News Nuggets 979

DAYLEE PICTURE: Springtime ... on Mars.  The NASA Rover Opportunity 

shoots a distinctly blue landscape on the red planet.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

Israel Gives Qualified Okay to Obama’s Interim Deal with Iran from the Debka File [of Israel in English]
"Netanyahu and Ehud Barak have decided to stand back for Barack Obama to put his interim deal with Iran to the test, DEBKAfile’s sources report. They decided to go along with it despite their reservations after receiving assurances from the White House that any Iranian violations would result in the immediate termination of all negotiations and bring military action forward as the sole remaining option for stopping a nuclear Iran."

The Detention of Chinese Fishermen Fuels Anger with North Korea from Time Magazine
"As maritime tensions with neighbors including Vietnam and the Philippines continue to simmer, China has a fresh grievance with a somewhat unexpected antagonist: North Korea."

China’s Economic Crisis (Fareed Zakaria) from the Washington Post
"What caused these slowdowns? Success. In each case, the economy had produced a middle-income level. It becomes much more difficult to grow at a breakneck pace when you have a large economy and a middle-class society."

Syria’s Neighbors are Growing Restless (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"The Middle East sometimes resembles a string of detonators wired to explode together — and this seems especially true now of Syria and its neighbors. There is political instability nearby in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, as the Arab uprising moves through its second year. In each of these countries, the leadership maintains power in a balancing act. Only Turkey, with its triad of a strong economy, army and political leadership, seems genuinely stable. Fear of blowing up the region — and spawning even more Sunni-Shiite sectarian war — is one reason the Obama administration has refused to arm the Syrian opposition."

The Choice in Europe from the Economist [of London]
"A limited version of federalism is a less miserable solution than the break-up of the euro."

Utopia Lost?: European Dream is Over Without Greater Federalism from Diario Economico [of Portugal in English] 
“The Germans, still traumatized by the hyperinflation that brought Hitler to power, won’t allow for additional inflation. … Will people and politicians leave their existing trenches and follow a common path? Or will the European Union fail to amount to anything more than a utopia? At this point there are more doubts than certainties.”

Britain Fears 'Lost' Generation of Jobless Youth in Europe's Crisis from the McClatchy News Service
"Europe’s economic crisis has fueled a spiraling problem of unemployment among young people, with job seekers aged 15-24 more than twice as likely to be out of work as the average European. Policy makers and experts are warning that a growing number of them could remain locked out of the economy for years to come, posing a long-term challenge to growth and raising questions about the fundamental health of the continent’s labor force."
Yes -- Britain and just about everywhere else!

VatiLeaks Exposes Internal Memos of the Catholic Church (Barbie Latza Nadeau) from the Daily Beast
"A massive information dump nicknamed ‘VatiLeaks’ has the Catholic Church sweating. Barbie Latza Nadeau talks to Gianluigi Nuzzi, the journalist exposing Pope Benedict XVI’s internal memos."

The Battle Among Catholic Bishops (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post 
"There is a healthy struggle brewing among the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops. A previously silent group, upset over conservative colleagues defining the church’s public posture and eagerly picking fights with President Obama, has had enough."
I will believe it when I see it.  Where are they hiding out?!  Aside from the nuns, moderate and liberal voices have been silent for so long on so many issues, I have little faith that they will genuinely step into the public/political arena and really speak up.

The Crisis This Time from the Editorial Board of the New York Times 
"By this point, there should be no debate: Austerity has been a failure, shrinking economies and making it ever harder for indebted countries to repay their debts. The political costs are also rising."

Egos and Immorality on Wall Street (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times 
"... here’s the thing: If Wall Streeters are spoiled brats, they are spoiled brats with immense power and wealth at their disposal. And what they’re trying to do with that power and wealth right now is buy
themselves not just policies that serve their interests, but immunity from criticism."

When No One Else Will Hire You: Entrepreneurship as a Last Resort (Abby Ohlheiser) from Slate
"If you already have a steady job, those figures make a compelling argument for starting your business as a side project until you’re confident it will actually take off. But for those with no good options, what is there to lose?"

