Daily News Digest

The latest news on the Democratic National Convention, Poverty, Immigration, Veterans, Forclosures and Renters, Hurricane Victims, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Darfur, Russia, Mideast, North Korea, Women's Suffrage, and select Commentaries.

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Democratic convention. Obama's Family Night Out "After an emotional speech by an ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the face of the Democratic Party shifted on Monday night to a new generation of leaders, as Michelle Obama opened the Democratic National Convention with a tribute to her husband and a call to the country listen "to our hopes instead of our fears," and "to stop doubting and to start dreaming." Michelle Obama to Democrats: 'Fight for the world as it should be' "... in the role of chief character witness was Obama's wife, Michelle, who pitched herself and her husband as symbols of the American Dream and declared, "I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president." Barack Obama is lauded as everyman at Democratic convention "Turning the personal into the political, Democrats opened their presidential nominating convention Monday with testimonials to Barack Obama as a husband, father, brother and, above all, a leader able to transcend the nation's long divide across racial and gender lines." 'The torch will be passed again,'Kennedy vows to jubilant convention' "Senator Edward M. Kennedy made an emotion-charged appearance last night at the launch of the Democratic National Convention, braving his malignant brain tumor to deliver an impassioned speech for Barack Obama and bringing cheering delegates to their feet and many to tears." Fighting Cancer, Kennedy Adds an Opening Spark "Senator Edward M. Kennedy, struggling with terminal brain cancer, arrived on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in a triumphant appearance that provided an emotional start for the event as the party turned to a new era and gathered to nominate Senator Barack Obama for president."

Poverty unchanged. Number of uninsured drops; Poverty holds steady "The number of people lacking health insurance dropped by more than 1 million in 2007, the first annual decline since the Bush administration took office, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. The poverty rate held steady at 12.5 percent, not statistically different from the 12.3 percent registered in 2006." Health insurance coverage in U.S. rises "The number of people in the United States without health insurance fell to 45.7 million in 2007 from 47 million a year earlier, primarily because of an expansion in government-provided coverage for children,"

Immigration raid. Hundreds Are Held in Immigration Raid "In another large-scale workplace immigration crackdown, federal officials raided a factory in Laurel, Miss., detaining at least 350 workers they said were in the country illegally." Ice Raids Miss. Plant Seeking Illegal Workers "Federal immigration agents said they uncovered 350 suspected undocumented workers in a raid on a Mississippi electrical equipment plant Monday, hours after sealing all entrances amid reports their sweep had idled normal operations."

Veterans with concussions. War Veterans' Concussions Are Often Overlooked " ... a growing tide of combat veterans who come home from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild traumatic brain injuries, or concussions, caused by powerful explosions. As many as 300,000, or 20 percent, of combat veterans who regularly worked outside the wire, away from bases, have suffered at least one concussion,"

Foreclosures and renters. Foreclosures ensnare low-income renters "State and federal officials are unable to say how many Section 8 renters have been affected by the wave of foreclosures sweeping the country, but local housing authorities say the number is significant -- and growing."

Hurricane victims. FEMA spends nearly $3B to house hurricane victims "The Federal Emergency Management Agency has paid nearly $3 billion in hotel bills and rental assistance for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - by far the costliest emergency housing effort in the nation's history, according to government statistics."

Iraq. Iraq Prime Minister Nouri Maliki demands firm withdrawal date "Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki said Monday that an agreement on the future of U.S. forces in Iraq must include a firm withdrawal date and that Iraq wants them out of the country by the end of 2011." Maliki demands 'specifc deadline' for U.S. troop pullout "Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki said Monday there would be no security agreement between the United States and Iraq without an unconditional timetable for withdrawal - a direct challenge to the Bush administration, which insists that the timing for troop departure would be based on conditions on the ground." Iraq seeking 2011 troop pullout "The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has spoken in detail about a deal to bring an end to the foreign combat troop presence in the country."

