Tag: extemp files Page 7 of 23

Here is your R&D for April 20th:

Florida may be do-or-die for 2012ers from Politico
Although the Republican National Committee is threatening to sanction Florida if it does not move its primary date, that does not mean that Republican presidential contenders are going to ignore the state.  All of the Republican challengers view Florida as important in their 2012 primary strategies because of weaknesses in other early states.

Does Libya mission need ground troops after all? from CNN
As Libyan rebels continue to struggle to topple the Gaddafi regime, analysts are wondering whether it is time for NATO to send ground forces to protect civilians.  President Obama for his part has already ruled out sending ground forces into Libya.

New Terror-Alert System Unveiled from the Wall Street Journal
The Department of Homeland Security unveiled a new terror-alert system today.  The system replaces the color-coded system that the public did not understand and which attracted the attention of Saturday Night Live when the Bush administration enacted it in 2002.

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Here is your R&D for April 13th:

Tense Calm on Israeli-Palestinian Front from the Council on Foreign Relations
The Israelis and Palestinians are carefully watching the political upheaval that is taking place across the Arab world.  With the peace process between both sides deadlocked, Robert Danin, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, tells the Council on Foreign Relations that it is time for the U.S. to reenage both sides to reach a solution to the Middle East’s most divisive issue.

Budget: What got cut? Don’t know yet from CNN
Although Democrats and Republicans agreed at the last minute to cut $38 billion in spending to avoid a government shutdown, it is still unclear what got cut in the budget.

No end in sight from the Economist
Violence is growing in Syria and there are fears that a sectarian bloodbath could be starting.  This article from the Economist provides a quick overview of the situation for extempers.

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Here is your R&D for April 12th:

Ruling against Arizona immigration law upheld from the San Francisco Chronicle
Yesterday a federal appeals court in San Francisco refused to let Arizona police demand documentation from suspected illegal immigrants on the grounds that the state is intruding into federal authority.  The ruling was a 2-1 split.  State officials say they will appeal.

Mitt’s Challenge: Distinguishing “Obamacare” from “Romneycare” from RealClearPolitics
Shortly after Mitt Romney announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee for 2012, Democrats attacked him for his universal healthcare law in Massachusetts, which they say is similar to President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which Romney opposes.  Romney’s record in Massachusetts may make him vulnerable in the 2012 GOP primary.

Japan ups nuke crisis severity to match Chernobyl from the Associated Press
After Japanese nuclear regulators did new assessments of the radiation that is leaking from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant they upgraded the crisis level from a five to a seven, making the disaster on par with the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

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Here is your R&D for April 11th:

Ivory Coast strongman arrested after French forces intervene from the Washington Post
French forces loyal to president-elect Alassane Ouattara stormed Laurent Gbagbo’s presidential palace today and arrested him without incident.  The fall of Gbagbo will likely end major hostilities in the Ivory Coast.

‘Road map’ to Libya peace comes as both sides show signs of fatigue from the Christian Science Monitor
The African Union has presented a road map to end the violence in Libya.  Moammar Gaddafi has accepted it, but the plan has sparked some protests by rebel groups.

Palestinians to tell West they ready for statehood from Reuters
Frustrated in talks with the Israelis, reports indicate that the Palestinians may approach Western nations for recognition as a state.  Palestinian leaders could ask the UN General Assembly for recognition this September.  The recognized state would include Palestinian territory prior to hostilities in 1967.

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Here is your R&D for April 8th:

Vote-Counting Error In Wisconsin Points to Incompetence, Not Conspiracy from the New York Times
Conservative David Prosser seized the lead in Wisconsin’s highly watched Supreme Court race after Waukesha County counted 14,0000 votes that had been overlooked during the first count.  Prosser trailed by 200 votes after the first count finished, but the uncounted ballots provided him with a net gain of 7,500 votes.

No Moral Consistency in Obama’s Middle East Policy from Foreign Policy in Focus
This piece from Foreign Policy in Focus blasts President Obama’s Middle East foreign policy, which the writers believe has no moral consistency.  Case in point for the authors:  the Arab League.

Libyan minister to take Turkish peace plan to Gaddafi from the Guardian
Turkey is trying to craft a solution to the violence in Libya and has sent its proposal to the Libyan government and rebel forces.  Turkey’s proposal calls for a ceasefire in cities surrounded by Gaddafi forces, the creation of a humanitarian corridor, and negotiations for a new Libyan political process.

