The latest news on Democratic debate, McCain and Hispanic vote, IRS investigates UCC, Housing, Costs soar, Senate & Iraq war, Gun ownership. immigration, Army tour length, Iraq-compensation paid, World hunger, Brazil, Kenya, Turkey-Iraq, Gaza, US-India, Farm bill Editorials, and selected Op-Eds.

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

Democratic debate. Turning up the heat "With March 4 looming as either the death or rebirth of her campaign, Sen. Hillary Clinton engaged in a heated debate against Sen. Barack Obama, both drawing sharp distinctions to gain the advantage in must-win Ohio." Debate puts Hillary Clinton's frustrations on display "With the Democratic nomination likely in the balance, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had argued health care minutiae for 16 tense minutes when the moderators of their presidential debate finally pushed on to a second topic." In a Crucial State, a Contentious Debate "In their final debate before critical primaries in Ohio and Texas, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton clashed sharply on familiar ground, arguing Tuesday night over who has the better health-care plan, who has been right about Iraq and who would move mostaggressively to rethink trade policy as president."

McCain and Hispanic vote. GOP banks on McCain to lure Hispanic vote "Two years ago, Republicans fought over immigration and hemorrhaged Hispanic voters. Now they are poised to nominate the one man who can rebuild the Hispanic voter coalition that pushed President Bush twice to victory."

IRS investigates UCC. Obama church speech probed "The IRS is investigating the United Church of Christ over a speech Sen. Barack Obama gave at its national meeting last year after he became a candidate for president, … In a letter the denomination received Monday, the IRS said "reasonable belief exists" that the circumstances surrounding the speech violated restrictions on political activity for tax-exempt organizations."

Housing. Housing Woes Put Bush, Hill At Odds "Congressional leaders yesterday gathered support for aggressive changes to bankruptcy laws that would help troubled homeowners, even as the Bush administration threatened to veto the plan and emphasized its opposition to any program that would risk tax dollars." Bush Vows to Veto a Mortgage Relief Bill "President Bush sided with banks and mortgage lenders on Tuesday, threatening to veto a bill being offered by Senate Democrats that would give more bargaining power to homeowners who face foreclosure."

Costs soar. Food and energy costs jump "Americans' confidence is withering amid a toxic combination of surging food and energy costs and falling home values. That troublesome mix also may make it more difficult for policymakers to rescue the ailing economy." Gas Prices Soar, Posing a Threat to Family Budget "Gasoline prices, which for months lagged behind the big run-up in the price of oil, are suddenly rising quickly, with some experts saying they could approach $4 a gallon by spring." Consumers fight rising use of hidden fees "Hidden fees and surcharges that drive up the cost of everything from phone service to concert tickets are spreading like wildfire, creating a nuisance for U.S. consumers and making truth in billing little more than a hollow promise."

Senate & Iraq war. Senate Democrats Focus on Economic Cost of War "In a shift from last year's failed legislative efforts to force a reduction of troops, the Democrats' new approach is aimed primarily at framing the issue for the November elections by focusing on the financial cost of military operations and on the war's implications for the nation's troubled economy." Senate Agrees To Debate Bill On Iraq Pullout "The Senate voted overwhelmingly to begin debating a bill that would require the administration to start withdrawing forces from Iraq in 120 days and cut funding for battlefield deployments, a surprise move supported by Republicans who want to highlight the security achievements over the past year under President Bush's troop buildup strategy."

Gun ownership. Do you have a legal right to own a gun? "Guns, and questions about how much power the government has to keep people from owning them, are at the core of one of the most divisive topics in American politics. … Now, in a benchmark case that arises against a backdrop of election-year politics, the high court will take its first definitive look at the Second Amendment."

Immigration. Study finds immigrants commit less California crime "Immigrants are far less likely than the average U.S.-born citizen to commit crime in California, the most populous state in the United States."

