Taxation with Representation? DC's Fight For A Vote In Congress

The residents of Washington DC are one step closer to having a voting representative in the House of Representatives, as the Senate voted to debate a bill (62-34) authored by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). If the bill is passed by both houses of Congress, the District of Columbia and the State of Utah would gain a seat in the House, currently composed of 435 members, in 2011. This would represent the first increase in the size of the House since New Mexico and Arizona became states one hundred years earlier in 1911 (although, as many commentators have failed to note, the House briefly grew to 437 seats when Alaska and Hawaii gained statehood, before returning to 435 following the next reapportionment). However, as The New York Times notes, many legislative, political, and legal battles loom large before the nearly 600,000 Washingtonians can drop their "Taxation Without Representation" motto.

The Reluctant Peacemaker: Egypt's Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Egypt is indeed the quagmire of the Middle East; formerly (and, in some respects, currently) the leader of Arab nations, Egypt remains one of only two Middle Eastern nations to have made peace with Israel (Jordan is the other). Thus, there is significant international (and national) pressure for Egypt to step in and negotiate a long term peace deal between Israel and Hamas--especially from Hamas sympathizers. Time reports that Hamas officials are currently in Egypt, trying to begin peace negotiations. Earlier this year, The New York Times covered Egypt's potentially efficacious role in prolonging the ceasefire in Gaza.

CNN is currently reporting that a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas is close, after representatives from both sides met in a Cairo hotel.

The Plagued American West: The Financial Woes of California and Nevada

As the federal government debates over economic stimulus plans, the American state governments face massive deficits which threaten to (and are) profoundly affecting their residents' lives. Two western states in particular, California and Nevada, face particularly immense strains. The New York Times reports on the furloughs enacted in California, which have given over 200,000 state employees their Friday's "off" indefinitely. A program that employs 1,300 young Californians appears set to be axed by Governor Schwarzeneggar in the coming weeks. An article from last August in The Economist highlights the downfall of some Californian suburbs. Nevada, which currently has the highest foreclosure rate in the country, also faces a downturn in the tourism dollars it relies on.

Mexico's War With Drug Cartels

Recently described as a "civil war" by former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the Mexican government has stepped up its assault on the powerful drug cartels operating within Mexico's borders. Both sides have struck; the killing of former a brigadier general and recently-named anti-drug official took place in Cancun this week, marking one of the first instances of cartel-related violence taking place in Mexico outside of the northern cities. Meanwhile, Mexican authorities this week apprehended a key cartel coordinator outside of Mexico City and charged another man last month in Tijuana with disposing over 300 bodies for the cartels in acid over the last decade.

Dangerous Times in Somalia

Times are rough in Somalia, a country which UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon has deemed too dangerous for any UN peacekeepers. An attack on African Union troops in Mogadishu on Monday left 2o dead, the New York Times reports. Meanwhile, the new Somali President, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, is seeking military aid to battle 'extremists'. This comes just as the BBC reports that Ethiopian troops may have reentered Somalia, after leaving the country two weeks ago as part of a peace deal.

Is a New UK Government All But Certain? The Plight of Gordon Brown

A Sindy (The Independent on Sunday) columnist discusses the fate of Gordon Brown, and the mystery behind what a David Cameron Government may look like.

The state of the British economy has put Mr. Brown's job on the line. From adjustments in foreign policy, discussed here in The Economist, to domestic strikes, which the Prime Minister has criticized in an interview with the BBC, financial affairs have domineered Mr. Brown's premiership.