Monitor Daily News Briefing - September 5, 2013

September 05, 2013 - Daily News Briefing

President Obama is clearly struggling with Syria policy.

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President Obama’s request for speedy congressional backing of a military strike in Syria advanced in the Senate on Wednesday, hours after the commander in chief left open the possibility he would order retaliation for a deadly chemical weapons attack even if Congress withheld its approval. The authorization measure, which cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a 10-to-7 vote, was altered at the last minute to support “decisive changes to the present military balance of power” in Syria’s civil war. It would rule out US combat operations on the ground.

The man serving a life prison term for kidnapping three women and repeatedly raping them in his home for nearly a decade has been found dead and is believed to have committed suicide, a prison official said. Ariel Castro was found hanging in his cell at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, located south of Columbus in central Ohio, a corrections spokeswoman said early Wednesday.

US competitiveness among global economies is rising again after four years of decline, though northern European countries continue to dominate the rankings published annually by the World Economic Forum. In its latest survey, released Wednesday, the Forum ranked the US – the world’s largest economy – in fifth place for overall competitiveness, up from seventh last year.

The Vatican is ramping up its opposition to threatened military strikes against Syria as it draws attention to Pope Francis’s plans to host a day of fasting and prayer for peace this weekend. In recent speeches, tweets, and remarks, the pope has called for a negotiated settlement in Syria but has also condemned the use of chemical weapons.

The International Monetary Fund approved a $6.7 billion loan for Pakistan on Wednesday in an effort to help the strategic country stave off an economic crisis. To secure the loan, Pakistan had to commit to changes in the economy designed to increase growth and improve financial stability.

The Obama administration said Wednesday it will stop enforcing a law that blocks benefits to partners of military veterans in same-sex marriages. In a letter to congressional leaders, Attorney General Eric Holder said that a provision in federal law on benefits to veterans and their families defines “spouse” to mean a person of the opposite sex. He says that definition leaves out legally married same-sex couples, and runs afoul of a June Supreme Court ruling.

A later start to the school day in the US could help teenagers get the most from their classroom time and local districts should consider delaying the first bell, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday. School districts would still be free to set their own start times, Duncan said in a broadcast interview, but he pointed to research that backs up his comments that rested students are ready students. ”There’s lots of research and common sense that lots of teens struggle to get up ... to get on the bus,” he said.

Compiled from wire service reports

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