1. Will Lula’s social spending plan damage Brazil’s economy?
2. Is an Asian decline likelier than an Asian century?
3. Should the world quit paying attention to North Korea’s missile launches?
4. Is it in China’s best interest to have Russia continue the war in Ukraine?
5. Should EU members surrender control of their fiscal policy to Brussels?
6. Will climate financing to poor countries from richer ones be an effective tool to combat climate change?
7. Would Iran be making a mistake if it invaded Northern Iraq?
8. Is Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe right to prioritize economic reform over political reform?
9. Are populist forces losing political ground in Europe?
10. Should Egypt release Alaa Abd El Fattah?
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
Note: Next week will not have a news quiz due to the Thanksgiving holiday. However, there will be new questions released on Monday, along with a write up of Glenbrooks and new National Points Race standings next week!
1. Can Rishi Sunak effectively “reset” Great Britain’s relationship with Ireland?
2. Is Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson significant?
3. What should Xi Jinping demand of Joe Biden in their upcoming summit?
4. Should Israel’s centrists back Netanyahu for prime minister?
5. What can be done to stop escalating violence in Myanmar?
6. Would a Chinese invasion of Taiwan turn Japan into a nuclear-armed state?
7. Why are global carbon dioxide emissions increasing?
8. Should the British government raise taxes?
9. Will the G20 meeting be a success?
10. Should Pakistan’s military intervene in the country’s ongoing political dispute?
1. Why did the “red wave” fail to materialize?
2. How will the results of the 2022 midterm elections affect the remaining two years of President Biden’s term?
3. Should the GOP abandon Trump and rally around DeSantis?
4. Which candidate is best positioned to win the Georgia Senate runoff?
5. Should states make modifications to voting by mail so that results can be reported faster?
6. What does the collapse of FTX mean for the future of cryptocurrency?
7. Should the U.S. Congress abolish the debt ceiling?
8. Will Elon Musk’s changes lead to the collapse of Twitter?
9. Should Mitch McConnell remain in his post as Senate Minority Leader?
10. What changes should the U.S. make to its national defense strategy?
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
Two weekends ago, sixty-nine competitors descended on the University of Florida for the thirty-ninth annual Florida Blue Key. Only one was ranked in the National Points Race, which opened the door for new extempers to enter this year’s rankings.
In a final round that featured competitors from five states, Jack Ververis of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) eked out a one-rank win over Raghav Ramki of Plano East Senior High School (TX).
Five ranks behind was Brandon Cheng of Flintridge Preparatory School (CA), who finished third, and seven ranks behind Ververis was fourth place finisher Siddharth Sudhakar of Nova High School (FL).
Connor Hise of Denver East High School (CO) and Taylor Burris of the Potomac School (VA) tied for fifth place but Hise won a tiebreaker on reciprocals.
UK National Season Opener winner #6 Charlotte Reitman of the University School (FL) reached the semi-final round, just short of adding points to her National Points Race total.
Since Blue Key was a fifth tier tournament, the Ververis will receive forty points for his win. All finalists will recieve points and, since none were ranked, it will not lead to a sizeable shakeup in the rankings.
For Tournament of Champions (TOC) bids, Blue Key traditionally awards an Extemp TOC bid for all quarter-finalists, while the University of Kentucky TOC is awarding bids this season for all semi-finalists and finalists.
Here were the results of the 2022 Florida Blue Key (Click here for tab sheet):
1. How many more rate hikes can Americans expect from the Federal Reserve?
2. Should the U.S. end the Cuban embargo?
3. Has the U.S. education system become too bureaucratic?
4. Should the U.S. seat a delegate of the Cherokee Nation in the House of Representatives?
5. What is currently the best investment in the U.S. stock market?
6. How can Democrats regain their political credibility on crime?
7. What impact is “quiet quitting” having on the U.S. economy?
8. Will the results of the 2022 midterms bolster or weaken Eric Adams’ political prospects?
9. Who should lead House Democrats in the next Congress?
10. How can the U.S. lay the groundwork for diplomatic talks to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian War?
1. Will the coming global recession be worse than 2008?
2. Do North Korea, Russia, and Iran constitute the new “Axis of Evil?”?
3. What do the results of the Israeli election mean for the prospects of future peace negotiations with the Palestinians?
4. Was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s trip to China a success?
5. Who won the Tigray War?
6. With regards to the climate change problem, has global diplomacy failed?
7. Should Lula da Silva make safeguarding the Amazon his top policy priority?
8. What is the biggest “megathreat” that the world is facing?
9. Is Kenya making a mistake by joining the Democratic Republic of Congo’s fight against M23 rebels?
10. What does the ascendance of Jordan Bardella mean for France’s National Rally?
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. What should Rishi Sunak’s governing priorities be?
2. Will Belarus join Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
3. Is Uganda’s Ebola outbreak under control?
4. Are climate protesters hurting their cause by targeting famous works of art?
5. Will Macron get his pension overhaul through?
6. If Iran’s Islamic Republic were to collapse, how would it affect the geopolitical situation in the Middle East?
7. Should Israel reform its electoral system?
8. Could violence in Eastern Congo push the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda into war?
9. Will moves by European countries to become more energy independent hurt Turkey’s economic prospects?
10. Should nations prohibit China from setting up “overseas police stations” in their borders?
1. Will the Texas gubernatorial election be Beto O’Rourke’s last stand?
2. How will Elon Musk’s reorganization of Twitter affect the company’s operations?
3. Why is New York’s gubernatorial race tightening?
4. Did the Parkland shooter deserve the death penalty?
5. Does the U.S. have a cost of living crisis?
6. One week to go: Does the U.S. get divided government, a divided Congress, or the status quo?
7. After the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband what changes should be made to ensure greater security for members of Congress?
8. Should the U.S. end sanctions against Zimbabwe?
9. Are HBCUs on the rise?
10. Should the Jones Act be reformed?
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Has the Democratic Party lost its midterm momentum?
2. Is a missile defense system becoming a more pressing priority for American defense?
3. How would a new foreign policy crisis affect the 2022 midterm elections?
4. Should America’s drug laws been decided on a state-by-state basis?
5. Do racial tensions in Los Angeles’ City Council portend larger problems for the Democratic Party’s rainbow coalition?
6. Are U.S. banks insulated enough from a 2008-like financial crisis?
7. Is President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan constitutional?
8. Can Congress do anything to reduce inflation?
9. How much control over education should remain local?
10. Does the Democratic Party need better messaging on crime?
1. Has the AU succeeded in creating regional economic cooperation in Africa?
2. Should the next British prime minister call for a general election?
3. Is Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter a blow for global democracy?
4. Should the West abandon negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program as long as they keep supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine?
5. Is organized crime becoming an existential threat to South Africa?
6. Should Pakistan be worried about the Baloch insurgency?
7. Is a strong dollar bad for the world economy?
8. Will West African floods have a sizeable impact on global food prices?
9. Is Bangladesh becoming less free?
10. Will India become a green superpower?
New standings for the 2022-2023 Extemp Central National Points Race have been released! These results reflect the outcomes of the New York City Invitational. You can find them by clicking on the “National Points Race” tab at the top of the page or by clicking here.
The next National Points Race competition will be the Florida Blue Key, which will take place in two weeks. It will be a fifth tier event that will award points to all finalists and 40 points to the winner.