Migrants and refugees tend to be the first to lose their jobs, in part because "their status is called into question."

A relief worker who recently returned from Pakistan's Swat Valley said the civilians displaced by a government crackdown face "horrible conditions."

Several rulings and policy announcements are effectively rolling back immigration policies initiated by the George W. Bush administration.

"We're very hopeful that significant health reform is going to happen," said Jeff Tieman of the Catholic Health Association.

At a press conference in Washington, D.C., two Congressmen urged Obama to forgo rescinding the Bush administration's conscience-protection regulation.

President Obama's recent proposal to open a new round of nuclear arms reduction talks with Russia has inspired hope among disarmament advocates.