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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
To acces
s a list of all our old quizzes, click here.
Month: May 2016 Page 1 of 3
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This R&D provides resources on the return of Avigdor Lieberman to the Israeli government. Lieberman will serve as defense minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet. The move is controversial, as Lieberman has a mixed history in supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and leads the secular nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu Party, which draws support from Russian-speaking Israelis. He has also made polarizing statements in the past concerning the need for loyalty oaths and the treatment of Palestinian refugees.
With Avigdor Lieberman as his defence minister, Netanyahu is emboldening Israel’s right wing https://t.co/UTPHJqMs8w pic.twitter.com/EQ1xerXAnn
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 29, 2016
Israeli lawmakers rail against Netanyahu’s appointment of Avigdor Lieberman https://t.co/PUQcvwuzY3 pic.twitter.com/jrcyE3PUzu
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) May 27, 2016
.@natansachs analyzes the shocking appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as minister of defense: https://t.co/F77hOkkBet
— Brookings FP (@BrookingsFP) May 26, 2016
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1. Is it time for the federal government to strict access to U.S. national parks?
2. Should life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders be abolished?
3. Is Donald Trump’s willingness to debate Bernie Sanders a political stroke of genius or an act he will later regret?
4. Should more municipalities mandate that large vendors and hotels separate organic waste for recycling?
5. Why are a large number of “Millennials” still living with their parents?
6. What steps can be taken to enhance the ability of Americans to purchase affordable housing?
7. Is Chicago poised to have a “bloody summer”?
8. Will the Libertarian Party win a record number of votes in this year’s presidential election?
9. Should Bernie Sanders have attacked Hillary Clinton on the e-mail issue earlier?
10. Will the Zika virus hurt the summer tourism season?
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1. Who should be the next Secretary General of the United Nations?
2. Will South Africa’s expropriation bill produce significant economic damage?
3. What impact will the return of Avigdor Lieberman to Israel’s government mean for the future of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
4. Is Mercosur floundering?
5. How should Tsai Ing-wen handle Sino-Taiwanese relations?
6. Is the targeting of the leaders of terrorist groups counterproductive?
7. How can moderate European politicians regain ground lost to extreme left and right-wing factions?
8. Will allowing the naira to float against the dollar bolster Nigeria’s economy?
9. How can the international community defeat ISIS on social media platforms?
10. What impact will Cuba’s decision to allow “micro” private businesses have on the nation’s economy?
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Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of May 23-29, 2016.
US reports first case of bacteria resistant to antibiotic of last resort https://t.co/odxYNB1tKo
— The Guardian (@guardian) May 27, 2016
Alternative-energy companies can only become true challengers to Big Oil with guts and greed https://t.co/sP7rZ97hmc pic.twitter.com/9LOGy9rT7i
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 27, 2016
Brexit would pose a ‘serious risk’ to global growth, say G7 leaders https://t.co/cNPfM2u6Lv
— The Guardian (@guardian) May 27, 2016
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Today’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 El Salvador’s crime problem. The Central American nation had an average of 120 homicides per 100,000 population last year, making it the murder capital of the Americas. The country is struggling to control criminals and gangs, as the problem has sent refugees to the United States and other parts of Latin America.
#Gangs in #ElSalvador are gaining more influence, as total cost of related violence & extortion is ~16% of GDP pic.twitter.com/GLGicUADBL
— Prof. Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) May 25, 2016
El Salvador’s murder rate dropped 42% in April compared with March. Here’s why https://t.co/jT6zVuMuw6 pic.twitter.com/mof3IuY96S
— Financial Times (@FT) May 25, 2016
El Salvador is arresting officials who helped gangs make peace https://t.co/Vj3cHE3fXd pic.twitter.com/4k5lf2HFm5
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) May 21, 2016
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Extempers that have had any introduction to American history are aware that the United States and Vietnam have had a strained relationship since American troops attempted to prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist country during the Cold War. For eight year, American troops had a sizeable presence in Vietnam, culminating in a phased-down withdrawal in 1973 that eventually contributed to the downfall of the West-aligned South Vietnamese government. Since the 1990s the United States had moved to repair its relationship with Vietnam, which remains a communist country, but issues relating to the whereabouts of unaccounted for prisoners of war (POW) and human rights have complicated such efforts. This week, President Barack Obama traveled to Vietnam, becoming the third U.S. president to do so. During that visit he said that the U.S. would ends its decades-long arms embargo against Vietnam on the condition that the Vietnamese government respect human rights. Observers wonder whether America’s move is part of a way to counter China, which is currently engaged in several territorial disputes with Vietnam in the South China Sea.
This topic brief will provide some important vocabulary that extempers need to be aware of when discussing U.S.-Vietnamese relations, reasons for the United States to form a close relationship with Vietnam, and obstacles that could emerge on the path toward more amicable relations between both sides.
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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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on U.S.-Vietnamese relations (2016).
