Month: October 2014 Page 1 of 3

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of October 27th-November 2nd, 2014

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of October 27th-November 2nd, 2014.

R&D from Prepd: The 2014 Midterms

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides articles on the 2014 midterm elections, which will take place next Tuesday.  Extempers going to tournaments this weekend can expect lots of questions about how those elections may turn out on the state and national level.  Republicans hope to capture the Senate, while Democrats hope to knock off potential 2016 presidential contenders such as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of October 27th-November 2nd, 2014

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quiz-01Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D from Prepd: Jose Mujica

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D covers Jose Mujica, the President of Uruguay.  Mujica, a former guerilla fighter, has been in office since 2010 and he is known for living a very frugal lifestyle that has caused him to be labeled as “the world’s poorest president.”  He is very popular, but he is stepping down because Uruguyan presidents cannot serve consecutive five-year terms.  A runoff to choose his successor will take place on November 30.

Terrorism in Ottawa

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Last week Canada was rocked by two terrorist attacks.  On Monday, Martin Couture-Rouleau drove his car into two Canadian soldiers in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, killing one of them, and on Wednesday, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed a soldier guarding the National War Memorial in Ottawa and wounded a guard in the Canadian Parliament.  Both men were killed in their attacks and were recent converts to Islam.  Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper argued that the actions of Couture-Roleau and Zehaf-Bibeau were inspired by the Islamic State, which has urged its followers to attack Western nations.  Harper plans to push for legislation that would grant more powers to Canadian intelligence services and strengthen authorities in anti-terrorism operations, but his opponents argue that these security reforms could do significant damage to Canadian politics and culture.  These Canadians worry that Harper will push anti-terrorism measures too far and that their country will eventually have the same intrusive surveillance systems as the United States and Great Britain.

This topic brief will concentrate on Zehaf-Bibeau’s attack on Ottawa and discuss how it was carried out, the changes that will likely be made to Canadian security in the wake of the attack, and what lessons other nations might draw from the attacks.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

R&D: Terrorism in Ottawa

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on terrorism in Ottawa.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 27th-November 2nd, 2014

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HOTtopics1. Do New York and New Jersey’s new quarantine rules violate the U.S. Constitution?
2. How can future school shootings be avoided?
3. Are the 2014 midterm elections a referendum on President Obama’s leadership?
4. Should the USDA tighten its regulations of biotech crops?
5. How can Jeff Bezos convince investors that Amazon is still a great buy?
6. Should the U.S. Postal Service deliver groceries?
7. Will gay rights be President Obama’s biggest legacy?
8. Does the GOP need a heavy dose of “conservative realism”?
9. Will the outsourcing issue sink David Perdue’s Senate hopes?
10. Should U.S. cities pass restrictions on feeding the homeless?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 27th-November 2nd, 2014

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HOTtopics1. How can Egypt secure the Sinai from jihadist attacks?
2. If you were Kim Jong-un, how would you go about re-engaging the international community?
3. How should Western nations handle citizens who fight in jihadist causes abroad?
4. Do Matteo Renzi’s economic reforms go far enough?
5. Was Jose Mujica’s presidency a success?
6. How can Tunisia grow its economy?
7. Will the Ottawa shootings significantly change Canada’s open culture?
8. Is Mali prepared for an Ebola outbreak?
9. What do the results of the Brazilian presidential runoff mean for the country’s economic future?
10. Is artificial intelligence a threat to the human race?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of October 20th-October 26th, 2014

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of October 20th-October 26th, 2014.

R&D from Prepd: The Greek Economy

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on the Greek economy.  In 2009, the country faced a debt crisis that threatened the euro zone and it required a €110 billion bailout loan from the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  The austerity and fiscal reform measures required by the bailout have proven politically unpopular and investors are fearful of what might happen if the Greek government prematurely ends its IMF program, which is supposed to end in 2016.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of October 20th-26th, 2014

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quiz-01Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D from Prepd: Voter ID Laws

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D covers state voter ID laws.  Supporters of these laws contend that they deter voter fraud, while opponents argue that they are unconstitutional because they serve as a poll tax.  Poll taxes were outlawed by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, which was ratified in 1964.  On Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas’s voter ID law to stand for the upcoming election, although it did not find that the law was constitutional.  Wisconsin had hoped to enforce a voter ID requirement for this year’s elections, but the Supreme Court blocked the enforcement of the law earlier this month.

2014 New York City Invitational: Primack Cruises to Victory and Earns Second Consecutive National Points Race Tournament Win; Wexler Finishes Second

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The second National Points Race tournament held last weekend was the New York City Invitational, which took place at the Bronx High School of Science in New York, New York. Jasper Primack of Newton South High School (MA) won his second consecutive National Points Race tournament of the season by defeating Noah Wexler of Nova Senior High School (FL) by an eleven rank margin. Primack’s large margin of victory was owed to him taking four of the five first place ranks in the final round. With this win, Primack earns forty National Points Race points.

The final round of the tournament was very Florida heavy as four of the six finalists compete for schools in the Sunshine State. In addition to Wexler, Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School, who won both halves of the Crestian Tradition last week, placed third. Wexler’s teammate Adele Stock took fifth and Nathaniel Saffran of Trinity Preparatory placed sixth in his third final appearance at a National Points Race tournament this season.

Jack Glaser of George Washington High School (CO), who competed at last year’s Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, placed fourth.

The New York City Invitational is not a qualifier to the 2015 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University, but it is a qualifier for the University of Kentucky TOC in April. All of the finalists at the tournament earned qualifications to the UK TOC.

Here are the results of the 2014 New York City Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):

Ebola in the United States (2014)

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Last week’s news cycle was consumed by the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the United States.  Liberian Thomas Eric Duncan was the first person to be diagnosed with the virus on American soil in U.S. history.  Duncan was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas on September 28 and died of the virus on October 8.  Since that time, two nurses that cared for Duncan have contracted the virus.  Reports that one of the nurses was allowed to fly after having a fever alarmed the American public, which is showing signs of panic about a virus that carries a fatality rate of over 60%.  Newscasters have labeled Ebola as the “October surprise” of this year’s midterm elections and the federal government’s handling of the situation is becoming a hot political topic.  President Obama has reportedly shown signs of frustration in meetings with officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and last Friday he appointed Ron Klain as the nation’s “Ebola czar.”  Mr. Klain will be tasked with coordinating the federal response to the virus as well as assuaging public fears about the situation.

This topic brief will discuss the spread of Ebola into the United States, breakdown the federal government’s current response to the situation, and analyze what policies the United States may enact in future weeks and months to curtail the spread of Ebola domestically and internationally.  Extempers are highly encouraged to read our topic brief on the West African Ebola outbreak, which was released in August, as well.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

R&D: Ebola in the United States (2014)

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on Ebola in the United States (2014).

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