The Cheat Sheet

Frontpage: Tuesday, July 10th

1. Annan: Iran Part of Syrian Solution: Following talks with the Iranian foreign minister, U.N. envoy to Syria Kofi Annan argued, in a press conference Tuesday, that Iran should be “part of the solution” to Syrian turmoil. “My presence here [in Tehran] proves that I believe Iran can play a positive role,” he said. 
2. Not All Dems Stand With Obama: Yesterday President Obama called on Congress to renew Bush-era tax cuts for just one year for Americans making under $250,000. He was expecting trouble from Republicans eager to keep the tax cuts for wealthiest Americans around forever, but he’s also getting some push-back from his own party. Embattled members of both the House and Senate, such as Sen. Claire McCaskill from Missouri, Senate hopeful Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada, say they’d either prefer to raise taxes on people making over $1 million per year, or permanently extend the Bush-era cuts for anyone making less than that. 
3. Diamond Gives Up $31M in Bonuses: Former-CEO Robert Diamond is giving up $31 million in deferred bonuses. New insight into the Barclays Libor scandal reveals that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York may have known that the British bank was manipulating global interest rates as early as August of 2007. In 2008 the Fed even offered up some suggestions to British authorities on how to fix the system. 
4. Ex-Israeli P.M. Cleared of Corruption: After three years as prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert resigned in 2008 amid a high-profile corruption scandal. Now Olmert has been cleared on two charges of corruption. He was convicted on a third, less drastic charge—of breach of trust—which he’s expected to appeal. 
5. Egyptian Parliament Meets in Cairo: Legislators gathered in Cairo Tuesday for a meeting of Egypt’s now-dissolved Parliament, despite opposition from the senior military generals and high-court judges. During the short meeting, lawmakers approved a proposal by the speaker—a member of the Muslim Brotherhood—to appeal an earlier ruling that reviving the defunct Parliament went outside the law. 

Photo via picturedept:

Photo of the Day: July 9, 2012

Potocari, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Bosnian Muslim man prays near coffins prepared for a mass burial at the Memorial Centeron July 9, 2012. The bodies of 520 recently identified victims of the Srebrenica massacre will be buried on July 11, the anniversary of the massacre when Bosnian Serb forces commanded by Ratko Mladic slaughtered 8,000 Muslim men and boys and buried them in mass graves, in Europe’s worst massacre since World War Two.

photo: Dada Ruvic, Reuters / Landov

PHOTO OF THE DAY ARCHIVE

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.

Frontpage: Wednesday, June 27th

1. Obama Maintains Narrow Lead: A new Wall Street Journal poll shows that President Obama still has a narrow lead over presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, even though there has been some bad economic news lately.

2. 32,000 Flee ‘Epic’ Colorado Blaze: Wildfires in Colorado continue to rage. As of Wednesday morning, the 6,200-acre blaze had been only 5 percent contained, and 65 mph winds blew the fire through containment lines into northwest Colorado Springs on Tuesday.

3. Judge Blocks Samsung Galaxy Tab: A U.S. judged ordered Samsung to stop selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 after Apple requested an injunction on the product and called it “blatant copying.”

4. Bank’s Crafting ‘Living Wills’: Five of the nation’s largest banks are writing contingency plans to be used if they go under. The plans are one of the requirements of the Dodd-Frank financial-reform law.

5. Egypt to Appoint Woman VP: Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, plans to appoint a female vice president. His policy adviser Ahmed Deif said: “For the first time in Egyptian history—not just modern but in all Egyptian history—a woman will take that position.

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Photo by George Rose/Getty Images:

Writer, director, and producer Nora Ephron passed away Tuesday at 71. This photo is from 1978, at age 37, during a portrait session in Los Angeles. See more of Nora Ephron’s life in pictures here.

