News Nuggets 722

An owl in the Leningradsky Zoo in Saint Petersburg, Russia.  From the Atlantic Magazine.

UP-FRONT SOFT POWER NUGGET!!
The Soft Power of Humility (Paul R. Pillar) from the National Interest
"How Ambassador Locke has already charmed the socks off many Chinese—and why other American officials would do well to follow suit."

Algeria Will Be Next to Fall (Bruce Riedel) from the National Interest
"A repressive regime. A growing terrorist threat. Daunting socio-economic problems. Not to mention a haunted past. How long before Algeria becomes the next Libya?"

Libyan Rebels: Eastern Oil Terminal Brega Taken from the Associated Press via MSNBC
"A rebel spokesman says the strategic oil terminal of Brega in eastern Libya is now completely under rebel control."

Qaddafi’s Hold in Tripoli in Doubt as Rebels Advance from the New York Times
"Six months after the outbreak of the revolt against his 42 years in power, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s hold on his Tripoli stronghold shows signs of slipping."

In Libya, Rebels Plan for Post-Gaddafi Era from the Washington Post
"The rebels are determined to avoid the kinds of looting and killing that took place in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, after the 2003 U.S. invasion. They say are convinced that Gaddafi’s fall is now inevitable, and have worked with international military officials and politicians to draw up plans to avoid similar disorder in Tripoli."

South of Tripoli, Town Celebrates Rebel Arrival from Reuters
"Garyan, which controls the highway south out of Tripoli, was one of two key objectives they seized in the past week, along with Zawiyah in the west, to put the capital under effective siege."

Divine Divisions in Iran from the Economist [of London]
"The opposition falters, but victory brings no joy to clerical rulers."

No, the US Isn’t Japan (James Pach) from The Diplomat
"Fears the US economy is becoming the new Japan are misplaced, argues James Pach. US policymakers have far more options at their disposal than their Japanese counterparts."

How the West Was Drilled (Charles Homans) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"From Alberta to the Brazilian Coast, a tour of the new American oil frontier that could eclipse the Middle East."

It's Not Phone Hacking That Will Kill News Corp in the US (Emly Bell) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Barring a Milly Dowler-type revelation Stateside, Murdoch will weather the recent scandals – but he has other reasons to worry."

Recovery Could be One of the Longest, Most Difficult in History, Economists Say (Peter Whoriskey) from the New York Times
"...for a coterie of economists who have studied decades of downturns, the recovery from the most recent U.S. recession is likely to be one of the most difficult and protracted in history simply because of the recession’s unusual nature."

A ‘Policy-Induced Slowdown’ (Ezra Klein) from the Washington Post
"Growth is weak and policymakers are hurting rather than helping. The debt-ceiling debate hurt. The dithering response to the euro zone’s debt crisis hurt. And the expected austerity in both the United States and Europe is going to hurt even more. J.P. Morgan notes that one reason they think the United States might tip back into recession is that in the first quarter of 2012, there will be “an automatic tightening fiscal policy if, as our US team currently assumes, this year’s fiscal stimulus measures will expire.”"

As Ohio Goes: A Letter from Tea-Party Country (Timothy Snyder) from the New York Review of Books
"Clinton County is a good example of what happens when harsh global economics go unsoftened by policies of national welfare. ... Despite or perhaps because of their struggles, the farmers and workers of Clinton Country are overwhelmingly Republican."

The GOP Candidates Have No Time for Your "Science," Scientists (Alex Pareene) from Salon
"Perry then told the boy: "In Texas, we teach both creationism and evolution. I figure you're smart enough to figure out which one is right." ... You tell kids some things that are true and some things that are made up and you trust that the children will be "smart enough" to figure it out. "America's first three presidents were George Washington, John Adams and the Green Lantern. Good luck on your AP History test.""

House Republicans Get An Earful At Town Halls Back Home (Tyler Kingkade) from the Huffington Post
"In town halls from New Hampshire to Minnesota, GOP members have been bombarded with complaints."

Rick Perry’s Loose Lips Worry Hill Republicans from The Hill
"Cut the cowboy talk.  That’s the message congressional Republicans facing the prospect of sharing a ballot next year with Rick Perry have for the newest GOP presidential candidate."

PET NUGGET!!
When My Cat Finally Took to the Leash (Sarah Hepola) from Salon
"Salon readers urged me to give it another try. And after a world of changes, I did."