The latest news on Poverty, Dem rules, Bush & Iraq - new book, Immigration, McCain & evangelicals, Same-sex unions, Ban cluster bombs, War & faith, Iraq, China, Climate change, Darfur, Food costs, Israeli Prime Minister, and Op-Ed.

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Poverty. A state of need "More than 13 percent of Ohioans are now living in poverty, unable to afford adequate food, housing, clothes and other necessities. … Yesterday, Gov. Ted Strickland decided it was time to do something about it; he announced the creation of a state task force to combat poverty," Food cost rise for charities "Food banks and pantries across North Carolina and the nation are seeing a surge in demand, as job layoffs increase, gas prices soar and food costs spike."

Dem rules. Democratic panel set to resolve Clinton-Obama delegate dispute "Meeting at a Washington hotel Saturday, the party's Rules and Bylaws Committee will attempt to settle a lingering dispute about whether delegates from Michigan and Florida should be seated at the party's convention in August." Florida and Michigan May See Delegates Halved"An analysis by lawyers for the Democratic Party says party rules call for Florida and Michigan to lose at least half their delegate strength at the party's convention in August, an outcome that could close off Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's last opportunity to cut significantly into Senator Barack Obama's lead in delegates."

Bush & Iraq - new book. Bush team lines up to blitz tell-all book "The Bush White House, long accused by outside critics of misrepresenting the facts to make the case for war in Iraq and other matters, has launched a personal counterattack against harsh accusations of "deception" from a longtime insider who worked closely with the president." Political world abuzz over Scott McClellan's tell-all book "In a new memoir, McClellan has presented chapter after chapter of accusations that some of the administration's most senior officials regularly lied to the public, conducted a "permanent campaign" to advance Republican political interests and managed the debate leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq in a way that "almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option." Ex-Colleagues Ask, 'What Happened?' "Scott McClellan was the ultimate Bush loyalist. He went to work for George W. Bush when he was Texas governor in 1999, helped Bush gain the White House in 2000, and then came to Washington to defend the president for the next six years on such issues as the war in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina."

Immigration. Texas town's immigrant-renting rule is struck down "A Dallas suburb's ban on apartment rentals to illegal immigrants, an ordinance passed by city leaders and later endorsed in a vote by its residents, is unconstitutional, a federal judge found Wednesday." Judge rejects Farmers Branch ordinance on renting to illegal immigrants "He wrote that only the federal government may determine whether someone is in the country legally. And he said the city, rather than deferring to the federal government's determination of immigration status, had created its own classification scheme for determining which noncitizens could rent apartments."

McCain & evangelicals. In Rebuking Minister, McCain May Have Alienated Evangelicals "The candidate's abrupt turnabout brought criticism not only from secular viewers, who questioned why he had aligned himself with controversial religious voices, but also from evangelicals, who said he may have alienated a powerful bloc of potential Republican voters."

Same-sex unions. New York to Back Same-Sex Unions From ElsewhereGov. David A. Paterson has directed all state agencies to begin to revise their policies and regulations to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, like Massachusetts, California and Canada."

Ban cluster bombs. 111 Nations, Minus the U.S., Agree to Cluster-Bomb Ban "More than 100 countries reached agreement Wednesday to ban cluster bombs, controversial weapons that human rights groups deplore but that the United States, which did not join the ban, calls an integral, legitimate part of its arsenal." British turnabout key to cluster bomb ban "In a major diplomatic defeat for the U.S., Britain broke ranks and joined more than 100 nations in agreeing in principle to an international ban on cluster bombs, the small, insidious weapons that have killed thousands of civilians in the aftermath of battle." US cluster bombs to be banned from UK "The US will no longer be able to stockpile cluster bombs at its military bases in Britain under government proposals for an international ban on the controversial weapons, it emerged last night."

War & faith. War's Stresses Take Toll on Military's Chaplains"Just as it has claimed so many other members of the military, the war in Iraq has taken a toll on chaplains. Although they do not engage in combat, chaplains face the perils of war as they move around Iraq to visit troops." Iraqis claim Marines are pushing Christianity in Fallujah "Now residents of the city are abuzz that some Americans whom they consider occupiers are also acting as Christian missionaries. Residents said some Marines at the western entrance to their city have been passing out the coins for two days in what they call a "humiliating" attempt to convert them to Christianity."

Iraq. US 'close' to Iraq military deal "The US government is close to reaching an agreement with the Iraqi government over its long term military role in the country but will not seek permanent bases in the nation." Bush: As wars rage, US must hold firm "President Bush said yesterday that rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan as the wars rage on is proving difficult and "we're learning as we go."

China. River Threatens China Quake Survivors "Faced with the prospect of massive flooding from a blocked river in the highlands of Sichuan Province, the authorities have announced plans to evacuate more than a million people should the rock-and-mud embankment give way," Citizens' Groups Step Up In China "Grass-roots organizations and informal networks of private citizens are playing a vital role in getting supplies to rescue workers and survivors of this month's devastating earthquake in China." China quake's horrors leave an imprint "Friends sometimes question the sanity of being a journalist, and particularly a foreign correspondent. When everyone else is running away from danger, reporters head toward it."

Climate change. Nature loss 'to hurt global poor' "Damage to forests, rivers, marine life and other aspects of nature could halve living standards for the world's poor, a major report has concluded. Current rates of natural decline might reduce global GDP by about 7% by 2050."

Darfur. Darfur rebels seek alliance "A leading rebel group in Sudan's western Darfur region, which managed to attack Sudan's capital of Khartoum earlier this month, says it is seeking an alliance with a former rebel group that dominates southern Sudan to help overthrow the Islamist-dominated government of Lt. Gen. Omar Bashir."

Food costs. UN warns about higher food costs "Higher food prices may be here to stay as demand from developing countries and production costs rise, says the UN's Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO)." Food Relief for Africa 'Insufficient,' GAO Says "Efforts by the United States and multilateral agencies including the World Bank to reduce hunger in sub-Saharan Africa have been "insufficient," with foreign aid to the region failing to flow into agricultural development projects vital to the ability of poor countries to feed themselves,"

Israeli Prime Minister. Israeli Defense Chief Asks Olmert to Quit "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's troubles increased Wednesday when Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, called on him to step down from his post pending the outcome of a high-profile corruption investigation." The Ultimatum / With elections just around the corner, Barak takes charge "Ehud Olmert did not expect that of all people his friend and confidant on diplomatic and security affairs, the man whom he praised for his contribution to negotiations with the Syrians, would be the one to plunge the knife in his back."

Op-Ed. Leading On Climate Change (Tony Blair, Washington Post) "The climate change bill that senators are to begin debating next week is a hugely important signal of intent on behalf of U.S. legislators. Yes, negotiations could still alter the legislation. But the bill's core proposition is correct: Unless the United States radically reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, along with other major emitters, the damage to the climate will be irreversible."