China earthquake,Burma, Immigration raid, Immigrants, Ohio-Poverty Summit, McCain-global warming, Racism, Housing, Rep. Barney Frank, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Op-Eds.

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China earthquake.Search for China quake survivors "A massive search and rescue operation is under way in south-western China after one of the most powerful earthquakes in decades." 12,000 killed in China quake "Rescuers were struggling today to reach victims of the devastating earthquake that killed 12,000 people in south-west China and trapped thousands more in the rubble of collapsed schools, factories, hospitals and homes." Powerful Quake Ravages China, Killing Thousands "A powerful earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday, toppling thousands of homes, factories and offices, trapping students in schools, and killing at least 10,000 people, the country's worst natural disaster in three decades."

Burma . U.N. Leader Tells Myanmar to Hurry on Aid "As the authorities in Myanmar raised the cyclone death toll to nearly 32,000 and admitted one American military aircraft, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pressed the junta to accept international assistance." First U.S. aid shipment reaches Myanmar "A top U.S. admiral met the senior Myanmar naval officer on an airport tarmac in Yangon on Monday, urging him to open the country to an expanded international humanitarian mission that could reach hundreds of thousands of hungry and homeless cyclone victims." Use all means to get aid to Burma, says EU chief "The international community should use all possible means to deliver aid to victims of the Burma cyclone despite the reluctance of the country's ruling military junta, the EU foreign policy chief said today." Myanmar cyclone victims getting low-quality supplies "Many cyclone victims are getting spoiled food from Myanmar's junta instead of the high-quality supplies being delivered by foreign governments and charities, victims and aid workers said Tuesday."

Immigration raid. ID fraud claims bring state's largest raid "The largest workplace raid in Iowa history Monday resulted in the arrest of more than 300 people and reignited the debate over immigration." Hundreds arrested in immigration raid at Postville plant "Federal Immigration agents on Monday arrested more than 300 people in Postville during a raid at the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant." Immigration raid: Town's Hispanics shutter businesses, scatter "The phone calls started at 5 a.m. They carried the same message: Immigration was coming. … Twelve hours later, Hispanic businesses in downtown Postville were shuttered. Locks held the door at El Sabor Latino grocery store and restaurant. Bowls of chips and salsa were abandoned along with a half-empty bottle of Coke."

Immigrants. Study: immigrants assimilate well, but Mexicans lag "A wide-ranging and provocative study of immigrants' integration into U.S. society concludes that newcomers are assimilating more quickly than their predecessors did 100 years ago." Study Says Foreigners In U.S. Adapt Quickly "Immigrants of the past quarter-century have been assimilating in the United States at a notably faster rate than did previous generations,"

Ohio-Poverty Summit. Poverty Summit to tackle needs in Ohio "The struggles of low-income residents have gotten so bad in Ohio that Gov. Ted Strickland and advocates for the poor will gather at the state's first Poverty Summit later this month in Columbus."

McCain-global warming. John McCain outlines a plan to tackle global warming "Distancing himself from President Bush, John McCain pledged a new era of environmental stewardship as he outlined his plan to address global warming, a cause he has embraced since activists hounded him during his 2000 run for president." McCain launches green bid in Oregon "John McCain launched a green-tinted courtship of West Coast swing voters, with a call to action on global warming and an indictment of the Bush administration's "failed" policies to combat it."

Racism. Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause "For all the hope and excitement Obama's candidacy is generating, some of his field workers, phone-bank volunteers and campaign surrogates are encountering a raw racism and hostility that have gone largely unnoticed -- and unreported -- this election season."

Housing. Senate Talks Collapse On a Housing Bill "Hope dimmed that Congress would act quickly to rescue homeowners at risk of foreclosure after key Republican and Democratic negotiators in the Senate said they could not reach agreement on a plan."

Rep. Barney Frank. A Liberal Wit Builds Bridges to the G.O.P. "With relations between the White House and the Democratic Congress growing more acidic as the presidential election approaches, Mr. Frank, 68 and in his 14th term, has emerged as a key deal-maker, an unlikely bridge between his party's left-wing base and the free-market conservatives in the administration, particularly Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr."

Israel . Israel to relax West Bank restrictions, says Blair "Israel has agreed to ease severe travel and trade restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the Middle East envoy Tony Blair said today." Israel says truce with Hamas must include Shalit "Israel is favorably considering the Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. However, it is demanding that the indirect understandings with Hamas include real progress on a deal to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit."

Lebanon. Lebanese Army Says It Will Use Force to Quell Fighting "The Lebanese Army announced that it would start using force to stop fighting between supporters of the governing coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition, a step the army had not taken during almost a week of sectarian violence that recalled the country's 15-year civil war." Bush pledges support for Lebanese army "The US is prepared to strengthen the Lebanese army to help disarm Hizbullah, after a week of violence between the militia group and pro-government gunmen that has left 81 people dead." Lebanon reaches out for international help " Shaken by a Hezbollah military offensive in recent days, Lebanon's pro-Western parties have launched an intensive campaign to lobby allies in Washington, Europe and the Arab world to intervene diplomatically or even militarily on their behalf,"

Iraq . Violence erupts in Sadr City "At least 11 people have been killed and 20 others wounded after US troops and Shia fighters clashed in Baghdad's Sadr City, hospital officials have said, despite a truce being agreed at the weekend."

Pakistan . Pakistani Party Quits Cabinet Over Justices "Pakistan's fragile governing coalition cracked open Monday as one of its major parties withdrew from the cabinet, less than three months after elections that had united rival factions opposed to President Pervez Musharraf." Pakistan's new government unraveling as ministers leave "A new political crisis engulfed Pakistan after one of the two main parties in the coalition government pulled its ministers out of the cabinet."

Zimbabwe . Zimbabwe run-off to be delayed "The presidential run-off between Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president, and Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader, will not be held in the next few weeks,"

Op-Eds.

Here Come the Millennials(BOB HERBERT, New York Times) "However the election ultimately turns out, the Obama campaign has tapped into a constituency that holds powerful implications for the future of American politics. The youngest of these voters, those ranging in age from roughly the late teens to the early 30s, are part of the so-called millennial generation."

The 'Long War' fallacy (Andrew J. Bacevich, Los Angeles Times)"Donald Rumsfeld is today a discredited and widely reviled figure. Robert Gates, Rumsfeld's successor as Defense secretary, is generally admired for manifesting qualities that Rumsfeld lacked -- a willingness to listen not least among them. Yet on one crucial point, the two see eye to eye: Both believe that the United States has no alternative but to wage a global war likely to last decades."