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This R&D covers the recent controversies surrounding the Secret Service. Reports of wild parties in foreign countries and the ability of an intruder to enter the White House several weeks ago has put the agency’s ability to protect the President of the United States and other important officials in question. Last week Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, who was the first female director of the Secret Service, resign over the controversies.
In wake of Julia Pierson’s resignation, a look at Secret Service’s blunders over 5 years: http://t.co/9Q9p9tBMVU pic.twitter.com/DYz6OixxHn
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 5, 2014
For many blacks, the Secret Service’s missteps reflect an abiding fear about Obama’s security http://t.co/EyMiePJWBG
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 5, 2014
Why do we even have a Secret Service http://t.co/jn39PUDXyT
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 5, 2014
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Today’s R&D covers the arrival of Ebola to the United States. It was announced yesterday that an unidentified man in Dallas, Texas has the Ebola virus, which he reportedly acquired after traveling to Liberia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to play down public fears in a news conference yesterday, but some analysts are questioning whether budget cuts have made the nation ill-prepared to deal with a pandemic. The recent Ebola has infected more than 6,500 people and killed more than 3,000 in West Africa this year.
Today’s R&D covers Afghanistan’s new government. Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as the country’s new president on Monday. Ghani’s ascension to the office marks the first democratic transfer in Afghani history. Ghani has signed a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States that would allow 10,000 soldiers to remain in the country after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) mandate expires in December.
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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of September 22nd-28th, 2014.
Today’s R&D covers the Russian economy. Western sanctions are expected to significantly impact Russia’s economic fortunes next year, with some economists predicting a recession. Yesterday, the World Bank announced that it expects Russia’s GDP growth to be minimal next year due to the sanctions and a lack of structural reforms. Growth rates are expected to remain anemic in 2016.
Today’s R&D covers Medicaid, the federal program that provides health insurance coverage for poor Americans. As part of the Affordable Care Act states were encouraged to expand Medicaid enrollment to those Americans makes less than 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The original legislation threatened to strip states of Medicaid funding if they refused expansion, but the Supreme Court found this provision to be unconstitutional. The federal government is paying 100% of the cost of Medicaid expansion until 2017 and then pays for 90% of the costs until 2022. Twenty states have opted not to expand Medicaid, with some governors citing concerns about the state costs of expanding the program in future years..JPG/448px-2012_Catalan_independence_protest_(102).JPG)
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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of September 15th-21st, 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.
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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of September 8th-14th, 2014.