Tag: R&D Page 43 of 63

Issue Guide: The Domestic Surveillance Debate from the Council on Foreign Relations
The link to this piece provides extempers with access to articles that give background, pro and con arguments, legislative history, and primary sources concerning the NSA’s domestic intelligence program.

Most Americans back NSA tracking phone records, prioritize probes over privacy from The Washington Post
In an interesting finding from a Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll, a majority of Americans (56%) support prioritizing hunts for terrorists over personal privacy.

Edward Snowden: NSA leaker reveals himself, expects retribution from The Christian Science Monitor
Edward Snowden, who leaked the NSA’s telephone and Internet intelligence gathering operations, revealed to the Guardian that he expects to receive backlash from American authorities over his actions. There is currently an ongoing policy debate about whether America should prosecute Snowden, although doing so might be difficult since he is currently in Hong Kong.

Nelson Mandela: Is it time for South Africa to let him go? from BBC News
Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and apartheid opponent, is heavily revered in South Africa. However, as his passing becomes more likely in the coming years, South Africans are going to have to cope with life without him and this article discusses that issue.

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NSA collecting phone records of millions of Americans daily from The Guardian
In this exclusive story, which will stir privacy advocates, The Guardian reveals that the National Security Agency is collecting telephone records of Verizon customers and has been doing so since April under a top secret court order.

After Six Years of Bloodshed, Mexico’s Drug War Shows Little Sign of Waning from The Atlantic
Mexico’s drug war, which has been a pressing topic for extempers for a very long time, continues to rage on. This article provides an overview of the violence and why it has no end in sight.

Obama picks loyalist Susan Rice as national security adviser from Reuters
In a move that has been billed as an “in your face” appointment to Republicans, President Obama selected Susan Rice as his new national security adviser yesterday. President Obama wanted Rice to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, but that did not occur because of fallout over the Benghazi situation.

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How Senator Lautenberg’s Death Makes the Senate Even Less Functional from The Atlantic
This interesting piece discusses how Senator Frank Lautenberg’s death will impact pressing issues in the U.S. Senate regarding immigration reform, ending filibusters, and gun control.

Chris Christie’s Lautenberg Dilemma Is 2013-as-2016 All Over Again from The Atlantic
This brief piece summarizes the challenge facing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, as he now has to select a replacement for Senator Frank Lautenberg, who passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Republicans want Christie to appoint a Republican to Lautenberg’s seat, but in a majority Democratic state that may not be possible and it may threaten Christie’s presidential ambitions.

Hezbollah willing to join fight for Golan from The Jerusalem Post
With his regime on the ropes, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had considered opening a military offensive against Israel to recapture the Golan Heights. Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has offered to support such an initiative and they are currently fighting for Assad’s regime in Syria.

Hezbollah’s Gamble in Syria from Foreign Affairs
In conjunction with the story above, why is Hezbollah fighting to keep Bashar al-Assad in power? This piece chronicles the history between Hezbollah and Syria and provides excellent background information for extempers on this topic.

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Can Japan Remain Committed to Nonproliferation by The Washington Quarterly
This academic article, from the Spring 2013 edition of the Washington Quarterly, provides an interesting overview of whether Japan can afford to not have a nuclear weapons program. However, the authors conclude that Japan could provide a model for other nation-states that merely use nuclear power for domestic energy and avoid militarizing it.

U.S. Support for Euthanasia Hinges on How It’s Described from Gallup
This month Vermont became the fourth state in the nation to legalize physician-assisted suicide. This poll provides evidence that if the word “suicide” is used in asking a question about the practice then support plummets from 70% to 51%.

Unprotected: How Legalizing Prostitution Has Failed from Der Spiegel
This enlightening article from the German magazine Der Spiegel describes how attempts at legalizing prostitution within Germany have not succeeded in reducing exploitation and human trafficking. It provides an indictment of libertarian policies towards prostitution.

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