Al-Jazeera

Already closed on Monday because of a bank holiday and on Tuesday because of the Prophet Mohamed's birthday, Egyptian banks decided to shut down for the two other business days remaining this week in the face of widespread strikes by employees.

Central bank executives said they wanted workers to get back to work on Sunday and offered to negotiate with their employees throughout the next several weeks.

The shut down came amid reports that the U.S. was considering a huge aid package for Egypt. Egypt's economy was expected to grow by 5 percent between last summer and this coming June. Because of the 18-day revolution that saw the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak, actual growth may only be about 1 percent. An American bailout would be significant in avoiding economic disarray.

An Islamist judge with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Tareq el-Bishri, has been selected to head the all-male committee rewriting Egypt's Constitution. The Brotherhood meanwhile announced its intention to form a politcal party as soon as Constitutional reforms are finalized. Present rules pushed by Mubarak prevents the Brotherhood from being recognized as a formal party.

The eight-member constitutional committee has 10 days to do its work. The panel also includes a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood who spent three days in captivity during the protests and a Coptic Christian that the N.Y. Times calls "distinguished." The five other members--judges and law professors--do not have party affiliations. Youth groups that gave birth to the revolution have expressed satisfaction with the choices.

A former judge el-Bishri "was once a secular leftist but became a prominent thinker in the 'moderate Islamic' political trend. He is respected on both sides as a bridge between the movements," according to ABC News.

The panel appears to be planning only minor amendments that would ensure fair elections in August. They would leave larger changes to a new parliament.

There's still disagreement about whether to worry about the Brotherhood. For now, Egyptians appear to be taking a cautious wait-and-see approach.

Reach Executive Producer Paresh Dave here.  Follow him on Twitter @peard33.