Frontpage: Thursday, June 21st

1. CIA Said to Direct Arms in Syria: As Syrian shells rained down on the battered city of Homs Thursday, a handful of American black bag operatives were helping allies direct weapons to the men and women fighting back.

2. Mitt to Florida: Hush Up on Jobs: Things are bad, no matter how good they look. That’s the message the Romney campaign sent down to Florida, sources told Bloomberg News, where Governor Rick Scott has been tooting his own job-creation horn a little too much for the Romney camp’s liking.

3. Suspected Bomb at Nuclear Site: Threat levels have been increased in Sweden after explosive material was found on a truck near a nuclear power plant.

4. European Stocks Slip: After reaching a five-week high, European stocks slipped Thursday. “The mood of market participants is still characterized by great uncertainty about future developments in Europe and the slowdown in China,” Stefan Angele, investment management head at Swiss & Global Asset Management, told reporters.

5. Egypt on Edge as Results Delayed: Tahrir Square was alive again with demonstrators overnight, and Egyptian voters continued to wait Thursday for a result in the country’s presidential election as anxieties mounted in the country.

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Photo by Alpha Press/Landov

A woman agrees to let a rescue team prevent her from falling by tying her to a building. Read more here about China’s growing concern about their suicide rate.

Frontpage: Monday, June 18th

1. Obama and Putin to Meet: World leaders talked in Mexico Sunday as a meeting of the G20 nations that will focus on the world economy got underway. President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Monday.

2. Markets Rally, Settle After Greece: Investors in Europe sighed and then got back to business after a crucial Greek vote Sunday. Markets showed an early advance Monday, but soon receded as Spanish bond yields topped 7 percent and anxiety over the future of the euro zone continued unabated.

3. Attack on Israel-Egypt Border: At least one Israeli civilian was killed in what officials say was a cross-border attack by gunmen who crossed from Egypt. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called it a “disturbing deterioration.”

4. Iran Nuke Talks Begin: There’s not much hope, officials say. World leaders will nonetheless begin two days of meetings with the government of Iran on Monday to try to break the tension surrounding the country’s nuclear program.

5. Egyptian Generals Flex After Vote: No one voted for them. But Egyptian military leaders gave themselves wide-ranging new powers Sunday after the Muslim Brotherhood claimed victory in the country’s presidential election.

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Photo by Aaron Jackson / AP Photos:

Empty shelves at the closed Borders bookstore at Penn Plaza in New York in September 2011.

Frontpage: Wednesday, June 6th

1. Walker Wins Recall in WI: As numbers continue to be tallied, Gov. Scott Walker has been declared the projected winner in the Wisconsin recall election Tuesday night, beating out Democratic challenger Tom Barrett, whom he had defeated in the 2010 race.
2. Greece: We’re Almost Broke: Greek officials said on Wednesday that despite the most recent bailout, they could run out of money as soon as July—shortly after the country’s pivotal elections.
3. NATO Strike Kills Afghan Civilians: A local Afghan official said Wednesday that 17 civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike, although NATO officials said there were only two light injuries to civilians. The airstrike also reportedly killed six Taliban fighters.
4. Clinton Backs Bush Tax-Cut Expansion: As if Democrats didn’t have a bad enough night, Bill Clinton gave the party some more headaches. The former president said on Tuesday he supports the extension of his successor’s tax cuts—a major break from President Obama’s position.
5. Egyptian Protestors Return: Egyptian protesters returned to Tahrir Square on Tuesday night to protest the presidential candidacy of Ahmed Shafiq, former president Hosni Mubarak’s appointed prime minister during last year’s military crackdown.

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Photo via shortformblog:

R.I.P. Ray Bradbury: The “Fahrenheit 451” author, who wrote numerous other literary classics in his day, died Wednesday at 91. ”If I had to make any statement, it would be how much I love and miss him, and I look forward to hearing everyone’s memories about him,” Danny Karapetian, Bradbury’s son, said to io9. Sad news. 

