[OPLINLIST] Fwd: Sports, Economics, Politics and more - NewsBank Hot Topics, December 2011

[Stephen Hedges]

----- Original Message -----

From: "Barbara Calo" <bcalo at newsbank.com> 
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2011 3:19:52 PM 
Subject: Sports, Economics, Politics and more - NewsBank Hot Topics, December 2011 



Hello, 

Please find NewsBank’s December Hot Topics. 


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NewsBank Hot Topics is provided as part of your NewsBank subscription to help librarians, patrons, teachers and students easily uncover a wealth of information about prominent issues and events. Hot Topics addresses a wide variety of contemporary subjects from around the world related to social studies, science, health, sports, the arts, people and more. These topics are also posted on your NewsBank menu page and search screens, and on the Other NewsBank Products link within NewsBank full-text newspaper products. 


HOT TOPICS 
December 2011 

CURRENT EVENTS RESEARCH TOPICS 



Civics, Government and Politics: Deficit Super Committee 

TOPIC : The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, known as the Super Committee, failed to meet its deadline on legislation to reduce the budget deficit. What were the key points that the committee could not agree on? What are the most compelling arguments for each side? What is the difference between the budget deficit and the national debt and what is the amount of money owed in each? What are some effective ways budgets have been able to cover their costs since World War II and what was the economic impact for each? 

SEARCH TERMS : deficit AND super committee 



ECONOMICS: AMR Bankruptcy 

TOPIC: AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines has filed for bankruptcy. What was the cause of their problems and how can filing for bankruptcy help them? How will this impact American Airlines? What possible impact does this have on the economy? 

SEARCH TERMS: AMR OR American Airlines AND bankruptcy 



ECONOMICS: European Economic Conditions 

TOPIC: The economic problems in Europe are persisting. Austerity measures continue to be the cure of choice, rather than stimulating the economy. What countries have been affected so far and which others are at risk? Will the Euro survive as a multinational currency or will countries return to their old currencies? Have the changes in the Greek and Italian governments shown that national sovereignty has eroded? 

SEARCH TERMS: Europe AND sovereign debt 



Civics, Government and Politics: Continued Unrest in Egypt 

TOPIC: Demonstrations broke out in Egypt as the armed forces attempted to institutionalize their political role. Elections are due to happen soon. How did the armed forces react to the protests? What are the complaints about the role of the armed forces? How have attitudes towards their political role shifted since Mubarak left office? Did the elections take place? 

SEARCH TERMS: Egypt AND demonstrations 



ECONOMICS: Occupy Movement 

TOPIC : The movement to reform the U.S. economic system that started as Occupy Wall Street has become contentious and sometimes violent in some cities. What have been the circumstances for the clashes with law enforcement? Are there political differences between the violent and peaceful Occupy demonstrations and if so what are they? 

SEARCH TERMS : Occupy AND (protest OR demonstration) 



SPORTS: NBA Labor Agreement 

TOPIC : The team owners and players of the National Basketball Association have come to a tentative agreement ending a lockout that has lasted nearly five months. What were the terms of the agreement and which side do you think benefits the most from it and why? What has been the impact of the lockout on the playing schedule and what adjustments do teams have to make? 

SEARCH TERMS : NBA AND lockout AND (agreement OR deal) 



Civics, Government and Politics: Death from the Air 

TOPIC: A NATO helicopter attack killed over 20 Pakistani troops and prompted complaints and reactions from the Pakistani government. What are their concerns about how NATO is conducting this war? How long standing are these concerns? 

SEARCH TERMS: Pakistan AND NATO AND helicopters 


SOCIAL STUDIES RESEARCH TOPICS 



Civics, Government and Politics: 2012 Presidential Race 

TOPIC : Presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are now leading the polls in the Republican primaries. What are the similarities and differences between these two candidates on government policy? What are the high and low points in the public careers for each? 

SEARCH TERMS : Newt Gingrich OR Mitt Romney 



Civics, Government and Politics: End of an Era 

TOPIC: Silvio Berlusconi has resigned as Italian prime minister. Why did he resign? What were some of his notable achievements in office? What were some of the controversies that surrounded him over the years? 

SEARCH TERMS: Silvio Berlusconi AND resignation 



Civics, Government and Politics: Elections in the Congo 

TOPIC: Elections are being held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Both the office of the president and parliamentary seats are at stake. This is the largest country in Africa. What are some of the logistical problems in running an election in an underdeveloped country? What are the changes in the election laws that could affect the outcome of this election? Who is running for president? 

