A Red Panda native to southwest China. From National Geographic.
UP-FRONT ECONOMY NUGGET!!
Behind a Rise in Auto Sales, Easier Credit from the New York Times
"Wall Street’s loan packaging business has once again become a crucial engine for supplying money to auto and credit card lenders — and it is happening much faster than most economists had predicted."
For those out there (liberals included) who slammed Obama for bailing out the auto companies, this is a must-read. This lengthy front-page story from yesterday tells an extraordinary story of success!
KEY LIBYAN HISTORY NUGGET!!
In U.S.-Libya Nuclear Deal, a Qaddafi Threat Faded Away (David Sanger) from the New York Times
"Today, with father and son preparing for a siege of Tripoli, the success of a joint American-British effort to eliminate Libya’s capability to make nuclear and chemical weapons has never, in retrospect, looked more important."
Can you imagine what Gaddafi would be doing to these protesters if he still had these weapons programs?
Libya Unrest: the Net Closes in on Tripoli from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Two high-risk rescue missions by British forces have evacuated 300 foreign nationals from oil fields in the desert as more towns fall to rebel control."
After Gaddafi: How Does a Country Recover from 40 Years of Destruction by an Unchallenged Tyrant? from Newsweek
"As we watch that country become a patchwork of liberated zones and violently defended redoubts of the regime, we should be concerned about what a post-Gaddafi transition will mean, given the fact that the man has hollowed out the Libyan state, eviscerated all opposition in Libyan society, and, in effect, created a political tabula rasa on which a newly free people will now have to scratch out a future. … Events in the eastern city of Benghazi, where the local population has spontaneously started to clean up the debris left by recent battles, give one hope that this traumatized country can still pull together while avoiding worse bloodshed."
Roadblocks, Looting, Riots Hit Sleepy Sultanate of Oman from AOL News
"Omani protesters demanding better jobs and political reforms clashed with the country's vaunted security forces on Sunday. There were reports of up to six people dead in the northern industrial town of Sohar, even though Oman's health minister said only one died. Oman is a staunch U.S. ally, with strategic importance. It lies next to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical entryway into the Persian Gulf, where about a fifth of the world's oil supply passes through."
Muslim Uprisings Spell End of 'Our Sons of Bitches' (Editorial) from Vedomosti [from Russia in English]
"The dissatisfied, it turned out, can organize very quickly; and secular authoritarian regimes, it seems, have nothing to answer them with. For the West and Russia, the conclusion is that 'our sons of bitches' have lost their last competitive advantage - predictability. Betting on such regimes has become too risky."
What the Arab Papers Say from the Economist [of London]
"Arab commentators have been scrutinising those who have supported Mr Qaddafi over the years, wondering what can be done to prevent further violence and asking and how the various Arab revolutions will cope with challenges of making the transition to democracy. "
The EU has Failed the Arab World from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"For decades, Europe propped up dictators in North Africa in the interest of stability. Now the EU is struggling to respond to the wave of popular uprisings in the region. Its tardy response to the violence in Libya shows just how divided the bloc is."
Well-Oiled Security Apparatus in China Stifles Calls for Change from the New York Times
"The government is using repression and incentives to prevent a challenge similar to those in the Middle East."
Oh, What a Lucky Man (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"When an officer was commended to his attention, Napoleon is reported to have inquired: “Is he lucky?” Luck is half the game. It’s no good having it and being incapable of using it. On the other hand, great striving may come to naught without luck. My sense is that President Barack Obama is a lucky man."
I agree with Cohen for the most part -- but I would tweak his observation. In my view, Obama conducts himself and leads a life which INVITES luck in. In contrast, W conducted himself and lead a life which relied too much on luck … and at critical times it turned away.
No Government Shutdown (John Dickerson) from Slate
"Why Republicans and Democrats will work to avoid the crisis before Friday."
The DOMA Decision: Obama’s Action was Not Unprecedented, but it was still Nothing less than Bold (Walter Dellinger) from the New Republic
"While such an action is not unprecedented (the Clinton administration announced it would not defend a law ousting all HIV-positive individuals from the military), it’s only been about once a decade since World War II that the executive branch has declined to defend an act passed by Congress."
GOP Reality Check: Obama Looking Tougher to Beat in 2012 from Politico
"Just four months after posting historic election gains, Republicans are experiencing a reality check about 2012: President Barack Obama is going to be a lot tougher to defeat than he looked late last year."
The Huntsman Walk (Ryan Lizza) from the New Yorker
"The fallout from Huntsman’s adventure in a Beijing market clotted with protesters raises an interesting question: What if, in his last two months before he leaves his Beijing post, Huntsman provoked some sort of diplomatic row that emphasized an ideological split with the President? What if he demanded that Obama give more aid and support to the pro-democracy movement? That could certainly make some waves in Iowa."
Rachel Maddow Seizes Her Moment at Post-Keith Olbermann MSNBC (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast
"Keith Olbermann's sudden departure from MSNBC has created the biggest challenge of Rachel Maddow's broadcasting career—becoming the face of a cable network at an uncomfortable crossroads."
Roger Ailes to be Indicted (Barry Ritzholtz) from the Big Picture
"It appears that Roger’s people, ostensibly using a clause in his contract, said he “cannot appear for legal reasons.” I asked “What, precisely, does that mean?” The response: “Roger Ailes will be indicted — probably this week, ...”"
I am not familiar with this site -- but there were rumblings in many liberal blogs to this effect at the end of last week. We shall see.
LOCAL ENVIRONMENT NUGGET!!
Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers from the New York Times
"But the relatively new drilling method — known as high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking — carries significant environmental risks. It involves injecting huge amounts of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, at high pressures to break up rock formations and release the gas."
CENTRAL AMERICA ARCHEOLOGY NUGGET!!
Maya Kings and Their Ancestors from the New York Times
"Two early test excavations by the Harvard project had shown substantial Preclassic construction layers. It turned out that the East Court was indeed the royal palace during the last years of Ceibal. We found a magnificent building with a throne room and a painted stucco facade flanking two other buildings in the courtyard."
DOG-IS-A-MAN'S-BEST-FRIEND NUGGET!!
Prehistoric Dog Lived, Died Among Humans from Discovery News
"Remains of the Husky-like dog, buried 7,000 years ago in Siberia, suggest people saw it as a thinking, social being."
No comments:
Post a Comment