In an article in the UK’s Guardian, author Damian Carrington reviewed recently published research by three Cornell University faculty members suggesting that when food prices reach a specific level, riots and civil unrest are more likely to occur.

Before the world-changing events of 9/11/2001, Americans’ exposure to terrorism was mostly secondhand—perhaps watching video images of a bombed-out Oklahoma City building in April 1995, or reading newspaper stories of a botched World Trade Center bombing in February 1993. Millions, however, on that momentous Tuesday morning of September 11, were watching live television coverage of one burning skyscraper, when another jet suddenly appeared—and then crashed into the second WTC tower!

Sheikh Adel Shehato was imprisoned in Egypt in 1991 and released following the Egyptian uprising earlier this year.  He is a senior official in the Egyptian Jihad and his fame and influence are growing in Egypt.  In a recent interview, he shared his extremist views about Christianity.  When asked whether he was against blowing up churches, the sheikh responded, “Yes and no.

Hurricane Irene plowed a destructive path up the east coast of the United States and into Canada last weekend, causing billions of dollars in damage and leaving millions without power.  Although the storm was a “low” category hurricane, it was large and moved through some of the most densely populated areas of the nation—potentially impacting more than 65 million people.

“As its sovereign-debt crisis nears a third year and rescue efforts fail to stop the rot in financial markets, economists from Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Mohamed El-Erian to Harvard’s Martin Feldstein say ensuring the euro’s existence may require members to leave the 17-nation currency region.  The result would be what El-Erian, Pimco’s Newport Beach, California-based chief executive officer, calls a ‘smaller, much better integrated, fiscally strong euro zone.’”