The latest news on Iraq-Congress, Pope in Brazil, New Sanctuary Movement, Iraq-Military, Iraq-Christians, national guard, terror plot, immigration legislation, Giuliani-abortion, fuel deficiency, Iran, AIDS drugs, Herod’s tomb, and select op-eds.

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Immigration. New Coalition of Christians Seeks Changes at Borders– “A new coalition of more than 100 largely evangelical Christian leaders and organizations asked Congress on Monday to pass bills to strengthen border controls but also give illegal immigrants ways to gain legal residency.” Christians eye immigration reform – “A new Christian group touting liberal immigration reform has begun an extensive nationwide advertising campaign, days before Capitol Hill lawmakers are expected to begin debate on proposed changes to U.S. immigration laws.”

LAPD chief reassigns two officials over park violence – “Two high-ranking Los Angeles Police Department commanders were reassigned Monday for their role in overseeing the violent police response to last week’s MacArthur Park immigration rally.” Los Angeles Punishes Police Official Over Clash at Demonstration – “The city’s mayor and its police chief said Monday that one of the highest-ranking officials in the Police Department would be demoted and transferred in the wake of a violent confrontation between officers and demonstrators at an immigration rally last week.”

Iraq-Congress. House Democrats May Seek Short-Term Financing of War– “House Democrats may push ahead this week with a new war spending bill that would provide money for combat operations through midsummer, with the rest of the funds sought by President Bush withheld until commanders in Iraq provide a report on conditions there.” September Could Be Key Deadline in War – “Congressional leaders from both political parties are givingPresident Bush a matter of months to prove that theIraq war effort has turned a corner, with September looking increasingly like a decisive deadline.”

Turkey-Kurds. Turkish-Kurdish Dispute Tests U.S. Strategic Alliances – “While President Bush’s new strategy in Iraq focuses on stopping the violence in Baghdad, trouble threatens to boil over in Iraq’s Kurdish region to the north, which the administration frequently holds up as an island of stability and a model for the future.”

Nuclear terrorism. U.S. Debates Deterrence for Nuclear Terrorism – “Every week, a group of experts from agencies around the government – including the C.I.A., the Pentagon, the F.B.I. and the Energy Department – meet to assess Washington’s progress toward solving a grim problem: if a terrorist set off a nuclear bomb in an American city, could the United States determine who detonated it and who provided the nuclear material?”

Civil rights. 50 Years Later, Little Rock Can’t Escape Race– “Fifty years after the epic desegregation struggle at Central High School, the school district here is still riven by racial conflict, casting a pall on this year’s ambitious commemorative efforts.”

World Bank. Pressure increases on Wolfowitz – “Paul Wolfowitz’s tenure as president of the World Bank is rapidly ticking away, after he was found to have broken bank rules and one of his closest advisors suddenly announced his resignation.” Deal Is Offered for Chief’s Exit at World Bank– “Leading governments of Europe, mounting a new campaign to push Paul D. Wolfowitz from his job as World Bank president, signaled Monday that they were willing to let the United States choose the bank’s next chief, but only if Mr. Wolfowitz stepped down soon, European officials said.”

Darfur. China, Russia deny Darfur arms claim – “China and Russia have denied claims by Amnesty International that they are supplying arms to Sudan for use in Darfur, in breach of a UN arms embargo.” Egypt leery of pressing Sudan to end Darfur fighting – “Western countries looking for ways to pressure Sudan to curb violence in Darfur are getting little support from the Khartoum regime’s Arab neighbors.”

Child mortality. Report on Child Deaths Finds Some Hope in Poorest Nations – “The rate at which young children perish has worsened most disastrously over the past 15 years in Iraq, hard hit by both sanctions and war, and in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, devastated by AIDS, according to a report released yesterday by Save the Children. But researchers also found against-the-odds progress in some of the world’s poorest nations.” Infant mortality in Iraq soars as young pay the price for war – “Two wars and a decade of sanctions have led to a huge rise in the mortality rate among young children in Iraq, leaving statistics that were once the envy of the Arab world now comparable with those of sub-Saharan Africa.”

Trade. For Democrats, New Challenge in Age-Old Rift– “Defining the rules of engagement in a fiercely competitive global marketplace, trade policy cuts to the heart of the Democrats’ identity, how they view their party’s past and envision its future. It can divide them along regional and economic lines.”