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From Debatepedia

Debates that have been in the news and that have been featured in the "In the News" section of the mainpage.

• Debate: Women in combat "Australia lifts ban on women in military combat roles." BBC. September 27th, 2011
• Debate: Does Obama deserve a second term? An unfinished article outlining the ongoing debate about Obama's merits in the 2012 election.
• Debate: US sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan "WSJ: Senators: Selling F-16s To Taiwan Would Provide Jobs." Wall Street Journal. September 12th, 2011
• Debate: Abortion Simon Van Zuylen. "A Radical New Ploy to Destroy Roe v. Wade—Which Just Might Work." The New Republic. September 2nd, 2011
• Debate: Legalization of Marijuana "California marijuana street fair fuels debate over legalization." Christian Science Monitor. September 3rd, 2011
• Debate: Polygamy This issue briefly peaked back into the news when Warren Jeffs, a notorious polygamist, was sentenced to life in prison on August 9th, 2011.[1]
• Global climate change debate portal Heatwaves around the world have renewed calls for renewable energy of every kind: Austin Chronicle.
• Debate: Pornography The Playboy Club show on NBC has generated significant controversy for, allegedly, glamorizing pornography. But, even if it was, the question remains whether this is a bad thing.[2]
• Debate: Affirmative action Michigan appeals court strikes down Michigan's 2006 constitutional amendment that banned affirmative action in college admissions, employment and contracting.[3]
• Debate: Israeli blockade of Gaza has been in the news with the attempts of a 10-boat flotilla of activists to break the blockade and provide humanitarian aid.[4]
• Debate: Gay marriage Gay marriage was legalized in New York state on June 24th, 2011. It became the sixth and largest state in the United States to do so, supporting the case for gay marriage and reinvigorating the debate on the subject.[5]
• Debate: Corn ethanol: Steven Rattner. "The Great Corn Con." NYTimes. June 24th, 2011
• Debate: Natural gas: "Insiders sound an alarm amid a natural gas rush." New York Times. June 25th, 2011
• Puerto Rico statehood in America "Puerto Rico Gov. Fortuno on Obama Visit, Ongoing Statehood Debate." PBS.org. June 14th, 2011
• Abortion The abortion debate has gained increasing attention in recent weeks as Republicans, empowered across the US after the 2010 election, push for stricter abortion laws: Meghan Malloy. "House-amended abortion bill passes without debate." The Iowa Independent. June 8th, 2011
• Infant male circumcision Jennifer Medina. "In Santa Monica, Circumcision Opponent Abandons Efforts." New York Times. June 7, 2011
• Enhanced interrogation techniques: Following the killing of Osama bin Laden, with useful information obtained through interrogation techniques, some have argued that it was "enhanced interrogations" that lead to Osama bin Laden's death. This has lead to renewed debate over the practice.
• Should the West arm Libyan rebels? and No-fly zone over Libya have been in the news big time since the conflict began in March. Debatepedia's resources are excellent on these topics.
• Nuclear energy rose into the limelight once again as a debate, following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, which damaged over four nuclear power plants and threatened to cause a national and global nuclear fallout.[6]
• Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies US President Barack Obama declared his intention to press Congress to phase out subsidies for fossil fuel companies. His move, and the move of other leaders around the world in this direction, has renewed a debate that has become increasingly active in recent years.
• Full-body scanners at airports - Following the Yemen bomb scare in late October of 2010, and previous airline bomber incidents in 2010 and 2009, the US and other countries have moved to implement full-body scanners at airports, raising some privacy issues.[7]
• Earmarks - Many in the US Congress, particularly Republicans advocating reduced spending, are calling for a ban on earmarks.[8]
• Expiring Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in 2010 - A debate still going on between the Obama administration and the US Congress.[9]
• Gays in the US military - While the Obama administration has promised to end "don't ask don't tell", the policy remains as the military reviews the policy, and as federal courts debate the constitutionality of the law.[10]
• Israeli settlements, Two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Dividing Jerusalem, Israeli blockade of Gaza all remain prominent.
• Ground zero mosque - Hot since the summer of 2010, this debate still lingers in late 2010.[11]
• Oil sands - This has been particularly hot in 2010 as it relates to Canada's Alberta tar sands.
• Medical marijuana dispensaries - In the US, this has been a big issue in states such as Colorado, California, and Washington, DC which have moved toward legalizing dispensaries.
• Legalization of Marijuana - California's push to pass Proposition 19 in November's election (it failed) has brought national attention back to the issue.[12]
• Arizona illegal immigration law - Arizona's SB1070 cracks down on illegal immigration and gives police new authority to arrest and deport illegal aliens. In November, appeals court hearings were initiated on the law, as the issue and debate continues.
• Path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the US - Continues to be a central question in the ongoing US immigration reform debate.
• US health care reform - As Republicans take power in the US House of Representatives in January 2011, they will seek to overturn Democratic health insurance reforms.
• Constitutionality of US health insurance mandates - Republicans will seek to overturn US health insurance reform on the grounds that health insurance mandates are unconstitutional.
• US offshore oil drilling - Still a lingering question following the US Gulf oil spill disaster, for any country considering offshore oil drilling.