Category: U.S. Extemp Page 11 of 56

On June 8, 2021

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.

As part of the leadup to the 2021 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament, Extemp Central will be providing daily research & development (R&D) posts for each of the tournament’s fourteen topic areas. These will include links to important articles about each. It is hoped that these will aid in extempers preparation for this year’s national tournament.

Energy Department announces new steps on domestic battery production https://t.co/Q0sadPojx3 pic.twitter.com/S3UqWJc2yR

— The Hill (@thehill) June 8, 2021

Climate action – driven by profitable clean energy – is merging with economic progress, pushing the climate debate toward irrelevance. https://t.co/XaGVjr9ihe

— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) June 8, 2021

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 7-13, 2021

On June 7, 2021

Note: These will be the last questions of the 2020-2021 competitive year. New questions will be uploaded the week of August 2.

1. How will Facebook’s decision to ban President Trump until January 2023 affect the 2022 midterm elections?
2. Should the Biden administration refuse to defend the constitutionality of a male-only selective service system if the Supreme Court takes the case of National Coalition For Men v. Selective Service System?
3. How should the U.S. respond to cyberattacks originating from Russia?
4. Will the G7 tax deal prove beneficial for the U.S. economy?
5. Why has President Biden abandoned the public option?
6. Will there be a bipartisan agreement on infrastructure?
7. Are state-level assault weapons bans unconstitutional?
8. Who will win the New York City mayoral Democratic primary?
9. Should the U.S. continue to use drone strikes as part of its counter-terrorism strategy?
10. Has Common Core failed?

R&D from Prepd: Entitlements & Healthcare

On June 6, 2021

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.

As part of the leadup to the 2021 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament, Extemp Central will be providing daily research & development (R&D) posts for each of the tournament’s fourteen topic areas. These will include links to important articles about each. It is hoped that these will aid in extempers preparation for this year’s national tournament.

Since taking office, Biden has focused on other goals, such as expanding the size of subsidies under the 2010 health care law and broadening eligibility for them. He did not include a public option in the economic proposals he is working to pass this year.https://t.co/dUHcKcaebp

— Roll Call (@rollcall) May 27, 2021

Biden cites the new Affordable Care Act subsidies as a reason, and he calls to make them permanent. https://t.co/BMDvPhLyOe

— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) May 11, 2021

R&D from Prepd: Elections

On June 5, 2021

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.

As part of the leadup to the 2021 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament, Extemp Central will be providing daily research & development (R&D) posts for each of the tournament’s fourteen topic areas. These will include links to important articles about each. It is hoped that these will aid in extempers preparation for this year’s national tournament.

In a statement published this week by the left-leaning think tank New America, more than 100 leading scholars of government warned that election laws in some states “no longer meet the minimum conditions for free and fair elections.” https://t.co/nZmUcakyGV

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) June 5, 2021

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised a vote on sweeping election-reform legislation later this month, setting up a critical showdown on the future of the legislative filibuster. Here’s how that could play out, @Zachary_Cohen reportshttps://t.co/0p9gs7eSlx pic.twitter.com/wrDvXohSee

— National Journal (@nationaljournal) June 4, 2021

R&D for Prepd: U.S. Education

On June 4, 2021

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.

As part of the leadup to the 2021 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament, Extemp Central will be providing daily research & development (R&D) posts for each of the tournament’s fourteen topic areas. These will include links to important articles about each. It is hoped that these will aid in extemper’s preparation for this year’s national tournament.

Why did the Common Core State Standards fail? @tomloveless99 discusses the reasons and looks ahead to the future of U.S. education reform. https://t.co/xABALqyesH

— Brookings Institution (@BrookingsInst) March 29, 2021

Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have passed bills to block curriculums that emphasize systemic racism. Their campaign has targeted “critical race theory,” which many conservatives portray as accusing white Americans of being individually racist. https://t.co/bDlNQHFkBZ

— NYT National News (@NYTNational) June 3, 2021

R&D from Prepd: Arts, Entertainment & Society

On June 3, 2021

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.

As part of the leadup to the 2021 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament, Extemp Central will be providing daily research & development (R&D) posts for each of the tournament’s fourteen topic areas. These will include links to important articles about each. It is hoped that these will aid in extemper’s preparation for this year’s national tournament.

AMC Entertainment took advantage of a record stock price with its second share issue in three days, while warning investors of the risks involved https://t.co/43vIhcUsbP pic.twitter.com/0QSsJTX9hr

— Reuters (@Reuters) June 3, 2021

NBA players’ lucrative endorsements deals with Chinese brands could pull the league into the geopolitical firestorm over the use of cotton from Xinjiang.