Frontpage: Friday, May 25th

1. Tony Blair to Testify Monday: Former British prime minister Tony Blair will testify Monday in Parliament’s Leveson Inquiry, the investigation into media ethics and standards at Rupert Murdoch’s News International. 
2. Morsi Leading Egypt Vote: Results of Egypt’s presidential elections are trickling in on Friday. The final results will not be released until Tuesday, but Egyptian newspapers say the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamad Morsi is emerging as the frontrunner. 
3. Patz Suspect Taken to Bellevue: Pedro Hernandez, the man who has been arrested in connection to the 1979 death of Etan Patz, was transferred Friday morning to Bellevue Hospital and has been placed under suicide watch. Hernandez had been scheduled to be arraigned on Friday morning—the 33rd anniversary of the day that Patz disappeared.
4. Spain’s Bankia Asks for $19B Bailout: Spanish lender Bankia will ask the country for a $19 billion bailout Friday, after it was partially nationalized and a new management team presents a restructuring plan. Bankia spells trouble for Spain’s already fragile economy, and loan losses from the 2008 property crash could make the country seek international aid. 
5. SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule Docks: The privately owned Dragon capsule has successfully docked at the International Space Station on Friday. This is the first time a private company has launched a spacecraft that has been snared by the robotic arm at the International Space Station. The unmanned craft, owned by the California-based SpaceX, was on track to deliver a half ton of supplies.

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Photo via discoverynews:

Station Crew Catches A Dragon by the Tail

After a painstakingly and careful approach to the space station, a cargo capsule built and operated by SpaceX, was captured by astronauts aboard the orbital outpost.

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WATCH IT ON NASA TV Live here

Frontpage: Thursday, May 24th

1. Inquiry Grills Murdoch Lobbyist: News Corp. lobbyist Frédéric Michel appeared before the Leveson Inquiry into the ethics of the British press on Thursday to answer allegations that he communicated with an adviser to the British culture minister, who was overseeing News Corp.’s $12 billion bid to take over the cable company BSkyB. Michel admitted to exchanging phone calls, texts, and email messages with Adam Smith, the government aide, though he denied knowledge that Smith was feeding his communications to the culture minister.
2. Egypt Votes for Second Day: Egyptians returned to the polls on Thursday for the second day of voting in the country’s first free election since ousting former President Hosni Mubarak last year. Lines at the polls were not as long as Wednesday, although Egyptian authorities proclaimed Thursday a holiday to allow public-sector employees access to vote.
3. Zimmerman Criticized Cops in 2011: George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watch volunteer who has been charged with shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, apparently criticized Sanford police last year after he went on a 12-hour ride-along, according to recordings from an open city forum. “What I saw was disgusting,” Zimmerman told mayor-elect Jeff Triplett, who held the forum following a scandal that ousted former police chief Brian Tooley. 
4. Europe to Greece: Stay in the Euro: It’s been a tumultuous few weeks in Europe. And now that it looks like Greece might leave the euro zone, other European leaders are planning for what could be explosive markets to follow. Most countries agreed that they should issue bonds to help members in financial turmoil, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Greece would have to “uphold the commitments it has made.” 
5. Suspect Confesses to Strangling Etan Patz: A New Jersey man reportedly confessed to police that he strangled Etan Patz, the 6-year-old boy who disappeared in 1979, and hid his body in a box, officials told The New York Times on Thursday.

Photo via picturedept:

Jon Lowenstein

Photographer Jon Lowenstein took this wonderful photo of last weekend’s anti-NATO demonstrations in Chicago. Lowenstein, who recently received a Guggenheim fellowship, has spent a decade photographing the people and neighborhoods in the South Side of Chicago. Last month, on assignment for Newsweek/Daily Beast, he photographed South Side neighborhoods hit by a dramatic rise in crime and gang violence. View that work here. And you can see many more of Jon’s photographs here.

