Here is your R&D for February 4th:
Jordan: Heightened Instability, But Not Yet a Major Crisis from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Jordan is experiencing protests that mirror those happening in Egypt. However, King Abdullah was quick to fire his government and that appears to have taken some momentum out of the protests for the time being.
Military Insider Selected as Myanmar’s President from the New York Times
Thein Sein, an army bureaucrat and former prime minister, was elected as Myanmar’s new president today. The election was done by Myanmar’s new parliament, meeting for the first time under a new constitution. However, it is expected that General Than Shwe will still be controlling the government’s actions.
Factbox: Groups challenging Yemen’s government from Reuters
In this factbox article, Reuters breaks down the groups that are challenging the Yemeni government. This is a good background article that extempers can utilize in any speech about unrest in Yemen.
Food Insecurity Tightens Its Hold in Madagascar from IRIN (courtesy of AllAfrica)
Although extempers may never give a speech on the island of Madagascar, it’s prolonged drought could soon be in the news. Years of crop failures have strained the country’s food supply and over 700,000 people could face food insecurity this year.
Obama’s Approval Ratings More Polarized in Year 2 Than Year 1 from Gallup
Presidet Obama’s job approval rating is highly polarized, as four in five Democrats approve of his performance while less than one in five Republicans do. This large gap makes President Obama’s second year in office the most polarizing for an American president since Dwight Eisenhower.