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Quote of the day. "My life was worthless. Now I have a future. I have a vision for what I can do." Grace Mokeira, who has been on death row in Kenya for 16 years, responding to President Mwai Kibaki's announcement that he was commuting all death sentences to life in prison. (USA Today)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Percent of Female Senior Pastors Doubled Over Past 10 Years "The percentage of U.S. Protestant women serving as senior pastors has doubled over the past decade, according to the latest study by the Barna Group."
NEWS AT HOME
Health care. Baucus releases health care blueprint with no public option "Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus unveiled on Wednesday an $856 billion plan to overhaul the nation's health-care system that includes taxes on high-end insurance policies and incentives to create health care co-ops around the nation - but not the public option that President Barack Obama has sought." Senate Health Bill Draws Fire on Both Sides "The top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday that he could not support sweeping health care legislation drafted in more than three months of bipartisan negotiations by the chairman of the panel, and several liberal Democrats criticized the bill from the other side of the political spectrum." No Republican support for Senate health plan "Senate Democrats' most concerted quest for a bipartisan compromise on healthcare collapsed Tuesday as finance committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) announced he would move ahead with his long-delayed proposals without any guarantee of Republican support." Young Adults May Pay Big Share of Health-Care Reform's Cost "As health-care legislation advances through Congress, the young adults who were so vital to President Obama's election are emerging as a significant beneficiary of his top domestic priority, but they are also likely to play a major role in funding any reform."
Health care -- Congressional debate. Lawmakers' Intense Debate on Hot-Button Issues Shows No Signs of Easing "The raw emotions of American politics found full-throated voice Tuesday in and around the Capitol. At any given moment, someone was expressing outrage -- or counter-outrage." House Rebukes Wilson for Shouting 'You Lie' "Representative Joe Wilson was formally rebuked by the House on Tuesday for his outburst during President Obama's health care address. The vote came after a Congressional clash over civility that showcased the deep partisan divisions in the House." Elephant in the room: Race also present in rebuke of Wilson "In their effort to admonish Rep. Joe Wilson, both white and black lawmakers in the House of Representatives voiced deep concern over a string of what they think are racially motivated attacks on the nation's first black president."
Immigrants & health care. Obama takes heat from other side of immigrant healthcare debate "Trying to quell a conservative uproar over his healthcare agenda, President Obama has proposed barring illegal immigrants from a possible government-arranged health insurance marketplace -- even if the immigrants pay with their own money. The move has surprised some of Obama's fellow Democrats and infuriated immigrant advocates."
Climate change. Senate to consider limits on carbon dioxide emissions "While healthcare dominates the headlines, the Senate is preparing to consider a bill that could dramatically reshape the economy by setting the nation's first-ever limits on carbon dioxide emissions." US plans 'weaken Copenhagen deal' "Europe has clashed with the US Obama administration over climate change in a potentially damaging split that comes ahead of crucial political negotiations on a new global deal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions."
Congressional agenda. Full Slate of Issues Likely to Extend Lawmakers' Work Calendar "Even as health-care reform dominates the agenda, Congress is confronting so many other issues that lawmakers could be kept at work through the first frost of winter."
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Afghanistan-US troops. Mullen Says More Troops Are Probably Needed in Afghanistan "The nation's top military officer told Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. war in Afghanistan 'probably needs more forces' and sought to reassure lawmakers skeptical of sending additional troops that commanders were devising new tactics that would lead to victory over a resurgent Taliban." Military Chief Suggests Need to Enlarge U.S. Afghan Force "The nation's top military officer pushed back Tuesday against Democrats who oppose sending additional combat troops to Afghanistan, telling Congress that success would probably require more fighting forces, and certainly much more time."
Afghanistan election. EU: 1.5m Afghan ballots suspicious "European Union election observers have said that about 1.5 million votes in last month's Afghan elections -- almost a third of ballots cast -- could be fraudulent." Karzai condemns EU's fraud claims "Afghan President Hamid Karzai's campaign team has condemned as 'irresponsible' claims by EU monitors about the extent of election fraud."
Gaza war crimes. Inquiry Finds Gaza War Crimes From Both Sides "A United Nations fact-finding mission investigating the three-week war in Gaza last winter issued a highly critical report on Tuesday detailing what it called extensive evidence that both Israel and Palestinian militant groups took actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity." Israel and Palestinians committed war crimes in Gaza, U.N. inquiry says "A United Nations inquiry concluded Tuesday that Israel and Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes during their conflict in the Gaza Strip, and it called on both sides to prosecute wrongdoers or face possible intervention by an international court." Israel condemns UN's Gaza report "Israel has strongly criticised a UN human rights report into alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict."
Iran. Clinton Lays Out Iran Requirements "When the United States sits down with Iran early next month for face-to-face talks, the Iranian nuclear program will be at the top of the American agenda, even though Iranian officials insist it is off the table, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday." Powerful Iranian cleric barred from delivering Quds Day prayers "A powerful cleric who supports Iran's opposition movement has been barred from delivering Friday prayers during Quds Day in Tehran, an annual day of solidarity with the Palestinian cause that is being turned into a protest against authorities in a move that suggests the declining influence of Iranian moderates within the political elite."
India. On India's Railways, Women Find New Peace in Commute "The problems of taunting and harassment, known as eve teasing, are so persistent that in recent months the government has decided to simply remove men altogether. In a pilot program, eight new commuter trains exclusively for female passengers have been introduced in India's four largest cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta."
OPINION.
The man who hated hunger (Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe) "He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, and the Congressional Gold Medal. Scores of universities conferred honorary degrees upon him. Research institutions on three continents were named after him. He was greatly honored, and for good reason: He is reckoned to have saved more lives -- hundreds of millions, perhaps a billion -- than any man in human history. Yet until last weekend, when he died at 95, you could have asked 1,000 people at random, and chances are 998 of them would never have heard of Norman Borlaug."
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