UP-FRONT MEDIA NUGGET!!
In case you missed it, this week's edition of On the Media from NPR focused on the publishing industry. Sounds boring? It was most certainly NOT. Check it out!
Publishing: Adapt of Die (the whole program) (AUDIO) from NPR's On the Media
"On the Media's annual look at the publishing industry, including fears of Amazon becoming a monopoly and the little publishing house standing up to it, a Pulitzer snub for fiction, and the problem of knock-off books."
UP-FRONT LOCAL NEWS NUGGET!!
Threats Finished at Pitt, Email Claims from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A group calling itself "The Threateners" has declared an end to what it claims is its emailed bomb threat campaign against the University of Pittsburgh because Pitt officials have met its demand: withdrawal of the university's promised reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the bomb threats."
First, I will have to say that I'm suspicious that these jokers are the real culprits. Second, if they are, Pitt and the police won't need a big reward to track them down. Once you have this level of high-profile, arrogant communication between perps and the police, it's only a matter of time.
ANOTHER MEDIA NUGGET!!
Rachel Maddow Discusses Her Book: 'Drift' from the Commonwealth Club of California
"This year the sassy and smart-as-a-whip host of MSNBC’s politico program, The Rachel Maddow Show, joins the literary fold and takes on what she believes to be the debate between civilian life and the war machine in her new book, Drift. "
Now, let me say (and some may view me as a total Philistine), I am neither a watcher of nor a great fan of Rachel Maddow. I don't put her into the same category of dislike as I have for Keith Olberman or Ed Schultz (left-wing hyperpartisan media creatures) -- but, as some know, out of principle I never watch TV news or analysis. In my view, looking to TV as a major source of news information only makes you more stupid, anxious, angry and partisan. Are their gems out there? Yes -- but the effort it takes to find them is so time consuming and not-worth-it, I have for eleven years embraced cold-turkey abstinence as the only real way to avoid insanity and abject resignation when it comes to the direction our country is going in. This is a long, round-about way of introducing this program where Maddow discusses her book, a very thoughtful and engaging text that showcases an important and under-reported dimension of US defense policy and accountability, an area we've been dabbling in here at the News Nuggets blog for some time. Check it out -- it's worth your time.
A Body, a Scandal and China (Nicholas Kristof) from the New York Times
"The scandal is the talk of China, and the government has lost control of the narrative. This scandal may have far-reaching effects on the national leadership, and it should, for it points to a larger truth: China’s political model is simply running out of steam."
MEANWHILE, on the other side of the Himalayas...
India Boosts its Cinderella Navy (Jennifer McArdle) from The Diplomat
"India’s Navy has for too long been neglected when money has been allocated. The latest defense budget suggests that may be starting to change."
Egyptians Can Learn from American Presidential Race (Hamdi Radwan) from Amal al-Oumma [of Egypt in English]
“There are some media outlets that support the Republican Party, and most of these are religiously extremist. … It is fair to say that to some extent, there is fairness in presenting the ideas of both parties and enabling a heated debate without insults, where everyone can express their points of view before allowing the voter to decide.”
Note the skeptical tone in this editorial. In more ways than one, this editorial showcases how far Egypt has to go before it will really embrace anything resembling pluralistic democracy.
On Old Walls, New Despair in Portugal (Frank Bruni) from the New York Times
"To comprehend Europe’s economic pain, just read what buildings in Portugal’s capital have to say."
Drone Use Takes Off on the Home Front from the Wall Street Journal
"With little public attention, dozens of universities and law-enforcement agencies have been given approval by federal aviation regulators to use unmanned aircraft known as drones, according to documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests by an advocacy group."
American Nuns Stunned by Vatican Accusation of ‘Radical Feminism,’ Crackdown from the Washington Post
"“People are stunned,” said Sister Pat McDermott, president of the 3,500-member Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, based in Silver Spring. “They’re outraged, angry, frustrated, they don’t know where this came from and how to hold it.”"
I suspect that the Vatican would like them to "hold it" by the nuns holding their tongues and being silent on anything to do with women and the church. Leave all of that to the bishops. That's how I read it anyway.
1 in 2 New Graduates are Jobless or Underemployed from the Associated Press
"A weak labor market already has left half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don't fully use their skills and knowledge. Young adults with bachelor's degrees are
increasingly scraping by in lower-wage jobs — waiter or waitress, bartender, retail clerk or receptionist, for example — and that's confounding their hopes a degree would pay off despite higher tuition and mounting student loans."
The Mythical ‘Choice’ of the Stay-at-Home Mom (Judith Warner) from Time Magazine
"The fact that so much anger erupts at any perceived slight tells us many women are not truly choosing to be home with the kids."
Turned Off from Politics? That’s Exactly What the Politicians Want (Steven Pearlstein) from the Washington Post
"Negative advertising isn’t about changing minds; it’s about altering the composition of the voter pool on Election Day by turning moderate voters into non-voters. This is particularly true in low-turnout elections such as primaries and midterm contests. But it is even true these days in high-turnout elections."
Ten Telling Details about the Secret Service Scandal from The Week
"As major players in the headline-making prostitution controversy are identified and a clearer picture emerges, here's a look at the most scandalous tidbits."
Revealed: The Tough Secret Service Career Woman Who Busted Twelve of Her Fellow Agents in Colombian Prostitute Scandal from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
If true, this is a very interesting aspect of this story.
"The female Secret Service officer responsible for disciplining 11 agents caught in a fight with Colombian prostitutes has been revealed as one of the agency's rising stars. Paula Reid, 46, recently became the Secret Service's South American chief after 21 years on the force. Her crucial role in uncovering the scandal came to light as a senior congressman predicted that nearly all the agents implicated in the embarrassing incident would have to leave their jobs."
Grassley: Were White House Staff Involved in Prostitution Scandal? from the Washington Times
Here it comes.
"Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is questioning the U.S. Secret Service about possible involvement of White House staff in the Colombian prostitution scandal."
Why No One Admits to Wanting Mitt Romney's VP Slot: 5 Theories from The Week
"The press has decided who should be on Romney's short list of running mates. Nobody seems to want the job, though — or at least that's what they're saying."
Mitt Romney’s Tough Sell: Blaming a Worsening Economy on Obama (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"In some polls, Obama and Romney are neck and neck. But in truth, Mitt will only win if the economy tanks."
Book: GOP Freshman Class Turned into ‘a Monster’ for Boehner, Other House Leaders (Paul Kane) from the Washington Post
"Rebelling from the outset of the 112th Congress and later wreaking internal havoc during talks to increase the Treasury Department’s ability to borrow funds, the freshman class repeatedly created problems for House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), according to a new book."
OMG FILM FESTIVAL NUGGET!!
'Una Noche' Actors From Cuba Flee During Film's Tribeca Festival Premiere from the Huffington Post
You can't make this stuff up!
"The Tribeca Film Festival premiere of "Una Noche," a film about three Cuban teens trying to escape the Communist island nation for a better life in the U.S., was marred by the disappearance of two of the film's lead stars -- who went missing as soon as their plane from Cuba touched down in Miami."
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