U.S.-China tensions, human rights and business are once again colliding on the basketball court.https://t.co/e1xRx9F8cL

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 9, 2021

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 31-June 6, 2021

On May 31, 2021

1. Would the resumption of protectionist trade policies do significant damage to the U.S. economy?
2. Are closer ties between Iran and Venezuela a threat to American national security?
3. Does the U.S. have a role to play in reducing corruption in Latin American countries?
4. Are America’s police forces facing a recruiting crisis?
5. Should the U.S. federal government pay citizens to get vaccinated?
6. How can fiscal conservatives regain their political credibility?
7. Does the Biden military budget err by increasing funding for nuclear weapons programs?
8. What does Amazon’s purchase of MGM signal about the future of its business model?
9. Should President Biden create a presidential January 6 commission?
10. What constitutional reforms does America need?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 24-30, 2021

On May 24, 2021

1. Would a U.S. employer mandate on COVID-19 vaccines be constitutional?
2. Is there a sexual counterrevolution underway in America?
3. Should Congress approve President Biden’s proposed increases to America’s bureaucracy?
4. Does the 1619 Project have a place in America’s schools?
5. How might Asian American voters affect the 2022 midterm elections?
6. Could U.S. support for the WTO’s vaccine patent waiver make the U.S. more vulnerable to the next pandemic?
7. Did American schools err by not strictly enforcing truancy laws during this pandemic affected school year?
8. Should the U.S. impose climate tariffs on China?
9. Does the Republican Party need former President Trump’s backing to win the 2022 midterms?
10. How would the creation of free community college affect the structure of high school education in America?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 17-23, 2021

On May 17, 2021

1. Is the CDC’s revision of national masking rules driven more by science or politics?
2. In the wake of recent mergers, should Congress look to pass greater media regulations?
3. Should Matthew McConaughey run for the Texas governorship?
4. What action should the Republican Party take against Matt Gaetz?
5. Should all American schools return to full, in-person instruction next school year?
6. Can Republican moderates build an effective third party?
7. Should states expand legalized gambling to fix their budgetary woes?
8. How can the U.S. get greater Russian cooperation to stop cyberattacks?
9. Is the U.S. education system in need of significant, structural reform at all levels?
10. Does Liz Cheney have a political future?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 10-16, 2021

On May 10, 2021

1. Should states continue to open their economies even if there are high levels of COVID vaccine hesitancy in their areas?
2. Can growing grocery prices become a political headache for the Biden administration?
3. Would it be a mistake for House Republicans to ditch Liz Cheney?
4. Should critical race theory be taught in American schools?
5. Does Tim Ryan have a good chance of capturing Ohio’s Senate seat next year?
6. What steps does the U.S. need to take to better protect infrastructure from cyberterror attacks?
7. Was President Trump’s steel tariff policy a disaster?
8. Are federal unemployment benefits discouraging employment levels?
9. Will mRNA vaccines change the future of American medicine?
10. What reforms need to be made to American immigration courts?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 3-9, 2021

On May 3, 2021

1. If Stephen Breyer retires after this term, who should President Biden appoint to replace him?
2. Do Republicans need to create a better alternative to President Biden’s infrastructure bill?
3. Was the pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine justified?
4. Will the Biden administration play as active a role in the Middle East process as the Trump administration did?
5. Should there be greater regulations in the horse racing industry?
6. Are American politics going through a significant re-alignment?
7. What does an FBI raid of Rudy Giuliani mean for former President Trump’s legal future?
8. Can Caitlin Jenner win the California governorship?
9. If President Trump is indicted for crimes, should President Biden pardon him?
10. How will cryptocurrency’s change the future of American business?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 26-May 2, 2021

On April 26, 2021

1. Should the U.S. share its COVID-19 vaccine supply with other nations?
2. Is COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal becoming a national security problem for the U.S.?
3. Should the U.S. begin treating China like it treated the Soviet Union during the Cold War?
4. Is the U.S. losing its pre-eminence in space?
5. How will President Biden’s statement on the Armenian genocide affect U.S.-Turkish relations?
6. Does the Supreme Court’s decision in Jones v. Mississippi foreshadow a return to tougher rulings on juvenile crime?
7. Can civilian participation in police review boards create better police forces?
8. Has President Biden enjoyed a successful first hundred days in office?
9. How can the GOP build on President Trump’s inroads with Hispanic voters?
10. Do President Biden’s climate goals go too far?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 19-25, 2021

On April 19, 2021

1. Are America’s small businesses getting enough COVID relief?
2. Why are mass shootings on the rise in the United States?
3. If Democrats pack the Supreme Court, would it cost them the 2022 midterms?
4. Should American police forces be barred from carrying firearms?
5. Is it in the Republican establishment’s best interest to ignore former President Trump?
6. Should Americans view the war in Afghanistan as a failure?
7. Can the U.S. afford a new trillion dollar “social infrastructure” package?
8. Should mask wearing become permanent in the United States?
9. Is there any chance for Republicans to win the New Jersey or Virginia gubernatorial elections later this year?
10. How can President Biden maintain his high approval ratings?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 12-18, 2021

On April 12, 2021