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Quote of the Day. "If you were to take the best engineers in the world and try to design the perfect plug for a child's airway, it would be a hot dog. I'm a pediatric emergency doctor, and to try to get them out once they're wedged in, it's almost impossible." Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH, on a study urging that hot dogs be "redesigned" so they are less likely to become stuck in children's throats. About 17% of food-related asphyxiations in children are caused by hot dogs. (USA Today)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
New abolitionists shine light on domestic human trafficking "In many places across the United States, a darkness that most people overlook clouds the eyes of hurting children, their stares serving as silent cries for help. They're the glazed-over gazes of trafficked children who live enslaved, beaten down and hopeless."
Obama's spiritual life takes more private turn "But since President Obama took office a year ago, his faith has largely receded from public view. He has attended church in the capital only four times, and worshiped half a dozen times at a secluded Camp David chapel."
Anglican Head Embarks on Middle East Tour "The head of the worldwide Anglican Communion expressed his 'deep' concern over the declining number of believers in the Middle East as he marked the start a four-day visit to the region."
Ind. college lifts 116-year ban on national anthem "The decision to reverse the ban on the anthem is aimed at making students and visitors outside the faith feel more welcome, but it has roiled some at the 1,000-student college who feel the song undermines the church's pacifist message and puts love for county above love for God."
US Muslims debate English or Arabic worship "Like Jewish immigrants who fought over English-language prayer and Roman Catholics who resisted the new Mass in English, U.S. Muslims are waging their own debate about how much English they can use inside mosques without violating Islamic law and abandoning their culture."
NEWS AT HOME
Health Care. Insurance-rate hikes targeted "President Obama will call for new government power to regulate insurance-rate increases as part of comprehensive changes to the health-care system that the White House will unveil on its Web site Monday, senior officials said." Obama to Urge Oversight of Insurers' Rate Increases "President Obama will propose on Monday giving the federal government new power to block excessive rate increases by health insurance companies, as he rolls out comprehensive legislation to revamp the nation's health care system."
Jobs. With the Senate Set to Vote on Jobs Bill, Governors Say They Still Need Assistance "With the Senate poised to take a first test vote on a jobs bill, governors said Sunday that they still needed assistance from the federal government but urged Congress to focus more on creating jobs in the private sector." Millions of Unemployed Face Years Without Jobs "Even as the American economy shows tentative signs of a rebound, the human toll of the recession continues to mount, with millions of Americans remaining out of work, out of savings and nearing the end of their unemployment benefits."
Immigration. High-tech border fence is slow going "An ambitious, multibillion-dollar project to hot-wire the new Southwest border fence with high-tech radar, cameras and satellite signals has been plagued with serious system failures and repeated delays and will probably not be completed for another seven years -- if it is finished at all." Faith leaders pray for immigration reform "From prayers to political advocacy, the push for immigration reform is picking up among faith leaders who are attempting to bring the issue back in the spotlight.The effort comes at a key time, as the leaders hope to keep President Barack Obama to a timetable he proposed last summer to pass immigration reform this year."
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Haiti. Commission starts preparing plans for Haiti's rebirth "Next month in New York, the international community's commitment to Haiti's reconstruction will face its first big test. At a meeting of donor nations and international organizations, the Haitian government is to present its preliminary reconstruction plan, which it hopes will set the stage for a large and lasting commitment by the rest of the world." Haiti quake toll may reach 300,000 "Haiti's president has warned that the number of people killed in last month's devastating earthquake could jump to 300,000 as rubble is cleared and more bodies are uncovered."
Afghanistan-Civilians Killed. Nato raid 'kills Afghan civilians' "Aghanistan government officials say at least 33 civilians have been killed in a Nato attack on a convoy of vehicles in Uruzgan, a province in the country's south." U.S. concedes air strike killed civilians in Afghanistan "One day after Afghan President Hamid Karzai made an impassioned plea for American-led forces to do more to avoid killing civilians in their fight against the Taliban, a NATO air strike killed as many as 33 civilians in southern Afghanistan."
Afghanistan-Marja Offensive. In Marja, U.S. faces a tough fight against Taliban "Outnumbered and outgunned, Taliban fighters are mounting a tougher fight than expected in Marja, Afghan officials said Sunday, as U.S.-led forces converged on a pocket of militants in a western section of the town." U.S. Commander Describes Marja Battle as First Salvo in Campaign "Gen. David H. Petraeus, the head of the United States Central Command, said Sunday that the battle being fought in the Taliban stronghold of Marja was the 'initial salvo' in a military campaign that could last 12 to 18 months." As Marja fighting continues, U.S. deaths will be 'tough' to bear, Petraeus says "Predicting that the level of U.S. casualties in the ongoing fight to win control of the southern Afghan town of Marja will be 'tough' to bear, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said Sunday that the assault was just the beginning of a 12- to 18-month campaign to wipe out safe havens for the Taliban and other Islamic militants." Next big combat mission in Afghanistan will target Kandahar "The current U.S.-led military operation in Helmand province is a trial run for what could be the decisive clash with the Taliban in Afghanistan this summer in the area that is its spiritual home -- Kandahar."
Aghanistan-Dutch Troops to Leave. Dutch troops 'to leave Afghanistan as planned' "A day after his cabinet collapsed, the Dutch prime minister says he expects Dutch troops to end their mission in Afghanistan in August as expected." Domino effect feared as Dutch confirm Afghan exit "Nato was left in fear of further troop withdrawals from Afghanistan yesterday after the Dutch Prime Minister conceded that he could not prevent his forces being pulled out this year after the collapse of the Government in The Hague."
Dubai-Mossad. EU condemns forged passport use in Dubai Mabhouh murder "European Union foreign ministers have 'strongly condemned' the use of forged European passports in the assassination of a top Palestinian militant."
Iraq. Report Seeks Sole Agency to Rebuild War Zones "The government agency responsible for monitoring American reconstruction work in Iraq has proposed the creation of a single organization to oversee future rebuilding to avoid the fraud and waste that have marred this work in the past."
Darfur. Darfur truce ahead of Sudan poll "A representative of Sudan's Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) has said the temporary ceasefire deal the group signed with the government is intended to facilitate forthcoming elections."
Electronic Waste. UN calls for action on growing electronic waste "The report suggests that in some countries, the amount of e-waste being produced -- including mobile phones and computers -- could rise by as much as 500% over the next decade. Such rapid growth, it argues, will create intractable problems for people's health and the environment as the waste, much of it containing toxic material, decays."
OPINION
A duty to protest (Editorial, Haaretz) "The fact that there are still civilians prepared to invest time and energy in nonviolent protest and popular action carried out by two peoples should be lauded, not suppressed
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