Tag: extemp files Page 11 of 23

Here is your R&D for January 13th:

President Obama’s speech in Tucson, Arizona
Here is the text of President Obama’s speech at a memorial service last night in Tucson, Arizona.  The memorial was a tribute for the six people killed and fourteen wounded in the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Most Doubt Political Rhetoric a Major Factor in Ariz. Shootings from Gallup
In a move that may give pause to legislative moves against incindiary political speech, a recent Gallup poll shows that only 20% of Americans believe that heated political language was a factor in the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords over the weekend.  42% believe that it was not a factor, while 22% thought it was a minor factor.

Lebanon: the Berlin Wall of the new Cold War from the UK Telegraph
After Hezbollah caused the collapse of the Lebanese government, the UK Telegraph poses an intriguing question:  is Lebanon a 21st century Berlin Wall between the West and Iran?

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Here is your R&D for January 12th:

Congress readies new gun-control bills after Gabrielle Giffords shooting from the Christian Science Monitor
The gun control debate in America has been mute for over a decade, but in the wake of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shooting, it has taken on a new significance.

Castro in state of confusion from the Miami Herald
As Cuban President Raul Castro tried to create a hybrid socialist and capitalist economic model, he is running into several problems.  Cuba’s authoritarian past may make it difficult to encourage the entreprenurial spirit the Cuban economy will need to succeed.

‘Europe Needs Growth to Prevent a Collapse of the Euro’ from Der Spiegel
According to economist Nouriel Roubini, the only way for the euro to survive is for Germany to provide more money to defend the currency and allow the European Central Bank to loosen monetary policy.

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Here is your R&D for January 11th:

Congress Weighs Enhanced Security Plan from the New York Times
Congress is looking into adopting a more enhanced security system for its members in the wake of the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  Such a system would overhaul the way town hall meetings are held.

North Korea foreign trade falls sharply from the Los Angeles Times
Extempers are aware that North Korea’s economy is in terrible shape.  The latest news paints an even bleaker economic picture as the country’s foreign trade is down 10.6% from 2008.

Moving Forward in Sudan from the Council on Foreign Relations
In this piece, John Campbell, the Council on Foreign Relations Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, discusses the challenges the United States will face if Southern Sudan’s population votes for independence.

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Here is your R&D for January 10th:

DeLay Sentenced to 3 Years in Money Laundering Case from the New York Times
The government’s length legal battle with former House majority leader Tom Delay has come to an end.  DeLay was found guilty late last year of money laundering and conspiracy and was sentenced today to three years in prison for those offenses.

EU envoys in ‘East Jerusalem call’ from Al Jazeera
A leaked report has revealed that EU envoys in the Middle East want the EU to treat East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state.  The document has recommendations from the heads of 25 European missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah.  Predictably, Israel is not happy with the report.

Tucson shooting marks turning point for Sarah Palin from Politico
After the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on Saturday, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s style of poliics has come under fire.  Her response will have significant impact on where her political career goes from here.

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Here is your R&D for January 6th:

Gibbs says he’ll serve Obama better from outside from the Washington Post
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has tendered his resignation effective in early February.  Political analysts say that Gibbs is leaving to give President Obama a spokesperson for his re-election campaign in 2012.

19 Democrats vote against Nancy Pelosi from Politico
During a roll call vote for Speaker of the House yesterday, 19 Democrats refused to back former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s candidacy.  The rebuke was the biggest by a party against their former speaker since the 1920s.

Hungary Poses a Serious Challenge for the EU from Der Spiegel
Just when you thought that the European Union had enough to deal with, Hungary is posing new challenges for the organization.  Restrictive laws on the country’s media and the imposition of a “crisis tax” have openly challenged EU goals.

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Here is your R&D for December 5th:

Pakistan braces for turmoil ahead of Salman Taseer funeral from the Guardian
Salman Taseer, a moderate Pakistani provincial governor, was shot dead by a bodyguard yesterday for opposing the nation’s blasphemy laws.  Some fear that his death demonstrates the growth of radical Islam within Pakistan.

Factbox: State immigration measures from Reuters
Feeling that the federal government has failed to control immigration, states are beginning to take their own steps to deal with the issue.  This factbox article breaks down the moves by several states to target illegal immigrants and workers.

Resurgent Turkey Flexes Its Muscles Around Iraq from the New York Times
Turkey’s influence in the Middle East is on the rise and it is making headway in Iraq with business, cultural, and educational contacts.

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Here is your R&D for January 4th:

Netanyahu slams Palestinians’ new ‘three no’s’ from the Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the refusal of the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, drop their demand for Palestinian refugees to return to Israel, and to security arrangements.  Netanyahu is also in the process of trying to prevent other Latin American nations from extending recognition to a Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders.

Obama Said to Consider William Daley for Top White House Post from Bloomberg
In news that has sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill, President Obama is said to be considering naming former Commerce Secretary William Daley to a top White House post. Daley is the brother of outgoing Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

Shaking the mountains from the Economist
This Economist article criticizes India’s response to problems in Kashmir, which the Economist believes will merely inflame tensions and create another conflict.

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Here is your R&D for January 3rd:

Reviving U.S. Power Abroad From Within from the Council on Foreign Relations
This Council on Foreign Relations roundtable discussion seeks to answer whether America’s domestic weaknesses impact U.S. foreign policy.

G.O.P. Newcomers Set Out to Undo Obama Victories from the Washington Post
Unsurprisingly, House Republicans plan to attack President Obama’s domestic agenda and have promised to have a vote to repeal President Obama’s healthcare reform bill within the next few weeks.

Danny Davis drops Chicago mayor bid from Politico
House Democrat Danny Davis has dropped out of the race for mayor of Chicago.  This clears the way for the city’s African-American community to rally around former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Carol Moseley-Braun.

