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The biggest single new initiative in the State Department's $51.6 billion budget proposal for next year was a Middle East Incentive Fund -- $770 million in mostly new money to help State respond to the Arab Spring by supporting emerging democracies and their civil societies. But the House of Representatives declined to fund it in their version of the appropriations bill.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee for State and Foreign Ops didn't give any money to fund the initiative in their fiscal 2013 appropriations mark, released last month. The leaders of that subcommittee claim that State failed to give them enough detail about the program to justify the new outlay of funds.

11 different ways to structure a startup's pitch.

Peter Thiel provides a good set of guidelines for raising VC

For 2012, Funny Or Die is averaging around 14-16 million uniques per month, and has seen 60 percent growth year over year. But it’ll likely get a big boost once it starts leverage Turner properties, but especially TBS and Adult Swim. Internet distribution is nice, but it still doesn’t match the reach that a content creator can get from TV. According to Glover, the partnership will “provide a microphone to reach a much larger audience.”

"Starting May 31 through June 20, we’ll be looking for ideas that help unlock the power of data, by collecting, processing, visualizing or otherwise making it available, understandable and actionable. Applicants - whether for-profit startups or non-profit ventures - will have 21 days to submit their projects."