Ahead of the curve: The next 7 days
May 20th, 2012
12:49 PM ET

Ahead of the curve: The next 7 days

Here is a look at some of the stories that CNN plans to follow this week:

At NATO summit: How will Afghanistan pay for its troops?

NATO countries on Monday will be trying to figure out how to meet a planned 2014 withdrawal from Afghanistan while shoring up Afghanistan's security forces.

Leaders of NATO countries, plus officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan, will continue meeting in Chicago for a summit that began over the weekend.  One of the key issues:  Who will pay for the buildup of Afghan forces as NATO draws down its troops? Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is attending the summit, is believed to be able to afford only a fraction of the cost that CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen says will total roughly $4 billion annually by 2014.

The leaders are expected to formally adopt a timetable to transfer security from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force to Afghan forces, senior U.S. administration officials said.

A user's guide to the Chicago NATO summit

Opinion: Why ordinary Afghans worry about NATO summit

Ex-Rutgers student sentenced for invading gay roommate's privacy

A former Rutgers University student convicted of spying on and intimidating his gay roommate could get a maximum 10-year prison term when he is sentenced Monday.

Dharun Ravi was convicted of charges including invasion of privacy and bias intimidation. His roommate, Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old freshman, killed himself in September 2010 by jumping off the George Washington Bridge and into the Hudson River after learning that Ravi had secretly spied on his sexual encounter with another man using a webcam and then sharing the footage.

After the conviction, Ravi told ABC's "20/20" that prosecutors got the incident wrong and that he "wasn't trying to intimidate (Clementi) and scare him because he was gay."

Vietnam veterans getting 'welcome home' ceremony

The U.S. Army's Fort Hood on Monday intends to give Vietnam War veterans "the same fanfare present-day soldiers receive when they return from Iraq and Afghanistan."

The Army is inviting Vietnam veterans to the Texas military installation for a "welcome home" ceremony, 37 years after the war ended, Fort Hood says. The Army says veterans will parade in front of hundreds of supporters.

KWTX: Vietnam veterans 'welcomed home' Monday

Iran engaging in nuclear talks

Iran and a group of world powers including the United States are expected to meet in Iraq on Wednesday to discuss Iran's nuclear program, a source of great tension because of Western suspicions that the program aims to develop nuclear weapons.

Iranian officials are to meet with delegates from the "P5+1," which is the five permanent U.N. Security Council nations - the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and France - plus Germany. Western nations have slapped crippling sanctions on Iran in hopes of reversing what they say is Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. Iran denies the allegations and insists that its nuclear program is intended solely for civilian energy purposes.

In remarks denounced by an Iranian lawmaker, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Iran would not take nuclear talks seriously and alleged that Iran will use the talks "as another opportunity to deceive and delay just like North Korea did for years."

Obama helping Joplin mark year since devastating tornado 

A monster tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri, one year ago Tuesday, killing 161 people, injuring hundreds more and destroying miles of businesses, homes and schools. On Monday, President Barack Obama will be part of the city's remembrance of the day, speaking at the commencement of Joplin High School seniors.

On Tuesday, Joplin will hold a Walk of Unity - people will be walking along the tornado's path - and groundbreaking ceremonies for three new schools.

A year after the storm, hundreds of families are still living in FEMA trailers and are unable to rebuild their homes. Although Joplin has worked fast to rebuild, many of the hundreds of businesses destroyed by the tornado have not been able to get back to full speed.

Ways that people can assist Joplin

Egypt choosing first president since 2011 uprising

Egypt on Wednesday and Thursday will hold its first presidential elections since then-President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year.

The nation has been under military leadership since the uprising. Protests erupted in Cairo earlier this month amid a backdrop of frustration about the pace of reform, with some people concerned that the military leadership was delaying the transition to civilian rule. More than a dozen people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Cairo's central Abbasiya district.

Twelve candidates are running in the presidential election, including moderate Abdelmonen Abol Fotoh and former Arab League chief Amre Moussa, who faced off this month in a debate that kept millions nationwide glued to their TV screens for more than three hours. Results could be known by Friday, and a run-off, if needed, would happen June 16-17.

Your chance to get Prince William's wedding cake, Reagan's blood

Two curious auctions are set to end on Thursday.

A guest at last year's wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton apparently kept a piece of the wedding cake and is selling it. The slice, presented in a tin and accompanied by the 16-page program of the wedding service, is up for bids at pfcauctions.com. At one point on Sunday afternoon, the bid was at £1,453 (about $2,300).

Also Thursday, a vial that was said to hold a sample of U.S. President Ronald Reagan's blood after his 1981 assassination attempt will be sold. The vial is said to contain dried blood residue. On Sunday afternoon, bidding for the vial was above £3,200 (more than $5,000).

