investment banker
Investment banker in Cairo, Egypt
PROFILE
Omar Rezda
Guest
FROM Omar Rezda
To the Point
The New Egypt? Same as the Old? Three years after the Arab Spring uprising in Egypt's Tahrir Square, it seems a long cold winter has returned. Former strongman Hosni Mubarak and his closest security officials have been cleared of all charges stemming from the killing of protesters during the 2011 mass demonstrations. A new army general, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has consolidated power as Egypt's president, and thousands of religious and secular opposition activists are in jail. But the spigot of US aid is wide open and business is booming. Is it game over for democracy in Egypt?
To the Point
Egypt at a Crossroads…Once Again NOTE: This discussion was recorded while events in Egypt were developing — and just before President Morsi's ouster from office. Egypt is bracing for increased violence between massive crowds for and against Mohamed Morsi, elected just one year ago. The President has refused to step down, tanks are in the streets of Cairo, and Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood claims there has been a military coup. Was it "invited" by the millions who are protesting his rule? Has the US given its tacit approval? What are the potential consequences for democracy in Egypt and, more broadly, in the rest of the Middle East?
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To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.