The latest news on Faith & Life, Economy, Cabinet, Labor, Veterans, United Nations, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nuclear Weapons, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Congo, Nicaragua, and Select Op-eds.

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Faith & life. SOA Watch protest founder faces Catholic excommunication "Bourgeois, because of his support of the ordination of women priests, has been told by the Vatican that he faces excommunication this month. In his response to the church, Bourgeois said he has remained firm." World church group to deliver Christmas messages, peace prayers to Bethlehem "The World Council of Churches will help deliver Christmas messages and prayers of peace to the biblical birthplace of Jesus. The council, Christianity's largest ecumenical movement, said that messages e-mailed before the Jan. 7 Christmas celebrated by Orthodox Christians will be printed and handed out at schools and places of worship in the West Bank city of Bethlehem."

Economy. Jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 16-year high as labor market weakens rapidly "New claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to a 16-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, providing more evidence of a rapidly weakening job market expected to get even worse next year." Stocks Are Hurt by Latest Fear: Declining Prices "After gyrating wildly for weeks, the stock market lurched lower on Wednesday, falling to its lowest point in nearly six years, as concern spread that the economy might be facing a chronic and debilitating decline in prices." How low can market go? Outlook for economy is grim "Wall Street's agonizing bear market plunged to new depths Wednesday amid more hand-wringing about the receding economy, the faltering auto industry and Washington's stop-and-go rescue efforts." Federal Reserve sees recession to at least mid-2009 "Although consumers got some welcome news Wednesday about the prices they pay, the clouds over the economy loomed larger than ever."

Cabinet. Daschle to join Obama's Cabinet "Signaling his commitment to take on the thorny challenge of refashioning American healthcare, President-elect Barack Obama has asked former Sen. Tom Daschle to be secretary of Health and Human Services, placing a political ally with vast Capitol Hill experience at the forefront of the debate." Ariz. Governor Said to Be Pick For Homeland Security Post "Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), whose handling of immigration issues brought her accolades from fellow governors, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to serve as secretary of homeland security." Obama Inherits a Neglected Housing Department "The Obama administration will soon inherit a $35 billion federal housing agency that was a weak backbencher during the housing crisis and moved too late to do much to keep millions of families from going into foreclosure." Antiwar groups fear Barack Obama may create hawkish Cabinet "Antiwar groups and other liberal activists are increasingly concerned at signs that Barack Obama's national security team will be dominated by appointees who favored the Iraq invasion and hold hawkish views on other important foreign policy issues."

Labor. Unions sure organizing bill will pass "The government-affairs director of the AFL-CIO said he is certain that organized labor's top priority -- a law that would make it much easier for unions to organize businesses both large and small -- will pass Congress and be signed by President Barack Obama."

Veterans. Filner advocates 'de-boot camp' for returning GIs "A key House leader is proposing to establish a 'de-boot camp,' where returning service members would undergo mandatory diagnosis for brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to reduce instances of domestic violence and suicide."

United Nations. Obama, U.N. chief discuss reform while U.S. rededicates itself to the world organization "President-elect Barack Obama is urging the United Nations chief to embark on 'far-reaching reform' of the world organization to help it address pressing global issues."

Iraq. Brawl Halts Session of Iraqi Parliament "A session of Iraq's Parliament collapsed in chaos on Wednesday, as a discussion among lawmakers about a three-year security agreement with the Americans boiled over into shouting and physical confrontation." U.S.-Iraq security pact may be in violation, Congress is told "Passage of the U.S.-Iraq security pact under the terms both countries' leaders have advocated could violate the constitutions of both countries, specialists told a congressional subcommittee yesterday." Why the U.S. blinked on its troop agreement with Iraq "The Pentagon has welcomed a new accord on U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. But privately, senior officials are criticizing President Bush for giving Iraq more control over U.S. military operations than had ever been contemplated." Here is the Text of the US-Iraq Agreement (pdf).

Afghanistan. Pentagon wants U.K. troops for Obama surge "America is to deploy thousands more troops against the Taliban in Afghanistan and expects NATO allies to do the same."

Nuclear weapons. Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon "Iran has produced enough nuclear material to make a single atom bomb, though it is unclear if the country has achieved the necessary technical advances to create a bomb." IAEA's Syria report brings more speculation over radioactive traces "An investigation into a remote Syrian site bombed by Israel 14 months ago has provided no conclusive answers so far, but sparked speculation about the source of trace amounts of radioactive material found at the site."

Darfur. ICC seeks rebel arrests in Darfur "The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has asked judges for arrest warrants to be issued for three rebel commanders in Sudan's Darfur region."

Zimbabwe. Talking in secret in Zimbabwe, with a 'Mugabe man' who isn't really "The man is nervous. He's from the 'President's Office,' and that doesn't mean serving tea to Robert Mugabe. It's Zimbabwe's version of the KGB: the Central Intelligence Organization."

Congo. Aid agencies appeal over Congo "Leading aid agencies are joining together to call on the public for cash to help ease the plight of those affected by the recent upsurge in violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo."

Nicaragua. Democracy in Nicaragua In Peril, Ortega Critics Say "The U.S. Embassy has been accused of counterrevolutionary subversion. A nervous Catholic Church is appealing for calm. The opposition party is crying electoral fraud, while roaming gangs armed with clubs are attacking marchers. The mayor here has called it anarchy." Claims of a Rigged Vote Foment Bitter Protests in Nicaragua "Thousands of protesters backing the leftist Sandinista party took to the streets to support the results of local elections that the opposition says President Daniel Ortega rigged."

Commentary. Taking on the crisis in Congo (Anneke Van Woudenberg, Human Rights Watch; Boston Globe) "Knowing that war in the Congo has cost 5 million civilian lives in the last decade, international leaders seem ready to take this crisis seriously. A diplomatic solution to the crisis is desperately needed, and for such efforts to succeed the shuttle diplomacy will need to be sustained, even when Congo falls out of the headlines." Let's get 'real' on immigration (Rick Casey, Houston Chronicle) "