#Vietnam is worthy of a closer defense relationship with the U.S., says @JoshKurlantzick: https://t.co/ZeZcSEQpoW pic.twitter.com/k57JOsmBvq
— CFR (@CFR_org) May 20, 2016
U.S. and Vietnam now have the chance to create a partnership that seemed unlikely even three years ago. https://t.co/c3njUod12h — New York Times World (@nytimesworld) May 23, 2016
“Empty chairs” at U.S. Embassy meeting as Vietnam keeps activists away from Obama https://t.co/6y82xbALAZ
— TIME.com (@TIME) May 24, 2016
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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.
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Today’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 President Barack Obama’s new overtime rules. The Obama administration announced last week issued regulations that require employers to pay overtime to employees that make up to $46,476 per year. The administration says that it will add billions to the economy, but critics warn that it will be another impediment towards the hiring of new employees in some sectors.
The new overtime rules will affect millions of middle-class Americans https://t.co/vjkBYVR6Fj
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) May 23, 2016
Changes to overtime rules, unlike the minimum wage, do not require the consent of Congress https://t.co/hOZWOSmZHq pic.twitter.com/G677dHS4I2
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 21, 2016
Employees—not employers—will bear the burden of the high cost of new overtime regulations. https://t.co/eMYx359iaN
— Cato Institute (@CatoInstitute) May 23, 2016
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1. How can El Salvador more effectively combat its gang problem?
2. Will the G7 meeting provide a political boost for Shinzo Abe?
3. Should Portugal and Spain be fined for missing their fiscal targets?
4. Does Burundi need to have good relations with Rwanda?
5. Will Mexico legalize gay marriage?
6. What steps do global health authorities need to take to combat antibiotic resistance?
7. Should Vietnam become a formal ally of the United States?
8. Can Brazil’s new governing party fix the nation’s economic recession?
9. Would the British economy benefit by existing outside of the European Union?
10. Will the EgyptAir Flight 804 crash destroy the Egyptian tourism industry?
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1. What lessons should California learn from its water crisis?
2. Is President Obama’s new overtime rule bad for workers?
3. Who is the most vulnerable senator of the 2016 election cycle?
4. Is college debt weighing down the U.S. economy?
5. Do American urban areas need more green spaces?
6. Is voter apathy the cause for America’s current political polarization?
7. What will the Obama administration’s legacy be when it comes to issues that affect the African-American community?
8. Do “excessive profits” exist?
9. Would the end of lethal injection mean the end of the death penalty in America?
10. What should Bernie Sanders demand at the Democratic convention?
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Today’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 May 16-22, 2016.
Obama was wrong to impose a right to identity-based facilities, writes a professor at Yale. https://t.co/2OyCqCbcbl pic.twitter.com/yNzo6Da0ku
— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) May 19, 2016
Some within the U.S. government believe the early evidence indicates a bomb downed #MS804. https://t.co/QZMrOO5Dhq pic.twitter.com/0vccoXNlnB
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) May 19, 2016
A loyalist of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been nominated as Turkey’s prime minister https://t.co/a4GskRBLj4 pic.twitter.com/dkQRV4TFak
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) May 19, 2016
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Today’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 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and growing passenger lines at the nation’s airports. The TSA is under fire for not effectively handling growing lines at some of the nation’s largest airports in Chicago and Atlanta, although it claims it has not received the funding for additional personnel. The TSA also says that not enough passengers have signed up for a pre-check program and that is also contributing to the headaches. Some Republicans on Capitol Hill such as Illinois Senator Mark Kirk have demanded that TSA head Peter Neffenger do more to fix the problems or resign, while others say that airports should privatize their security.
Why many airports are leaning toward just junking the TSA altogether. https://t.co/Rbuw6ucPrB
— Vox (@voxdotcom) May 18, 2016
Is it time to get rid of the TSA? https://t.co/liBM4UvKF6 pic.twitter.com/ikl1glxwW6
— Bloomberg (@business) May 16, 2016
Powerful group of aldermen, citing recent TSA delays, call for privatizing security at O’Hare and Midway https://t.co/u8CUlStnGA
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) May 18, 2016
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For the past decade and a half, leftist politicians in Latin America were elected at a higher rate than their conservative counterparts. These leftist leaders, which included Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Brazil’s Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, Bolivia’s Evo Morales, and Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, all campaigned on promises of enlarging the welfare structures of their respective states and some, including Chavez and Morales, made moves to nationalize elements of the national economy to better distribute resource wealth to their people. However, falling global demand for commodities, in addition to corruption scandals and poor policy decisions, have created a gradual backlash against leftist leaders in the region. Whereas once it was great to rail against “neoliberal” economic policies and American influence, voters in Latin America have begun to give free market, conservative leaders an audience due to economic downturns, anxieties about the fiscal soundness of some Latin American nations, and shortages of vital consumer goods (notably in Venezuela).
This topic brief will provide important vocabulary when discussing the fall of leftist ideologies in Latin America, explain some reasons why leftist politicians had appeal to voters in Latin America until recently, and analyze why conservative politicians are making a comeback in the region.
Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.