News Nuggets 975

DAYLEE PICTURE: Aldo, an orphan bear at the Oregon Zoo.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

UP-FRONT AFGHAN WAR NUGGET!!
Charting Obama’s Journey to a Shift on Afghanistan from the New York Times 
"It was just one brief exchange about Afghanistan with an aide late in 2009, but it suggests how President Obama’s thinking about what he once called “a war of necessity” began to radically change less than a year after he took up residency in the White House. ... “Well,” Mr. Obama responded that day, “I’m not going to give them more time.” A year later, when the president and a half-dozen White House aides began to plan for the withdrawal, the generals were cut out entirely. There was no debate, and there were no leaks. "
I have long SUSPECTED that this was what was going on.  The generals thought they would co-opt Obama into the Afghan debacle permanently -- but all they did was kill their own credibility.  And Obama is now hanging them out to dry.  The history books will not be kind to these people.


UP-FRONT CHARITY NUGGET!!
The Daylee News Nuggets official charity, Hope-for-Paws WON the Toyota 100-Cars-in-100-Days contest over the weekend.  Hope-for-Paws, of course, is the outfit in LA that rescued the poor blind dog, Fiona.  Thanks to all of you who clicked in to push them to victory!!  They will be receiving a new Toyota Highlander as a rescue vehicle!

The Persian Gulf Needs Its Own NATO: And America Needs to Lead It (Robert Haddick) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Can Abdullah learn anything from NATO's history? There seem to be some parallels to the challenges he perceives."

In China, Fear at the Top (Roderick MacFarquhar) from the New York Times 
"For members of China’s Communist elite, sending money overseas makes sense as a political hedge."

Islam and McCarthyism (John R. Schindler) from the National Interest 
"After a decade of controversial tactics, the Pentagon is cracking down on how Islam is taught to the U.S. military."

Obama’s Plan to Announce Afghanistan Withdrawal at NATO Summit Is Shrewd Politics (Peter Beinart) from the Daily Beast
"At the NATO summit this week the president will announce the pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by next summer. He will be conceding defeat—but by doing it now instead of the start of his term, he suffers no political damage."

Factories Begin to Shift Back to US from the Financial Times [of the UK] 
"Two-thirds of big US manufacturers have moved factories in the past two years, with the most popular destination being the US, according to a survey being released on Monday by Accenture, the consultants."

Your Stories Of Being Sick Inside The U.S. Health Care System (AUDIO) from NPR's Morning Edition
"From Oregon to Florida and Maine to Mississippi, Facebook respondents told wrenching tales of bankruptcies, missed diagnoses, medical errors, miscommunication, and treatment that was delayed or foregone because of its cost."

The Ph.D. Now Comes With Food Stamps from the Chronicle of Higher Education
"Ms. Bruninga-Matteau is part of an often overlooked, and growing, subgroup of Ph.D. recipients, adjunct professors, and other Americans with advanced degrees who have had to apply for food stamps or some other form of government aid since late 2007. Some are struggling to pay back student loans and cover basic living expenses as they submit scores of applications for a limited pool of full-time academic positions."

Faculty Leave Baptist School, Shorter University, Over “Lifestyle” Statement from the Washington Post
"More than two dozen faculty members have resigned from Shorter University, a Baptist school in Georgia, after it required them to sign a “personal lifestyle statement” that condemns homosexuality, premarital sex and public drinking."

Sandra Fluke: Life After Rush Limbaugh (Michelle Cottle) from the Daily Beast
"How Sandra Fluke turned a sexist slur into a feminist battle cry."

How Ugly? Really, Really Ugly (Joe Klein) from Time Magazine
"The disgraceful gazillionaire, Joe Ricketts, who commissioned the proposal for this ad campaign is mostly concerned about “ending spending.” What on earth does that have to do with Jeremiah Wright? Well, there is a twisted school of thought that government spending is all about giving poor people money and lining the pockets of charlatans like Wright...."

Romney: The Incidental Candidate (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post 
"Romney is the incidental candidate in an incidental campaign. He's a bland, blunt instrument, but only an instrument, in a wider crusade dedicated to one goal: ousting President Barack Obama and reversing whatever policy victories he has won."

Ohio: The Battleground (Alec MacGillis) from the New Republic
"Over the past year, Ohio politics has been in upheaval. What does that mean for November?

GREEN ARCHITECTURE NUGGET!!
Archi-future: 13 Green Buildings That Will Blow Your Mind (PHOTOS) from the Huffington Post
"In the spirit of eco-optimism, we've curated a selection of some of the most disruptive designs in the green building space, with an eye for both sustainability and aesthetic innovation."

MICHELLE OBAMA FASHION NUGGET!!
Michelle Obama's Defining Fashion Moments (PHOTOS) from Time Magazine 
"From her arm-baring dresses to her colorful cardigans, a look at the First Lady's groundbreaking style"