Frontpage: Wednesday, May 2nd

1. Chinese Dissident in Medical Facility: Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who fled house arrest last month, has left the U.S. embassy and is at a medical facility in Beijing, a U.S. official said Wednesday—the first public acknowledgment by the U.S. that his whereabouts are known. 
2. Hiring Slows in April: A monthly report from the payroll giant ADP said Wednesday that U.S. hiring slowed in April, marking the second straight month that job growth disappointed forecasters. Companies hired 119,000 people in April after hiring 201,000 in March. 
3. 11 Killed in Cairo Clash: At least 11 people were killed early Wednesday in Cairo and at least 160 injured in clashes when a group of armed “thugs” attacked protesters demanding an end to military rule. The violence comes just weeks ahead of Egypt’s first post-Mubarak campaign, and resulted in two Islamist candidates suspending their campaigns. “Where is the Army? Why are they not stopping these people?” cried one bystander during the violence.
4. Watson Defends hacking Report: British M.P. Tom Watson, the man who has led the investigation into hacking allegations at News Corp., fired back Wednesday at critics of the findings that Murdoch is not “fit and proper” to run the media conglomerate. While some Conservative members of the committee have claimed Watson “hijacked” the report and made it “partisan,” Watson dismissed the criticism, saying “that’s exactly what they said when we did the report in 2009.
5. Gingrich to Suspend Campaign: It’s not quite June, but Newt Gingrich is ready to call it quits. The onetime Republican hopeful will suspend his campaign on Wednesday, he announced in a video message on Tuesday. In his farewell video, Gingrich promised he will endorse presumptive nominee Mitt Romney. Tweet your idea for Newt’s next job with #NewtsNextAct.  

Photo: A trainer walks a horse off the track at Churchill Downs after a morning workout in preparation for the Kentucky Derby this weekend. (Charlie Riedel / AP Photo)

Frontpage: Wednesday, Feb. 15th

1. Fake Cancer Drug Hits U.S. Market: The pharmaceutical company Roche is telling hospitals that there’s a fake version of its cancer drug Avastin floating around American markets. This was discovered after counterfeit vials were shown to have none of the active ingredients that combat cancer. 
2. Iran to Reveal Nuke Steps: Uh oh. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will announce “key nuclear achievements” Wednesday. Iranian news reports that the progress will probably be that the uranium enrichment plant, Fordo, located inside a mountain, is “fully operational.” 
3. Romney Rushes to Defend Michigan: With Rick Santorum surging ahead of Mitt Romney in the polls, the former frontrunner is returning to defend his home state. Romney’s campaign bought nearly $1.3 mil in airtime. 
4. Biden Lectures Chinese VP: Leave it to Vice President Biden to give a straight-talking toast to China’s vice president, and likely future leader, Xi Jinping. “As Americans, we welcome competition,” Biden said during a State Department lunch. “But cooperation, as you and I have spoken about, can only be mutually beneficial if the game is fair.” 
5. Syria’s Assad Sets Referendum Date: President Bashar al-Assad says Syria will hold a referendum on a new constitution on Feb. 26, but even as he made this seeming concession, his forces increased their bombardment of opposition towns.

Photo: “Untitled” by Weaam El-Masry, a fiery Egyptian artist whose nudes are risqué by almost any standards. She says she is worried about the prospect of an Islamist-dominated government. “They don’t think. They don’t use logic,” she says. “They think art is forbidden.” See more of her work and read Ty McComrick’s piece on Egyptian artists and government censors. 

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uprisingsintranslation:

Peoples’ Ambulance

On a wall encircling the American University in Cairo’s downtown campus on Mohammed Mahmoud Street. Throughout clashes in Tahrir Square and surrounding streets, people on motorcycles have delivered wounded protesters to field hospitals for treatment. 

This Tumblr translates and explains graffiti and other protest art found in Egypt. Cool! (h/t @zoeschlanger, @annie_werner)