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.
Erdogan’s defiant style keeps Turkish protesters fueled with anger from The Christian Science Monitor
Turkey has endured four days of antigovernment protests, which are attracting more attention the longer they go on. Protesters allege that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his government are becoming a fundamentalist dictatorship, but Erdogan alleges that the protests are merely trying to make noise in anticipation of upcoming national elections.
Justices Allow Police to Take DNA Samples After Arrests from The New York Times
The Supreme Court rocked legal circles yesterday in authorizing the procurement of DNA from people arrested for serious crimes. The federal government and 28 states follow this practice and the Court ruled 5-4 that this practice is constitutional. In an interesting vote, conservative Justice Antonin Scalia sided with more liberal members of the Court in dissent.
Bradley Manning trial ‘dangerous’ for civil liberties – experts from The Guardian
Bradley Manning, a U.S. soldier that has admitted to leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, went on trial yesterday on charges of “aiding the enemy,” which carries a life sentence. The Guardian argues that his prosecution on these grounds could chill freedom of speech, especially through electronic communications.
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