Month: August 2018

Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of August 27-September 2, 2018.

An Israel-Hamas agreement that avoids war but puts off tougher questions means replaying the last decade’s nasty cycle of conflict. But every crisis worsens Gaza’s humanitarian and governability situation, towards the point of no returnhttps://t.co/PZlmdCTyMs

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) August 30, 2018

“In the US-China trade war, the US and China will definitely each lose. But there could be some marginal winners.” https://t.co/bK8fY7a7kz

— Brookings FP (@BrookingsFP) August 30, 2018

As Australia welcomes Scott Morrison as its sixth prime minister since 2010, observers might be forgiven for thinking that the country has developed a certain political bloodlust, writes Tom Switzer. But does it? https://t.co/XpDPCq8Mod via @CFR_Asia

— CFR (@CFR_org) August 30, 2018

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1. Will cover up allegations force Pope Francis to vacate the papacy?
2. Would a renegotiated NAFTA hurt the Mexican economy?
3. Has the international community forgotten the Rohingya?
4. What steps does the Iranian government need to take to bolster the nation’s economic performance?
5. Can Scott Morrison bolster the Liberal Party’s fortunes in the next Australian general election?
6. How should Costa Rica’s government handle the recent migrant influx from Nicaragua?
7. What can global populism achieve?
8. Are Western sanctions against Russia working?
9. Should Israel increase defense spending?
10. Can the EU be a powerful global force in enforcing online privacy?

1. Should the Department of Education loosen regulations on for-profit colleges?
2. Has Texas recovered from Hurricane Harvey?
3. Should the Social Security payroll tax cap be eliminated?
4. What position should the U.S. take regarding China’s crackdown on its Muslim Uyghur community?
5. Should more localities pursue soda taxes?
6. How many Democratic votes will Kavanaugh win during his confirmation?
7. Will the Mollie Tibbetts case reframe the American immigration debate?
8. How will new superdelegate rules affect the 2020 Democratic presidential primary?
9. Would it be a mistake for President Trump to fire Jeff Sessions?
10. How aggressively should Democrats seek Trump’s impeachment?

Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of August 20-26, 2018.

Today’s socialism is just getting started. It took Lincoln a decade — plus a civil war, and the decision of black slaves to defy their masters, rushing to join advancing Union armies — to come to the position that free labor meant immediate abolition. https://t.co/gZtPadUvXN

— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) August 24, 2018

Republicans and Democrats agree: They can’t agree on basic facts https://t.co/N8uEmakDcH

— Pew Research Fact Tank (@FactTank) August 23, 2018

The suspect in the slaying of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts lived for years rent-free on land partially owned by a Republican fundraiser who works for immigration hardliners including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. https://t.co/G4vgw1856q

— AP Central U.S. (@APCentralRegion) August 24, 2018

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1. Should social media become regulated like a public utility?
2. Was Trump justified in revoking John Brennan’s security clearance?
3. Does the U.S. need a trade “reset” with China?
4. Can Gary Johnson capture New Mexico’s Senate seat?
5. Should conserving oil be an American economic imperative?
6. Where should cities invest to best fight crime?
7. Were media denunciations of Trump’s attacks on the press necessary?
8. If Democrats win the House in 2018, what would be their first priority?
9. Does the U.S. need a “space force”?
10. Will Omarosa’s revelations do significant damage to the Trump administration?

1. How can Venezuela get hyperinflation under control?
2. What will be Kofi Annan’s legacy?
3. Should Kosovo be partitioned?
4. What would be the geopolitical consequences of a Turkish expulsion from NATO?
5. Does Saudi Arabia have a capital flight problem?
6. Is the international community doing enough to stop the illegal trade in antiquities?
7. Why are Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings falling?
8. Should Cambodia form a closer relationship with China?
9. What might peace in Afghanistan look like?
10. Do the world’s welfare states need an update?

Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of August 13-19, 2018.

