1. Should Russia be expelled from the G20?
2. How can President Gotabaya Rajapaksa end Sri Lanka’s economic difficulties?
3. Why is Russia losing so many generals in the Ukrainian conflict?
4. Should Arab governments prioritize the Israeli-Palestinian peace process or preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon?
5. Would a Chinese-Solomon Islands security pact constitute a grave threat to Australia’s national security?
6. Does NATO need France?
7. Is globalization nearing its end?
8. Will the AfCFTA provide a significant economic boost to participating African nations?
9. Why is the UAE rehabilitating Syrian President Bashar al-Assad?
10. Will Jokowi try to extend his presidential tenure?
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 Ukrainian refugees. CBS News reported yesterday that 3.6 million Ukrainians have fled the country due to Russia’s invasion, while the BBC recently noted that another 6.5 million are believed to be displaced inside of the country. The Biden administration announced that the U.S. would be accepting 100,000 refugees and pledged additional monies for assistance. Neighboring countries like Poland have accepted the bulk of Ukraine’s refugees thus far.
The United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians, as Russia’s monthlong assault has forced more than three million to flee their country, and with millions more likely to seek safe haven outside Ukraine. https://t.co/L0ZnRhWUyk
— NYT National News (@NYTNational) March 24, 2022
Europe is currently experiencing the largest movement of refugees since World War II. The willingness to help is vast and armies of volunteers are helping out as governments begin mobilizing resources. But will it be enough? https://t.co/HEd7VWzc4X
— SPIEGEL English (@SPIEGEL_English) March 23, 2022
The figure, outlined Sunday by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, amounts to about a quarter of the prewar population, which the World Bank estimated at 44 million in 2020. https://t.co/TIkidDI4JB
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 21, 2022
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. How will China’s latest COVID outbreaks affect the global economy?
2. What should a negotiated solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine look like?
3. Is Spain making a mistake in recognizing Morocco’s plan for governing Western Sahara?
4. How seriously should Western nations take Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats?
5. Has globalization made autocracies stronger?
6. With less than a month to go, which two candidates will make the French presidential runoff?
7. What steps can the international community take to end human trafficking?
8. How will Brazil’s blocking of Telegram impact this year’s presidential election?
9. Is it fair to characterize Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan as a democratic reformer?
10. Will Gabriel Boric enjoy a successful presidential term?
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?
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 Chilean politics. Gabriel Boric, a former student activist, was sworn in as Chile’s new president last week. Boric campaigned on a platform of social and environmental justice, pledging to move Chile away from the free market economic model of General Augusto Pinochet, who led Chile from December 1974-March 1990. Markets are wary of his plans because of his association with communist groups, but Boric argues that his reforms will create more growth in the nation’s economy and be budget neutral.
On Friday, Gabriel Boric was officially sworn in as Chile’s president.
— World Politics Review (@WPReview) March 14, 2022
His success will depend on “his ability to forge partnerships beyond the ranks of the far-left political family from which he has emerged,” wrote Cristóbal Kaltwasser last December.https://t.co/ghth7TptEv
For now, all eyes will be on Chile’s boyish Gabriel Boric https://t.co/gcW2S4xmEe
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 14, 2022
Chile’s Boric pledges to balance social reforms with fiscal caution https://t.co/9hIXOEsyrh pic.twitter.com/TGWkTdqEUq
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 15, 2022
New Chilean President Gabriel Boric is set to be sworn in on Friday as the country’s youngest ever president. Mr. Boric has big plans to transform the country’s market-oriented economic model with progressive social reform and a focus on fighting … https://t.co/H09B21fZkQ
— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) March 11, 2022
Gabriel Boric: The president on a mission to breakaway from Chile’s Pinochet past https://t.co/qOrMKVMTK4
— The Times (@thetimes) March 12, 2022
Chile’s latest revolution: President Boric pledges gender equality https://t.co/nP9DTo9HO8
— The Independent (@Independent) March 13, 2022
Left-leaning former student leader Gabriel Boric vowed to improve the lives of all Chileans and attack deep inequality that has sparked massive protests, hours after being inaugurated Friday as the youngest president in the country’s historyhttps://t.co/ayVAIU0GVY
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) March 12, 2022
Boric sworn in as Chile’s youngest-ever President: “Violation of Human Rights will never happen again” https://t.co/Sr2Wq50Og2
— MercoPress (@MercoPressNews) March 12, 2022
Gabriel Boric’s government may waste money on industrial policy and regulate business so much that it cannot prosper https://t.co/Vr49VBvC26
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 12, 2022
Chile’s moderate central bank chief, Mario Marcel, has been appointed finance minister by incoming president Gabriel Boric. Analysts say the move signals Boric, the social democrat, is more modern and pragmatic than anti-market https://t.co/jvqg1ilNI6
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) January 21, 2022
Over the last two weeks Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming crowned state extemp champions. Extemp Central congratulates all of those who made the finals of their respective state championships, and also congratulates those who won state titles.
