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Pakistan floods: World reactions
(The Week)
 The Week - The waters have started to drain in Pakistan, but the country's problems are far from over. The world reacts:
Illegal immigration has declined: Why?
(The Atlantic Wire)
 The Atlantic Wire - A new study from the Pew Hispanic Center finds that illegal immigration is
down. Annual inflow between 2007 and 2009 was roughly two-thirds less than between 2000 and 2005, report
Pew authors Jeffrey Passel and D'Vera Cohn. Furthermore, "the most
marked decline in the population of unauthorized immigrants has been
among those who come from Latin American countries other than Mexico."
Palin Visits Iowa: Clever Marketing or 2012 Prelude?
(The Atlantic Wire)
 The Atlantic Wire - Like it or not, the will-she-or-won't-she whispers about whether
Sarah Palin will throw her hat in the ring for a
2012 presidential bid won't end until she states verbatim, "I'm
not running." Until then, even the slightest suspicions of her political ambitions will set off speculation. One of the larger such hints is her recent decision to be the keynote speaker at the Iowa Republican Party's
Ronald Reagan Dinner. Not only because Iowa
plays a unique role in kick-starting the presidential primaries, but
because--according to recent polls--Palin
clearly needs to bolster her image and credibility in
order to have a shot at becoming the Republican nominee. Here's what
pundits are saying about her latest turn in Iowa:
Can Obama Deliver Israel-Palestine Peace?
(The Atlantic Wire)
 The Atlantic Wire - Direct Israel-Palestine peace talks begin today, hosted by President
Barack Obama at the White House. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas both join Obama to
commence what will be the ninth round of U.S.-led Israel-Palestine peace
talks over 31 years. Jordanâs King Abdullah and Egyptâs President Hosni
Mubarak will also be present. The process begins inauspiciously, with
Palestinian group Hamas claiming the murders of four Israeli civilians, one of whom was pregnant, and Israeli settlers continuing
the construction of West Bank settlements despite a U.S.-backed
settlement freeze. Here's what observers have to say about Obama's
approach at one of the longest running and most stubborn problems in
U.S. foreign policy.
6 global warming skeptics who changed their minds
(The Week)
 The Week - Climate change doubters have just lost one of their leading lights, as writer Bjorn Lomborg calls for a worldwide carbon tax. But he's not the first high-profile defector
Fall elections: A Democratic 'bloodbath'?
(The Week)
The Week - A new Gallup poll shows Republicans with a record lead in a "generic ballot." Just how bad will it get for the Dems in November?
Splitting up Jerusalem?
(The Week)
The Week - As peace talks begin in Washington, Israel says it might cede part of Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Could that pave the way to a deal?
Oil Rig Explosion Inflames Cynicism on U.S. Energy Policy
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - An oil rig off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico has exploded, sending all 13 oil workers into the Gulf, one of whom remains missing. A search and rescue effort by the U.S. Coast Guard is already underway. The explosion comes shortly after oil finally stopped flowing into the Gulf (for the moment)
from another rig that had been severely damaged by a large
explosion. Fortunately, early reports say this explosion occurred at an oil rig that is not currently producing, drastically reducing the potential for further environmental damage.
Newt's Faint Presidential Prospects
(RealClearPolitics.com)
RealClearPolitics.com - On Friday, at a town hall in small town Oklahoma, conservative Sen. Tom Coburn said Newt Gingrich is "the last person I'd vote for, for president." Gingrich is "a super-smart man but he doesn't know anything about commitment to marriage." Gingrich lacks, in Coburn's view, "the character traits necessary to be a great president."
Why Ramadan in Egypt means overeating and John Travolta on TV
(The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are supposed to refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual activity (among other things) while the sun is out. Along with a renewed emphasis on charitable giving, Ramadan is meant to remind Muslims about the pain of hunger and refocus their reliance on Allah.
