Vous trouverez ci-dessous les résultats du Concours America 2013. Merci à tous ceux qui ont répondu. Dans quelques semaines, vous sera proposée l’édition 2014, dans une année beaucoup plus animée avec des élections de midterm novembre 2014 et les premiers mouvements en vue de l’élection de 2016. On ne le sait que trop, les États-Unis sont quasiment toujours en période élection. Depuis le quinquennat, on n’est pas loin d’être dans la même situation en France. La démocratie a un coût, elle consomme beaucoup de ressources. Mais c’est sans doute le prix à payer et jusqu’ici on n’a pas trouvé mieux.
Même si la situation économique s’améliore, la popularité d’Obama reste toujours très basse. Pour le consoler, celle du Congrès est encore plus basse. La règle de conduite des Républicains semble être simple : « quand ça va mieux, il n’y est pour rien, quand ça va mal, c’est de sa faute ».
1. Steven’s Spielberg’s biopic Lincoln will be awarded the Oscar for best picture ?
No
Best film :Argo (Ben Affleck) ; Best Actor:Daniel Day Lewis for Lincoln ; Best Production Design:Lincoln
2. Gun control legislation will be passed by Congress and signed into law ?
No
178 passed at least one chamber of a state legislature. 109 have become law. In the 12 months since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., almost every state has enacted at least one new gun law. Nearly two-thirds of the new laws ease restrictions and expand the rights of gun owners. (Source : NYT nyti.ms/1ebkJuI)
3. In September 2012, Apple’s shares traded at more than $700. In December, their price had fallen to $530. By November 4th 2013, that price will be less than $400 ?
No
At the end of November, Apple stock was a little above than $550
4. Newsweek discontinued its print edition on December 31st 2012. Time will follow suit in 2013.
No
The print version of Time Magazine still exists, the man of the Year was Pope François. At the contrary, Newsweek should go to print again in Jannuary or February 2014
5. On August 6th 2011, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the United States’ credit rating from AAA to AA+. In 2013, the US will get their AAA back.
No, not yet.
6. An American sprinter will beat Usain Bolt in the 100m or 200m dash at the World Championships in Moscow.
No
Usain Bolt has only one opponent, himself. He won the 100 and 200.
100m : 1er Usain Bolt 9 s 77 – 2e : Justin Gatlin 9 s 85 (SB) | 200m : 1er Usain Bolt 19 s 66 – 2e Warren Weir 19 s 79
7. The unemployment level will fall below 7%
Yes
Unemployment Rate in the United States decreased to 7 percent in November of 2013 from 7.30 percent in October of 2013. Unemployment Rate in the United States is reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
8. The US Postal Service will experience major financial difficulties that will force to lay off workers
No, not Yet.
The USPS has cut more than 35 precent of its workforce in recent years, closed hundreds of offices, and cut back hours at the ones that remain open.In April, The U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday said it will delay a cost-cutting plan to end Saturday mail delivery, following congressional action that blocked the effort — as the agency suggested it might have to turn to rate increases and layoffs as an alternative.
9. Hillary Clinton will declare her candidacy in the 2016 presidential elections
No, not Yet.
10. A militiary incident between the United States and China will occur in the China Seas
No, nothing major but a lot of tension.
11. For his first official trip abroad as Secretary of State, John Kerry will go to Africa
Yes
Africa was part of the first trip of John Kerry : Three weeks after succeeding Hillary Clinton as U.S. Secretary of State, the long-time Senator and 2004 Presidential candidate left on a ten-day inaugural trip to the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
12. The rules of the filibuster will be changed by the Senate
Yes
The supermajority rule (60 votes) is still there but in November The Senate vote Thursday to lower the barriers for presidential nominations should make it easier for President Obama to accomplish key second-term priorities, including tougher measures on climate change and financial regulation, that have faced intense opposition from Republicans in Congress.
13. Barack Obama will nominate a new member of the Supreme Court that will change the balance between Conservatives and Liberals
No
Barack Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor (2009) et Elena Kagan (2010) but nobody last Year. Trois autres Justices pourraient donner leur démission d’ici la fin du mandat : Antonin Scalia (77 ans), Anthony Kennedy (77 ans) et Ruth Bader Ginsburg (80 ans). Les femmes sont assez bien représentées avec 3 membres sur 9.
14. Barack Obama will sign immigration reform into law
No
It is still in discussion but no law yet.
15. The Department of Defense budget cuts included in the “sequestration” will be put into effect
Yes
The budget sequestration in 2013 refers to the automatic spending cuts to United States federal government spending in particular categories of outlays[note 1] that were initially set to begin on January 1, 2013, as an austerity fiscal policy as a result of Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), and were postponed by two months by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 until March 1 when this law went into effect. The cuts are split evenly (by dollar amounts, not by percentages) between the defense and non-defense categories
16. The computer manufacturer Dell will no longer be a publically traded company and will be sold to an investment fund
Yes
October 2013 : Dell’s founder and chief executive Michael Dell has completed his bid to take the company private.
In conjunction with financial backing from investment firm Silver Lake Partners, the company has begun the process to delist its common shares from the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York.
17. Lance Armstrong will be tried and convicted of perjury by an United States court of law
No
Not Yet but il will come. L’État américain a officiellement déposé plainte, mardi, contre Lance Armstrong, soupçonné d’avoir trompé le gouvernement en utilisant de l’argent public versé par l’US Postal Services pour financer notamment un programme de dopage.
18. The average cost of a gallon of gasoling over the first 10 months of the year will be below $3.40
No, but by far.
On the 10 first months of 2013, the average price was 3,55 ; on the first 11, it was 3,52 (source : EIA). Gas prices are droping. In October, the price was 3,34 and in Novembre it was 3,22.
19. The sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes will be made legal by a decision of the Supreme Court
No
On February 5, 2013 Colorado representative Jared Polis introduced Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013 (H.R. 499; 113th Congress), a bill that would decriminalize marijuana on the federal level, instead treating it as a substance to be regulated in a similar manner to alcohol
20. Republicans and Democrats will not reach an agreement over the debt ceiling
No
They reached an agreement but it was very painful. The US Government went into a partial shutdown on October 1, 2013, with about 800,000 Federal employees being put on temporary leave. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew reiterated that the debt ceiling would need to be raised by October 17.
In early October 2013, the House drafted a bill that would raise the debt ceiling without conditions through November 22, but keep the partial government shutdown in place. However, it died due to insufficient support among both House Republicans and House Democrats.
On October 16, the Senate passed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, a continuing resolution, to fund the government until January 15, 2014, and suspending the debt ceiling until February 7, 2014, thus ending both the United States federal government shutdown of 2013 and the United States debt-ceiling crisis of 2013 (source : Wikipedia)