For their part, the Arabs have demonstrated clearly that they do not share the administration's newfound faith that a nuclear-armed Iran will reach a stable equilibrium in a Bakeresque Middle Eastern balance of powers.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: James Baker's disciples

Powers was raised by a middle-income single mom and almost missed his shot at the Olympics for lack of money.

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The idea of embedding the growing powers of Asia, Russia, and the Middle East in the kind of new liberal order favored by people like Fareed Zakaria is, for Kagan, a hopeless dream.

NEWYORKER: After America

Now Paul Silk, former Clerk of the Assembly, probably won't take kindly to being compared to an elephant, but that's exactly what his Commission was today - the Commission that's due to report in the middle of next month with their recommendations on which tax powers should be devolved to Wales.

BBC: Ministers, elephants, and carrots

Republican officials said some senators felt renewed pressure to stand up to Mr. Cuomo after he used emergency powers to push the gun legislation through in the middle of the night with little debate.

WSJ: GOP Rebels as Cuomo Shifts Left

Middle Earth was a land wracked by war, plagued by the powers of deeply evil semi-immortal beings.

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Meantime, in the Middle East there are growing tensions in Egypt, as its president awarded himself major powers last week, and the public did not like it.

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New great powers have emerged - India, or reemerged - Japan, while Iran seeks to dominate the Middle East.

NPR: Role of U.S. Changing in New World Order

Clint Eastwood plays Frank Horrigan, a tired-looking middle-aged Secret Service agent who gets wind of a plot to kill the President and marshals his flagging powers in an attempt to stop the assassin (John Malkovich).

NEWYORKER: In the Line of Fire