The last news on McCain on poverty, Democratic primaries, Children, Petraeus to Central Command, Rice panic, Farm bill, Housing crisis, Zimbabwe, North Korea-Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Russia-Church/State, Israel, and Editorial.

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McCain on poverty. McCain talks poverty in Appalachia "Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tried to position himself somewhere between Johnson and Reagan … styling himself as a compassionate conservative but emphasizing his crusade against "wasteful" government spending." For McCain: Different Place, Same Message "Sen. John McCain stood before a small crowd in this tiny Appalachian town with the same mission he has had all week: convincing what he calls "forgotten" voters who are traditionally hostile to his party that he is a different kind of Republican." McCain visits poor Kentucky town to slam big government "Government has a role to play in helping people who through no fault of their own are having a hard time," McCain said. "But government can't create good and lasting jobs outside of government. It can't pay lost wages. It can't dig coal from the earth. It can't buy you a house." McCain Says Government Isn't Poverty's Sole Solution "While he offered few other poverty-fighting specifics in a speech that was largely focused on trying to connect to voters in one of the poorest parts of the United States, he sought to project himself to independents and moderate Democrats across the country as a different kind of Republican."

Democratic primaries. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama descend on Indiana "A day after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Sen. Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania primary, the epic battle for the Democratic presidential nomination lurched onward to Indiana," For Indiana Voters, Talk of Change May Fall Flat "With all the talk among the Democratic presidential hopefuls about change, they may wish to consider this as they wander Indiana: People here practically revolted a few years ago when their governor, Mitch Daniels, pushed to change to daylight saving time like most of the country."

Children. For Children, a Better Beginning "In a wide-ranging look at how children have fared in their first decade of life, a study to be released today offers a promising picture of American childhood: Sixth-graders feel safer at school. Reading and math scores are up for 9-year-olds. More preschoolers are vaccinated."

Petraeus to Central Command. Bush Nominates Petraeus To Lead Central Command "Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq and the public face of the war effort there, became President Bush's nominee yesterday to supervise U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia as head of Central Command," Bush elevates Petraeus to run both wars "With the decision announced Wednesday to elevate Gen. David Petraeus to lead the U.S. Central Command and Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno to succeed Petraeus as the commander in Iraq, the Bush administration laid the groundwork for the next president with a pair of generals who have spoken sternly about Iran and cautioned against pulling out of Iraq too quickly." Petraeus promotion ensures future for Bush war policy "President Bush is doing more than rewarding a job well done in Iraq. The president also is taking a step toward perpetuating his policy of high troop levels in Iraq and is putting his most trusted general in charge of renewing the military's focus on Iran."

Rice panic. Panic over rice prices hits home in California "The global rice panic has come to south Sacramento. As word of food riots and export shutdowns in Asia reached California in recent weeks, worried shoppers have been buying up hundreds of pounds of rice at a time from the Asian supermarkets that line Stockton Boulevard, looking for security against rising prices." Run on rice makes its way to U.S. "Concerned about rising prices and limited supplies of staples such as rice and flour, customers across the country have been cleaning out the shelves at big-box retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Sam's Club and Costco Wholesale Corp. stores." From Wal-Mart quotas to a 'frenzy' in Vancouver, Asia's rice crisis goes global "Vancouver's Western Rice Mills Ltd. has been importing rice from Thailand for years and sending it to grocery stores and restaurants across Canada. But yesterday the Thai shipments stopped, leaving the company scrambling to find supplies."

Farm bill. Farmers' Income Rises, but Subsidies Stay"As Congress works toward final passage of the farm bill, it is poised to continue most of the existing farmer subsidy programs, including about $5.2 billion a year in so-called "direct payments" that will be disbursed even as net farm income is projected to hit a historic high in 2008."

Housing crisis. A federal cure for the U.S. housing crisis faces obstacles "Nine months into the worst housing crisis in a generation, Congress this week took up the most aggressive government plan so far to break spiraling home foreclosures and tumbling house prices that threaten to pull the economy down."

Zimbabwe. Rift Over Zimbabwe Unity Plan "As Zimbabwe's political impasse drags into its fourth week, talk of a power-sharing deal between the governing party and the opposition came to the fore Wednesday," Zimbabwe's church leaders warning to world: intervene to avert genocide "Organised violence perpetrated against individuals, families and communities who are accused of campaigning or voting for the 'wrong' political party ... has been unleashed throughout the country," said a joint statement by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches." Church calls for Zimbabwe action "The leaders of the Anglican church have called for international action to prevent violence in Zimbabwe reaching "horrific levels". In a joint statement the Archbishops of Canterbury and York also called for an international arms embargo on Zimbabwe."

North Korea-Syria. Video Links North Koreans to Reactor, U.S. Says "After seven months of near-total secrecy, the White House is preparing to make public video evidence of North Koreans working at a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor just before it was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike last September." N. Koreans Taped At Syrian Reactor "A video taken inside a secret Syrian facility last summer convinced the Israeli government and the Bush administration that North Korea was helping to construct a reactor similar to one that produces plutonium for North Korea's nuclear arsenal,"

Iran. Iran agrees to talk with nuclear arms inspectors "International arms inspectors have reached an agreement with Tehran to discuss alleged evidence of nuclear weapons experiments, signaling a potential breakthrough in negotiations over Iran's controversial research program."

Pakistan. U.S. angry as Pakistan seeks peace deal with Islamists "Pakistan's new government is negotiating a peace deal with militants in the Taliban-controlled Waziristan region, the rugged mountainous area that's thought to be Osama bin Laden's refuge."

Russia-Church/State. At Expense of All Others, Putin Picks a Church " Just as the government has tightened control over political life, so, too, has it intruded in matters of faith. The Kremlin's surrogates in many areas have turned the Russian Orthodox Church into a de facto official religion, warding off other Christian denominations that seem to offer the most significant competition for worshipers."

Israel. Hamas to provide truce proposals with Israel "The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will give Egypt detailed proposals on a truce with Israel, a Hamas spokesman said." Syria says Israel ready to return Golan for peace accord "A Cabinet minister said that Israel has passed a message to Syria saying it is prepared to return the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace treaty."

Editorial. Don't be afraid of peace with Syria (Haaretz) "Peace with Syria is once again knocking at our door, and it even seems to be meeting with a less-frosty reception on the Israeli side. The time is ripe for negotiations with Syria,"