1. How should the U.S. use international institutions to achieve its foreign policy goals?
2. What steps should the Biden administration be taking to prevent a major COVID-19 wave in the fall?
3. Is the U.S. providing too much military aid to Ukraine?
4. What role, if any, should the United States play in helping to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea?
5. Is John Fetterman the future of the Democratic Party?
6. Should the U.S. enact compulsory voting?
7. What lessons should public schools learn from the 2021-2022 school year?
8. Does the U.S. need a Disinformation Governance Board?
9. Will Elon Musk withdraw his bid to buy Twitter?
10. If the Supreme Court refused to recognize a right to privacy, what impacts would that have on American jurisprudence?
1. Should France pay reparations to Haiti?
2. What helped the Labor Party return to power in Australia?
3. Will monkeypox become the next global pandemic?
4. What does Macron’s new cabinet suggest about his political priorities?
5. Should Israel cease its military strikes in Syria?
6. Could Sri Lanka’s economic struggles lead to the re-emergence of the Tamil Tigers?
7. Is the Accra Initiative failing?
8. Who is likely to be Colombia’s next president?
9. What reforms should be made to the African Development Bank?
10. Is the idea of a global minimum tax deal dead?
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.
Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament. USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday. This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville. This week we tackle IX topic area #3 on Central & South Asia.
Haibatullah Akhunzada, the de facto head of state, has called on countries to engage with Afghanistan on the basis of “mutual respect.” That is not going to happen until other states get a bit of respect back https://t.co/0a3AmkZRln
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 17, 2022
India seeks to win public trust in crisis-hit Sri Lanka https://t.co/VPHy6WIVeS
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 19, 2022
Sri Lanka fell into default for the first time in its history as the gov’t struggled to halt an economic crisis https://t.co/m2HA6caJ66 pic.twitter.com/iJsFZQJob7
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 19, 2022
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.
Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament. USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday. This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville. This week we tackle USX topic area #3 on entitlements and healthcare.
The history of U.S. entitlements is a 230-year record of continuous expansion and liberalization, writes John F. Coganhttps://t.co/yUhForIuoP
— Wall Street Journal Opinion (@WSJopinion) January 8, 2022
Up to 14M people could lose Medicaid coverage when health emergency ends: study https://t.co/OXMGU5NAp8 pic.twitter.com/JoWoP0P5rX
— The Hill (@thehill) May 10, 2022
If we adopt Medicare for All without remaking the bureaucracy, we will perpetuate the perverse core of our medical system and its world-leading inefficiency.https://t.co/pAxeGx1OOR
— The Nation (@thenation) May 12, 2022
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.
1. How should Western European nations respond to Turkish threats to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO?
2. Will political deadlock in Northern Ireland escalate into a wider conflict between Great Britain and the European Union?
3. Is Venezuela’s stock sale a good buy for foreign investors?
4. Will a recent COVID outbreak create a humanitarian disaster in North Korea?
5. How will drought in the Horn of Africa affect neighboring countries?
6. Should the Japanese government move to reduce the U.S.’s military presence in Okinawa?
7. Would electoral reform stabilize Somalia?
8. How should the Israeli government respond to footage of riot police attacking pallbearers at the funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh?
9. What effect would the adoption of the euro have on Croatia’s economy?
10. If the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to go poorly, will Vladimir Putin be removed from power by the end of the year?
1. Will the Buffalo shootings become the impetus for greater gun control measures in the United States?
2. Does the recent collapse of cryptocurrency markets highlight the need for more federal regulation of the industry?
3. Could higher taxes on the wealthy solve America’s inflation problem?
4. What should California do with its record budget surplus?
5. How should the Biden administration respond to the recent baby formula shortage?
6. Which competitive Senate race should Democrats “punt” for the 2022 midterms?
7. Will Texas’ power woes hinder Governor Greg Abbott’s re-election hopes?
8. Is it in America’s best interest for Sweden and Finland to join NATO?
9. What steps can be taken to depoliticize the judicial branch?
10. How should the U.S. respond to China’s growing nuclear arsenal?
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.
Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament. USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday. This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville. This week we tackle IX topic area #2 on Central & South America.
An OPEC-style lithium pact in South America is a “far-fetched prospect” because of “key differences between the oil and lithium industries.”https://t.co/CJOYEiaVQm
— World Politics Review (@WPReview) April 16, 2022
China is South America’s top trading partner and a major source of both foreign direct investment and lending in energy and infrastructure.
