Month: May 2016

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of May 2-8, 2016

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On May 6, 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 May 2-8, 2016.

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2016 University of Kentucky TOC: Graham Adds to National Points Race Lead; Sloane Wins the Final Round

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On May 5, 2016

In National Circuit Results, UK TOC

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National Points Race leader Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) took one step further to clinching the competition before the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament by winning the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) last weekend in Lexington, Kentucky. This was the second year of the expanded TOC tournament format and Graham, who placed third in last year’s competition, won the cumulative tournament by five ranks over Samhitha Sunkara of Ardrey Kell High School (NC).

Sunkara and Marshall Sloane of Milton Academy (MA) tied for first place in the final round, with each accumulating a total of sixteen from the round’s five judges. On judges’ preference, Sloane won, but he and Sunkara made up little ground against Graham, who finished the final round with a total of seventeen ranks. Since Graham entered the final round with a six rank lead this was enough to make him the tournament champion, while Sloane finished third.

The tournament attracted an impressive field for a second consecutive year, with five of the top ten competitors in the National Points Race attending (and four of the top five). Vaikunth Balaji of Ridge High School (NJ), who entered the tournament in second place in the National Points Race, was eliminated in the semi-final round.  Nathaniel Saffran of Trinity Preparatory, who sits in fourth place in the current rankings, was also eliminated in semi-finals.

All of the competitors that reached the semi-final round and beyond will earn National Points Race points. Graham will receive seventy points for winning the tournament.

Here are the results of the 2015 University of Kenucky Tournament of Champions (Click here for tab sheet):

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R&D from Prepd: UnitedHealth Leaving ACA Exchanges

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On May 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.

This R&D provides information on UnitedHealth’s recent decision to leave thirty-four of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance exchanges due to mounting losses.  The insurer says that it will lose $650 million this year, partly due to the fact that those using the exchanges are most in need of care versus those that receive insurance from an employer.  This sicker risk pool was not offset by enough younger, healthier customers so UnitedHealth has taken a financial hit.  Critics of the ACA say that UnitedHealth’s departure from the exchanges will lead to fewer options for exchange customers and that it is further proof that the ACA is not working for a majority of Americans. Defenders of the law say that UnitedHealth’s exit will not adversely affect the ability of Americans to purchase health insurance over the short-term or long-term.

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First Quarter GDP Numbers (2016)

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On May 4, 2016

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

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Last week the Commerce Department announced that the U.S. economy grew by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2015.  This was below the number that economists had projected and it was below the 1.4% growth rate that the economy registered during the fourth quarter of 2014.  The numbers were quickly seized on by critics of the Obama administration, who argued that they proved that the President has failed to generate significant economic momentum under his watch.  Defenders of the administration argue that first quarter numbers can typically be stubborn as weather factors can inhibit economic growth in some seasonal industries such as construction or agriculture.  Either way, the numbers are likely to temper the attitude of some members of the Federal Reserve Board for another interest rate hike and they could change the dynamic of the presidential race as a weak economy would favor Republicans in the fall.

This topic brief will provide some important vocabulary that extempers should know when discussing first quarter economic numbers, analyze arguments for why the GDP numbers are concerning, and then provide reasons why becoming panicked over these first quarter numbers is unnecessary.

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: First Quarter GDP Numbers (2016)

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On May 4, 2016

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on first quarter GDP numbers (2016).

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of May 2-8, 2016

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On May 3, 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: Iraqi Corruption

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On May 3, 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 corruption in Iraq.  Since the 2003 U.S. invasion, successive Iraqi governments have struggled to battle the problem, which has reduced the confidence of the Iraqi people in the post-Saddam regime.  On Saturday, hundreds of angry Iraqis overwhelmed the Green Zone in Baghdad, a fortified headquarters for the Iraqi government, and demanded the creation of a technocratic government to solve the nation’s problems.  Transparency International, a civil society organization that documents incidences of global corruption, ranks Iraq 161 out of 168 in its corruption index.

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 2-8, 2016

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On May 2, 2016

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will large scale protests provide a boon to Donald Trump’s presidential hopes?
2. Should U.S. students take a year off before attending college?
3. Is the U.S. military prepared to fight the wars of the future?
4. Did Ted Cruz pick his vice-presidential nominee too early?
5. How will United Healthcare’s decision to drop out of health insurance exchanges affect the future of the Affordable Care Act?
6. Will the Democratic Party have a “contested convention” this summer?
7. How should the U.S. handle Puerto Rico’s debt crisis?
8. Should the Federal Reserve be concerned about sluggish first quarter GDP growth?
9. What is the biggest challenge facing the U.S. public education system?
10. Should women’s rights constitute a key part of American foreign policy?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 2-8, 2016

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On May 2, 2016

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Is Russia really a wounded bear?
2. Will the concept of “global citizenship” become a popular notion over the next century?
3. Would a turn toward the political right do significant damage to the European economy?
4. How can the Iraqi government fight corruption more effectively?
5. Are environmental demands on developing nations a form of neo-imperialism?
6. Is Bangladesh becoming the next battleground in the war on terrorism?
7. Was Germany justified in banning Airbnb?
8. Will communist rule in Cuba continue long after the Castros are gone?
9. Is the West making it harder for Libya to form a unity government?
10. Will China’s new NGO law have significant negative side effects for poorer Chinese communities?

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