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Thursday, May 27, 2010

News Nuggets 360

A South American Sea Lion in an aquarium in Tokyo.


UP-FRONT GOOD NEWS!!

'Top Kill' Effort Succeeds in Blocking Oil Leak, Coast Guard Admiral Says from the Los Angeles Times

"Thad Allen, who is coordinating the government response, says the well still has low pressure, but cement will be used to cap the well permanently as soon as the pressure hits zero."

We'll see if this story-line holds up. There is a lot of skepticism about this procedure and its workability at 5,000 feet. Let's hope it's true. UPDATE: the Times-Picayune is reporting the same story HERE.


Iran Nuclear Standoff: The Fog of Sanctions (Editorial) from World Politics Review

"No less perilous than the "fog of war" that besets generals, the "fog of sanctions" prevents pundits and politicians from having a clear view of the power and potential of this draft document (.pdf), which may be the strongest set of smart sanctions ever developed by the Security Council. "


It's Lehman the Sequal, with Merkel as Bush (Editorial) from the Times [of London]

"The big lesson of the financial crisis was that no bank must be allowed to fail. The same applies now to Greece."


Europe's Burqa Rage (Michael Gerson) from RealClearPolitics

"The real purpose of burqa bans is to assert European cultural identity -- secular, liberal and individualistic -- at the expense of a visible, traditional religious minority. A nation such as France, proudly relativistic on most issues, is convinced of its cultural superiority when it comes to sexual freedom. A country of topless beaches considers a ban on excessive modesty."


Obama's Pre-Emptive Doctrine (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic

"It's a pre-emption strategy of sorts, but not one that relies on projecting overwhelming military force. Indeed, the belief inside the administration is that a strategy that starts out by bragging about the continued dominance of the U.S. military invites the sort of opposition that the declaration is intended to ward off. "


CBO: Economic Effects of Stimulus Bigger Than Projected from the Wall Street Journal [Subscription needed for full text]

"The $800 billion U.S. stimulus package has had a slightly bigger effect on the U.S. economy than was projected."


Democrats Claim Votes Are There to Nix 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' from The Hill

"Lawmakers and gay-rights activists predicted Wednesday that both the Senate and House will have enough votes to repeal the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law. Legislation to scrap the ban on openly gay service members in the military is expected to clear a major hurdle Thursday in the Senate Armed Services Committee."


GOP Gears Up for Fight Over Gays in the Military from Roll Call

"Opponents of overturning the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy are cranking up their rhetoric and threatening roadblocks on multiple fronts, including what promises to be a fierce Senate floor fight, as the tide appears to be turning against them."


Urban Native Americans Say Arizona Law Will Target Them from the Navajo Times

"Both typically have dark hair and brown skin. Some have accents when they speak. It is the shared characteristics that have some Native Americans worried about being targeted under Arizona's controversial new immigration law."


Justice Department Poised to Challenge Arizona Immigration Law from the Los Angeles Times

"Nine police chiefs meet with Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to tell him the measure would hinder local law enforcement and ask that the Obama administration block it."


First Thoughts: GOP and Immigration (Chuck Todd et al.) from MSNBC

"Bad news for GOP in NBC/MSNBC/Telemundo poll on immigration… The poll shows that Latino voters are swinging widely for the Democrats, while their support for the GOP is dropping like a rock… Has the GOP learned the Pete Wilson lesson?"


Sister Margaret's Choice (Nicholas Kristof) from New York Times

"We finally have a case where the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy is responding forcefully and speedily to allegations of wrongdoing. But the target isn’t a pedophile priest. Rather, it’s a nun who helped save a woman’s life. Doctors describe her as saintly."


Harry Reid's Re-Election Hopes on the Rise in Nevada (Jay Newton-Small) from Time Magazine

"Reid has risen in the polls from lows in the mid-30s in January to the low-40s now, though he still trails all three of his potential opponents. But a silver lining for him has been the disarray in the June 8 GOP primary race."


Blumenthal Shows Why We're Still Fighting the Vietnam War from the Christian Science Monitor

"The Vietnam War – like the Civil War – probably won’t be over until the last vet checks out. And even then, it’ll keep being argued by the remnant of the baby-boom generation. For men especially, the question remains: “What did you do in the war?”"


The Sestak Affair: High Crimes or Politics as Usual? (Joe Conason) from Salon

"Right-wing pundits claim the alleged White House offer was criminal. But nonpartisan lawyers disagree."


ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!!

Divers Explore Sunken Ruins of Cleopatra's Palace from Discovery News

"Many archaeological sites have been destroyed by man, but Alexandria's Royal Quarters simply slid into the sea after cataclysmic earthquakes."


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