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Here is a major R&D for April 7th:

Profile: Ai Weiwei from the BBC
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist who has been vocal about human rights abuses in China.  Weiwei has been arrested by the Chinese government for economic crimes and analysts believe it is part of a wider crackdown on liberal activists in the country.

Spain ‘won’t follow Portugal’ with bail-out from the UK Telegraph
Spain’s government has announced that it will not follow Portugal in seeking an EU bailout for its ailing economy.  Spain is pursuing austerity measures in an attempt to shore up its public finances, which have sparked protests by thousands of young people.

Libya Crisis Exposes AU’s Soft Underbelly from the Nairobi Star (couresty of AllAfrica)
The African Union wants to take on a stronger role in solving African issues, but the recent Libyan war demonstrates that the organization can be indecisive at best and irresponsible at worst.

The handicapped union from the Economist
According to Charlemagne in the Economist, the European Union is being hurt by a lack of leadership by its most prominent countries.  Charlemagne’s solution, as always, is a call for more democracy and transparency within the EU.

Obama’s nod to Al Sharpton: asset or liability for 2012 reelection bid? from the Christian Science Monitor
On Wednesday, President Obama attended an event by the National Action Network, which is led by the Rev. Al Sharpton.  Obama’s attendance signifies that he is trying to rally his base ahead of the 2012 presidential election, but some think that reaching out to a controversial figure like Sharpton could hurt his standing with white and independent voters.

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Here is your R&D for March 30th:

Reforming Pakistan’s Electoral System from the International Crisis Group
The latest International Crisis group report reflects on Pakistan’s political system, which the organization argues needs reform because it has contributed to political instability and created a breakdown of the rule of law.  Don’t forget to print the summary and the full .pdf report.

Housing market: 13% of all U.S. homes are vacant from CNN
According to a recent report from the census, thirteen percent of homes nationwide are vacant.  Critics points out, though, that smmer homes and second homes are also included in the vacancy statistic.

Arizona outlaws abortions based on race, sex from the Arizona Republic
Arizona became the first U.S. state to ban race and sex-selection abortions yesterday.  Under the law that Governor Jan Brwer signed, it is a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion that is based on the sex or race of a fetus.

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Here is your R&D for March 29th:

Egypt is still Mubarakstan from the Guardian
Although Egyptians succeeded in ousting President Hosni Mubarak, they are now realizing that corruption extends well below him within the Egyptian government.

Campaign Law Has Doubters on Court from the Wall Street Journal
The Supreme Court has returned to the arena of campaign finance reform as it is looking at the constitutionality of an Arizona campaign-finance system that allows a candidate to get public subsidies for their campaign if they agree to not take contributions from businesses, unions, or political parties.

Arriving as Pregnant Tourists, Leaving With American Babies from the New York Times
The rise in “maternity tourism” where pregnant women arrive in the United States and give birth to their children has raised the ire of some American policymakers, who argue that it is taking advantage of birthright citizenship and could hurt education and economic opportunities for resident American children.

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Here is your R&D for March 28th:

How Libya’s Qaddafi brought humanitarian intervention back in vogue from the Christian Science Monitor
Libya’s Moammar Gaddafi has resurrected the international doctrine of the “right to protect”, which some analysts thought was a dead idea dating back to international inaction on Darfur.

Water Issues Worry Americans Most, Global Warming Least from Gallup
A recent Gallup poll shows that Americans environmental concerns have remained static since last year.  Worries about water contamination rate the highest in Gallup’s latest poll about environmental problems facing the United States.

The Libyan Job from Slate
Slate Magazine doesn’t pull any punches in this article, when it makes the case that America is sending its military forces into Libya to defend French interests.

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Here is your R&D for March 25th:

Yemeni Military Leader Tied to Terrorism Pledges to Protect Protesters from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The situation in Yemen could go very badly for the United States, with the defection of General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar being seen as a significant blow to the Yemeni government.  General al-Ahmar has ties to militant organizations and if he were to take power it could threaten U.S. interests in the region.

Romney Hits Road to Target Big Contributors from the Wall Street Journal
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has launched a 15-city push to secure big financial commitments for his 2012 presidential run.  Romney’s rumored strategy is to secure sizeable funds to knockout his primary opponents early.

Allies Are Split on Goal and Exit Strategy in Libya from the New York Times
Although coalition forces have prevented Moammar Gaddafi from routing rebel forces, they are not sure whether the ultimate goal should be the protection of civilians or the removal of the Gaddafi regime.

