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Quotes of the day. "Years ago, there's no way we could do this. It brings to mind Big Brother, George Orwell, and '1984.' It's just funny how Americans have softened on these issues." Keith Sadler, police chief.
"No one has the right to know who goes in and out my front door. That's my business. That's not what America is about." David Mowrer, a local laborer.
Both commenting on the 165 closed-circuit TV cameras that “will provide live, round-the-clock scrutiny of nearly every street, park and other public space” in Lancaster, PA. (Los Angeles Times)
Health care. Republicans question cost of healthcare reform; Feinstein expresses doubt “Republicans questioned the cost of healthcare reform plans Sunday, and even Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) acknowledged similar concerns and said she wasn't sure there were enough votes among President Obama's fellow Democrats to pass a plan at the moment.” House Democrats unveil healthcare bill “Senior House Democrats on Friday introduced their plan for reshaping the nation's healthcare system, calling for a new government insurance option, a new mandate on employers to provide coverage and a new guarantee of subsidized healthcare for the poor.” In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health “Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.”
Hard times. Lingering Unemployment Likely to Challenge Obama and the Nation “Despite signs that the recession gripping the nation's economy may be easing, the unemployment rate is projected to continue rising for another year before topping out in double digits, a prospect that threatens to slow growth, increase poverty and further complicate the Obama administration's message of optimism about the economic outlook.” Numbers On Welfare See Sharp Increase “Welfare rolls, which were slow to rise and actually fell in many states early in the recession, now are climbing across the country for the first time since President Bill Clinton signed legislation pledging 'to end welfare as we know I'" more than a decade ago.” States Turning to Last Resorts in Budget Crisis “With state revenues in a free fall and the economy choked by the worst recession in 60 years, governors and legislatures are approving program cuts, layoffs and, to a smaller degree, tax increases that were previously unthinkable.”
Immigration. Obama is vague on immigration reform timeline “Lawmakers will gather at the White House next week for a working session on immigration reform, a meeting that has been highly anticipated by Latino leaders eager for President Obama to honor his campaign promise to put millions of undocumented workers on a 'pathway to citizenship.'" Obama Is Committed to Immigration Overhaul "'I'm committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform as president of the United States,' Mr. Obama said at the Esperanza National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington. 'The American people believe in immigration.'"
Charter schools. Education Chief to Warn Advocates That Inferior Charter Schools Harm the Effort “The Obama administration has made opening more charter schools a big part of its plans for improving the nation’s education system, but Education Secretary Arne Duncan will warn advocates of the schools that low-quality institutions are giving their movement a black eye.”
Southern Baptists. Southern Baptists aim to stem decline “Baptists are worried that the influence of America's largest Protestant denomination is waning. When Baptists meet this week for their annual meeting in Louisville, Ky., they will consider an initiative to boost flagging membership and baptism rates.”
Global poverty. World hunger 'hits one billion' “One billion people throughout the world suffer from hunger, a figure which has increased by 100 million because of the global financial crisis, says the U.N.” World Bank calls on west to aid poor “The world's poorest countries will see $1tn (£600bn) drain from their economies this year according to the first detailed analysis of how the global recession is hitting developing nations.”
Iran. Police break up new Tehran rally “Iranian riot police have reportedly fired tear gas to break up a new opposition rally in central Tehran hours after a warning to protesters.” Iran's Guards to 'crush' protests “Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard military unit has threatened to crush further protests over the country's disputed June 12 presidential election.” As Tense Calm Prevails in Tehran, War of Words Intensifies “The Iranian government and opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi stepped up their war of words Sunday after at least 10 people were killed in clashes on Saturday, while an uneasy calm prevailed on the streets of Tehran on Sunday for the first time since Iran's worst political crisis in 30 years began a week ago.” Unrest in Iran Sharply Deepens Rift Among Clerics “A bitter rift among Iran’s ruling clerics deepened Sunday over the disputed presidential election that has convulsed Tehran in the worst violence in 30 years, with the government trying to link the defiant loser to terrorists and detaining relatives of his powerful backer, a founder of the Islamic republic.” Split deepens between top clerics in Iran “As the power struggle inside Iran's political class appeared to intensify, with reformist and conservative leaders exchanging sharp statements that blamed one another for last week's deadly street violence, authorities announced irregularities that could affect 3 million votes in 50 cities.”
Pakistan. Pakistan faces challenge of cementing victory against Taliban “The Pakistani army has exceeded expectations in its offensive against Taliban fighters in northwestern Pakistan, effectively marshaling arms, tactics and political support. But the tougher challenge will be preventing the extremists from returning, or from regrouping elsewhere.” Taliban Chief Extends Control Over Insurgency “Mullah Omar, supreme leader of the Taliban, is reasserting direct control over the militant group's loose-knit insurgency in Afghanistan, ordering attacks and shuffling field commanders in preparation for the arrival of thousands of additional U.S. troops, according to U.S. officials and insurgents in Afghanistan.”
NYT reporter escapes. Times Reporter Escapes Taliban After 7 Months “David Rohde, a New York Times reporter who was kidnapped by the Taliban, escaped Friday night and made his way to freedom after more than seven months of captivity in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan.” New York Times reporter escapes Taliban abductors “Rohde, 41, recounted to his wife shortly after gaining his freedom Friday night that he and interpreter Tahir Ludin escaped their captors in the North Waziristan region but that their driver, Asadullah Mangal, opted to remain behind.”
Afghanistan. U.S. Toughens Airstrike Policy in Afghanistan “The new American commander in Afghanistan said he would sharply restrict the use of airstrikes here, in an effort to reduce the civilian deaths that he said were undermining the American-led mission.”
Iraq. Spate of bombings target Baghdad “Three blasts have shaken the Iraqi capital leaving at least six people dead, including a child. Nearly 30 other people were injured in Monday's series of attacks.” Suicide attack on Iraq mosque leaves 73 dead “Iraq's deadliest bomb this year ripped through a Shia mosque in the north of the country [Saturday], killing at least 73 people and injuring around 200.”
Sudan. Guns, children and cattle are the new currency of war in Southern Sudan “Even though the conflict with the Islamist Republic of Sudan to the north is officially over, war seems closer than peace here. And a humanitarian disaster widely thought more serious than that in neighboring Darfur is unfolding.”
North Korea. Obama: U.S. prepared for anything from N Korea “President Barack Obama said the United States is 'prepared for any contingencies' involving North Korea — including the regime's reported threat to launch a long-range missile toward Hawaii.” Test Looms as U.S. Tracks North Korean Ship “A North Korean ship shadowed by an American Navy destroyer and possibly heading toward Myanmar on Sunday could pose the first test of how far the United States and its allies will go under a new United Nations resolution to stop the North’s military shipments.”
Editorials. A Public Health Plan (New York Times) “The debate is really over whether to open the door a crack for a new public plan to compete with the private plans. Most Democrats see this as an important element in any health care reform, and so do we.” A stop sign for human trafficking (Christian Science Monitor) “But this week, the State Department praised Africa's most populous country for its progress in prosecuting human traffickers and helping their victims. 'I can't talk about Nigeria enough,' said Ambassador Luis Cde-Baca, who leads the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. In only five years, Nigeria has advanced from the State Department's human-trafficking 'watch list' to its top tier of countries fully complying with standards to eliminate servitude."
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