Tag: extemp files Page 8 of 23

Here is your R&D for March 17th:

Merkel aims to speed Germany’s nuclear energy exit from Reuters
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has been a strong proponent of nuclear power, but facing potential backlash over that issue in light of Japan’s problems, she is moving to accelerate her country’s move away from nuclear energy.

Meltdown 101: A brief glossary of nuclear terms from the Christian Science Monitor
Are you not sure what some of the terms mean when Japan’s nuclear crisis is being discussed?  If so, check out this article, which provides some definitions.  It can be helpful for a speech on the subject.

Rageless in Riyadh from Foreign Affairs
According to F. Gregory Gause III, a political sciencist at the University of Vermont, Saudi Arabia’s monarchy will continue to be a force of stability in the volatile Middle East and explains why it is different than other countries that are experiencing protests in the area.

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Here is your R&D for March 16th:

CIA spy charged with murder in Pakistan is freed from the Guardian
Raymond Davis, a CIA spy in Pakistan who was accused of murdering two Pakistani men, was freed after the families of the two men dropped charges in exchange for financial compensation.  Davis was freed under a “blood money” provision of Pakistani law.

Miami-Dade County recalls mayor from the Philadelphia Inquirer
Miami-Dade County residents expressed their anger at high properly taxes by recalling Mayor Carlos Alvarez yesterday.  Based on current data, 88% of residents voted in favor of the recall measure.

We Will Need Honesty to Solve Debt Problem from RealClearPolitics
In this piece, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), discusses the need to be honest when discussing the country’s fiscal woes.  Coburn is one of the most vocal deficit hawks in Washington.

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Here is your R&D for March 15th:

Tokyo Shares End Day Down 11% from the Wall Street Journal
The Nikkei Stock Average plunged 11% today after new explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex.  The market has been plagued by panic selling since Japan was rocked with an earthquake and tsunami last Friday.

North Kosovo: Dual Sovereignty in Practice from the International Crisis Group
This International Crisis Group report discusses the situation in the disputed state of Kosovo, where Serbs in the northern part of the country refuses to be part of Kosovar policy.  Extempers should make sure to print the full report, as well as the summary, from this site.

N.R.A. Declines to Meet With Obama on Gun Policy from the New York Times
President Obama is seeking to draft new gun laws, but the National Rifle Association has refused the President’s invitation to meet with gun control supporters.  The NRA’s actions may doom legislation because of its clout with both parties in Washington.

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Here is your R&D for March 14th:

‘She’s becoming Al Sharpton, Alaska edition’ from Politico
Conservative intellectuals are bashing Sarah Palin for representing a brand of identity politics that the Republican Party has long detested and some, like George Will, warn that if her presidential bid succeeds it will destroy the intellectual basis of the conservative movement.

Obama:  Rewrite No child law before next school year from the Washington Post
President Obama has called for Congress to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law before the fall, but it’s unclear whether Congress will satisfy the request.  A new education debate could open the door to controversial subjects like merit pay, charter schools, and equity of educational facilities.

Japan battles to stop nuclear catastrophe from the Financial Times
Japan is trying to ward off a nuclear catastrophe as the country is struggling to cool several of its nuclear reactors.  International assistance has been provided by private and public sources in an effort to avert major problems from the reactor failures.

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Here is your R&D for March 11th:

Gaddafi takes key towns as Nato squabbles over Libya action from the Guardian
Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi’s forces are reclaiming territory from rebel groups as NATO is divided over imposing a no fly zone.  The United States and Germany are not in favor of the move, while France and Great Britain are proponents of it.

Planned day of protests key test for Saudi Arabia from Reuters
Today is the day protesters are planning to launch a “day of rage” in Saudi Arabia.  Oil markets and international observers will be carefully watching the protests to see how the Saudi monarchy reacts and if they create instability in the country similar to what Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and Libya have experienced.

Amazon Takes Action in Illinois as War on Sales Taxes Continues from the Wall Street Journal
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn continues to make headlines as he signed a law requiring online retailers that work with affiliates in the state to collect sales taxes from Illinois residents.  Amazon.com has cut ties to its 9,000 Illinois affiliates in response.

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Here is your R&D for March 10th:

Several states consider union limits from Reuters
After Wisconsin’s Senate found a way around a Democratic boycott of the state legislature yesterday, their efforts are being mirrored by other states as they attempt to reduce or eliminate the collective bargaining rights of public employees.

Dalai Lama set to resign. What role will he play then? from the Christian Science Monitor
The Dalai Lama announced today that he will no longer be the leader of the Tibetan exile movement.  This article discusses what the Dalai Lama will do in the future and how his departure will impact the movement.

Emotions run high at hearing on US Muslims from the Agence France Presse
Republican Peter King’s controversial hearings on homegrown Islamic terrorism began today in the House.  King alleges that Muslim leaders are not doing enough to stop homegrown terrorism, while opponents of the hearings allege that it is creating an atmosphere of Islamophobia in the United States.

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Here is your R&D for March 9th:

Quinn expected to sign death penalty ban from the Chicago Tribune
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is expected to sign legislation today that would ban the death penalty.  The decision would impact fifteen Illinois inmates that are currently sitting on death row.

Cuban state layoffs move slowly, workers uneasy from Reuters
The Cuban government is seeking to lay off 500,000 state employees, but it is slow going as the government is trying to provide alternative avenues of employment and deal with worker anger.

Lack of GOP Front-Runner for 2012 Is Atypical from Gallup
Gallup polling indicates that the Republican presidential primary in 2012 is wide open, which is unusual because there is usually a clear front runner for the nomination.  Only two candidates, John McCain and Barry Goldwater, emerged late to win the nomination, and both of those candidates were slaughtered in the general election by their Democratic opponents.

