The Cheat Sheet

Frontpage: Monday, July 9th 

1. Obama: Extend Tax Cuts: President Obama is gearing up for his latest fight with Congress as he plans to push for a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for anyone with a yearly income under $250,000. House Republicans want to keep the tax cuts in place permanently for both middle- and upper-income Americans, and congressional Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have been pushing to extend them to anyone earning up to $1 million. 
2. Egypt’s Parliament Closure ‘Final’: Egypt’s highest court has spoken: the decision to dissolve the country’s parliament is binding. Monday’s ruling is a blow to newly-elected president Mohammed Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood party won most seats in the chamber in a the recent election.
3. Euro Zone Aims to Create Agency: The euro zone is in the process of creating a new agency to supervise banks within the currency union that would report to the European Central Bank. Germany and other European nations with strong economies see the establishment of one overarching authority as necessary to keep the rest of the bloc in line. 
4. Annan, Assad Have ‘Constructive Talk’: The United Nations’ envoy to Syria and the Arab League, Kofi Annan, held “constructive” talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus Monday. Assad reportedly claimed that any effort to end the 16 months of violence that has torn through his country has been hindered by the U.S.’s support of “terrorists” and support from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey—both via weaponry and other logistical aid—to the rebels attempting to take down his regime. The two have agreed on an “approach” to end the violence. 
5. Lance Armstrong Suing USADA: Livestrong, litigate stronger. Lance Armstrong is turning the tables on the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency by suing the organization for charging that he used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. The seven-time Tour de France winner filed the lawsuit Monday and is expected to argue that the USADA’s doping investigations violate the constitutional rights of athletes. 

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Photo via blakegopnik:

DAILY PIC: Jeff Brouws takes photos of abandoned railroad rights-of-way.  The “train-track” perspective that still lurks in his pictures is the last trace of technology’s encounter with nature. His photos are haunted by the trains that no longer cross them. One way or another, such haunting is the central subject of “The Permanent Way”, a show at the New York non-profit gallery called Apexart. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the law that paved the way (almost literally) for the first transcontinental railroad, Brian Shollis, a brilliant young scholar now transitioning from art into history, has put together a small survey of railroad-themed images. It includes vintage train maps, old railroad postcards and contemporary art about trains and their riders. No matter how commonplace trains became, I don’t think we ever grew completely blase about them. As they disappear, we may become less neglectful than ever.

The Daily Pic, along with more global art news, can also be found on the  Art Beast page at thedailybeast.com.