The US
Headline: Kerry: Syria non-lethal aid to resume quickly
Read: According to Gordon Lubold, Chuck Hagel's presence still isn't being felt at the Pentagon-
Since he arrived at the Pentagon, there has been little public evidence of the quiet brashness for which Hagel was known in the Senate. There have been few signs of the audacity that animated the man whose public service began when he volunteered for the Vietnam War and continued through to the political maelstrom he entered after being nominated to head the Defense Department — and fought hard enough to survive.
Instead, Hagel's contributions thus far seem mostly to fall in the behind-the-scenes category, more circumspect than courageous, and that style is at odds with a department that some believe needs a take-no-prisoners strongman of a manager.
Quote: “We’ve seen several red lines put forward by the president, which went along and became pinkish as time grew, and eventually ended up completely white”, Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former intelligence chief of Saudi Arabia, mocking President Obama's red lines.
Number: 45%, President Obama's declining approval rate among millennials.
Israel
Headline: Ya'alon: Israel holds Lebanon and its army responsible for killing of IDF soldier
To Read: Nachum Barnea doesn't like the excessive accusations against the authorities following the unexpected mega-storm that hit Israel-
Immediately, like a conditioned reflex, radio and television channels were conquered by the magic word: Failure. It was immediately followed by its young, vibrant sibling: The state commission of inquiry. The finger was pointed at the Israel Electric Corporation, the police, the Home Front Command, the welfare system, mayors. “Israel is a third world country,” complained commentators and instant experts on natural disasters.
I doubt if they know much about what happens in real life, in the first world and in the third world.
Quote: “Today all of the towns of Israel will be connected to the power grid”, Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) CEO Eli Glickman vowing to return power to all of Israel by the end of the day.
Number: As many as 150 African detainees left the new open detention facility by foot yesterday and marched to Beersheba.
The Middle East
Headline: Death toll rises in Syria bombing raid
To Read: Michael Rubin believes that Morocco is a much better model for the Arab world and the Middle East than Turkey-
Neither Morocco nor Turkey is perfect, but trajectory is important. Morocco provides a path toward reconciliation and moderation, while Turkey’s political leadership has increasingly turned that country into a beacon for populism and hate. Generations of diplomats have become accustomed to thinking of Turkey as a partner and a model for the region. But autopilot should never be a substitute for wisdom. Increasingly, it is apparent that a moderate, more democratic future for the Middle East lies not in the Turkish model but rather the Moroccan one.
Quote: “We witnessed today the first flight that took place from Arbil International Airport to Qamishli city, which is populated by Kurdish inhabitants in Syria. This is the first flight to be conducted in this manner,” Dindar Zibari, deputy head of Kurdistan's Foreign Relations Department, commenting on the first UN aid delivery flight from Iraq to Syria.
Number: 100%, according to Iranian FM Zarif, Iran is “committed 100%” to reaching a final deal.
The Jewish World
Headline: Israel reaches out to US Jewish community
To Read: A Forward piece by Nathan Guttman takes a look at the salaries of the leading Jewish charity executives-
The analysis, produced for the Forward by Abraham Wyner, a professor of statistics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, built a model of predicted salaries for Jewish executives, based on the size of the organization each heads. This is the key criterion used by the federal government to assess salary levels in the not-for-profit sector.
The results shed light on the animating factor in determining salaries in some of the Jewish community’s largest and most influential organizations: It’s not about how large the group is — it’s about the power of the leader’s brand name.
Quote: “You are telling Kanye West he should know better. He does know better, and that’s why he said what he said”, Louis Farrakhan defending Kanye West against Abe Foxman.
Number: 70%, according to the analysis done by the Wharton school for Forward, Abe Foxman's $688,280 salary represents a 70% overpayment.
