Iran's Day of Solidarity?
September 17, 2009 2 min. read

You cannot imagine a stronger mix of religion and politics than the news out of Iran today. According to the LA Times, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been prevented from leading the Friday Prayers in Tehran on the occasion of Quds Day. The alleged reformist leaders are being warned to avoid protesting tomorrow, and […]

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Pittsburgh G-20 to Confront Global Trade & Economic Imbalance
September 17, 2009 3 min. read

Pittsburgh, PA will host the next G-20 Summit slated for Thursday & Friday, September 24-25th, 2009. President Obama will chair this meeting of leaders from countries around the world who represent 85% of the global economy. At the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit, leaders will review the progress made since the London Summits, recent protectionist measures between the U.S and China over tires, auto parts and chicken exports, and discuss further actions to assure a sound and sustainable economic recovery from the global financial and economic crisis.

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A Category for Murder
September 16, 2009 3 min. read

Last week I got a surprising email from a close friend and fellow journalist–someone by the name of Christian Poveda had been murdered in El Salvador. My friend knew Mr. Poveda years back while reporting on the conflicts in the 80’s in El Salvador and Nicaragua. In more recent years, Poveda had been doing controversial […]

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No End in Sight (2007)
September 16, 2009 2 min. read

After the fall of Baghdad in 2003, chaos and lawlessness prevailed. How and why that happened is what this documentary tries – convincingly – to explain. Through interview after interview, director Charles Ferguson shows how mistakes were made in the highest levels of the United States government. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/vINM0CAysc8″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Former Deputy […]

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More Troops for Afghanistan?
September 16, 2009 1 min. read

Admiral Mike Mullen said yesterday that he anticipates more troops will be needed in Afghanistan: Admiral Mullen, called before the Senate Armed Services Committee to testify for his nomination to serve a second term as chairman, said that no specific request for more troops had yet been received from Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the senior […]

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Islamic Law in Context
September 16, 2009 3 min. read

On Monday, BBC News reported from Aceh province in Indonesia that a new law was passed to make adultery punishable by stoning to death. According to the BBC report, “Sharia law was partially introduced in Aceh in 2001, as part of a government offer to pacify separatist rebels.” Now, the regional parliament for Aceh has […]

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Finally, Health Care for All? U.S. Unveils a New Plan That Could Change the Rules About Pre-Existing Conditions
September 16, 2009 6 min. read

Today, after a much-anticipated wait, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus laid out a health care reform plan. One of the key features of this plan is that it would prohibit private insurance companies from denying insurance to people because of preexisting conditions that they may have, and from discriminating against them because of […]

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Chad Update
September 16, 2009 4 min. read

In the past couple of weeks, the International Crisis Group, which monitors and comments on conflict situations around the world, has been focusing on the African country of Chad. Chad is neighbor to Sudan and starting point of what had been one of the most anticipated oil pipelines in history. ICG’s recommendations ask Chad’s government […]

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Obama Takes Reform Fight to Wall Street
September 16, 2009 5 min. read

Mon, 14 Sept – President Obama reinvigorated his administration’s effort to reform the financial regulatory system by taking his bare knuckled message directly to Wall Street. Speaking at Federal Hall and using the one year anniversary of the Wall St. collapse the president reminded prominent financial industry executives of their role and risk-taking behavior that led to a global economic melt-down.

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Clash of the Titans in Uganda
September 16, 2009 3 min. read

Uganda has made headlines this past week for violent clashes in the capital city of Kampala over development, property rights, and the traditional Buganda king. The unrest is unusual for Uganda, but highlights growing discontent with the government of Yoweri Museveni. The cause of the clashes was a planned trip by the Buganda king, King […]

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Trade: the Test of Obamanomics
September 16, 2009 2 min. read

During the Great Depression, international trade contracted by a third, as countries around the world erected barriers to trade, aggravating a sharp decline in output already under way and throwing millions out of work.  Thus far, in the Great Recession of 2008-09, the end of which some observers may have called too soon, the major powers have avoided […]

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Goldman Sachs: Obama Economic Stimulus Working
September 16, 2009 3 min. read

According to an article in today’s (2 Sept 2009) Wall Street Journal, Goldman Sachs’ Cheif U.S. Economist says that President Obama’s economic stimulus package is beginning to boost U.S. economic performance.

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