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When Hosni Mubarak was whisked out of prison by helicopter on Thursday, he did not become a free man. The former Egyptian leader, 85, was taken to a military hospital in Cairo, where's he under house arrest and still faces criminal charges.

But to many, the move was highly symbolic, the latest sign that the 2011 revolution is being rolled back and that the country's future is growing messier and more complicated by the day.

Mubarak's fate remains politically sensitive, potentially explosive and may not be resolved for months or even years. The case also raises a difficult and recurring question: what's the best way to deal with current and former dictators?

The Arab uprisings offers examples that run the gamut.

The Quick Getaway

In Tunisia's revolution in January 2011, the first major upheaval of the Arab Spring, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali made a quick getaway to Saudi Arabia on a plane that was reportedly loaded with gold bars.

He was convicted of embezzlement in absentia, but now spends his days quietly in Saudi Arabia. Many critics say Ben Ali and his associates got off far too easy and that justice has not been served.

But there's the counter-argument that his swift departure marked a conclusive end to his regime and helped clear the way for the country to remake itself.

In this line of reasoning, a dictator should be encouraged to go into exile whenever possible. He may not have to account for his sins, but his departure will allow the country to look forward, rather than backward.

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Parallels

What's Next For Egypt: 3 Scenarios

It's been about two months since college graduation and more than 3 million graduates from this year and last still don't have jobs, according to government officials.

That's not in the U.S., but in China.

China is home to the world's fastest-growing major economy. But with nearly 7 million college graduates this year, a record number, finding work is tough and a worry for the ruling Communist Party.

Earlier this summer, thousands of new grads poured into an exhibition center in Shanghai for a job fair. Dressed casually in sports shirts and simple trousers, they moved from booth to booth, snapping pictures of job postings with their smart phones.

Parallels

China's 'Shadow Banking' And How It Threatens The Economy

Claims by the opposition in Syria that President Bashar Assad's forces used chemical weapons during an attack Wednesday near Damascus — killing scores of people, they say — are being followed Thursday by word that:

— "The French foreign minister has said that the international community would need to respond with force if allegations were proven that Syrian government forces carried out a mass chemical attack on civilians." (The Guardian)

— Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is also urging that action be taken "to prevent further chemical strikes." (The Wall Street Journal) "This event is one that cannot be ignored anymore," Mr. Davutoglu said.

Part of a series of stories produced in collaboration with Youth Radio on the changing car culture in America.

You might think there's one place in America you absolutely need a car: Los Angeles. You'd be wrong.

"I have been in L.A. without a car for two years now," says Alyssa Rosenthal, a makeup artist.

Rosenthal's job means lugging a professional makeup kit — think of a small toolbox filled with enough supplies to make a supermodel or a zombie (or a zombie supermodel). Point being: It's heavy, and it's her responsibility to get it to the movie set.

"It's not easy. It's definitely a big challenge, but I make it happen," Rosenthal says. "Public transit really is blowing up in L.A. right now. The trains go a lot of places, and it makes it sometimes easier to get to locations with traffic and everything in L.A."

That "blowing up" Rosenthal refers to is new transit options like the Metro Expo Line, which opened last year. It's already surpassing rider projections.

All Tech Considered

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