HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 8-14, 2015

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HOTtopics1. What are the economic implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie and Fitch Stores?
2. How can the U.S. rein in rising drug costs?
3. Is the EPA’s latest report on fracking a victory for the oil and gas industry?
4. Have open-carry laws gone too far?
5. How should the Federal Reserve react to the latest jobs report?
6. Should Americans be automatically registered to vote?
7. Does New York City need stronger rent regulations?
8. Is America’s national security apparatus a threat to American liberty?
9. How can the U.S. best assure Asian allies that it will deal with the China threat?
10. Is President Obama losing the TPP debate?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 8-14, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Was Mikheil Saakashvili a good choice for leading Odessa?
2. Are fears of a “Brexit” exaggerated?
3. How can Tanzania better protect its elephant population?
4. Is a “one-state solution” better than a “two-state solution” to the Israel-Palestinian problem?
5. Could a Greek debt default trigger another global financial crisis?
6. Does Mexico need significant education reforms?
7. Will India’s recent boundary agreement with Bangladesh bolster its economy?
8. Would proposed constitutional reforms turn Turkey into an autocracy?
9. How can Bosnia achieve greater religious reconciliation?
10. Is international corruption impeding the global development agenda?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of June 1-7, 2015

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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 June 1-7, 2015.

State Tournament Roundup: Idaho, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin

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Extemp Central continues to get caught up on state tournament action with this third state tournament recap providing results for competitions in Idaho, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.  These tournaments and those that will be recapped over the next several weeks are 2016 Extemp TOC qualifiers as TOC guidelines provide automatic entry for a 2015 state finalist if their state championship was held after April 4.

R&D from Prepd: Italian Politics

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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 Italian politics.  The governing centre-left Democratic Party fared well in recent regional elections, winning five of the seven contested regions, but the party saw its share of the popular vote fall against its centre-right rival Forza Italia.  Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was looking for a clear mandate from the regional elections to push sizable education, labor, and political reforms.  Renzi’s drive to remake Italy has earned him the enmity of both sides of the political aisle, but he has pledged to continue his reformist course to fix one of the most dysfunctional countries in Western Europe.

Prepd Finishes Year 2, Launches Software for Congressional Debate

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l_2Prepd – software that helps extemporaneous speakers research, practice, and compete –  was founded in April, 2013. Thus far, nearly 300 debate programs have adopted the application. Over 1 million articles have been uploaded. With all of Prepd’s progress, it seems fitting that Prepd is now supporting a second debate event. I caught up with Prepd’s founder, Ian Panchèvre, to learn more about Prepd’s new product for Congressional Debate.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of June 1-7, 2015

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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!quiz-01

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D from Prepd: George Pataki’s Presidential Candidacy

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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 former New York Governor George Pataki’s presidential candidacy.  Pataki unexpectedly entered the Republican presidential primaries last week.  He served as the Governor of New York from 1995 to 2006 and has a reputation as a moderate Republican.  Some of Pataki’s political positions include a support for tax cuts and the death penalty, but Pataki’s position in favor of gay marriage and abortion will put him at odds with the Republican Party’s socially conservative base.

State Tournament Roundup: Louisiana, Nebraska, and Virginia

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With the NSDA topic area analysis in the books, Extemp Central can refocus its attention on the state tournament results of the last two months. This second state tournament recap provides results for competitions in Louisiana, Nebraska, and Virginia.

2015 NSDA Extemp Topic Area Analysis

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To access the 2015 NSDA Extemp topic area analysis by Logan Scisco, please click on the link below.  The link is a .pdf document.

2015 NSDA Extemp Topic Area Analysis Book by Logan Scisco

 

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 1-7, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Will the U.S. prosecution of FIFA officials clean up worldwide soccer?
2. What steps should the Indian government take to help the poor survive the country’s deadly summer heatwave?
3. Is the Saudi government doing enough to protect its Shi’ite minority from sectarian violence?
4. Do the recent Italian local elections constitute a victory for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s reform agenda?
5. Should Burundi postpone its presidential election?
6. What effect is ISIS having on OPEC?
7. Is it counterproductive to shut Russia out of the G-7?
8. What role should Turkey play in stabilizing the Middle East?
9. Should Great Britain seek a stronger security relationship with Japan?
10. Are women’s rights universal?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 1-7, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Is America facing a new nationwide crime wave?
2. Does the hemp industry have significant economic potential?
3. Should the Lifeline program be extended to cover broadband Internet?
4. Does the federal government need to pass a stronger law to stop scrap metal theft?
5. Are the Republicans heading for a deadlocked presidential convention next year?
6. How should Illinois close its budget shortfall?
7. Should Democratic presidential candidates worry about the anemic first quarter growth number?
8. Do the USA Freedom Act privacy protections go far enough?
9. When it comes to gay marriage, should the U.S. follow the Irish model?
10. What are George Pataki’s chances of capturing the GOP presidential nomination?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of May 25-31, 2015

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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 May 25-31, 2015.

R&D from Prepd: The General Motors Ignition Switch Case

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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 General Motors (GM) ignition switch case.  The company is facing lawsuits and a federal investigation into an ignition switch defect that has been linked to more than one hundred deaths.  The defect caused the ignition switch to move out of position in older vehicles, disabling brakes, steering, and airbags.  GM recalled 2.6 million vehicles last year that were linked to the problem and reports are surfacing that federal investigators are likely to press criminal charges against some of the company’s employees that were allegedly aware of the problem and did little to fix it.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of May 25-31, 2015

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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!quiz-01

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

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