News Nuggets 456

A common kingfisher in Warsaw, Poland.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

Taliban Elite, Aided by NATO, Join Talks for Afghan Peace from the New York Times
"Talks to end the war in Afghanistan involve extensive, face-to-face discussions with Taliban commanders from the highest levels of the group’s leadership, who are secretly leaving their sanctuaries in Pakistan with the help of NATO troops, officials here say."

Has the US Turned the Corner on Afghanistan? from the Diplomat
"after long resisting the idea of direct talks with the Taliban leadership, sometime over the summer, the Obama administration reversed course. ‘This is the way you end insurgencies,’ said General David Petraeus."

Stepped-up U.S. Operations in Pakistan Taking Serious Toll on Al Qaeda, CIA Chief Says from the Los Angeles Times
"The stepped-up pace of CIA operations in Pakistan "is taking a serious toll" on Al Qaeda's operational abilities, CIA Director Leon E. Panetta said Tuesday."

Just Knock It Off (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times
"Israel today really is behaving like a spoiled child. Please spare me the nonsense that President Obama is anti-Israel. … It is a measure of how spoiled Israel has become that after billions and billions of dollars in U.S. aid and 300,000 settlers already ensconced in the West Bank, Israel feels no compunction about spurning an American request for a longer settlement freeze — the only purpose of which is to help the United States help Israel reach a secure peace with the Palestinians."

France in 'Chaos' from The Week
"Gas stations are shut. Stores are out of food. Rioters are clashing with police. Why is France in such disarray?"

Resets and Spheres of Influence (Ted Galen Carpenter) from the National Interest
"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice famously (or infamously) insisted that the concept of a sphere of influence was both obsolete and pernicious. But that viewpoint is dangerously erroneous. The tensions between the United States and Russia and those between the United States and China confirm that point."

Military to Accept Openly Gay Recruits from USA Today
"Openly gay recruits can now join the military as a result of a federal court ruling striking down the "don't ask, don't tell" law, but they are being warned that they can still be discharged if the ruling is overturned."

Democrats Pin Hopes on Obama (Gerald Seib) from the Wall Street Journal
"Democrats are riding the back of President Barack Obama in a last-lap attempt to contain damage in the midterm elections, and for good reason: Bruised though he may be, the president remains the best asset Democrats have."

The Tea Party Will Prove Transient (Michael Lind) from the Financial Times [of London]
"Major losses for the Democrats in November’s mid-term elections are widely expected, with Republicans predicted to recapture at least the House of Representatives. No matter what the final tally is, instant analysis will proclaim that American politics has been transformed by the Tea Party movement. But the instant analysis will be wrong."
I so rarely like anything written by Lind -- so this was something of a surprise - because I share his sentiment about the Tea Party.

PA-Sen: Sestak Surging in Pennsylvania from National Journal
"Pennsylvania's Senate race, which only two weeks ago seemed irretrievably lost for Democrats, is suddenly a wellspring of hope after an independent poll unveiled late Tuesday showed Rep. Joe Sestak (D) leading by 3 points over former Rep. Pat Toomey."

EDUCATION NUGGET!!
Teaching Teachers (Op-ed) from the Los Angeles Times
"As educators struggle with the issue of teacher improvement, a program in Tennessee shows that struggling teachers can gain a lot from watching great teachers in action."

AUTOMOTIVE NUGGET!!
2025: A Lot of Old People on the Road from the New York Times "Room for Debate" section
"The number of drivers over 70 will triple in the next 20 years. How will they stay safe and mobile?"

ANCIENT EGYPT NUGGET!!
Egypt Priest's Tomb Found Near Pyramids from National Geographic News
"A painting on the wall of a newfound Egyptian tomb shows the occupant, Rudj-Ka, and his wife. Rudj-Ka probably lived during the end of ancient Egypt's 5th dynasty, roughly 4,350 years ago, archaeologists say"

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY NUGGET!!
The Ice Man Cometh - to take Some Photos: Meet the Photographer who Documents the Eerie World Beneath the Glaciers from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"These are the amazing pictures from the 'Ice Man' - a frosty photographer who is prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to capture the perfect picture.  Eric Guth is the real life Jack Frost spending days hiding out in some of the world's most spectacular glacier caves."