Cheat Sheet - Silicon Valley’s Newest Billionaire

Today: Egypt Starts Second Round of Voting, Obama Speech Marks End of Iraq War, Putin Ally Resigns December 14, 2011 GOING PUBLIC 1. Silicon Valley's Newest Billionaire With $30 million and two startups under his belt, Zynga founder Mark Pincus wasn't exactly a Silicon Valley newcomer, but he wasn't exactly A-list, either, he tells Gary Rivlin. That may change when Zynga goes public, an IPO expected to raise around $1 billion on Friday. Bona fide A-listers like Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, and Jeffrey Katzenberg are investing--and Katzenberg even says that if he could do it over again, "I would like to be Mark Pincus." Read it at The Daily Beast BACK AT IT 2. Egypt Starts Second Round of Voting Egyptians in nine provinces headed to the polls Wednesday to vote in the second round of Egypt's parliamentary elections held to replace the government of Hosni Mubarak, who a popular uprising ousted in February. The political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood dominated the first round of voting, taking 47 percent of the vote to the ultra-conservative al-Nour party's 21 percent. The turnout is expected to be lower in the second round, but the Muslim Brotherhood is widely expected to triumph thanks to its decades of charitable work and political endurance. Read it at Al Jazeera THE END 3. Obama Speech Marks End of Iraq War President Obama addressed some 3,000 returning soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in a speech that marked an end to the Iraq war. Obama welcomed the soldiers home and told them "the war in Iraq will soon belong to history, and your service belongs to the ages." Obama' acknowledged that while the U.S. knew the end of the war was coming, "there is still something profound about the end of a war that has lasted so long." Obama's remarks at Fort Bragg made no mention of his opposition to the war, but rather focused on his appreciation for the troops and pledging that the veterans will be cared for. Read it at USA Today UNDER THE BUS 4. Putin Ally Resigns In the latest sign that Vladmir Putin is feeling the heat, the chairman of his party, United Russia, resigned from his post. The chairman, Boris V. Gryzlov, was famous for putting down dissent in the Russian Parilaiment, once saying that the political body "was no place for political battles." Gryzlov didn't give a reason for his resignation, but it is widely seen as an attempt to appease protesters accusing the government of rigging recent parliamentary elections. Read it at The New York Times HEAVYWEIGHTS 5. Christine O'Donnell Endorses Romney Maybe she can put a spell on Newt. Former Delaware Senate candidate and Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell endorsed Mitt Romney for president on Sean Hannity's show Tuesday night. O'Donnell cited Romney's executive experience as being the reason for her bid, saying, "I trust him to do the right thing." As for his supposed flip-flopping? "He's been consistent since he changed his mind," O'Donnell claims. Romney said he is pleased to have O'Donnell's backing, calling her a "leader in the conservative movement" who agrees with him on the problems of "excessive government." Romney had endorsed O'Donnell last year and donated $5,000 to her campaign. Read it at USA Today SCARY Women Dies in Elevator Accident Was pinned between floors. CONFUSED Birds Slam into Walmart Parking Lot Thought they were headed for water. INTERVIEW Broadway's Naughty New Musical Director and stars speak on 'Lysistrata Jones.' GOOD GIRL Lohan Gets Glowing Probation Report In court hearing on Tuesday. KIDS OF THE STARS Paris Jackson Gives First Solo Interview On 'Ellen' Thursday. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. NewsBeast: Is Amazon Evil? by The Daily Beast Examining Rick Perry's Medical Alibi by Kent Sepkowitz Can Anybody Defend Jerry Sandusky? by Jacob Bernstein, Jessica Bennett

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