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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

News Nuggets 408

A 3-D image of Warsaw, Poland, in 1945.  See the WWII History/Photography Nugget below.

"A federal judge, ruling on a clash between the federal government and a state over immigration policy, has blocked the most controversial parts of Arizona’s immigration enforcement law from going into effect."

The Mole Who Gave Away Russia's Spies from the Moscow Times [in English]
"Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at The New School in New York, was the academic supervisor of Richard Murphy — one of the spies whose real name is Vladimir Guryev. She wrote in Foreign Policy magazine about how she did a double-take when she met this supposedly Irish-American student with a strong Russian accent. Plus, he had that insolent, downtrodden demeanor that screams, “I was raised in Russia!”"

How to Rebuild Neoconservatism: Palestine (Andrew Sullivan) from the Atlantic
"One of the more appealing aspects of neoconservatism in the wake of 9/11 was its belief - utopian in retrospect, idealist at the time - that the only way past the pathologies of Jihadism was some kind of model Arab democracy that could pave the way for others to follow, thereby draining the Arab desert of the autocracy that breeds terror. "

Security is at Root of GOP Divide (Editorial) from Politico
"The recent intraparty battering of Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele — after his comments that characterized Afghanistan as virtually hopeless and called it “a war of Obama’s choosing” — was really only a sideshow to this bigger story. The last time Republicans were so sharply at odds was the party’s debate with its isolationist wing before World War II. "

"Like a mantra, officials from both the Bush and Obama administrations have trumpeted how the government’s sweeping interventions to prop up the economy since 2008 helped avert a second Depression.  Now, two leading economists wielding complex quantitative models say that assertion can be empirically proved."

"Oil is spewing from a damaged well north of a bay where officials have been fighting the spill from the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard says a tow boat called Pere Ana C. hit the wellhead near Mud Lake early Tuesday. No injuries were reported."

A Mosque Maligned (Robert Wright) from the New York Times
"I'd have thought that opinion leaders of all ideological stripes could reach consensus by applying a basic rule of thumb: Just ask, "What would Osama bin Laden want?" and then do the opposite. Bin Laden would love to be able to say that in America you can build a church or synagogue anywhere you want, but not a mosque."

The Age of Rage (Harris & Vandehei) from Politico
"Here’s the optimistic case: The embarrassment of the Shirley Sherrod story — with its toxic convergence of partisan combat and media recklessness — will be a tipping point. It will remind journalists and politicians alike that personal reputations and professional credibility are at stake, and a bit more restraint and responsibility are in order. Here’s the realistic case: Get ready for more of the same. "

"No, it’s not about slavery; like so much of our politics these days, it’s about Barack Obama."

"We've been through this debate a few times before, but some liberal pundits are reiterating their case for Democrats to end the filibuster, a crusade for which they perceive increased Senatorial support. Here's what they're saying."
Ain't happenin'

"Proponents of filibuster reform moved swiftly on Wednesday to stem speculation that their effort to revamp the rules of the Senate lacks the requisite number of Democratic votes for passage."

Friday's Quiz: the Eminent Historians (Michael Tomasky) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"I have read me some history, as I suspect all of you have, and so today we visit the subject of great works of history. There are of course so many to choose from. In fact there are so many that today's quiz has 12 questions. Eight concern Americans and four Brits. Thinking caps on? Let's do it."

"This may well prove to be another in an ever-expanding series of races where voters are not sold on the Democratic incumbent, but grudgingly stick with them because the Republican nominee fails to be seen as a legitimate alternative. "
New Hampshire is NOT Palin country!

NH-Sen: NH Looking More Competitive from Public Policy Polling
"Kelly Ayotte's seen her appeal to moderate voters crumble in the wake of her endorsement by Sarah Palin and her lead over Paul Hodes has shrunk to its lowest level of any public polling in 2010- she has a 45-42 advantage over him, down from 47-40 in an April PPP poll."

BIOLOGY NUGGET!!
Adventures in Very Recent Evolution from the New York Times
"In the last few years, biologists peering into the human genome have found evidence of recent natural selection."

HAPPY NUGGET!!
The Ten Happiest Places in the World (Photos) from the Huffington Post
"Whether it's gorgeous beaches and natural scenery or spotless cities influenced by various cultural and ethnic backgrounds, this list covers the interests of every mirth-seeking traveler. So if happiness is what you seek, take a look through these magnificent locations and see what they have to offer."

WWII HISTORY/PHOTOGRAPHY NUGGET!!
"The plane slowly descends from white clouds and sweeps over a panorama of a city destroyed by the Nazis: the skeletons of bombed bridges jutting from a quiet river, the empty walls of burned-out houses, the Jewish ghetto totally flattened.  It is Warsaw in the spring of 1945, just after World War II."

HIGHER ED NUGGET!!
What's Wrong With the American University System (Jennifer Rothenberg Gritz) from the Atlantic
A review of the provocative book, Higher Education?, an attack on our current system of colleges and universities.

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