News Nuggets 342

Some special Mothers Day photos. See the Mothers Day Nugget below. From Huffington Post

On Track on Foreign Policy (Warren Christopher) from the Los Angeles Times

"The president has seen some successes as he takes on challenges such as nuclear weapons, the Israel-Palestinian conflict and U.S.-Russia relations."

The Infrastructure of Jihad (editorial) from Dawn [of Pakistan in English]

"From the moment the world saw footage of the SUV belching smoke in Times Square, you just knew that it was going to be a Pakistani."

Terrorism’s Supermarket: Why Pakistan Keeps Exporting Jihad (Fareed Zakaria) from Newsweek

"Pakistan remains a terrorist hothouse even as jihadism is losing favor elsewhere in the Muslim world. ... Why not in Pakistan? The answer is simple: from its founding, the Pakistani government has supported and encouraged jihadi groups, creating an atmosphere that has allowed them to flourish. It appears to have partially reversed course in recent years, but the rot is deep."

Containing Terror (Philip Mudd) from Newsweek

"Like communism during the Cold War, terrorism is a social movement that must be held in check."

US, Russia March in Post-Soviet Step (Editorial) from Asia Times

"The political symbolism cannot entirely be lost when the Kremlin ramparts resonate with the march of American troops and Vladimir Lenin's mausoleum bears mute witness. The point is that while the 50th and 60th Victor Day anniversaries occurred in the post-Cold War era, they saw no such "allied" parades."

Here's the New York Times' take on the same event HERE.

US Nuke Agenda May Bring Success at Treaty Session from the Associated Press via RealClearWorld

"President Barack Obama's arms control agenda may be setting the U.S. up for success at Iran's expense at the twice-a-decade conference reviewing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)."

Full Disclosure: Why President Obama Revealed How Many Weapons are in the U.S. Nuclear Stockpile (Fred Kaplan) from Slate

"In an underreported bit of news this week, the Obama administration revealed how many weapons are in the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The number, which until now has been classified, turns out to be 5,113. Two reasonable reactions to this disclosure might be: Why was this number classified in the fist place? And why the hell do we need 5,113 nuclear warheads? It's a good bet that President Barack Obama meant to prompt precisely these responses."

Greek Parliament Passes Austerity Measures from the New York Times

"With protesters gathering outside Parliament’s doors, the measure’s passage stirred immediate concerns about a long summer of social unrest that could undermine the government’s resolve, push the already devastated Greek economy into deeper recession and put the $140 billion rescue package in jeopardy."

A Misleading Jobless Rate (David Leonhardt) from the New York Times

"Pay no attention to the unemployment rate — that is, if you’re trying to make sense of today’s jobs report. It is an excellent report."

Leonhardt says more about this HERE.

The Politics of Disaster from the Economist [of London]

"Barack Obama has had a good spill so far. But his energy policy is now a mess."

Bubble of Methane Triggered Rig Blast from the Associated Press

"The deadly blowout of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico was triggered by a bubble of methane gas that escaped from the well and shot up the drill column, expanding quickly as it burst through several seals and barriers before exploding, according to interviews with rig workers conducted during BP's internal investigation."

As a Supreme Court Nominee, Kagan Could be Hard to Hit (Chris Good) from the Atlantic

"Solicitor General Elena Kagan is reportedly the overwhelming frontrunner to be picked by President Obama as his next Supreme Court nominee. And if she is selected, conservatives could find it tough to mount an attack on her. "

The Backlash Begins in AZ from the Economist [of London]

"The Latino movement usually grows by spurts in response to xenophobic overreactions by conservative America, and the Arizona law may be the biggest overreaction yet, according to Mr Gonzalez. It has “done more to organise our community than we could have done” and made it “the most vibrant social movement in America today, 100 times larger than the tea-party movement.”"

Boy, that didn't take long!

Pelosi: The Campaign Boss (Richard Cohen) from the National Journal

"Although her legislative achievements may, by her own design, receive more attention, Pelosi has impressive credentials as a political tactician and campaign boss."

Exciting Polling News This Morning (Chris Bowers) at OpenLeft

"This election cycle has largely been a frustrating one for the progressive poll watcher, as Republicans have slowly made gains over the past year. This morning, however, actually brings some good news."

Tea Party's Electoral Debut Proves a Bust from the Associated Press

"Mark the first round down, shakily, for Republican incumbents and party establishment favorites. Tea party-backed challengers and other outsiders were shut out in competitive House and Senate primaries across three states on Tuesday night, the busiest night so far in an election season of optimism for Republicans."

I wonder if this lack of Tea Party success will further dampen their enthusiasm as the year progresses. So far, they have yet to elect someone who is truly "like them."

The Tea Party Jacobins (Mark Lilla) from the New York Review of Books

"The populist insurgency is being choreographed as an upsurge from below against just about anyone thought to be above, Democrats and Republicans alike. It was galvanized by three things: a financial collapse that robbed millions of their homes, jobs, and savings; the Obama administration’s decision to pursue health care reform despite the crisis; and personal animosity toward the President himself (racially tinged in some regions) stoked by the right-wing media. But the populist mood has been brewing for decades for reasons unrelated to all this."

Trying to Overturn Race (Charles Blow) from the New York Times

"The Tea Party is a Frankenstein movement — an odd collection of factions, loosely stitched together, where the head, to the extent that it exists, fails to control the body."

MOTHER'S DAY NUGGET!!

Animal Mothers and Babies: PHOTOS from National Geographic News

HERE's another photo tribute at Discovery News.

WILD ANIMAL NUGGET!!

Salati the Leopard and Tommy the Dog Who Are the Best of Friends from the Daily Mail [of the UK]

"Salati, a ten-month-old leopard, and her best friend, golden retriever Tommy, like nothing more than to run amok before settling down for a friendly cuddle. The odd couple were reared together at Glen Afric Country Lodge near Pretoria in South Africa."

WORLD WAR II NUGGET!!

Archival Discovery Reveals a Ruined Berlin from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]

"Forgotten for decades, a trove of post-war photographs from 1945 has recently been unearthed. The snapshots illustrate the devastation of the German capital and capture the desperation of the city in the weeks after the end of World War II. They also show glimpses of Berlin's resilience."

Spectacular images!!