Month: October 2021 Page 1 of 2

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.

This week’s R&D covers the violence in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.  Fighting has engulfed the area since November.  Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered the country’s armed forces to go to Tigray after there was an attack on a national military base.  Tigray’s major political party governed Ethiopia’s affairs for almost thirty years until Ahmed took power in April 2018.  To date, the violence has claimed more than 8,000 lives.

Situation for Tigray’s Population Grows More Desperate @DeutscheWelle: https://t.co/46J8pVUgAO #Ethiopia #Tigrai pic.twitter.com/U7WiUCt4do

— allAfrica.com (@allafrica) October 26, 2021

“God have mercy.” Interviews and internal documents reveal the most detailed picture yet of life under government blockade in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. https://t.co/IHQiY2RULL

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 16, 2021

Ethiopian textile industry at risk if U.S. suspends trade deal over Tigray war https://t.co/FT04rHAT7X pic.twitter.com/g5kwt8Uv6N

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 28, 2021

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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

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1. Is South Africa’s ANC incapable of solving the nation’s economic inequality?
2. Should Vladimir Putin weaponize Russia’s energy resources?
3. What should be China’s ambitions in space?
4. How can Libya become stable?
5. What steps should Taiwan’s government take to counteract China?
6. Should the rise of AUKUS alarm ASEAN?
7. Has Hungary’s political opposition found the key to defeating Viktor Orban?
8. Should Chilean lawmakers remove President Sebastian Pinera from power?
9. Does the Taliban need international assistance to defeat ISIS?
10. Have Europe’s far-right political parties lost momentum?

1. Can the Forward Party turn America into a three-party system?
2. Should Senator Joe Manchin switch parties?
3. Is President Biden doing enough to solve America’s supply chain crisis?
4. Does the U.S. education system need to have more national or local control?
5. Should U.S. foreign policy accept Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear device?
6. Will President Biden’s Supreme Court commission produce anything meaningful?
7. Should the Federal Reserve change its interest rate outlook?
8. Will the restoration of the “Remain in Mexico” policy hurt the Biden administration’s standing with progressives?
9. What lessons should U.S. policymakers learn from Western Europe’s energy crunch?
10. Would price controls for prescription drugs have negative consequences for the American healthcare system?

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.

This week’s R&D covers global supply chain bottlenecks.  As an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated shutdowns, the world is facing a massive supply chain crisis.  Prices of groceries, automobiles, and energy sources are skyrocketing and the lack of resources is making things difficult for large and small businesses alike.  In the United States, the Biden administration has committed to keeping West Coast shipyards open 24/7, while also modifying truck driver licensing requirements.  However, experts warn that it could take more than a year to undo the damage.

China’s energy crisis threatens lengthy disruption to global supply chain https://t.co/uH5NkpMgsR

— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) October 17, 2021

“The White House has stumbled into a messaging problem when it comes to higher prices and empty shelves,” writes @jimantle: https://t.co/YVlZbIUCIu

— The Week (@TheWeek) October 21, 2021

Fears grow as UK factories hit by worst supply chain shortages since mid-70s https://t.co/6OIOGtKCe0

— The Guardian (@guardian) October 21, 2021

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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

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The 2021-2022 National Points Race resumed at the New York City Invitational last weekend, taking place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-nine extempers competed, representing a diverse field that stretched from coast-to-coast.

McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day School (AZ), this year’s Yale champion and the number two ranked extemper in the National Points Race, won the tournament, defeating last year’s CFL national champion Ananth Veluvali of Edina High School (MN). Paltzik and Veluvali were tied at the conclusion of the cumulative tournament, but Paltzik won the tiebreaker on final round ranks fourteen to seventeen to take the title.

National Points Race leader Daniel Kind of Lake Highland Preparatory (FL) reached a third final round in as many National Points Race tournaments, placing third, three ranks behind Paltzik and Veluvali. This finish will help Kind retain the leadership of the National Points Race.

Peter Alisky of Smoky Hill High School (CO) reached a second National Points Race tournament final round, placing fourth overall. Alisky finished second in the final round behind Paltzik.

The state of Texas kept rolling nationally as some familiar names reached the final round. Cameron Roberts of Jack C. Hays High School, who placed fourth at Yale several weeks ago, finished fifth. Roberts ended up one cumulative rank ahead of Charles Hou of Plano West Senior High School, who finished ahead of Roberts at Yale.

Other notables competed but fell short of the final round. Dev Ahuja of Solon High School (OH), ranked seventh in the National Points Race, reached the semi-finals before bowing out. Marc Zavarro of Western High School (FL), who won the Nova Titan Invitational two weeks ago, reached the quarter-final round.

Although it is not a qualifier for the Extemp TOC, the New York City Invitational is a qualifier for the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) in April. Based on the number of entries, all participants in the final round earn a qualifying leg for that event.

