The latest news on the Budget, Immigration, Presidential Power, James Dobson, Bashir Warrant, Gordon Brown in U.S., Iran, Israel, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Congo, and Select Op-eds.

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Budget. Obama Officials Defend Budget "Two of the administration's top economic officials defended President Obama's $3.6 trillion budget plan yesterday, arguing that the proposal would finance a historic investment in critical economic priorities while restoring balance to a tax code tipped in favor of the wealthy." Obama skews battle lines in 'class war' "Yet the true class war of recent American history is the one that has pitted the upper 1% of income earners against almost everybody else. Over the last three decades, a period that spans Republican and Democratic administrations alike, average family income has scarcely budged an inch, while the wealthy have grown measurably wealthier." Obama urges anxious Americans to look at the long term "The $787 billion stimulus has begun flowing into the economy, but President Obama isn't done selling its merits to Americans. To counter ever-sliding stock prices and consumer angst, he's ramping up a marketing campaign."

Immigration. Report Questions an Immigration Program That Uses the Local Police "A government report questions the effectiveness of a federal program, long criticized by immigrant advocacy groups, that deputizes police officers as immigration agents." GAO Report Says 287(g) Illegal Immigration Program Lacks 'Key Internal Controls' "Immigration officials have failed to develop 'key internal controls' over a controversial program that trains state and local police to identify illegal immigrants involved in crime, so some departments are focusing on minor violations rather than on serious offenses."

Presidential power. Bush administration memos on presidential powers stun legal experts "Legal experts said Tuesday that they were taken aback by the claim in the latest batch of secret Bush-era memos that the president alone had the power to set the rules during the war on terrorism."

James Dobson. Evangelicals ponder 'who's the next Dobson?' "The long-expected resignation of Focus on the Family's James Dobson highlights an open secret among America's roughly 70 million evangelicals: There are no obvious successors to the group of evangelical leaders who created massive organizations or built up media empires in the 1980s and '90s."

Bashir warrant. Warrant issued for Sudan's leader "The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's president on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur." Court issues Bashir arrest warrant "Sudan immediately rejected the decision of the three-judge panel describing it as part of a 'neo-colonialist' plan." Warrant sparks anger in Khartoum "Thousands of protesters poured out in the streets of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, just minutes after an arrest warrant was issued for President Omar al-Bashir."

Gordon Brown in U.S. U.K. PM says U.S. bond 'unbreakable' "Gordon Brown has received a standing ovation from the U.S. Congress after he called for a renewal 'of the special relationship for our generation.'" Gordon Brown's speech to U.S. Congress Full text of the British prime minister's speech. Obama pledges to bolster 'special relationship' "President Obama pledged to strengthen the special relationship with Britain yesterday, as he backed Gordon Brown's calls for international action to stimulate the world economy and clean up the banking system." Obama and Brown Pledge Cooperation "Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain used his first meeting with President Obama on Tuesday to raise the prospect of 'a global New Deal' that would set common principles for regulating banks, declaring that the fiscal crisis could help to overcome past resistance to increased oversight across borders."

Iran. Iranian leader says Mideast peace efforts are doomed to fail "Iran's supreme leader delivered a blistering speech today in support of militant opposition to Israel, describing Obama administration and moderate Arab efforts to bring peace to the Middle East as doomed to failure." Iran's supreme leader says Obama following same mistaken policies as Bush on Israel "Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday criticized what he called President Barack Obama's 'unconditional' support for Israel, saying he was following the same mistaken policies as the Bush administration." Iran: All Israeli nuclear sites within range of our missiles "Iranian missiles can reach Israeli nuclear sites, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic republic's Revolutionary Guards, said Wednesday." Pressure grows on Obama to engage Iran directly "Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry praised President Barack Obama's desire to have direct negotiations with Iran, but warned Tuesday that he must be prepared to do more than talk as Tehran forges ahead with its nuclear program."

Israel. Clinton warns Israel over settlements "Hillary Clinton made further awkward demands of the incoming Israeli government today as she pledged to tackle the construction of settlements on occupied land and criticized plans to demolish Arab homes in East Jerusalem." Clinton: two-state solution 'inescapable' "Hillary Clinton threw herself into the turmoil of the Middle East crisis yesterday by backing the creation of a Palestinian state despite opposition from the incoming Israeli Government." Clinton Says She Pressed for Gaza Border Opening "Ramallah, West Bank - A day after announcing a new diplomatic initiative in the Middle East, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled here Wednesday to show support for the Palestinian Authority, saying she had pressed the Israeli government to open border crossings to war-torn Gaza."

Syria. U.S. Sends Senior Officials to Syria To Revive Relations "The United States is moving quickly to revive relations with Syria, sending two senior officials to Damascus this weekend to explore how the two countries can move beyond years of bitterness over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and Syria's links to terrorist groups." Syria Talks Signal New Direction for U.S. "Signaling a new direction in Middle East diplomacy, the Obama administration will send two senior officials to Syria this weekend to begin discussions with the government, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on a visit to Israel on Tuesday."

Pakistan. Pakistani vigilantes take on Taliban "Do-it-yourself security teams are becoming a fixture in and around Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province, as residents grow wary of the Taliban's growing presence - and doubtful of the government's ability to protect them."

Afghanistan. Blast hits main U.S. base in Afghanistan, wounds 3; presidential vote set for August "The latest violence came amid political uncertainty as the Afghan election commission rejected President Hamid Karzai's call to move up the country's presidential election, saying the polls should be held in August." 3 Canadians killed in Afghan blast "A roadside bomb has claimed the lives of three more Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan as the military mission in this war-wracked country enters what is anticipated to be a long and bloody fighting season."

Russia. Obama Team Seeks to Redefine Russia Ties "The Obama administration is preparing a wide-ranging set of initiatives designed to put shaky relations between the United States and Russia on a more solid footing, including resumption of strategic arms control talks as early as this spring." Russian Welcomes Letter From Obama "The Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, said Tuesday that his administration was open to overtures from the United States on its proposed missile defense plan, but he dismissed the notion of a deal in which the United States would shelve the plan in exchange for Russia's help on Iran."

Congo. In Congo, With Rebels Now at Bay, Calm Erupts "In the past several weeks, Congo and its disproportionately mighty neighbor, Rwanda, have teamed up to sweep this area clear of rebels who had been at the center of a vicious proxy battle between the nations."

Editorial. Who's Running Immigration? (New York Times) "President Obama has repeatedly promised to take a smarter path. But if he and the homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, are making a clean break with the Bush way on immigration, we haven't seen it yet."