The Short List - May 27, 2011

• Secretary of State Clinton made a visit to Pakistan today, trying to bolster a struggling relationship.  The visit comes on the heels the Pakistani decision to allow the CIA to search Osama Bin Laden's compound and speak to several of his wives.


• The G-8 summit in France ended with encouraging words for the Arab Spring, but no dollars for the still forming governments in Tunisia and Egypt.  Meanwhile Saudi Arabia continues its attempts, through cash and diplomacy, to contain, if not cease(NYT), the Arab Spring which has thus far passed the monarchy by.


• The Syrian opposition has moved their protests to the night(NYT) in an effort to avoid government violence and identification.  The series of protests has persisted for nine weeks now.


• The Supreme Court, in a 5-3 vote, upheld the Arizona law that would allow the state to strip the licences of companies that knowingly employ illegal immigrants.  The ruling is viewed as a narrow one that chips away, but does not topple the federal government's predominance in immigration legislation.  The more controversial 1070 law, where law enforcement must check immigration status for anyone they stop, has not reach the Supreme Court yet, but appears headed there.


• Palin takes the bus and mills the big time, while Romney, Santorum, and Bachman look set to join the Republican field seeking the presidency.


• FIFA is investigating its own president, up for re-election next week, facing charges of bribery.  The next leading contender to head FIFA is also under investigation for bribery.  Russia's and Qatar's winning bids seem increasingly shady.