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White House garden. Obamas to Plant Vegetable Garden at White House "Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of the South Lawn on Friday to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden in World War II." Obamas ready to start a White House garden "After a campaign by gardeners and sustainable food activists, the First Family has decided to dig up part of the White House grounds for a vegetable garden. In a ceremony Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama and local elementary school students will break ground for the project."

Corporate bonuses. Congress Moves to Slap Heavy Tax on Bonuses "Congress moved yesterday to levy punitive taxes on bonuses paid by financial firms receiving government aid, threatening to undermine federal efforts to rescue the financial system by driving away participants in the programs." House Passes Heavy Tax on Bonuses at Rescued Firms "The House overwhelmingly approved on Thursday a near total tax on bonuses paid this year to employees of the American International Group and other firms that have accepted large amounts of federal bailout funds, rattling Wall Street as lawmakers rushed to respond to populist anger." House votes to tax AIG bonuses amid nationwide protests "The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to levy a 90 percent tax on bonuses paid to employees with household incomes exceeding $250,000 a year at companies that have received at least $5 billion in federal bailout assistance."

Budget. Obama budget faces new hurdles "President Obama's $3.55-trillion budget has stumbled into a series of economic and political pitfalls that threaten to undercut his grandest ambitions." GOP Pressed on Health Care "House Democrats, in consultation with the White House, will give Republican lawmakers until September to reach a compromise on President Obama's signature health-care initiative -- otherwise, they will use a shortcut to move the measure through Congress without Republican votes."

Unemployed vets. Jobless rate hits 11.2% for veterans "The economic downturn is hitting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans harder than other workers - one in nine are now out of work - and may be encouraging some troops to remain in the service, according to Labor Department records and military officials."

G-20. Brown's G20 hopes fade amid European hostility "Gordon Brown's hopes of leading the world out of recession at next month's pivotal summit in London were undermined yesterday when European leaders flatly rejected calls for a further massive stimulus package."

Afghanistan . Afghanistan strategy: Lure fighters away from Taliban "The Obama administration's plan to overhaul the Afghanistan war will include a reinvigorated effort to sap the strength and influence of Taliban leaders by luring away their foot soldiers, according to advisors involved in a painstaking strategy review." Pakistani official says Taliban chief Mullah Omar is in Afghanistan, not Pakistan "Taliban leader Mullah Muhammed Omar is not in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, a senior official said Friday, and urged the United States not to carry out missile attacks in the region." SAS units switch to hunting the Taleban "The SAS are the unsung heroes of Britain's six years in Iraq. Admired by their US counterparts, feared by insurgents and revered by the Iraqi military, British special forces have played a vital role in capturing or killing militants as well as reconciling rebels and training Iraqi commandos."

Zimbabwe. Fragile Signs of Hope Emerging in the Gloom of Mugabe's Rule "Zimbabwe's main donors of emergency medical and food aid - the United States, Britain and other European nations - face a painful question posed by those pleas for more help. How do the wealthiest nations pump money into Zimbabwe's crippled economy without propping up Mr. Mugabe, feeding his patronage machine and extending his disastrous three decades in power?"

Israeli government. Israel's Netanyahu gets more time "Benjamin Netanyahu, the man expected to be Israel's next prime minister, has been given another two weeks to form a new government." Israeli Coalition Appears Fated to Clash With U.S. "The foreign minister of Israel's incoming government lives in a West Bank settlement and will begin life as a diplomat battling the perception that he is anti-Arab."

Israel-Gaza. Soldiers' Accounts of Gaza Killings Raise Furor in Israel "Now testimony is emerging from within the ranks of soldiers and officers alleging a permissive attitude toward the killing of civilians and reckless destruction of property that is sure to inflame the domestic and international debate about the army's conduct in Gaza." Israeli soldiers report abuses in Gaza "Two months after ending its assault on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army was confronted Thursday by the first public allegations from within its ranks of unwarranted killings and other abuses of Palestinian civilians." Judges, scholars call on UN to probe war crimes by both sides in Gaza "Sixteen judges and scholars who participated in war crimes commissions on the conflicts in Darfur and Rwanda sent an open letter calling on the United Nations to investigate alleged international law violations committed during the 22-day Cast Lead offensive in Gaza."

Iraq. New Alliances In Iraq Cross Sectarian Lines "Six weeks after provincial elections, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has allied himself with an outspoken Sunni leader in several provinces and broached a coalition with a militant, anti-American cleric, suggesting the emergence of a new axis of power in Iraq centered on a strong central government and nationalism." Pinning hopes on the Iraqi army "Some Iraqi analysts and military experts have also quietly expressed concern that the Iraqi armed forces might not be adequately prepared to fill the security void once US troops have left." Iraq veteran becomes activist against the war "Parks, 23, a combat veteran and card-carrying proselytizer for Iraq Veterans Against the War, uses the impromptu discussions to engage people in something more than a reflexive insult or stereotype, to try to get them to understand why he, as a soldier who served in Iraq, wants nothing more than the end to a war he no longer believes in."

Iran. Obama offers Iran 'new beginning' "US president hopes for "renewed exchanges among our people 'in videotaped appeal.'" Obama reaches out to Iran in holiday greeting video "Continuing a series of attempts to directly engage public opinion in Muslim nations, President Barack Obama broadcast a speech to the Iranian public early Friday morning, offering greetings for a pre-Islamic New Year's holiday widely celebrated in the country." Obama speaks to Iranian people in video message "In an unprecedented video message released Friday on the celebration of the Persian new year, President Barack Obama speaks directly to the Iranian people and government, saying his administration 'is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us' and that that the process 'will not be advanced by threats.'"

Editorial. Pushing back the death penalty in New Mexico (Los Angeles Times) "New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has had his share of setbacks recently. He ran for president and never came close. Then he was considered for a spot in the Obama administration but was forced to withdraw. Those detours sent him home to New Mexico to resume his governorship, and for that we are grateful. Richardson's inability to move up meant that on Wednesday, he was in his office and in position to perform the most important act of his political life: He signed a bill abolishing the death penalty in New Mexico."

Opinion. Giving and Taxes (New York Times) "Mr. Obama is proposing a government that provides more security for Americans and invests in their long-term prosperity. That requires more money. Capping deductions for the 1.2 percent of Americans that are the most well-off is one good way to raise it."

The belief that the wealthy are worthy is waning (Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times) "The notion that the poor always will be with us has been ingrained in our culture ever since the sermons of Moses were set down by the anonymous author of Deuteronomy. The financial crisis of the present day raises a rather different issue, however: What should we do about the rich?"