The latest news on Immigration, Housing relief, Food banks, Federal deficit, Iraq, Iran, Darfur, Military humanitarianism, Bombings, and Commentary.

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Immigration. Throng packs Postville to pray, call for change "More than 1,000 people from around the Midwest converged Sunday on Postville to show disdain for the treatment of immigrant workers arrested during a massive raid here in May. "Iowa Rally Protests Raid and Conditions at Plant"About 1,000 people, including Hispanic immigrants, Catholic clergy members, rabbis and activists, marched through the center of this farm town on Sunday and held a rally at the entrance to a kosher meatpacking plant that was raided in May by immigration authorities." "Protesters rally against immigration raid in Iowa "Postville, a town with about 2,200 residents, was pushed to the forefront of a national debate when federal immigration officials raided Agriprocessors - the nation's biggest kosher meatpacking plant - in May in the largest raid of its kind in the United States."

Housing relief. Sweeping housing relief bill sent to Bush after approval by Senate "Congress sent President Bush legislation Saturday designed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, spur home buying and prop up struggling mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. "Congress Sends Housing Relief Bill to Bush "Hoping to stretch a safety net under the nation's tumbling housing market, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a huge package of legislation that includes a program to save hundreds of thousands of families from losing their homes to foreclosure."

Food banks. Struggling college students turn to food banks "For years, the small University District pantry has offered help to the working poor and single parents in this neighborhood of campus rentals. Now rising food prices are bringing another group: Struggling college students.

Federal deficit. Federal Deficit Grows After Three Years of Decline "The federal budget deficit will surge to nearly $490 billion next fiscal year, a record dollar amount, driven by continuing war costs and an economic slowdown that is not likely to turn around fast, the White House will announce today."

Iraq. Petraeus won't join bandwagon for Iraq withdrawal timetable "Gen David Petraeus, the top U.S. military officer in Iraq, tells McClatchy that the situation in Iraq remains too volatile to "project out, and to then try to plant a flag on, a particular date."

Iran. Gates: War with Iran would be 'disastrous' A war with Iran would be "disastrous on a number of levels," according to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. In an article appearing in the latest issue of Parameters, the U.S. Army War College quarterly, Gates wrote that with the army already bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, "another war in the Middle East is the last thing we need"

Darfur. Darfur force 'failing civilians' "African aid agencies say the African-UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan's Darfur region is failing to provide adequate protection for civilians." UN Darfur mission 'on brink of failure' "The UN-led Darfur peacekeeping mission is on the "brink of failure" because barely a third of the troops promised to it have been deployed, according to a report released today by more than 50 Africa-focused NGOs." UN peacekeepers 'at breaking point' "United Nations peacekeeping forces are over-stretched, under-funded, and increasingly unable to protect the people they have been sent to help, a senior official has warned."

Military humanitarianism. Pentagon flexes its altruism muscle "Having learned the limits of force in Iraq and Afghanistan, US military strategists are rewriting decades-old military doctrine to place humanitarian missions on par with combat, part of a new effort to win over distrustful foreign populations and enlist new global allies, according to top commanders and Pentagon officials."

Bombings. Deadly double bombing in Istanbul" Turkey's political landscape was plunged further into turmoil last night when two bombs exploded in a packed pedestrian square in Istanbul, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 150, in what officials called a terrorist attack." Iraq suicide blasts cause carnage "Suicide bombers have killed at least 53 people and wounded about 240 in attacks on crowds in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk." Death toll rises in India blasts "The death toll in the serial bomb blasts that rocked the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Saturday has risen to 49, police say."

Commentary.

Why Obama seized the faith-based mantle (Amy Sullivan, USA Today) "by embracing the idea of partnerships between government and faith-based institutions, Obama isn't moving to the right so much as reclaiming an issue Democrats used to support. For decades, religiously affiliated organizations like Lutheran Social Services and United Jewish Communities received, without a hint of controversy, government funds to provide social services."

Execution ineffective, inhumane and tacky (Tim Ahrens, Columbus Dispatch) "There has been a self-imposed moratorium for executions in Ohio while lethal-injection cases were pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, we begin again to kill people in Ohio to prove that killing people is wrong. As a Christian and a religious leader, I see no other sane choice than to end executions now."