Reading List: Tuesday 5/12

Here's some interesting articles from today:

• In search of a new strategy-- the top American general in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, has been asked to resign by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Secretary Gates has nominated Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal to replace McKiernan. This will have ramifications for all of the international forces in Afghanistan, as McChrystal's Special Ops background is sure to raise some controversy.
• Interfaith gesture: The Pope, in Israel, has been visiting Jewish and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, in an effort to improve relations between the three faiths.
• Yesterday, in a tragic display of how much stress the troops are under, an American soldier opened fire in a stress clinic at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, killing five of his fellow soldiers and wounding three.
• In her speech at the White House Correspondents dinner a few nights ago, comedian Wanda Sykes made some derogatory remarks about radio personality Rush Limbaugh. Expected to respond in his usual bombastic style, Limbaugh has been surprisingly quiet about the attacks-- instead, as WaPo columnist Dana Milbank explores, playing up the self-pity card.
• More speculation on Obama's Supreme Court choice-to-be: Hispanic organizations are pushing for the president to appoint the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. The most likely choice: Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who would meet two diversity criteria. Sources say that although diversity is a factor in Obama's decision process, it is (of course) not the only thing he will be looking at.
• And just for interest: the woman who, as a girl, named the former planet Pluto passed away two days ago. Her obituary in the New York Times is fascinating.