SEARCH TERMS: Congo AND elections 



CRIME AND LAW: Taliban Ceasefire 

TOPIC: The Pakistani Taliban have declared a ceasefire. It is unclear if the notoriously factional group will be able to sustain this ceasefire while they negotiate with the government. What are they hoping to prove with the ceasefire? 

SEARCH TERMS: Pakistani Taliban AND ceasefire 



CRIME AND LAW: Neo-Nazi Crime Spree 

TOPIC: The National Socialist Underground may have been responsible for the deaths of several Turks and other non-Germans over the past decade. Two of its members were found dead, apparently suicides. What other crimes are they alleged to have committed? Who has been arrested? 

SEARCH TERMS: (National Socialist Underground OR neo-Nazis) AND Germany 



CRIME AND LAW: New York Bomb Plot 

TOPIC : U.S. citizen Jose Pimentel, also known as Muhammad Yusuf, has been arrested for planning to set off bombs in New York City. What were Pimentel’s motives and what is his background? What other homegrown terrorist plots have been discovered and stopped in recent years and what were the motivations in those cases? 

SEARCH TERMS : Jose Pimentel 



ECONOMICS: Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership 

TOPIC : The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership was a proposal pushed by President Obama and is now an agreement to advance free trade in the Asian-Pacific region. How specifically does this agreement advance trade? What aspects of this agreement have been praised and criticized and why? 

SEARCH TERMS : Trans-Pacific Partnership OR Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership 



ECONOMICS: Black Friday and Cyber Monday 

TOPIC : Traditional Christmas shopping days after Thanksgiving have been named Black Friday and Cyber Monday. What are some unique aspects of each this year? How are these used as indicators of our economic season and how specifically do they impact the stock market? 

SEARCH TERMS : Black Friday AND Cyber Monday 



EDUCATION: Robotics Education 

TOPIC: Teams of high school students travelled to Abu Dhabi for the World Robot Olympiad, where they competed against each other. This is the first time the Olympiad has been held outside the Far East. What was the theme of the competition? How many countries entered and how many teams? Who devised this competition and what did he see as its ultimate goal? 

SEARCH TERMS: World Robot Olympiad 



EDUCATION: Job Skills Program 

TOPIC : President Obama has initiated a partnership program called Skills for America’s Future that attempt to link businesses with community colleges as a workforce network. What are some specific ways in which this is designed? How is it working so far? 

SEARCH TERMS : Skills for America’s Future 



HISTORY: Modern Humans in Europe 

TOPIC: Recent work on some previously excavated fossils have pushed the dating of modern humans back to nearly 44,000 years ago. How was this research done? What tests were used to determine the dating of the remains? With the new dates, how long did modern humans co-exist with Neanderthals? 

SEARCH TERMS: Homo sapiens AND Europe 



SOCIAL ISSUES: Turkey and the Kurds 

TOPIC: The Prime Minister of Turkey has apologized to the Kurdish people for killings that occurred in the late 1930s. What are the relations between the Kurds and the Turkish state in the present day? What domestic political considerations led to this apology? Is there a likelihood that this step will lead to an apology to the Armenians? 

SEARCH TERMS: Turkey AND (Kurds OR Armenians) AND apology 



SOCIAL ISSUES: World Cultural Heritage 

TOPIC: UNESCO has named several traditions to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage items. What do they mean by Intangible Cultural Heritage? Which traditions have they honored by their inclusion in this list? What other traditions seem likely candidates for this honor? 

SEARCH TERMS: Intangible Cultural Heritage 



SOCIAL ISSUES: Mississippi Personhood Referendum 

TOPIC : An effort to give human embryos legal human status, called the personhood movement was tested and failed in a Mississippi public referendum vote. When and how did the personhood movement begin? What are the most compelling arguments for and against this cause? What groups are aligned for and against this movement? 

SEARCH TERMS : Mississippi AND personhood 


SCIENCE AND HEALTH RESEARCH TOPICS 



ENVIRONMENT: Electric Car Charging Stations 

TOPIC : New Jersey leads a trend on the eastern seaboard in building electric car charging stations. How does the charger work and what limitations do electric cars have compared to ones that run on gasoline? How many electric cars are now in the United States? 

