Tag: R&D Page 45 of 63

Here is your R&D for May 26th:

Romney, Palin Lead Reduced GOP Field for 2012 from Gallup
As the GOP presidential primary field shrinks, Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin are at the front of the pack.  Romney leads with 17%, with Palin trailing by two points at 15%.  The other notable candidate is Herman Cain, who is not as well known as other challengers, but debuted with 8% support.

Corporate profits fall, jobless claims up from Reuters
Latest figures suggest that the economy recovery may be slowing, as corporate profits fell for the first time in more than two years in the first quarter of this year and the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week.

Suspect in Shooting of Giffords Ruled Unfit for Trial from the New York Times
A federal judge ruled yesterday that Jared Loughner, who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in January, killed six, and injured twelve others, is not competent to stand trial.  This ruling does not allow the court proceedings to go forward while Loughner gets treatment for schizophrenia at a facility in Missouri.

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Here is the final part of a special CFL nationals R&D:

Homeland Security Issues

Senate votes to extend Patriot Act from the Los Angeles Times
The U.S. Senate voted to extend expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act on Monday for four years.  These provisions include the power of the government to use roving wiretaps, investigate “lone wolf” terrorists, and conduct expansive searches of personal records.

US, India to discuss counter-terrorism strategy from the Agence France Presse
America’s anti-terror strategy extends abroad and Homeland Security head Janet Napolitano is in India to discuss anti-terror cooperation.

Senate debates president’s power during cyber-attack from the Washington Times
The Obama administration is pushing for Congress to give it sweeping authority over electronic communications in the event of a cyberattack on the United States, but Congress is wary of giving the administration too much power over the Internet.

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Here is the second part of a special CFL nationals R&D.

World Leaders

Putin decides to retake presidency from the Australian Sunday Times
According to sources within the Russian government, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has decided to run for the Russian presidency in 2012. However, President Dmitry Medvedev may challenge Putin in that election.

Protesters Call for the Resignation of Georgia’s President from the New York Times
Protesters in Georgia are calling for the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili, who they say is stifling the implementation of pro-Western democratic reforms and failing to improve the country’s economic situation.

North Korea’s Leader Kim Jong Il Travels to China for Economic Guidance from Bloomberg
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is in China to learn about China’s economic restructuring. Chinese leaders hope that Kim Jong Il will use this knowledge to make North Korea more prosperous.

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Here is a special CFL R&D that provides articles for three of the nine CFL extemp topic areas.  The second CFL R&D will come out tomorrow evening.

U.S. Politics

Here is your R&D for May 17th:

South Africa election: Why some poor black voters may ditch the ANC this time from the Christian Science Monitor
Economic problems are causing some black South Africans to reconsider their political ties to the African National Congress (ANC) and that could cause the ANC to lose some municipal elections tomorrow.

Here comes your non-violent resistance from the Economist
If the Palestinians adopt more peaceful tactics to resist Israel, will the U.S. support them?  That’s a question this article from the Economist seeks to answer.

IMF’s Crisis-Management Challenge from the Council on Foreign Relations
The arrest of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on sexual assault charges may impair the IMF’s role in the European debt crisis and the global economic recovery and for that reason, it may be wise for Europeans to avoid putting one of their own in charge of th

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Here is your R&D for May 16th:

U.S. accuses Syria of inciting Israel border clashes from Haaretz
The White House accused Syria of inciting a deadly border clash between Israeli troops and Palestinian demonstrators and claimed that the Syrian government is trying to use the incident to distract from its domestic political problems.

Top warcrimes prosecutor seeks Kadhafi warrant from the Agence France Presse
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the head prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, applied for a warrant for Moammar Gaddafi’s arrest and the arrest of one of his sons and the Libyan head of intelligence for crimes against humanity.  Some critics claim the move could strengthen Gaddafi’s resolve.

Is College Too Pricey To Pay Off? 57% of Americans Say Yes from Time
Over half of Americans now say that the cost of college does not match the value of the education that students receive.  However, 86% of Americans say college was a good investment for them.

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Here is a special R&D for Osama bin Laden and the military operation that led to his death:

Now, kill his dream from the Economist
In this opinion piece, the Economist argues that Osama bin Laden’s brand of jihad is losing its appeal in the Arab world and that Western governments must remain vigilant to preserve the gains they have made so far.

Osama near Abbottabad, Kabul told Islamabad four years back from the Hindustan Times (India)
This interesting article from the Hindustan Times reveals that Afghan intelligence told the Pakistani government four years ago that Osama bin Laden was living near Abbottabad, but former Pakistani President Pervez Musharaff did nothing about it.

