Here is your R&D for August 13th:
Dissidents say Iran nuclear sanctions are helping Ahmadinejad from the Christian Science Monitor
Are U.S. sanctions against Iran working? A group of Iranian dissidents say they are not.
Green Light and Delay on Same-Sex Marriage from the New York Times
The federal judge who ruled that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional over a week ago has lifted a temporary stay that prevented same-sex marriages from being conducted. However, its mixed news for gay couples because he allowed the Ninth Circuit Couple of Appeals time to consider the issue.
One more bailout from the Boston Globe
Although President Obama has said that there won’t be any more Wall Street bailouts, some believe that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government owned mortgage entities, will get a government bailout shortly. Find out what the future might hold for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in this article.
Into the Inferno: Russia’s Wildfires Provide the Prime Minister with an Opportunity to Show How Much He Cares from the Economist
Russian Prime Minister and former President (and he may be president again) Vladimir Putin recently piloted a plane that dropped 12 tons of water on wildfires plaguing central Russia. How will the wildfires impact Putin’s future political aspirations?
South Asian ‘superbug’ spreads to Australia from the Sydney Morning Herald
In an era of easy international travel and medical tourism scientists worry that superbugs that are drug resistant will spread and create a medical crisis. This provides a good example for a speech on global medical issues.