Month: February 2016 Page 2 of 3

R&D: The Death of Antonin Scalia

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On February 17, 2016

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the death of Antonin Scalia.

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of February 15-21, 2016

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On February 16, 2016

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

To accesquiz-01s a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

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R&D from Prepd: U.S.-North Korean Relations

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On February 16, 2016

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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 U.S.-North Korean relations.  The United States has never had warm relations with North Korea, as the two nations waged war between 1950-1953.  Since the 1990s, the United States has worried about the North’s drive for a nuclear weapon.  These fears have grown due to recent rocket launches that indicate the North’s desire to create a ballistic missile that one day may put areas of the U.S. West Coast in danger.  The U.S. still has thousands of troops in South Korea and some policymakers want to increase sanctions in an effort to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.  However, others point out that it is China, not the U.S., that holds the trump card regarding the North’s behavior.

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of February 15-21, 2016

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On February 15, 2016

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will the recent Syrian truce lay the foundation for a larger peace deal by the end of the year?
2. What is responsible for Haiti’s political dysfunction?
3. Will Francois Hollande be the Socialist Party’s candidate for the French presidency in 2017?
4. Can Iraq reunify after ISIS is defeated?
5. Should South Korea permanently end its participation in the Kaesong industrial project?
6. Is Narendra Modi failing to capitalize on low global commodity prices?
7. Does Yoweri Museveni deserve another term?
8. Is a poor EU deal enough to avoid a “Brexit”?
9. Will the Saudi-Iranian rivalry strengthen Israel’s position in the Middle East?
10. Is the South Sudanese civil war nearing a conclusion?

 

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 15-21, 2016

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On February 15, 2016

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will the U.S. Senate confirm a replacement for Antonin Scalia before the 2016 presidential election?
2. What is the “political establishment”?
3. What implications does the death of Justice Antonin Scalia have for ongoing Supreme Court cases?
4. Should the Social Security retirement age be raised?
5. Is the U.S. healthcare system prepared for Zika?
6. Should the U.S. re-evaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia?
7. How would a big victory by Donald Trump in the South Carolina Republican primary affect the trajectory of the 2016 Republican presidential contest?
8. Would Iran-style sanctions on North Korea have a similar effect?
9. Are the concerns of Western states with federal land management policies legitimate?
10. Will South Carolina resolve the battle between Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of February 8-14, 2016

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On February 12, 2016

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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 February 8-14, 2016.

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R&D from Prepd: The New Hampshire Primary

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On February 11, 2016

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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 recent New Hampshire primary.  Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won in a landslide against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while Donald Trump notched his first win in the Republican presidential contest.  The result on the Republican side has already prompted New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina to exit the race and it appears that at least five candidates will contest the South Carolina primary in several weeks.

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Saudi Anxieties

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On February 10, 2016

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

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For American policymakers, Saudi Arabia is deemed as one of the pillars of stability in the Middle East.  Despite its export of Wahhabist Islam and its suppression of democratic and gender rights, the kingdom has anchored the interests of Sunni Muslims in the region for the last six decades.  Saudi Arabia has also been a reliable American ally, assisting in the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991 and offering ideas for solving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The House of Saud’s leadership in global oil markets has been valuable as well, with the country serving as the de facto leader of the Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cartel.  However, the growing strength of Iran over the last decade has created significant anxieties in Saudi ranks.  With the decline of Western sanctions against the Islamic Republic it is possible that the Iranian economy could overtake Saudi Arabia’s in the long-term, and low oil prices are forcing the kingdom to make choices about how it can sustain its social model without provoking unrest in the coming years.  These Saudi anxieties could prove harmful for the Middle East, especially if they cause the regime to engage in risky interventions and some of this is already taking place in Syria and Yemen.

This topic brief will discuss Saudi Arabia’s rivalry with Iran, highlight its current economic struggles, and analyze how Saudi anxieties could affect the larger Middle East in the years ahead.

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

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R&D: Saudi Anxieties

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On February 10, 2016

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the Saudi Arabia.

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of February 8-14, 2016

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On February 9, 2016

In Quiz

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

To accesquiz-01s a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

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R&D from Prepd: Sino-North Korean Relations

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On February 9, 2016

In R&D

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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 Sino-North Korea relations.  The Chinese government has been a longtime supporter of North Korea, saving it from annihilation in the Korean War of 1950-1953 when it attacked a U.S.-led multinational force as that force approached China’s borders.  China has also protected North Korea from harsh sanctions on the UN Security Council, fearing that if North Korea’s regime collapsed that it would send thousands of refugees into its territory.  However, North Korea’s recent launch of a long-range rocket, which contravenes several UN Security Council resolutions that bar its use of ballistic missile technology, has added tension to the relationship as some global powers such as the United States are being pressed to sanction China over its continued support of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 8-14, 2016

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On February 8, 2016

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Who was the biggest winner of the Iowa caucus?
2. Does the Black Lives Matter movement need a prominent leader?
3. Will the TPP’s fate hinge on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election?
4. Are the stocks of social media companies overvalued?
5. Why is Hillary Clinton having a hard time winning over younger voters?
6. Should Congress pass President Obama’s oil tax?
7. Will the latest jobs report cause the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates at its next meeting?
8. How can Marco Rubio overcome questions about his lack of executive experience?
9. Can the U.S. build a Sunni-led coalition to defeat ISIS?
10. Does the U.S. need to reduce its corporate tax rate?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of February 8-14, 2016

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On February 8, 2016

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. What is the state of the global steel industry?
2. Should the IOC move the Summer Olympics?
3. Who should be Myanmar’s next president?
4. What should Turkey do if Russia continues to violate its airspace?
5. Should the AU send a peacekeeping force to Burundi?
6. What steps does Nigeria need to take to eliminate corruption?
7. Would a higher oil price rescue the Maduro regime?
8. Should the international community impose sanctions on China for continuing to aid North Korea?
9. Would a large-scale Sunni intervention in Syria produce a large-scale regional war in the Middle East?
10. Should Saudi Arabia push for an OPEC production cut?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of February 1-7, 2016

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On February 5, 2016

In R&D

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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 February 1-7, 2016.

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R&D from Prepd: The Iowa Caucus Results

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On February 4, 2016

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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 Iowa caucuses that took place on Monday.  Texas Senator Ted Cruz upset Donald Trump on the Republican side, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic contest.  Trump has said that his loss was illegitimate because Cruz spread stories that Ben Carson was dropping out of the contest, which did not occur.  Iowa has narrowed the field on both sides with former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley dropping out of the Democratic race and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum doing so in the Republican race.  The next presidential contest will take place next Tuesday in New Hampshire, which is the first state to hold a primary in the 2016 cycle.

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