Tag: Us

The Takeaway

Status of Escaped Chinese Dissident Overshadows Diplomatic Talks

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner arrive in China Wednesday morning. Ahead of their visit, American diplomats reportedly met with officials at the Chinese Foreign Ministry to quickly reach an agreement on what to do about Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng. David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for our partner The New York Times explains the strain Chen's position is putting on U.S.-China relations.

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The Takeaway

Iran Threatens US Aircraft Carrier

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

In the wake of revelations about its nuclear program, many Western powers have discussed sanctioning Iran's petroleum exports. On Tuesday, Iran stepped up its saber-rattling, warning that if an American aircraft carrier returned to its base via the Strait of Hormuz, it would face the "full force" of the Iranian navy. Roughly one fifth of the world's oil travels through the strait, and it is also where Iran recently tested two long-range missiles during a naval exercise. However, a spokesman for the Department of Defense stated, "the deployment of U.S. military assets in the Persian Gulf region will continue as it has for decades."

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The Takeaway

Flash Forward: James Dyson on Why We Need Innovation

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Over the past few weeks, The Takeaway has been talking about innovation — what it is, and how we can spark more of it. We've talked about medicine, communication, education, and technology, among other topics. And we've talked with some of the biggest names and inventors out there. We wrap up our series with one of the most famous modern innovators in the world: James Dyson.

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The Takeaway

Senator Cardin on the US Role in Libya

Friday, August 26, 2011

Yesterday the United Nations Security Council reached an agreement to release $1.5 billion in frozen Libyan assets, to help meet humanitarian needs for civilians there. The State Department is assuring the American people that money will not fall into the wrong hands. Libyan rebels are continuing their search for Moammar Gadhafi, with the help of NATO. But what will the U.S.'s role be in Libya's transition to a democracy?

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The Takeaway

China and the US: An Economic Turning Point?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Yesterday, U.S. Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier Wang Qishan, to discuss the challenges facing global markets after a tumultuous week for the U.S. economy. China's stock market plunged on Monday (along with the U.S.'s), following the news that Standard and Poor downgraded America's credit rating. Chinese investors are concerned that the current poor economic climate in the U.S. will lead to decreased demand for Chinese exports. China is the largest U.S. foreign creditor, but over the weekend on Chinese websites many people were calling for China to invest less money in the U.S.

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The Takeaway

The US Navy's Long History with Libya

Friday, March 04, 2011

"From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli." Those are the opening words to the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. The Barbary Wars of 1801-1805 are an oft-forgotten part of American history. But those wars, fought to protect US ships from pirates along the coast of North Africa, were fundamental in the formation of the US Navy. For a look at the history of US military involvment with Libya, we're joined by David Smethurst, author of "Tripoli: The United States' First War on Terror."

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The Takeaway

Majority of Public Deems Afghanistan War 'Not Worth Fighting'

Friday, December 17, 2010

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that 60 percent of Americans say the Afghanistan war is "not worth fighting." This is a record low in public support of the war. Mary Galeti, the wife of Afghanistan veteran First Lieutenant Russell Galeti, and Gideon Rose, editor of Foreign Affairs and author of "How Wars End: Why We Always Fight the Last Battle," describe their observations of public opinion, and what it might mean for the Obama administration's efforts in Afghanistan going forward.

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The Takeaway

Eighteen Minute Online Traffic Diversion Puzzles Security Experts

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Cyber security experts are at a loss to explain why, last April, 15 percent of all web traffic was diverted through servers in China for 18 minutes. As the number of private citizen and government records, as well as important commerce explodes online, the question of who is watching is one of great import. Was China conducting massive cyber espionage? And if so, what do we have to worry about? 

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The Takeaway

US Faces Off Against Algeria in Crucial World Cup Game

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

It’s been an exciting World Cup for the U.S. soccer team so far, but today's match is the crucial one. The winner of today's match against Algeria will advance to the second round while the loser will be eliminated. "The U.S. is ranked 14th and Algeria is ranked 30th and it really doesn't matter," says New York Times sports columnist, George Vecsey.

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The Takeaway

Iran: An Uprising, A Crackdown. One Year Later, Where's The Revolutionary Spirit?

Friday, June 11, 2010

One year ago, Iran, in turmoil, appeared to be on the brink of a revolution. Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was declared the winner of Iran's much-contested presidential election. For days afterwards, protests raged. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians poured into the streets. They marched, despite a savage government crackdown. Dissidents, journalists and ordinary people were swept off the streets and imprisoned, but the protests went on. Cameras filmed the death throes of a young woman, Neda Agha-Soltan, shot in the streets of Tehran. She was called a martyr; her death fuelled even more protests. Twitter and Youtube became foreign correspondents, telling stories from the embattled nation after traditional media were shut down or shut out. But the protests petered out.

One year later, where is the revolutionary fervor?

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The Takeaway

The Life of Radical Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

We are taking a closer look at the life of radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. In a video released over the weekend by al-Qaida in Yemen, al-Awlaki urged Muslims to take American lives. The cleric has a published discography to rival some rock stars, with over 100 CDs of readings and lectures to his name, not all of them incendiary. al-Awlaki was once known as a popular (and moderate) interpreter of Islamic texts on CD; speculation abounds as to exactly when and why he took a more radical turn. 

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The Takeaway

What Would Happen if Google Pulled out of China?

Friday, January 15, 2010

This week, Google threatened to pull out of China after several Gmail accounts of human rights activists were hacked into by cyber attackers in China. What would it mean for U.S.-China relations if Google really pulls out of the country altogether?

 

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