The next major National Points Race event will take place in two weeks online when the University of Florida hosts the Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament. That tournament, like New York City, will be a fifth tier event.

Here are the results of the 2021 New York City Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):

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1. With a few weeks to go, what are the odds of Republicans winning the Virginia governorship?
2. What adjustments should President Biden make to his social infrastructure bill to assure passage?
3. Will former President Trump be more of an asset or liability for Republican candidates in 2022?
4. What powers does the IRS need to effectively limit tax avoidance?
5. Why are America’s schools facing severe staffing shortages?
6. Will a new wave of strikes re-energize the American labor movement ?
7. Has the COVID-19 pandemic made Americans more or less trusting of government?
8. What should America’s climate policy look like?
9. Will the FDA’s new salt guidelines help reduce America’s obesity rate?
10. Why has momentum for new campaign finance restriction died?

1. How should the British government respond to the slaying of David Amess?
2. What can Japan do to increase foreign investment in its economy?
3. Is the power of popular culture, rather than military force, the key to resolving tensions on the Korean peninsula?
4. Should Israel cease its policy of assassinating enemies?
5. Is Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system crippling the country?
6. Do Latin American economies need more or less protectionism?
7. Have European governments moved away from fossil fuels too quickly?
8. Is Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro guilty of crimes against humanity in the Amazon?
9. Will cultural crackdowns help or hinder the power of China’s Communist Party?
10. Who was the biggest winner of the recent Iraqi elections?

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.

This week’s R&D covers COVID-19 vaccine mandates.  While 57% of the U.S. population has received one variation of a COVID-19 vaccine, the Biden administration believes that the number can be higher with employer mandates.  States like California have issued a mandate for schoolchildren when vaccines become available for them, while other states like Kentucky and Texas are moving to pass legislation prohibiting vaccine mandates.  Mandates are becoming problematic as pilots, healthcare workers, teachers, and others are refusing to get vaccinated, creating spillover effects in essential institutions.

President Biden pleaded with Americans to remain vigilant against the coronavirus on Thursday, rallying states and private businesses to support vaccine mandates in an effort to avoid a surge in cases. https://t.co/r2sVZIuXcM

— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) October 14, 2021

COVID-19 vaccine mandates could threaten public health and safety due to a shortage of police officers, firefighters, and health care workers. https://t.co/eK5mdTb2aS

— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) October 14, 2021

United firing 232 employees as US airlines grapple with vaccine mandates https://t.co/qTgMaOnO3p

— The Independent (@Independent) October 13, 2021

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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

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1. What does the rise of Eric Zemmour say about the state of French politics?
2. Will China’s increased military pressure on Taiwan backfire?
3. What will be the Taliban’s biggest difficulties in governing Afghanistan?
4. Will international pressure force the Ethiopian government to alter its policies toward Tigray?
5. Is India’s economy too reliant on agriculture?
6. Will rising oil prices be a boon for the world’s developing economies?
7. How would a Polish exit affect the European Union?
8. Will the Pandora Papers have a sizeable geopolitical impact?
9. Is the Franco-Greek defense pact a threat to Turkey?
10. To what degree does the global economy remain hobbled by the COVID-19 pandemic?

1. To what degree are America’s economic difficulties the fault of the Biden administration?
2. Should progressive groups cease their attacks on Senator Sinema?
3. Will vaccine mandates weaken U.S. economic performance?
4. What adjustments should the U.S. make to the Merida Initiative?
5. Will rising gas prices put the Biden administration’s climate agenda in jeopardy?
6. Should schools abolish gifted and talented programs?
7. Does the U.S. need a “Technology Bill of Rights”?
8. Should the U.S. ends it policy of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan?
9. What regulations, if any, should Congress impose on social media companies?
10. Should Medicaid recipients have to work to access benefits?

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.

This week’s R&D covers the recent allegations leveled against Facebook by data engineer Frances Haugen.  Haugen argues that Facebook knew some of its services were harmful for teenagers, that its service could be used to spread political disinformation, and misled investors about Facebook’s user base.  The charges have spurred congressional inquiry and renewed calls for greater regulation of “Big Tech” companies.

Frances Haugen, the Facebook product manager who leaked internal documents to the @WSJ, was right when she said Congress should “make social media companies liable for content that their algorithms promote,” Roddy Lindsay writes. https://t.co/LzcLLUln8z

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) October 7, 2021

Revelations brought to light from whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former data scientist at Facebook, have led to what may be the most threatening scandal in the company’s history.

More from her congressional testimony: https://t.co/uMCYTi12UT

— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) October 7, 2021

How Facebook forced a reckoning by shutting down the team that put people ahead of profits https://t.co/KJDeQpK09f

— TIME (@TIME) October 7, 2021

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