the idea of Gandhian nonviolence, has long derided the force-projecting ways of the great powers. It focused its own military on self-defense against two neighbors, Pakistan and China. But in recent years, while world attention has focused on China's military, India has begun to refashion itself as an armed power with global reach."

North Korea. U.N. atomic chief: North Korea requests removal of seals from mothballed nuclear reactor "North Korea asked the U.N. nuclear watchdog to remove seals and surveillance equipment from the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, the agency chief said Monday, heightening concerns that the communist nation may be preparing to restart its nuclear program."

Editorial. Poverty, by outdated numbers (Boston Globe) "The world has changed, but the official definition of poverty is woefully antiquated. This year, the federal poverty level for a family of four is $21,200. That's a pittance for many parents who are trying to provide for themselves and their children."