The latest news on Obama Signs '09 Budget, Unemployment, Foreclosures, SC Gov Rejects Stimulus, White House Council on Women, AZ Sheriff Investigation, Death Penalty, Intelligence Nominee Withdraws, Newspapers Dying, Global Bailout, Stem Cells, Felon Voti

Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »

Obama signs '09 budget. Obama Signs Spending Bill, Vowing to Battle Earmarks "Obama signed what he called an 'imperfect' $410 billion measure to fund most government agencies through September. He used the occasion to criticize the more than 8,500 projects, costing more than $7.7 billion, that lawmakers inserted into the bill." Obama slams earmarks while signing $410 billion spending bill "President Barack Obama railed against pork-barrel projects Wednesday. Then he signed a massive spending bill stuffed with them."

Unemployment. Unemployment 'is now a national emergency' "More than 1-in-10 workers were unemployed in four U.S. states in January, the government said Wednesday in a report that pointed to a rapid deterioration in the job market."

Foreclosures. Despite housing help, foreclosures rose 6% last month "Foreclosure filings in February jumped nearly 6% from January, despite foreclosure moratoriums and prevention programs around the country, according to a report out today." U.S. foreclosures rise in Feb. from month earlier and remain 30 percent above last year's levels "Despite halts on new foreclosures by several major lenders, the number of households threatened with losing their homes rose 30 percent in February from last year's levels."

SC Gov rejects stimulus. S.C.'s Sanford makes it official, rejects $700 million stimulus "South Carolina's Republican-controlled General Assembly is poised to rebuff Sanford and seek the stimulus money on its own." More Need, Less Help "The scenes here are now familiar in places deeply bruised by the recession: The Salvation Army gets so many calls from people desperate for help with overdue utility bills that, one morning, its phone system crashed."

White House Council on Women. Obama signs executive order creating panel on issues facing women, girls "President Barack Obama invoked his grandmother, single mother and two young daughters on Wednesday in creating a White House panel to advise him on issues facing women and girls."

AZ sheriff investigated. Arpaio to be investigated over alleged violations "The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil-rights investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office after months of mounting complaints." Ariz. sheriff's department target of federal probe "Federal authorities told a high-profile Arizona sheriff Tuesday that they will investigate his department over allegations of discrimination and unconstitutional searches and seizures."

Death penalty. Texas on pace for more executions in 2009 "As more states debate whether to stop executing criminals, Texas - long the nationwide leader in executions - has geared up and is on pace to execute perhaps more than twice as many Death Row inmates this year as in 2008."

Intelligence nominee withdraws. Influence of Israel Lobby Debated as Intelligence Pick Casts Blame for Pullout "The withdrawal of a senior intelligence adviser after an online campaign to prevent him from taking office has ignited a debate over whether powerful pro-Israel lobbying interests are exercising outsize influence over who serves in the Obama administration." U.S. spy chief blames 'Israel lobby' for resignation "The withdrawal of a former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from his new post as chairman of the National Intelligence Council has ignited a debate in Washington over whether the 'Israel lobby'' is exercising too much influence over who serves in the Obama Administration."

Newspapers dying. As Cities Go From Two Papers to One, Talk of Zero "But now, some economists and newspaper executives say it is only a matter of time - and probably not much time at that - before some major American city is left with no prominent local newspaper at all."

Global bailout. Treasury Seeks Billions More to Aid Ailing Nations "Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner yesterday unveiled a sweeping plan that calls on the United States and other nations to offer billions more to bail out economies in crisis and prods a reluctant Europe to prop up the reeling world economy with more aggressive government spending." Obama urges allies to act together to jump-start global economy "President Obama today called on other countries to join his efforts to revive the flagging global economy by working together to aggressively stimulate spending, production and tougher regulations."

Stem cells. New battle lines on stem cells "Faced with a new federal policy that opens the door for more embryonic stem cell research, conservatives have geared up for a political battle at the national and state level that goes to the core of their beliefs about the sanctity of human life."

Felon voting rights. Voting Rights Elude Some Florida Ex-Felons "Florida's procedures for restoring voting rights to convicted felons are so cumbersome, bureaucratic and confusing that some ex-convicts are being denied their rights, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida."

Darfur. 5 Aid Workers Kidnapped in Darfur "Three international aid workers have been kidnapped in Darfur, officials said on Thursday, further complicating humanitarian operations in Sudan's west." Canadian among aid workers kidnapped in Darfur "A Canadian is among five people working for the Belgian office of humanitarian aid group Doctors Without Borders who were kidnapped in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, officials said today." Ejected from Darfur, aid workers fear for people there "On her last day in the war-torn Darfur region of western Sudan, Gemma Davies, a 29-year-old British staffer with Doctors Without Borders, helped arrange for a gunshot victim to be transferred from the charity group's remote mountain clinic to a faraway state hospital."

Pakistan. Pakistan rally backs sacked judges "Hundreds of Pakistani lawyers and activists have started an anti-government march from the city of Karachi, the main city of Sindh province." Hundreds Jailed as Pakistan Bans Planned Protest "The civilian government banned a national protest march and arrested hundreds of political workers on Wednesday, evoking for many Pakistanis the sweeping security restrictions of the military dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf." Pakistani Police Arrest Hundreds Of Activists "Pakistani authorities arrested hundreds of political activists and banned public gatherings in two provinces Wednesday as President Asif Ali Zardari attempted to squelch a massive protest march organized by a coalition of opponents that includes lawyers and a former prime minister." Pakistani government detains hundreds of political foes, lawyers "The Pakistani government detained hundreds of political opponents and lawyers Wednesday and banned public gatherings in two provinces, moves designed to weaken a protest march and reminiscent of crackdowns under military ruler Pervez Musharraf."

France in NATO. After 43 Years, France to Rejoin NATO as Full Member "President Charles de Gaulle infuriated the United States when he suddenly pulled France out of NATO's military command in 1966, arguing he had to preserve French independence in world affairs." Sarkozy to end France's 40-year NATO feud "Nicolas Sarkozy has made the most symbolic foreign policy gesture of his presidency by announcing France's return to NATO's military command, and reversing Charles de Gaulle's decision to walk out in protest at U.S. domination more than 40 years ago."

Passing-Leon Howell. Leon Howell dies at 73; author and essayist was last editor of Christianity and Crisis "Leon Howell, an author and essayist who was the last editor of the influential liberal-tilting journal Christianity and Crisis, has died. He was 73. Howell died Feb. 26 at his home in Silver Spring, Md." Leon Howell, 73, Last Editor of Christianity and Crisis Journal "Mr. Howell had contributed to Christianity and Crisis since its peak in the late 1960s, when it was a leading critic of the Vietnam War. He was editor from 1985 until it folded in 1993."

Opinion. World hunger, the crisis inside the economic crisis (Sonni Efron, Los Angeles Times) "The economic crisis has now spread from Wall Street to Main Street to the places where there are no streets. In slums and shacks around the world, hunger is gnawing again as job opportunities shrink but food prices do not. Global cereal prices are 71% higher than they were in 2005, according to the International Monetary Fund, but the wages of many workers are falling." Everyone agrees: War in Gaza was a failure (Gideon Levy, Haaretz) "Suddenly we're all in consensus: The recent war in Gaza was a failure. The bon ton now is to list its flaws. Flip-floppers say its 'achievements' were squandered; leftists say the war 'should never have started' and rightists will say the war 'should have lasted longer.' But on this they all agree: It was a blunder."