Schneiderman for Attorney General
(The Nation)
The Nation - The Nation -- "Transformational politics is the work we do today to ensure that the deal we can get on gun control or immigration reform in a year—or five years, or twenty years—will be better than the deal we can get today. Transformational politics requires us to challenge the way people think about issues, opening their minds to better possibilities."
Lunchtime Vid: Jan Brewer's Mortifying Debate Performance
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - Arizona Governor Jan Brewer isn't likely
to lose her bid for reelection this November. But she certainly doesn't
owe that to her televised debating skills. In a painful-to-watch
opening statement from last night's gubernatorial debate, Brewer can't
seem to find the right words (or in some instances, any words at all).
5 things you need to know about Vanity Fair's Sarah Palin expose
(The Week)
The Week - In Vanity Fair's new issue, Michael J. Gross takes a hard look at Palin's "surreal new world." Here are some of his must-read revelations
Obama Economic Adviser's Depressing Swan Song
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - Christina Romer, one of President Obama's top economic advisers, gave a
dispiriting speech on the economy Wednesday at the National Press Club.
Romer is leaving the administration this month and in her farewell
remarks she cast doubt about the likelihood of a robust economic
recovery.
Years After Collapse, Ex-Lehman CEO Feels Stiffed by Fed
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - Richard Fuld, former chief executive of now-defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers, has found another reason to be unhappy.
On Wednesday, he told the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission that Lehman
could have and should have been saved by the Fed. In short, as Peter Henning
summarizes in The New York Times, Lehman was a "viable enterprise
destroyed by outside forces," a "victim" of federal favoritism. Really?
Bloggers are vacillating between strongly skeptical of Fuld's remarks
and just plain irritated.
Many Liberals Reject Markos Moulitsas's Anti-Conservative Book
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - A number of liberal writers are condemning American Taliban,
the just-released book by prominent liberal blogger and political
organizer Markos Moulitsas. Moulitsas, also known as Kos and the chief
of prominent website Daily Kos, argues in his book that elements of
the U.S. conservative movement are akin to the Taliban, a militant
terrorist group responsible for thousands of deaths in Afghanistan and
Pakistan. Some liberals--though certainly not all--think that's a bad
idea. Here's why.
Morning Vid: Three-Star General Supports 'Crazy' Birther Movement
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - Army Doctor Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin refused
to be deployed to Afghanistan because, he alleged, the president was
not born in the United States. Most pundits gave only cursory coverage
to his "birther" assertion, because the doctor was a relatively unimportant figure
in the U.S. military. That changed when Fox News military analyst and
former three-star Lt. General Thomas McInerney filed an affidavit in
support of Lakin.
Glenn Beck: The alcoholism question
(The Week)
The Week - At least one prominent columnist thinks that Beck's public persona — as displayed at his DC rally — is rooted in his personal history of addiction
5 Best Thursday Columns
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - Daniel Henninger on 'If Saddam Had Stayed' The Wall Street Journal columnist looks back from the president's recent Iraq speech to one he made in 2002, then a state senator, in which he called the potential conflict a "dumb war." Back then, Obama argued that Saddam Hussein
was a bloody dictator, but one that could be contained and did not pose
an immediate threat to the U.S. Henninger then asks: what would the world look like if Obama's "'smarter' view had prevailed?" In answer, he paints a dark scenario in which Saddam moved to join Iran and North Korea in developing nuclear weapons, thereby "incentivizing Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan" to pursue them as well. By deposing Saddam, Henninger writes, the U.S. took out at least
one of the "nuclear-obsessed madmen off the table and gave the world
more margin to deal with the threat that remains."
Can Direct Talks Between Israel and Palestine Work?
(The Atlantic Wire)
The Atlantic Wire - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to begin direct peace talks, providing a
small but promising first step in President Barack Obama's U.S.-hosted peace efforts. Israel-Palestine peace, which has eluded countless world leaders and seven U.S. presidents, faces several daunting challenges, chief among them the controversial and ongoing
Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The U.S. State Department will
host today's direct talks. What can Netanyahu and Abbas accomplish?
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