Richard Holbrooke Dies: Veteran U.S. Diplomat Brokered Dayton Peace Accords (Rajiv Chandrasekaran) from the Washington Post
"Longtime U.S. diplomat Richard C. Holbrooke, whose relentless prodding and deft maneuvering yielded the 1995 Dayton peace accords that ended the war in Bosnia - a success he hoped to repeat as President Obama's chief envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan - died Monday in Washington of complications from surgery to repair a torn aorta. He was 69."
Some good reflections on the his life and career come from Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times and Richard Cohen of the Washington Post.
Stockholm Bombing: Why was Sweden Targeted? from The Week
"The Scandinavian country is rattled by its first suicide bombing. What have the Swedes done to provoke Islamic terrorists?"
Moscow Clashes Put Authorities in a Quandary from the Washington Post
"Street melees here over the past few days, sparked by the killing of a soccer fan and fueled by nationalists' hatred of immigrants from the Caucasus, have caught the police and other authorities unprepared for an upsurge of rage that appears to reflect a larger sense of anger in Russian society."
America Should Give Assange a Medal (Gideon Rachman) from the Financial Times [of London]
"…many Americans want to see Julian Assange locked up. Instead, they should give the man a medal. Of course, it is embarrassing and awkward to have all these secret diplomatic cables published. Mr Assange certainly seems to be no fan of the US. Nonetheless, he and WikiLeaks have done America a massive favour, by inadvertently debunking decades-old conspiracy theories about its foreign policy."
Report: Grand Jury Meeting in Assange Case (Justin Elliott) from Salon
"This report from Julian Assange's attorney, if accurate, marks a major escalation in the Obama administration's war on WikiLeaks:"
Several interesting, on-point commentaries on the health care court decision yesterday:
District Court Rules Against Individual Mandate (Jed Lewison) from Daily Kos
"Essentially, the Court ruled as follows:
• That the imposition of an individual mandate to purchase private insurance went beyond Congress' historic Commerce Clause power, which is not extended by the existence of the Necessary and Proper Clause
• That the mandate could not be reframed as a "tax," as it was not designed to raise revenue but rather to penalize behavior.
• That the individual mandate was severable from the remainder of the law, and therefore the entirety of HCR won't be struck down.
• Moreover, that there was no compelling reason to block other enforcement of HCR in the interim, as the case makes its way through the courts."
Americans Care About Creating Jobs, Not Cutting Spending (Jed Lewison) from Daily Kos
Interesting polling responses to what's most important now and how to deal with the deficit.
Is the Hudson Ruling Good News for Health Reform? (Ezra Klein) from the Washington Post
"District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson, a George W. Bush appointee, has, as expected, ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional. So why are health reformers so unexpectedly pleased? There are two reasons, but first, let's put this into context."
The GOP's Self-Destructive Jihad Against Healthcare Reform (Andrew Leonard) from Salon
"A judge rules part of the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Republicans should be careful what they wish for"
What Happens When the Jobless Give Up? (Nina Easton) from Fortune Magazine
"What happens to a nation's collective psyche when millions of once-productive people remain out of work for months or even years? What happens when unemployed husbands resign themselves to relying on a wife's income, when unemployed wives feel trapped at home, when twenty- and thirtysomethings calculate that they'd rather live off their parents than face a cut-throat job market, when middle-aged men and women stop searching for jobs after realizing they're hopelessly lost in a haze of rapid-fire technological change?"
Pundits: Tax Cut Deal a Political Victory for Obama (Max Fisher) from the Atlantic
"Here's what people are saying--despite the first bit of liberal outrage, many think Obama may come out on top."
Tax Fight on the Right? Not all Republicans Support the Tax Deal with Obama (Robert Costa) from National Review
"Clinton’s comments hint at growing discontent on the right over the deal, which was brokered by Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell. While a broad swath of the GOP has backed the compromise, conservative lawmakers appear to be proceeding uneasily"
What if Rank and File Dems Strongly Support Tax Cut Deal? (Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"…two new polls out today do seem to confirm that rank and file Democratic voters strongly support the compromise, putting them at odds with Congressional Dems and left-leaning critics in the media."
Inside the GOP 'Civil War': Four Fierce Conflicts from The Week
"It didn't take long for Republican unity to break down after the party's historic victory in the midterms."
Why the GOP Clings to Illusions (Daniel Larson) from The Week
"Many Republicans believe things about Barack Obama that are obviously false. Here's why."
INTER-GALACTIC NUGGET!!
Planet Bling: Red-hot world discovered that could be covered with mountains made from diamonds from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
Astronomers have discovered that a huge, searing-hot planet orbiting another star could be covered in mountains made of diamonds. The planet, a gas giant named WASP-12b, contains an unusual amount of carbon making it the first 'carbon-rich' world ever observed.
FUTURISTIC NUGGET!!
Holidays of the Future: A Glimpse at How Tourists Might Travel in 2030 from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"Like cruise ships in the sky, the 'zero-impact' floating holiday resorts would have bars and restaurants on board and could glean energy from the surrounding natural elements to power them from resort to resort. A special airship garden would even provide fresh fruit for the rooms."
AFRICAN AMERICAN NUGGET!!
Black Segregation in US Drops to Lowest in a Century from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"America's neighborhoods became more integrated last year than during any time in at least a century as a rising black middle class moved into fast-growing white areas in the South and West."
HOLIDAY NUGGET!!
Seven Simple Practices to Really Enjoy the Holidays (James Baraz) from the Huffington Post
"To really enjoy the holidays, it's helpful to understand that true well-being is directly related to how contracted or open your mind feels. Contraction means stress. Openness allows you and others to feel your care and love. For true well-being, try these simple practices that will keep you connected to healthy mind states and help you really enjoy the holidays:"
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