News Nuggets 939

DAYEE PICTURE: A hermit crab in Mozambique.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

TEN BEST NUGGETS OF THE WEEK!!

1.  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."

2.  China’s Military Rise: The Dragon’s New Teeth from the Economist [of London]
"A rare look inside the world’s biggest military expansion."

3.  The Other Arab Spring (Thomas Friedman) from the New York Times 
"Environmental pressures, not just political and economic ones, stirred change in the Mideast."

4.  U.S. Sees Gains on Iran Intelligence as Boost to Confidence and Access (Joby Warrick and Greg Miller) from the Washington Post
"Hundreds of missions by stealth drones have filled in blanks on Iran’s nuclear program, giving U.S. officials unprecedented insight into Iran’s nuclear efforts."

5.  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."

6.  America Loves a Vigilante. Until We Meet One (Ann Hornaday) from the Washington Post
"Of the countless stories we tell ourselves, the American myth of the solitary enforcer of justice may be the most tenacious, beloved and — as the story of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin has so grievously demonstrated — distorting."

7.  On Gay Marriage in NY, When Is a Flip Not a Flop? (Bill Keller) from the New York Times 
"The four Republicans who broke with their party on New York’s gay-marriage law were supposedly marked for electoral death. But that’s not how it is working out."

8.  The Science of Fox News: Why Its Viewers are the Most Misinformed (Chris Mooney) from AlterNet
"Authoritarian people have a stronger emotional need for an outlet like Fox, where they can find affirmation and escape factual challenges to their beliefs."

9.  Hillary's State of Cool (Maureen Dowd) from the New York Times
"How one “Make my day” image of Hillary Clinton wearing shades on a military plane has endowed her with Clint Eastwood cool."

10.  Major Leagues: Team Obama Outmaneuvers Romney On Women (Benjy Sarlin) from Talking Points Memo
"It took tens of millions of dollars, years of preparation and three months of primary contests, but Mitt Romney is finally the GOP’s presumptive nominee. Now comes the hard part. Romney’s first day of the general election turned into a stark reminder that Obama will be a far tougher opponent than the poorly funded, disorganized candidates he battled in the primary."

Now, to our regular nuggets for Sunday, April 15.

A Leadership Shake-Up In China (AUDIO) (Tom Ashbrook) from NPR's On Point program 
For those looking to get an understandable overview of what's been going on in China, check this out.
"A top official in China stripped of his posts.  A political rift opens in China’s leadership.  We look at the biggest crisis in Chinese politics since Tiananmen."

A Time for Hard Lessons in China (Nayan Chanda) from the Times of India [in English]
"Amidst rumours of massive corruption and political intrigue dividing the top echelons of the party, an orderly succession later this year looks doubtful. Even if the party manages to patch up its differences, its prestige has been seriously damaged and it will continue to suffer from a thousand cuts by online criticism."

Suicides ‘by Economic Crisis’ Ripple Across Europe from the New York Times 
"In countries hardest hit by the downturn, including Ireland and Italy, small-business men and entrepreneurs are increasingly taking their own lives."

Coming Soon: ‘Taxmageddon’ (David Leonhardt) from the New York Times 
"ON Jan. 1 of next year, the federal tax bill for a typical middle-class household — making in the neighborhood of $50,000 — is scheduled to rise by about $1,750. This increase, which would come from the expiration of both the Bush tax cuts and the Obama stimulus, would follow a decade of little to no income growth for many people."

'99 Percent Spring' Protests Gearing Up Locally, Nationally from the Kansas City Star via the McClatchy News Service
"Occupy Wall Street encampments have been swept away in most cities, but their rationales live on in the “99 Percent Spring.” That’s the new shorthand for Occupy’s heir — an ongoing protest movement that covers a range of issues and actions. Along with organized labor, groups like MoveOn, Greenpeace and Rebuild the Dream are uniting under a big umbrella to advocate for “economic justice for all.”"

The Death Penalty on Life Support from Miller-McCune: Smart Journalism, Real Solutions
"Forty years ago, Americans’ moral qualms almost ended the death penalty. Now we’re abandoning it again — but not because we object to executions."

The Bittersweet Mosaic (David Wasserman) from National Journal
"The Cook Political Report projects that when a new Congress is sworn into office in January,  white males will for the first time in American history be a minority of one party’s caucus in the House. It’s a milestone that Democrats will celebrate regardless of whether Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wins back the speaker’s gavel. Yet the party will pay a price for making this history: The Democrats’ path to power in the House will likely be rockier than ever"

Mitt Romney is the Richard Nixon of 2012 (Robert Shrum) from The Week  
"Just like our 37th president, the once and future GOP frontrunner will secure his party's nomination because the GOP has no other choice."

Hillary Boys: The New Obama Girl? from the Nation
"Hillary Clinton has endured decades of scrutiny more often embarrassing than adoring. But now Hillary love has gone viral, with the very youthful demographic that scornfully dismissed her as a presidential candidate ready to embrace her. Much like the unprecedented campaign to put geriatric comedienne Betty White on Saturday Night Live, Texts from Hillary crowned the secretary of state “head b***h in charge.”"

Ann Romney and Michelle Obama: The Battle for FLOTUS Has Begun (Veronique Saint-Geours) from Le Figaro [of France in English]
“They embody the two social Americas: both are dedicated wives and mothers with uncommon strength of character. The more independent Michelle is already heavily involved in the re-election campaign and has proven herself a consummate fundraiser. Ann Romney, from her more traditional position at the battlements, will assist her husband, who has a real image problem.”

PRESIDENTIAL BOOK REVIEW NUGGET!!
Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt’s Doomed Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York by Richard Zacks (Daniel Stashower) from the Washington Post 
"Zacks, whose earlier books include “The Pirate Hunter” and “History Laid Bare,” seems to take a professional interest in scoundrels and sinners. ... He has pumped his book full of entertaining details about such things as a “dog’s nose,” an ungodly beverage made up of barrel dregs and leavings from the glasses of other drinkers, and a five-cent whiskey that tasted of “kerosene oil, soft soap, alcohol and the chemicals used in fire extingushers.”"

LOCAL POLITICS NUGGET!!
Pennsylvania: Jason Altmire’s Finances Still Ahead of Mark Critz in Primary from Roll Call
"While Altmire continued to raise funds at a fast clip, the records show Critz dipped into his own pocket last month for $50,000 to fuel his campaign in the southwestern Pennsylvania 12th district. The two Democrats are locked in the competitive primary for the seat north of Pittsburgh, although Altmire has the geographical and financial edge. A few takeaways from their financial reports filed Thursday:"