NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST March 4, 2008

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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Violence Leaves Iraqi Youth Doubting Clerics
Many young Iraqis, exhausted by constant exposure to the violence ofreligious extremism after five years of war, say they have growndisillusioned with religious leaders.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/world/middleeast/04youth.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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A Promise of an Easier Night for Interpretation
Though not as complicated as Super Tuesday's returns, there will be noshortage of facts and analysis as results from Tuesday's high stakesprimaries in Texas and Ohio become available.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/us/politics/04primer.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1204636366-435INtez/qhGcQsD6/SEig
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Mind: When People Drink Themselves Silly, and Why
The urge to binge mindlessly, though it can strike at any time, seems tostir in the collective unconscious during the last weeks of winter. Maybe it's the television images from places like Fort Lauderdale and Cabo San Lucas,of communications majors' face planting outside bars or on beaches.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/04mind.html
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Border Insecurity
Only by bringing people onto the books, being realistic about the supply ofvisas, and letting people in through ports of entry will the country restoreorder to the broken system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/opinion/04tue1.html?ref=opinion
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The $2 Trillion Nightmare
There has been little public conversation about the consequences of thecosts of the Iraq war, which are like a cancer inside the American economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/opinion/04herbert.html?ref=opinion
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A Defining Moment
On Nov. 10, 2007, Barack Obama unleashed a zealous part of himself that haspropelled his candidacy ever since. His first big subject was belief itself.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/opinion/04brooks.html?ref=opinion
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Confessions on Climate
E.P.A. administrator Stephen Johnson's decision to deny California the rightto set its own emission standards is a blow to those worried about climatechange.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/opinion/04tue3.html?ref=opinion
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Putin's Mini-Me (or Not?)
The United States cannot pretend that Vladimir Putin and his allies operatefrom democratic intentions. They must push for more open elections andpolitical and journalistic freedoms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/opinion/04tue2.html?ref=opinion
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Why McCain Would Vote for Obama
John McCain would actually do better against Barack Obama than he wouldagainst Hillary Clinton.
http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/why-mccain-would-vote-for-obama/index.html?ref=opinion
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Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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Another Sobering Call
It is a subtle but pernicious form of racism to turn one's back on what ishappening to young black men.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030302629.html
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THE QUESTION of whether individuals should be required or simply encouragedto obtain health insurance sounds like a minor distinction. But thedisagreement between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama over anindividual mandate (she wants one, he doesn't) is worth examining.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030302634.html
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Virginia: Latinos Looking Over Shoulder
Pr. William Begins Checking Suspects' Immigration Status
Work-van drivers signaled long before their turns to avoid being pulled overfor a traffic violation. Day laborers skipped their early morning coffee at7-Eleven, and merengue tunes played to empty tables at Latino lunch countersacross Prince William County yesterday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030303169.html?hpid=moreheadlines
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The head of the only major Western monitoring group that sent a team toRussia to observe Sunday's presidential election severely criticized theprocess Monday, drawing a furious rebuttal from the country's CentralElection Commission.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030301684.html?hpid=sec-world
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Hagee Endorsement of McCain Has Risks
Endorsed by an influential Texas televangelist, Republican John McCainendeared himself to one group of voters but risked alienating another withthe pastor's anti-Catholic views.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030300313.html?hpid=sec-religion
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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More warning signs for economy
Construction, manufacturing plunge
WASHINGTON - Construction spending took its biggest nose dive in 14 yearsand manufacturing activity contracted, fresh trouble signs for a strugglingeconomy.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzecon0304sbmar04,0,1459161.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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No welcome mat for Colombian rebels
Most of the time, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's saber-rattling islittle more than a cry for attention from someone who craves the limelight.
His latest maneuvers, however, show that Mr. Chávez well understands thedanger he has created for his own country by laying out the welcome mat forrebels from neighboring Colombia. A top leader of the FARC guerrillas waskilled last weekend by Colombian forces who found his camp in Ecuador. Mr.Chávez must believe that...
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/443012.html
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Without Fidel -- now what?
F idel leaves, but he stays. The first decision his brother Raúl made asbrand-new president of Cuba was to delegate his powers and consult withFidel on all the important issues. Parliament supported that proposalunanimously. There is a reason why these hapless deputies are known as ''theHavana Choir Boys.'' They form a puerile, pliant and well-tuned choir.
They've been obeying for half a century and know nothing else
http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/443022.html
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Financed like Enron, run like GM
When President Bush disappears out the door of the White House, he'll leavehis successor a long list of horrendous problems, not least of them aDefense Department budget of more than $518 billion that doesn't eveninclude an additional $170 billion or so to continue funding a year of thewars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/443021.html
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Family Research Council on Obama, homosexuality and same-sex marriage
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/03/family-research.html
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