Month: October 2016 Page 1 of 2

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 31-November 6, 2016

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On October 31, 2016

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HOTtopics1. How can the Iraqi government become more inclusive?
2. Will Spain’s new goverment exist for more than six months?
3. Is the recent EU-Canada free trade deal flawed?
4. Why did the Pirate Party fail to win Iceland’s recent elections?
5. Should NATO prepare for war with Russia?
6. Would a UN ban on nuclear weapons carry any weight?
7. What is the significance of South Africa’s planned departure from the ICC?
8. How can the EU reduce inequality among member states?
9. Is Venezuela a dictatorship?
10. What steps should the UN take to encourage greater global population control?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 31-November 6, 2016

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On October 31, 2016

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HOTtopics1. Who will win the 2016 presidential election?
2. What is the most important Senate campaign of 2016?
3. Are low interest rates doing significant damage to the standard of living of elderly Americans?
4. Why did the government fail to secure a conviction of the occupiers of the Oregon Wildlife Refuge?
5. How will the Supreme Court rule in G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board?
6. Should Hillary Clinton make Joe Biden her Secretary of State?
7. How much influence will Bernie Sanders have in the next Congress?
8. Should all U.S. states use early voting?
9. Are U.S. schools doing enough to prevent cyberbullying?
10. Is President Obama’s “pivot to Asia” failing?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of October 24-30, 2016

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On October 28, 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 October 24-30, 2016.

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R&D from Prepd: Problems with the Affordable Care Act

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On October 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.

This R&D provides resources on the problems of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  President Barack Obama’s major legislative initiative is suffering from a lack of insurance competition in many states and it was revealed this week that significant premium hikes are on the way.  Some states such as Arizona could see premium hikes that go beyond 100%.  Republican critics of the ACA have seized on this as proof that the system should be scrapped, while liberal forces argue that a “public option” should be introduced where the government could compete with private insurers to keep premium costs low.  It is unclear whether recent news about the ACA will affect the 2016 presidential election and be this year’s “October Surprise.”

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R&D from Prepd: Yemen’s Civil War

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On October 25, 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 ongoing civil war in Yemen.  The war began last year when Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, occupied the nation’s capital of Sana’a and overthrew the elected government.  The conflict has become a proxy war between the Houthis and elements that have rallied around the old Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, a Sunni nation.  Yemen is 56% Sunni, so there is significant hostility to allowing a Shi’ite faction such as the Houthis to take power.

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 24-30, 2016

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On October 24, 2016

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HOTtopics1. If Donald Trump loses, who is the GOP frontrunner for 2020?
2. Are more laws needed to prevent discrimination against deaf Americans?
3. Should federal regulators allow AT&T to merge with Time Warner?
4. What will be the biggest foreign policy problem facing the next U.S. president?
5. Should presidential term limits be abolished?
6. What consequences would growing disputes within the Federal Reserve over monetary policy have on the U.S. economy?
7. Will Evan McMullin win Utah?
8. How many Senate seats will the GOP end up with when the 2016 elections end?
9. Is the U.S. presidential election “rigged”?
10. What should the U.S. do about the Philippines apparent reorientation toward China?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 24-30, 2016

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On October 24, 2016

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HOTtopics1. Will Brexit actually happen?
2. Should governments around the world reduce restrictions on foreign students?
3. Will Ethiopia become Africa’s next conflict zone?
4. What is Saudi Arabia seeking in Yemen?
5. Is Myanmar doing enough to prevent sectarian violence?
6. What grade does Justin Trudeau deserve after his first year in office?
7. Would Scottish voters opt for independence if a second referendum were held?
8. Are charges against Pravin Gordhan politically motivated?
9. What terms should Colombia demand of the ELN in upcoming negotiations?
10. Are state-owned enterprises weighing down the Chinese economy?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of October 17-23, 2016

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On October 21, 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 October 17-23, 2016.

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R&D from Prepd: Rebuilding Haiti After Hurricane Matthew

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On October 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.

This R&D covers the topic of rebuilding Haiti after Hurricane Matthew.  The natural disaster killed more than five hundred people and has left 1.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance.  Complicating relief efforts is the suspicion of United Nations relief activities that lingers six years after a cholera epidemic was spread to the island nation by UN peacekeepers.

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R&D from Prepd: Artificial Intelligence

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On October 18, 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 potential impact of artificial intelligence in the workplace.  The growing capabilities of computers and machines could lead to more unemployment in the years ahead, with some economists speculating that it could mean a restructuring of economic models and welfare states.

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 17-23, 2016

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On October 17, 2016

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HOTtopics1. To what extent does national sovereignty still exist in a globalized world?
2. What economic reforms should Saudi Arabia pursue?
3. Is Cambodia becoming more reliant on China?
4. What are the ramifications of Burundi’s decision to leave the ICC?
5. How can Afghanistan better combat drug addiction?
6. What does the death of King Bhumibol mean for the future of Thai politics?
7. Has the EU failed to exercise proper diplomatic muscle in Syria?
8. Did Thuli Madonsela fail in her role as South Africa’s public protector?
9. How can the world best help Haiti after Hurricane Matthew?
10. What are the implications of the “death” of the Great Barrier Reef?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 17-23, 2016

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On October 17, 2016

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HOTtopics1. How involved should the U.S. be in Yemen’s ongoing war?
2. Is a Senate upset brewing in Wisconsin?
3. How should the next U.S. presidential administration approach Cuba?
4. Will California voters end the state’s death penalty this November?
5. What does artificial intelligence mean for the future of the American labor market?
6. How can the American media restore its credibility?
7. Has the 2016 presidential election morphed into a referendum on “male privilege”?
8. Are Americans taxed too much or taxed too little?
9. What do declining NFL ratings mean for traditional television?
10. Would a Clinton restoration be more hawkish in its foreign policy towards Russia?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of October 10-16, 2016

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On October 14, 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 October 10-16, 2016.

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R&D from Prepd: Growing GOP Civil War

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On October 13, 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 growing turmoil within the Republican Party.  After revelations of lewd talk by presidential candidate Donald Trump last week several Republican officials have ceased to endorse him and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan cancelled future appearances with his party’s presidential nominee.  Trump responded by saying that he is now running against Democrats and Republicans who are cozy with “the establishment.”  Pundits wonder if the split between Trump supporters and those that loathe him within the GOP could cause the party to suffer significant losses in the Senate and whether the party’s hold on the House will also be jeopardized.

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R&D from Prepd: OPEC Production Cuts

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On October 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 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) planned production cuts.  After spending more than a year trying to keep prices low in an effort to hurt Western oil production, the oil cartel appears to be jettisoning that agenda and is moving to reduce production by 700,000 barrels a day.  The planned move caused U.S. crude oil prices to increase by 8%, although some analysts think that OPEC needs a larger production cut in order to generate more revenue for member states.  OPEC members such as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have been devastated by low oil prices, which have strained government budgets.

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