SEARCH TERMS : electric cars AND charging stations 



ENVIRONMENT: Kyoto Protocol 

TOPIC: It is reported that Canada is considering formally withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol after the current rounds of talks in Durban, South Africa, are completed. What is the Kyoto Protocol? What are Canada’s complaints about it? What are the counterarguments about its value? 

SEARCH TERMS: Kyoto Protocol AND Canada 



HEALTH: Deadly Anniversary 

TOPIC: The AIDS epidemic is reported to be stabilized worldwide, that is rates of infection are remaining steady. At 2.7 million new cases a year, the threat of disease remains great. 2011 marks the 30 th anniversary of it being identified by the CDC. Where is the disease most prevalent? What treatments seem to be working? What does new research say about its origins? 

SEARCH TERMS: AIDS AND epidemic 



HEALTH: School Vaccinations 

TOPIC : In up to 8 states, up to 5% of kindergarteners are not getting their vaccinations. What is the reason for this and why is it happening mainly in certain states? What have been some concerns in the past about vaccinations? 

SEARCH TERMS : vaccinations AND (kindergarten OR students) 



HEALTH: 90 Year Olds 

TOPIC : Research shows that there is a far more likely chance now that people will live to 90 years or older. What has extended the human life span in the past several decades? What are the various impacts on society of having an increasingly elderly population? 

SEARCH TERMS : 90 AND old AND age 



SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Rocket to Mars 

TOPIC : A mock mission to Mars ended without participants killing one another. Six astronauts spent 520 days in windowless modules to simulate the length and some of the other conditions of a manned space flight to the red planet. What were they hoping to find out by this exercise? Did they consider it a success? What happened the first time this exercise was undertaken 

SEARCH TERMS: Mars AND manned spaceflight AND simulation 



SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: New Mars Rover 

TOPIC : A new, larger Mars rover called the Mars Science Laboratory is being launched. What is the mission of this rover? How long is its mission and what are the major risks it faces? 

SEARCH TERMS : Mars Science Laboratory AND rover 


SPORTS RESEARCH TOPICS 

SPORTS: Tony Stewart 

TOPIC : NASCAR race car driver Tony Stewart has won this year’s Sprint Cup Series. Whose streak did he break? What is unusual about his win that hasn’t taken place since Alan Kulwicki won the Cup Series Championship? What have been some high points in his career? 

SEARCH TERMS : Tony Stewart AND NASCAR 



SPORTS: Sir Alex Ferguson 

TOPIC : It is the 25 th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson being the head of Manchester United. What championships has he won with the team? What individual honors has he won? How was his anniversary marked by the club? 

SEARCH TERMS : Sir Alex Ferguson AND anniversary 



SPORTS: Davis Cup 

TOPIC : It is Spain vs. Argentina in the Davis Cup finals. Who are the better players for each team? How did they get to the Cup finals? What is the Davis Cup and what is its history? 

SEARCH TERMS : (Spain OR Argentina) AND Davis Cup 



SPORTS: David Beckham 

TOPIC : British footballer David Beckham has concluded his career with the Los Angeles Galaxy by winning the MLS cup. It was claimed he would increase U.S. interest in professional soccer when he signed his contract. Did he reach the heights predicted for him in Major League Soccer? What are his options for the future? What might keep him in Southern California? 

SEARCH TERMS : David Beckham 



SPORTS: Texas A&M Changes Athletic Conferences 

TOPIC : Texas A&M will be leaving the Big 12 Conference and joining the Southeastern Conference. What other teams are changing conferences and what impact does this have on college football? What classic rivalry will be altered due to this move? 

SEARCH TERMS : Texas A&M AND Big 12 



SPORTS: Justin Verlander 

TOPIC : Justin Verlander, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, was voted this year’s MVP for the American League. Why is it rare for a pitcher to be voted MVP? What are his major strengths as a pitcher? 

SEARCH TERMS : Justin Verlander 


ARTS AND LITERATURE RESEARCH TOPICS 



FILM AND TELEVISION: All-American Muslim 

TOPIC : The Learning Channel has launched a new reality TV show called All-American Muslim that follows different Muslim-American families in Dearborn, Michigan. What are some of the issues that these families face? What are some ways that these families change to accommodate western culture and what do they not change? 

SEARCH TERMS : All-American Muslim 



FILM AND TELEVISION: Ken Russell 

TOPIC : Ken Russell was a British television and film director. What was striking about his documentaries on artists and musicians? What feature films did he direct? 