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Filed under: Ahead of the curve
soundoff (30 Responses)
  1. ♚Mmmmm♛

    i can't think a of any item more worthy to be on the worst choice list...a stale piece of wedding cake or a vial of blood of a demented ex president...you may earn more selling it to ripley's believe it or not...

    May 20, 2012 at 4:32 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Emigdio Alvarez

    with Reagan's blood, we can clone the greatest GOP president the world has every known!.

    May 20, 2012 at 5:06 pm | Report abuse |
  3. dazzle ©

    As I said on a previous blog, Andre must be huffing and copying and pasting this crap on every thread.

    May 20, 2012 at 5:12 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Just Me

    Out of all of the stuff listed above, the welcome home for vietnam veterans is the one that actually upsets me. Why wasn't this event brought to the publics attention way earlier? I am not a veteran but my husband is, my brother is, my cousin is...we would have all probably gone had we known about it before now. Oh, wait...I forgot that Facebook takes over all headlines...now I understand why. Mark needed more of him in the news...so naturally we should all just step aside and let him do that. Am I bitter? Oh yeah....no doubt...because this "welcome home" should have been done at the time of. Why did it take this long?

    May 20, 2012 at 5:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      I agree totally.
      The way our Viet Nam vets were treated when they came back home is a black eye in America's history.
      The deserve all of the fanfare that all of our othere vets receive...and they deserve our respect.
      They've always have had mine.

      Those poor men...
      Thank you, guys, for unflichingly going to a war...most people know you didn't have a choice in the matter...

      May 20, 2012 at 7:11 pm | Report abuse |
  5. @NATO

    Stop pretending to be fumbling that same ball again. (President Bushs "oops, forgot to make an exit strategy".
    Many of US know there is no way the US will simply abandon fmr. Presidents Bushs (both) business interests in the middles east. Fess-up. Troops are being replaced with corporate security personnel. (Blackwater type militia)

    May 20, 2012 at 5:59 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Mr Dalloway

    The President's true hometown!

    May 20, 2012 at 6:05 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Tank2

    Royal cake? Presidential blood?

    There *IS* one born every minute!

    May 20, 2012 at 6:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • Pete/Ark

      The terrible part is that most of them enjoy the right to vote

      May 20, 2012 at 7:53 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Sunny

    Huh?
    And this never made the news either in 1968 or anytime since then? Where have I BEEN? (Oh, behind the bonfire of burned bras, I suppose, being one of those DEVIL'S CONCUBINES...or a semi-one - though I can't ever recall "white supremacy" ever being on Gloria Steinems agenda. Darn media – or MEN? – left out that little detail, apparently)

    ~sheesh~ It gets a little wearing trying to keep up with the conspiracy du jour.

    May 20, 2012 at 6:19 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Mr Dalloway

    America the great harlot of war!

    May 20, 2012 at 6:29 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Mr Dalloway

    America can't afford social programs but you'll have plenty of law enforcement.

    May 20, 2012 at 6:31 pm | Report abuse |
  11. A merica

    A merica can't afford MORE social programs, you mean. Hence, legalized abortion and new laws whereby if you keep pumping out ilegitimate kids, no more welfare for you.

    May 20, 2012 at 6:41 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Bright Economic Outlook

    A mericas economy will become stronger than ever in the very near furure.
    The US military currently occupies over 130 foreign nations, with others occupied with debt to US and others.
    Once the last nation is invaded and occupied, finally we will be directing our attention on ourselves and cleaning-up our own mess.
    This will be accomplished by throwing all who have been defrauding social security, welfare, medical, disability, IRS, etc. into one of our 160 Homeland Security Prisons built since 9/11. (Congress funded their construction, explaining they were for the terrorists)

    May 20, 2012 at 6:51 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Bright Economic Outlook

    Don't simply just make-fun of the above mentioned reality. How is it that YOU believe the scamming of Americans by Americans will cease? (Fraud costs US TRILLIONS EACH YEAR. This MUST end for US to have a solid economy.

    May 20, 2012 at 6:54 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Bright Economic Outlook

    Youtube 'FEMA CAMP' to take a look at where you, good Doktor money drug, will be staying soon. You too Father Dowlingboy. Plus we'll release the potheads from prison to make room for more of you whom defraud US disguised as one of US, as is already happening.

    May 20, 2012 at 7:01 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Bright Economic Outlook

    New laws to quickly deal with economic terrorists will be passed. Justice will be swift if even by drone of suspects.

    May 20, 2012 at 7:04 pm | Report abuse |
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