Month: May 2016 Page 1 of 3

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of May 30-June 5, 2016

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On May 31, 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: The Return of Avigdor Lieberman

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On May 31, 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 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.

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 30-June 5, 2016

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On May 30, 2016

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HOTtopics1. 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?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 30-June 5, 2016

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On May 30, 2016

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HOTtopics1. 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?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of May 23-29, 2016

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On May 27, 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 May 23-29, 2016.

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R&D from Prepd: El Salvador’s Crime Problem

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On May 26, 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 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.

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U.S.-Vietnamese Relations (2016)

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On May 25, 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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R&D: U.S.-Vietnamese Relations (2016)

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On May 25, 2016

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on U.S.-Vietnamese relations (2016).

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2016 NSDA Nationals: Qualification Board Update (5/24)

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On May 24, 2016

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SLC Nations

The new edition of the 2016 National Speech and Debate Association Qualification Board has been posted.  The board has qualifiers from the Arizona, Georgia Northern Mountains (partial USX only), Florida Panther, and New England districts.  Thanks to all of those who sent us qualifiers last week.

You can access the qualification board by clicking on “Quals 16” on the right hand menu on the main page, or by clicking “Quals 16″ on the top menu if you have clicked on a content post.  You can also place your cursor over the Quals 16 label and this will allow you to click on sub-menus for the International and United States Extemp qualifiers.

If you know the qualifiers from your NSDA District from previous weeks or after this week’s district tournaments conclude, please e-mail the following information to [email protected]:

  • The name of the NSDA District and the state that is located in
  • The names of those who will be ATTENDING nationals in IX and USX. Please do not send us the names of those who technically qualified, but opted to go in another event. We only want the names of those who will be going in the categories to avoid confusion.  If something has changed – as some districts hold debate qualifiers separately from individual events – please let us know that as well!
  • The schools those competitors attend.
  • IF your district has an automatic qualifier from last year’s NSDA Tournament (a competitor that reached finals or semi-finals in IX and USX) and that person will be going back to NSDA in that event, please let us know.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of May 23-29, 2016

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On May 24, 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: President Obama’s New Overtime Regulations

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On May 24, 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 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.

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 23-29, 2016

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On May 23, 2016

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HOTtopics1. 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?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 23-29, 2016

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On May 23, 2016

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HOTtopics1. 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?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of May 16-22, 2016

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On May 20, 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 May 16-22, 2016.

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R&D from Prepd: The TSA & Passenger Lines

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On May 19, 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 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.

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