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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Morning Scoop - Israel: No Peace in Sight
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The Arab Spring has come crashing onto Israel's doorstep but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has greeted the Palestinian protests with bullets. The Daily Beast's Leslie H. Gelb on the dangers of an Israeli overreaction. For a true democracy like Israel, a country all too familiar with history's tragedies, shooting unarmed people never sits well and cannot be the answer.
Lawyers for IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn argued at his arraignment that the hotel worker who has accused him of a sexual attack consented to encounter. "The evidence, we believe, will not be consistent with a forcible encounter," said one lawyer, while a defense source tells the New York Post, "There may well have been consent." Neither Strauss-Kah nor his accuser had scratches or bruises, but the accuser's hospital exam supports her account, as might forensic evidence at the scene of the crime.
So it wasn't the empty nest: Maria Shriver left Arnold Schwarzenegger after learning he had fathered a child with a member of their household staff 10 years ago, before he took office. The mother of the child, whose name the Los Angeles Times did not print, retired in January after working for the family for 20 years. "After leaving the governor's office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry."
The U.S. is speeding up direct talks with the Taliban in an attempt to have good news by the time troop withdrawals begin in Afghanistan in July, U.S. officials said. A senior Afghan official said a U.S. representative attended at least three meetings in Qatar and Germany—with one as recently as "eight or nine days ago"—and a Taliban official considered close to leader Mohammad Omar attended. Earlier attempts at talks failed last year when an alleged Taliban leader turned out to be a fraud—a reason that also caused meetings between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban to fall apart. U.S. officials said Afghans have been "fully briefed" on the U.S.-Taliban contact, but Pakistanis "only partially so"—in part because the U.S. no longer feels it is necessary to get the Pakistani government's permission to negotiate with the Taliban.
Ireland's days of terror may not quite be over. Police found a "viable improvised explosive device" on a bus near Dublin Monday night—the eve of Queen Elizabeth II's historic visit to the country. The bomb, found in the luggage department of a bus in the outskirts of Maynooth, was detonated in a controlled explosion. The Queen's trip is the first by a British monarch since Ireland became independent. It takes place amidst an unprecedented, 4,000 person-, 30-million Euro security operation, which includes a "ring of steel" around Dublin. On Monday, a dissident Irish republican group issued a bomb threat for central London.
Exclusive data reveal that while The Donald garnered $260 million in free publicity during his six-week presidential fling, most of it was negative. Randall Lane on why that hurts Trump, Inc.
Paul Ryan Barbecues His Backyard by Andrew Romano The House GOP's fiscal star touted his "Path to Prosperity" anew Monday. But a Daily Beast analysis of the numbers shows his plan would squeeze the hell out of his own constituents.
Christina Aguilera on The Voice: Raising Her Hands and Arms by The Daily Beast Video On The Voice, judge Christina Aguilera cannot keep her hands to herself. The Daily Beast and Newsweek present an original video mash-up of the enthusiastic '90s pop star throwing her hands up in the air time after time. See if you can keep count!
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