Category: U.S. Extemp Page 7 of 56

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 11-17, 2022

1. Will more Amazon warehouse workers follow Staten Island’s lead and unionize?
2. Is Mitt Romney posturing for a future presidential run?
3. Should U.S. newspapers bar their reporters from having personal social media accounts?
4. Will Elon Mask make significant changes to Twitter’s operations?
5. Has the Republican Party outflanked Democrats in the culture wars?
6. Does the U.S. need a better diplomatic relationship with Pakistan?
7. Should the U.S. join the International Criminal Court?
8. What is the next big tech platform after the smartphone?
9. How can the U.S. best reduce the number of children in poverty?
10. Should the U.S. adopt a four-day workweek?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 4-10, 2022

1. Should Congress adopt President Biden’s budget proposal?
2. Will President Biden’s use of the strategic oil reserve bring major benefits to consumers?
3. When is comes to the January 6 investigation, is the Department of Justice moving too slowly?
4. How will new fuel economy requirements affect the U.S. automotive industry?
5. Will Sarah Palin win Alaska’s House race?
6. Should the Oscars revoke Will Smith’s Academy Award?
7. Is Eric Adams taking the right approach to fix New York City’s homeless problem?
8. Should the Biden administration lifts its transportation mask mandate?
9. What kind of “out” can the United States offer Russia so that it stops its war in Ukraine?
10. Should there be national education standards?

R&D from Prepd: President Biden’s Budget

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 from Prepd covers President Biden’s latest budget proposal.  Earlier this week the Biden administration released its yearly budget request, a package totaling $5.8 trillion.  The package proposes increases in domestic spending by 7% and defense spending by 10%.  It was met with anger by more progressive Democrats, upset by the growth in defense spending, police spending, and the lack of funding for school lunch programs for all students.  Analysts argue that the budget proposal shows a pivot to the center by the President, who has seen more ambitious proposals such as Build Back Better fall apart in Congress.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 28-April 3, 2022

1. Should Justice Clarence Thomas resign?
2. Will the U.S. see food shortages because of Russia’s fighting in Ukraine?
3. Does the U.S. education system need more rigor?
4. Will state budgets face a massive crunch in 2023?
5. Why did the Black News Channel fail?
6. Is it unwise for President Biden to argue publicly that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power?
7. Should the federal government issue a new wave of stimulus checks to offset high gas prices?
8. Will the Federal Reserve’s anti-inflation strategy plunge the U.S. economy into recession?
9. How would the unionization of Amazon’s workforce alter the company’s operations?
10. Are the Oscars still relevant?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 21-27, 2022

1. Should Dr. Oz renounce his Turkish citizenship?
2. What steps does the U.S. need to take to achieve energy independence?
3. Is America’s naval power declining at a dangerous rate?
4. Are criminal investigations into Hunter Biden becoming a headache for the Biden administration?
5. Does the U.S. need to invest more in hypersonic weapons technology?
6. How long will it take U.S. schools to recover from the disruptions produced by the COVID-19 pandemic?
7. Should the U.S. end economic sanctions against Venezuela?
8. What impact will the BA.2 subvariant of COVID-19 have on the United States?
9. Should the U.S. fast-track the admission of Ukrainian refugees?
10. Was the end of the MLB lockout a win for the players?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 14-20, 2022

1. Should there be a federal gas tax holiday?
2. Will 2022 see a growing wave of teacher strikes in America?
3. How can public health institutions regain the trust of the American people?
4. What impact will Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill have on the state’s education system?
5. With the benefit of hindsight two years later, were America’s COVID-19 lockdowns a bad idea?
6. Was the prosecution of Jussie Smollett necessary?
7. Should state courts have the constitutional power to rewrite gerrymandered election maps?
8. What domestic and/or foreign policy challenges should the Biden administration prioritize as it aims to help Democrats in the 2022 midterms?
9. Should federal authorities prosecute Carolyn Bryant Donham?
10. Is the U.S. right to deny Poland’s request to provide Ukraine with fighter jets?

