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Quote of the day. "We all die, and we want to do so with the most dignity and most control. It seemed a no-brainer. And it spares our children from making those decisions." Barbara Frank, a retired teacher in LaCrosse WI, where nearly everyone of a certain age has an advance-care directive, a pioneering program that became the impetus for the “end-of-life-provision” in health care legislation now infamously called “death panels.” (Washington Post)
FAITH IN THE NEWS
Cardinal Sean O’Malley. O’Malley defends role at Kennedy rites “Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley last night issued a forceful defense of his decision to participate in the funeral of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, an appearance that has drawn sharp criticism from some conservative Catholics because of Kennedy’s ardent support for abortion rights.” Catholic leaders defend O’Malley “…yesterday a variety of prominent Boston-area Catholics expressed strong support for the cardinal, saying that he had done the right thing, and that the controversy has been overblown.”
Integrated worship. Two historic Dallas churches unite for worship service “St. Paul United Methodist Church, a primarily African-American congregation in downtown Dallas, has been meeting regularly at Cochran Chapel, a mostly white congregation, while its sanctuary undergoes a massive renovation. But Sunday marked the first time the two congregations have met together for regular worship service and potluck lunch.”
Moral standards in policy. Tax-Reform Advocate Running for State Office “Susan Pace Hamill, law professor at the University of Alabama Law School, is running for a house seat in the state of Alabama. ... "I believe the process through which government makes all policy should be premised on central moral and ethical standards," said Hamill in a press release…”
Home-schooling. Home-schooler ordered to attend public school “A New Hampshire court ordered a home-schooled Christian girl to attend a public school this week after a judge criticized the "rigidity" of her mother's religious views and said the 10-year-old needed to consider other worldviews as she matures.”
NEWS AT HOME
Unemployment. Unemployment rate rises to 26-year high “The pace of U.S. job losses hit a one-year low last month but the unemployment rate jumped to a 26-year high of 9.7 percent, the government said on Friday in a report showing a slowly improving labor market.” Women gain in historic job shift “Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time, a historic reversal caused by long-term changes in women's roles and massive job losses for men during this recession.”
Health care politics. Obama Will Lay Out Specifics in Health-Care Speech, Aides Say “With President Obama poised to give a health-care address Wednesday before a joint session of Congress, administration officials promised that he will deliver a detailed prescription for reform despite the risks of spelling out exactly where he stands.” Democrats consider setting 'trigger' for government healthcare “Private insurers would have to meet benchmarks for improvement or face competition from a federal program. The idea could win over moderate Republican and wavering Democratic senators.” Clyburn: 'half a loaf' on health care better than nothing “House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn is pushing a compromise on the most contentious part of President Barack Obama's bid to provide medical benefits to uninsured Americans. Instead of a nationwide government insurance program, Clyburn is urging other Democrats to accept a scaled-down public option that would be tested as a pilot program in several parts of the country.”
Health care-local. California Leaders Back Health Program for the Poor “Dismayed by the number of poor children about to be dropped from a publicly subsidized health insurance program, California lawmakers voted Thursday to levy a tax on insurance companies to help maintain the program, which had been slashed into near nonexistence as part of the state’s budget.” Firefighters Become Medics to the Poor “Among the hidden costs of the health care crisis is the burden that fire departments across the country are facing as firefighters, much like emergency room doctors, are increasingly serving as primary care providers.”
Economy. Stimulus Credited for Lifting Economy, But Worries About Unemployment Persist “Half a year after Congress enacted the largest economic stimulus plan in the nation's history, the measure is contributing to what increasingly looks like a budding recovery, analysts say, but significant concern remains about rising unemployment and the initiative's contribution to the federal budget deficit.” States Shut Down to Save Cash “Across the country, cash-strapped state governments are shutting down business for a day at a time to save money. “
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Climate change. Worst climate change offenders to escape effects, report claims “Countries which are contributing most to climate change, including Britain, will be shielded from its worst effects, according to a study which ranks nations according to their vulnerability to global warming.”
Afghanistan. At Least 80 Die in NATO Airstrike in Afghanistan “A NATO airstrike before dawn on Friday killed 80 people or more, at least some of them civilians, in a once-calm region of northern Afghanistan that has recently slipped under control of insurgents,” Many die in Afghan tanker blasts “Scores of people are reported killed after a Nato air strike blew up two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan.” Advisers to Obama Divided on Size of Afghan Force “The military’s anticipated request for more troops to combat the insurgency in Afghanistan has divided senior advisers to President Obama as they try to determine the proper size and mission of the American effort there,” Gates Signals He May Be Open to Troop Increase in Afghanistan “Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates indicated Thursday that he is open to increasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, voicing a shift in his position as the administration ponders a military assessment expected to lead to a formal request for additional forces.”
Afghanistan-UK. Brown rocked as aide quits over war “The British Government's strategy in Afghanistan was thrown into crisis last night after the Defence Secretary's right-hand man resigned in protest about the handling of the war.” Afghan aims 'realistic' - Brown “Gordon Brown has said Britain and its allies' aims in Afghanistan were "realistic and achievable" in a speech defending their strategy.”
Middle East. PM to okay more West Bank houses before moratorium “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon approve the construction of hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements before he declares a moratorium on building in those locales,” Palestinians protest land seizure “Hundreds of Palestinian villagers have made a short but symbolic march to the separation wall that Israel has built on their land, a non-violent protests that they regularly undertake.”
Burma. Burma agrees to hear activist appeal “A Burmese court today offered a glimmer of hope that the country's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, could be set free after it accepted an appeal by her lawyers.”
Honduras. U.S. cuts off non-humanitarian aid to Honduras “The Obama administration Thursday ratcheted up the pressure on Honduras' coup-installed government to step down by cutting all non-humanitarian aid to the poor Central American country.” U.S. cuts off $30 million in aid to Honduras “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton cut off more than $30 million in aid to Honduras on Thursday in an effort to increase pressure on the country's de facto government to restore democratic rule after a coup in June.”
North Korea. North Korea 'in completion phase' of uranium enrichment “North Korea said today that it was in the final stages of enriching uranium, which would give it a second way to make nuclear bombs in addition to its plutonium-based programme.”
Iran. Ahmadinejad gets cabinet boost “Iranian legislators have approved most of the cabinet nominees proposed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president, including Iran's first female minister and a man linked to the bombing of a Jewish centre in Argentina.” US disturbed by Iran defence minister “The US says Iran is "taking a step backward" by appointing a politician suspected of terrorism as its defence minister. “
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe to get $500m IMF loans “The International Monetary Fund is making loans worth $500m (£305m) available to Zimbabwe for the first time in a decade.”
Japan. Japan's economic downturn pushes more onto streets “Homelessness has doubled over the past year, say some, as once-vaunted community and company support has frayed. Many people sleep in parks or 24-hour Internet cafes.”
OPINION
Making God More Accessible (Mark I. Pinsky, Wall St. Journal) “For years congregations have effectively excluded the disabled from worship—by steps, narrow doorways and straitened attitudes—or segregated them in "special" services.”
First They Did Harm (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post) “Doctors and psychologists might have been able to prevent this whole shameful episode by refusing to participate. Instead, professionals who were trained in the healing arts used their experience and skill in a way that facilitated harm. They played a vital role in enabling torture.”
Let’s Get Fundamental (David Brooks, New York Times) “Instead of true reform we got a series of bills that essentially cement the present system in place. The proposals do not fundamentally challenge the fee-for-service system. They don’t make Americans more accountable for their own health care spending. They don’t reduce costs. They just add more people into the mess we’ve got.”
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