Afghanistan. Civilian casualties spur Afghan government to demand review of US, NATO operations"Amid allegations that large numbers of civilians have died in recent raids and airstrikes by foreign forces, President Hamid Karzai's government has demanded a review of the presence of U.S. and NATO troops in the country." Afghans demand new 'rules of force' "Afghanistan's cabinet has demanded a change in the rules governing international troops in the country, after more than 90 civilians were killed in US-led air attacks last week."

Pakistan. Pakistan's ruling coalition collapses; government bans Taliban "Pakistan's long-troubled ruling coalition collapsed Monday amid bitter arguments over who should be the country's next president and whether and how to reinstate dozens of senior judges fired last year." Pakistan coalition collapses in acrimony "Pakistan's coalition government collapsed yesterday when one of its leading members stormed out, dealing a heavy blow to hopes for political stability following Pervez Musharraf's resignation as president." Fractious Coalition in Pakistan Breaks Apart "The coalition's failure, after just five months of governing Pakistan, worsened the leadership crisis in this nuclear-armed nation at a time when it faces a serious threat from the growing strength of the Taliban in the northwestern parts of its territory."

Darfur. Deaths reported after Sudanese troops raid volatile Darfur camp "Sudanese troops raided one of Darfur's biggest and most volatile camps early Monday, setting off a deadly clash that killed an unknown number of people and wounded dozens, according to U.N. and humanitarian officials." Sudanese Troops Attack Darfur Refugee Camp "Sudanese government forces attacked one of Darfur's most volatile and heavily armed camps for displaced people Monday, provoking a gun battle in which as many as 27 civilians were killed and thousands were forced to flee the sprawling settlement,"

Russia. Russia recognises Georgian rebels "President Dmitry Medvedev has declared that Russia formally recognises the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia." E.U. Treads Gingerly in Georgia Crisis "Even as they urged Russian leaders to reject calls from the Russian Parliament to formally recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, European diplomats on Monday began the delicate task of finding a consensus on the Russia-Georgia crisis before an emergency summit meeting of the European Union on Sept. 1." Cheney To Visit Georgia Next Week "Vice President Cheney will travel next week to war-ravaged Georgia as part of a swing through several former Soviet republics, making him the highest-level U.S. emissary to visit the country since hostilities between Russia and Georgia broke out this month."

Mideast. Rice meets Olmert in peace push "US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ahead of three-way talks aimed at a Mid-East peace agreement." Abbas: PA won't miss chance for peace "Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah alongside US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Abbas stressed that a comprehensive and not a partial solution to the conflict was needed." Peace Now: West Bank settlement construction nearly doubled this year "More than 2,600 housing units are under construction in West Bank settlements, including units in more than 1,000 new buildings, Peace Now contends in its semi-annual report."

North Korea. North Korea stops nuclear shutdown "North Korea has stopped work on disabling its nuclear reactor and threatened to restore it to operation because the US has failed to remove Pyongyang from a list of state sponsors of terrorism." North Korea Makes Plutonium Threat "North Korea said on Tuesday that it had stopped disabling its main nuclear complex, and threatened to restore facilities there that the North has used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons."

Feature-Women's suffrage. Women's Equality Day: Many fought to ensure women's rights "Today we celebrate Women's Equality Day, commemorating the passage of the 19th Amendment on Aug. 26, 1920, giving women the right to vote and to hold elective office. ... We might do well to remember a few of the many women who petitioned, picketed, marched, suffered indignities and worse for the cause of women's suffrage and gender equality:" The long road to power "...while 1920 was the year that saw women's suffrage come to be nationwide, the decades before and since were filled with advances and setbacks as women fought to make their political voice heard. Here is a timeline of those struggles and triumphs."

Commentary. 'Russia Is Preparing for the Endgame in the Caucasus' "On Tuesday Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ignored all Western pleas and recognized the independence of Georgia's breakaway regions. German commentators are divided on how far Moscow is really prepared to go in its determination to regain its sphere of influence and many warn that isolation could cost Russia dearly." Kennedy's Life -- and 48 Years of the Party's -- Convention by Convention (David S. Broder, The Washington Post) "When Ted Kennedy made his dramatic appearance before the Democratic National Convention delegates Monday night, the ovation he received was more than a personal tribute. It was a celebration of almost half a century of his history at these gatherings."