The latest news on CIA Probe, Afghanistan, Household Income, Banks, Kidnapped Woman, Health Care, Darfur, Two Koreas, California Garage Sale, Colorado Abortion Clinic, Bill Richardson. | Sojourners

The latest news on CIA Probe, Afghanistan, Household Income, Banks, Kidnapped Woman, Health Care, Darfur, Two Koreas, California Garage Sale, Colorado Abortion Clinic, Bill Richardson.

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C.I.A. Probe. Abuse Issue Puts the C.I.A. and Justice Dept. at Odds “With the appointment of a prosecutor to investigate detainee abuses, tensions between two critical players on the President Obama’s national security team.” CIA Probe Hints at New Dynamic “Review of interrogation methods shows Holder’s influence, emerging White House relationship.” CIA Will Cover Legal Fees for Officers Ensnared in Interrogation Probe “CIA Director Leon Panetta decided Thursday that the agency will ensure legal representation for case officers who become caught up in investigations of alleged interrogation abuses of detainees at overseas locations, a senior intelligence official said.”

Kennedy. Thousands Bid Farewell to Kennedy in Massachusetts “On a day of solemn tributes and emotional farewells, thousands of mourners began paying their last respects to Edward M. Kennedy on Thursday as the late senator's body was carried from the family compound on Cape Cod through the streets of this city.” Democrats Push to Replace Kennedy Before Votes on Major Obama Policy Initiatives “Senior Democrats in Washington and Massachusetts have thrown their support behind a proposal to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the seat of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), whose death Tuesday left the leading cause of his political life -- national health insurance -- with one fewer vote of support.

Afghanistan. Accusations Of Vote Fraud Multiply in Afghanistan “One week after Afghanistan's presidential election, with the winner still undeclared, increasing accusations of fraud and voter coercion threaten to undermine the validity of the results, deepen dangerous regional divisions and hamper the Obama administration's goals." Complaints of Afghan election fraud pour in “Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission has received more than 2000 complaints of fraud or abuse in last week's disputed presidential election, with 270 now listed as serious enough to affect the result, it said on Friday.

Household Income. Household Income Flat as Consumer Spending Rises “Spending edged up in July with help from the ‘cash for clunkers’ program, but household incomes, the fuel for future spending increases, were unchanged.” ‘Cash-for-Clunkers’ Lifts Consumer Spending, Incomes Flat “U.S. consumer spending edged up in July, lifted by the government's ‘cash-for-clunkers’ program that fueled demand for autos, offering hope a rise in consumption will help fuel an economic recovery.”

Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad Urges Prosecution of Political Rivals “Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for the prosecution of his chief political rivals, two days after the nation’s supreme leader sought to blunt calls for revenge.” Ahmadinejad calls for prosecution of Iran's opposition leaders “The president says post-election unrest was part of a foreign ‘enemy plot’ carried out by ‘subversives’ His demand runs counter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who gave a conciliatory speech Wednesday.”

Banks. Banks 'Too Big to Fail' Have Grown Even Bigger No consequence of the crisis alarms top regulators more than having banks that were already too big to fail grow even larger and more interconnected. Economic Outlook: A new oligopoly “Winding down policies designed to prop up an ailing economy may need to be followed by dismantling some of its success stories, top U.S. regulators said.”

Kidnapped Woman. Kidnapped at 11, Woman Emerges After 18 Years “A woman kidnapped in 1991 had two children with her alleged abductor, who was arrested along with his wife.” Woman kidnapped as an 11-year-old in '91 found A woman kidnapped nearly two decades ago when she was an 11-year-old on her way to school was discovered in the Bay Area this week after her alleged abductor aroused the suspicions of a UC Berkeley police officer, authorities revealed Thursday as they began investigating the bizarre case. US kidnap survivor 'doing great' “A woman freed in California 18 years after being kidnapped at the age of 11 is said to have had a happy reunion with her mother.”

Health Care. Some Roman Catholic Bishops Assail Health Plan “Despite the church’s push on the issue, some are raising concerns over abortion and alarms about ‘rationing.’” Amid the acrimony, Congress has consensus on some healthcare issues “Lawmakers agree on such ideas as barring insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting ailments. That has them eyeing an incremental approach should a broader plan fail.” Dealing With Being the Health Care ‘Villains’ “Employees of Humana, the nation’s fourth-largest health insurer, are not pleased at being the focus of criticism by proponents of a health care system overhaul.”

Darfur. As Darfur Fighting Diminishes, U.N. Officials Focus on the South of Sudan “With fighting in the Darfur region said to be lessening, alarm is growing about the south, where a 2005 peace agreement ended a long and bloody conflict.” Rebels slam UNAMID commander for remarks on war in Darfur Rebel groups dismissed today remarks made by the outgoing chief commander of the hybrid peacekeeping force (UNAMID) who said today that Darfur is no longer in state of war.

Two Koreas. North Korea to Allow Family Reunions and Release Fisherman “The resumption of cross-border family reunions marks a rare gesture of reconciliation after two years of tension.” Reunions open other issues “Reunions of separated Korean families will resume after two years. At the Red Cross talks that concluded yesterday, the two Koreas agreed to stage reunions.”

Myanmar Refugees. Refugees Flee to China as Fighting Breaks Out in Myanmar “Minority ethnic groups in Myanmar, who control large pockets of territory in the north, have banded together to fight the government’s efforts to turn them into border guards.” Thousands flee Burma as army clashes with Kokang militias “Thousands of people have fled from northern Burma into China after fighting erupted between government troops and an armed ethnic group yesterday, breaking a 20-year ceasefire.”

California Garage Sale. Seeking Cash, California Turns to a Tag Sale “In an effort to raise money, the State of California is selling some 6,000 items culled from every corner of the state’s bureaucracy.” Everything must go! Calif. holds giant garage sale “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is hoping that the "Great California Garage Sale" will turn government clutter like surplus prison uniforms and office furniture into cash to bulk up the state's depleted finances.”

Colorado Abortion Clinic. Man Arrested in Threats to Colorado Abortion Clinic “A federal indictment says telephoned threats to an abortion clinic gave chilling details about how two people would be dispatched to kill the family of the clinic’s director.” Wash. man accused of abortion clinic threat “A Washington man has been indicted for allegedly threatening the family of an employee at one of the few clinics in the country that performs late-term abortions.”

Bill Richardson. No Charges for Governor After Inquiry Into Contract “An inquiry into influence peddling that cost Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico his chance at a post in the Obama cabinet is said to have been dropped with no criminal charges.” Criminal charges against Bill Richardson unlikely “Federal authorities are wrapping up an investigation that prompted New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to back away from serving in President.” Charges Against Richardson Unlikely “The federal ‘pay to play’ investigation that prompted New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) to withdraw his nomination as President Obama's commerce secretary is concluding with criminal charges against the governor and his top aides appearing unlikely, according to three sources familiar with the case.”