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Here is your R&D for March 8th:

Jacques Chirac corruption trial delayed from the Guardian
Jacques Chirac, who will be the first French leader put on trial since Marshal Philippe Petain, has been delayed until June.  Chirac stands accused of corruption and centers on Chirac’s tenure as mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.

No Aid for Pyongyang from the National Interest
With North Korea begging for aid from the international community, the National Interest urges the United States to avoid providing it because it will merely strengthen the North Korean government.

Gas prices soar past $3.50 per gallon: Are Middle Eastern uprisings to blame? from the Christian Science Monitor
How much is unrest in the Middle East to blame for the recent uptick in national gas prices?  That’s what this Christian Science Monitor articles seeks to find out.

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Here is your R&D for March 7th:

Gadhafi could wage protracted civil war from the Washington Times
Military analysts who are examining the situation on the ground believe the Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi will be able to draw out the battle with rebel groups because the rebels are too weak to overthrow him.  The fight has already become a proxy war as Syria is reportedly sending aid to Gaddafi and the U.S. is trying to get Saudi Arabia to send arms to rebel groups.

The 2011 oil shock from the Economist
In this article, the Economist analyzes that the price shock in oil markets is a bigger threat to the global economy than investors believe, but that the upside is that recent events might steer countries towards more sustainable energy policies.

Number of healthcare reform law waivers climbs above 1,000 from the Hill
The number of waivers granted for the Affordable Care Act has topped 1,000 according to the Department of Health and Human Services.  The waivers provide a one-year exemption to firms who cannot meet the annual coverage limits this year.

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Here is your R&D for March 4th:

Gallup Finds U.S. Unemployment Hitting 10.3% in February from Gallup
According to Gallup’s unemployment measurement, which differs from the official statistics released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, unemployment in the U.S. went from 9.8% at the end of January to 10.3% at the end of February.  Gallup also finds that underemployment surged to 19.9% at the end of last month.

Chavez Libya talks offer rejected from Al Jazeera
Although Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez offered to mediate between the Libyan government and rebel forces, his proposal has been rejected by rebels and the United States and France.  Chavez is close with Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi and has opposed Western military action against the Libyan government.

Why worry about China’s nuclear warheads? from the Japan Times
This interesting article from the Japan Times discusses Chinese nuclear policy, which may be valuable to extempers if they draw a question on China’s military strategy.  Similarly, with tensions between India and Pakistan continuing, a START accord may be needed among these three Asian powers to retain stability in the region.

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Here is your R&D for March 3rd:

Heads of U.S., Mexico to Meet as Tensions Rise from the Wall Street Journal
Mexican President Felipe Calderon is making a trip to Washington to meet with President Obama.  The two men are expected to discuss ways to help Mexico fight its drug war, which is reportedly spreading into the Southwestern part of the United States.

Kabuki comes home from the Economist
Like the United States, Japan is facing its own budget battle as Prime Minister Naoto Kan is facing opposition from the LDP to borrow funds needed to pay for the country’s $1 trillion budget this year.  The fight could lead to new elections or Mr. Kan’s exit as prime minister by the end of the summer.

Anti-gay church’s right to protest at military funerals is upheld from CNN
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 (Justice Samuel Alito dissenting) that Westboro Baptist Church protesters had a constitutional right to spread a broad-based message on public matters.  Westboro has received attention for protesting at soldiers funerals and claiming that God is punishing the U.S. for homosexuality.

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Here is your R&D for March 2nd:

Protests grow in Ohio as vote on union rights nears from the Washington Post
Wisconsin isn’t the only state with union issues, as Ohio is seeking to curtail the bargaining power of public employees.  Thousands of union supporters protested the move at the Ohio Statehouse yesterday.

Murder of Christian lawmaker: Can Pakistan check Islamic extremism from the Christian Science Monitor
The murder of Shahbza Bhatti, Pakistan’s minority affairs minister who was Christian, is the second major government official to be assassinated after publicly opposing the country’s blasphemy laws.  The international community is growing concerned that the Pakistani government isn’t doing enough to protect minorities.

German-Irish brinkmanship raises EMU stakes from the UK Telegraph
Is EU headed for another debt crisis?  Experts say that it could happen if German voters continue to oppose bailouts for member states and if Eurosceptics continue to make gains across the continent.

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Here is your R&D for March 1st:

The Political Math: Washington – Dollars = Plus for States from the Wall Street Journal
As red ink flows out of Washington, the states are recouping power and are defying the idea that federalism is a dead constitutional concept.  Currently, more Americans have confidence in their state governments than the federal government and support for the federal government has fallen twice as far within the last decade.

States offered early opt out from the Washington Post (courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
President Obama told the National Governors Association that he would allow states to opt out of the Affordable Care Act by 2014 if they could offer health care coverage to as many people that would receive coverage under the law and reduce the deficit.  This accelerates the opt out provision by three years.

Edwards Lies Low, but That Won’t Last from the New York Times
For Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards may soon be indicted for campaign finance violations.  Edwards stands accused of diverting some of his campaign funds to support and cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter.

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Here is your R&D for February 25th:

Islam and Politics in Egypt from the Council on Foreign Relations
Is Egypt headed towards a theocracy?  Not according to Dina Shehata, Senior Researcher of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, in this interview with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Taiwan’s commonsense consensus from the Economist
China had hoped that closer economic cooperation with Taiwan would allow it to enact a one China policy through soft power, but it’s not quite working out that way for Beijing.

If the Saudis revolt, the world’s in trouble from the UK Telegraph
Global investors are anxiously waiting to see if the protests that are engulfing the Middle East reach Saudi Arabia.  If they do, the chances of a global economic recovery will be significantly reduced.

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