Month: February 2011 Page 1 of 5

Here is your R&D for February 25th:

Islam and Politics in Egypt from the Council on Foreign Relations
Is Egypt headed towards a theocracy?  Not according to Dina Shehata, Senior Researcher of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, in this interview with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Taiwan’s commonsense consensus from the Economist
China had hoped that closer economic cooperation with Taiwan would allow it to enact a one China policy through soft power, but it’s not quite working out that way for Beijing.

If the Saudis revolt, the world’s in trouble from the UK Telegraph
Global investors are anxiously waiting to see if the protests that are engulfing the Middle East reach Saudi Arabia.  If they do, the chances of a global economic recovery will be significantly reduced.

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Here is your R&D for February 24th:

Assange to appeal extradition to Sweden from the Sydney Morning Herald
A British judge has ordered the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today.  However, Assange’s lawyers say he will appeal the ruling.

Wisconsin lawmakers agree to advance budget debate from the Los Angeles Times
Democratic lawmakers in the Wisconsin state assembly have agreed to limit the number of amendments they will introduce to Scott Walker’s budget bill.  The agreement will allow floor debate to end at noon today.

Lawsuit alleges FBI violated Muslims’ freedom of religion from the Washington Post
A class action lawsuit alleges that the FBI violated Muslims constitutional rights by targeting them because of their religion.  The FBI sent informants into Muslim communities in an attempt to find potential terrorists.

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Here is your R&D for February 23rd:

Rahm Emanuel’s rules for victory from Politico
Rahm Emanuel is the new mayor of Chicago after winning the first city election without a sitting mayor on the ballot in 64 years.  This article breaks down how Rahm was able to win.

If Libyan unrest spreads, gas could reach $5 from USA Today
Although extempers should avoid using USA Today in an extemp speech when possible, this article provides insight into how Libya’s unrest could sent gas prices near $5 a gallon.

The scourge of Somalia from the Los Angeles Times
This editorial from the Los Angeles Times contends that a military approach can’t work to end Somali piracy and that what Somalia needs most is a functioning government.

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Here is your R&D for February 22nd:

Starving N. Korea begs for food, but U.S. has concerns about resuming aid from the Washington Post
Amid floods and a foot and mouth outbreak, North Korea has begun to beg the international community for food aid.  However, the U.S. has reservations about sending food aid because it sees North Korea’s disruption system as corrupt.

China hints at possible Web clampdown from the Los Angeles Times
In light of recent protests, Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for “public opinion guidance on the Internet”, which experts believe is a call to crackdown on Internet communications in China.

American Way: Barack Obama, cult figure of 2008, left behind by new anti-spending zeitgeist from the UK Telegraph
From the way that the UK Telegraph sees things, President Obama is not in tune with the public’s desire to cut spending.  Even though the public is not unified in what they want to cut, the Telegraph holds that President Obama’s public position on the deficit is not clear enough.

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