SEARCH TERMS : Ken Russell 



FILM AND TELEVISION: Hungry Hobos 

TOPIC : A lost early Disney cartoon has been found in a British film archive. The cartoon, Hungry Hobos, stars Oswald the Rabbit, and will be auctioned off. Why was Oswald the Rabbit important in Disney’s career? What character did he foreshadow? What type of films does the archive specialize in? 

SEARCH TERMS : Oswald the Rabbit AND Hungry Hobos AND Walt Disney 



FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Ai Weiwei 

TOPIC : Chinese conceptual artist Ai Weiwei is being given money by thousands of people to help pay off his tax bill after the government claimed that he owes millions. Why is China claiming that he has evaded taxes? Does this mass action have any political implications beyond support for him? What does the government think of these donations? 

SEARCH TERMS : Ai Weiwei AND taxes 



FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Leonardo in London 

TOPIC : There is a major Leonardo da Vinci show in London that is highlighting his years in Milan. Nine of his paintings and many of his drawings from that period have been loaned to this show. When was he in Milan? What was he doing there? What paintings are in the show? 

SEARCH TERMS : Leonardo da Vinci AND exhibition 



LITERATURE: Steve Jobs Biography 

TOPIC : Journalist and writer Walter Issacson has written a biography of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. What are some of the key revelations about Jobs in this book? What are some of his other books and what are the key points in them? 

SEARCH TERMS : Steve Jobs AND Walter Issacson 



LITERATURE: Anne McCaffrey 

TOPIC : Anne McCaffrey was the creator and author of the Dragonriders of Pern novels. What is the premise of the novels? What awards did she win? Who has she been collaborating with her in the past decade? 

SEARCH TERMS : Anne McCaffrey 



PERFORMING ARTS: David Hallberg 

TOPIC : American David Hallberg has been named a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet. What was his road to this position? Have other Americans danced for this ballet? 

SEARCH TERMS : Bolshoi Ballet AND David Hallberg 



PERFORMING ARTS: Taylor Swift 

TOPIC : Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift was the major winner of both the Country Music Awards and American Music Awards. What are the qualities of her music that have been praised? How did she start out in the music business and what have been the highest points in her career? 

SEARCH TERMS : Taylor Swift 


PEOPLE RESEARCH TOPICS 


PEOPLE: Oscar Ramiro Ortega 

TOPIC : Oscar Ramiro Ortega has been charged with an assassination attempt on President Obama. What action had he taken to kill the president? What was the reason he wanted to do this? 

SEARCH TERMS : Oscar Ramiro Ortega 



PEOPLE: Joe Frazier 

TOPIC : Smokin Joe Frazier was a winner of the World Heavyweight boxing title. What were some of hiss most famous fights? What were his key strengths and weaknesses as a boxer? 

SEARCH TERMS : Joe Frazier 



PEOPLE: Andy Rooney 

TOPIC : Andy Rooney was a radio and television writer probably most famous for his cranky commentary spot on the TV program 60 Minutes. What are some of the political or social views that he displayed in his commentary? What different radio and TV programs did he write for? 

SEARCH TERMS : Andy Rooney 



PEOPLE: Chukwuemeka Ojukwu 

TOPIC : Chukwuemeka Ojukwu led the failed attempt by the Igbo to secede from Nigeria in the 1960s. What was his background? What were the issues that caused the Igbo to want to secede? 

SEARCH TERMS : Chukwuemeka Ojukwu OR Biafra 



PEOPLE: Sergio Scaglietti 

TOPIC : Sergio Scaglietti designed the bodywork for many Ferraris. What was his design process? Who did he work with occasionally? What model Ferraris of his design are the most sought after? What makes these the most wanted ones? 

SEARCH TERMS : Sergio Scaglietti 



PEOPLE: Lana Peters 

TOPIC : Josef Stalin’s daughter, Lana Peters, who was known as Svetlana Alliluyeva defected to the West in the mid-1960s. Why did she defect? What was the public reaction to her defection? 

SEARCH TERMS : Lana Peters OR Svetlana Alliluyeva 



PEOPLE: Tom Wicker 

TOPIC : Tom Wicker was a journalist and columnist for the New York Times. What are some of his articles that broke the news for key events that became important history? What positions did he take in his columns? What are some of his books and what are they about? 

SEARCH TERMS : Tom Wicker 





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