But Beijing’s growing sway in the region has raised concerns in Washington and beyond. More in this explainer ⬇️ https://t.co/wq4I0rae7U
— Council on Foreign Relations (@CFR_org) April 28, 2022
South America’s breadbasket is also balancing on precarious ecosystems https://t.co/hT1nPmZHzg
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) April 30, 2022
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.
Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament. USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday. This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville. This week we tackle USX topic area #2 on education.
More recognition, flexible schedules, and better pay are among the keys to improving teacher morale, a panel of education experts said in a candid discussion about a “profession in crisis.” #TeacherTwitter https://t.co/YN2JsS84S8
— Education Week (@educationweek) May 10, 2022
Opinion: We can’t afford not to pay for undocumented immigrants’ education https://t.co/a8oqgMyMCI
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) May 10, 2022
NEW: Black and Hispanic Americans, those with less education are more likely to fall out of the middle class each year https://t.co/unR8iBttdQ pic.twitter.com/gSoXL16rpd
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) May 10, 2022
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Will public outcry cause the Supreme Court to change its suspected opinion in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization?
2. Is the Federal Reserve to blame for America’s current inflation woes?
3. If Roe v. Wade is overturned this summer, can that minimize Democratic losses in the midterm elections?
4. Is Ohio a winnable Senate race for Democrats this November?
5. If President Biden runs for re-election in 2024, should he choose a different running mate?
6. Should the American Bar Association scrap the LSAT?
7. What would be the implications of the Supreme Court overturning Plyler v. Doe?
8. Should the U.S. provide military assistance to the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan?
9. Will California’s water conservation measures work?
10. Should U.S. intelligence agencies provide targeting assistance to the Ukrainian military in its war with Russia?
1. Is Yoon Suk-yeol too unpopular to effectively govern?
2. What was Russia’s biggest miscalculation in its invasion of Ukraine?
3. How will the Taliban’s new dress decree for women affect its efforts to get greater international recognition?
4. After bad results in local elections, should the Conservative Party ditch Boris Johnson?
5. How can Tunisia avoid economic collapse?
6. What reforms are needed of international institutions in order to make them more effective?
7. Should Mexico adopt electoral reforms proposed by AMLO?
8. Does the Philippines have a “strongman problem”?
9. How should the Quad respond to China’s security pact with the Solomon Islands?
10. Why is Turkey trying to form a closer relationship with Saudi Arabia?
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.
Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament. USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday. This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville. This week we tackle IX topic area #1 on Africa.
The ‘War on Terror’ did much to feed terrorism in the Horn of Africa. The 2006 Ethiopia invasion of Somalia was encouraged by the US as it sought to oust the Islamic Court Union, writes Alex Vines (@AfricaProg). https://t.co/weLLEmJeYX
— Chatham House (@ChathamHouse) April 30, 2022
Ethiopia continues to present a major source of instability for the Horn of Africa region and beyond. Mediation efforts by the African Union have made little progress, writes Alex Vines (@AfricaProg).https://t.co/sDvNVkTLo8
— Chatham House (@ChathamHouse) April 16, 2022
The U.S. announced $670 Million in food aid for Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen, where the war in Ukraine has exacerbated food insecurity.
Michelle Gavin outlines what to know about East Africa’s growing food crisis. https://t.co/OfnheXloc8
— Council on Foreign Relations (@CFR_org) April 28, 2022
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.
Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament. USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday. This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville. This week we tackle USX topic area #1 on arts, entertainment and society.
The Oscars were a queasy spectacle that underlined doubts about the function of the Academy Awards.https://t.co/CYVakASmXL
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) April 28, 2022
U.S. arts, entertainment, and recreation total revenue was $85.6B (seasonally adjusted) in fourth quarter 2021, up 53.3% from fourth quarter 2020, and up 14.5% from fourth quarter 2019. #CensusEconData #QSS pic.twitter.com/gZZAVpcYWW
— U.S. Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau) March 15, 2022
In recent years, entertainment executives have vowed to make a genuine commitment to diversity, but are routinely criticized for falling short. Now studios are turning to consultants to make sure their movies or shows don’t raise any cultural red flags. https://t.co/YzKG7RV03y
— NYT Business (@nytimesbusiness) April 2, 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 Tournament of Champions of Extemporaneous Speaking, a third tier event that was won by Cameron Roberts of Jack C. Hays High School (TX).
The next National Points Race event will take place at the end of the month when NCFL Nationals take place in Washington, D.C. This will be the second-to-last National Points Race event of the season and is a second tier event that will award 150 points to the winner.