R&D from Prepd: High Gas Prices

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 from Prepd covers high gas prices.  Gas prices in the United States reached a new record high on Tuesday, prompting calls for a response by the Biden administration.  Higher prices could exacerbate the country’s inflation problem, providing greater hardship for working class Americans.  Experts expect that gas prices will remain near or above $4 a gallon until the end of the year.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 7-13, 2022

1. Should presidents continue to give the State of the Union in person?
2. What impact will higher gas prices have on the 2022 midterm elections?
3. To what extent will Beto O’Rourke’s failed presidential bid be used against him in the Texas gubernatorial election?
4. What should President Biden do if Russia launches massive cyberwarfare attacks on the United States?
5. Should President Biden seek out a new Secretary of Energy?
6. Do more states need to mirror Florida’s example and create an Election Crimes Agency?
7. Should the Biden administration lift its moratorium on federal executions?
8. Will complications with California’s reparations efforts scuttle a larger, national effort?
9. Is it too late for President Biden to salvage his domestic agenda?
10. Will Jessica Cisneros win her runoff election with Representative Henry Cuellar?

R&D from Prepd: The Nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

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 from Prepd covers President Biden’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.  Justice Brown, a graduate of Harvard Law School, is currently on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  If confirmed, she would be the first African-American woman to serve on the Court.  The Senate is expected to confirm Brown, who’s nomination cannot be filibustered as per Senate rules.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 28-March 6, 2022

1. What impact will sanctions against Russia have on the U.S. economy?
2. Will former President Trump’s comments on the Russia-Ukrainian War come back to haunt him in 2024?
3. If confirmed, how would Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson affect the dynamics of the Supreme Court?
4. Does the U.S. need to use new metrics to inform policymakers decisions on COVID-19?
5. What lessons should U.S. defense officials learn from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
6. Could Russia’s invasion of Ukraine be a springboard for Republican moderates to regain control of the party?
7. Will facial recognition by U.S. Customs make America safer?
8. In light of recent international events, should the Federal Reserve still raise interest rates?
9. Should the Biden administration attempt to revive the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
10. Is self-censorship a growing problem in American higher education?

R&D from Prepd: U.S. Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

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 America’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began two nights ago.  President Joe Biden has initiated economic sanctions against Russian financial firms.  While Western Europe has supported this, allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) like Poland and the Baltic states have demanded more action to solidify their security.  Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that actions taken to thwart the Russian advance in Ukraine will be “unprecedented.”

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 21-27, 2022

1. Should the U.S. support the Holy Land Confederation plan to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
2. Will Missouri determine party control of the U.S. Senate in 2023?
3. If Russia ever deployed troops to Latin America, how should the Biden administration react?
4. Does consumer sentiment about the U.S. economy match the reality?
5. Should Democrats cease using Iowa as the first leg of their presidential primary process?
6. Will Mayor Eric Adams’ safety plan make New York City’s subway system safer?
7. What updates does the U.S. need to make to its energy grid?
8. Will House retirements cause Democrats to lose control of the chamber in 2022?
9. Should American schools continue a virtual option after the COVID-19 pandemic?
10. Is Meta losing the race for the metaverse?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 14-20, 2022

1. Does President Biden need a new chief of staff?
2. Will average gas prices rise above $4 per gallon by the end of the year?
3. Should all U.S. states abolish mask and vaccine mandates?
4. Has President Biden been too partisan during his first year in office?
5. Is it possible for the U.S. to employ Russia as an ally to contain China?
6. Should the INFORM Consumers Act be passed?
7. Is partisan redistricting a threat to American democracy?
8. How can California best combat homelessness?
9. Should a portion of Afghanistan’s central bank assets be used to pay relatives to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks?
10. How can the Biden administration prevent an Ottawa-like protest in the U.S.?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 7-13, 2022

1. What role, if any, should the Federal Reserve play in tackling climate change?
2. Would President Biden’s threatened sanctions on Russia create significant economic hardship in the United States?
3. Meta Platforms: Buy or sell?
4. Will the raid against Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi strengthen or weaken America’s standing in the Islamic world?
5. How forcefully should Republicans push back against President Biden’s Supreme Court pick?
6. What fixes does the U.S. need to make to the child care system?
7. Are recent state efforts to purge CRT from schools constitutional?
8. Is it time for Nancy Pelosi to pass her leadership position off to a younger Democrat?
9. Does the latest jobs report show that the U.S. economy will experience strong growth in 2022?
10. How would positive economic news over the next nine months impact the midterm elections?

R&D from Prepd: Justice Stephen Breyer’s Retirement & Replacement

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 provides resources on Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement and replacement.  Breyer, a moderate liberal who has been on the Supreme Court since 1994, recently announced his retirement from the bench, allowing President Joe Biden the opportunity to make the first Supreme Court pick of his administration.  Biden announced that he will fill the vacancy with a Black woman, fulfilling a campaign pledge.  Rumored candidates include U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra R. Kruger, and U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs.

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