Daily News Digest

The latest news on Midwest floods, Immigration, Food stamps, Public financing, Congress, Iran, Afghanistan, Gaza, Darfur, Christianity in China, Editorial and Commentary.

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Midwest floods. Forecaster: End is near to Mississippi River rise "The water is still well above the banks of the upper Mississippi River, but residents of both flooded towns and those protected by levees and sandbags can see an ending: The river is cresting." Midwest towns wait for the river to crest "About a dozen volunteers and residents stand ankle deep in mud, hefting sandbags around a tiny spring that threatens the last levee between this small farming community and the swollen Mississippi, which is expected to crest tonight." In Iowa, Life's Possessions Become Debris Piles "Early estimates suggest that the extent of the cleanup will be unlike anything some of the flooded cities have experienced. And some of what the water left behind is toxic, experts said, possibly tinged with raw sewage or chemical runoff from agriculture."

Immigration. An immigration end run around the next president "groups have begun working to hem in the future president. They have pushed for new city and state laws, helping spur hundreds of bills around the country in the last three months. They've held conferences to educate members nationwide and lobby local officials. And they're promoting the election of congressional candidates who take a hard line on immigration."

Food stamps. Food Stamps Buy Less, and Families Are Hit Hard"In the past year, the cost of food for what the government considers a minimum nutritional diet has risen 7.2 percent nationwide. It is on track to become the largest increase since 1989, ... But food stamp allocations, intended to cover only minimum needs, have not changed since last fall and will not rise again until October, when an increase linked to inflation will take effect."

Public financing. Obama, in Shift, Says He'll Reject Public Financing"Citing the specter of attacks from independent groups on the right, Senator Barack Obama announced that he would opt out of the public financing system for the general election." Obama to Reject Public Funds for Election "Sen. Barack Obama reversed his pledge to seek public financing in the general election, a move that drew criticism from adversaries and allies alike but could provide him with a significant spending advantage over Republican rival John McCain."

Congress. With Flurry of Deals, and Eye on Calendar, Congress Clears Decks "After months of sniping and stalemate, a hyper-partisan Congress is experiencing a sudden burst of harmony and productivity, as illustrated by the easy House approval on Friday of a divisive and long-stalled terror surveillance measure."

Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean elections to go ahead "Zimbabwean officials have said a run-off presidential election will go ahead, despite the withdrawal of opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai." Mugabe Rival Quits Zimbabwe Runoff, Citing Attacks "The leader of Zimbabwe's opposition party withdrew from a presidential runoff, just five days before it was to be held, saying he could neither participate "in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process," nor ask his voters to risk their lives in the face of threats from forces backing President Robert Mugabe." Assassins in Zimbabwe Aim at the Grass Roots "Even as hundreds of election observers from neighboring countries were deployed across Zimbabwe in the past few days, the gruesome killings and beatings of opposition figures have continued." New wave of attacks on Zimbabwe opposition ratchets up the death toll"As Friday's runoff nears, the regime of longtime President Robert Mugabe has unleashed a new wave of attacks against the opposition in dense urban areas near Harare, the capital, according to the MDC. More of the opposition party's activists were killed last week than in any other since the first round of voting."

Iran. EU imposes new sanctions on Iran "The European Union has agreed new financial sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran to halt uranium enrichment. The new measures freeze all assets of the Bank Melli, Iran's biggest bank, within the EU." How Iran would retaliate if it comes to war "increasingly military analysts are warning of severe consequences if the US begins a shooting war with Iran. While Iranian forces are no match for American technology on a conventional battlefield, Iran has shown that it can bite back in unconventional ways."

Afghanistan. From Afghanistan, NATO Shells Militants in Pakistan "NATO forces in Afghanistan shelled guerrillas in Pakistan in two separate episodes on Sunday, as escalating insurgent violence appeared to be eroding the alliance's restraint along the border."

Gaza . Israel eases Gaza blockade as peace deal moves forward "Israel allowed a modest increase in the supply of basic goods to the Gaza Strip on Sunday as part of an agreement on a cease-fire with the militant group Hamas that has held since going into effect Thursday." Gaza awaits easing of Israeli siege "Israel says it has gradually begun to ease its economic blockade of the Gaza Strip by allowing additional goods into the Hamas-ruled enclave but Palestinians say that the increase in deliveries is meagre."

Darfur. A Wide-Open Battle For Power in Darfur "Five years after the Darfur conflict began, the nature of violence across this vast desert region has changed dramatically, from a mostly one-sided government campaign against civilians to a complex free-for-all that is jeopardizing an effective relief mission."

Christianity in China. Jesus in China "Christianity - repressed, marginalized and, in many cases, illegal in China for more than half a century - is sweeping the country, overflowing churches and posing a sensitive challenge to the officially atheist Communist Party. By some estimates Christian churches, most of them underground, now have roughly 70 million members, as many as the party itself."

Editorial.

A Global AIDS Campaign Stalled (New York Times) "A handful of Republican senators is blocking action on a bill that would greatly increase American funding to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria around the world. If their delaying tactics succeed, the United States will lose considerable leverage in trying to persuade other advanced nations to contribute substantially more money to fight against global disease at the upcoming meeting of the Group of 8 industrial nations."

Commentary.

The Two Israels (NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF, New York Times) "the most persuasive indictments of Israeli actions come from Israelis themselves. This scrupulous honesty and fairness toward Israel's historic enemies is a triumph of humanity."

If poison gas can go, why not nukes? (James Carroll, Boston Globe) "Only a restoration of the goal of universal nuclear abolition as an achievable program of realpolitik will avert coming catastrophe. A model for such restoration is right in front of us - the success of the century-old movement to eliminate chemical weapons."