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Here is your R&D for March 24th:

The Arab Powder Keg from Slate
This is a link to an animated map from Slate Magazine, which diagrams the spread of unrest across the North Africa and Middle East since December.

‘Gadhafi Is Facing a Coalition of the Unwilling’ from Der Spiegel
In a critical piece about coalition efforts against the Libyan government, Der Spiegel describes how bickering among coalition partners has created a “coalition of the unwilling” and that the bickering may end up strengthening the Gaddafi regime.  The article also has a timeline for Colonel Moammar Gaddafi’s forty years of rule.

Portugal’s crisis gatecrashes Euro summit from the Agence France Presse
Portugal moved closer to becoming the next European country in need of a bailout as its parliament rejected an austerity package yesterday.  Portugal’s crisis may throw the EU’s latest financial summit into disarray and create political problems in countries like Germany whose citizens oppose bailouts to fiscally irresponsible EU member states.

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Here is your R&D for March 23rd:

Rockets From Gaza Hit Deep Into Southern Israel from the New York Times
Violence has returned to Gaza as Israel responded with airstrikes after Palestinians militants fired rockets into southern Israel late Tuesday and early today.  Some analysts believe that militants are launching rockets now because they believe the new Egyptian government will back them.

South Dakota requires 3-day wait before abortion from CNN
South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed a bill into law yesterday that would require a three day waiting period and counseling before having an abortion.  Abortion opponents hope that the legal battle that will ensue over the bill will weaken or overturn Roe v. Wade.

Who’s in charge? Germans pull forces out of NATO as Libyan coalition falls apart for the UK Daily Mail
The coalition of forces massed against Libya is disintegrating as none of the coalition partners wants to take control of the offensive.  Germany has withdrawn its military forces from the Mediterranean and European allies of the United States are wary of NATO pursuing non-European objectives.

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Here is your R&D for March 22nd:

Egypt’s Referendum: Nervous Steps Forward from the Council on Foreign Relations
Egyptian voters approved several constitutional amendments in a national referendum over the weekend and paved the way for free elections later this year.  Experts worry, though, that liberal forces may not have enough time to organize their campaigns and that extremist forces could take over the government.

McCaskill says she owes nearly $300,000 in back taxes on airplane from the Miami Herald
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, who faces re-election in 2012, admitted yesterday that she owes almost $300,000 in back taxes on a private airplane.  The incident could haunt McCaskill’s re-election campaign, as Republicans portray the incident as a perfect example of government excess.

America’s Descent Into Strategic Dementia from the Jerusalem Post (courtesy of RealClearPolitics)
America’s intervention in the Libyan civil war demonstrates that American foreign policy is in a tough position and that President Obama’s approach and the neoconservative position are endangering American strategic goals in the region.

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Here is your R&D for March 21st:

US Army ‘kill team’ in Afghanistan posed for photos of murdered civilians from the Guardian
In what is being called President Obama’s Abu Ghraib moment, pictures have surfaced of a rogue U.S. army “kill team” in Afghanistan that murdered civilians and posed with the bodies.  The U.S. has issued an immediate apology to the Afghan citizenry over the incident.

Key dates in U.S. presidential campaign from Reuters
Extempers should be aware of some key dates in the presidential calendar.  This factbox article from Reuters should help.

In Yemen, top military commanders defect from Saleh regime from the Christian Science Monitor
In a blow to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his half-brother, who is one of Yemen’s top military commanders, defected today and pledged to protect demonstrators against the current government.

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Here is your R&D for March 18th:

Issue Guide: Japan’s Triple Crisis from the Council on Foreign Relations
This analysis brief concerning the Japanese earthquake provides tons of links for extempers who are looking to build their files on the disaster.  Links are provided for articles that give an overview of the situation, the nuclear crisis, and energy and economic impact of the disaster.

U.N. okays military action on Libya from Reuters
Yesterday afternoon the United Nations Security Council, by a vote of 10-0, authorized a no-fly zone over Libya and authorized the use of force to protect civilians from forces loyal to Moammar Gaddafi.  Gaddafi has threatened to retaliate by targeting traffic in the Mediterranean.

Justice Dept Finds Abuses In New Orleans Police Department from the Wall Street Journal
After conducting a ten month investigation, the Justice Department has concluded that New Orleans police have used excessive force and racially biased enforcement tactics.  The investigation is the third of the New Orleans Police Department in three decades.

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