On the Radar: February 22, 2011

Four Americans Captured by Pirates Killed
By Jim Sciutto, Martha Raddatz and Sarah Netter, ABC News
Four Americans aboard a hijacked yacht off the coast of Somalia were killed by their pirate captors Tuesday, touching off a firefight with a U.S. warship, military officials said. Read more

Obama Meets Small-Business Owners
By Helene Cooper, The New York Times
President Obama called for increased spending on education and transportation in order to help increase American competitiveness on Tuesday, as the White House continued to position itself as business-friendly and prepared to wrestle with Republicans over the budget deficit. Read more

Could Sen. Thune's 'no' to 2012 presidential race preclude 2016 and beyond?
By Dan Balz, The Washington Post
When President Obama began to seriously explore running for the White House, among those whose opinion he sought was the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Don't wait, Kennedy told him. The longer you stay in the Senate, the more difficult it will be to win the presidency. Read more

Killings of Four Americans on Yacht Shows Long Reach of Somalia’s Pirates
By Yochi J. Dreazen and Sara Sorcher, National Journal
Somali gunmen killed four American citizens aboard a hijacked yacht earlier on Tuesday in a bloody incident that highlights the growing reach and increasingly lethal nature of the pirates operating out of Somalia, one of the world’s poorest and most lawless nations. Read more

Superpower and Upstart: Sometimes It Ends Well
By David E. Sanger, The New York Times
For a superpower, dealing with the fast rise of a rich, brash competitor has always been an iffy thing. Read more

In Cleveland, a battle for the economy
By Christi Parsons and James Oliphant, Los Angeles Times
The narrative that haunts Cleveland — former empire of iron and steel, shipping and rail — has followed it for decades: the collapse of the manufacturing economy, the erosion of jobs, the exodus of residents. Read more

High court rules against parents in drug vaccine case
By Joan Biskupic, USA Today
The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the parents of a child who suffered seizures after a routine vaccination could not sue the drugmaker. Read more

Posted: Tue, 02/22/2011 - 6:58pm