Army tour length. Army plans to cut length of combat tours in Iraq "Moving to relieve strain on troops, the Army plans to reduce the length of combat tours from 15 months to one year after the troop buildup in Iraq winds down this summer, top officials told Congress." Army chief of staff says combat tours must be cut as soon as possible "The Army's top general said he wants to reduce combat tours for soldiers in Iraq from 15 months to 12 months this summer - and hopes that sticks."

Iraq-compensation paid. U.S. paid $42.4 million to Iraqis "The Pentagon has paid more than $40 million to Iraqis whose family members were accidentally killed or their property destroyed by coalition military action since the beginning of 2005, according to interviews and documents that provide a glimpse into the extent of continuing civilian casualties in the conflict."

World hunger. Feed the world? We are fighting a losing battle, UN admits "The United Nations warned that it no longer has enough money to keep global malnutrition at bay this year in the face of a dramatic upward surge in world commodity prices, which have created a "new face of hunger".

Brazil. Brazil unveils anti-poverty drive "The Brazilian government has unveiled a multi-billion dollar anti-poverty plan to provide jobs and infrastructure in the poorest parts of the country."

Kenya . Kenyan opposition calls off protests "Kenya's opposition today called off street protests in response to an appeal by Kofi Annan, who is trying to broker a power-sharing agreement to quell further violence." Efforts to resolve Kenya crisis stall "Complaining that efforts to resolve Kenya's political crisis have stalled, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan suspended mediation talks and called upon the nation's presidential rivals to work with him directly." Annan Tries to Spur Kenya Talks Mr. Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, seems to be growing increasingly frustrated with the pace of the negotiations, which have ground on for more than a month."

Turkey-Iraq. Turkey: No date for Iraq withdrawal Turkey has refused to set a withdrawal timetable for its troops in northern Iraq, where they have been battling Kurdish fighters." Turkey refuses Iraq incursion timetable"Turkey refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops attacking Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq, despite US pressure for a quick end to the fighting." Iraq Cabinet Demands Turks Leave Kurdish Area in North "The Iraqi government condemned Turkey's raids into northern Iraq and demanded that Turkey withdraw its troops, as fighting continued for a sixth day between Turkish forces and Kurdish rebels."

Gaza. U.N. Envoy Critical of Gaza Living Conditions, Threats to Annapolis Initiative Living conditions in the Gaza Strip have deteriorated significantly as a result of Israeli restrictions on travel and trade, threatening the health of Gazans and impeding the peace initiative the Bush administration launched three months ago in Annapolis,"

US-India. Gates in India to Expand Security Ties "With a landmark nuclear pact between the United States and India stalled, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that the two nations would nonetheless strengthen their security ties as India looks to modernize its arsenal and embarks on an unprecedented - and still contentious - level of defense cooperation with the United States."

Farm bill Editorials. Cut welfare for farmers (USA Today) "Let's see if we've got this right. The U.S. economy is either teetering on the edge of recession or already in one, desperately awaiting a jolt from the $600 stimulus checks that Congress agreed to send out this spring to people who make $75,000 a year or less."

Don't weaken the safety net (Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, USA Today) "It's easy for some to say that in these times of good prices, the safety net for agriculture should be weakened. But we should learn from the past. Markets move. During the life of the 1996 Farm Bill, generally good prices in 1995-96 quickly turned to poor prices in 1999 and beyond. Combined with the dramatic increases in production costs faced by farmers today, a downturn in commodity prices could prove disastrous."

Op-Ed.

Faith Without a Home (Michael Gerson, Washington Post) "If evangelical Christianity were identical to any political movement, something would be badly wrong. It is supposed to look toward a kingdom not of this world, one without borders, flags or end. And by this standard, homelessness is a natural state."

Waiting for a US-Iran handshake (Iason Athanasiadis, Christian Science Monitor) "Iran's diplomatic elites assert that the time has come for their country to lead the region. With oil receipts at a record high, the Middle East's third most advanced military after Israel and Turkey, and unique geopolitical positioning between the energy hotbeds of the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, Shiite-led Iran is at its strategic strongest in 30 years."