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
Daniels Decides Against Presidential Run from the Wall Street Journal
A race in New York’s 26th Congressional district Tuesday could spell bad news for Republicans, as their chosen candidate is set to lose after facing a strong Democratic challenger who is running against the Republicans House budget plan and a strong independent candidate.
Some GOP tea party candidates for president, such as Ron Paul and (potentially) Michelle Bachmann, argue that they are being snubbed by traditional GOP donors. This could lead to inter-party squabbling that may undermine the GOP’s attempt to regain the White House in 2012.
Former Utah Governor Jon Hunstman is pegged as a potential GOP challenger for president next year, but he could be weighed down by his support for free trade with China.
World Environmental Issues
Sea levels could rise a metre by 2100 from the Sydney Morning Herald
WikiLeaks: A battle to ‘carve up’ the Arctic from Al Jazeera
As global warming melts the Arctic, new areas of oil exploration could be opened, which is prompting a scramble to the area by governments around the world.
The European Commission is looking into banning plastic bags from stores across the European continent in an attempt to save the environment.
In an attempt to alleviate future food shortages, companies in Bangladesh are leasing thousands of hectares of African farmland. The move is part of a trend to hedge threats to national food supplies around the world.
World Food Program running out of food from United Press International
The World Food Program is running out of food and shortages have forced the organization to cut rations in Somalia.
Deadly attack on police compound adds to ‘drumbeat’ of violence in Afghanistan from the Christian Science Monitor
Despite the death of Osama bin Laden, terror attacks against the Afghan government continue. Insurgents have focused on government, military, and police targets.
Obama says he’d raid Pakistan again from USA Today
Although Pakistan was angry at the Osama bin Laden raid, President Obama has said tht he would go into Pakistan again if he needed to do so in order to protect American security.
Ambassadors from the United States, Great Britain, and the European Union cannot leave their embassy’s due to gunmen who are not happy that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is delaying the signing of a deal that would lead to his departure.
The death toll for the unrest in Syria topped 900 after Syrian security forces fired on mourners during a funeral procession on Saturday.
Eight years after aiding the American invasion in Iraq, British forces are leaving the country. In total, 179 British armed servicemen lost their lives in Iraq.