Some Republican senators are panning President Donald Trump’s move to yank former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance, warning about the precedent it will set https://t.co/oCP3S9l3IH

— POLITICO (@politico) August 15, 2018

Drug overdoses killed about 72,000 Americans last year, a record number. The death toll is higher than the peak yearly death totals from HIV, car crashes or gun deaths. https://t.co/ofarrsnt7K

— NYT National News (@NYTNational) August 16, 2018

Here’s a deeper look at the trends in the United States economy. https://t.co/HAOH054PMP by @MarkTCSM

— CS Monitor (@csmonitor) August 16, 2018

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1. How might future water shortages reshape Middle East geopolitics?
2. Is the U.S. responsible for Turkey’s currency crisis?
3. Do Cuba’s recent constitutional reforms go far enough?
4. Will Joseph Kabila fully leave the political scene when his term expires?
5. Would “repolonisation” of Poland’s banking industry prove devastating for the nation’s economy?
6. How will Ivan Duque affect Columbia’s relationship with Venezuela?
7. Is Western disunity proving counterproductive to bolstering global human rights?
8. Will efforts by the Chinese government to “Sinicize” religions produce a sizable backlash against the Communist Party?
9. What role, if any, should the EU play in anti-corruption efforts in Eastern Europe?
10. Has Justin Trudeau isolated Canada on the international stage?

1. Should more restrictions be placed on the availability of federal student loans?
2. Is Tennessee’s Senate race the most crucial of the 2018 cycle?
3. Can greater gun control reduce Chicago’s homicide rate?
4. How stable is the current U.S. economic boom?
5. Should Congress constrain U.S. military involvement in the Yemeni civil war?
6. What role should tech giants be gatekeepers of social discourse?
7. Should Europe still be the primary focus of America’s strategic thinking?
8. Is America winning the war on poverty?
9. Should states subsidize the newspaper industry?
10. What steps can states take to secure their electoral systems before the 2018 midterms?

Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of August 6-12, 2018.

NEW REPORT | After the Showdown in Libya’s Oil Crescenthttps://t.co/bk1cwHeNLU

— Crisis Group (@CrisisGroup) August 9, 2018

The vote breakdown in Ohio’s special election this week amplified a trend that’s been building in the suburbs during the Trump erahttps://t.co/sNzuTvoEZo

— POLITICO (@politico) August 9, 2018

Scientists are saying that the earth is on its way to entering a ‘hothouse’ state—a point of no return. Why is it so hard to get people to care?: https://t.co/mbXOlCgJtV pic.twitter.com/en7E0pAFYU

— Maclean’s Magazine (@macleans) August 9, 2018

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1. Is a trade war with China in America’s best interest?
2. Does the U.S. need a national abortion reporting law?
3. If Kavanaugh is not confirmed by November, how will that affect the 2018 midterms?
4. Should the New York Times fire Sarah Jeong?
5. Will the current state of the U.S. economy allow Republicans to stifle the “blue wave”?
6. Is there a constitutional right to “religious liberty”?
7. Should Rahm Emanuel resign as mayor of Chicago due to the city’s alarming homicide rate?
8. How can the American media regain its credibility in the eyes of the American public?
9. Will Scott Walker lose his re-election bid?
10. Can the U.S. afford “Medicare for All”?

1. Does the British Labour Party have an antisemitism problem?
2. What would effective sanctions against North Korea look like?
3. Was Mnangagwa’s victory legitimate?
4. Does Germany need to increase defense spending?
5. Will a recent “assassination” attempt lead to more political controls in Venezuela?
6. Should Japan liberalize its immigration system?
7. What steps can regional actors take to bring peace to Afghanistan?
8. Should the international community cooperate to build a “space society”?
9. Is Spain becoming the next battleground in Europe’s migrant controversy?
10. If South Africa confiscates farmland for redistributive purposes, would it be an economic disaster?

Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of July 30-August 5, 2018.

Talk of a new political movement in Britain has been constant since the Brexit vote. The Lib Dems could provide an alternative https://t.co/1McDdzhwJ1

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) August 2, 2018

Opinion: The nail business is getting hammered by Trump’s steel tariffs, writes Chris Pratt https://t.co/GeBeR2rHsS

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 2, 2018

A multilateral framework including both China and India is more likely to restrain Pakistan than intermittent pressure from a distracted United States. https://t.co/92JSgItlOQ

— Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) August 2, 2018

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The first qualification board for the 2019 University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) is posted.  The board includes a listing of automatic qualifiers from last year’s TOC, the Catholic Forensic League (CFL), and National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament.  Additional qualifiers will be posted as the regular season begins and extempers can check the calendar tab to see a listing of events that are TOC qualifiers.

To check out the first TOC qual board of 2018-2019, you can put your cursor over the “TOC” tab at the top and select the “UK TOC Qual Board” sub-menu or you can click here.

Check back tomorrow for the first weekly R&D of the season!