ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

August 1, 2013 (San Diego's East County) --ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• 80 percent of adults in U.S. face near poverty, unemployment survey finds (CBS)
• 5 million could be kicked off food stamps under Republican cuts (Think Progress)
• More than 1,700 U.S. cities will be partially underwater by 2010 (Guardian)
• House passes bills to rein in IRS (The Hill)
• Congress approves student loan plan (Washington Post)
• Bradley Manning faces 136 years in prison (ABC News)
• FAA certifies first 2 drones for domestic flight (U-T San Diego)
• Halliburton admits destroying Gulf oil spill evidence  (USA Today)
• Legal Battles Increase Over Pipeline Projects (NPR)
• Perseid meteor shower: Coming soon to a sky near you (CS Monitor)
• Diverse Coalition Fights FCC Plan To Sell Wireless Airwaves (NPR)

INTERNATIONAL

• Gay athletes could be prosecuted at 2014 Olympics, Russian Lawmaker says (ABC)
• Death toll from Pakistan marketplace bombs now 57 (U-T San Diego)
• Egypt protesters defy cabinet threat  (BBC)
• Pope Francis on gays: “Who am I to judge?” (CNN)

Click “read more” and scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories.

U.S.

80 percent of adults in U.S. face near poverty, unemployment survey finds (CBS)

Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream. Survey data exclusive to The Associated Press points to an increasingly globalized U.S. economy, the widening gap between rich and poor, and the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs as reasons for the trend.

5 million could be kicked off food stamps under Republican cuts (Think Progress)

Food stamp cuts proposed by Republicans could boot over 5 million people off of the program and create health problems that would cost the country more than the cuts save, according to a new analysis by the Health Impact Project.  If Congress cuts $20.5 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as the initial House farm bill would have done, “as many as 5.1 million people could lose eligibility for the program,” the report found. The vast majority of those affected – 83 percent – already live below the poverty line. On average, losing SNAP benefits would slice the group’s incomes by 38 percent.

More than 1,700 U.S. cities will be partially underwater by 2010 (Guardian)

More than 1,700 American cities and towns – including Boston, New York, and Miami – will have significant populations living below the high-water mark by the end of this century, a new climate change study has found….. But dramatic cuts in emissions – much greater than Barack Obama and other world leaders have so far agreed – could save nearly 1,000 of those towns, by averting the sea-level rise, the study fund.

House passes bills to rein in IRS (The Hill)

The House on Wednesday passed a series of bills to rein in what Republicans say is an Internal Revenue Service gone wild, including one that would make it easier to fire agency workers who inject politics into the job of tax enforcement.

Congress approves student loan plan (Washington Post)

The millions of college students and parents who will borrow money from the federal government for the coming school year can plan on much lower interest rates than originally offered, as the U.S. House overwhelmingly voted 392 to 31 on Wednesday to approve a Senate plan that would allow interest rates to move with the financial markets.

Bradley Manning faces 136 years in prison (ABC News)

Bradley Manning, the source of one of WikiLeak's largest disclosures of U.S. secrets, was found guilty of most of the charges against him today, but not the most serious charge of aiding the enemy.

FAA certifies first 2 drones for domestic flight (U-T San Diego)

Federal regulators say they have certified two types of unmanned aircraft for civilian use, a milestone expected to lead to the first approved commercial drone operations later this summer.

Halliburton admits destroying Gulf oil spill evidence  (USA Today)

 Halliburton Energy Services has admitted destroying evidence in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and will plead guilty to criminal charges, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Legal Battles Increase Over Pipeline Projects (NPR)

The controversial Keystone XL project is just one of many pipelines planned amid a domestic oil

and gas drilling boom. Apart from the obvious environmental debates, drawn-out court battles between oil companies and landowners are becoming another big issue in the pipeline industry

Perseid meteor shower: Coming soon to a sky near you (CS Monitor)

The annual Perseid meteor shower is beloved by everyone from meteor enthusiasts to summer campers, and 2013 will be an excellent one for the Perseids. The moon will set before midnight on the peak nights of Aug. 11 and 12, meaning dark skies for prospective observers.... / Summertime meteors, occasionally flitting across your line of sight, are especially noticeable between mid-July and the third week of August. Between Aug. 3 and 15, there are no fewer than six different active minor displays.

Diverse Coalition Fights FCC Plan To Sell Wireless Airwaves (NPR)

If all goes according to plan, sometime next year the Federal Communications Commission will auction off a chunk of the airwaves to wireless carriers. It promises to provide greatly improved service for smartphones and other wireless devices, as well as raise billions of dollars for the federal government. The auction could also create serious problems for businesses which depend on wireless microphones and intercoms, like professional football, mega-churches and Broadway

INTERNATIONAL

Gay athletes could be prosecuted at 2014 Olympics, Russian Lawmaker says (ABC)

In Russia it is now illegal to even speak about homosexuality around minors, much less openly display gay pride.

Death toll from Pakistan marketplace bombs now 57 (U-T San Diego)

Officials say the death toll from a pair of overnight bombings at a busy market in a Shiite-dominated region of northern Pakistan has risen to 57.

Egypt protesters defy cabinet threat  (BBC)

Supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi continue their sit-ins despite a fresh warning from the military-backed cabinet.

Pope Francis on gays: “Who am I to judge?” (CNN)

Pope Francis said Monday that he will not "judge" gays and lesbians - including gay priests - signaling a shift from his predecessor and offering another sign that the new pope is committed to changing the church's approach to historically marginalized groups. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis said in a wide-ranging news conference aboard the papal plane