The latest news on Unemployment, Pell Grants, Housing, Prison ministry, MLK anniversary, Immigration, Iraq-Congress, Iraq war, Zimbabwe and Opinion.

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

Unemployment. March data show sharpest job losses in 5 years "With the government reporting the third straight month of job losses and wages lagging behind inflation, the problems that originally centered on housing and financial markets now appear to have spread through almost every segment of the economy." Democrats Call for New Aid Package as 80,000 Jobs Are Cut"The presidential candidates, already divided over how to alleviate the mortgage and housing crisis, divided again over how to generate jobs and help the unemployed."

Pell Grants. Bills aim to help students "The House passed a bill in February that would allow college students to receive Pell Grants, or need-based financial aid, during the summer in addition to the normal school year. The Senate passed a similar bill last summer."

Housing. Senator To Widen Housing Proposal "The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, reacting to criticism that a bipartisan housing bill would do little for homeowners facing foreclosure, vowed yesterday to move quickly on broader legislation to help troubled borrowers get cheaper mortgages backed by public funds."

Prison ministry. With an Ex-Inmate's Help, Returning to Life Outside"While at Sing Sing, he earned a master's degree in professional studies offered by New York Theological Seminary. He now presides over a small village in exile, the Redemption Center in Ocean Hill-Brownsville, where 17 recently released men and women are trying to find their way back into the world they left — sometimes decades ago — because of crime and drugs."

MLK anniversary. Thousands Are Drawn To Memphis to Honor King "Throughout the day visitors lined up in the rain outside the museum, standing with a clear view of the balcony in front of Room 306, where King was shot." Day on Campaign Trail to Remember Dr. King "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton called for a cabinet-level poverty czar and Senator John McCain said he was wrong to have voted a quarter century ago against a federal holiday in memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. … Dr. King's life and legacy were the subject of an emotional speech [Senator Barack Obama] delivered to a racially mixed crowd at a forum at a high school in Fort Wayne, Ind."

Immigration. Arizona slams door on illegal immigrants "As it has become the favorite entry point for undocumented migrants trying to sneak into the United States, Arizona has become a laboratory for whether a state can single-handedly combat illegal immigration."

Iraq-Congress. Iraq effort faces fresh Hill scrutiny "On the heels of tough fighting in southern Iraq and renewed concerns over strains on the U.S. military, the conversation on America's long-term prospects in Iraq has shifted once again, creating an altered backdrop for an appearance on Capitol Hill this week by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker." Petraeus' return promises high political drama "But this time, the Iraq commander's presentation to Congress collides head-on with a raging presidential campaign and two Democratic candidates demanding almost the opposite of his advice."

Iraq war. U.S. and Iraqis Battle Militias to End Attacks"Sharp fighting broke out in the Sadr City district of Baghdad on Sunday as American and Iraqi troops sought to control neighborhoods used by Shiite militias to fire rockets and mortars into the nearby Green Zone." Between Iraqi Shiites, a Deepening Animosity "…animosity toward Prime Minister Nouri-al Maliki and his allies has deepened in the aftermath of Iraq's worst violence in months, threatening to escalate a conflict among Shiites that could further draw in U.S. troops." Officials foresee no ebb in Iraq violence "The military campaign in the southern port of Basra, which the government says targeted all armed groups, unraveled a seven-month freeze on armed operations observed by the Mahdi Army that had been considered pivotal to Iraq's recent reduction in violence."

Zimbabwe. Court to Rule on Release of Vote Count in Zimbabwe "As Zimbabwe waited for the ninth day to find out who had won a pivotal presidential election, a court in Harare on Monday was due to rule on the political opposition's demand for an immediate release of the final tally, while the governing party has insisted on a recount that would lead to further delay." Mugabe Moves to Bolster Himself for Runoff "President Robert Mugabe's loyalists demanded a recount of the results of the March 29 presidential election, mobilized feared militias and warned peasant farmers that whites were massing on Zimbabwe's borders, ready to re-colonize the nation if the opposition wins a runoff."

Opinion.

The Last Wish of Martin Luther King (TAYLOR BRANCH, New York Times) "Dr. King then went back to Memphis to stand with the downtrodden workers, with the families of Echol Cole and Robert Walker. You may have seen the placards from the sanitation strike, which read "I Am a Man," meaning not a piece of garbage to be crushed and ignored. For Dr. King, to answer was a patriotic and prophetic calling. He challenges everyone to find a Lazarus somewhere, from our teeming prisons to the bleeding earth. That quest in common becomes the spark of social movements, and is therefore the engine of hope."