News Nuggets 818

DAYLEE PICTURE: A moss-covered truck in Michigan.  From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT ODD LOCAL NUGGET!!

Cash on Road Poses 'Ethical Nightmare' from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"More than $100,000 fell onto Route 19 from the open back door of a Fidelity Courier Services van transporting cash between two banks on Wednesday afternoon. One bag ruptured, which accounted for the loose bills strewn between Boyce Road and the Washington County line, but most was in plastic packets, which remain missing,"

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Back to our regular nuggets!

The War Against Iran's Nuclear Program has Already Begun (Editorial) from Al Haaretz [of Israel in English]
Explosions, deadly computer viruses and other sorts of 'accidents' - someone is targeting Iran's nuclear project: either the Western intelligence agencies, internal opposition groups, or both."

The Neocon Rush to War Against Iran (Jacob Heilbrunn) from the National Interest
"There is no reason to panic about Tehran. So far, it has been offering its population and the world nothing other than bluff and bombast."

Debasing Nazism (Paul R. Pillar) from the National Interest
"Ahmadinejad is not Hitler. Iran is not Nazi Germany. Neocons and Israeli right-wingers must stop crying wolf."

Markets Focus on Europe, but China May Be Bigger Worry from CNBC
"China's move this week to keep its economy afloat isn't generating the big headlines that Europe's actions got, but is no less important in keeping the world's economic engine churning. While coordinated action by the world's other central banks to enhance liquidity for Europe's banks stole the focus Wednesday, China's decision to cut reserve requirements for banks was even more important, some believe."

Military Non-issue: A General Finds that Gay Troops are No Disruption from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"He candidly told an Associated Press reporter who accompanied him that the repeal has turned out to be "a non-issue." He said he sees no sign of disruption in the ranks, including on the front lines. In Afghanistan, the subject didn't even come up."

For Jobless, Little Hope of Restoring Better Days from the New York Times
"People across the working spectrum suffered job losses in recent years: bricklayers and bookkeepers as well as workers in manufacturing and marketing. But only a select few workers have fully regained their footing during the slow recovery."

Three fracking stories in national forums:
1.  Oil Boom Puts Strain On North Dakota Towns (AUDIO) (John McChesney) from NPR's Morning Edition
""They're consuming all of our resources," he says. "They're consuming all of our people looking for jobs. All the employee base is used up. Our roads system is being used up. All our water is being used up. All our sewage systems are being used up. [They're] overwhelmed. All of our leadership time as local public officials is consumed with this.""

2.  Learning Too Late of the Perils in Gas Well Leases from the New York Times
"Americans have signed millions of leases allowing companies to drill for oil and natural gas on their land in recent years. But some of these landowners — often in rural areas, and eager for quick payouts — are finding out too late what is, and what is not, in the fine print."

3.  Did Fracking Kill Dunkard Creek? from Salon
"After oil and gas extraction arrived in southwest Pennsylvania, a massive fill kill occurred."

The Recession Kids Grow Up: How the Economic Downturn has Shaped Generation Y (Peter Fulham) from Slate
"Perhaps it’s too early to say, but the silver lining of the economic downturn could be that people my age will continue to aspire to the jobs they wanted when they were younger. I hope so. I hope we’ll become workers, teachers, inventors, entrepreneurs, activists, writers. In other words, I hope we’ll become people who actually make things."

Occupy LA Raid: Los Angeles Police Reportedly Went Undercover At Encampment Prior To Raid To Gather Information from the Huffington Post
" Los Angeles police used nearly a dozen undercover detectives to infiltrate the Occupy LA encampment before this week's raid to gather information on protesters' intentions, according to media reports Friday."
No kidding!?  If history is any indicator, local police and/or political and corporate operatives of various stripes were almost certainly working undercover at most of the OWS protests across the US and that they had been there for some time.  When you are committed to torpedoing a left-wing movement such as OWS, that is simply how it is done.  There was ample evidence of all kinds of covert undermining well before the wave of evictions that occurred last week.

Russell Kirk Would Not Recognize These `Conservatives’ (David Jenkins) from the Frum Forum
"Mr. Stephens, in one fell swoop, is equally dismissive of religion and science. What kind of hubris causes one to have no use for either the knowledge gained from empirical evidence or the faith that has pushed mankind to rise above his base instincts? This type of egotism seems to be running rampant among those—particularly in the right-wing media—who profess to be conservative."

Tiny Tim versus the Republicans (Neil Steinberg) from the Chicago Sun-Times
"“Aha, but Scrooge is an individual! We encourage people such as himself to bear the entire burden of helping the less fortunate, while the government is reserved for creating an environment where the Scrooges of the world can earn the biggest fortune possible to spend — or withhold — as they please.” That, basically, was the status quo in Scrooge’s time, when debtors went to jail, children were executed for theft, and society was built along lines that would have brought joy to Ron Paul’s anthracite heart..."