Here is a listing of the results of those respective tournaments as Extemp Central continues to chronicle the 2022 postseason:
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
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?
1. Should the ICC indict Vladimir Putin?
2. To what degree can the West continue to provide military support to Ukraine without escalating the conflict beyond its borders?
3. Why did Yoon Suk Yeol win South Korea’s presidential election?
4. Is the ongoing war in Ukraine doing lasting damage to the United Nations’ credibility?
5. How will Turkey’s move to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia impact the tense relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
6. Is a new “pink tide” poised to sweep across Latin America this year?
7. Should the world’s central banks ignore rising energy costs?
8. What impact would the removal of U.S. sanctions have on Venezuela’s economy?
9. Is China’s economic growth target too ambitious?
10. Will punishing economic sanctions make Russia the next North Korea?
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.
Gas prices are soaring across the U.S.
How high could gas prices go?
Analysts say it’s not hard to see fuel costs reaching $5 a gallon on averageRead more at https://t.co/e0RhSGDAQ2
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 10, 2022
Breaking News: U.S. prices rose 7.9% in the year through February, a new 40-year high for inflation, as gas, food and rent all grew more expensive.https://t.co/9aEmlwgbbC
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 10, 2022
A growing number of governors and state lawmakers across the U.S. are calling for the suspension of gas taxes to provide relief to motorists from record high prices. https://t.co/DUAQW3J41w
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) March 10, 2022
Updated standings for the 2021-2022 Extemp Central National Points Race have been posted! You can find them by clicking on the “National Points Race” tab at the top of the page or by clicking here.
The new standings reflect the results of last weekend’s Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, a second tier tournament that saw McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day School (AZ) win her third National Points Race event of the season. Paltzik earned 150 points for her MBA victory.
State tournaments and national qualifiers dominate the calendar until late April, when the National Points Race resumes at the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC). The UK TOC will be a fourth tier event, awarding 70 points to its winner.
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
The MBA top six (from left to right): Gabriel Frank-McPheter, Katelyn Cai, Daniel Kind, McKinley Paltzik, Ananth Veluvali, and Peter Alisky. Photo is courtesy of Daniel Kind.
Last weekend’s Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin was a close contest throughout as a ten rank differential separated the winner from sixth place. #7 McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day School (AZ) fended off a late surge by reigning NCFL National Champion Ananth Veluvali of Edina High School (MN), winning the first major championship of the season by two ranks. Over the last three rounds of competition, Veluvali took seven of nine available first place ranks, moving from fourth place to second in the process, but Paltzik closed with three first place ranks of her own to retain possession of first place
National Points Race leader Daniel Kind of Lake Highland Preparatory School (FL) finished third, six ranks behind Paltzik. Like Veluvali, Kind made a late charge in the tournament as well but was undone by a handful of 3’s and 4’s early Saturday morning.
#10 Katelyn Cai of BASIS Scottsdale (AZ) followed up a runner-up at Harvard with a fourth place finish at MBA, running a mere rank in front of #18 Peter Alisky of Smoky Hill High School (CO) and #6 Gabriel Frank-McPheter of Gabrielino High School (CA). Alisky and Frank-McPheter tied for the fifth place spot, which was broken on a second tiebreaker of reciprocals because they tied on six ballots head-to-head.
Paltzik is the first Arizona extemper to win the Round Robin and is the first junior to win since Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt (IA) in 2013. Her win at MBA is her third National Points Race tournament championship of the season. Paltzik has won every National Points Race tournament final round that she has advanced to this year.
#12 Mukta Dharmapurikar of Durham Academy (NC) was a late scratch from the tournament, replaced by teammate Elizabeth Wong.
MBA only announces the top six at awards, so the other participants in the tournament are listed in alphabetical order. Only the recognized top six will receive National Points Race points. New standings will be released Thursday evening.
Here are the results from the 2022 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin:
1. Will foreign fighters help Ukraine turn the tide against Russia?
2. In light of economic difficulties, should China continue its present rate of military spending?
3. Are Pakistan’s women’s marches accomplishing their objectives?
4. Should NATO impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine’s nuclear power plants?
5. Will Danish voters approve joining the EU’s defense policy?
6. What steps can Moldova take to protect its territorial integrity and deter Russian aggression?
7. Is the Sahel the new home of international terrorism?
8. If North Korea developed a spy satellite, what impact would that have on East Asian security?
9. How can the international community alleviate food shortages that will come from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
10. Are Germany’s green energy efforts failing?