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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of September 15th-21st, 2014.
Good luck to all of the extempers competing at the Yale Invitational this weekend!
Polls close in Scotland’s #indyref – join our coverage at http://t.co/qyVoTOcVuf as counting begins pic.twitter.com/vtFxkIXNA1
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 18, 2014
U.S. Senate approves arming, training moderate Syrian rebels http://t.co/ZJNI4TR0kQ
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) September 19, 2014
Why girls get better grades than boys http://t.co/wlgdZuObGk
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) September 18, 2014
Today’s R&D covers the National Football League’s recent problems with off the field incidents. Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was kicked off of his former club after hitting his then-fiancee and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is under fire for hitting one of his sons. The incidents have placed NFL Commission Roger Goodell under fire and given the league a public relations nightmare. Sports questions are not common in extemp, but since the NFL’s incidents touch on child abuse, appropriate child discipline, and domestic violence, you may encounter questions about them in a domestic social round in the near future.
Today’s R&D covers Turkey’s involvement in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Turkey’s government announced last week that it will not allow the United States to use its air base at Incirlik to attack ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. Analysts believe that Turkey’s position is directed by a desire to protect forty-nine of its nationals that are hostages of the group as well. Intelligence sources estimate that up to 1,000 Turks have joined ISIS’s military campaigns in Syria and Iraq.
Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany 
Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of September 8th-14th, 2014.
Today’s R&D covers the International Criminal Court (ICC). Founded in 2002, the ICC puts individuals on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Over 120 nations belong to the ICC, but the United States is not a member, having never ratified the Rome Statute. The ICC has been criticized in recent years by African leaders as unfairly targeting their continent, and it recently drew the ire of the international press for shelving the trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta due to a lack of evidence.
Today’s R&D covers the conviction of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell on eleven counts of public corruption. McDonnell, who was touted a few years ago as a possible running mate for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, is the first former governor in Virginia history to be convicted of a crime. He will be sentenced in January and faces decades in prison.
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Today’s R&D focuses on the possibility of another government shutdown before the 2014 midterm elections. When Congress reconvenes next week, it will have ten days to reach an agreement to keep the government funded through the end of September. If an agreement is not reached, another government shutdown could occur and that could have a disastrous effect on the Republican Party’s chances of winning the Senate this fall. Republican leaders deny that they have any plans for a new shutdown.
Today’s R&D covers the Ukrainian crisis. Last week, the Ukrainian government released videos of captured Russian troops in Eastern Ukraine, which contradicts the Russian government’s official stance that it does not have a present in the eastern half of the country. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alleges that Russia has more than 1,000 troops in Ukraine, and Russian actions in the area have resulted in Western sanctions.
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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of August 25th-31st.
Today’s R&D covers Zimbabwean politics. Since President Robert Mugabe is ninety years old, there is a great deal of uncertainty about what the country’s political future will look like. The country has only had two presidents since it gained official independence in 1980 and Mugabe has ruled since 1987. Recently, Mugabe’s wife, Grace, entered national politics after winning an endorsement to become the next head of Zanu-PF’s women’s league.
Today’s R&D provides resources on the controversial police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting, which took place on August 9, took the life of eighteen-year-old black teenager Michael Brown. The incident triggered protests and looting in the area and was met by a heavy police response. The officer involved in the shooting is currently under investigation and the Department of Justice is looking into potential civil rights violations.