Welcome to The WonkLine, a daily 10 a.m. roundup of the latest news about health care, the economy, national security, immigration and climate policy. This is what we’re reading. Tell us what you found in the comments section below. You can also follow The Wonk Room on Twitter.
National Security
At least 28 people are dead after a “series of explosions shook Baghdad on Tuesday,” two days after 30 people were killed in separate bombings on diplomatic buildings.
After “[f]ive terrorist attacks that killed almost 60 people in a single week,” Russian experts fear that the steady stream of attacks could signal that the Islamist Chechen insurgent network “may be preparing to launch a new wave of assaults against Russia’s heartland.”
The Obama administration will announce a shift in nuclear-weapons strategy today, making “modest changes to U.S. nuclear forces” that include “narrow[ing] potential U.S. nuclear targets” and “making deterrence of a nuclear strike the ‘sole objective’ of U.S. nuclear weapons.
Economy
The New York Times reports that “the panel established by Congress to investigate the causes of the financial crisis has been hobbled by delays and internal disagreements and a lack of focus.”
The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is “on the cusp” of mandating that all of the GSE’s swap trades go through clearinghouses — instead of one-on-one deals with banks — which “could potentially cut into Wall Street firms’ revenues and generate new business for some firms that run exchanges.”
Treasury Secretary Geithner is in India this week for economic talks. He said that an economic partnership with India “offers ‘huge opportunities’ for both nations as the world recovers” from the current recession.
Immigration
Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and John McCain (R-AZ) questioned the vitality of immigration reform in front of a local business crowd, stating that the “consensus” that underpinned the 2007 immigration bill “has all but evaporated.”
A teenage girl who converted to Christianity and ran away from home is being reportedly blocked by her Muslim parents from fighting the possibility of deportation.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis launched a campaign last week called “We Can Help” in an effort to encourage low-wage and immigrant workers to turn in employers who are shortchanging their pay.
Health Care
A new USA Today/Gallup poll “shows that President Obama continues to ride a surge in approval of his handling of health care reform since helping signing historic health care reform into law last month.”
“Changing rules on flexible spending accounts mean that starting next year, you can use money from an FSA account to pay for eyeglasses or acupuncture but not an aspirin — that is, unless you have a prescription for it.”
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) “is investigating the legislative deals the White House and Democratic leadership cut with special interest groups while crafting the new health care reform law.”
Climate Change
A new study finds that “storms that produce an inch or more of rain in a day — a threshold the recent storm far surpassed — are coming more frequently” to the Northeast, with “really big storms — ones that produce 2 inches or even 4 inches in a 24-hour period” — also coming more frequently as the world warmed, just as scientists have predicted.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) “railed against rising standards for fuel efficiency” near Spring Hill’s idled General Motors factory, and said she would help “bring a new project to Spring Hill” by ” forestalling any cap-and-trade law that would limit carbon emissions.”
“Rescuers found five bodies in a Chinese coal mine Tuesday, a day after bringing out 115 miners alive,” as “teams are still looking for 33 miners at the Wangjialing mine in Shanxi province, which filled with water on March 28, trapping 153 coal miners.”
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