The Morning Scoop - Give the Libya Cease-Fire a Chance

If you are on a mobile device or cannot view the images in this message, click here to view this email in your Web browser.
To receive the text-only version of The Morning Scoop click here. Please add thedailybeast@e.thedailybeast.com to your address book.

APRIL 12, 2011

Give the Cease-Fire Plan a Chance French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Tuesday that NATO must "play its role fully" in Libya and that its actions so far were "not enough." He was particularly critical of the fact that Muammar Gaddafi is still using heavy weapons to shell the western city of Misrata. Meanwhile, former Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa, who defected to Britain, said Libya must remain united under any settlement, otherwise it "would be a new Somalia." The Daily Beast's Leslie H. Gelb writes that moral absolutists will reject the cease-fire proposed by Africa's leaders, but NATO and the U.N. should fix what they can and see if they can stop this fighting. Read it at The Daily Beast Japan Raises Nuke Crisis Level Japan's nuclear-safety agency decided Tuesday morning to increase the crisis level at the country's troubled Fukushima Daiichi plant from 5 to 7, the highest disaster ranking recognized internationally. The scary 7 has only been used once in history—in 1986, during the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union. Officials said they would increase Fukushima's ranking because it is releasing a massive amount of radioactive material that continues to be a threat to humans and wildlife across a wide area. A week after the earthquake that started the plant's woes, it was given a 5 rating, the same rating given to the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania that suffered a partial meltdown in 1979. Despite the jump, Japanese officials stressed that the cumulative damage from Fukushima is still not nearly as bad as the Chernobyl meltdown, despite the two having the same disaster ratings. Read it at Japan Broadcasting Corporation France: NATO Must Do More French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Tuesday that NATO must "play its role fully" in Libya and that its actions so far were "not enough." He was particularly critical of the fact that Muammar Gaddafi is still using heavy weapons to shell the western city of Misrata. Meanwhile, former Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa, who defected to Britain, said Libya must remain united under any settlement, otherwise it "would be a new Somalia." Read it at BBC D.C. Mayor Released After Arrest Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray was arrested Monday alongside two city councilmen for protesting Congress' budget deal. The District is particularly affected by the compromise, as Republicans demanded the deal prohibit it from spending its own money on abortions and also reinstated a school-voucher program in the capital. Gray rallied with 200 people outside the Dirksen Senate Office Building and was arrested along with 40 other people and charged with unlawful assembly for blocking the street. He was released from custody shortly after 1 a.m. Read it at The Washington Post Belarus Bomb Kills 12 in Subway A bomb exploded in a subway station in Belarus Monday night, killing at least 12 people. The nation's autocratic president, Alexander Lukashenko, said someone was trying to destabilize the country and suggested it came from abroad. "Regardless of who organized and ordered the blast, the government will be tempted to use it as an excuse to tighten the screws," said one opposition leader. A similar attack happened in the country in 2008. Read it at Reuters Berlusconi Paid $60,000 to Prostitute Says it was to help her start a business. Amazon to Sell Cheaper Kindle $114 model will come with ads. Jumbo Jet Clips Plane at JFK No injuries reported. Man Arrested in Synagogue Blast Bomb went off in Santa Monica, last week. John Lennon's Letters to Be Published Will come out October 2012. Sign up for The Yes List email, our weekly cultural recommendations. For more of The Daily Beast, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Why Mitt Romney Won't Be President by Mark McKinnon The former Massachusetts governor launched a 2012 exploratory committee on Monday to a collective yawn. Romney should lead the GOP field—but his Tea Party misfires and connections to Obamacare mean he won't win, writes Mark McKinnon. Go Away, Gwyneth Paltrow! by Tricia Romano The Oscar winner acts, sings, plays guitar, blogs—and has now written a cookbook. But she still can't get no respect. Tricia Romano on why everyone hates Gwyneth. The Civil War at 150: Iconic Photography by The Daily Beast On April 12, 1861, shots were fired at Fort Sumter. To commemorate this anniversary, see the best Civil War photography, including portraits of Lincoln, Grant, and Lee. Plus, David Graham on Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s reminder that slavery—not states' rights—was the primary cause of conflict.

Copyright© The Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC. All rights reserved. | 555 West 18th Street | New York, NY 10011