Briefing

  • 'We could find that the Arab Spring turns into an Iranian winter.'

    1. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Prime Minister of Israel, noting that while "we hope to see ... the European Spring of 1989," Iran's Islamic Republic could exploit the pro-democracy Arab uprisings

    'I'm hopping mad about it, and we will continue to suspend controllers ... until we put a stop to this.'

    2. RAY LAHOOD, U.S. Transportation Secretary, referring to a series of incidents in which air-traffic controllers were found sleeping on the job or otherwise unresponsive; on April 18, a plane carrying First Lady Michelle Obama had to abort landing due to human error

    'GOP leaders need to learn how to fight like a girl.'

    3. SARAH PALIN, the 2008 Republican candidate for Vice President, at a Tea Party Tax Day rally in Madison, Wis.

    'I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for President ... to submit their "early baptismal or circumcision certificates" ... This is a bridge too far.'

    4. JAN BREWER, Arizona's Republican governor, vetoing a controversial "birther" bill passed by her state's legislature; the bill's author has said it wasn't aimed at President Obama--who has been hounded by discredited allegations that he wasn't born in the U.S.--but at "maintaining the integrity of the Constitution"

    'The truth is, we're long overdue to be knocked down by the press.'

    5. BIZ STONE, a co-founder of Twitter, on the recent Fortune article "Trouble @Twitter," which details the company's financial and management woes

    168.4

    Length, in inches, of the 2012 VW Beetle, which is longer and wider than the previous model; VW says the "more masculine" version will appeal to male buyers

    15

    Approximate number of states affected by the deadliest tornado outbreak in three years; parts of North Carolina--the hardest hit-- were declared eligible for federal aid

    114

    Age of Montana's Walter Breuning, the world's oldest man (and second-oldest person) when he died April 14; days later, the new oldest man (who lives in Japan) turned 114

    1 MILLION YEN

    Initial compensation (about $12,000) that the Tokyo Electric Power Co. plans to give each family forced to evacuate the area surrounding its nuclear plant

    Sources: AFP; ABC News; CNN (2); bizstone.Com