The latest news on Food aid, Immigration rallies, Farm bill, Education, Payday lending-Ohio, Hurting in DC, Dockworkers strike the war, Loyalty oath, Middle East, Al Qaeda-Somalia, UK local elections, Maternal deaths, and Op-Ed.

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Food aid. Bush Seeks $770 Million More in World Food Aid “President Bush asked Congress to approve $770 million in new global food aid for the coming fiscal year, the centerpiece of an evolving administration response to a crisis that has sparked increased violence and hunger around the world.” Bush Seeks More Food Aid for Poor Countries “President Bush proposed spending an additional $770 million in emergency food assistance for poor countries, responding to rising food prices that have resulted in social unrest in several nations.” Bush calls for $770 million in foreign food aid “Responding to skyrocketing global food prices, President Bush asked Congress for $770 million in emergency foreign aid targeted at the neediest in the developing world.”

Immigration rallies. March, rally smaller but still spirited “Thursday's crowd of marchers was much smaller than those in years past, but for several hours they filled downtown Chicago with the echoing beats of drums and deafening chants for Immigration reform.” March smaller, but festive “Thousands of workers waved American flags, marched to mariachi music and rallied for labor and immigrant rights in downtown Los Angeles, as May Day gatherings drew light but peaceful crowds.” Crowds Are Smaller at Protests by Immigrants“Thousands of immigrants and their supporters marched in several cities to demand civil rights at a time when crackdowns against illegal immigrants are rising.” Immigration reform supporters gather at Texas rallies “Hundreds of people marched and chanted throughout Texas as part of a series of rallies calling for laws that would give millions of undocumented immigrants a chance at legalization.”

Farm bill. High food prices may put farmers on a subsidy diet “With high food prices prompting grocery-store apologies to customers and raising fears of starvation in impoverished countries, Congress suddenly faces renewed pressure to cut subsidies to the wealthiest farmers and incentives for ethanol production.”

Education. Higher education, zero tuition “For more than a century, Berea hasn't billed a single student for tuition. A non-denominational Christian liberal-arts college, it's committed to helping the children of Appalachia escape the region's endemic poverty.” Student-loan legislation moves forward “In moving this week to shore up the student-loan market, the federal government aims to avert a credit crunch that some warned could make it harder for students to borrow for college.”

Payday lending-Ohio. Food banks quit payday fight “The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks withdrew from a fight for tougher payday loan regulations after being pressured by a national payday company that gave $500,000 to its parent organization.”

Hurting in DC. Economic Troubles Multiply Requests for Help in D.C. Area “The sagging economy and spike in food and energy prices are driving sharp increases in requests for government assistance in the Washington region,”

Dockworkers strike the war. Dockworkers take May Day off, idling all West Coast ports “Thousands of dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports took the day off Thursday, effectively shutting down operations at the busy complexes in what the union called a protest of the war in Iraq but employers worried might be a prelude to labor unrest.” Union’s War Protest Shuts West Coast Ports “West Coast ports were shut down as thousands of longshoremen failed to report for work, part of what their union leaders said was a one-day, one-shift protest against the war in Iraq.”

Loyalty oath. Teacher fired for refusing to sign loyalty oath “The loyalty oath was added to the state Constitution by voters in 1952 to root out communists in public jobs. Now, 16 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, its main effect is to weed out religious believers, particularly Quakers and Jehovah's Witnesses.”

Middle East. Middle East Quartet urges all sides to commit to talks“Israelis and Palestinians were urged today to make "every effort" to reach agreement on a Palestinian state by the end of this year amid mounting unease about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”

Al Qaeda-Somalia. U.S. Airstrike Kills Somali Accused of Links to Al-Qaeda “A top insurgent leader in Somalia whom U.S. officials have accused of having ties to al-Qaeda was killed in a U.S. airstrike early Thursday, according to the Islamist group he led.” Qaeda Leader Reported Killed in Somalia “An American missile strike in Somalia apparently killed a militant long identified as one of Al Qaeda’s top operatives in East Africa, but while Bush administration officials claimed success they also acknowledged facing an uphill battle to score lasting blows in their final months against the terrorist group around the world.” US air raid kills Somali fighters “A US air raid in Somalia has killed up to 30 people, including two senior leaders of the armed opposition group al-Shabaab.”

UK local elections. Labour suffers election mauling as Tories gain ground “Gordon Brown today acknowledged a "bad night" for Labour after the party's national share of the vote plummeted to 24% - its lowest level since the 1960s – in his first electoral test as prime minister.” Labour suffers big UK election losses “Gordon Brown says it has been a "bad and disappointing" election for Labour, as the party suffers its worst council results in at least 40 years.”

Maternal deaths. Millions of mothers lost “The project was inspired by the horrendous worldwide statistics surrounding maternal mortality: the fact that a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth each minute, which adds up to a conservative estimate of 536,000 maternal deaths each year - some believe the toll could be as high as 872,000.”

Op-Ed

Fair Play for False Prophets (E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “Do white right-wing preachers have it easier than black left-wing preachers? Is there a double standard?”