Crows are such being taught such skills as garbage collection. Future plans for crow training include sniffing out valuable metals from waste. See the Helpful Animals Nugget below. From Huffington Post.
Iran Closes Shop from Newsweek
"It was the merchants and shopkeepers who funded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s triumphant return from exile. Now the bazaaris are convinced that Ahmadinejad and his pals in the Revolutionary Guard Corps want to take over their business."
A small news item that may portend big upheavals in Iran.
The Man Who Betrayed Iran to the CIA from the National [of the UAE]
"Reza Kahlili, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps who spied for the US, says ultimately Shahram Amiri, the nuclear scientist who has returned to Iran amid claims he was kidnapped, will be killed."
Wow. Wheels within wheels. This story is too convoluted for me. Further comments on this topic are HERE from Mark Hosenball at Newsweek and HERE from David Sanger at the New York Times.
A Look at the Cost of Afghan War to US Taxpayers from Reuters
"Following are the costs to U.S. taxpayers so far, as well as some of the future funding needed."
More Glimmers of Good News from the New York Times
"Yes, the cap seemed to have at least temporarily helped. Still, times are dreary — in the economy, in the national mood, overseas. Isn’t anything positive happening? We tried hard to find better news out there."
What the Oil Cap Means for Obama (Chris Good) from the Atlantic
"So while the president was, as we could expect him to be, less than effusive when he announced the good news this morning, BP's successful containment is a major event that will likely help his presidency: his biggest shortcoming, in terms of public opinion, has just been capped."
I suspect Good is right here -- and we'll see.
A Spill Into the Psyche, and a Respite from the New York Times
"The deepest damage of the spill may be the loss of confidence in institutions, like the federal government and a multinational oil company that held itself up as a beacon of environmental sensitivity."
Sadly, there may be some truth to this pessimistic perspective.
Beneath Divides Seemingly About Race Are Generational Fault Lines (Matt Bai) from the New York Times
"A sizable percentage of the Tea Party types were born into a segregated America, many of them in the South or in the new working-class suburbs of the North, and lived through the marches and riots that punctuated the cultural and political upheaval of the 1960s."
Our on-the-money pundit for today!
The Do-Nothing Party: Republicans Run Contrary to Public with Desire to Repeal Financial Reform from the Editorial Board of the Las Vegas Sun
"Republican leaders tried to scare the public by claiming that the bill will hurt the economy. Boehner called it a “bad bill” and “ill-conceived.” The following day, he proposed a yearlong moratorium on new federal regulation, saying it would send “a wonderful signal to the private sector that they are going to have some breathing room.” Republican leaders just don’t get it."
The Republican Fight Over Afghanistan from the Daily Beast
"As Hillary Clinton heads to Kabul for an international conference on security, a civil war has erupted in the Republican Party over Afghanistan."
Michael Hirsh discusses similar issues HERE at Newsweek
The Vatican's Woman Crisis (Michelle Goldberg) from the Daily Beast
"Rome's scrambling to undo damage from changes to church law that lumped ordination of women priests with child sex abuse. Michelle Goldberg on the church's other shameful legacy"
Obama Still McCain Campaign Nemesis from Politico
"As he faces a smashmouth Republican primary challenge in the shape of former congressman and radio talk show host J.D. Hayworth, McCain seems to be reliving his 2008 campaign experience – competing with a younger, more charismatic opponent whom he transparently does not like."
Republican Voodoo Put Us on this Path (Froma Harrop) from RealClearPolitics
"While the country is on a bad path, Republican voodoo is what put us on it. Surely, many voters agree with me. That's why these predictions of a Democratic rout in November seem so overwrought. Sure, Democrats will lose seats -- but do the voters want a return to the crazy years?"
How Can Obama Rebound? from the New York Times
"So what does Mr. Obama need to do to shore up his base, woo back independent voters and win a second term? The Op-Ed editors asked political experts to suggest a few plans of attack."
The Top 5 Republicans Who Think The Tea Partiers Are Bad News from TalkingPointsMemo
"Whether it's because they feel liberated (or because, as some tea partiers have suggested, maybe they are liberals at heart), here's TPM's roundup of the Top Five Republicans who have spoken ill of the movement in recent weeks."
Republican Lawmakers Gird for Rowdy Tea Party from Washington Post
"Republican lawmakers see plenty of good in the tea party, but they also see reasons to worry. The movement, which has ignited passion among conservative voters and pushed big government to the forefront of the 2010 election debate, has also stirred quite a bit of controversy."
The Good News About Mel Gibson (Frank Rich) from the New York Times
Does anyone remember 2004? It seems a civilization ago. That less-than-vintage year was in retrospect the nadir of the American war over “values.”
White House Wanderers Tour Acadia from the Morning Sentinel [of Maine]
"Within 40 minutes of arriving on the island, even before making a stop at their hotel -- the Bar Harbor Regency on Route 3 -- the first family went bicycling for more than an hour around Witch Hole Pond in Acadia National Park."
HELPFUL ANIMALS NUGGET!!
Animals Trained to Have Amazing Skills (PHOTOS) from Huffington Post
"Animals can do some pretty neat things. We found that all across the globe amazing animals have been trained to aid society."
FILM NUGGET!!
Orphan Films: Recapturing Lost Snippets of History from Smithsonian Magazine
"Buffs gather from around the world to watch newly uncovered films by the likes of Orson Welles, Henri Cartier-Bresson and others."
BIONIC NUGGET!!
Bionic Legs Let Paralyzed Man Walk Again (VIDEO) from the Huffington Post
"A New Zealand biotech company has developed technology that allows a paralyzed man to walk again."
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