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Children's health insurance. Senate Passes Health Insurance Bill for Children "The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation yesterday to provide health insurance to 11 million low-income children, a bill that would for the first time spend federal money to cover children and pregnant women who are legal immigrants." Senators Passes Health Bill for Children "The Senate passed a bill on Thursday to provide health insurance to more than four million uninsured children, as a newly empowered Democratic majority brushed aside Republican objections." Senate passes children's health insurance bill "President Obama and his congressional allies took a modest step toward reshaping the nation's healthcare system Thursday as the Senate passed legislation to expand health insurance for children."
Shame on CEOs. President Decries 'Shameful' Bonuses For Wall St. CEOs "President Obama yesterday scolded Wall Street bankers who received millions of dollars in bonuses last year, calling the payouts 'shameful' and chiding the executives for a lack of personal responsibility at a precarious time for the nation's economy." Obama Calls Wall Street Bonuses 'Shameful' "President Obama branded Wall Street bankers shameful on Thursday for giving themselves nearly $20 billion in bonuses as the economy was deteriorating and the government was spending billions to bail out some of the nation's most prominent financial institutions."
Economy worsens. Economic Signs Turn From Grim To Worse "On the eve of what is expected to be the clearest evidence yet of the nation's deepening recession, bad news rolled in from across the economy and the world." U.S. economic output falls sharply "U.S. economic output fell 3.8% in the last three months of 2008, the worst quarterly contraction in more than 26 years."
Army suicides. Army sees sharp rise in suicide rate "The suicide rate among Army soldiers reached its highest level in three decades in 2008, military officials said Thursday in a report that pointed to the inadequacy of anti-suicide efforts undertaken in recent years." Suicides of Soldiers Reach High of Nearly 3 Decades "At least 128 soldiers killed themselves last year, and the Army suicide rate surpassed that for civilians for the first time since the Vietnam War, according to Army statistics."
Homeless census. First census since the recession finds more newly homeless, countless hard-luck stories "In the first major census of people living on the streets since the recession, thousands of volunteers across the country are fanning out in the thick of night this week to count the most desperate members of their communities."
Immigrant criminals. Homeland Security secretary wants criminal aliens deported from the United States "If you're a criminal and you're not entitled to be in the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano wants you out of the country. Napolitano wants what she calls 'criminal aliens' off American streets." Database targets jailed immigrants "Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pledged Thursday to create a database network aimed at deporting immigrant criminals after their jail time rather then releasing them onto U.S. streets, though the administration also put off implementing a Bush-era effort to crack down on illegal-immigrant workers."
Illinois Gov. impeached. Impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been removed from office "Sweeping aside six years of scandal and crippling political infighting with a historic impeachment vote, the state Senate on Thursday ousted one governor for abusing his power and anointed another who built his political career around having no power at all." A politician's rise, hard fall "A confrontational leadership style, a penchant for pushing populist programs without the money to pay for them and serious questions about his ethics all weakened Blagojevich's standing."
World Economic Forum. Davos hears appeals not to let bailouts trump help to world's poor "Political and corporate leaders at the World Economic Forum heard fervent appeals Friday not to forget the bottom billion, the poorest of the world's poor, in the rush to rescue the global financial systems." Davos turns from economic gloom to politics "The failure of the world's financial community and of regulators to detect and deflect the spiraling crisis has left many groping for answers and questioning what went wrong on a moral, even spiritual level."
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe opposition to join government "Under severe pressure from Southern African leaders, Zimbabwe's opposition voted Friday to join a unity government under President Robert Mugabe, despite failing to win its key demand for control of the police." Zimbabwe rival agrees unity plan "Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said his party will join a unity government with President Robert Mugabe next month." Zimbabwe's starving millions face halving of rations as U.N. cash dries up "The United Nations is to halve the food ration to millions of Zimbabweans, bringing it below what will keep an adult alive, as the numbers of people dependent on aid rises sharply and donations from foreign governments fall well short of demand." Zimbabwe cholera cases top 60,000 "This figure had been described by the U.N.'s health agency and other agencies as being the 'worst case scenario' in the epidemic which broke out in August."
Israel-Gaza. Israeli Elections and Gaza Violence Complicate New U.S. Envoy's Peace Mission "President Obama's special Middle East envoy told Palestinian leaders in the West Bank on Thursday that he had a mandate to actively pursue the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, according to a Palestinian official, despite a pall of uncertainty over the future of negotiations pending the outcome of Israeli elections on Feb. 10." Dozens dead in Hamas reprisal attacks "Evidence is emerging of a wave of reprisal attacks and killings inside Gaza that have left dozens dead and more wounded in the wake of Israel's war. Among the dead are Palestinians suspected of collaborating with the Israeli military." Obama moves swiftly on Middle East "No American president has moved so swiftly as Barack Obama to signal that the Middle East conflict is of prime importance to his White House agenda."
Iraq. Iraqis vote amid ebb in violence "For the fourth time since the 2003 U.S. invasion, Iraqis will be voting Saturday, in provincial elections that are offering Iraqis perhaps their first real experience with democracy in action." Iraqi Elections Face Crucial Test in Violent Mosul "Around a largely quiet Iraq, the elections on Saturday - considered crucial as the first widely contested balloting since the American invasion in 2003 - will take place in something like normality. But in Mosul, the chief city in the north, long torn between Arabs and Kurds, the violence has not ended."
North Korea. North Korea scraps its non-aggression pact with the south "The potential for a naval clash off the Korean Peninsula grew Friday after North Korea scrapped a nonaggression pact with South Korea and declared as void a western sea border, warning in shrill language that the region has 'reached the brink of war.'" N. Korea cancels pacts with South "North Korea has said it is cancelling all political and military agreements with South Korea in a further sign of deteriorating relations between the countries."
Iran. U.N. nuclear chief supports U.S.-Iran talks "The U.N. nuclear chief said Thursday that Iran should fully disclose its nuclear programs at the same time that the U.S. starts a dialogue with Tehran without preconditions." Writings Offer Look at Administration Debate on Iran "President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the past week have sent repeated signals to Iran that the door is now wide open for direct talks between the two countries three decades after the Iranian revolution." Ex-Defense chief met with Tehran aide "Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry held a series of previously undisclosed meetings last year with a senior adviser to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to discuss Iran's nuclear program, a person familiar with the back-channel talks said Thursday." U.S. pours cold water over hopes of Iran deal "White House warns Iran military action is still an option despite the 'hand of friendship' offered by President Obama."
Afghanistan. Obama Taps a General as the Envoy to Kabul "The Obama administration has picked Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, a former top military commander in Afghanistan, to be the next United States ambassador to Kabul, ... Tapping a career Army officer who will soon retire from the service to fill one of the country's most sensitive diplomatic jobs is a highly unusual choice."
Opinion. Cleaner and Faster (David Brooks, New York Times) "This recession is scary and complicated. It's insane to try to tackle it and dozens of other complicated problems, all in one piece of legislation. Leadership involves prioritizing. Those who try to do everything at once will end up with a sprawling, lobbyist-driven mess that does nothing well." The Stimulus Debate That Matters (E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) "President Obama's visit with House and Senate Republicans this week was useful for setting a new tone and offering a refreshing break from the Bush administration's habit of consulting almost no one. But it was a sideshow to the main battle over how to improve the economy, which is taking place among Democrats."
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