Exclusive: Pakistan had to know bin Laden was there, most Americans say from the Christian Science Monitor
A recent poll shows that 72% of Americans believe that the Pakistani government knew that Osama bin Laden was residing within their country.  This could eventually create political pressure to reduce aid to the Pakistani government.

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Here is your R&D for April 29th:

Debt ceiling: More Democrats threaten to vote against raising borrowing limit from the Washington Post
More Senate Democrats are threatening to go against the White House and join Republicans to vote against raising the debt ceiling.  The Democrats who might cross the aisle are those like Joe Manchin of West Virginia who face re-election battles next year.

What happens if Congress blows the debt ceiling? from CNN
And speaking of the debt ceiling, what will happen if Congress doesn’t raise it by July 8th?  This article lays it out for you.

Aljazeera: One Organization, Two Messages from the Washington Institute on Near East Policy
Is Aljazeera a beacon for reform in the Middle East?  Not according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy because while it appears moderate to its English-speaking audience, there are different standards when coverage is providing in Arabic.

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Here is your R&D for April 27th:

AP sources: Panetta to Pentagon, Petraeus to CIA from the Associated Press
According to sources within the Obama administration, current CIA Director Leon Panetta will replace Defense Secretary Robert Gates and General David Petraeus will take over at the CIA in a reshuffling of America’s national security apparatus.

Seventeen years after freedom came to South Africa, a status check from the Christian Science Monitor
Yesterday marked the seventeenth anniversary of black South Africans earning the right to vote for the country’s political leadership.  This article examines the challenges that South Africa still faces and how far the country has come since the end of the apartheid era in 1994.

Paul makes move toward 2012 run from the Des Moines Register
Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee yesterday.  The move will allow Paul to fundraise and participate in the first GOP presidential primary debate on May 5th.

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Here is your R&D for April 26th:

How Haley Barbour’s move shakes up 2012 from Politico
Yesterday, Misssissippi Governor Haley Barbour announced that he would not be running for president.  Barbour was considered as one of the favorites to win the nomination if he had pursued it.

Washington on the rocks from Le Monde Diplomatique
Is the Arab Spring a sign that America’s reign over global affairs it at an end?  The answer is yes according to this article from Le Monde.

Messina Provides a ‘Sneak Peek’ at Obama’s Strategy for 2012 Re-Election from Bloomberg
Jim Messina, who is in charge of Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, has shared some tidbits with the media concerning what strategies the President may adopt to return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Here is your R&D for April 25th:

The Ultimate Ally from Foreign Policy
According to his piece in the May/June 2011 edition of Foreign Policy magazine, America needs Israel more than ever because of its strategic location and its ability to help America’s intelligence and defensive capabilities.

Indonesian Jihadism: Small Groups, Big Plans from the International Crisis Group
Jihadists in Indonesia might be small when compared to their Middle East counterparts, but they have big plans to wreck havoc across Southeast Asia and beyond.  This summary and accompaying report from the International Crisis Group provide excellent information for your files on Islamic radicalism in this region of the world.

In shift, US considers sanctions against Syria’s Assad regime from the Christian Science Monitor
After Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched more violence against protesters over the weekend, President Obama’s staff began drafting sanctions against Syrian government officials.  More than 100 protesters were killed last Friday in Assad’s crackdown.

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Here is your R&D for April 22nd:

Apple, Google Collect User Data from the Wall Street Journal
It has been revealed that Apple’s iPhones and Google’s Android smartphones transmit the locations of users back to each company.  Privacy rights advocates say that this is a clear invasion of privacy and raises questions of who should have access to this data.

John Ensign to Resign Friday, Heller Likely Replacement from the Las Vegas Sun
Embattled Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign is planning to resign today.  His move allows for Republican Governor Brian Sandoval to name Congressman Dean Heller to the seat and improve Heller’s position for a bruising 2012 election battle that could determine the control of the Senate.

Evidence Aside, State Lawmakers Debate ‘Birther’ Bills from the New York Times
The birther controversy will not go away and half a dozen states are debating “birther” bills.  Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed a similar measure last week.

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Here is your R&D for April 21st:

What Gary Johnson Brings to the GOP Presidential Race from the Atlantic
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson announced a bid for the Republican presidential nomination today.  Johnson was a two-term governor in New Mexico, but his stances on abortion and the legalization of marijuana will likely hobble his candidacy.

Obama has OK’d use of drones in Libya, Gates says from CNN
In a sign of the escalating conflict in Libya, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that President Obama has approved the use of Predator drones in Libya.

Gulf Council presents Yemen’s Saleh with exit plan from the Christian Science Monitor
The Gulf Cooperation Council has submitted a plan to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh that calls for him to step down from power within thirty days in exchange for immunity from prosecution.  This is the latest attempt at trying to resolve Yemen’s three month old period of political deadlock.

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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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