Here is your R&D for December 23rd:
EPA to double down on climate from Politico
With Congress unlikely to pass a cap and trade bill, the Environmental Protection Agency is set to roll out greenhouse gas regulations next year. The move could set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill, as Republicans and some Democrats oppose the EPA regulating without Congressional approval.
New Gaza war ‘a question of when, not if’ from the BBC
A senior Israeli military official has told the BBC that if Hamas continues to hold onto the Gaza Strip there will be another war in the region. Experts are concerned about increased rocket fire that is coming from Gaza over the past week.
Greece Passes 2011 Austerity Budget In Post-Midnight Vote from the Wall Street Journal
Greece’s push for austerity continued today as it passed a 2011 budget that aims to reduce the nation’s deficit from 9.4% to 7.4% of GDP.
Sudan’s South Faces Economic Challenges Ahead from the Voice of America
If Southern Sudan votes for independence early next year it will face a multitude of economic challenges. Voice of America lays out some of those challenges in this article.
The Guns of December from Foreign Policy
According to this Foreign Policy article, it’s about time that South Korea showed North Korea that it means business and that further attacks will not be absorbed without a response.