Month: January 2011 Page 2 of 6

Here is your R&D for January 25th:

The battle to define Obama’s State of the Union address from Politico
President Obama’s third State of the Union address happens tonight and like all State of the Union speeches, it will likely be a pep rally for the president’s agenda.  Find out what President Obama will address in this article.

Suicide bomber kills 35 at Russia’s biggest airport from Reuters
Russia’s busiest airport suffered a suicide bomber attack yesterday.  35 were killed and over 150 people were injured.  Islamic militants are thought to be behind the attack.

NastyLeaks from Foreign Policy
The release of 1,600 internal Palestinian documents, which summarize peace negotiations with Israel over the last ten years, has been seen as an attack against Palestinian leadership and the Middle East peace process.  Experts believe that the Palestinian Authority may resist compromise in future negotiations, further hampering the chances for peace in the region.

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Here is your R&D for January 24th:

Electoral math adds up to a hard-to-topple president from the Washington Post
For any Republican presidential contender, they must look at the electoral map and plot a way to 270 electoral votes.  As it stands right now, that path may be difficult if they fail to win Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

The World from The Hill: U.N. funding an early target for House Republicans from the Hill
House Republicans are pushing to defund the UN Human Rights Council.  Republicans allege that it is a waste of taxpayer dollars, but defenders say that the U.S. needs to spend money on the Council in order to have leverage over other nations.

China’s New World Order from Newsweek (courtesy of RealClearPolitics)
In this op-ed, Robert Samuelson discusses China’s economic might and how the U.S. could respond without sparking a trade war.

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Here is your R&D for January 21st:

Path Is Sought for States to Escape Debt Burdens from the New York Times
States governments are not the only ones worried about their finances.  According to the New York Times, the federal government is looking for ways to let states declare bankruptcy to escape their debts.

Diplomacy, Sanctions & Sabotage: Put Pressure on Iran from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (courtesy of RealClearWorld)
As Iran continues to move ahead with its nuclear program, the international community has sought to confront it in soft and hard power ways.  This report breaks down each response and what impact it has had on Iran so far.

Ecuador Puts Police Under Civilian Control from the Latin American Herald Tribune
Ecuador ended the quasi-sovereign status of its national police forces this week via government decree.  The move comes in response to a police uprising against President Rafael Correa last fall.

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Here is your R&D for January 20th:

House passes health law repeal from Politico
House Republicans managed to pass a bill that repealed President Obama’s healthcare law yesterday.  The vote was 245-189 and no House Republican defected during the vote.  However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that he is not going to take up the bill.

Mayor Pledges Tough Stance on Unions from the Wall Street Journal
In his State of the City speech, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg promised to take a tougher stance on the city’s unions.  This comes in light of allegations that the unions deliberately sabatoged some of the clean up following a blizzard in December.

Congo’s Kabila revises Constitution: presidential candidates now only need a plurality from the Christian Science Monitor
Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has revised the Congolese constitution to scrap the runoff system used in the country’s presidential elections.  International observers warn that the change may lead to electoral violence and may undermine national unity.

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Here is your R&D for January 19th:

Wary Powers Set to Square Off from the Wall Street Journal
As Chinese President Hu Jintao arrives in Washington for an important summit with President Obama, the United States is not very welcoming, as almost two-thirds of Americans see China as a political and economic threat.

Duvalier is brought before Haitian court from the Washington Post
Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier arrived in Haiti a few days ago, but the government has been less than welcoming.  Duvalier has been brought to court to face charges of corruption and embezzlement that were levelled against him 25 years ago.

Atlanta Public Schools put on probation from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has told the Atlanta Public Schools that it could lose its accreditation if its board of education does not stop infighting.

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Here is your R&D for January 18th:

China’s lending hits new heights from the Financial Times
In another show of China’s growing political and economic clout, it has lent more money to developing nations over the past two years than the World Bank.  These loans topped $110 billion.

Time for Plan B from the Economist
As the euro zone debt crisis continues to unfold, the Economist argues that the bailout mechanism the EU has devised is not working.  As a result, the Economist argues that a plan B, whereby European nations restructure their debts, needs to be enacted.

Obama issues order to review gov’t regulations from the Agence France Presse
President Obama ordered a government-wide review of regulations today as a way to look into ways to boost economic growth and job creation.

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