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Here is your R&D for December 28th:

US public schools are going broke, yet some spend like a kid in a candy store from the Christian Science Monitor
In this opinion piece, Walt Gardner, a former teacher in Los Angeles, discusses how school districts are not budgeting properly in these tough economic times and are squandering the confidence of taxpayers.

Non-US banks gain from Fed crisis fund from the Financial Times
Revelations that more than half of the Federal Reserve’s aid to the banking industry went to non-U.S. banks has angered Americans and will likely bolster critics of the Fed on Capitol Hill.

Opposition to the Euro Grows in Germany from Der Spiegel
Germans are worried about the euro and fear that Europe’s financial crisis may cause the country to give away its financial sovereignty to the European Union.  All of this is a major problem for German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she seeks to shore up support for the common currency.

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Here is your R&D for December 24th:

Who Are The Anarchists Behind the Rome Embassy Bombs? from Time
Italian anarchists claimed responsibility for two letter bombings yesterday in Rome.  The Chilean and Swiss embassies experienced the attacks.

Assessing Obama’s Foreign Policy at Midterm from the Council on Foreign Relations
In this interview, James M. Lindsay, Senior Vice President of the Council on Foreign Relations assesses President Obama’s foreign policy two years into his administration.  Issues that are discussed include Afghanistan, China, Russia, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Russian parliament tentatively approves arms pact from the Associated Press
Although the U.S. Senate has ratified the new START accord with Russia, the Russian Duma has delayed a final vote on the treaty until next month.  The first reading of the accord passed 350-58.

Oil Consumers Wary as Some OPEC Members Target $100 Before Cairo Meeting from Bloomberg
Ahead of OPEC’s next meeting in Cairo, some OPEC members are eyeing a $100/barrel price for oil.  Saudi Arabia holds that $70 to $80 is a good price, but experts say $100 is on its way because of increasing global demand.

Americans See U.S. as Exceptional; 37% Doubt Obama Does from Gallup
According to this Gallup poll, a majority of Americans hold that America is an exceptional country, but over one-third of those surveyed do not believe that President Obama shares this view.

Here is your R&D for December 23rd:

EPA to double down on climate from Politico
With Congress unlikely to pass a cap and trade bill, the Environmental Protection Agency is set to roll out greenhouse gas regulations next year.  The move could set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill, as Republicans and some Democrats oppose the EPA regulating without Congressional approval.

New Gaza war ‘a question of when, not if’ from the BBC
A senior Israeli military official has told the BBC that if Hamas continues to hold onto the Gaza Strip there will be another war in the region.  Experts are concerned about increased rocket fire that is coming from Gaza over the past week.

Greece Passes 2011 Austerity Budget In Post-Midnight Vote from the Wall Street Journal
Greece’s push for austerity continued today as it passed a 2011 budget that aims to reduce the nation’s deficit from 9.4% to 7.4% of GDP.

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Here is your R&D for December 21st:

Beyond ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’: How is military planning to make it work? from the Christian Science Monitor
Now that Congress has repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell”, how is the military planning on putting the repeal into action?  This article from the Christian Science Monitor provides some answers.

U.S. Sanctions Ivory Coast Leader from the Wall Street Journal
The United States has imposed a travel ban on Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, members of his family, and other members of his government after Gbagbo refused to concede the Ivory Coast’s recent presidential election.  The Ivory Coast has been plagued by violence over the election outcome.

Congress poised to pass ambitious food-safety bill from the Los Angeles Times
Congress is expected to pass a new safety bill aimed at giving the FDA more power over preventing tainted food from entering the U.S. supply chain.  Experts say this is one of the biggest food safety updates since 1938.

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Here is your R&D for December 20th:

The FCC’s Threat to Internet Freedom from the Wall Street Journal
In this op-ed piece, the Wall Street Journal describes the FCC’s push for net neutrality and why it is will hamper innovation and investment in Internet related ventures.

China warns of escalating arms race in Asia from the UK Telegraph
China has warned that an arms race is emerging in Asia because of Japan’s move to build a missile defense shield to protect it from North Korea.

Lukashenka uncovered from the Economist
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus’s sitting president, was re-elected in a flawed vote over the weekend.  This article gives you a summary of the flawed vote and how Lukashenka managed to retain power.

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Here is your R&D for December 17th:

Mexico Drug War Death Toll Climbs to 30,196 Since 2006, Government Says from Bloomberg
Mexican Attorney General Arturo Chavez has announced that over 30,000 Mexicans have died from drug related violence since President Felipe Calderon was elected four years ago.  This year’s death toll is the highest since Calderon took office.

Bailout Deal Fails to Quell EU Rifts from the Wall Street Journal
Although European leaders have endorsed plans for a rescue fund for euro-zone members, they have not yet resolved disagreements about whether a stronger fiscal union should be created to stop future crises.

Drug used in Okla. execution could gain wider use from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Death penalty experts believe that Oklahoma’s use of a sedative used to euthanize animals could become popular after a nation wide shortage of sodium thiopental, which is usde to put inmates to sleep.

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Here is your R&D for December 16th:

Could there be a Tet Offensive in Afghanistan? from the Washington Post
In this op-ed column, George Will warns that a Tet Offensive might be brewing in Afghanistan after the war effort has been hampered by corruption, WikiLeaks, and a weak Afghan government.

Israel can’t defeat Hezbollah: Israeli expert from Reuters
A former Israeli national security adviser warned today that the Jewish state cannot defeat Hezbollah in a conventional military engagement.

Vladimir Putin’s warning shot to liberals: society must have order from the Guardian
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin denounced extremist actions during a national Q&A session today, but warned liberals that a national security apparatus is needed if liberals don’t want to face off with right-wing extremists themselves.

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