News Nuggets 933

DAYLEE PICTURE: A field on the east coast of Scotland.  From National Geographic.

Iran’s Limited Escape Options (Karim Sadjadpour) from the Washington Post  
"Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has never been a gambling man. Since becoming “supreme leader” of Iran in 1989, he’s sought to preserve the status quo by eschewing transformative decisions. But as unprecedented political and economic pressures — including sanctions against Iran’s central bank and the European Union oil embargo — increasingly push his back against the wall, Khamenei seemingly has two paths to deliverance: a nuclear compromise or a nuclear weapon. Each could be perilous for him; both would be transformative for Iran."

A Ticking Clock on Syria (Doyle McManus) from the Los Angeles Times 
"Although the Obama administration still hopes to avoid military intervention in Syria and is publicly backing a U.N. effort to broker a cease-fire this week, it has also stepped deliberately onto a slippery slope that is likely to lead to more intervention."

America’s Place in the New World (Charles Kupchan) from the New York Times 
"The nation isn’t in decline, but it needs to adjust to a global order it no longer controls."

The Myth of America's Decline (Walter Russell Mead) from the Wall Street Journal
"Washington now has added China, India, Brazil and Turkey to its speed-dial, along with Europe and Japan. But it will remain the chairman of a larger board."
Mead has become much more right-wing in the last 4-5 years -- so it is actually good to hear him saying this when so many conservatives have been hyping and fear-mongering the "Rising China" meme for quite a while now.

China Inflation Growth Dims Hopes of Interest Rate Cut from the BBC 
"China's inflation rate grew more-than-forecast in March as higher fuel and food costs pushed up consumer prices."

Is 'Gross National Happiness' a Better Measurement Than GDP? (Andrew Billo) from the Atlantic
"The Asian nation of Bhutan believes it has found a good way to gauge wellbeing."

Cautions that Pennsylvania's New Voter Identification Law Could Prevent Elderly, Minorities and Others from Voting Unless They Help from the Patriot News [of Harrisburg]
"State civil rights leaders and Harrisburg-area clergy urged people not to let Pennsylvania’s new voter identification law interfere with people voting. The law unfairly burdens the old, the young, the poor, people with disabilities and racial minorities because those groups are least likely to carry a driver's license, they said.  Pennsylvania’s new voter identification law, considered one of the nation’s toughest, was signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in March. It will be used for the first time in the Nov. 6 presidential election."

Neo-Nazis Pledge to Descend on Sanford, Fla., Where Trayvon Martin was Killed, to Protect 'White Citizens' from the New York Daily News
"Sanford police officials said Saturday they have not spotted any neo-Nazis but have coordinated with the feds to be ready in case violence erupts."

Obama Levels Straight Shots at Supreme Court and Ryan Budget (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Conservatives are not accustomed to being on the defensive. They have long experience with attacking the evils of the left and the abuses of activist judges. They love to assail “tax-and-spend liberals” without ever discussing who should be taxed or what government money is actually spent on. They expect their progressive opponents to be wimpy and apologetic."

Unemployment Works for the GOP (Ed Quillen) from the Denver Post
"Of relevance here is the Deep South. There, little has changed in four centuries, even if its oligarchs are now Republicans instead of Democrats. They want "a compliant, poorly educated, low-wage workforce with as few labor, workplace safety, health care, and environmental regulations as possible.""

Has the Republican Establishment Given Up on Romney? (Jamelle Bouie) from the American Prospect 
"If GOP leaders aren't confident in the former Massachusetts governor's ability to beat Obama, what does this mean for his campaign?"

The Political Battles You Cannot See (David Shribman) from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
A very interesting set of observations.
"It may look like the struggle for control of the GOP, but it's larger than that. Conservatism is a movement; the Republicans are a party. For many years they lived separate lives and may do so again. The struggle over the character of the party is fundamentally being conducted in the heart, the struggle over the nature of conservatism in the head."

Hillary Boomlet Hits New Gear As ‘Texts From Hillary’ Explodes from Talking Points Memo
"When she was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton was parodied as drab and calculated, especially compared with young and vigorous Barack Obama and winking and fresh-faced Sarah Palin. Now, she’s fueling Internet jokes based on her own brand of badass cool. More than just an image rebound, Clinton is enjoying a genuine resurgence."

FIONA THE DOG UPDATE NUGGET!!
From the rescued dog clip we showcased two weeks ago.
Blind Dog Who Was Found In Trash Heap, Is Rescued And Video Goes Viral (VIDEO) from the Huffington Post
"The Hagars' video of Fiona's rescue and recovery has since gone viral. The YouTube page has more than 48,000 hits and a number of news organizations have reported her story."