Middle East relations remain contentious as U.S. drones provoke Iraqi government officials, and more violence erupts in Damascus; Occupy Oakland uprising damages city buildings and causes clashing with police; and U.S. officials are set to testify against Cuban offshore drilling. Meanwhile, the original writers and cast of ‘Arrested Development’ will return for the Netflix series, and Madonna will release an exclusive video teaser on ‘American Idol’ this week.
Kelly + Caitlin
CRUCIAL:
U.S. Drones Patrolling Its Skies Provoke Outrage in Iraq, http://nyti.ms/wDu5th
The State Department is operating a small fleet of surveillance drones to protect the United States Embassy and other U.S. buildings. Iraqi officials are outraged at the program, calling the aircraft an affront to Iraqi independence. The drones are meant to take over functions that the U.S. military used to perform as U.S. troops have been out of Iraq for over a month now. American contractors have been told that drones might soon be needed for other potentially “high-threat” countries such as Indonesia and Pakistan. The drones do not carry weapons and are meant to provide data and images of possible hazards.
Syria Targets Rebels Based in Suburbs of Damascus, http://nyti.ms/zCetD9
On Sunday, Syria sent soldiers, tanks, and armored vehicles to seek out pockets of rebel fighters as the country’s war escalated over the weekend. Blasts have continued, with Syrian authorities reporting a blown up gas pipeline near the border of northern Lebanon. In Damascus, black smoke hangs over buildings and electricity and water have been cut off to the area. Arab League nations have been pushing the U.N. Security Council to endorse their plan for political transition in Syria, calling for President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy.
Occupy Oakland arrests reach 400; City Hall vandalized, http://lat.ms/xtGn3W
The Occupy Oakland movement turned ugly when protesters set to take over the city’s vacant Convention Center. As the takeover met police, protesters spread out to museums and eventually Oakland’s city hall. Demonstrators threw bottles, rocks, burning flares, and other objects at police officers. Over 400 arrests have been made. The downturn at Occupy Oakland comes as Occupy D.C. demonstrators are expected to be evicted today.
Cuban Offshore Drilling Plans To Be Probed By Congressional Subcommittee Hearing, http://huff.to/y8lPsI
At the satellite congressional subcommittee hearing today, just north of Miami Beach, members of the U.S. Coast Guard, experts and U.S. officials will testify on the risk of oil drilling off the coast of Cuba. As Cuba seeks to begin deep-water oil drilling, Congressional members and ecology experts will gauge if the U.S. is prepared for potential oil spills in this area.
Newt: Mitt Can Have Florida But This Is Going All The Way To The Convention, http://bit.ly/zGb3A2
Newt Gingrich says it isn’t over as Mitt Romney anticipates a win in tomorrow’s Florida primary. In the latest NBC poll, Romney is up by 15 percentage points in the state. However, Newt won’t be far behind if Romney wins Florida. Speaking on behalf of Gingrich’s campaign, former Sen. Fred Thompson says it boils down to the delegate count. Florida holds 50 winner-take-all delegates, comprising about 5 percent of the 1,144 needed at the time of the convention.
Tech companies team up to combat email scams, http://bit.ly/w3xcy0
Google and Microsoft, among many other technology companies, are combining efforts to stop email phishing scams. The goal in mind is to design a system which will authenticate emails from legitimate senders and weed out the scammers. The new system will be called DMARC, Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance. A combination of email providers and email senders are on the team, including Yahoo, Bank of America, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
No Thanks, Facebook: Poll Suggests Users Don’t Want Timeline, http://ti.me/zrJ0WV
In a poll conducted with more than 4,000 Facebook users, most are reporting that they hate the new Timeline format. As Facebook aims to make Timeline mandatory, only 8 percent of polled users said they liked it. A large majority, 83 percent of poll users, had a negative take on the stalking gadget. Most of the negative responses were based on being “put-off” by the amount of personal information that surfaces when using Timeline.
CULTURAL:
Guns N’ Roses Announce February Concerts, http://bit.ly/xdV6x0
‘The Help’ nabs three kudos at SAG Awards, http://bit.ly/xp3pF5
Tyler Perry Sets Cast for New ‘Madea’ Movie, http://bit.ly/yiIOR0
‘Arrested Development’ revival: entire cast confirmed for Netflix series with original writers, http://thedc.com/wbXFns
Madonna Goes Cheerleader Chic In New Video: ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ tease will air on ‘American Idol,’ http://on.mtv.com/yNSjPv
