Here is your R&D top five for January 11th:

Maliki grasping at Shi’ite straws from the Asia Times

Mr. Smith Rewrites the Constitution (Filibusters are Unconstitutional) from the New York Times

Israel shrugs off Mitchell’s loan threat from the Christian Science Monitor

Uruguay benefiting from Argentina’s constitutional showdown from MercoPress

Terrorism Risks and ‘Timeless Problems’ from the Council on Foreign Relations