Why a 'Record Low' Number of Americans are 'Pro-choice': 5 Theories from The Week
"Gallup reveals a surprising drop in the number of people who call themselves "pro-choice," even as more Americans back gay marriage and the legalization of pot."
I lean towards explanation #3 -- with a twist.  Since Roe, pro-life groups have NEVER stopped trying to educate the public about why they are pro-life and what it means (in very general terms).  Pro-choice advocates have largely taken a walk on educating the public since Roe.  All you have to do is look at the most prominent public faces for the pro-choice position.  Aside from Sandra Fluke (a media accident in some ways), I cannot think of one that is under 50 years old, and in fact many are pushing 70.  This is one of the few areas where I fear that demographics may not favor the progressive or pro-choice point-of-view in the long term.

Did Obama Just Deliver Marriage Equality in Maryland? (Adam Serwer) from Mother Jones Magazine
"Polls taken since President Obama expressed support for same-sex marriage have shown an astonishing shift in black support on marriage equality. The shift in Maryland is so dramatic that the state may become the first state to actually uphold same-marriage rights in a referendum."

Welcome End of a Pseudotheory from the Editorial Board of the New York Times
"Many opponents of giving equal rights and protections to gay Americans — at the workplace, in the military, in marrying and forming families — make the claim that homosexuality is a chosen way of life. They have long seized on the work of a towering figure in psychiatry to justify their position. But that psychiatrist, Dr. Robert Spitzer, has now renounced a study he did a decade ago that suggested that “reparative therapy” can help homosexuals who are highly motivated to change their sexual
orientation."
The story about this guy's reassessment can be found HERE.

Does Tough Love Work With Third Graders? (Michel Martin) from NPR's Tell Me More program
"Most passed but the ones who didn't have to retake it this summer and if they fail a second time, state officials say that they will likely be held back in the third grade. The rule is new in Indiana but other states like Florida have been testing third graders with similar consequences for some time now."
I cannot recall the last time I actually found myself in full agreement with GOP lawmakers on virtually any issue -- but here's one!  School districts are not doing their kids ANY FAVOR by promoting them past the third grade when they can't read.  Keeping them back in summer school and even holding them back a grade may hurt their self-esteem somewhat in the short run, but the impact can't compare to the landscape of Ds and Fs that await the kids they just pass on to the next grade with the problem unaddressed.  As that old advertisement used to say: reading IS fundamental.

Several George Zimmerman Witnesses Change their Accounts from the Orlando Sentinel
"Evidence released last week in the second-degree-murder case against George Zimmerman shows four key witnesses made major changes in what they say they saw and heard the night he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford."
This is why we have trials.  

Conservatives Used to Care about Community. What Happened? (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Romney is simply following the lead of Republicans in Congress who have abandoned American conservatism’s most attractive features: prudence, caution and a sense that change should be gradual. But most important of all, conservatism used to care passionately about fostering community, and it no longer does."

G.O.P. Nightmare Charts (Charles Blow) from the New York Times
"On moral issues, long-term trends for the Republican Party are not good."

Asian-Americans Seize Political Spotlight in 2012 Presidential Campaign (Joie Chen) from the Daily Beast
"Obama is courting them, and their growing numbers could have a strong impact on key states. Joie Chen on why America’s ‘model minority’ has stayed off the political radar—until now."

My Break with the Extreme Right (Michael Fumento) from Salon
"I worked for Reagan and wrote for National Review. But the new hysterical right cares nothing for truth or dignity."

The Boy Who Cried Birther (Alex Koppelman) from the New Yorker
"...birtherism inspires a whole lot of anger on the left. That’s why, when there are more birther outbursts as Election Day draws closer, you’re likely to see the Romney campaign running for the hills—and people from the Obama campaign gladly talking about them."

ROBOT NUGGET!!
A Robo-Housekeeper: The Secret to Advanced Tidiness? (VIDEO) from The Week 
"Cornell researchers successfully configure a robot to clean up messy rooms. But Rosie from The Jetsons, this bot isn't."
Ten years from now, say sayonara to millions of restaurant staff jobs!!

TEEN HIGHJINKS GONE ASTRAY IN BRAZIL VIDEO NUGGET!!
Boy, mom and dad will have a little surprise waiting for them on the patio when they get home!!

OBAMA PHOTO NUGGET!!
When a Boy Found a Familiar Feel in a Pat of the Head of State from the New York Times
"...the photo is tangible evidence of what polls also show: Mr. Obama remains a potent symbol for blacks, with a deep reservoir of support. As skittish as White House aides often are in discussing race, they also clearly revel in the power of their boss’s example."