Does the Tea Party Still Matter? (Brian Montopoli) from CBS News
"With disdain for President Obama still strong among Tea Party supporters, it seems unlikely that a significant portion would risk splitting the conservative vote in a way that would help Mr. Obama win a second term. But for a movement that unseated Republican Utah Sen. Bob Bennett in 2010 over what it saw as an unwillingness to stand for conservative principles, the prospect of lining up behind someone like Romney is a bitter pill to swallow."

GOP Governors See Selves as Key to Retaking White House (Caitlin Huey-Burns) from Real Clear Politics
"Several governors described the upcoming presidential election as crucially important in altering the trajectory of this country. And since they can't depend on their colleagues in a dysfunctional Washington, the responsibility for getting a Republican back in the White House on Jan 20, 2013, falls largely on them."
I wouldn't be surprised if those GOP governors DO hold the keys to who wins next year -- although not for the reasons they cite.  I have no small concern about the dominance of GOP governors in old rust belt states (PA, OH, IN, MN, MI, and WI) that Obama really must carry if he is to have any real chance to win next year.  I do not consider myself a conspiracy nut but, as we saw in Ohio in '04 and especially Florida in 2000, when GOP  governors and their officials control the election machinery, extraordinary bulls#$@ happens.

Trump to Moderate Republican Debate from the New York Times
"It’s officially a reality television Republican primary now. Donald Trump is pairing up with Newsmax, the conservative magazine and news Web site, to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines on Dec. 27. "“Our readers and the grass roots really love Trump,” said Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media."
When I saw the headline, I thought it was a joke!  What more evidence do you need to declare that the GOP primary contest has completely jumped the rails!?  A discredited reality show host and a marginal right-wing news rag have enough heft to summon the GOP field to appear on ... wait for it ... the Ion Television Cable Network!  Never heard of it?  Neither have I.  Who will accept the "honor" of appearing for this auspicious event?  If you're Romney, do you go?  If I were on his staff, I would urge double caution -- for the basic reason that Trump is a media-savvy, four-star loose canon. The irony is that, given his poll numbers, Huntsman, the reality-based candidate with real credentials that might warrant being considered for president, may not even get invited!! Ah, but the Huntsman people are already declining the honor ... with a touch of humor!  Good for them.

Instead of Trump's sideshow, we see this:
Huntsman and Gingrich Agree to Debate from CNN
"Two men who would like to unseat long-time New Hampshire front-runner Mitt Romney will sit down for a one-on-one debate in the state later this month. Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich have agreed to a Lincoln-Douglas style match-up, with both participants going head-to-head on a range of issues."
This actually sounds way more interesting.  Newt can more than adequately represent the clown-element in the GOP field -- push the rest of them off the stage -- and let Huntsman represent the more sane but diminishing number of establishment GOPers. You have to say that this is a coup for Huntsman -- who isn't even getting invited to some of the other debates.  One other note: you can bet your booties that the Obama people will be watching to see how they both perform and to see how various arguments and attack lines play.

Mitt Romney's Growing Unpopularity with Republicans from Daily Kos
"The more Republicans get to know Mitt Romney..."

Romney Shows First Signs of Strain from The Hill
"Romney’s strength lies in his ability to stay focused on his economic message and avoid being sucked into other fights. But a series of rare hiccups this week — including a contentious interview with Fox News host Bret Baier and an over-the-top response to Democratic attacks — have shown some cracks in his operation."

The Roots of the Right’s Mitt-phobia (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"The last time conservatives took a chance on a one-time apostate, they got burned."

Mitt vs. Newt (Charles Krauthammer) from the Washington Post
"It’s Iowa minus 32 days, and barring yet another resurrection (or event of similar improbability), it’s Mitt Romney vs. Newt Gingrich. In a match race, here’s the scorecard:..."

Newt Gingrich Surge Strains his Campaign from Politico
"... as Gingrich prepares to do battle with Mitt Romney’s well-funded, national-scale primary campaign, the powerhouse candidate needs an organization to match, and the former House speaker’s mom-and-pop political operation is now rushing to narrow the gap."

The Right Begins to Dissect Gingrich (Jennifer Rubin) from the Washington Post
"Realizing that the White House is certainly obtainable as President Obama’s support continues to erode even within his own party and that Newt Gingrich might not implode all on his own, conservatives stepped forward. None of these are particularly well-disposed to Mitt Romney, but neither are they willing to avert their eyes from the very serious flaw of his latest rival."

Rubio, Republican Dream VP, Won’t Fix Party Woes (Jonathan Alter) from the Bloomberg News Service
"Rubio sits atop the short list. This should have Republicans worried, and not just because Rubio arrived in the Senate less than a year ago and carries the risks of any rookie. He’s been scuffed up in two flaps this year that highlight the complexities of being a minority of an ethnic minority in a party that’s shooting itself in the foot with minorities."

OUTER SPACE NUGGET!!
Hot on Trail of ‘Just Right’ Far-Off Planet from the New York Times
Part of a series, Life Out There: Seeking Out the Goldilocks Zone.  Articles in this series are examining the search for new forms of life in the universe.  In this one, Scientists say they are closing in on finding distant worlds in the habitable zones of their stars."