The latest news on the economy, healthcare, newspapers, Day of Prayer, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Africa, editorials and opinion | Sojourners

The latest news on the economy, healthcare, newspapers, Day of Prayer, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Africa, editorials and opinion

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Economy. Despite grim economic news, some foresee recession's end “The jobless rate is expected to tick up later this week and continue climbing for months, a crisis in commercial real estate looms and the latest survey of bank lending suggests that it's still pretty hard to get a new mortgage. So it may sound surprising that some forecasters see an imminent end to the recession.” For Small Employers, Shedding Workers and Tears “It is a delicate and often painful assignment being carried out across the country by business owners, human resources executives and other managers, and it can carry a large emotional toll. That is particularly true at small and medium-size companies with fewer than 500 employees, like Ram Tool, which employ half the nation’s private sector workers and where cutbacks are often very personal.”

Healthcare. Obama backs public and private healthcare insurance “The Obama administration's senior healthcare official Wednesday flatly rejected the idea of taking over the nation's medical insurance system, saying the federal government did not want to assume management of healthcare coverage.” Rangel Bars Any Taxes on Workers’ Health Care “The top tax-writer in the House of Representatives said Wednesday that there was “no way” he would support taxing employer-provided health benefits, Americans’ leading source of coverage.”

Newspapers. We must be doomed: Congress praises newspapers “Calling it a necessary pillar of democracy, a Senate subcommittee examined the state of American journalism Wednesday at a time when newspapers are being shuttered and downsized and network TV news audiences are declining.” Globe union faces wage cuts, furloughs “Members of the Boston's Globe largest union tonight will hear the details of a proposal that would impose deep wage cuts, freeze pensions for many employees, and essentially eliminate the lifetime job guarantees held by veteran employees to provide the $10 million in savings demanded by the paper's owner, the New York Times Co.”

Day of Prayer. National Day of Prayer: Evangelical Christians are upset that White House isn't doing more “After a standing invitation to the White House during the Bush administration, evangelical Christian organizers of activities for the National Day of Prayer have not been invited to visit the White House on Thursday.”

Afghanistan-Pakistan summit. U.S., Afghanistan and Pakistan vow joint effort against militants “President Obama and the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, setting aside months of friction, committed themselves again Wednesday to their faltering joint effort against Taliban and Al Qaeda extremists.” Obama Stresses Joint Action Against Taliban Push in South Asia “President Obama declared yesterday that "the security of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States are linked" after meeting with the presidents of those countries, saying his strategy to combat rising extremism through increased development aid and military support reflects that "fundamental truth." US pledges Afghan-Pakistan support “Barack Obama has promised a "lasting commitment" to Afghanistan and Pakistan after holding talks with the two nations' leaders in Washington DC.”

Afghanistan. Airstrike deaths overshadow Obama's summit “Up to 100 civilians, including women and children, are reported to have been killed in Afghanistan in potentially the single deadliest US airstrike since 2001. The news overshadowed a crucial first summit between the Afghan President and Barack Obama in Washington yesterday.” Red Cross confirms Afghan civilian toll “As the Red Cross confirmed Wednesday that dozens of civilians had been killed in U.S. airstrikes in an isolated district in western Afghanistan, provincial authorities suggested the toll could reach 100. Weeping villagers dug mass graves.” Civilian Deaths Imperil Support for Afghan WarAmerican airstrikes that Afghan officials and villagers said Wednesday had killed dozens and perhaps more than 100 civilians in western Afghanistan threaten to stiffen Afghan opposition to the war just as the Obama administration is sending 20,000 more troops to the country.”

Pakistan. Pakistan army battles Swat Taliban “The Pakistani military says it has killed more than 80 fighters in heavy fighting against several thousand Taliban loyalists in the country's northwest.” In Pakistan, 'Great Rage, Great Fear' “Hajji Karim and his extended family of 70 were camped in a dirt-floor stable 10 miles outside Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. It was as far as they could get from the Swat Valley, where thousands of people are fleeing from the ravages of the Taliban and the imminent prospect of war with government forces.” Pakistan Strife Fills a Hospital With RefugeesHundreds first, then, thousands; tattered, woebegone, well dressed. They piled into the hospital courtyard, then into the hospital itself, moving down the hallways, sitting on the floors.UN warns of Pakistan crisis “Officials and aid workers in Pakistan were today facing a fresh influx of people fleeing fighting between government forces and Taliban militants in the Swat valley as the UN warned that the situation was fast becoming a crisis.”

South Africa. Zuma elected South Africa president “Members of the legislature voted for the leader of the African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday after his won elections by a landslide last month.” Zuma elected South African leader “The leader of South Africa's African National Congress, Jacob Zuma, has been officially elected the country's president by members of parliament. He will be inaugurated on Saturday.”

Editorial. PEPFAR's Challenge (New York Times) “PRESIDENT OBAMA'S push to reenergize the fight against the AIDS epidemic in the United States led to concern that he was going to allow U.S. global leadership in fighting the disease to languish. Those fears ought to be calmed after Mr. Obama's announcement Tuesday of an initiative that will sustain the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program.”

Opinion.

The immigration debate, again (Tamar Jacoby, Los Angeles Times) “Immigration reform -- you may think you've seen this movie before, too many times already. You know the arguments. You dread the polarization. And you doubt that Congress can do any better at making the compromises needed to fix the system.”

The Stakes at Notre Dame for President Obama and U.S. Catholics(E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “To the dismay of many conservatives, the Vatican's own newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, has offered what one antiabortion Catholic blog called "a surprisingly positive assessment of the new president's approach to life issues" -- so positive, in fact, that a spokesman for the National Right to Life Committee was moved to criticize Pope Benedict XVI's daily.”

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