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May 05, 2012 | | Brouhaha Now that blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng may be allowed to accept a fellowship at New York University, the international incident might be coming to a close. But it had threatened to snowball into a real problem with China, and the White House was doing everything it could to insulate the president from the situation—in order to shore up Obama’s standing on foreign policy, writes Douglas Schoen. BANNED In a move designed to appease anti-abortion advocates, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Friday a bill that cuts state taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood. Use of public funds for abortions is already restricted in most cases in the state, but the new law will ensure that taxpayer money isn’t going indirectly to support abortion services. Planned Parenthood Arizona has said that the funding cuts will endanger its other health services, including preventive health care for close to 20,000 women. Planned Parenthood said it is considering challenging the state law, which was passed by Arizona’s Republican-dominated legislature, in the courts. JUSTICE Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged 9/11 co-conspirators will face a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay on Saturday in what is their first public appearance in three years. They are charged with 2,976 counts of murder. An attorney for one of the defendants said that he thinks the case could take years. During a prior attempt to prosecute Mohammed and the other defendants, Mohammed made no attempt at a defense, saying he would be happy to plead guilty and be executed. VIOLENCE Protests in Egypt on Friday ended in violence with one person dead and more than 300 injured. Demonstrators threw rocks at security forces, and water cannons were used to control crowds after Egyptians filled the streets to voice their frustration with the slow rate of reform in the country’s military-led government. The military has imposed a curfew on Abbasiya Square in the Cairo neighborhood where the demonstrations took place. Similar protests Wednesday led to 11 deaths and dozens of injuries. The Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, has been active in the protests. INCUMBENT They’re off! The Obama campaigning machine will begin to hit its stride Saturday as the president holds his first rallies of the season in Columbus, Ohio and Richmond, Virginia. Known as a skillful campaigner who drew massive crowds to his rallies before the 2008 election, Obama will work to tap the same energy this year as he squares off against Republican candidate Mitt Romney. “We’re ready to go,” campaign manager Jim Messina told reporters. “While Mitt Romney has been busy endearing himself to the Tea Party and making promises he can’t keep, we’ve been busy building the largest grassroots campaign in modern American history.” Globalization India's Models vs. Militants ‘The World Before Her’ shows a changing India through the lives of a Miss India hopeful and a Hindu fundamentalist. By Abigail Pesta. | | 
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